09 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a strong will, abundance, all the negatives of evil, as generously as the Lord shared them with us, be no priest to me, beautiful weather, blood toucheth blood, bloodshed follows bloodshed, break all restraints, Canadian Thanksgiving, ceased obeying the Lord, change their glory into shame, come to know and love him like we do, commit whoredom, committing adultery, confessing sins, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, duty bound, eat and not have enough, eat up the sin of my people, everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, fall in the day, favour, forgotten the law of the Lord, God's supernatural wisdom, good friends, good health, holy spirit, hot tub Christianity, I will also reject thee, in the night, Jesus Christ, killing, left off to take heed to the Lord, let no man strive, like people like priest, LOVE, lying, man's incessant greed, mercy, millions of humans are languishing, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, negative word, new wine take away the heart, no knowledge of God in the land, nor eprove another, penultimate day of our workweek, pesticides, priests are a large part of the problem, promotion, punish them for their ways, reject thy children, rejection of knowledge, repay them for their deeds, reward them for their doings, salvation, self-discipline, set their heart on iniquity, shall also be taken away, shall not increase, sinned against me, slef-control, stealing, stumble, success, swearing, take most of the blame for our sinful state, taken pleasure in the sin of the people, talent, the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee, the fishes of the sea, the fowls of heaven, the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, the people of god, the priests have gloried, the prophet also shall fall, therefore hsall hte land mourn, they break out, they that strive with the priest, thou hast rejected knowledge, truth, undeserved blessings, use them to help others, waste away, whoredom and wine, wisdom
Hosea 4:6a. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,
Another almost completed week friends, as it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day of the work week! And although most of the days are sunny and beautiful, they are surely passing by very quickly. We’re already up to the 9th of October, a month that just recently began. And since this weekend is also our Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, you know it’s going to be a vey lively one. Let’s hope the beautiful weather stays put for it.
Oh friends, I just opened the Good Library, and lo and behold, it opened at this interesting passage in the Book of the Prophet Hosea. And as I read it, it felt like I was reading the story of our own current world. The passage is titled, ‘No Knowledge of God in the Land.’ And isn’t that what it seems like in today’s world? It surely does. So please read with me as Hosea talks to his people Israel.
‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with (a charge against) the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out (break all restraints), and blood toucheth blood (bloodshed follows bloodshed).’ (Hos. 4:1-2)
Now doesn’t that sound just like what’s currently happening in our world, where all the negatives of evil are running rampant, and the Word of the Lord, His truth, grace and mercy are barely noticeable? Of course! And don’t talk about bloodshed following bloodshed…that’s happening all over the world, for strife has become our number one occupation.
And Hosea continues with the Lord’s warning. ‘Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish (waste away), with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.’ (Hos. 4:3) And sadly, in this time when there’s plenty, more than enough to go around, all those things are still happening; the land is not as rich and fruitful as it once was, what with all the pesticides and other poisons we’ve spread over it.
So crops are not as plentiful or as nourishing, while countless millions of human beings are languishing, wasting away all around the globe, and even the wild animals, the birds and fishes are dwindling in number, all due to man’s incessant greed for more. And in his drive to do so, he’s sadly destroying Mother Nature, slowly turning the earth into a veritable wasteland. Now, a lot of that is simply because we do not reverence God nor respect the earth any longer.
And the warning of the Lord continues: ‘Yet let no man strive (contend), nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive (contend) with the priest. Therefore shalt thou fall (stumble) in the day, and the prophet also shall fall (stumble) with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing that thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also reject thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.’ (Hos. 4:4-7)
And it’s all happening right before our very eyes. We suffer from not so much a lack of knowledge, because this is the most knowledgeable generation ever, but because of our rejection of the most important knowledge, that of the law of God. And a lot of the blame for that has been placed on the shoulders of the priests, who don’t uphold God’s law. And believe me, the children of priests are liable to me more evil and disgusting because they have been forced into the religious mode, and so, much more is expected from them than from the children of ordinary men.
