23 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, a roof over our heads, all over the world, all things work together for good, almighty god, assurance, attitudes toward work, cacophony of sound, communications technology, confident, divine perspective, ease up the pressure, equal rights, evil, faith, faithful work, fellowship, followers of Jesus christ, food on our tables, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends and neighbours, generous help, glorious kingdom, good news, good news of Jesus christ, grace, great commission, harmony, holy spirit, human perspective, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, justice, lasting joy, living for Friday, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, passing happiness, peace, proactive outlook, purpose in life, relationship with Jesus, relaxation, rest, right this fallen world, salvation, sense of purpose, slave labour, spinning out of control, surrender, take up our cross, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the called, the characteristics of Jesus Christ, the elect, the message, the weekend, tired and hurting, to the ends of the earth, to them called according to His purpose, to them that love God, truth, turst, ungodliness, work, work keeps us going, worldly attitude
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Well my fine Friends and neighbours, please don’t all gladly shout out at the same time, but it’s that magical day called Friday!
And do you think they listened to my plea? Steups! No way! For immediately a cacophony of sound erupted in my ears.
‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes! The week’s been a li’l rough, and we need a break from the slave labour right about now! Thank the Good Lord it’s finally Friday oui, and the weekend soon here to ease up the pressure!’
Ah mih people, I know that some of us are tired and hurting, and just dying for the weekend to come. And nothing’s really wrong with that, because we all deserve a couple days off after several days of labouring.
But we shouldn’t just have this worldly attitude of living for Friday and the weekend to come around. We ought to have a higher and deeper purpose in life.
The message we’ve been enjoined to share as followers of Jesus Christ is one LOVE, peace, harmony, justice, equal rights, truth, trust, surrender to and faith in Almighty God through His most wonderful son, Jesus Christ!
That’s the message we need to share with, reveal to the world, not just a bout of passing happiness on a Friday, because we’ve gotten a break from work. As true believers, we have to rise to a higher level than that.
Work should not be our enemy, but our friend, because it’s what keeps us going, gives us the broad and varied interaction with others that we need to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. And it also keeps food on our tables, as well as a roof over our heads.
So work should play an important part in our lives. We have to look at it not as the same old, same old, mundane way of life, that’s just a revolving circle with no end. Instead, we have to develop a bigger, brighter and better sense of purpose; one that will bring us the lasting joy that we so desperately need and desire, every day, rather than just on the weekends.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, which helps us to have a better perspective on the use of the weekend. 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 Friends, it’s short, but to the point! Let’s hope that it will cause us to look at our individual attitudes towards work and the weekend, and encourage us to come up a bit higher in the overall scheme of things.
And talking about purpose Friends, there’s no better scripture to call to mind on the topic than our Bit. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’
And there’s no disputing that statement my people, because that’s exactly what our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God does! He works out everything for good to those whom He has called, and who have responded with a deep and sincere LOVE for Him.
And I can personally testify to that, because since He’s called me to do His work, some eight years ago, my life has improved in numerous ways. Now it’s not a bed of roses, for I still have my human and earthly ups and downs.
But with His assurance and faithful work in my life, I now go about with a more confident and proactive outlook. And He can do the same for you, if you’ll only look to Him with sincere trust and faith.
Now let’s get some explanations on our Bit from the scholars. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what. (cf. Job 13:15) To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
Yes my brethren, we are indeed “the called, the elect” who are supposed to bring a brighter and better perspective to the world, one that reflects the characteristics of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But are we doing that? To some extent, I suppose. But certainly not enough, for the world’s spinning further and further out of control, getting deeper and deeper into evil and ungodliness. And we, the followers of Jesus Christ, are the only people capable of stopping and righting it.
And that’s our basic purpose Friends; to right this fallen world of ours. That’s what Jesus died for. He gave His sinless life as a sacrifice to bring us into His fold, so that we can have fellowship together and a wonderful relationship with Him.
But once we’ve found that grace, mercy and forgiveness that He pours into our hearts, we’re also supposed to tell others about it, so that they too can find the joy, the peace and LOVING-kindness that comes with being a believer. Remember Jesus’ last words to the disciples were to go and spread the good news of His salvation all over the earth. (Matt.28:19-20)
Now my people, that Great Commission has been passed down to us. This is our time to spread the Word. And more than any other generation before us, we have the tools to do so with the recent explosion in communications technology.
So please, let’s get ourselves together nuh, in peace and harmony, as Jesus desires, and live up to our purpose as “the called, the elect” of God. That’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…it’s time to take up our cross and follow Jesus…wherever he may lead…even to the ends of the earth…
P. S. It’s late because I had a bit of a struggle this morning, both physically and mentally. And just as I was about ready to send it out, the finicky computer froze on me. Ah Lord eh! But as you can see, the Lord eventually worked all things out for good as He promised. (smile) Much LOVE!
21 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son of Abraham, almighty god, another chilly morning, awesome Deity, be saved, become more important than God's work, Bruh David, come to seek and save, encouraging, enthusiastic, eternity, fit for the kingdom of god, friends, God's direction, God's work, gospel truth, Gramps Schuller, halfway home, he is become my salvation, Hour of Power, human frailty, I am Eager, I will exalt him, idols, Jesus, Jonah, Living Deity, looking back, lost, loving kindness, make the most of today, make the most of yourself, mercy, Moses, move forward, my father's God, neck of the woods, no turning back, omnipotent, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, peace, pledged to change his evil ways, Possibility Thinking, protective wings, put His hand to the plough, repented, restful. rejuvenating weekend, sacrifice, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, salvation is of the Lord, Selah, stand strong and steadfast, that which is lost, the giver of salvation, the good shepherd, the lesser things of life, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is my strength and song, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord spake unto the fish, the Most High, the Son of man, the voice of thanksgiving, there will never be another now, thy blessing is upon thy people, turn to Jesus, under the weather, vanities, wandering, Wednesday, whom shall I fear, Zaccheus
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Well Friends, it’s another chilly morning (-12 C) in my neck of the woods. It’s also Wednesday, which means we are halfway home to the restful and rejuvenating weekend, so please hang in there, stand strong and steadfast in faith, for there’s no turning back.
