03 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, a godly reason for being alive, a little folding of the hands to sleep, a little slumber, a means of restoring faith in you, anger, anxiety, apathetic, as one that travelleth (a prowler), cast off the works of darkness, compromising, confusion, consider her ways and be wise, embrace your love and compassion, evil traits of the enemy, fearful, Friday chant, go to the ant thou sluggard, hatred, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, it is high time to awake out of sleep, it takes two to tango, laziness, LOVE, materialistic, omnipotent help, pandemic, prepare for predictable circumstances, procrastination, put on the armour of light, resentment, return backsliders to your fold, self-starters, so shall thy poverty come, stand strong and steadfast, strife, taking the Great Invitation to heart, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank God we're alive and kicking, the day is at hand, the error of their ways, the light of the world, the night is far spent, the salt of the earth, thy want as an armed man, trusting faith, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep, wise guidance, yet a little sleep
Proverbs 6:9. How long will thou sleep (be lazy), O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep (laziness)?
Oh what a bright and sunshiny Friday! But the wind’s in a tizzy though, from since last night, thus making it seem even colder than the minus 14 it’s supposed to be. And though you have to be careful how you navigate out there, it doesn’t stop us from saying a loud and hearty “TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And Thank God that we are alive and kicking to see and enjoy it!’ We’ve obviously been blessed, and there’s also a purpose, a godly reason that we’re still going strong on God’s great earth.
As the saying goes, we were made for a time such as this. And that’s no lie. God put us here right now with all the qualities and gifts we require to do a special job for Him. So please let’s stop wasting precious time, get serious and do whatever it is, for He is depending on us to provide that special link in the overall chain that only we have the ability to provide. Remember, a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. Therefore, let’s endeavour to not be the weakest link in God’s mighty chain nuh. (smile)
And unfortunately, right now too many of us believers are fighting for that dubious honour by not doing what we’re supposed to, by not living the life Christ envisioned us living. We’re not taking His Great Invitation to heart, to spread His word to all and sundry, and make disciples of all nations. We’re not being the salt of the earth and the light of the world He requires us to be, if our world is to come back to its senses and return to fully worship Almighty God. We’re too lazy, fearful, apathetic, loveless, materialistic and compromising. And those are definitely not the traits expected of Christ’s followers.
But like Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘And that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than we (first) believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.’ (Rom. 13:11-14)
Oh my people, those words apply so aptly to us that I’m ashamed to say it. But we are in a stupor of darkness and fleshly lusts. The enemy has found his way into our hearts and souls, making us insensitive to the demands of Christ in our lives. And please remember the coming of Christ draws nearer every day, and we don’t want him to return and find us living in the darkness of the enemy, rather than in His bright and shining light. So it’s indeed high time that we wake up and ‘cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light’ that comes from Jesus.
Time to stop all the dishonest and wanton living like the world does. To stop seeking opportunities to satisfy our deep-seated desires of our sinful nature, but rather seek occasion to show works that are consistent with our new and wonderful life in Christ Jesus. For our world is abuzz and an aflame with the evil traits of the enemy; anger, hatred, strife, resentment, greed, jealousy, covetousness, none of which should be named among the traits of a true believer in Christ. and it’s ONLY through us, sincere believers, that any worthwhile changes can and will be made. That’s why it’s essential that we wake up RIGHT NOW and begin doing our bounden duty in Christ.
And if perchance Bruh Paul didn’t get through to us, let’s see if Cousin Sol can, (smile) as he chips in his two cents worth, with this strong and true advice. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard: consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov. 6:6-8) Now that’s golden advice for free! You can’t beat it, for the ants has no leader but they do what they have to do, like gather and store food in the summer for the harsh winter months. Likewise, we supposed Christians ought to be up and about Christ’s Business while we still have time to do it. Be self-starters like the ants and prepare for predictable circumstances.
And Cousin Sol continues in a powerful vein: ‘How long will thou sleep (be lazy), O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep (laziness)?’ (Prov. 6:9) Now that’s a most pertinent question! When will we believers get up and get going for Jesus eh? Why you ask? Listen as Cousin Sol provides the answer. ‘Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:10-11)
Yes friends, our continued laziness and procrastination will inevitably bring sudden and dire poverty as an unexpected robber who takes away our possessions. And that will not do! So please, let’s wake up right now, and with prayer and thanksgiving, through our Friday Chant, go to our wonderful God and ask for His divine and most merciful help.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Remember, it takes two to tango, so it’s up to us now to do our part in the partnership, so that the Lord can do His. Much LOVE!
…we can’t do God’s part…and He won’t do ours…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
02 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gift to God, a leader who fears nothing but the Lord, a man who trusts in the Lord, an honourable person, curse, doing good works, endued with knowledge, enlarge my coast, faith, favour, God granted him his request, God rewards honour and integrity, has understanding, honour thy father and mother, honouring your parents is your bounden duty, if you are wise and understand God 's ways, it is corban, keep our word, LOVE, meekness of wisdom, more honourable than his brethren, negative word, one who believes in truth and does the right thing, praopserity, prove it by living an honourable life, respect ourselves and others, shew out of his conversation his works, son of sorrow, success, supernatural wisdom, that thy thy days may be long, the humility that comes with wisdom, the Prayer of Jabez, thine hand might be with me, thou wouldest keep me from evil, Thursday Blessings, who is a wise man
James 3:13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge (has understanding) among you? let him shew out of a good conversation (conduct) his works with meekness of wisdom (that his works be done in wisdom.)
It’s Thursday…and it’s sunny…Glory be! We won’t even bother to talk about the cold because it’s now wintertime in my area, and that means cold. (smile) So what shall we talk about today? Well, I just opened the Good Library and it opened unto the story of Jabez in 1 Chronicles, which is a marvellous story on honour and integrity. So let’s check that out nuh.
