16 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-given right, a happy wife, a result of external circumstances, a state of being from within, abundant life, attitude of joy, be lighthearted, bless His people, come to Christ, compassionate heart, curse, divine protection, do it with thy might, drink thy wine with a merry heart, eat thy bread with joy, empty life, enjoy life, eternal life, evil schmes, fullness of joy, go thy way, God approves of the enjoyment of life, God now accepteth thy works, have a good life, he joy of the lord is your strength, in the grave, in the name of Jesus, Jesus, laugh, leads to a happy life, listened attentively, listening love, live joyfully, lustful desires, magnanimous god, negative word, never guide or lead you astray, new motivation, obey His will and word, promotion, receive Christ as Saviour, steal our joy, supernatural wisdom, the best pilot, the honest work of thy hands, the life of thy vanity, the Preacher, the wife whom thou lovest, there is no work, Thursday Blessings, thy garments be always white, thy head lack no ointment, troubled times, under the sun, whoever has the Son has life
Ecclesiastes 9:7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Oh friends, oh friends, thank you ever so much for your prayers on Listening LOVE yesterday! Wow! The duchess and I shared some of it on the A/C problem. She talked… I listened – attentively! (smile) Then I did what she wanted – not turn the A/C as low as I had originally intended. Yuh see it works! That’s why they say: ‘A happy wife, usually leads to a happy life!’ Usually yes, but not all the time. (smile)
Ah mih people, it’s such a joy to be able to laugh and be lighthearted amidst all the sickness, death and confusion that’s currently besieging our world. But you can only do that sincerely when you have Jesus truly running your life, because you are assured that He’s the best pilot there is and He would NEVER guide or lead you astray. Thus, I am asking all of us who sincerely believe in Christ to take life seriously, but please overlay it with that attitude of joy which can only be found in Christ Jesus, especially in troubled times like these.
It’s that inherent joy that sets us apart from the rest of the world. As the Good Book says: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) And that’s why the enemy always tries to steal our joy first and foremost, because he knows that once he gets us down and depressed, we’re weak and very vulnerable, and thus easily influenced by his evil schemes and lustful desires. But please, let’s remember that our God is a God of joy, of laughter and mirth.
Hear these memorable words of Moses to the Israelites when he told them about bringing their first fruits to God. ‘And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.’ (Deut. 26:11) Yes friends, our God wants us to enjoy ALL that’s He’s given to us or allowed us to have. He is not a mean, incentive, scrooge-like deity, but a most generous and magnanimous God, desiring to bless his people, when they obey His Will and Word.
That’s why Cousin Sol, the Preacher said in these Principles for Living. ‘Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment (oil). Live joyfully (enjoy life) with the wife whom thou LOVEST all the days of the life of thy vanity (empty life), which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest (performest) under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ (Eccl. 9:7-10)
What wisdom my people! No wonder Cousin Sol was known as the wisest man ever. And the scholars explain those scriptures thus: ‘9:7-10. For the first time in the passages on enjoyment, the key words of the exhortation are put into the imperative mood; eat, drink, live, and so on. Also, a new motivation is expressed: God now accepteth thy works (vs.7), meaning clearly that God approves of the enjoyment of life. His will is that men enjoy life.
The idea of enjoyment is further reiterated in verse 8 with two directives. White garments on the body and ointment on the head made life more comfortable in the torrid near Eastern climates; they serve here to symbolize purity (cf. Rev. 3:4) and the enjoyment of life. Another command concerns the enjoyment of life with one’s wife (vs.9). The reasons for these commands are: It is man’s portion in this life (vs.9), and there is no working in the grave (vs.10).’
So there is no reason for us not to enjoy our earthly life. Remember Jesus’ memorable words: ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And what does ‘abundant life’ mean eh? Wikipedia says it ‘refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for mind, body and soul.’ Another website explains: ‘Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Saviour, and goes on throughout all eternity.’
Another website breaks it down as ‘knowing God,’ ‘First John 5:12 says “Whoever has the Son has life,” so Christians have this eternal life from the moment of salvation.’ And it’s also ‘a continuous process. Like salvation, we are given abundant life at the moment of salvation, but we will grow into it.’
And finally another website describes the abundant life as ‘a state of being from within, not a result of external circumstances. It is the result of the pruning God does to make us more like Him, and it is what we will take to heaven with us. (1 Cor. 3:11-15). An abundant life is one that keeps on giving. Which is Better – Abundance or an Abundant Life?’ Now that’s a very good question! And I do hope that all of us will answer that the latter is oh so much better. (smile)
So however we define it friends, Christ came to earth and died not only to pay for our sins, but also that we might have a good life beginning right here on MOTHER EARTH! We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to start enjoying life. Please, let’s remember that nuh and perk up and wear a smile and have a pleasant attitude despite all our problems, for we claim to have a Saviour who can do anything and also enable us to do anything, so let’s live like it’s true and we believe it nuh!
Ah mih people, I had some other things to say yes, but I got sidetracked with the abundant life story, or the Lord led me to hone in on it. Take your pick. (smile) So let’s go home now declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do His work. In strong voice, with sincere hearts:
‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And those blessings have been given to us for a troubled time such as this, so please, let’s go out and share them just as generously as we received them! Much LOVE!
…enjoy the honest work of thy hands…it is thy God-given right…
10 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a divine place, a full slate, a guide, a passing grade, a servant, actions, agreement, Anselm, aspires to inspire us, bad food, be my people, be separate, be their God, being better, believers in Jesus Christ, better than somebody else, biblical principles, by example, caring, children, Christians, contaminate us, covered in white, defile not, desire to be first, enemy of mankind, examples, failure, fairness, friend, God hath said, good examples, gospel truth, greatness, humility, I will dwell in them, idols, indwells us, influences, integrity, Jesus' dictates, Jesus' economy, Joseph Andrews, lack of sleep, laugh, leader, licentious living, live, live holy lives, live obediently, lived, long and short of the story, my father, New Testament, northern climes, Old Testament, quotes, reflect the true nature of God, riotous, shall be last, shining brightly, snow, snowy winter, success, take care of your body, talk the talk, tell me how to live, than precepts, the Holy Spirit, the living God, the Sun, the temple of God, think of you, true greatness, walk the walk, walk with them, white powdery stuff, with the Lord's help, work more forcibly, your normal self
2 Corinthians 6:16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Hn, hn, hn! I have to laugh this Saturday morning yes mih people! Why? Because instead of telling you that it’s another wet morning in my neighbourhood, I have to tell you it’s a white and snowy morning. Chuh!