As Jesus stated so straightforwardly: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:22) So we’ve got to move forward, not allow the lesser things of life to become more important than God’s work.
And I am a perfect example of that right now, because this morning I’m somewhat under the weather, I seem to be getting a cold. I’m surprised that it’s taken this long to affect me, for the duchess has had it badly for the past week, and I’ve also been around a few other people who are fighting it.
And believe me, there’s nothing I would like better than to have remained in my nice warm bed and sleep it off. But the Bit, God’s work, has to take priority over my runny nose, my sneezing, my aching body and my general human frailty. (smile)
And to help us get going this Wednesday morning, here’s a poem from my favourite Devotional, the Hour of Power by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller). I just LOVE the way he writes, with such a positive, enthusiastic and encouraging spin. This one’s titled: ‘I AM EAGER.’
Please pray it with me. ‘Lord, you’ve put the whole world together and you’ve put me in the middle of it because you want to say something to me and through me today. May your beautiful peace fall gently, softly, sweetly, and beautifully upon my mind –now.
I am ready to listen and eager to move ahead, today, with “Possibility Thinking.” Amen. There will never be another now – I’ll make the most of today. There will never be another me – I’ll make the most of myself.’
Oh Friends, I do hope that has brought some eagerness for life and God’s direction into our souls today! And as the last part so rightly declares, ‘there will never be another now.’ So please let’s make the most of today, for that’s all we have.
And now we’ll turn to our Bit, which has been running for a few days, but that’s because it’s a rather important and substantial part of our Christian faith. ‘Salvation belongeth to the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’
Ah mih people, those words just ring out loudly with gospel truth! For salvation comes from no other but Almighty God, who also blesses His people with all their earthly needs when they truly and sincerely seek Him. What an awesome Deity He is my brethren!
And here are a few scripture passages to prove the point. Listen to Moses, from the earliest times, declare it in his song. ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2)
Moses couldn’t put it any simpler and clearer than that Friends! And besides, who would know about God and His ways better than him, since he had so much dealings and experience with the Most High.
Now hear another man of great faith and experience with God, Bruh David, tell it like it is in this popular verse from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1)
And the answer to that my people, is NOBODY! For remember that our God is omnipotent and the only true and living Deity in the entire universe! So there’s no need to be afraid of anybody or anything, once we’re safely ensconced under His protective wings.
Meanwhile, Jonah, after coming to his senses in the belly of the fish, wisely declares: ‘They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness).
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon dry land.’ (Jon,28-10)
Yes Friends, salvation is truly from the Lord! Once Jonah acknowledged that, the Lord saved him out of the fish’s belly. And that’s basically what salvation is; saving us.
And we’ll close with these fateful words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to Zaccheus, after He had lunched at his place, and Zaccheus repented and pledged to change his evil ways.
‘And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
Yes Friends, ONLY our great God can save, can grant salvation to the lost! And that’s exactly what our Saviour came to earth to do! Let’s sincerely hope that He has found and saved us all, so that we can spend eternity with Him, wherever He might be, for that’s truly the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…are you lost…are you wandering aimlessly through life…then turn to Jesus and be saved…for He is the Good Shepherd…the Saviour of the lost and aimlessly wandering…He is the giver of salvation…
18 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a name above all names, adoration, all knees will bow, all tongues confess, atonement for sins, burdens, come to faith, conviction, day of rest, death, devotion, easy yoke, eternal damnation, everlasting separation from God, family togetherness, fellow believers, fellowship, fight the good fight, focused, Garden of Gethsemane, Glory Halleujah, God's awesome wonder, godly week, gratitude, I am known of mine, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, I lay down my life for the sheep, Jesus, Jesus christ is Lord, Jesus Love Revolution, Jesus' invitation, Jews, King of Kings, live a life worthy of Jesus, Lord of Lords, loving kindness, mistake, our bounden duty, persevering, praise, propserous, repentance, shepherd, singular purpose, substitutionary death, Sunday, take up the gauntlet, tender loving care, thanksgiving, the depths of hell, the Lord's Day, the Sabbath Day, the scripture be fulfilled, the worse fate man can suffer, there shall be one fold and one shepherd, to die so that we might live, to the glory of the Father, warm the cockles of God's heart, what a wonderful world, win-win situation, worship
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Well here it is again Friends, the first and most important day of the new week; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath, or day of rest, fellowship and family togetherness! And it’s the most important day because it sets the tone and tenor for the remainder of the week. How you set up and use your Sundays, usually determines how your Monday to Saturday will go. That means we have to pay particular attention to what we do on Sunday, if we want to have a focused, persevering, prosperous and godly week.
So let’s begin by going out to church today nuh, joining in worship and praise, adoration, devotion, gratitude and thanksgiving! That will warm the cockles of God’s heart, as well as open up our souls and spirits to His awesome wonder and LOVING-kindness! It’s what we call, in today’s parlance, a win – win situation.
And talking of win- win situations, the best one ever is when Jesus gave His life for us, in atonement for our sins. Some might consider us the big winner in that relationship, but Jesus also won because for His obedience, He was exalted by the Father with a name above all others, as Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the One to whom all knees will eventually bow, and all tongues confess that He is Lord indeed, to the glory of the Father. (Phil.2:9-11)
That brings us to our Bit, the same as the last couple of days: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’
Oh what a most encouraging statement my people! We all know the LOVE and care that a shepherd shows for His flock, so if Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, claims to be our shepherd, how can we brook any argument about it eh? We’d be worse than foolish to deny Him that right, and ourselves, His tender LOVING care!
