21 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that hope in the Lord, almighty god, aura of love, battle armour, battle formation, be of good courage, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, come to save that which was lost, compassion, condemn the world, confidence, enthusiasm, expectant faith, expectations of victory, faith, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, good news, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, helmet of salvation, holy spirit, humble servants, hungry hope, I came not to judge the world, in the land of the living, invincible, Jesus came to save the world, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, Love the Lord all his saints, mercy, our fearless Leader, peace, people of god, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, shield of faith, shoes, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife-filled world, sword of the Spirit, taunts, the call to arms, the goodness of the Lord, the halls of heaven, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord preserves the faithful, the Lord rewards the proud doer, the Lord's power, the Son of man, the trumpet's sounding, trust, truth, ungodly world, wait on the Lord, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 31:24. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Arise O people of God and put on your battle armour! Don’t you hear the trumpet sounding the call to arms? It’s Monday morning and there’s no time to waste, for the enemy is already lined up in battle formation and our fearless Leader, Jesus Christ is also out at the front surveying and reconnoitring the situation.
So get thee up and about, arm thyself with helmet, breastplate, belt, shoes, shield and sword, and having asked protection of heaven, join in the fray with enthusiasm, strength, wisdom and expectations of victory!
Yes Friends, it’s our favourite day Monday; the one we LOVE to hate, but one that we need to put to good use, if we want the rest of the week to go smoothly. That’s because Monday takes its cue from Sunday, and the remainder of the week from Monday.
Have you ever noticed that when you have a rough Monday, the rest of the week usually goes the same way? That’s why I keep on encouraging us to come out strong and vibrant, just rearing to go on Mondays.
Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with zest, urgency and sense of purpose. As one harmonious 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 rendition wasn’t bad at all! You could see traces of a smile forming on Jesus, our choirmaster’s face, but nowhere good enough for a standing ‘O’ from the halls of heaven. (smile) Anyway we’ve gotten the message, our adrenalin is running, so let’s get out in the evil, deceitful and strife-filled world and spread some LOVE and cheer, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and good news, Jesus style nuh.
And to help us do that with strong faith and sincere trust, listen to the encouraging and uplifting words of our Bit from the pen of Bruh David. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’
Yes my fellow believers, when we come to the Lord with hungry hope and expectant faith, He will strengthen us and give us the wherewithal to do His will. So be not afraid to get out there and face the heathen, once you are dressed in your spiritual armour, backed up by prayer and the Lord’s power is running through your veins.
Now let’s back that up with earlier testimony from Bruh David in Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Yes my brethren, if we don’t expect to see and receive God’s goodness and blessings down here on Mother Earth, then we might as well be dead. But when we expect the Lord’s grace and mercy to flow down on us, then in faith and with patience, we wait for it. He has promised to bless us if we are obedient to His Word, and we all know that He is faithful to keep his promises. So there’s no need to worry once we’re doing our best to follow His leading and guiding.
And this can all be reinforced by the words of Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:9) And yuh know Friends, that is exactly what happened. The Father sent the Son, Jesus Christ to save us, to be our salvation… Oh glory to God!
Listen to Jesus talk about His role. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And again: ‘For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ (Luke 9:56) Then: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And finally: ‘And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.’ (John 12:47)
Oh my people, Jesus couldn’t be any clearer about His main purpose in coming to earth…to save its inhabitants. He laid it all on the line for us, including His sinless life, so I don’t know what else we expect from Him. He threw down the gauntlet to us, now it only remains to see if we have the parts and the wisdom to accept the challenge. Only time and time alone will tell! Much LOVE!
…O LOVE the Lord…all ye his saints…for the Lord preserveth the faithful…and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer… (Ps.31:23)
08 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: act wisely, allegiance to God, back to school, be strong and very courageous, blind alleys, common sense, Competition with God, controversy, do according to all the law, embrace personal desires, emptiness, freedom, God-assigned tasks, gospel truth, happen haphazardly, have success, heavenly blessings, it may be well with thee, joy, Labour Day, lazy hazy days of summer, Moses, obeying God's dictates, peace, personal possessions, productive work, prosperity, righteousness., Ruth Harms Calkin, seek ye first the kingdom of God, self-indulgence, summer vacations, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the party done now, the straight and narrow path, the things of God, the time is drawing nigh, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way, too late to look to Jesus, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, understanding, vikey-vie, walk ye in it, waste time, when ye turn to the left, when ye turn to the right hand, wisdom, worshipping the God of our Fathers, ye may live
Isaiah 30:21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Well Friends, the party done now! Labour Day is over and that means the summer vacation is also history; time to get back to school and work and serious pastimes now, no more lazy, hazy days of summer. (smile)
And on this Tuesday morning after Labour Day, many of us are feeling like it’s Monday morning and thus having difficulty in getting up and going back to work.