Yes indeed, that white powdery stuff called snow, the enemy of mankind, (smile) is on the ground, on the rooftops…everywhere and everything that’s uncovered is just covered in white! (smile)
Granted, it’s not a whole lot, but any snow at all is too much! And would you believe that the sun is shining brightly out there? Hn, hn, hn! I have to laugh again, because that’s possibly the second time I’ve seen it shine so brightly in the last couple of weeks.
But that’s life in the northern climes! Let’s just hope that this morning isn’t a prelude to a real snowy winter. And if so, we’ll just have to deal with it as best we can, with the Lord’s help of course. Amen!
And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And he sent us a full slate of them this week, all very plausible.
So here goes: ‘Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.’ Ah friends, is that ever so important, especially for believers in Jesus Christ. We can’t just talk the talk, we have to even more importantly, walk the walk.
And that segues quite nicely into the next quote, or the next quote segues quite nicely into that one. (smile) ‘My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.’ And that’s called living life by example!
And hopefully it’s a good example. Because as they say, ‘examples work more forcibly on the mind than precepts.’ Yes my brethren, we often learn much better and quicker when we see the words in action, rather than just spoken.
And I have to laugh here again, because, if I remember correctly, that quote about examples and precepts comes from a book titled ‘Joseph Andrews’ that I read in High School some fifty something years ago. But it has always stuck in my consciousness. That just goes to show the awesome power of the mind.
And let’s sincerely hope that the children of today can say that their fathers were good examples. I know that I’ve been found badly wanting in some areas, but overall, I might get a passing grade. (smile)
That brings us to this next quote: ‘Greatness: There is nothing great about being better than somebody else. True greatness is achieved by being better than your normal self…yesterday, last month, last year, last failure and last success.’
And that’s basically true! Being better than somebody else is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially in Jesus’ economy. Remember what He said to the disciples when they were disputing about the greatest amongst them?
‘And he sat down and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.’ (Mark 9:35) Yes friends, in Jesus’ kingdom, whoever wants to be first, must first understand the humility in being last and the servant of others!
And the penultimate quote says: ‘The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.’ No disputing that friends!
As long as we are alive, again as believers in Christ, we are expected to grow and learn each and every day, and take everything in stride. As it says, ‘do what’s right,’ live obediently according to Jesus’ dictates. But please be careful about living in the moment, for we can overdo it. We have to give some thought to the future.
And the last quote simply says: ‘Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Your body is the only one you have, and will ever have, and it goes with you everywhere, so you need to take very good care of it, if you want it to last a long time. Unfortunately though, too many of us abuse our bodies with riotous and licentious living, bad food, lack of sleep etc.
And to make matters even worse, we don’t take the words of our Bit seriously. ‘And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; And I will be there God, and they shall be my people.’
Yes my fellow believers, if the Holy Spirit of God indwells us, then it follows logically that God lives within us, and wherever the Lord is it’s a holy and divine place, and therefore needs to be taken good care of.
Thus Bruh Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah (52:11) as he continues after our Bit. ‘Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord.’ (2 Cor.6:17-18)
That last verse is a combination of 2 Sam.7:14 and Jer.31:1,9. Bruh Paul always tried to use Old Testament scripture to back up His New Testament declarations, because unlike some current theories, the New does not negate the Old, it just backs it up and explains it further.
However friends, the long and short of the story is that Christians ought to live holy lives, lives that reflect the true nature of God, who saved us and caused His Holy Spirit to dwell within us as a guide and leader. Therefore we need to separate ourselves from ‘actions, influences, or people that will contaminate us,’ and live by biblical principles and standards. Amen! Much LOVE!
…defile not the temple of God…both physically and spiritually…
29 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundantly, an iron bird, Anselm, Be All, brought progress, Burden bearer, carnal, change, come easy, Comforter, confusing, cozy corner in heaven, cry, discomforts, doing the same thing, drawbacks, eccentric, end all, eternal separation, excitement, exclamatory mood, exotic delights, faithfulness, follow Jesus, gives his life for the sheep, God is faithful, good news, great to be alive, heart and soul, heart problems, heavenly advocate, human animal, humiliation, I am the good shepherd, irrelevance, joyful, laugh, leading mankind astray, Lucifer's evil empire, lustful, medical limitations, medically fit to travel, Messiah, mirrors the truth, offer up, onerous bondage, our everything, our Lord and Saviour, pain, praise his holy name, price, Price of Peace, quieted my heart, quotes, resist change, sacrificially gave up, Saturday, save our sinful souls, sing, sinking into the muck and mire, sinless life, standing stationary, stay the same way, testin, the cross at Calvary, the good shepherd, the name above every other, the price of change, the world hates change, they might have life, to get better, to whom all knees must bow, trial, ungodly way of life, working for Jesus
John 10:11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Ah friends, sorry for the Bit’s lateness, but I went to bed late, got up late, and had a few things to do before I began writing. But the good news is, here I am at last! Glory! Glory! (smile)
Oh isn’t it just great to be alive? To be able to laugh and sing, run and jump, (not me… just yet), and even cry once in a while? It surely is, especially when we are living with and working for our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Oh praise His holy name my faithful brethren; exalt the name that’s above EVERY other name, to whom ALL knees MUST eventually bow!