The chapter opens by talking about the descendants of Judah, then, out of the blue declares: ‘And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez (He will cause pain, Son of sorrow), saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.’ (1 Chr. 4:9) Now, we know how Old Testament names were very important and usually spoke of a person’s character and behaviour, however the next verse of the scripture, which we call ‘The Prayer of Jabez’ tends to disagree with the name Jabez’s mother gave him.
It says: ‘And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast (border), and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me (cause me pain)! And God granted him that which he requested.’ (1 Chr. 4:10) And that’s all we know about Jabez. Now why is that eh?
The scholars surmise that ‘the retention of this historical information probably indicates that God had granted Jabez’s request. His good accomplishments thus contradict his name “Son of Sorrow.” But I think it’s somewhat more than that. It shows that honour and integrity are very important in God’s framework. And was included in the scriptures as an example for us. Remember, nothing is in the scriptures unless there is a specific purpose. And Jabez’s story is there to show us that God rewards honour, integrity and good character.
And I like this explanation of what makes a man honourable. ‘The word honorable has to do with people and actions that are honest, fair, and worthy of respect. An honorable person is someone who believes in truth and doing the right thing — and tries to live up to those high principles.’ And those traits are shown to be treasured all throughout the Bible. So let’s look at a few examples nuh.
This first verse comes from Isaiah. ‘But the liberal (generous, noble) deviseth liberal (generous) things; and by liberal things shall he stand.’ (Is. 32:8) Now that doesn’t sound as explanatory as most of us would like, but this explanation says it much better. ‘A man who is bold, humble, responsible and worthy of respect; a man who trusts in the Lord and obeys Him alone. The honourable man is a leader who fears nothing but the Lord. If you seek to be this man; then this one’s just for you’
Yes friends, between those two passages we have a basic definition of honour, and it all traces right back to the things that God finds acceptable in His people. Remember God’s most important mention of honour; so important that He placed it in the Ten Commandments. ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12)
Now that’s the first commandment of promise, meaning that if you do as it says your earthly life will be worthwhile. Unfortunately though, many children don’t treat their parents with respect and honour. And please note the Lord didn’t say if your parents raise or treat you right, you should honour them, but to honour them regardless of their behaviour. That’s your bounden duty.
And Jesus even called out the Pharisees on it, when He said: ‘Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whosoever curseth father or mother let him die the death (be put to death). But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say a gift (dedicated to the temple), by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free. And ye suffer (allow) him no more to do ought (anything) for his father or for his mother. Making the word of God of none (no) effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered (handed down): and many such like things ye do.’ (Mark 7:9-13)
That’s right, the Jews evaded responsibility to their parents by saying their substance was ‘Corban, ‘or dedicated to God,’ which obviously contradicted God’s law to honour their mothers and fathers. And sadly, many of us do the same thing today; finding all sorts of ways to ignore our parents or not help them in whatever aspect they have need. But one day it will certainly boomerang back on us, either right down here on planet earth, or in the day of judgement.
And James tells us: ‘Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge (has understanding) among you? let him shew out of a good conversation (conduct) his works with meekness of wisdom (that his works be done in wisdom.)’ (James 3:13) That’s the King James Version, but the New Living Translation (NLT) puts it thus: ‘If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.’
Meanwhile, Bruh Paul tells it to us in a simple overall manner in Romans. ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE; in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another.’ (Rom. 12:10) Oh my brethren do we ever need to be devoted in honour and LOVE to each other, especially in these very dark and trying times. We need to show great respect for both ourselves and others, as well as the rules we live by. When we are honourable, we keep our word, and do the right thing, regardless of what others are doing.
And that’s why the Lord has bestowed these amazing Thursday Blessings on us, so we can live the life that honours Him and our fellow man. But we need to declare those blessings to activate them. So let’s do that right now nuh, in strong and sincere voice. ‘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 every day! Amen!’
Now, having declared them, let’s go out and use them to bless others, just as generously as God blessed us with them. Much LOVE!
…from the beginning of time…HONOUR…has been one of man’s important watchwords…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
01 Feb 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-given solution, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, confounded their language, endure to the end, flex their manly muscles, freedom of choice, giveth wisdom unto the wise, glad to be alive, God's endless compassion grace and mercy, he knoweth what is in the darkness, He revelaeth the deep secret things, hidden gme, hypocrisy, I am halfway home, in Christ alone is there hope for the future, knowledge to them that know understanding, looking straight ahead, LOVE, my hands are on the plough, neither hid that shall not be known, not looking back, proclaimed upon the housetops, raise our passion for Christ, removeth kings and setteth up kings, shall be heard in the light, spoken in the ear in closets, stubborn stiff-necked people, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the darkness hideth not from thee, the light dwelleth with him, the Lord changeth the times and seasons, the Lord gives power to get wealth, the tower of babel, there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, there's nowhere to run nor hide from God, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, whatever is spoken in darkness, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom and might are the Lord's
Luke 12:2. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: neither hid, that shall not be known.
And what shall we say this cold and sunny Wednesday morning, the first day of February in this watershed year of 2023 eh? What else but ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Nothing else but thanks and glory to our heavenly Father will do, because He’s the One who created us and keeps us alive until He is ready to take us home. All we do and have flow from Him and His endless compassion, grace and mercy.
Remember yesterday we saw where Cousin Sol reminded us that keeping God’s commandments is a big factor in our health, peace and longevity. (Prov. 3:2) And Moses warned the Israelites in the wilderness thus, re getting too big for their britches after becoming prosperous in the Promised Land. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 14:8) But we all know that the Israelites didn’t listen, for they were a stubborn, stiff-necked people, and they paid dearly for their rebellious ways.