Thus verse 8 continues: ‘They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart (desires) on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward (repay) them for their doings (deeds). For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom (harlotry), and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to (ceased obeying) the Lord. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.’ (Hos, 4:8-11)
Ah friends, all that happened in olden Israel is still happening today, just in greater numbers and more intensity, for we have developed so many more ways of wrong doing, that it would make those old time people shake their heads in total wonder. The long and short of the story though is that the priests are a large part of the problem, for they have not helped the people to face their sin and deal with it. It’s what one Pastor calls ‘hot tub Christianity.’ Where, instead of confessing sins, we tone them down so that they no longer bother us. Or as the scholars suggest, ‘the priests have gloried and taken pleasure in the sin of the people. However, the priest of God is corrupted and made like the sinning people’
In all honesty though, in these modern times we cannot blame the priests for all of our turning away from God, since there’s much bigger and more powerful machinery running the affairs of men than back in olden Israel. We the people, the supposed people of God, have to take most of the blame for our sinful state, for if we know the Word of God, then we won’t stray from it, regardless of what false preachers and teachers tell us. And it’s rather unfortunate that we’re turning away from God, when He’s so generously blessed us with undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh.
As one 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 activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…a righteous God…will deliver justice…where there is unrighteousness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 May 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an empire on which the sun never sets, As God for christ's sake forgave you, be in the world but not of the world, be kind one to another, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, Bible, christianity, communication, corrupt communication, deceitful lusts, deepen my breath, Ephesians, faith, forgiving one another, good to the use of edifying, greed, grieve not the holy Spirit of God, holy spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy, jealousy, Jesus Christ, know you all the more, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him that stole steal no more, LOVE, lying, peace, practical advice for living the Christian life, put off the old man, put on the new man, quiet my soul, resentment, sealed unto the day of redemption, selfishness, slow my thoughts, smell the sweet perfume, spiritual improvement, stray from God's will, tenderhearted, the roses in Christ's garden, truth telling, Victoria Day holiday, wake up and see the light, wisdom, wrath, your peace and love are present, your unceasing nearness
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Well, it’s a somewhat cloudy but warm lazy-day Saturday, on this first long weekend of the summer. And it’s a holiday in honour of the powerful Queen Victoria, who in her long reign (1837-1901) saw Britain through its ‘great age of industrial expansion, economic progress and, especially, empire building. At her death, it was said, Britain had a worldwide empire on which the sun never set.’ And although comparatively few people know of her, or why there’s a holiday named in her honour, I can guarantee that many of us will be aggressively celebrating her holiday this weekend. (smile)
But before we get to the celebrations, let’s show a li’l wisdom, a modicum of circumspection if you will,, and offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to help quiet and refresh our tired souls. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And as always, if our prayer was sincere, we know that we will receive our requests, because our wonderful God never turns down those kinds of requests. Yes friends, whenever we ask God for more of Himself, for greater intimacy with Him, He’s only too glad to give it to us, because it’s what He created us for; constant communication and intimacy. And it saddens His heart, grieves the Holy Spirit when we turn away from that communication and intimacy. Remember Bruh Paul’s words on the subject to the Ephesians? ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ ((Eph. 4:30)
Now we do that quite easily when we allow the devil to get into our hearts and minds and cause us to do things we know are wrong. That’s why Bruh Paul, in speaking about putting on the new man, was giving the Ephesians practical steps to avoid that kind of behaviour. And I like how this commentary explains it in simple, practical everyday terms. ‘When we, deliberately or inadvertently, behave in a way that is inimical to our spiritual improvement it grieves the Holy Spirit; in the same way that a LOVING parent is grieved when his or her child behaves in a self-destructive manner.’