Yeh, that’s our Messiah, our Prince of Peace, our heavenly Advocate, Our Burden Bearer, Our Comforter, in fact our Be All and End All, our EVERYTHING! Wow! Are we ever so blessed to have a Leader of such awesome proportions! Let’s give Him the thanks and praise He deserves…and all day long at that!
Yeh, the ole fella’s in a joyful, exclamatory mood this morning! And why not eh? I just got some most excellent news; news that my heart problems have improved…Glory to God! And I’m now medically fit to travel…Oh mih brethren, that’s the best news ever!
It’s been almost three years that I’ve been parked up here without the ability to get on an iron bird. But yuh know what, as I keep saying our God is ever so faithful, because many a day I’ve lain in my bed and looked through my window at the iron birds coming and going to and from the nearby airport, wondering when I’d be able to get on one.
And the Good Lord has always quieted my heart by promising that one day, in the not too distant future, He will lift the medical limitations and free me from this onerous bondage… And now He has done just as He has promised! Bless His holy name! So in light of that extraordinary faithfulness, why wouldn’t I just offer up my whole heart and soul, thanks and praise to Him eh? No reason whatsoever my people!
But enough of my excitement…let’s get on with the Bit. It’s Saturday, that means we need to look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. And we do have a whole slew of then this week, all dealing with change. And we will begin with this one: ‘If you don’t like change, you will like irrelevance even less.’
I’m not so sure about that nuh, because the human animal is so eccentric and confusing, and dislikes change so much, that a lot of us will probably prefer to be irrelevant rather than to change. That leads us to this quote: ‘The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.’
Now that I definitely disagree with! In my many years and much trial and testing on God’s earth, I’ve usually found that the price of change is usually much higher than the price of standing stationary. In particular the effort that one has to put out to make whatever change is necessary. That’s why so many people just stay the same way in the same place.
That’s why this next quote is the living truth! ‘Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.’ Now that’s exactly why so many of us resist change, even change that’s obviously in our best interest! Change just doesn’t come easy. And this one mirrors the truth of the last. ‘The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’ And so it has my brethren… though not always for the better!
That brings us to the last quote: ‘I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.’ And isn’t that that the undeniable truth people? Unless our world changes, and drastically too, and also towards Jesus, until we stop trying to drive God out of our society and instead, embrace Him with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, our world will just continue sinking inexorably, relentlessly into the muck and mire of Lucifer’s evil empire.
And that is not what our Saviour came to earth and suffered so much for. That’s definitely not why He suffered such pain and humiliation and eventually gave up His sinless life on that wooden cross at Calvary. If He wanted us to become part and parcel of Lucifer’s evil empire, He would have just remained in His cozy corner in heaven enjoying all the exotic delights provided by His Father. But He sacrificially gave all of that up to come and save our sinful souls.
Remember friends, Lucifer is the master of thievery, lies and deception, an evil genius in leading mankind astray. Just look at how he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he’s still doing it to us to this day. However Jesus declared, and proved it too: ‘The thief cometh not, but (except) for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11)
And there is absolutely no doubt that that’s what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary; give His sinless, holy life on behalf of our abominable sinful souls, so that the Father could justifiably forgive us and reconcile us to Himself. So why are we still foolishly running behind Lucifer and his evil, lustful, carnal, ungodly way of life eh? A way of life that will only lead to eternal separation from our heavenly Father; the worst fate that can ever befall a human soul!
I don’t know the answer to that nuh friends, but I am surely trying my best to stay away from that end result…and I sincerely hope that you are trying to do the same, because that’s the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will definitely follow Jesus…
21 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bad day, a better tomorrow, a greater purpose, adversity, an enduring daily trust, Anselm, aspires to inspire, assertive action, at the mercy of others, beautiful blossoms, Bible Study, blocking traffic, Bobby Schuller, boulders of ice, brown grass, build faith, built on taking chances, Christ's promises, Christian faith, come against us, count it all joy, do something for Christ, don't let others decide, enable us to do anything, escape, faith, faith is not a leap, faithful promise, fall into divers temptations, fight for your happiness, fleshly suffering, God can do the impossible, God has bruised, God is good, God uses trouble, gospel truth, grow in faith, hard work, heavenly Father, help, ice storm, in all their glory, inconvenience, joy, joyful terms, lacking nothing, laugh, lean on God, learn to value yourself, leaves, look back, Look to God, LOVE, mature, men of faith, Mother Earth, my brethren, natural response, negative experiences, perfect, poor self-image, positive work, press on, produces patience, raise our self-image, risk the usual, running afoul of, same old, settle for the ordinary, short memories, shy away, specks of green, spiritual growth, spring has sprung, stand fast, strength, take a chance, take advantage of, take control of our lives, testing, the enemy, the trials of life, the trying of faith, tough times, trust in God, various trials, victory, wisdom
James 1:2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).
At last friends, at long last, some of the ice that’s covered the ground from the ice storm a week ago has finally melted…Yay! And we can now see some of Mother Earth’s dirtyish brown grass with specks of green thrown in for good measure. Glory be!
But not all of the ice has melted, there are still several patches of it all around. And from my kitchen window I can see about three or four solid boulders of ice lying at the side of the road, and the big lump of ice that clogged the entrance to my lane when they cleaned the main road last week is still there, blocking traffic and making it difficult to enter the lane.
But God is good! Let’s remember that, and a few weeks from now when spring has finally sprung and the leaves and beautiful blossoms are out in all their glory, we’ll look back and laugh at this inconvenience. Hn, hn! Yeh mih people, it’s a good thing the Lord blessed us with short memories.
However, it’s Saturday, so let’s turn our attention to some of this week’s quotes from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us to a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘Learn to value yourself, which means fight for your happiness.’
Oh my people, too many of us don’t value ourselves highly enough, we have a poor self-image, thus others take advantage of us. Therefore we need to raise our self- image through Bible study and assertive action if we want to control our lives and thus our happiness. And the next quote is basically about the same thing; taking control of our lives.