Unfortunately though, a lot of us unwisely do just that, and if we don’t wake up soon and realize our terrible mistake, we will eventually face death, eternal damnation and everlasting separation from our heavenly Father. And let me tell you my brethren, that is the worse fate a human being can ever suffer!
Now listen to Jesus as He continues His discourse on the topic, after our Bit. ‘As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (Matt.10:15-16)
Oh what a glorious day that was Friends, when Jesus united His two folds, the Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) which includes you and I! His sacrificial, substitutionary death on our behalf fulfilled that promise! And again I ask, why would I, being of sound mind and reason, turn away from Jesus wonderful invitation to come to Him and lay down my heavy burdens, and refuse to be brought under His easy yoke, to bear His light burden? (Matt.11:28 -30)
In light of all that we’ve said and know for a fact, that certainly doesn’t make sense to me. And I just adore these next verses where Jesus expounds on His authority, obedience and closeness to the Father. ‘Therefore doth my Father LOVE me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.’ (Matt.10:17-18)
Oh Glory Hallelujah! Yuh see my fellow believers, that close and beautiful relationship that Jesus has with the Father, is the same kind that we can have with Jesus, and by extension, with the Father too. Wow! So why ‘dis’ Jesus eh, and refuse His LOVING entreaties? That’s nothing but a fool’s wisdom!
Now hear this explanation from the scholars, re those last two verses: ’10:17-18. Jesus does more than predict His crucifixion and resurrection. He also shows that He has the power to lay down His life and take it up again, once more asserting His deity.’
So all those people who believe that Jesus was just a push over for the faithless Jews and cruel, arrogant Romans who crucified Him are totally wrong! In fact, that was the singular purpose for which He came to earth in human form: to die so that we might live!
As He said to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Roman soldiers came to arrest Him. ‘Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me (provide me with) more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scripture be fulfilled, that thus it must be?’ (Matt.26:53-54)
If he hadn’t fulfilled the Father’s plan, then we’d still be lost and gone astray, facing death and eternal separation from our Creator. And though it hurts, breaks my heart, to know the pain He bore on our behalf, I’m glad that He was true to His purpose. Now if only we, His followers could be true to ours… what a wonderful world this would be!
And do we ever need a whole lot of improvement in our troubled and diseased world my brethren! That’s the task that Jesus has set before us – live a life that causes the unbeliever to turn to Him in repentance and conviction, so that they can receive His free offer of salvation and eternal life.
So Friends, are we going to get real serious and sincere about that task this new year and do our best to further Jesus’ LOVE Revolution? I certainly hope so, because if we don’t, our beautiful world will just keep falling further and further into the depths of hell, until there’s no turning back. And what will that do to our children and their children eh? I leave that for each of us to ponder on, then hopefully do the right thing to correct the woeful situation in which our world is floundering right now.
Remember Friends, Jesus is depending on us to help alleviate the sad state of confusion and evil that’s currently reigning. Please, I implore us, to take up the gauntlet and fight the good fight to the death. That’s what a good and true soldier in Christ’s army is expected to do. Much LOVE!
…our bounden duty here on earth…is to live a life worthy of Jesus…so that others may see it…and come to faith in Him…
16 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a robber, a thief, cattle can be driven, consequences, detracts, dwell for evermore, earthly living, enters not by the door, evil, fellow believers, Friday, Friday chant, friends, furthering God's glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, good shepherd, he calls his sheep by name, he that enters by the door, I am known of mine, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, in Jesus' name, intensity, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the greatest, Jesus' church, leave all the consequences to Him, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, obedient, obey God, Our Saviour and our Guide, Pharisees, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, sheep must be led, sincere and fruitful followers, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the blind lead the blind, the right perspective, the role of the shpherd, the sheep hear his voice, the sheep know not the voice of strangers, the sheep know the shepherd's voice, the shepherd of the sheep, the weekend, ungodly predators, ungodly world, wander aimlessly, wisdom, with your generous help, work ethic
John 10:14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Yes Friends, that day for which we’ve all been so eagerly longing and waiting for has finally arrived. It’s Friday…
And the working people all over the world are joyfully shouting out: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday oui! No more labouring after today, for two whole big days! Imagine that nuh! Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah mih people, it’s certainly amusing, though possibly unhealthy too, the way we look forward to Friday, even before we begin work on Monday. Hn! I don’t know what it says about this new society, where the work ethic is definitely not as strong as it used to be. But we sure look forward to our Fridays and the start of the weekend!
I suppose there’s nothing wrong with looking forward to a couple days off, after working for five straight, but it’s just the intensity with which we do it, and which most likely detracts from our work efforts during the remainder of the week.
But be that as it may, let’s spend a minute or two, trying to get the right perspective on how we should use the weekend. As one big voice now, let’s chant our Friday Chant. ‘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.’
Good chanting Friends! And hopefully that will curtail some of our more extreme desires and plans, (smile) and have us remembering the God factor involved, more than we had originally thought or planned.
And oh my brethren, remembering the God factor in our lives is such an important thing… in fact it is the most important aspect of our earthly lives, for without it we’d simply be lost, gone astray, like the proverbial sheep without a shepherd.
That’s why I believe today is a very good day to remember that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour as well as our Good Shepherd. He saved us from death and eternal damnation by sacrificing His innocent and holy life, then He took on the job of guiding us through this confused, troubled, mish-mash earthly journey.
Listen to Him as he boldly proclaims that fact in our Bit. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’
Oh what a glorious day it was my people, when the Lord God Almighty gave us His only Son to be our Saviour and our Guide!