And the same thing goes for us today; we’re stiff-necked and stubborn and are paying dearly for our rebellious ways with all the tragedy and disaster currently engulfing our world. It amazes me though, that we try every man-made solution to solve our problems without any success, but refuse to try the ONLY thing that will work for us, that’s a God-given solution. Just take a ‘Selah’ moment and think about it nuh. Our world is both literally and figuratively falling down around us, and we can’t seem to find a way to stop it.
But yuh think anybody amongst the powers that be are really concerned about turning to God for a solution? No sir! They are all looking for manmade solutions, in other words, tripping over each other looking for dictatorial powers. That’s the latest plum in the political sphere; to be a dictator and rule as you see fit. And one of those desires is to remove God from our society. Which is possibly the biggest pipe dream that mankind has ever had.
Remember the tower of Babel? That’s where after the Flood, mankind decided to build a city and a tower reaching up to heaven, and to make a name for themselves. But the Lord nipped the idea in the bud, by coming down and confounding their language, which at that time was all one, so that they could no longer understand each other, then scattered them all over the earth. (Gen.11:1-9) So friends, whatever might happen in these upcoming dark and evil times, Almighty God WILL NEVER allow His Holy Name to be removed from the earth! Let’s all get that straight.
And while we’re doing that, let’s remember the words of the prophet Daniel when the Lord revealed the secret of the Babylonian king’s vision. ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-22)
Oh my people, the Creator of this world is in total control of it all! Please believe that. He might allow all sorts of unfair and unjust stuff to happen but that’s all a part of His plan to bring the world to justice. So don’t for one moment think that the foolish men who are trying to seize power are really running things. The Lord’s just allowing them to flex their manly muscles until He is ready to raise them up or tear them down.
And it’s strange that we talk so much about the omnipotence, omniscience and omni-presence of our great God, but it’s really only talk. We don’t truly believe it, otherwise we wouldn’t be still trying to hide and plot and do the evil things we do, foolishly believing that God doesn’t know or see all that we try to hide in the darkness.
That reminds us of Bruh David’s famous words in Psalm 139: ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or wither 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; but the night shineth as day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12)
Yes friends, there is absolutely NOWHERE, we can run to or hide from the Lord, be it in the earth, the heavens, or the seas! So why don’t we just stop fooling ourselves eh and simply and wisely become obedient to His holy will? It’s really the easiest and simplest solution to all our worries and woes. And please remember also what Jesus said about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and the trying to hide stuff in dark places. He strongly warned: ‘Beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light: and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets (inner rooms) shall be proclaimed upon the house tops.’ (Luke 12:1b-3)
And yuh know what my brethren, that doesn’t necessarily mean that our secrets and evil deeds will only be revealed in heaven, but a lot of them will also be brought to light right down here on earth. So, I really don’t know why we are still trying to do stuff in secret and hope that they won’t get out. Just look at the number of whistle-blowers we have nowadays, just letting out secrets, some of them hidden for a long time, but nonetheless, they are eventually seeing the light of day. But the Lord in His wisdom, gave us free will, (Hn!) so all I can ask of us is to use that freedom to be wise and sincerely make Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, for without Him, like the proverbial snowball in the fires of hell, we don’t stand a single, solitary chance of making it on our own. End of Sermon!
Now for those of us who believe that, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 let’s not forget this li’l hidden gem. If we endure right down to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s use that as fuel to raise our passion for Christ nuh! Much LOVE!
…in Christ alone…is there any worthwhile future…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
30 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, a touch of cloud cover, a watershed year, an advocate with the Father, as a roaring lion, be sober be vigilant, casting all your care upon him, chained up in darkness, Christ died for us, forgive us and heal our land, God commendeth his love for us, gospel truth, hear our prayer, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the way the truth and the life, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ the righteous, Jesus our be all and end all, life happened, LOVE, make disciples of all nations, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, our New Year's resolution, penultimate days of January 2023, seeking whom he may devour, shadow of darkness, sincere repentance in our hearts, sparling sunshine, the God who heals, the Great Commission, the light of the world, the new normal, the propitiation for our sins, the salt of the earth, to live for Jesus more fully, to make reconciliation for sins, while we were yet sinners, your adversary the devil
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.
Oh friends, is it ever great to wake up to some sparkling sunshine, though with a touch of cloud cover! (smile) And are we ever thankful that the weather forecasters were wrong, and so far, we have not gotten the big deluge of snow they had forecasted. Yes, there was a fair amount of wet snow making the place wet and slippery, but there wasn’t that much of the heavy, staying kind. So, this Monday morning’s commute, didn’t have the snow creating havoc as it tends to do.
And seeing that we are now on the penultimate day of this first month of 2023, I believe it’s as good a time as any to review our new year resolutions and see how we’ve done so far with them…or rather it. And why simply it, you ask? Because remember we only had one resolution for this year, that’s to follow Jesus more closely, to truly try and live for Him, to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world as He desires of us. To put His Great Commission into greater effect, spread His word, His holy gospel to all the world, make disciples of all nations, so that more people would come to know and LOVE Him like we do.
That’s a big part our earthly purpose my brethren. And all I want us to do today, is to take a few moments and review our lives this past month based on the terms we’ve laid out above. I think it’s best for us to check on our progress early on to ensure that we are truly moving in the right direction, rather than waiting till later and sadly finding that we haven’t been living up to our resolution. By checking our progress now, we give ourselves sufficient time to correct it, if necessary.
Oh my fellow believers, please have no doubt that this year of 2023 will be a most important one in both the world and our individual lives. It will be a watershed year, a time to make many new and difficult decisions regarding many aspects of our lives. The buzzword right now is the ‘new normal.’ Our world is at a crossroads, it has changed a lot recently, and is still changing, and this year will see the culmination of many of those changes. And we have to be ready to make the right choices and decisions so that our lives will run smoothly.