But them’s the breaks Friends, we can’t party all the time, there must be some sort of productive work involved in our lives, and we need to plan properly for it, not just let it happen vikey-vie (haphazardly).
One good thing though, in my area we arose to a wet and cloudy Tuesday. Thank the Lord! The parched ground has been crying out for at least two weeks for heavenly blessings, and at last its prayers have been answered.
Don’t know how much it will receive, possible not enough to satiate its hungry appetite, but these days we’re thankful for any blessings whatsoever from heaven.
And with all that, listen to this interesting and ever so true passage from our One Year book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s entitled ‘Competition with God.’
It says: ‘Often me must ask, what is my competition with God? When life seems to stand still, when my thoughts saunter through blind alleys, those very thoughts become my competition with God. When I embrace personal desires instead of giving allegiance to God, desire becomes my competition with God.
When I waste valuable time, ignoring God-assigned tasks, time becomes my competition with God. When personal possessions erase my concern for a desperately needy world, possessions become my competition with God. If we allow a controversy in our lives, our praying may be with pretense, but it will not be with power.
Walking the path of self-indulgence eventually leads to emptiness. Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness leads to freedom and joy.’
Oh what gospel truth that is my believing brethren! And all the other stuff about our competition with God is also true, because many a time we do those things; putting our personal interests and desires before those of God, which we know is wrong. But our wonderful God knows our weaknesses and frailties and gently and LOVINGLY nudges us back to His will.
And the biblical promise for that writing is also our Bit for today. It comes from Isaiah’s appeal to his people to turn to the Lord for help. ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’
Oh Friends, likewise, today I’m encouraging us to turn back to truly and sincerely worshipping the God of our fathers, so that peace and prosperity can return to our land. Please remember God’s fateful words to Joshua when He made him leader after Moses’ death.
‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success, act wisely) withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:7)
Yes my people we have to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jehovah God, not turn to the right or to the left, if we want to be prosperous and successful. It is the only true and lasting way!
And that’s one of our major problems today, our big stumbling block in this so-called advanced society; we have stopped following the Word of God. How foolish is that eh my brethren? All through the Good Book we’ve been warned about turning away from God, but do you think we listen.
Not at all! We all want to do our own thing. But when the mark, our bubble, bursts on us, we quick to run to God for help and boldfacely expect Him to just jump up and help us. Steups!
Unfortunately though, life doesn’t work like that friends. The Lord will jump to help those who worship and serve Him faithfully. It’s no different with us; for we run to help those who help us, not those who don’t.
Now listen to this scripture from way back when, when Moses was trying to calm the Israelites fear in the wilderness. ‘Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.’ (Deut.5:32-33)
Oh Friends, from day one, God has been telling us the right and proper way to be come successful and prosperous is by following His Word! And we’ve seen much evidence that it’s true. So what’s it going to take to bring us back to him eh? When are we going to wake up from our foolish slumber and realize that we’re heading down the rocky road to oblivion, death, hell and total damnation eh my people?
And even when Jesus came, He told us the same thing, just in somewhat different words. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Oh Friends, for all our sakes, plus those of our children, and our children’s children, please, I implore us, let’s take those words of Jesus to heart nuh, and put them into practice, ASAP, for the days are growing short, and the time is drawing nigh, when all things in the Good Book will be fulfilled, and then it will be too late to look to Jesus.
Please, let’s make wisdom and understanding in the things of God our watchwords and desire this day and forever more. Amen! Much LOVE my fellow believers!
…it’s simple common sense…that if God created the world…and still controls it…that true success can only come from obeying His dictates…
02 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a day begun with Jesus, a godly life, a good name is better than precious ointment, a good name is to be chosen above riches, a good report makes the bones fat, a good reputation, a shout of thanks, a shout out to Jesus, Advocate, Alpha and Omega, bawling, born again, conflict, earthly riches, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, excellence, faith, forgiveness, fruits of the Spirit, glory, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godly principles, good character, halfway home, head holding, high priest, holy spirit, hope, human nature, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, in heaven alongside Jesus, in our own strength, integrity, jehovah god, Jesus christ is Lord, joy, kindness, King of Kings, Lord and Saviour, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving favour rather than silver or gold, material things, meekness, merciful God, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no beating about the bush, praise, prince of peace, seek God's favour, self-control, stay focused on God, stress, the breath of life, the day of death, the day of one's birth, the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart, the obits, the straight and narrow path, the vicissitudes of life, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, worries
Proverbs 22:1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.