And all God’s children gratefully declared: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for giving us Jesus to be our be all and end all, our everything! There’s none other like Him! He is indeed the GREATEST! And we promise to be obedient to all His dictates, be sincere and fruitful followers of His church, so that we can dwell for evermore with Him in His kingdom.
Thank You again Father for Your wonderful Son and His bright, shining light that displaced all the hurting darkness in our lives! We LOVE You Father, we give You much thanks and praise for Your LOVING-kindness, as we glorify You and magnify Your Holy Name! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!’
Oh Friends, I have to chuckle here because most of the time I’m writing these prayers, I have to force myself to stop, as words of thanks and praise just seem to flow automatically from my pen. (smile)
Anyway, let’s listen to Jesus expound on the role of the shepherd, and how He sees Himself in that role. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold (pen), but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter (doorkeeper) openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable (illustration) spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.’ (John 10:1-6)
Yes my people, that’s Jesus’ view of the role of the shepherd in the lives of the sheep. Now here are some explanations from the scholars.
’10:1. Door is the one who stood in the opening of the (stone) fold. The thieves and robbers were the Pharisees.’ In olden times a sheep pen was made with one opening, where the shepherd or someone stood to guard sheep going out or intruders coming in.’
’10:3. Sheep know only their own shepherd’s voice. In the Near East several flocks belonging to different shepherds may be in one fold (a fenced area). But only a shepherd’s own sheep will follow him out of the fold. Cattle can be driven, but sheep must be led.’
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, what a most illustrative and very appropriate statement that is! ‘Cattle can be driven, but sheep must be led.’
That’s why we are considered sheep and not some other animal! We have to be led, otherwise like dumb sheep, we’d just wander aimlessly every which way, get lost, get in trouble and be captured by the evil and ungodly predators of this dangerous and disgusting world.
Please remember that my people. We cannot lead ourselves, that would be like Jesus said of the Pharisees. ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt.15:14)
And with those wise words of our Lord, our Saviour, our Guide and our God, we’ll end today. Enjoy the day Friends, because that’s why the Lord gave it to us. But on the other hand, please don’t abuse it, for there will be serious consequences to pay, if you do. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) is wont to say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s the power of earthly living…
12 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a refuge, aura of love, blessings, Bruh David, busyness, confidence, death, enthusiasm, faith, for we walk by faith not by sight, further God's glorious kingdom, heart attack, holy spirit, humble servants, I hope in thy word, invincible, Jesus Christ, lies, longevity, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, rejuvenation of spirit, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God, Selah, six feet under, songs of deliverance, sons of Korah, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, stress, stronghold, taunts, things of the world, thou art my hiding place and my shield, trust, we will not fear, wiles, wisdom, words of faith
Psalm 119:114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Well hello there mih breddren! The big, beautiful day called Monday is here! (smile) That means it’s time to be up and about Jesus’ business. If you rested over the weekend, as you were supposed to, then getting up and out should be no problem.
Oh I know it’s not as easy as it sounds with all the busyness that our world now contains, but that’s why it’s even more important for us to control that busyness and get sufficient rest and rejuvenation.
Ah mih people, though I tend to be a bit lighthearted about it, looking after ourselves is no joke, it’s a very serious matter. It’s a proven fact that being on the go continually with insufficient rest and relaxation and improper eating habits produces stress, and stress is one of the biggest killers nowadays.
And unfortunately it’s no respecter of people, so whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, if you don’t look after yourself properly, you are a very high risk candidate for stress related problems. Now those problems can range anywhere from a mild headache or tiredness to numerous other health problems, even to a heart attack and sudden death.
And the sad part of the matter is that a lot of problems diagnosed as one illness or another, generally originate from stress. It’s also been proven that this generation gets much less rest and is much busier than any that’s gone before it. So please let’s get serious about the matter and do something constructive about it nuh.
Very few of us really like to get up and go to work on Mondays, but we just have to, because that’s the nature of our society. Therefore Friends, let’s be wise and give ourselves the best chance possible chance of longevity, for success by the world’s standards are not really all that they are advertised to be.
And furthermore, when we’re hospitalized, or six feet under, those worldly things that we’ve literally killed ourselves to get, will be of no use to us. We cannot take them with us to the hospital or to the grave. Remember what our Lord and Saviour Jesus said; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes Friends, seek the things of God first, and He will bless you with the things of the world that you need. End of sermon! (smile)
Now, since many of us are suffering from the ill effects of the weekend, let’s raise our spirits by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much gusto as we can generate.
As one harmonious body now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah Friends that wasn’t bad, but not as good as it could be if we had rested properly. (smile) But the Lord won’t hold that against us, because He LOVES us however we are.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, a beautiful and encouraging verse from the longest chapter in the Good Book; Psalm 119. ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.’
Oh my people, so many others have uttered sentiments of that nature that they must be substantial truth to it. If the Lord is our God, our Creator and Provider, then it stands to reason that He is powerful and of a generous nature, so what better place to look for help and succour eh?
Not to mention that His Word encourages us to come to Him for all our needs. And who should know that better than Bruh David eh, with all the problems he faced, but was wonderfully provided for by the Lord?
Let’s listen to some of Bruh David’s words on the subject, beginning in Psalm 9 – Praise for God’s justice. ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.9:9-10)
Strong and true words my brethren! Now hear this gem of faith from Bruh David’s Maschil (contemplation) – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps.32:7
Note Friends, Bruh David is talking there from personal experience, not hearsay. And this now from the sons of Korah: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:1-3)
Powerful words of faith my people! And the good thing about it is that it’s all true, because our great God has proven it time and time again, and will continue to do so even through to eternity!