So, it’s obvious that if we don’t have Jesus, our Lord, Saviour, Guide and Leader, truly as the Number One Priority in our lives, we are very liable to make many wrong decisions as the situations in our lives change. That means we have to concentrate a whole lot on Jesus. First of all to sincerely accept that He is indeed as He says: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And not only that, but also as He so truthfully proclaimed: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And my people, it’s absolutely essential that we live in the light of Jesus more than ever this defining year of 2023, when the shadow of darkness, the powers of the evil one are being built up and solidified with each passing day and doing their best to keep us dominated and chained up in the darkness of their sinful, ungodly way of life. Yes, as Peter so seriously and sincerely warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8)
And that’s the indisputable truth! Satan’s efforts to ensnare the brethren have been greatly increased, he has upped the ante for our spiritual capture. That’s why it’s also important to do as Peter says: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) Now that’s also the gospel truth. Our God does care deeply for us, else why did He send His sinless and only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for our sins eh?
Bruh Paul explains it in his letter to the Roman church: ‘But God commendeth his LOVE (demonstrated his own LOVE) toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Wow, my fellow believers! Why would our God do such a selfless and compassionate thing if He didn’t truly care for us, His most precious creation eh? And if those reasons above don’t give us sufficient reason to believe that we desperately need Jesus in our lives, then let’s add these other most relevant reasons.
Firstly, that He is the Prince of Peace! The ONLY ONE who can cause us to have satisfying peace and calm in the midst of the storms of life. Just think what He can do for our souls, if He can calm the mighty seas and winds by simply saying: ‘Peace be still:’ (Mark 4:39) Then Jesus is also our High Priest and advocate in heaven, working tirelessly on our behalf, constantly lobbying the Father to turn things around for us. Hebrews tells us: ‘Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made (he had to be made) like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.’ (Heb. 2:17)
And John talks of Christ’s advocacy in his epistle. ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (redemption, atonement) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:1-2) Glory be my people! Jesus is indeed our everything! And now that the basic facts are before us, hopefully they will motivate us to get up and do our best to live passionately for Jesus in this pivotal year of our lives.
Now, for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s go to the throne of grace with prayer for divine help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And as always, if we expect to receive positive results from heaven, we must also make positive changes here on earth. Much LOVE!
…JESUS…our Be All…and our End All…We need no one else…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but life happened to me, as it does to all of us! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frightful stench, a marvellous solution to our sinful souls, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off, anxiety, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be obedient to god's will, bread to the eater, call upon him while he is near, confusion, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, Friday chant, give seed to the sower, god is still on his throne, God's provided the way to salvation, he will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, in the thing whereunto I sent it, instead of the brier the myrtle tree, instead of the thorn shall come up the fir, introduce a new flock of believers, it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall not return void, it shall prosper, keep our promises, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher that your ways, my ways are not your ways, omnipotent help, pandemic, reconciled to the Father, return backsliders to your fold, salvation to all mankind, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the error of their ways, the Lord is still in control, the righteousness of Christ, the unrighteous man his thoughts, trusting faith, wake up and and smell the coffee
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near:
And there’s some sunshine shining on the cold white snow in a cloudy background, which my computer terms as haze. (smile) Yes friends, on this last Friday in January 2023, we declare ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!‘ in a cold and hazy atmosphere. The important thing though is that our great and wonderful God, Jehovah is still on His heavenly throne, still in control of all earthly movements, although we might not think so.
And yes, He does give us a lot of leeway to do as we please, but let’s never forget His sage, incisive and sharp-edged words, spoken through His prophet Isaiah. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
And in these evil and ungodly times, do we ever need to return to Almighty God and be pardoned, for the sinful attributes in our world are overwhelming, reaching up to high heaven with a frightful stench that totally boggles the imagination. And those sage and rather incisive words of God continue: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9)
Oh my fellow believers, the Lord might give us free will to do and act as we please, but we are never out of His sight nor His thoughts because He is omniscient and omnipresent and will only allow us to get away with so much wrongdoing, while constantly calling us to righteousness. And I don’t understand why we so adamantly refuse His call to godliness and righteousness, especially when He’s made such great provision for us.
Listen to his words again nuh. ‘For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty, without fruit), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:10-11)
Yuh hear that friends? Our God is purposely telling us that whatever He sends out His word to accomplish, will be accomplished, and in the exact manner that He desires. Now doesn’t that make us concerned about our culture and lifestyle, our disobedience and ungodliness? It ought to, because His word contains so many promises of the wicked and sinful being destroyed, of being punished in the fires of hell. That ought to make us sit up and take serious notice of His holy and truthful word, and turn to Him, though somewhat belatedly, for the abundant pardon that He holds out to all who come to Him in sincere repentance.
And listen to this magnificent promise of our great and ever-faithful God to those who avidly and sincerely Him. ‘For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir (cypress) tree, and instead of the brier (plant with a thorny and prickly stem) shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.’ (Is. 55:12-13)
Wow mih bredrin! What a magnificent promise! Our God includes us in the everlasting covenant He’s given to his chosen people, Israel. And are we going to refuse it for foolish and prideful self-interest? The scholars tell us that God’s ‘invitation to all men is clearly stated in the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
They also inform us that ‘God’s sovereignty and omniscience are extolled by the statements that His thoughts (i.e. purposes or intentions) and ways (directions) are higher than ours. While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes. Therefore He reveals Himself to men by His word, which shall not return to Him void (empty, in vain). The Word of God, therefore accomplishes His purpose in announcing salvation to all mankind.’
And He’s kept His word by sending His sinless Son, Jesus Christ to die for us on Calvary’s cross, so that our sins can be forgiven, and we be made the righteousness of Christ, be reconciled to our Creator and no longer bear the mark of Satan, but of Christ, and no longer bound for hell fire and damnation, but for the beautiful and peaceful halls of heaven. Now, we would be everlastingly foolish to reject such a marvellous solution to our sinful souls.