Aye Friends, it’s wailing Wednesday! So let us wail nuh. (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!’
Yes my people, it’s simple, straightforward and to the point! No beating about the bush! If it’s a day for wailing, then why not wail from the very beginning eh?
But you know something else my brethren? A li’l wail, a li’l shout out to Jesus when you wake up in the morning to face a brand new day, is the best way to begin it.
Why? Because it causes you to be more focused, filled with more joy, more LOVE, faith, hope, kindness, forgiveness and mercy…more of the fruits of the spirit, like meekness and self-control. And those of you who practice it, know that I am telling the truth.
Oh my fellow believers, as well as you unbelievers, believe me, a day begun with Jesus WILL outshine any that’s not begun with Him, where He is not the focus of our minds, body and souls! So please, let’s pledge that from here on in, every morning that we arise and don’t see our name in the obits, that we’ll give Jesus a wail, a shout out of thanks and praise and glory.
And if we do happen to see our name in the obits, (smile) well then there’s no need to worry, because we’ll be right there in heaven alongside Jesus, exactly where we want to be.
Oh Glory to God, for giving us such a wonderful Lord and Saviour, Prince of Peace, Advocate, High Priest, the Alpha and Omega, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, to whom each knee will eventually bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord indeed! Glory Hallelujah!
And like our good God is trying to tell us something significant this morning, because I was led to a rather interesting Bit from Cousin Sol, namely, that ‘A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.’ Oh my people, is that ever so true!
And as the scholars explain it: ‘22:1. A good reputation is more important that wealth.’
Oh if we’d only believe that my brethren, and stop running down the worthless wealth of material things and earthly riches, our lives would be so much better; less stress, less conflict, less head holding and bawling.
That’s what our great and merciful God is trying to tell us today; be a person of good character, one of integrity and excellence, seek my favour, rather than the world’s, and your life will be amazing.
Oh Friends, I know that when the vicissitudes of life come upon us, it’s not always easy to stay focused on Jesus, but we just have to do our best, so that we can receive His best.
When the money and health and relationship worries tumble down on us, it’s difficult not to try and withstand and/or overcome them in our own strength, although we have the faithful promises of our Lord to look after and provide for all our needs. It’s just human nature.
But since we are born again in the Holy Spirit, we need to put away those worldly fantasies and seize the opportunity to stay focused on God and His things, which are way more lasting and edifying than the things of the world. We can’t buy a good name, integrity or character with earthly wealth, although a lot of us are trying to do it, especially in these heady times of upcoming elections.
Earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us that ‘The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat (healthy). (Prov.15:30)
That’s ever so true Friends! When our eyes are opened with wisdom, our hearts rejoice, and when we are commended for our stellar behaviour, integrity and character, it does raise the level of our health; physically, spiritually and emotionally. There’s nothing like people saying good and truthful things about us.
As Cousin Sol say in Ecclesiastes 7: ‘A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.’ (Eccl.7:1)
Yes Friends, wise living, and we’re talking about godly not worldly wisdom, is ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO!
And you cannot be led down that straight and narrow path by anyone else other than Jehovah God.
So please, let’s go to Him today nuh, right now, if necessary, and sincerely ask Him to grant us the wisdom and understanding we need to live a wise and godly life, one that’s ever so pleasing to Him. For that is indeed wisdom to the nth degree…everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…godly principles cannot be bought with earthly wealth…
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…
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…
16 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a body of believers, a day of rest, almighty god, backbreaking, boost our spiritual selves, Christ's Church, Christian faith, church going, different work schedules, family gatherings, fill our souls, graven images, I the Lord am a jealous god, idols, in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, iniquity, Jesus, joy, keep my commandments, labour, let all be put shame who serve graven images, let us kneel before the Lord, live for Jesus, LOVE, Love the Lord, mercy, mind-boggling, no Christian can live unto himself, no man is an island, o come let us worship and bow down, peace, personal relationship with Christ, put God first in our thoughts, put on the mind of Christ, reach out to others in need, reinvigorated, remember the Sabbath day, renewed, shame, sing and praise the Lord, Sunday, the Good Book, the Lord blessed the Sabbath, the Ten Commandments, thou shalt have no other Gods but me, Togetherness, wisdom
Psalm 97:7. Confounded be all they that (let all be put to shame who) serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
Welcome my fellow believers to the first and best day of the week; Sunday! Two decades ago it was primarily a day of rest with mostly church going and family gatherings. But unfortunately the busyness and supposed advancement of life intervened and now almost everything is open 24/7.