It is therefore in our best interest to come to serious and mature faith in the Lord God Almighty if we desire the kind of protection that the Old Testament people had, and Jesus died to give us even more. You can never have too much of a good thing! Now may the Lord bless and keep us safely as we go out today to do His work in faith, trust, truth and LOVE!
Much LOVE!…for we walk by faith…not by sight… (2 Cor.5:7)
11 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: belly and backbone, christ jesus, Counselor, family togetherness, fellowship, fizzle, friends, Glory Hallelijah, God sent His only begotten Son, God's LOVE, God's rest day, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, jump out the gates, LOVE, loving kindness, only begotten Son, praise and thanks, prince of peace, Sunday, the Lord's Day, the Lord's zeal, the mighty God, the throne of David, wake up and smell the coffee, walk in God's love, with a bang, Wonderful, worship
1 John 4:9. In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world , that we might live through him.
Oh Friends, it’s the Lord’s Day, Sunday! Give Him a shout of praise for bringing us safely to this first day of the week. Better yet, let’s join the hordes of believers who will be visiting His sanctuary today to worship Him and rejoice with other believers, offering much grateful praise and thanks for His LOVING-kindness!
Yes my people, today we celebrate God’s rest day, after He created the universe and all therein. It ought to be a special day for Christians, with rest, family togetherness and preparations for the first day of the workweek tomorrow. That way we can jump out of the starting gates with a bang, instead of a fizzle, like we often do! (smile)
Remember, the way we handle today, will determine how we’ll begin tomorrow. So please let’s wake up and smell the heady aroma of the coffee and realize and truly believe that our Sundays will dictate our Mondays.
And with those words of wisdom, let’s turn to our Bit, the same one as yesterday, one that is ever so heartwarming and encouraging. ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.’
Yes Friends, as we saw yesterday, God truly LOVES us without any conditions; even when we don’t believe in Him, He still LOVES us! And that’s something we ought to know and treasure greatly, because it’s the most valuable bit of information around.
Once we know and believe that God truly LOVES us, no matter what, our spirits soar, then we become empowered, invincible, and full of belly and backbone, bolstered by His unfailing care. (smile) But all of that is gospel truth Friends! We just automatically rise to a higher level of Christian maturity when we have that surety of God’s LOVE for us.
Now let’s look at some scriptures that uphold our contentions. And there’s no better place to begin than with God’s promise of a Saviour in Isaiah. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9-7)
And the Lord’s zeal fulfilled that promise through the coming of Jesus, as borne out by His earth shaking words. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16)
And all God’s children declared a loud and glorious ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the Lord for His most wonderful LOVE!’
And listen as Bruh Paul enlightens and encourages the Ephesian. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, even when we were dead in sins, hath he quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are – you have been – saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kingdom toward us through Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7)
Now Friends, how can any God doing such wonderful things for His underserving subjects not truly LOVE them eh!
And the scholars give us this note of explanation. ‘2:7. That…he might show (or, demonstrate): This denotes the ultimate purpose for all that God did for the Ephesians in verses 4-6. It is that throughout eternity He might make us understand more and more His goodness to us.’
But for some reason though, it just seems rather difficult for some of us to understand that exceptional goodness and caring. And we’ll close with more wise and encouraging words from Bruh Paul, this time to the Thessalonians.
‘Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath LOVED us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.’ (2 Thess.2:16-17)
Oh Friends, if after all that we’ve said between yesterday and today, you still can’t accept and believe that Almighty God LOVES you with a burning passion, I don’t know what else to say nuh!
You just have to keep on plodding on, reading your Bible, praying and fellowshipping with other believers so that your faith can be raised to a level high enough to accept God’s LOVE without any qualms or doubts. That’s the only way we will ever be able to enjoy His peace, comfort and caring down here on earth. Much LOVE!
…to walk in the LOVE of God…is like walking in a dream…where you keep pinching yourself to make sure it’s true… (smile)
06 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a second chance, act on, affliction, almighty god, be of good courage, be persistent, Beggars alley, begging Peter to pay Paul, believe, change of address, conceive, corruption, endure our afflictions with patience, faithfulness, fall asleep at the wheel, God is always faithful, God is good, God will never forsake us, He will perfect establish and strengthen us, Higher heights, I am cast out of thy sight, I sought the Lord, in due time, Jonah, life is good, look toward thy holy temple, loving kindness, mercy, my soul fainted within me, Nineveh, our task is to take hold of God's grace, out of the belly of hell, Poverty Lane, prepare to achieve, sacrifice, salvation is of the Lord, the Lord delivered me from all my fears, the Lord heard him, the Lord saved him out of all his troubles, the Lord's never late, the voice of thanksgiving, this poor man cried, Tuesday, unlimited potential, upscale community, vomited Jonah on to dry land, wait on the Lord, without grwoing weary, worthless idols
Psalm 34:4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Well Friends, it’s Tuesday! How was the first day back at work in this new year of 2015 eh? I do hope that it was not too strenuous and you did not fall asleep either literally or figuratively at the wheel, that you took it in full, complete and victorious stride. (smile)
For remember that our task here on earth is to take hold of the grace of our wonderful God to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary, knowing that in the due process of time, He will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us.
We must learn to wait on the Lord with His perfect timing and be of good courage, for He will always come through for us… and in time too, for He’s never late!
Now hear this quote from my Friend Anselm with one of his daily quotes, Inspiring You for a Better Tomorrow. This one talks about a change of address, and it might sound familiar, because I believe I have shared it before. But anyway, it is still a good message to hear and accede to, especially at the start of this new year.
Listen up: ‘This is my change of address notice for 2015. I have moved out from 1 Beggars Alley, located at 2 Poverty Lane at the corner of Bleak and Buster Circle. As of today, I have a brand new home. My new address is: Living Well on 3 Abundance Drive, located at the corner of Blessings Street and Prosperity Peak.