So please, I implore us to day to get serious about Jesus and His amazing way of life. Though it’s not easy and ofttimes sacrificial, it is ALWAYS interesting and adventurous and leads to untold treasures and rewards in heaven that last forever, unlike the earthly treasures we run down, that soon decay and are of no further use. Therefore, in faith, hope and wisdom, through our Friday Chant, let’s go to the throne of God in sincere prayer and ask for His divine help.
As one confident but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And as always, if we sincerely desire to receive positive answers from our omnipotent God, we need to keep our promises and be obedient to His holy will. Much LOVE!
…God’s provided the way to salvation…it’s up to us…to accept or reject it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a prayerful and grateful attitude, and again I say rejoice, be careful for nothing, cast thy burden upon the Lord, curse, good friends, good health, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, in everything by prayer and supplication, let your moderation be known unto all men, LOVE, negative word, regardless of our circumstances, Rejoice in the Lord always, ride out the storm of life in peace, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, supernatural strength, take no thought for the morrow, Thanks be to God, the God of peace, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, think on these things, Thursday Blessings, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are true, with Jesus as your pilot
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Well, it’s another cold and cloudy day, but one with a peculiar difference; the earth, the trees and the rooftops are covered in that white fluffy stuff called snow. (smile) Yes, we finally got a fair amount of the beautiful but ever so dangerous stuff yesterday and it just made a mess of the Greater Toronto Area. Accidents galore, and endless time to get around, that is when you could. Saw a picture of a bus having problems moving in the thick snow. And if a bus could have problems, think about how the smaller and less powerful vehicles managed nuh.
Oh, and I just heard the snowplough outside finally cleaning my small and insignificant lane. (smile) But we can’t complain too much because it’s the first real snowstorm we’ve had for the year, and it’s definitely not as bad as what some areas have had to suffer through. Our storm probably deposited a few inches, while other areas have had a foot or more. So, we can still say ‘Thanks be to God!’ And if we’re talking about giving thanks, then this scripture from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the church at Philippi, written while he was imprisoned, is one we should certainly review.
He’s talking about the people who helped him lay and build the church, how their names are being written in the Book of Life. Therefore, he advises the church to: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (gentleness, graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in EVERY THING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil. 4:4-6)
Oh my fellow believers, I hope you noticed that most significant admonition: ‘in EVERY THING’ we should prayerfully give thanks as we lift up our desires to Almighty God! Yes, whatever it is, however serious or insignificant the problem, our God wants to hear about it, because He desires to work with and help us through whatever difficulties we encounter in this life. But we must endeavour to have a prayerful and grateful attitude regardless of our circumstances. Why?
Bruh Paul explains: ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:7) And that’s the gospel truth! When we keep our minds stayed and steadfast on God, He grants us divine peace from worry and anxiety through His wonderful Son Jesus Christ. It’s like Bruh David writes in Psalm 22 – The Plea of the Fearful: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22)
But it won’t happen unless we believe it and subsequently place all our trust in Almighty God. And that’s also why Jesus taught on the importance of not worrying in His Sermon on the Mount. (Matt: 6:25-32) He explained that we should not worry about food and drink and clothes, how the birds and other animals, plus all the beautiful flowers in nature are looked after by the Father, and since we are more important to Him than them, why wouldn’t He also look after us? No reason whatsoever!
And anyway, we can’t change anything by worrying about it, so worrying is useless. Like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say. Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. You can sit there and rock all day and still get nowhere. You can worry about your problems all day and still don’t have a solution. It’s best to spend your energy on talking to God about your problem, than trying to fix it yourself.
Hence Jesus’ admonition: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:33-34) Yes friends, each day has its own problems that we need to handle responsibly, instead of wasting our valuable time looking forward to hypothetical problems that might arise on the morrow.
That takes us back to Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Philippians, where he continues: ‘Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.’ (Phil. 4:8-9)
That’s it in a nutshell my fellow saints: how to get God’s peace and how to keep it. Seek God first, don’t worry about your life, but take everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and think on good things, things that encourage, rather than discourage, and the God of peace will provide peace and a good, worthwhile life for us. Obviously it won’t be easy to do, what with the natural ups and downs of life, but with God’s most able assistance, through His Holy Spirit that indwells us, we can have a good and fruitful life, producing even up to a hundred-fold. (smile)
And our God is so wonderful that He never asks us to do anything without giving us the wherewithal, or the tools to do them. Consequently, He has generously bestowed on us what we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can do His earthly work. But we need to declare them out loud so that they can be activated. So, let’s do that right now nuh. Altogether: ‘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 every day! Amen!’
Now, with those blessings activated in our lives, we are expected to go out and generously use them to bring others to Christ. Much LOVE!
…you can ride out any storm of life…in peace…with Jesus as your pilot…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
25 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a frail and finite man, a time to dance, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to weep, Beauty for Ashes, concentrate on righteousness, crowd out the glad tomorrows, destroy the wicked, endure to the end, girded me with gladness, glad to be alive, hands on the plough, honest determination, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my glory may sing praise to thee, not a one way street, not be silent, not looking back, not putting our best foot forward, patient and long-suffering God, put off my sackcloth, rekindle the charred embers, renege on my promises, renew my broken vows, Renewed Commitment, retract the impetuous words, save the righteous, second chances, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the garment of praise, the joy of beginning again, the oil of joy for mourning, the painful memories of my yesterdays, the spirit of heaviness, to a glorious future with Jesus, to the end, trees of righteousness, turned my mourning into dancing, under the weather, Wednesday Wail, witness for Christ
Psalm 30:11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.
Ah friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella was somewhat under the weather this morning and didn’t have the parts to get up and write earlier. (smile) So, we will endeavour to keep it short and sweet. Hn! Hn! Please remember though, I’m not God, only a frail and finite man, so sometimes I might renege on my promises.