Yes, it’s the same way our heavenly Father is saddened when we stray from His will and word. And I guess while we’re here, we might as well check out those practical applications that Bruh Paul talks about in the putting on of that new man. Just to remind us of some inappropriate behaviour on this long weekend. (smile) So He writes: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members of one another.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:22-32)
Now there’s very good practical advice for living the Christian life, and thus not grieving the Holy Spirit. But it’s not always easy to do, especially when faced with all the temptations and trials of this evil and ungodly world. That’s why we need to remind ourselves of them every so often. And if you find it all a bit much to comprehend, (smile) then the scholars have broken it down very nicely for us. They say: ‘This section gives practical guidelines as to how “the old man” (vs. 22) can be laid aside and how the “new man” (vs. 24) can be assumed in daily living.
The passage specifies five sins to be discarded, the virtues that are to replace them, and the motive for such exchange: (1) Lying is to be replaced by truth-telling, since Christians are fellow members (vs.25). (2)Sinful anger is to be replaced by (briefly held) righteous indignation, that the Devil may not be given an opportunity (vs. 26-27). (3) Theft is to be replaced by honest work, in order that one may have the means to meet the needs of others (vs.28). (4) Foul language is to be replaced by gracious speech, that it may edify others and not grieve the Spirit (vs. 29-30). (5) Resentment and wrath are to give way to kindness and forgiveness, since God has forgiven us (vs. 31-32).
So there we have it friends, both in the very words of Bruh Paul, and in the simplified explanations of the scholars. (smile) That means we have no excuses for not putting those practical suggestions into action in our own lives. And why won’t we do it eh? We all know that it most definitely makes for a better life, but because the greed and envy, the jealousy and selfishness innate in our spirits, with the encouragement of the world system, too many of us still insist on living like the “old man”, refusing to put on the new one that characterizes Christ and His true followers.
Ah friends, we’re only hurting ourselves and those we LOVE, for our beliefs and actions don’t only reverberate or boomerang back on us, but also on those around us. So please, let’s wake up and see the light nuh, smell the sweet perfume of the roses that exists in the beautiful garden of Christ! Much LOVE!
…as Christians…we should be IN the world…but not OF the world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great God, alternative facts, atonement, blasphemed, Christ crucified, Christians, communication, con men, covetousness, deceived by their own teaching, deceptive words, denying the Lord, destruction, destructive ways, evil spoken of, exploit you, false doctrine, false prophets, false teachers, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gospel truth, guilty of blasphemy, halfway home, heresies, hot flashes, judgement, lying, medical appointment, morning noon and night, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not turning back, pernicious, Praise the Lord, quality of life, study the word, talk a good talk, the breath of life, the Good Book, the way of truth, the Word of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, Toronto, traffic problems, unorthodox teachings, Wednesday Wail, without rhyme or reason
2 Peter 2:2. And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed).
Ah mih people, once more I have to go into the great city of Toronto for a medical appointment. That’s why you’re getting this so early. (smile) Ah Lord eh!
The basic problem though with these Toronto appointments is that when they are too early, you experience traffic problems going in, and have to leave home earlier than really necessary. And when they are too late, you experience traffic problems coming out.
But it’s all for my benefit, so I can’t really complain, especially about this particular one, which hopefully will deal with the hot flashes I’ve been having for a couple of years now. Glory to God!
Oh mih breddren, the ole fella will be ever so grateful if those come from where I don’t know, without rhyme or reason, morning noon and night hot flashes can be put to rest!
And please don’t tell me nonsense about women have hot flashes all the time, as one female doctor told me. That might be true, but the reasons behind theirs and mine most likely differ. As far as I was concerned, she took my problem too casually and wasn’t about to do anything about it, so I just stopped going to her.
And strangely enough, it’s another female endocrinologist that I’m seeing now, but she seems to have much more respect for my quality of life and is seriously trying to improve it. Praise the Lord! But enough about me, let’s turn to the word.
And before we get to our Bit, it will be rather informative to study the verse before it, as Peter pontificates on false prophets and teachers.