No longer will I allow myself to travel on Begging Peter to pay off Paul route, located at a dead end Intersection called: I Don’t Have, it connects with Borrowers Junction. I no longer hang out at Failure’s Place, near Excuses Avenue, next to Procrastination Point.
I’ve moved on to an Upscale Community called Higher Heights with unlimited potential and opportunities for me to succeed. Look at me, each day that I’m awake, I am thankful to be a product of my new environment. All my clothes are tailor made. I’m dressed in life’s finest.
Let me introduce you to all of them: Conceive, Believe, Act on, Have Faith, Be Persistent, and Always be Prepared to Achieve. Life is good because God is good! Care to change your address?’
Oh my people, that’s an interesting question, and I do hope that all of us would jump up and shout an emphatic ‘Yes!’ because so many of us do need to change our addresses, to move up to Higher Heights from Beggar’s Alley and Poverty Lane.
And so we come to our Bit: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears’
Oh Friends, that is exactly what will happen, if and when you sincerely seek the face and ear of Almighty God! He will NEVER let you down, or leave you in the lurch, for He’s promised that, (Heb. 13:5) and we all know that God is ALWAYS faithful to His promises.
Hear what Bruh David said in a couple of verses later. ‘This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.’ (Ps.34:6)
Glory be, my people! He just verified our Bit! And today we’ll look at a couple more scripture passages which lend verity, veracity, credence and truth to it. (smile)
We’ll begin with Jonah, who tried to run from God, having disobeyed God’s command to go and preach the truth to the sinful city of Nineveh. In God’s wise plan, Jonah ends up in the belly of a big fish.
Please note that the Lord didn’t merely destroy him for His disobedience, but gave him a chance to make matters right between them. And Jonah eventually comes to his senses and makes good use of that second chance.
The Good Book relates it thus: ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine (because of my) affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst (heart) of the seas; and the floods compassed me about (surrounded me): all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then said I, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth (deep) closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms (foundations, bases) of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about (closed behind) me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption (the pit),
O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in (went up) unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness).
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.’ (Jon.2:1-10)
Wow Friends! Imagine that nuh; having to undergo such affliction before we truly come to our senses and sincerely seek Jehovah God!
But sadly, that’s what happens to us in real life. When things are good, we don’t remember or have any use for God. It’s only when affliction and disaster strike, that we rush to our heart’s door and let Jesus in, where He’s been knocking the whole time. And then we expect Him to work miracles on our behalf right away.
That’s not right my brethren, but our God is such a magnanimous and merciful Deity, that whenever we do cry out to Him in sincerity, He hears and answers us. Now hear are some interesting notes on those verses from the scholars.
‘2:1-9. Jonah’s prayer is poetic in form and has three movements, each beginning with a rehearsal of the prophet’s impossible situation, and each culminating in an expression of his faith in spite of his impossible circumstances. The first movement is in verses 2-4. The second movement is in verses 5 and 6. The third movement is in verses 7-9.’
Ah my people, please allow Jonah’s story – first his disobedience and then his undying faithfulness and courage, to stir us up today, and keep us in strong communication with Almighty God, so that we don’t stray too far from the remaining flock of His verdant pasture. That is wisdom of the highest order!
I know that we promised two sets of scriptures, but time and space have run out on us. So, God willing, we’ll continue in this same vein tomorrow. Till then, please walk safely with Jehovah God as our most able guide and veritable embodiment of our strength. Much LOVE!
…walking closely with Jesus…is such a beautiful, beautiful thing…
05 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, blessings, Bruh David, confidence, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, he delivered me from all my fears, holy spirit, hope, I sought the Lord, invincible, Jesus Christ, La Belle Provence, lies, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, renewed vitality, rest, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, ungodly world, wisdom
Psalm 34:4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Ah Friends, the party’s finally over for this year! The Christmas celebrations are winding down and it’s time to go back to work now. And what a disastrous day it’s looking to be, for the weather is acting up right across the country. Who hasn’t already been inundated with snow or freezing rain will soon get some version of bad weather.
La Belle Provence (Quebec) has already been laid low by a wicked ice-storm; thousands of people are already without power. Hopefully this one is not as bad as the one they suffered back in 1998. That one was a real doozy! And I can tell you from hard experience that an ice storm is definitely not nice, since we had our own doozy in Southern Ontario last year.
Oh Friends, I’ll take the snow storm over the ice variety any day. At least you can clear the snow, but the ice just clings tenaciously to everything, then eventually its weight simply breaks everything…and it’s much colder too in the ice storm. Hopefully, whatever precipitation occurs in my area won’t be too bad – I can already hear the wind howling outside.
Ah Lord eh! But for sure it’s going to be real cold, the temperature is already plummeting, and with the rain we had yesterday, that’s just going to make for lots of icy roads this Monday morning. What a terrible way to begin this first week of work in the new year! But them’s the breaks, mih people! We just have to battle through it all, and with God’s help we will have a successful outcome.
So please be careful on the roads this morning. Give yourselves lots of time to get to work; don’t worry, don’t be afraid, just put it all in God’s safe and secure hands! And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much chutzpah as we can muster. (smile) I know that the work ethic is pretty low this morning after all the holiday celebrations, but it’s time to get back to reality, to the daily task and common grind.
So let’s sing as one loud, harmonious choir now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, there were a lot of hoarse, scratchy and out of tune voices in that rendition! (smile) But the Lord understands, and the important thing is not really the quality of the voice, but that the sentiments expressed truly come from our hearts. So with the adrenalin running and the Spirit of Jesus revving up within us, let’s go out and give the evil world a redeeming shot of Jesus, His saving grace and undying LOVE!