Anyway, let’s check out this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that’s most appropriate for this new year of 2023. It’s titled” ‘Renewed Commitment,’ that’s to Jehovah God, something all of us need to seriously look into, because as the body or church of Christ, we are not putting our best foot forward on His behalf.
So please read with me: ‘Forgive me, dear Lord For too often Letting the painful memories Of my yesterdays Crowd out the glad tomorrows You graciously offer me. I know I cannot rekindle The charred embers Of the past year. I cannot erase the blunders Made so impulsively Nor can I regain the opportunities That are forever lost. I cannot retract the impetuous words I wish I had not spoken Or replace the shallow choices I should not have made. But I Can open my wayward heart To Your cleansing power. With honest determination I Can renew my broken vows. And I Can begin to praise You This very day For the joy of beginning again.’
Oh my people, doesn’t that sound like so many of us this past year? Of course!. But as the poem says, we CAN renew our broken vows to God and begin worshipping and praising Him this very day, for the joy of beginning again. And isn’t that one of the majestic mercies of our great God; the ability to extend second chances…even third fourth and fifth ones! That’s what is so amazing about Him; despite our rebellious nature and wayward ways, He always takes us back, whenever we come running back to Him.
Forgiveness, based on His unconditional and everlasting LOVE for us, His most important creation is just a natural aspect of His Being. Once He judges us to be sincere, He will forgive. But we must not attempt to take advantage of His wonderful grace and mercies by overdoing our rebelliousness, for though He is patient and longsuffering, He will not put up with our foolishness for ever. You just have to look at what He made His chosen people, Israel go through for their stubborn and continuous disobedience.
So, let’s remember that our God is a most wonderful and forgiving Deity, but He’s no pushover, as He’s always promised, in His time, He will destroy the wicked, but save the righteous. That means we’ve got to concentrate on righteousness this new year of 2023. And we don’t have a lot of time to do it, because the first month of January is almost over.
But enough with the conviction (smile) let’s turn to the Bible Promise on which our poem was based. It comes from Psalm 30, and says: ‘Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth (the sackcloth of my mourning), and girded me with gladness.’ (Ps. 30:11)
That brings to mind a couple of other scriptures on the subject of mourning and dancing. First up are these true words of Cousin Sol writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, where he reasons that there’s a season for every thing, including: ‘a time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.’ (Eccl. 3:4)
Then the prophet Isaiah, in declaring (yesss!!!) the acceptable year of the Lord to his people Israel said: ‘To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is. 61:2-3)
Now that’s the main reason the Lord made us: to glorify Him! And those are the things He desires to give to us, ‘beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness:’ things that so many of us are not enjoying because of our rebellious and unrighteous ways. We cannot be the ‘trees of righteousness’ the Lord desires us to be called if we are not in sync and harmony with Him.
And this is the reason the psalmist gives for the Lord turning his mourning into dancing and girding him with gladness instead of sackcloth: ‘To the end that my glory (soul) may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.’ (Ps. 30:12)
And that’s exactly what Christ desires of us, His supposed followers; to not be silent, as so many of us are, for whatever reasons. And also to sing His praises to ALL the world for as long as we live! And I’m sincerely pleading with us that this is the year we must turn things around in Christ’s favour; let His name, His LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness explode all over the planet and cause a magnificent revival of His LOVE Revolution!
Wow! That’s our goal for this year, couldn’t have a better one. And so, for all of us in agreement with that, let’s go home now declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, informing all and sundry of our marvellous position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 for added encouragement, let’s remember that if we endure to the end with Jesus, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please allow that to boost our faith, enthusiasm and witness for Christ! Much LOVE!
…to be in successful partnership with God…we must also do our part…it’s not a one way street…
P.S. Glory be! I did keep my promise and made it shorter…a li’l bit. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all that call upon him in truth, all the wicked will he destroy, divine guidance, do your thing for Christ, enlightenment, eternal separation from God, false gospel, false teachers, full of salt, God our number one priority, God's Unsearchable Greatness, he will fulfill the desireof them that fear him, holy in all his works, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, let all flesh bless his holy name, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, negative situations, offer encouragement, raiseth up all that be bowed down, refuse to pay him homage, shine like a blazing fire, the God who heals, The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, the Lord is righteous in all his ways, the Lord preserveth all them that love him, the Lord upholdeth all that fall, wise guidance
Psalm 145:20. The Lord preseveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
Well, a fine Monday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! I do hope that all is well with you on this the first day of the new work week, and you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed, excited to get out into the evil and ungodly world and do your thing for Christ; be full of salt and shine like a blazing fire, so much so that those who come into contact with you, simply cannot refuse your witness!
Wow! Yes that’s the way we ought to be my fellow believers, especially in these rather disturbing and turbulent times, where Christ’s church and His LOVE Revolution are falling behind the eight ball. But we’re not here today to cast aspersions, or render judgement, rather to offer encouragement and enlightenment.
And I had to chuckle a short while ago when I came to write the Bit and had no inkling what to write about. So in my mind I asked, ‘What should I write about today Lord?’ And in a few seconds the answer came: ‘Go back to Psalm 145!’ So, since He’s the Boss and I’m just an obedient servant, then we will go back to Psalm 145, Bruh David’s Psalm of Praise to God’s Unsearchable Greatness. And beginning in verse 14, where we had stopped the last time, we read with great encouragement.
‘The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee (look expectantly to you); and thou givest them their meat (food) in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear (reverence) him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preseveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy.’ (Ps. 145: 14-20)
Yes my fellow saints that’s the greatness and everlasting faithfulness of our Lord God Jehovah! He NEVER turns away those who sincerely put their trust in Him in all sincerity and truth. And He’s great and loyal enough to stand up for all who cry out to Him, to come to their rescue! Now that’s the wonderful, merciful, gracious and LOVING God we serve! There’s no other like Him in all creation!