‘But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable (destructive) heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.’ (2 Pet.2:1)
And yuh know what friends? That untenable and unfortunate situation still exists today! There are lots of false prophets and teachers amongst us, teaching all sorts of false doctrine, setting themselves up for destruction.
Then comes our Bit. ‘And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed).’
Now sadly too, those words are still true. Too many of us are being taken in by these false teachers and are thus being guilty of blasphemy. It’s not a joke friends, but a real serious matter, for our eternal lives depend on whom we follow, what we learn and what we believe.
So the next verse is also very important. ‘And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of (exploit) you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not (has not been idle) and their damnation (destruction) slumbereth not.’ (2 Pet.2:3)
Oh my people, we are indeed seeing all of that stuff happening today, possibly even more than in Peter’s time, because our world is so much larger and communication is so much easier and more widespread.
But listen to the scholars take on those verses. ‘2:1-3. The opposite of true revelation is the message of false prophets and false teachers who deceive God’s flock and bring in damnable heresies. These heresies (unorthodox teachings) include an open denial of Christ Himself.
Denying the Lord that bought them indicates that Christ’s atonement potentially extends to all men, including these false teachers who reject Him. Therefore, they will experience destruction because they themselves will be deceived by their own teaching and continue to reject the way of truth.’
What a bam-bam friends! Being destroyed by your own teaching! But it’s happening all around us; people are teaching all sorts of stuff and they don’t seem to match, so something must be wrong somewhere.
I’m therefore pleading with us my brethren, to please be very, very careful whom you listen to and follow, for there are a lot of smart con men around, who talk a very good talk. But basically, if they don’t teach Christ crucified (1 Cor.1:23) and their words don’t line up with those of the Good Book, then don’t listen to or follow them.
And that is also why it’s so imperative that we read and study the word for ourselves. If we know the word, then no false preacher or teacher can easily fool us. But so many supposed Christians don’t truly know the word of God, that the smooth talking false teachers and prophets are easily fooling them. Ah Lord eh!
When the most powerful man in the world is constantly lying and calling them ‘alternative facts,’ what else can you expect from the lower echelons eh? But as strong and true believers, who know the word, we will not fall for those lies of the evil led blasphemers. And instead, we’ll go home now confidently proclaiming our Wednesday Wail.
In full voice and strong sense of purpose now, let’s wail! ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends, our God is a great God, and we are truly looking forward to a great future with Him. Praise His Holy Name! Much LOVE!
…our best days are still out ahead of us…with Jesus in heaven…and that’s the gospel truth…
03 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a double -minded man, a false ring, a woman's question, all up in arms, Anselm, ask of God, aspires to inspire us, blessed, conscience, controlling factor, depart from evil, devious, don't lie, doubting, earthly wealth, Eureka moment, evil deed, fear, fearing God, fools despise wisdom and instruction, generous present, get in hot water, glorifying God, glory hallelujah, godly purposes, gospel truth, incriminating questions, lack wisdom, liberally, lies, lying, one more day, ores, our heavenly Father, precious metals, reverential awe, riotous living, suspicions, the beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord, the gift of God, the Good Book, the Holy Spirit, the place of understanding, the sufferer, trust, truth, understanding, unstable, untruth, wavering, wiles, wisdom, without reproach
Proverbs 1:7. The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
One more day friends, one more day! Glory Hallelujah! Yes, we’ve been granted, blessed with life to enjoy another day on God’s great earth! It’s a generous present from our heavenly Father, so we ought to be grateful and use it wisely, following whatever plan He has designed for our lives.
It’s not to be used in riotous living or perpetrating dark, evil deeds, but for good and godly purposes, whereby our Father can be glorified. Remember, glorifying God is one of our most important jobs down here one earth. In fact, everything we do or say should in some way add to His glorification.
And having gotten that straight, since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this week, Anselm seems to have been rather preoccupied with lies and lying, for all the quotes dealt with some aspect of untruth.