‘Don’t let other people decide whether you are going to have a fantabulous or bad day, make that decision yourself.’ Again, too many of us allow others to run our lives and decide what kind of day we’re going to have. That is counter productive friends. We have to learn to stand on our own two feet and make those kinds of decision for ourselves, otherwise we’ll always be at the mercy of others.
And the final quote says: ‘If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.’ In other words, take a chance! And that is gospel truth! If you never take chances and just stay with the tried and true, the same old, same old, then the same old, same old is all you’ll ever get.
Our society and our Christian faith was built on our forefathers and the early Christians taking chances, even when it meant running afoul of the authorities and thus possible loss of life. And as we Christians know, whenever we step out to do something for Christ, the enemy will most likely come against us and try to prevent us from doing it.
But because of Christ’s promises and His power to enable us to do anything, we don’t have to shy away, but press on regardless. And we do that through faith. But faith doesn’t just come like by wishing it. On the contrary it’s something we have to build, through constant hard work and adversity.
And Cousin Bobby (Bobby Schuller- Hour of Power) says that ‘Faith is not a leap, but an enduring daily trust that God can do the impossible in your life.’ And that’s no lie! Each and every day we awaken we have to learn to keep the trust in God we earned the day before, and to build on it, so that tomorrow it will be even stronger. That’s how we build faith my brethren – from day to day, through whatever trial comes our way.
That brings us to our Bit, some rather interesting words from James, Jesus’ brother, in his epistle to the Christians dispersed around the world. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).’ Now who wants to find trials joyful eh? Nobody! But friends, that’s the only way we’ll grow in faith.
As James continues: ‘Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ James 1:3-4) Yeh friends, as long as we are believers, our faith will always be tested, and we need to stand fast so that we can grow.
And the scholars got it right: ‘1:4. The natural response to adversity is to escape it. But God uses trouble to mature His people.’ Oh, we certainly know it’s rough, and do try to escape, but much to our dismay, that’s just part of the life of faith we’re trying live.
The scholars further tell us: ‘1:2-3. In this epistle on Christian living, James opens with a most crucial topic: the trials of life. These verses describe the various testings – whether from the world and Satan, or from God – into which godly Christians fall (Gr. peripipto).
These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing….It is not merely one’s presence in such trials but one’s victory over them that brings spiritual growth and maturity. Those Christians whom God can use the most are those whom God has bruised the most.’
Unfortunately mih people growing in spiritual faith is not easy, as can be seen from the lives of all great men of faith, especially Jesus. But they all kept constantly looking to the heavenly Father for the strength to carry on, and He gave it to them. Likewise, if we look to our heavenly Father for strength and wisdom to carry on in tough times, He WILL give it to us.
So friends, whatever is coming against us right now, let’s try and think of it in joyful terms nuh, (smile) believing that God is allowing it for a greater purpose than we can imagine, and lean on Him for the help to come through it successfully. He will not disappoint us. That’s His faithful promise! Much LOVE!
…spiritual growth…is based on fleshly suffering…
26 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allegiance, an option, anticipate surprises, appreciation, awaken slumbering memories, become human, beheld his glory, believing, beloved of God, blessings, brightly lit trees, cards, care, carols, celebrate, celebrations, Christ's birth, Christ's humanity, christmas day, Christmas morning, colourful explosions, conviction, cookies, darkness, death, drama, dwelt among us, entrust myself anew, eternal damnation, eternal life, every day, evil band, excitement, flesh, fragrance of pine, friend of Jesus, gift, glory, glory to God, Gnostic heresy, good cheer, gratitude, greet the world, Hades, heartwarming, heresy, hold, hope, hug, incarnation, It's Christmas, joy, keeping Jesus first place, laugh, let god create, life, light, LOVE, loving-kindness, Lucifer, manifestation of God, mercies, miracle, open your arms wide, open your heart, peace, peace and goodwill to men, pledge our love, poured down, praise, praise to Jesus, pretnese, push away tears, reconciliation, rejoice, resurrection, revolutionary, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificed, salvation, save us, say to god, season, share, share love, shekinah glory, shout, sinful selves, sing, sinless life, smile away fears, stir up, stupendous dreams, tabernacle, thank, thank God, the cross, the empty tomb, the good news, the Lord God Almighty, the manger, the Old Testmant, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the only begotten, the purists, the reason, the Saviour of the world, the word was made flesh, think, time for candles, time of need, trust, Tuesday Mantra, went out on a limb, white christmas
John 1:14. And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Well friends, the big day has come and gone; the purists got their white Christmas and I do hope that you all enjoyed a wonderful day with friends and families, keeping Jesus first place in your thoughts as He is the reason for all the celebrations.
But yuh know what? Christmas Day might be gone, but the Christmas season is not over as yet, there’s still a lot of peace, LOVE and good cheer yet to be spread. And on this Boxing Day, here is something titled ‘It’s Christmas,’ from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, to bring the Christmas season into true perspective.
Please read with me: ‘It’s Christmas! Sing! Rejoice! Celebrate! Let God create in you Colourful explosions Of joy and excitement. Smile away fears, push away tears. Out with pretense, in with praise. It’s Christmas! Open your heart to light To trust, to LOVE, to hope. Awaken slumbering memories Stir up stupendous dreams Anticipate surprises Open your arms wide.
It’s Christmas! Time for candles and cards For carols and cookies For brightly lit trees With the fragrance of pine. Time to hug and hold To think and thank Time to greet the world With the Good News. It’s Christmas! Thank God for life Thank Him for the manger For the splintered cross For the empty tomb. Thank Him for His only Son The Saviour of the world. Shout! Laugh! Share! Care! And say to God On Christmas morning: “I entrust myself anew To You.”
Oh friends, doesn’t that picture of Christmas sound wonderful? It surely does! And though we may not be in a position to do all that’s suggested there, we can ALL do the most important things, like give God thanks and praise for all that He’s done for us through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and pledge our LOVE and allegiance anew to Him EVERY day!