And I like how the scholars spell out the specifics for us. They say: ‘After the characteristic call to praise (vs. 1-2), David offers four key reasons to praise the Lord in the section called the cause for praise vs: 3-20): the Lord is great (vs. 3), He is gracious and merciful (vs. 8-9), He sustains all who fall (vs. 14), and He is righteous in His ways and kind are His deeds (vs. 17)’ And what’s the welcome conclusion of all that? A renewal of the call to praise in (vs.21), which we haven’t look at as yet.
So let’s do that right now nuh. In conclusion, Bruh David solemnly proclaims: ‘My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. Amen!’ (Ps. 145: 21) Oh my people, if we could only do those two things – praise the Lord and bless His holy name – a li’l more often that we do, life would improve so much, that we wouldn’t even recognize it. (smile)
And that’s a major problem we have amongst believers today. For whatever reason, too many of us refuse to praise the Lord and bless His holy name, refuse to pay Him the homage He so rightly deserves for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us. Please remember that second to last verse: ‘The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE Him; but all the wicked will He destroy.’
And believe me that’s no idle promise as so many of us believe today in this era of false gospel and false teachers. Our God never makes promises He doesn’t intend to keep, which you can discover by looking through the Old Testament. So please, let’s not get caught up in all the lovey-dovey and feel-good stuff that some are preaching and wake up and understand that if we don’t truly LOVE God and act accordingly, we will end up amongst the wicked and be sentenced to eternal separation from Him, the worst sentence we can ever get. End of Sermon!
Now, let’s go to Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine guidance and protection. As one strong and confident voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
So, if we desire to see positive, God-given changes in our lives and our world, then we have to do our part; that’s turn from our evil ways and adopt His righteous ones. As simple as that my fellow saints. Much LOVE!
…sincere LOVE for God…ought to be our number One priority…that’s what Jesus said…and He doesn’t lie…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: both sure and steadfast, faith, fellowship, fled for refuge, God's covenant with Abraham, hope an anchor of the soul, Jesus Christ, Jesus our forerunner, LOVE, salvation, Septimus Winner, soft as the voice of an angel, two immutable things, whispering hope
Hebrews 6:19a. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
And the days of this new year are moving swiftly by. Can you believe we’re already moving into the last full work week of January? Yuh better believe it! January will soon be over and we’ll be looking to Valentine’s Day, another big money spinner. But we’ll take it all in stride once we stay strong and steadfast in Christ and fellowship on the Sabbath, which is today. That means thanks, praise, worship and togetherness in the Lord’s sanctuary. Wow! That’s what the Lord’s Day is all about!
And today we’ll open with an old but beautiful and favourite hymn, recorded by numerous artistes down through the years, aptly titled ‘Whispering Hope,’ written in 1868 by American musician and poet Septimus Winner (1827-1902). The text of the song refers to the anchor that keeps the soul unwavering – the ‘Whispering Hope’ for all Christians.’ So let’s lift our voice in sacrificial praise to heaven in a mid-tempo soulful, harmonious, heartfelt version of the song, letting them know that our souls are unwaveringly anchored in the biggest and best anchor, Jesus Christ.
Singing: ‘Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone. (Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.) If, in the dusk of the twilight, Dim be the region afar, Will not the deepening darkness Brighten the glimmering star? Then when the night is upon us, Why should the heart sink away? When the dark midnight is over, Watch for the breaking of day. [Refrain]
Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal; Come then, oh, come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, oh, never depart. [Refrain: Whispering hope, whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart, making my heart, in its sorrow rejoice.)
Now wasn’t that just beautiful friends! And I do hope that those encouraging words lifted our spirits, giving us confidence to face the upcoming work week, for that’s one of the purposes of our Sunday fellowship. Now it’s widely acknowledged that the basis for this song comes from Chapter 6 of Hebrews, where the author talks about God’s covenant with Abraham which involves salvation among other things, (Gal. 3:15-24) which he received after he patiently endured. (Heb. 6:13-16)
However God had more security on His mind, as the author writes. ‘Wherein God, willing (determining) more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. That by two immutable (unchangeable) things in which it was impossible to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus, made (having become) a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb. 6:17-20)
And the scholars tell us that ‘God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon two immutable things, that is. elements that cannot change. First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word, He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.’
Meanwhile, they further explain that in the last three verses ‘the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection (Num. 35:6-32).Second, our hope is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven. The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of the heaven.
As our forerunner, Jesus is different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’ Oh, I know that might sound somewhat confusing, but just take your time and read it. Now here is some other info on the song, in particular ‘As an anchor so steadfast.’ Now please don’t ask me where I got it from, because there’s no note to it. (smile) But it might just help us understand the anchor scene better.
So please read with me: ‘It is a striking likeness when he compares faith leaning on God’s word to an anchor; for doubtless, as long as we sojourn in this world, we stand not on firm ground, but are tossed here and there as it were in the midst of the sea, and that indeed very turbulent; for Satan is incessantly stirring up innumerable storms, which would immediately upset and sink our vessel, were we not to cast our anchor fast in the deep.
For nowhere a haven appears to our eyes, but wherever we look water alone is in view; yea, waves also arise and threaten us; but as the anchor is cast through the waters into a dark and unseen place, and while it lies hid there, keeps the vessel beaten by the waves from being overwhelmed; so must our hope be fixed on the invisible God. There is this difference, — the anchor is cast downwards into the sea, for it has the earth as its bottom; but our hope rises upwards and soars aloft, for in the world it finds nothing on which it can stand, nor ought it to cleave to created things, but to rest on God alone.
As the cable also by which the anchor is suspended joins the vessel with the earth through a long and dark intermediate space, so the truth of God is a bond to connect us with himself, so that no distance of place and no darkness can prevent us from cleaving to him. Thus when united to God, though we must struggle with continual storms, we are yet beyond the peril of shipwreck. Hence he says, that this anchor is sure and steadfast, or safe and firm. It may indeed be that by the violence of the waves the anchor may be plucked off, or the cable be broken, or the beaten ship be torn to pieces. This happens on the sea; but the power of God to sustain us is wholly different, and so also is the strength of hope and the firmness of his word.’