Here is the first one: ‘A person who says they will never lie to you is probably lying already.’ And does that ever ring true! For if anyone has to convince us that they are telling the truth, then it adds a sort of false ring to their words and quickly raises our suspicions.
The second quote says: ‘Never lie to someone who trusts you. Never trust someone who lies to you.’ Now that is excellent advice, for trust is very hard to come by, but can very easily be lost!
But here is my favourite quote of Anselm’s for this week. ‘Never lie to a woman’s question. Sometimes she already knows the answer. That’s why she is asking.’
Ah mih male breddren, that is something for us to truly sit and ponder, since women can be so devious when they are ready. And you women reading this, please don’t get all up in arms, because that is the gospel truth! (smile) They’ll often ask an incriminating question, to which they already know the answer, just to see our response, to see if they can catch us lying.
Ah Lord eh! The wiles that we use against each other! Seriously though my people, lies cause so many problems that we must all try to avoid them as much as possible, rather DON’T LIE AT ALL! That’s what our Saviour and our faith teaches us.
Once upon a time I used to lie, and I think I was pretty good at it, (smile) but eventually I realized that lying caused more problems than it solved, because for every lie you told, you had to make up another one to cover the one before it, and the lies just keep multiplying until you forget whom you’ve told what, and in the long run you get caught out anyway.
So it’s always better to tell the truth, even though it may get you in hot water. And I can certainly remember getting in plenty hot water for telling the truth, (smile) but then your conscience is clear and you don’t have to worry about what you’ve said to whom. Now I never set out to preach a sermon on lying, but we never know where the Holy Spirit will lead us.
And likewise, it lead me unawares to today’s Bit. As I was flipping through the Good Book, looking for something I could get my head around, I suddenly came upon it, and realized right away that that was my Eureka moment. So what does it say? ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ Ah friends, Cousin Sol never spoke truer words!
But before we get into any scriptures that corroborate it, let’s hear from the scholars. ‘1:7. The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’
Yes friends, before one can acquire wisdom, one has to have a reverential awe of the Lord because it is through Him that wisdom is dispensed. What did James say on the subject? ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach), and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Yuh see mih people; wisdom comes from God, but we must have the right awe and respect for Him, and when we ask for it, there must be no doubting in our spirit, else He won’t grant it to us. And we’ll end with some precious words from Job, in chapter 28, re wisdom being the gift of God.
The scholars tell us: ’28:1-28. This chapter is one of the most beautiful poems on wisdom found in the Scriptures. After describing how laboriously man works to extract the ores and precious metals from the earth (vv. 1-11), Job raises the ultimate question of the sufferer. ‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?’ (v.12).
It cannot be purchased with earthly wealth (vv.13-19) but is conveyed only through the controlling factor of the fear of the Lord. ‘And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (v.28). The concept of the fear of the Lord unites all the wisdom books (cf. Prov.1:7; Eccl.12:13).’
Yes friends, without a healthy respect for the Lord God Jehovah, wisdom will never be ours. So if we’re smart, (smile) we’ll begin developing that healthy respect and awe right now! Much LOVE!
…the first aspect of wisdom…is fearing God…
06 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of godliness, adultery, all we ever need is love, atrocities, belly and backbone, Bible, blood, Burt Bacharach, captains of industry, ceased obeying the Lord, corrupt priests, covetousness, culprits, darkness, devil-worshipping, Dionne Warwick, dissipation, economic czars, evil hatred, folish pride, forgotten the law of thy God, God does not change, God-fearing leaders, godliness reigns supreme, Hosea, I will also reject thee, iconoclastic, ignorance is no defence, irreverence, it's the only thing there's just too little of, Jesus Love Revolution, killing, knowledge of God, lack of knwoledge, LOVE, love is all we need, love sweet love, lusts of the flesh, lying, make a difference, manly parts, mercy, my people are destroyed, politicians, praise and worship, rejection of information, rules the roost, rumours of wars, sacrifices of praise, shortage of information, sinful souls, stand up strong, stealing, strife, swearing, the Information Age, the Lord's wrath, the mire of hell, thou hast rejected knowledge, truth, ungodliness, wantonness, wars, what the world needs now, wisdom
Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’
‘What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No, not just for some but for everyone.’