Ah mih people, the Lord God Almighty certainly went out on a limb for us when in His awesome LOVING-kindness He decided to save us from our sinful selves. The least we can now do is to show some sincere appreciation and gratitude as we enjoy all of the blessings and mercies that He’s poured down on us, especially in this season of Christmas, when we celebrate Christ’s birth, the beginning of the whole beautiful, heartwarming and revolutionary drama.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill to men!’
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today. ‘And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ How majestic and marvellous for the Son of God to become human and dwell amongst us!
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘1:14. Made flesh indicated the incarnation (the miracle) of God the Son becoming human yet remaining God, and bringing us into full conviction of Christ’s humanity. The use of flesh contradicts the Gnostic heresy that God could not be united with human flesh, which was seen as evil.
Dwelt among us: John uses the word for “tabernacled,” here translated “dwelt.” The Old Testament tabernacle was where God dwelt among the Jews in the wilderness. In this context, God is dwelling in the person of Jesus Christ. We beheld his glory: Perhaps John refers to the Shekinah glory which appeared in the tabernacle of the Old Testament. The expression signifies the visible manifestation of God. John later uses glory to refer to Jesus’ life (2:11), death, and resurrection (12:23).’
So my people, we could not ask for a greater gift, especially at this time of gift giving. We need to remember that God the Father gave us the greatest gift ever, God the Son, in our veritable time of need; a time when we were headed directly for eternal damnation and darkness. Not that we aren’t still heading for it, but at least now we have an option to avoid it.
Before Jesus came and sacrificed his sinless life on our behalf, we had no option but to go straight to Hades with Lucifer and his evil band. But all praise to Jesus for giving the option of believing in Him and thus having reconciliation with the Father and eventual salvation and eternal life! Wow! If that isn’t the GREATEST my brethren, then I don’t know what is!
Now let’s go home this Tuesday morning, letting the world know whom and whose we are by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with much gumption and truth. As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And since we’re truly Christ’s people, then let’s go and truly share His LOVE with the rest of the world nuh! Much LOVE!
…oh…there’s not enough thanks in the world…to truly give to Jesus…for His sacrifice on our behalf…
15 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hair of your head, a well-lived life, Abraham, be hated of all men, be merry and carefree, charter of salvation, Christians, comfort, consolation, consummation of peace, death, don't play together, don't worship well together, endurance, endured, exaltation, fellow believers, fellowship, followers of Christ, for my name's sake, glorify God, grace, heavenly advocate, hell, high priest, holy bride, holy food, hope, how to have fun, In Touch Magazine, in your patience, indispensable, indisputable, Isaac, Jesus, Jesus Christ her Lord, joyful abandon, laugh, like-minded, LOVE, most joyful people, new creation, of the ages, one faith, patience, persevering, possess ye your souls, rainy day, religious form of play, Rest in the Lord, reverence, Sabbath rest, salvation, secular people, Simon Chan, strife-filled world, Suday, sweet communion, the church's one foundation, the end times, the God of patience, the grave, the Lord's sanctuary, the promise, the Three in One, the Word of god, toil, tribulation, tumult of war, union with God, victorious, wait patiently, waiting, water and the word, wisdom, words of wisdom, worship
Psalm 37:7a. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:
And this God-given Sunday might just be another rainy day in my area, like the past two days were. However friends, that should not stop us from gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to worship and fellowship in joyful abandon, while His indispensable and indisputable Word strengthens our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, for that’s what the Lord desires of us.
And just tonight I read this interesting quote in an article titled ‘Fun Challenged’ in the September Edition of the In Touch Magazine that immortalizes what I’m talking about. The quote is attributed to the theologian Simon Chan, who says: “Christians who do not play together do not worship well together either, since worship is a ‘religious form of play.’ Both at play and at worship the Christian community enjoys its Sabbath rest.”
Now isn’t that the God-awesome truth friends? Christians should be the happiest and most joyful people on the planet because of what our great God and our wonderful Saviour have done for us! And I believe, both as Christians and as secular people, we have forgotten how to have fun, to laugh and be merry and carefree, which are all healthy aspects of a well-lived life. We’re taking our messed up, strife-filled world too seriously.
Remember Jesus has already been victorious over hell, death and the grave and we have every reason to rejoice. So, on this the Lord’s Day, let’s lighten up and sing this wonderful old hymn ‘The Church’s One Foundation,’ with lyrics by Samuel John Stone (1839-1900) and music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876). Let’s raise our voices to heaven in sacrificial praise and sweet harmony, so that there can be absolutely no doubt of our sincere and everlasting allegiance to Jesus.
‘The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy Bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth, Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
’Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace for evermore; Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest. Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won: O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, Like them, the meek and lowly, In love may dwell with Thee.’
Ah mih people, what a joy it is to sing praises to our High Priest and heavenly Advocate Jesus Christ, for He has been so wonderful to us, when He did not have to! Now let’s hear some choice tidbits from His Word based on our Bit: ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:’ Yes my fellow believers, those are absolute words of wisdom! And all the great men and women of faith practiced it and some even wrote about it.
Listen first to Jesus when He described the signs of the end times to His disciples. ‘And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.’ (Luke 21:19) As followers of Christ we just have to be trusting and patient and persevering, because that’s what His discipleship calls for.
Now hear Bruh Paul in his treatise to the Romans, concerning ‘Life in the Spirit.’ ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for (it)? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) Yeh friends, true faith in Jesus is all about hoping, waiting and persevering to the very end!
And nobody says this better than the author of Hebrews. ‘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) And there’s no better example of waiting on God than the patriarch Abraham. After the Lord promised to bless and multiply him, he waited for 25 years for Isaac, the promise to show up. The author of Hebrews tells us: ‘And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.’ (Heb.6:15)
And we’ll close with these words of Bruh Paul as he talks to the church at Rome about ‘Unity in Christ.’ ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation (comfort) grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Rom.15:4-6)
Oh friends, that is exactly my prayer for us today; that we come together in fellowship and worship, and enthusiastically and sincerely glorify and exalt our heavenly Father, for He richly deserves our reverence and exaltation! Much LOVE!