Now that ought to clear up a few things. (smile) So let’s go home filled with heavenly hope that’s solidly, safely and securely anchored as it ought to in Christ our Lord and Saviour, our High Priest and forerunner or precursor in the heavens. Much LOVE!
…hope is what leads to faith…without hope, you can’t have faith…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Jan 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be not overcome of evil, bless them that curse you, choose a life of crime, do good to them that hate you, forgive and God will forgive you, forgive people, forgiveness is for our well being, glorify your father in heaven, holding on to anger only hurts you, into the miraculous light of Jesus, Jesus is the only reason we're still standing, lazy Saturday, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, Love your enemies, overcome evil with good, pray for them which spitefully use you, recompense to no man evil for evil, resent and reject Jesus, set free of the darkness, share your light, that they may see your good works, the evil of the world, the goodness of God, the last laugh is on us, torpedo their own livelihood to be the boss, you are the light of the world
Romans 12:17a. Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil…
‘Sunshine, lollipops and roses!’ Well, a half out of three isn’t bad. (smile) We’ve got a touch of sunshine. And the truth is, it’s not even true sunshine, but less cloud cover. But we’ll take it over some sort of precipitation and thoroughly dark clouds. And having lazed away my part of this lazy-Saturday morning, I’ll reluctantly turn my attention to the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And we’ll jump right into this first and ever so important one: ‘Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their actions. Holding on to anger only hurts you, not them.’ And sadly, that’s the bane of so many of us in this weak, fearful and ungodly world. We refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, thinking that we can do them something by withholding our forgiveness.
But friends, the last laugh will always be on us. Why? Firstly, because those whom we refuse to forgive will most likely go about their business unconcerned, while we will be stewing in our hate, anger and resentment, making ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally sick. We must realize that basically, forgiveness is not for others, it’s for us, for our well-being.
And the second foolish aspect of unforgiveness is what happens with God, when we don’t forgive. How did Jesus put it in His sample prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ (Matt.6:11-12) Yes friends, that’s what we’re praying, for God to forgive us as we forgive others.
So what does that mean eh? Jesus explains: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt. 6:14-15) That says it all right there my brethren. So please let’s forget this worldly nonsense about holding grudges and not forgiving, because we are only afflicting ourselves.
Then there’s this quote: ‘Sometimes Those Trying To Bring You Down Don’t Know You’re Part Of The Reason They’re Still Standing.’ And isn’t that sometimes the awesome truth! So often our associates want to drag us down, or usurp our positions, but don’t realize that it’s because of us they are where they are, and without us they’d be nothing.
And I guess the greatest example of that is the religious leaders of Israel who refused to accept Jesus and tried to railroad Him to His death, because they figured He would spoil the good thing they had going in the bowels of the Roman Empire. They didn’t realize that He was really the good thing that they needed, and He had come to save them.
And unfortunately, it’s the same way with many of us; we resent and reject Jesus, but He’s the ONLY thing standing between us and eternal death and damnation. Please remember these ever so important words of Jesus: ‘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 Jesus is indeed the ONLY reason why we are still standing! Please, let’s acknowledge that hard and true fact and behave accordingly.
That leads us to the following quote: ‘A wise man once said, “Be careful who you let on your ship, because some people will sink the whole ship just because they can’t be the captain.’ Now isn’t that a glorious truth! And I can attest to that through personal experience over the years. The things some people would do for a li’l power is ofttimes surprising and unbelievable. They’d even torpedo their own livelihood just to be the boss. How foolish. But that’s the chain of foolishness and ignorance that Satan has some of us tied up in.
Therefore,re we have to be very careful who we let into our lives, especially in these days of so many lies, deceit and fraud. Fraud is possibly the biggest crime going right now. And I just had one of those phone calls from one of the many current schemes that try to defraud you. And when you look at the missed calls, they are the same fraudulent schemers every day. They don’t seem to give up. Now, if they would just use that same persistence and perseverance in a legitimate job, they could do ever so much better. But for some reason or other, they choose the life of crime.
However, having said that, this next quote shows us a better way. It says: ‘If you ever get the chance to treat them the way they treated you, I hope you choose to walk away and do better.’ Yes, that’s the right way, if you are a follower of Jesus, who expressed these sentiments. ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust. For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. 5:43-48)
The long and short of the story my fellow saints is that as followers of Jesus we are supposed to rise above the norm, not just do what others do but more and better. That’s the philosophy Jesus desires to espouse in His kingdom. And Bruh Paul encapsulates it so nicely in his letter to the church at Rome, by saying: ‘Recompense to (repay) no man evil for evil… Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17a, 21)
And this last quote is self-explanatory. ‘When a flashlight grows dim or quits working, do you just throw it away? Of course not. You change the batteries. When a person messes up or finds themselves in a dark place, do you cast them aside? Of course not! You help them change their batteries. Some need AA…attention and affection; some need AAA…attention, affection, and acceptance; some need C….compassion; some need D…direction. And if they still don’t seem to shine…simply sit with them quietly and share your light.’
Oh my people, in this sad, confused, evil and ungodly world there are way too many of us who are suffering from a dim bulb or weak battery. Too many of us are flailing around in the darkness, and it needs us believers to attend to them with the LOVE of Jesus, so that they can be set free, to walk out of their darkness into the marvellous and miraculous light of Jesus!
And the only way that can happen is if we shine our light in their darkness. Like our Saviour so wisely recommended: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14, 16) Now, as true believers, let’s go out and do just that, today and every day nuh. Much LOVE!
…the goodness of God…is the only thing that will overcome…the evil of this world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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