Oh Friends, the haunting words of that old Burt Bacharach song made popular by Dionne Warwick, are possibly more relevant today than when they were first written and sung some forty odd years ago! I don’t know if our world has ever been shrouded in such ghastly darkness, evil, hatred and strife, dissipation, licentiousness and sinful lusts of the flesh as it is now.
But I do know that it is terribly lacking in that wonderful emotion called LOVE! And unless we raise the level of LOVE in it, very soon too, our once beautiful world will continue to crumble and finally disintegrate into the mire of hell and its surroundings. What a sad and ghastly day that would be!
But my people our world is spinning out of control so fast that it might happen much sooner than we expect. And the only antidote for the wars and rumours of wars and all the other negativity and frightful atrocities taking place in our world is LOVE; the LOVE of Jesus Christ as promoted in His LOVE Revolution!
That’s the ONLY Revolution we need in our world right now! So won’t you please join with me to promulgate it? We urgently need to turn things around to where godliness reigns supreme instead of the evil that now rules the roost. You know that our current society is just like the one Hosea describes in Chapter 4, re the Lord’s controversy with Israel.
‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with (a charge against) the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out (break all restraints), and blood toucheth blood (bloodshed follows bloodshed).’ (Hos.4:1-2)
Now doesn’t that sound just like what’s happening in our current world where evil and ungodliness are running rampant? It surely does! And you know what will happen if we continue down this foolish and unwise path? We will feel the Lord’s wrath; He will destroy and/or punish us just like He did Israel back then. And all because of foolish pride and the wantonness of our sinful souls!
Listen as our Bit declares the Lord’s contention. ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’
Oh friends, please remember that our God and His law do not change, so if it applied to Israel, then it will also apply to us. Now here is an interesting explanation from the scholars. ‘4:6. The cause of man’s problem is lack of knowledge. It does not stem from a shortage of information, but rather from rejection of information.’
Yes my people, our irreverence and ungodliness don’t stem from a shortage of information because we are living in the Information Age; where information is so readily available and widespread as never before in man’s earthly sojourn. So we can’t say that we don’t have the relevant and necessary info about God and His law; it’s simply that we refuse to accept it.
More Bibles and books based on it are in circulation than ever before, so there’s no excuse to say we didn’t know about it. And even then, as they say; ‘ignorance is no defense.’ So what are we going to do about this very serious problem eh my people?
The Lord also blamed His priests for being corrupt. ‘And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward (repay) them their doings (deeds). For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom (harlotry), and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord (ceased obeying the Lord).’ (Hos.4:9-10)
Yes Friends, we do have many false and corrupt priests today, but I don’t think they hold as much sway as the priests back in the days of Hosea. Our biggest culprits today are our leaders, our politicians, our captains of industry and our economic czars. Most of them no longer hold the Lord God Almighty in any kind of reverence. Instead they are trying their level best to have Him removed completely from our society.
But we simply cannot allow that to happen my fellow believers. We need to stand up strong to the greedy, irreverent, corrupt, iconoclastic and devil- worshipping people who are currently leading us.
The first step is to drum them out office and replace them with God-fearing leaders. That means encouraging those people to run for office and then electing them, else things will only get worse. And these people will also need to have a lot of manly parts, because the wicked leaders we have now will not go quietly into the sunset.
As believers, we too also need to have a lot of belly and backbone to stand up to all the nonsense that’s going on, and stop allowing them to take God out of our schools and public places. The Ten Commandments should once again be our hallmark for living, because nothing is wrong with them. Every successful society needs to not have its inhabitants, lie, steal commit murder and adultery and covetousness and the many lustful things that pass for being right today.