…waiting patiently…and eagerly on God…is wisdom of…and for the ages…
08 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rod of iron, a useful purpose, adopted son, adrenaline, almighty god, anointed one, aura of love, be wise, break their bands, chutzpah, confidence, derision, enthusiasm, evil, evil minions, fear, fellowship, friends, fun, futile, heathen, holy spirit, humble servants, inheritance, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, kiss the son, laugh, lies, loser, LOVE, Lucifer, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, opposition, partying, pay homage, perish, rain, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rhetorical question, snow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the Messiah, the people imagine a vain thing, trembling, trust, truth, ungodly world, why do the heathen rage, wiles, winner, wisdom, worthless, wrath, Zion
Psalm 2:1. Why do the heathen (gentiles) rage (throng tumultuously), and the people imagine (plot) a vain (futile, worthless) thing?
‘Monday, Monday! Oh how I hate that day…especially when there’s no rain or snow, because then I have no excuse to not go to work!
Yeh friends, many of us feel that way about Monday because we don’t handle the weekend right; too much partying and not enough rest and fellowship. But don’t worry, as usual we have the antidote for whatever ails you this Monday morning, and it’s fittingly called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn!
So let’s sing it out now nuh, with as much enthusiasm and chutzpah that we can muster, as Jesus, our choirmaster, guides and directs us. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, it was a tad out of sync, but the enthusiasm was right on, and I believe that satisfied our choirmaster, because he could see that we were trying. Now let’s go out and join Jesus on the battle field, taking with us that enthusiasm and the new-found adrenaline that our prayer stimulated, and just wow the heathen into His camp!
That brings us to our rather appropriate Bit. ‘Why do the heathen (gentiles) rage (throng tumultuously), and the people imagine (plot) a vain (futile, worthless) thing?’
Now that’s a very good question my believing brethren, in light of what the psalmist says afterward. ‘The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed (Christ the Messiah), saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex (distress) them with his sore (deep) displeasure. Yet have I set (installed) my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ (Ps.2:2-9)
Ah friends, the earthly rulers have no idea of the fire which they are playing by taking Almighty God and His anointed Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ lightly. Now listen to some valuable explanations from the scholars.
‘Psalm 2: Psalm 2 is attributed to David in Acts 4:25 and is called the second psalm in Acts 13:33. The introductory rhetorical question, Why do the heathen rage? (v.1) is shown in the following verses to be a question of incredulity. Why do the nations attack God’s anointed king when their attack is doomed to failure? Historically, his Anointed (v.2) referred to David or to any of his descendants who were experiencing opposition (cf. 1 Sam.24:6); prophetically, it refers to the Messiah who, as Son of David, also experienced opposition (Acts 4:25-27).
The fact that God shall laugh (v.4) at the world’s opposition to the Anointed One presages their calamity because the Lord has installed His King upon…Zion (v.6) and adopted Him as His Son; therefore the nations may be taken as an inheritance at the Son’s request (v.8). Every Davidic ruler was an adopted son (2 Sam.7:14), but the real significance of the promise is fulfilled only in Christ, the eternal Son of God (Acts 13:33; Heb.1:5, 5:5). The wise alternative is to submit to this Son. (vs.10-12).’
Yes friends, it’s all been arranged, so I don’t know why Lucifer and his evil minions are still trying to fight a losing battle nuh? As the scholars said, the only wise alternative is to submit to the Son.
‘Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (pay homage to Him), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Ps.2:10-12)
Oh my people, all I can do now is to advise us to take that immortal wisdom to heart, to act sincerely on it, by putting your entire trust in Jesus Christ, for He is God’s Anointed Son and will win the war eventually. Much LOVE!
…why join with the loser eh…when we already know the winner…it doesn’t make any sense at all…
27 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time to every purpose under heaven, anger, apply our hearts, balance, boating, born, Christians, death, deliver his soul, demise, die, don't put off for tomorrow, drinking, eating, Ecclesiastes, fellowship, fishing, focus, fourscore, Friday chant, fun, further God's glorious kingdom, futility, generous help, God's promises, idleness, in vain, intimacy, labour, laugh, laziness, Lord chesterfield, LOVE, mourn, number our days, perspective, procrastination, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, rest, Selah, shame, Solomon, soon cut off, sorrow, summertime, swimming, the brown girl in the bottle, the days of his youth, the days of our years, the evil one, the hand of the grave, the thief of time, the things of God, three score and ten, time, time waits on no one, to every thing there is a season, to gather stones, truth, value of time, waste time, week of work, weekend, weep, wisdom, wrath
Ecclesiastes 3:1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Summertime, Summertime, Summertime, Summertime! Thank God it’s Friday in the summertime! Mama yo! We leaving work early to beat the traffic, heading for the cottage to spend a marvellous weekend; eating, drinking, boating, swimming and fishing! Wow! The barbecues will be on fire, and the beer will be ice cold… Oh Lord, thank you for Fridays in the summertime!’
Yes friends, that’s the mantra of a lot of people on a Friday in the summertime, as they head for cottage country and their lakeside getaways. Consequently, many of them miss church and the wonderful fellowship and rejuvenation of spirit that comes with it.
And then the boating accidents proliferate, because now they are drinking and driving on the water, just as they do on land. Every summer you hear of several mishaps on the water because of the brown girl in the bottle. Ah Lord eh!
But for us few, who know how to spend a proper weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can get the right perspective. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, that’s more like the focus we should have for the weekend; a nice balance of rest, recreation and fellowship. And today I want to share an interesting and important quote attributed to Lord Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope (1694-1773), 4th Earl of Chesterfield. I believe I’ve shared it before, but as they say, when it’s nice, you’ve got to play it at least twice. (smile)
Lord Chesterfield is reputed to have said: ‘Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.’