Obviously that has detracted from those things we once held sacred on a Sunday. However, that doesn’t mean that church attendance, rest and family gatherings are any less important now, perhaps they are even more important because there is less time and opportunity for us to engage in them with a lot of people on different work schedules.
And worshipping Almighty God as a body of believers, Christ’s Church, is still of the utmost importance in our Christian faith. For it is where we get together to sing and praise the Lord, read the Good Book, hear it explained, and thus boost our spiritual selves, and consequently leave the house of worship renewed and reinvigorated in bodies, souls and minds to face another week of backbreaking and mind boggling labour. (smile)
Again we might consider fellowshipping even more important now, because of the many more activities that vie for our time, and it’s so easy to put off that renewal of spiritual self in favour of some other worldlier pastime. But Friends, as I keep reminding us, that is not a very wise decision, for basically how you spend your Sundays, that’s how your work week will bottom out.
Why do you think the psalmist encourages us thus: ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care).’ (Ps.95:6-7)
Oh Friends, when we sincerely get together and worship the Lord our God, worthwhile emotions like peace, joy, togetherness and LOVE fill our souls. Then that enables us to put on the mind of Christ, to LOVE the Lord and reach out to others in need.
And our Bit seriously warns us: ‘Confounded be all they that (let all be put to shame who) serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.’
And shame is putting it rather mildly my brethren, for listen to what the Lord said long ago, when He gave the children of Israel the Ten Commandments. ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before (but) me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image; or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them (worship them), nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6)
And having heard all of that Friends, I don’t see how we can now blithely hold the things of the world more important than our great God. And furthermore, the Lord thought it important enough to remind the Israelites, and us to ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, not thy maidservant, nor thy cattle; nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex.20:8-11)
Now we won’t get into any divisive arguments about which day is truly the Sabbath day because that in no way furthers God’s kingdom, but suffice it to say that we must give one day each week to God. So whatever day our denomination chooses to worship Jehovah God, then we should be present to participate in the praise and thanksgiving and fellowshipping.
You’ll notice too that Jesus considered it very important to attend the synagogue, and wherever He was on the Sabbath day, He made it a practice to faithfully attend. So if Jesus believed it necessary to go and worship the Father, who are we not to think it important eh? Ah mih people, I don’t know why it’s so difficult to get supposed Christians to go to church nuh, when it is required of their faith.
One recently told me that they don’t need to go to church to have a personal relationship with Christ, and that is perfectly true. But Christ also said that He wants his followers to gather together as one body, His church, where fellowship would be paramount.
No man is an island, and can’t live by himself, but needs other humans around him. Likewise, no Christian can live unto himself, but needs others of like faith and belief to help him walk the long and oftimes lonely and difficult road that is this earthly pilgrimage.
Oh Friends, I’m pleading with us this Sunday morning to return to worshipping Almighty God in His sanctuary in numbers like we used to do. It is a requirement of God and our faith, and we each need it, the benefits are very worthwhile.
So please let’s put God first in our thoughts this morning, and let it take us to His house, along with our children, so that we can sing and dance and praise and worship our wonderful Lord and Creator. That is what He desires of us, He says it in His word. And it also signifies wisdom on our part, wisdom of the highest degree. Much LOVE!
…one can’t truly live for Jesus…if one is not a sincere member of His body…His church…and gather regularly with other believers in praise and worship…
13 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be thankful unto God, bless His name, blessings, Bonjour, burdens of this world, come before his presence with singing, contentment, enter into his gates with thanskgiving, godly attitude, gospel truth, grab the horns of happiness, great to be alive, happiness, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endures to all generations, into his courts with praise, joy, joyful noise, life just gives us time and space, LOVE, make a joyful noise unto God, make his praise glorious, No one is guaranteed happiness, serve the Lord with gladness, shout Hallelujah, sing forth the honour of his name, singing the praises of God, the annals of man, the bitter waters of Marah, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the long and short of the story, the Lord he is God, The Lord is good, the sheep of his pasture, we are his people, we must fill it with joy and meaning, wonderful god, write those words indelibly
Psalm 66:1-2. Make a joyful noise (shout Hallelujah) unto God, all ye lands (the entire earth). Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
Bonjour mes amis! Welcome to another bright and sunshiny day in the annals of man! (smile) It sure is great to be alive on beautiful days like these, isn’t it?