Anyway, today is Sunday, our day set aside for praise and worship and thanksgiving, so please let’s get ourselves to church and offer our sacrifices of praise, as well as ask for strength and wisdom to stand strong in the face of the enemy and be able to make a positive difference in our world, and thus return it to a state of godliness. For that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is all we need…all we ever need is LOVE…
31 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new life, a house divided cannot stand, a natural way of life, abominable transgressions, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, all is well, atonement, be led by the Spirit, best rememdy for whatever ails us, blaspheme against god, blasphemy, brand new creation in Christ, chilly Tuesday morning, chronic illness, come to the throne of grace, confession of our sins, convict of sin, covered all sin, cut him some slack, despising, doddering, due diligence, Ed Howes, Edgar Watson Howe, empathizes, encouraging, enlightening, filled with the Spirit, forgiven, forgiveness, fulfill God's plan for my life, glory to God, God does not lie, God faithfully keeps all of His promises, God is in control, God is something else, God's promised never to leave nor forsake us, gospel truth, grace, grieving, guilty, have a heart, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad, he that is not with me is against me, Holy Ghost, holy spirit, Holy Week, homework, if we confess our sins, illuminated, iniquity, inwardly digesting, Jesus Christ, laugh at trouble, laughter, lead in, living, loving, lying, mercy, miracles, mired in the quicksand that's life, new values, new ways of thinking, pondering, Praise the Lord, preamble, putting christ first, quenching, reading, rejection of Christ, repent, resisting, restore fellowship with God, sacrificing His Son Jesus, salvation, Selah, serious study, serving God, show a li'l love, sin, sins against the Holy Spirit, slow, striving, tempting, the heart of man, the Holy Spirit, the Lord will keep me going, the Lord's Word, the offer of salvation, the Son of man, the ultimate sin, the wisdom of heaven, times of trouble, to act presumptuously, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, transgressions, unpardonable sin, vexing, winter years
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ah Friends, the ole fella is somewhat slow and doddering this chilly Tuesday morning in Holy Week. So please cut him some slack, have a heart, show him a li’l LOVE nuh. (smile) But the caffeine is hot and strong and sweet, and our great God is still in control, which means that all is well. Praise the Lord!
And when I say that our God is something else it’s true, for He just provided me with a lead in to what I want to preamble about today; laughter; laughter in times of trouble. I was just outside putting out the garbage and chuckling at my slow doddering steps. Hn, Hn!
Ah mih people, it’s not easy, but please remember that our GOD IS GOOD; He will provide for us in each and every circumstance. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, and He faithfully keeps all of His promises.
Now listen to this quote attributed to Ed Howe, and though I found several Ed Howes in my research, I do believe the one we’re looking for is Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937), an American novelist, magazine and newspaper editor. Howe is quoted as saying ‘That if you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.’
Ah mih breddren, that is so true that it’s not funny. If we don’t learn to laugh at some of our problems, especially when we encounter a chronic illness, we will be continually miserable and have nothing to laugh at in our winter years.
Thankfully, I learned that truth at a fairly early age, possibly because of the early onset of some back and knee problems, and over the years have developed that attitude. So when the aches and pains set in, though they can be very trying, I still manage to chuckle at them, while asking the Lord what’s next?
I don’t usually get an answer, but I know that He empathizes with my condition, and He is definitely the One who has kept me going all these years, and will keep me going for as long as it takes to fulfill His plan for my life. Glory to God!
So my brethren, I’d advise us to develop that attribute of laughter, for it’s often the best remedy for whatever ails us, and it’s certainly free and readily available at all times.
Now here’s another remedy that’s also readily available, this time for our biggest problems, our sins. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Wow! What a promise my people! And it’s the gospel truth, since our God does not lie, and has put the necessary systems in motion by sacrificing His Son Jesus as atonement for our abominable transgressions.