And that my brethren is the god-awesome truth! We can’t afford to fool with, or waste time, because time waits on no one, it just goes along its own rollicking way, whether you decide to use it wisely or not.
Remember the saying too that procrastination is the thief of time. More awesome truth! The more we put off, the less we get done and the less time we have left in our bank. Unfortunately we don’t know how much total time is in our account.
So please, let’s learn to pay better and closer attention to our time because Almighty God has given us just enough to do whatever He desires, and if we waste it, we obviously won’t complete all that He has planned for us. End of sermon. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, the well-known verse of wisdom from Cousin Sol, writing as the preacher in Ecclesiastes. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’ More indisputable truth my people, because as Christians, truth is all we ought to ever deal in.
And after our Bit, Cousin Sol goes on to list a whole set of positive and negative things to which time have been apportioned. Like ‘a time to be born, a time to die… A time to weep, and a time to laugh…A time to LOVE, and a time to hate…’ Just read Ecclesiastes 3 and you’ll see how he has it all nicely laid out.
Now here is some info from the scholars on that scripture. ‘3:1-8. As Solomon reflects on all of life, he expresses a beautiful poem of 14 pairs of opposite events that God has a sovereign design behind all events (cf. Rom.8:28). To gather stones (v.5) refers to the process of clearing land for planting or building. To hate (v.8) means to withdraw from intimacy and should not always be taken in an absolute sense (cf. Mal.1:2-3).’
Yes friends, there’s no real time ever for the true sense of the word hating. It’s not supposed to exist in a Christian’s vocabulary.
Now let’s look at a couple of other scriptures which deal with time in the life of man, starting with the words of Ethan the Ezrahite from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. ‘The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
How long, Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain (for what futility hast thou made all men)? What man is he that liveth and shall not see (experience) death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand (power) of the grave?’ (Ps.89:44-48)
Now listen to Moses from Psalm 90 – From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. ‘The days of our years are threescore years and ten (the span of our lives is seventy years); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80) years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow (their boast only labour); 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)
Yes my fellow believers, we know not how long our time on earth will be, so please let’s use whatever we have wisely nuh, meaning in the pursuit of the things of God and heaven, not those of the world and the evil one. Much LOVE!
…no one knows the time nor the hour…of their earthly demise…
10 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a drunken man, at the foot of the cross, at their wit's end, believers in Jesus Christ, burdens, calm, calm the storms, children, come unto me, comfort, congregation, cry unto the Lord, distinction, distresses, exalt him, faithfulness, fear, find rest for your souls, forbidding alley, fruit of the Spirit, gentle, gentleness, give thanks to the Lord, goodness, He maketh the storm a calm, heavy laden, hidden lairs, hoodlums, humble, I am meek, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will give you rest, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, impotent man, joy, kindness, labour, laugh, learn of me, long-suffering, LOVE, loving kindness, lowly in heart, meekness, merciful God, mount up to heaven, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, no need to fear, omnipotent god, peace, peace instilling presence, Praise the Lord, reel to and fro, responsibility, rest, robert h schuller, safe haven, safe streets, self-control, serene, share His love with the world, sheltered, silent skies, stagger, stars, storm, stormy times, surpasses all understanding, take it to Jesus, take my yoke upon you, temperance, Thank You Lord, the great invitation, the heathen, the sun will outlast the storms, the waves are still, the works of the Lord, their soul is melted, troubled mind, Tuesday Mantra, vicissitudes of life, When I face a storm, wonders, worried, yellow moon, yoke
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
So how goes it this beautiful morning eh, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ? I do hope that it is going well, but as usual, if it isn’t, then let me remind us that there’s no need to fear or be worried.
We just have to take it all to Jesus, lay it at the foot of the cross, and He will take our burdens and instead offer us His comfort and His wonderful peace that surpasses all understanding.
Remember His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle and humble) and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Yes friends, there’s no better invitation than that in the entire world! And if we’re wise, we’ll gladly take it whenever times become overwhelming.
And if you’re in a full-blown storm this morning, then here is some more good advice from Gramps Schuller (Robert H Schuller) from our Hour of Power Devotional, to help you weather it. It’s titled ‘When I Face a Storm.’ I believe I’ve shared it before, but when it’s good, it’s always best to wheel and come again. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘You never promised, Lord, that I would be forever sheltered from stormy times in my life. You have promised that the sun will outlast the storms. You issue the grand command from outer space and the renegade storm clouds break up, scatter, and flee like hoodlums furtively racing from the streets, back to their hidden lairs in some forbidding alley.
The bright stars come out to laugh again, like little children returning once more to safe streets for happy play. The sky clears. A huge, yellow moon sails once more calm and serene through the silent skies.
Even as you restore peace after the storm, so will you bestow a renewed calm to my troubled mind through your peace-instilling presence that is surrounding me now. Your quiet and calming spirit is flowing within me now. My fear is gone! Thank you, Lord! Amen.’
Ah mih people, let’s hope that whatever fear we were holding is now gone and the calm and peace of Jesus is now controlling our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, like He promised.
And since today is Tuesday, let’s further bolster our faith by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with lots of hope, vision and sense of purpose.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen’
Yes friends, that’s such an important declaration and distinction, one we need to carry with us at all times. For we are indeed God’s children, and no one can take that away from us.
But on the other hand, we also have a responsibility to behave like children of God, so that the world can see what He’s like, through the living examples of our lives. We need to have the fruit of God’s Spirit showing brightly through our godly behaviour.
And just in case we’ve forgotten what’s the fruit of the Spirit, let’s refresh our minds. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness). Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal.5:22-23)
Oh my brethren, those are the things the heathen ought to see in our lives! That’s the only way we can ever make a good and fruitful impact on them. All our words are meaningless unless and until we back them up with true action!
That brings us to our Bit, taken from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men. But first let’s set the scene. ‘They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end (all their wisdom is swallowed up).