With the wonderful breath of life flowing through our frail human bodies, we can’t help but enjoy the goodness of our God as we arise to greet another new day filled with all sorts of interesting blessings.
But here is an important point to note in all of that. It comes from a quote on my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster.’ And it says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends? It certainly is! Joy, happiness, contentment, call it what you may, is dependent on the individual embracing it. Granted we can have circumstances from which those things flow, but if we don’t take hold of them, they will pass us by completely.
Remember, no one’s responsible for our happiness but us. Too many of us wait for circumstances, things or people to make us happy, but that is not a wise idea, for we might just end up waiting to be happy all our lives. Each one of us has to grab the horns of happiness and feed our souls with it, if we want to live a happy and joyful life.
The Good Book says that the ‘joy of the Lord is our strength,’ (Neh. 8:10) but even that does not come to us automatically, we have to make a conscious effort to take hold of it, and keep holding on to, it if we want that joy to last.
The long and short of the story friends, is that happiness or joy doesn’t simply find us and keep us going in a suitable manner, we have to find or create it, then sincerely embrace it, and keep it going by our godly attitude.
It’s possible to have poor circumstance and be happy or joyful, but by the same token we can have wonderful circumstances and be miserable and discontented. The choice is always ours to make and embrace. End of sermon. (smile)
Therefore my people, on this glorious and terrific Thursday morning let’s put it all into practice nuh, by doing what our Bit says. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout Hallelujah) unto God, all ye lands (the entire earth). Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.’
Oh Friends, how good and right and enjoyable it is to give praises to our most wonderful God! Not only is it right for us to sing praises to God, but be it known also that God also delights in our praises. It warms the cockles of His heart and brings a smile to His face when He hears us lavishing praise on Him.
As the psalmist continues after our Bit. ‘Say unto God, How terrible (awesome) art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’ (Ps.66:3-4)
Yeh friends, this morning is just an invitation to worship, to sing praises to our Great God and Redeemer, so it’s all about joyful psalms, beginning with this favourite.
‘O come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods…
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care). Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial or testing) in the wilderness; When your fathers tempted (tried) me, and saw my work.’ (Ps. 95:1-3, 6-10)
Yes my brethren, if the Lord chooses to speak to your heart today, please open and let Him in. Don’t do like the rebellious Israelites in the wilderness, who tried to test Him, but eventually saw His miraculous works – turning the bitter waters of Marah sweet (Ex.15:22-26), and providing water from a rock (Ex.17:1-7).
Oh my people, our God surely is a great and mighty God; the ONLY TRUE AND LIVING DEITY!
And we’ll go home with these beautiful words of Psalm 100- A call to praise the Lord. ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:1-5)
What beautiful words of indisputable truth and encouragement my brethren! Especially that last sentence: ‘for the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations.’
Oh my fellow believers, this morning, please let’s write those truthful words indelibly in our souls, hearts and minds, and allow them to keep us strong, motivated and full of the joy and the LOVE of our wonderful God! For that is undoubtedly wisdom for all seasons, times and places! Much LOVE!
…singing the praises of God…will lighten the burdens of this world…
12 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a leader like Jesus Christ, all things work together for good, appreciate, beautify the meek with salvation, called according to God's purpose, Christian, diligence, discipline, enjoy the wondrous works of God, eternal life, excellence, expectant faith, faithful, first born among many brethren, forge a replica, forgiveness, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's promises, God's worthy to be praised, good times outweigh the bad, goodness, grace, halfway home, He is love, hungry hope, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, in the congregation of the saints, joy, justice, Let Israel rejoice, long term benefits, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, obedience, peace, Praise ye the Lord, prosperity, put us through the fire, rejoice, rise against every tongue that rises against you, roses, salvation, short term benefits, shout Hallelujah, sing unto the Lord a new song, song, test, thanks and gratitude, the breath of life, the children of Zion, the Lord takes pleasure in His people, this is the day the Lord has made, to those who love God, total surrender, true, Wailing Time, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, wine, ye shall condemn
Psalm 149:1. Praise ye (shout Hallelujah to) the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Oh Friends, another beautiful and glorious day of God’s making has been gifted to us! Wow! So let’s show some thanks and gratitude by saying it loud and proud nuh. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL, we SHALL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Oh Glory to God my people! For He is so faithful and true to us, filling our lives with all sorts of good things like peace and joy, mercy, grace, forgiveness and prosperity! Oh aren’t you just ecstatic to be a Christian with a leader like Jesus Christ? You should be. I surely am!