That brings us to our Bit, a very true and very encouraging scripture, the kind of stuff we need to face these tumultuous times. Listen to Bruh David’s testimony: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’
Ah Friends, we all know Bruh David’s story, his continual seeking of the God of his fathers, is the consistent thread that runs right through it. That ought to encourage us to do likewise, since Bruh David was marvellously rewarded for his faith in Almighty God, in spite of some rather sinful behaviour, for which he paid a hefty price.
The point though, is that whenever he came upon any problem that caused him to be fearful, he gladly called upon His God, who calmed his spirit and enabled him to meet the problem head on. Note, the Lord did not necessarily take away the problem, but helped him to stand strong and face it.
And since time and space are running out on us, we’ll just quote two bits of scripture to back up our contention. The first comes from Bruh David from Psalm 9 – Praise for God’s justice. ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.9:9-10)
And in 2 Chronicles15, the Good Book tells us: ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him: and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr.15:1-2)
Oh my people, what an inspiring and encouraging message! And the same thing holds true with us today too. If we sincerely seek the Lord God Jehovah, we will find Him, and he will hear our praise and supplications. But if we forsake Him and seek other false gods and idols, then crapaud smoke we pipe; we’ll be left all alone to paddle our own canoe. And you know that there’s not a whole lot we can do without God’s help.
So please, let’s be wise, right from the start of this year, and seek God sincerely and continually, so that we will be richly blessed through His mercy and LOVING-kindness. That’s the only wise and fearless way to go in this evil, deceitful world. Much LOVE!
…just a closer walk with thee…blessed Jesus let it be…always walking close to thee…blessed Jesus…please let it be…
26 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful soul, a Saviour which is christ the Lord, a son is given, almighty god, angry world, believers in Jesus Christ, benevolent ruler, Boxing Day, British christmas, caring, ceremony, Christmas, Christmas tree, Counselor, crazy, eternal life, evergreen for ever, faithful, For unto us a child is born, foundational, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, Glory be, God incarnate, God's divine guidance, goodwill, greetings, hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt, hanging on a tree, His name shall be called Wonderful, holy spirit, hope, Immanuel, incarnate birth of Jesus christ, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, justice, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, manger, Messiah, mighty god, misguided, peace, pomp, prince of peace, prophet isaiah, rejuvenation of spirit, rest, road-weary wayfarers, salutations, sincere hearts, steadfast faith, thanksgiving, the everlasting Father, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the reason for the season, the throne of David, the undeserving children of men, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, thoughts of God, to know Jesus is to love Him, trustworthy, twinkling Christmas tree, vagaries of the weather, white christmas, wonderful sentiments
Isaiah 9:6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Greetings and salutations this Boxing Day morn, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! The big day of Christmas is over, but definitely not the season; not by a long shot!
The Joy. Peace, LOVE, Thanksgiving and Goodwill to all men that were engendered yesterday, that characterized that momentous day, cannot be all used up in one 24 hours span of time, Absolutely not! So let’s keep that LOVING and joyous spirit of baby Jesus going for as long as possible Friends.
And I know that a lot of people in the North Country were disappointed because they did not receive their traditional white Christmas. Yes mih people, there wasn’t any snow, but it surely was a wet, windy and cloudy time. In fact, on Christmas Eve night we had a wicked windstorm that played havoc with everything.
So, I guess it was more like a British Christmas, than a truly Canadian one. (smile) But these days with the vagaries of the weather, we don’t know what to expect. A month before winter truly set in we had snow and pretty cold temps. But now, in the heart of winter, we’re having rain and temps above freezing.
Who knows what’s happening in our crazy, misguided, angry and resentful world these days eh? Only Almighty God!
Anyway, I sincerely hope that you and yours had a wonderful time yesterday, I didn’t do much; just wrote the Bit, went to church, then came home and had a quiet time with my family.
And I do hope that Jesus and His incarnate birth was a trending topic in all our conversations. For He IS the reason for the season, whether you say ‘Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, or Merry Christmas!’
And since it is still Christmas time, please pray this wonderful ‘Christmas Prayer’ with me. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, and as you’ll see, was definitely too beautiful for me not to share it with you.
Let’s pray: ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree.
I pray my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen for ever. Amen.’
Ah my brethren, what wonderful sentiments! They are sentiments that we can also acknowledge with sincere hearts, and thus make Jesus and the Father proud of us.
Oh Friends, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was such a simple but very important, momentous and auspicious occasion, that two thousand years later we’re still gloriously celebrating it with much ceremony, pomp and joy! Glory be!
And it’s so foundational to our beliefs that the prophet Isaiah prophesied it in our Bit, hundreds of years before it actually happened. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7)
And as we all know, ‘the zeal of the Lord of hosts,’ did put this miracle into motion with the birth of Jesus Christ! As the angels told the shepherds on that first Christmas night: ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11)
Oh my people, what a magnificent, magnanimous, faithful and trustworthy God we serve and worship! Please give Him much well deserved thanks and praise for His LOVING-kindness to us, the undeserving children of men!
And the wonderful thing about Isaiah’s prophecy, according to the scholars, is that ‘he predicts the future with certainty, as though it had already come to pass.’ Now that could only have come from God’s divine guidance, imbuing Isaiah’s spirit with a potent and positive power of discernment.
Now here are some important and interesting explanations from the scholars. ‘9:6-7. The Gift-Child in this passage is the same divine Child as Immanuel. Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet sees Him as though He were already born. Wonderful, Counselor (pele’ yo’ets) is actually one term in Hebrew.
A wonder is indicative of a miracle. Counselor is often used in parallel with king (cf. Mic.4:9). Thus miraculous counsel is given by this God-like King. The mighty God (El Gibor) is the strongest of these titles.