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then they are glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ (Ps.107:23-30).
Yes my precious people, the same way the seafarers cry out to God in times of storms on the sea, the same way we ought to cry out to our heavenly Father when the vicissitudes of life, our ever-changing circumstances, overwhelm us. And as promised, He will calm the storms and bring us safely to the haven of His LOVE.
Oh friends, there’s none other like our great God! That’s why the psalmist so wisely advises: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.’ (Ps.107:31-32)
There’s nothing more I can say friends, except to implore us to do as the psalmist and Jesus wisely advise: before anything or anyone else, turn to your omnipotent and merciful God in times of trouble. Much LOVE!
…why turn to impotent man in times of trouble…when we have an omnipotent God to turn to…
30 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new day, Abraham, almighty god, an answer for prayer, anger, awesome truth, Babylon, basic principles, be grateful, be thankful for what you have, beautiful memories, blossoming, brought forth fruit, captives, dream, enjoy your coffee, Ernesto Cortazar, fertile soil, for I know that my redeemer lives, glory to God, greed, hate, he shall stand at the last day, hope, innocent blood, Jesus, laugh, live every moment, LOVE, make the most of this day, mornings, negative things, Old Testament, parable of the sower, plant your own garden, poison our souls, prayers of the saints, Redeemer, redemption, refuel your soul, reign on earth, relax, relief, resentment, sacrificial lamb, sinless, strength, stress, take a deep breath, testimony, the blood of Jesus, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the Lamb and the Lion, the Lord of hosts, the seven seals, the Word of god, they sung a new song, truth, turning away from God, vision of John, wake up with a smile, who hath ears to hear, yearning of thy heart, You Tube, zeal
Job 19:25. For I know that my Redeemer (lit. Kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.
Aye mih fellow believers, friends and neighbours, it’s Saturday; a brand new day! And in celebration of that I thought I would share that wonderful poem with the beautiful pictures by Ernesto Cortazar on YouTube, which I sent to you all by e-mail earlier on in the week.
I don’t know how many of you opened it, but if you didn’t, you surely missed a great treat. But as the D.J. man says: ‘If it’s nice, yuh got to play it twice!’ So here is the poem, aptly titled ‘A NEW DAY,’ without the pictures. Please, read, enjoy and put into practice.
‘Everything may not be good, but there’s something good everyday. Mornings are the most beautiful time of the day. So wake up with a smile on your face and make the most of this morning. Be grateful for the new day. Take a deep breath and relax. Enjoy your coffee.
A new day is a chance to refuel your soul. It’s really nice to wake up in the morning realizing that God has given you another day to live. May God give us relief for every stress, a sweet song for every sigh, an answer for every prayer, and peace for every troubled moment. A blessed day everyone!
Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul. Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day. When God gives you a new beginning, it starts with an ending. Be thankful for closed doors. They often guide us to the right one.
Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. Don’t start your day with broken pieces of yesterday. Today is a new day, a day to start afresh. Every day starts with some expectation, but every day ends with some experience. Hope your day begins with LOVE and ends with beautiful memories.
Every day is another chance to change your life. Make the most of this day! Laugh, LOVE, Dream… Live every moment! Every morning starts a new page in your story. Make it a great one today!’
Oh how beautiful and true that is my brethren! If we would only put those basic principles into action in our lives, what a beautiful life and world we’d have! But unfortunately, we allow negative things; weeds like hate, greed, anger, resentment, etc. etc. to come into our souls and poison and kill the beautiful and positive things that Almighty God has planted there for our enjoyment.
Chuh! What a waste! Remember Jesus’ parable about the sower who sowed his seed on several different types of ground? Well we are like those seeds which fell on bad ground, for our souls aren’t blossoming as they should. Instead we should be good and fertile soil like Jesus described. ‘But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Mat.13:8-9)
Yes friends, with the Word of God and His Holy Spirit indwelling us, we ought to be such rich and fertile ground, bearing so much fruit, that the heathen should be opening his eyes and staring at us in wonder, trying to figure out why we’re so fruitful and wanting to be fruitful like us.
In theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work, but it obviously doesn’t. We aren’t producing sufficient good fruit; our life examples are not good enough, that’s why so many people are turning away from God. But that’s another story for another day. (smile)
Let’s turn to our Bit: ‘For I know that my Redeemer (lit. Kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.’
Oh my people, what a powerful testimony of awesome truth! Job was indeed fertile ground, for despite his disastrous circumstances, he never doubted or cursed God. Just wish that most of us could be so faithful and trusting! (smile)
And we’ll continue with some scripture that talks about the Redeemer in the Old Testament. Hear Isaiah, re the Lord’s favour shown to Israel after they had rebelled.
‘Look down from the heavens and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels (yearning of thy heart) and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer, thy name is from everlasting.’ (Is.63:15-16)
Ah friends, yuh see how we quick to acknowledge God after we rebel and He sets us adrift to do our own thing and life gets hard with us. Hn!
Now listen to Jeremiah, from his prophecy concerning Babylon. ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name; he shall thoroughly plead their cause (case), that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.’ (Jer.50:33-34)
Yes my fellow believers, the Lord has always been the Redeemer of His people, even when they rebelled against Him and He allowed them to be taken captive and endure much ‘sufferation.’
And it wouldn’t be right to end without this wonderful vision of John re the Lion and the Lamb. ‘And he (the sacrificial Lamb – Jesus) came and took the book (scroll) out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials (bowls) full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book (scroll), and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred (tribe), and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.’ (Rev.5:7-10)
Now isn’t that wonderful my people? It surely is! Our Lord and Saviour paid the price for our sins, redeemed us, that’s why He is worthy to break the seven seals and be worshipped and glorified. Please, let’s contemplate how that action has affected our lives today, and then give the rightful glory to God. Much LOVE!
…true redemption could have come from only one source…the shedding of sinless, innocent blood…the blood of Jesus…
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