The problem though is that until you give your life in complete and total surrender to Christ, you won’t be truly able to appreciate and enjoy the wondrous work He does in a believer’s life.
Oh my people, our Jesus is so awesome that although I know it and experience it on a regular basis, He still surprises me most days with some of the unexpected things He does to enlighten and enliven my days on this earth.
Please understand one very important thing though; working for Jesus is not all wine, roses and song, because He expects diligence, discipline, obedience and excellence from His followers, and also puts us through the fire to test us, and eventually forge us into a beautiful replica of Himself.
But believe me Friends, going through the fire is worth it; the good times certainly outweigh the bad. And the benefits of salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven until forever… oh what could be better than that eh? NOTHING my brethren, absolutely NOTHING!
And those are only the long-term benefits. There are lots more short term wonders to experience down here on earth, like mercy, grace and forgiveness, when we walk obedient to God’s calling. Glory Hallelujah!
And since today is Wednesday, it means that Wailing Time is here. (smile) So let’s wail nuh mih breddren, let’s wail with hungry hope and expectant faith. As one wailer now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if you are a true believer, that is exactly where your focus should be; on our glorious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
And since this seems to be a morning of praise, let’s do it right nuh and declare our Bit in loud and faithful voice. ‘Praise ye (shout Hallelujah to) the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.’
Yes Friends, singing praises to our wonderful God is indeed something we ought to do on a regular basis! Many of us don’t, but we should take the psalmist’s wise advice, as he continues. ‘Let Israel rejoice in him that made him (their maker); let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (humble) with salvation.’ (Ps.149:2-4)
Oh my fellow believers, what true and faithful and precious words! The Lord certainly takes pleasure in His people; there’s absolutely no doubt about that, as so many of us can testify to. And believe me, when the Lord is on our side… nothing can harm or trouble us, for we have these two great scriptures filled with God’s promises to hold on to.
The first one comes from Isaiah, as he talks about the Lord’s everlasting LOVE for Israel. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is.54:17)
And Friends, if those promises didn’t touch your souls, then listen to this one from Bruh Paul to the Romans, one we all know and LOVE! ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:28-29) Mama mia mih people!
Oh Friends, if we are called to God’s divine purpose, and we LOVE Him as we ought to, you can be guaranteed that He is working EVERYTHING out for your good! It might not seem so when the fiery trials and temptations hit us, but just remember that God is faithful and has not ever, nor will He ever renege on a promise! Glory to God!
What can be better than bringing us into His family fold and making us true brethren with His first-born Son Jesus eh? Again we have to say, NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, my brethren!
Now let’s go home with these wonderful words of praise from Psalm 33. ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (a shout of joy). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:1-5)
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud ‘Praise the Lord! Glory Hallelujah! Bless His Holy Name. Amen!’
Yes Friends, let’s go out today rejoicing in the LOVE, the goodness, the grace, mercy and forgiveness of our Lord God Jehovah, for He is indeed worthy of our praise and thanks! Much LOVE!
…praise him, praise Him…glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…yes He is LOVE…
03 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's voice, aura of love, be not rash with thy mouth, better you should not vow, boomerangs back on us, broken promises, but fear thou God, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, Caribana, clogged roads, confidence, Cousin Sol, enemy's taunts, enthusiasm, friends, futility abounds, glorious kingdom, God hath no pleasure in fools, God's good graces, gospel truth, grin and bear it, gusto, holy spirit, humble servants, in the multitude of dreams and many words, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, let not thy heart be hasty, let thy words be few, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, polluting vehicles, productivity, Province of Ontario, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, serve a useful purpose, social media, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, technological advancement, than you should vow and not pay, the multitude of words, the Preacher, think before we talk, thunder storm, to utter anything before God, traffic jams, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, when thou vowest a vow unto God
Ecclesiastes 5:7. For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds): but fear thou God.