In Isaiah, El is always used of God and never refers to man. Gibor means “Hero.” Together they describe One who is indeed God Himself. Everlasting Father (abi’ad) literally means Father of Eternity. He alone is the source of eternal life.
Prince of Peace (Sar-Shalom) indicates that the mighty God will be a benevolent ruler bringing eternal peace on earth through the establishment of His kingdom. Thus the obscure figure of Immanuel is now brought to clear light: He is Himself God incarnate!’
Ah Friends, with all that fulfilled prophecy, how could we ever doubt that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords eh? No way!
Now let’s keep the faith, stand strong and steadfast this Boxing Day, which happens to fall on a Friday, as we go home chanting our Friday Chant. I didn’t forget it.
Altogether 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.’
Oh Friends, we’ve had more than two days off with riotous celebrations, which means we need even more time for rest than usual. So please get it so that we can go out well rested and rejuvenated on Monday to continue God’s great work here on earth. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Jesus…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…what more can I say…
P.S. The Bit’s long and late Friends, but it’s great! So that makes up for the length and lateness. (smile) Cut the ole fella some slack nuh. He needs to celebrate the birth of Jesus too yuh know, that means late to bed and late to rise. (smile) Much Much LOVE mih people!
22 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new vision, a standing O, adrenalin, almighty god, aura of love, awe, bestowed on, blot out our sins, Bruh Joseph, But as for you, but god intended it got good, care, christmas day, concern, confidence, death, doing good, eternal life, eternity in heaven, fallacy, fear not, forgiveness from sins, friends, gifts, glorification of God, glory hallelujah, God's justice, gospel truth, Hades, holy spirit, incarnate birth of Jesus christ, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joy, languish forever, leading and guiding, loved, loving kindness, Lucifer, magnificent and magnanimous God, mind games, miracle birth of Christ, Monday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, offered up Jesus as a sacrifice, persecution, plan, praise, reconciliation, rejoice, rejoice in the birth of christ, rejuvenation of spirit, relief, sacrifice, sacrificial lamb, save much people alive, slavery, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, thanskgiving, the cross at Calvary, the Godhead, the Holy Trinity, the shedding of blood, the Spirit of God, to know Jesus is to love Him, trust, uncoditional love, undeserving mankind, ungodly world, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom, wonderment, worship, you intended evil against me
Genesis 50:20. But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Oh mih people, mih people, is Monday! Yes Friends, it’s the Monday before Christmas Day! Only two more days and the world will erupt with joy and thanksgiving, praise and worship, with awe and wonderment at the miracle birth of Christ! Glory Hallelujah!
That means my brethren that today must also be a joyful day. All the days ought to be joyful, but this is one of those yearly occasions where the level of joy and glorification of Almighty God is raised to higher heights!
That’s because the incarnate birth of His Son is one of the greatest gifts that our magnificent and magnanimous God has ever bestowed on undeserving mankind!
We don’t deserve anything of the kind, but such is God’s care, concern and unconditional LOVE for us, that He inaugurated a mind-bending plan, to give us relief, forgiveness from our sins.
Unfortunately it was the only solution possible, taking into account God’s justice system, where sin must be paid for by death, by the shedding of blood. And the only unblemished, sinless soul beside Him was His Son Jesus Christ. But He readily gave Him up as a sacrificial Lamb, whose shed blood would blot out our sins for all time.
Ah mih people, that is what you call real and true LOVE! So please feel LOVED, LOVED by Jehovah God! Because if He didn’t bear that glorious emotion towards us in spades, He would never have offered up Jesus as a sacrifice for us.
So please stop thinking and saying that God doesn’t LOVE you, stop allowing the enemy to play mind games with you on that subject, for it is an enormous fallacy. God LOVES you more than anything else in all of His creation! I don’t know what else He could have done to prove that.
So this Christmas Monday morning let’s raise the roof of heaven with our powerful, harmonious and melodic rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. With everything we’ve got now Friends!
‘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!’
Yes Friends, that was a most fitting rendition for a Christmas week. Wow! The heavenly hosts were duly impressed and responded with a standing ‘O’ and a loud shout for an encore! (smile) By the way, that included Jesus and the Father too.
So we’ve begun this workweek on a good foot my people, please let’s keep it like that all day and all week. Let the adrenalin build up and the rising level of faith in the Holy Spirit make us amenable to His leading and guiding as we go about doing good today, just like Jesus did in His time.
That brings us to our Bit, another instance where God’s plans seemed very unjust, but through His higher level of knowledge and wisdom were actually meant for exceeding good. Listen to Bruh Joseph as he speaks to his evil brothers, who had sold him into slavery in Egypt.
‘And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought (intended) evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish (provide for) you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.’ (Gen 50:19-21)
Yes Friends, it was the very same intention God had, when, heart-broken, He put His plan for salvation and eternal life into place that first Christmas morning. His eventual goal was to also save much people alive
Only thing though, this was not a physical alive, like Bruh Joseph and his family, but a spiritual alive, to give all people a chance to come to Him in repentance for forgiveness, reconciliation and salvation.
This was to put a new vision in their hearts, whereby the Spirit of God would dwell in a believer’s body and guide and direct him or her into a fulfilling relationship with all members of our Godhead, the Holy Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.
So this Christmas my people, let us truly rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Please consider the very hurtful and hurting emotions that the Father went through to come to such a momentous, life and universe changing decision, to send His only Son amongst us, to undergo terrible and uncalled for persecution, then die that horrendous death on the cross at Calvary…but all for our good.
Let’s remember that and then sincerely believe that our God, our Creator, truly LOVES us, otherwise He would have allowed us to languish forever in Hades with Lucifer, as we deserved, instead of providing a way out for us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren! Please believe it, because it is gospel truth, and then act accordingly, with wisdom! Much LOVE!
…all I can say is…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
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