Well Friends, the Caribana weekend is wrapping up today. Sadly though, it seems to be on a wet and watery note. Yesterday evening around six o’clock a powerful thunder storm hit the area, unleashing a fair amount of rain. It caught me on the highway, and the rain fell so hard that it sounded like pellets hitting the car. Eventually I had to turn up the music to hear it over the sound of the pelting rain. (smile)
And it’s still wet out there, don’t know if it will last all day though. I’m sure a lot of Caribana festivities suffered because of it, and more will suffer today if the weather continues on the negative side.
But look at it this way, here in the Province of Ontario many of us don’t have to go to work today, because it’s a local, civic holiday. Interestingly enough, different regions around the province call it by different names. So we can just curl up in bed with a good book or just go back to sleep if the weather stays foul. (smile)
However, many of our fellow believers around the country and the world have to get up and face the Monday morning music; getting out on the traffic clogged roads, regardless of the weather, and fighting their way to work. Ah Lord eh! You’d think that by now with all our brilliance and technological advancement we’d have designed a better system for getting to and from work.
Unfortunately traffic jams are still a way of life in most countries, and the developing ones are getting just as bad, for as the standard of life goes up, so do the number of polluting vehicles on the sub-standard roads. Billions of dollars are lost in productivity every year because of this unsightly and very inefficient way of getting to and from work.
But until some bright light comes along and improves it, we just have to grin and bear it and leave home a couple hours earlier than necessary to get to work on time. Steups! Anyway, to help those folks who have to get out to labour today, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with great gusto and plenty confidence nuh.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That wasn’t bad at all Friends. Hn! But I notice that every time we have a Monday where one group has a holiday and the others don’t , it’s always those with the holiday that sing the loudest, with the most gusto and verve! Can it be they are more enthused because they don’t have to go out and labour? Now that’s a very observant observation! (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, an interesting statement from Cousin Sol as the Preacher. ‘For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds): but fear thou God.’ Ah mih people, both statements there are indisputably true! In this chapter of Ecclesiastes the Preacher is cautioning us against hasty vows.
Earlier on, he wisely advises: ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:2-3)
Gospel truth Friends, gospel truth! When we get so busy with life we dream up all sorts of stuff, and oftimes talk too much, especially in this modern-day talkative society, where talk shows abound and social media is running rampant 24/7.
And Cousin Sol further cautions us; this time re vows in particular with God. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Oh my brethren, I am sure that resounds with all of us, because at some time in our lives, in the heat of trials, tribulations or temptations, we have cried out to God: ‘O God, if you will only get me out of this situation, then I will do such and such!’ We make grand promises, many of which we are not able to keep in our own strength, and promptly forget about them anyway, when the Lord bails us out. But that is not the way to get into God’s good graces my people. As the Preacher advises, it would be better if we didn’t make any promises at all.
Now that whole thing about promises and vows is again a sad matter in our current society. Vows and promises no longer mean what they used to even thirty years ago. We make them now fully intending not to keep them. But you know what Friends? Broken promises usually turn right around and bite us when we least expect them.
Like a boomerang they come back to haunt us, and then we get all peeved, disappointed and angry at the perpetrators, conveniently forgetting the vows that we had insincerely made, and/or inconsiderately broken.
So Friends, it’s all up to us. We can bring less pain and disappointment on ourselves by thinking a little more before we talk, and not making promises that we can’t or don’t intend to pay, for our words are powerful and can create good or bad situations, which can greatly affect us. Much LOVE!
…for by thy words…thou shalt be justified…and by thy words…thou shalt be condemned… (Matt.12:37)
28 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a moment's notice, a time of opposition, almighty god, B.B. King, barbecues, blessings, breath of life, Bruh David, Christians, city slickers, Controller, cool cat looking for a kitty, cottage country, covered me in my mother's womb, Creator, Crystal Cathedral, darkness, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Father God, filled pools, glory to God, God has laid his hand upon me, God is acquainted with all my ways, grace, Gramps Schuller, Hallelujah, happiness, heartrending, holy spirit, hot rods, hot town, Hour of Power, I am fearfully and wonderfully made, If I ascend into heaven, if I make my bed in hell, if I take the wings of the morning, imagery, increase our love for god, It's up to us to fill it with joy and meaning, joy, life just gives us time and space, living truth, look in every corner of the city, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, marvellous are thy works, meaning, mercy, motorbikes, No one is guaranteed happiness, O Lord, O Lord thou hast searched me and known me, obedience to God's will, orgiveness, P.S. I Love You, passion, passionate, planet earth, possessed my reins, psalm 139, renew our thoughts of God, revere God, soul searching, space, such knowledge is too wonderful, summer in the city, summertime, swilling beer, tanning, the everlasting presence, the great outdoors, the greatness of God's character, the Holy Trinity, the longing soul, the Lord's watchful presence, the night shineth like day, the power of God, the reality of human experience, there shall thy hand lead me, thou hast beset me behind and before, thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, thy right hand shall hold me, time, touches the longing soul, truth, try to hide from God, Tuesday, what a bam bam, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom, you know my sitting down and my getting up
Psalm 139:12. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Aye Friends, believe it or not, it’s Tuesday! And it’s supposed to be another scorcher, making this old B.B King cover tune rather appropriate: ‘Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck feeling dirty and gritty. Cool cat, looking for a kitty. Gonna look in every corner of the city.’
Yeh my people, it’s summertime, summertime, summertime! (smile) The time when the great outdoors calls to man; man who lives in the northern climes. That means the hot rods, the motorbikes, the close to naked people in the streets, the parks, the playgrounds and around the filled pools, the endless barbecues, tanning and beach gatherings are all in full swing.
Beer is being swilled by the gallon, and all the unhealthy foods are being consumed with pleasure. Why not? It’s summer! Cottage country is hopping with all the city slickers spending time and money in the more rural areas of the land.
But please remember Friends, Almighty God is still on His throne, in full control and His eyes are on us wherever we go. So He’s till showering us with His blessings of mercy and grace and forgiveness, but also keeping a close eye on our obedience to His will.
So though you are somewhere in the backwoods of the country, the Lord’s watchful presence is ALWAYS with you. Wherever you are, He’s always close by. Never forget that!
And to go along with that all-world truth, here is this gem from my P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster. ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
And yuh better believe that’s the living truth my brethren! Life doesn’t guarantee us anything, not even life itself, for the breath of life can be withdrawn at any time, without even a moment’s notice. So it is essential that we pay close attention to all that we do and say.
But the beautiful part of life for Christians is that we have a wonderful Father God, a knowing and understanding Lord and Saviour in Jesus Christ, and a blessed guiding and helping Holy Spirit to help us find that joy and meaning. Glory to God! Hallelujah!
What a bam bam this life would have been without the Holy Trinity to keep us focused and well grounded! That’s why Bruh David could excitedly declare in our Bit from Psalm 139, one of my favourites – The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me.’
More words of eternal truth my people! The Lord made us and knows us to a ‘T.’ As Bruh David continues: ‘Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (comprehendeth) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it all together. Thou hast beset (enclosed or hedged) me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’(Ps.139:2-6)
Ah mih people, I don’t know why some of us still foolishly try to hide from God nuh, when He knows everything there is to know about us. He even knows stuff about us that we don’t know. That’s because He is the Creator and Controller of all things and people on Planet Earth.
Hear how Bruh David puts it. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall cover (fall on me); even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (darkness is not darkness to you); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered (weaved) me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right (very) well.’ (Ps.139:7-14)
Oh Friends, what beautiful imagery woven into that indisputable truth! I can still remember, and will to the end of my days, when the Psalm first caught my attention. It was one Sunday, several years ago, on the Hour of Power, when I heard Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) read it from the pulpit of the Crystal Cathedral!
Oh Friends, it was one of the most expressive and passionate pieces of scripture that I’ve ever heard read! And those of you who knew him, know how passionate he was about life in general, but his passion especially soared when he read the scriptures, he acted it our like I’ve never seen anybody else do.
So my people, what do we have to say to Bruh David’s treatise on the everlasting presence and power of Jehovah God eh? Do we agree on it all? We should, because it’s all gospel truth.
And we’ll close today with this summary from the scholars. ‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of human experience.
From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord: You know me (vv. 1-6), You are with me (vv. 7-12), You created me (vv.13-18), and Your cause is my cause (vv.19-24).’
Ah mih breddren, how awesome is the God we serve and worship, and how heartrending and soul searching are Bruh David’s words to describe Him!
I strongly suggest that we all sit down today and read the psalm in its entirety and let it refill, let it renew our thoughts about God and increase our LOVE for, and joy in Him! Hn! If that isn’t heavenly wisdom, then I don’t know what is. Much LOVE!
…how can we not LOVE and revere God eh…especially when we read those beautiful descriptions of Him in scripture…it just touches the longing soul…
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