What more can we ask eh? Nothing really my fellow believers! Everything’s set in place, we just have to come to the throne of grace and ask for mercy and forgiveness and it will be granted. But foolishly, too many of us refuse to do that, that’s why we’re still tied up, mired in the quicksand that’s life.
Oh Friends, the only way out of that mire is by accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of your life, both physically and spiritually. With that acceptance comes a brand new life, you’re become a new creation in Christ; (2 Cor.5:17; Gal.6:15) with new values, new ways of thinking, accomplished by putting Christ first and foremost in all your doings.
Anyway, I want to close off these messages on the confession of our sins with a dramatic rendering of Jesus on the subject. This occurs when He talks about a house divided cannot stand.
‘He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (age), neither in the world to come.’ (Matt.12:30-32)
Oh Friends, strong words indeed from our Saviour!
And we’ll let the scholars explain that for us. ‘12:31-38. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is deliberate rejection of Christ, His Spirit wrought miracles and His salvation. It is the ultimate sin that by its very nature puts a man beyond the opportunity of salvation.
The Holy Spirit brings the offer of salvation to the heart of man. To reject Him is to act “presumptuously” and thus to “blaspheme” God. Those who reject His offer of salvation are in reality blaspheming the very nature of God Himself and the genuineness of His grace.’
Heavy stuff Friends!
And the scholars continue further with some basic Sins against the Holy Spirit. ’12:31-32. All sin is serious, and to some degree challenges and attacks the character and authority of God. But six sins are specifically identified as sins against the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is a person, He may be sinned against. Since He is also God, it is an extremely serious matter to be guilty of sinning against Him.
These six sins are blaspheming (vv.31-32; Luke 12:10), lying or tempting (Acts 5:4,9), despising (Heb.10:29), resisting or striving with (Gen.6:3; Acts 7:51), vexing or grieving (Is,63:10; Eph.4:30), and quenching (1 Thess.5:19) the Holy Spirit.
Illustration: Because of the severity with which Jesus describes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, some people unnecessarily fear that they may have committed the unpardonable sin. One of the characteristics of such sin is that the Holy Spirit ceases to convict of sin in one’s life – so the fact that someone may be concerned about a particular sin indicates he is not beyond grace. He should immediately repent of that sin to restore fellowship with God.
Application: The keys to not sinning against the Holy Spirit are to: (1) be led by the Spirit, (2) be filled with the Spirit, and (3) be illuminated by the Spirit. (First Reference, Gen.6:3; Primary Reference, John 16:13).’
Oh Friends, that is wonderful information, please accept it and follow it up by reading those Bible references, I just did, and they’re very enlightening and encouraging. That’s your homework for today. (smile)
Seriously though my people, if you want to truly understand the Lord’s Word you have to spend time in it; reading, pondering, questioning, and inwardly digesting it, so that it can become a natural way of life for you. A lot of us just pay minimal attention to the Word, but expect to be illuminated and enlightened, but that only comes with serious study.
So let’s decide to do that due diligence nuh my people, so that the Word can guide us through the Holy Spirit to the land of the truly living and LOVING and serving God. That is the wisdom of heaven for all ages! Much LOVE!
…Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people…thou hast covered all their sin…Selah… (Ps.85:2)
24 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A journey of love, almighty god, anger, Another Country, be not conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, bitterness, care, Christians, compassion, darkness, disappointment, Ephesians, evil speaking, faith, faithfulness, five foolish virgins, fleshly lusts, friends, give place to the devil, God's little Acre, good and acceptable to God, gospel truth, Hades, heaven, holy spirit, introspection, James Baldwin, Jesus Christ, Lent, Lenten season, live for Jesus, LOVE, LOVE for God, Lucifer, lying, malice, memorable words of Jesus, nature, practical guidelines, prayer, promises, retrospection, rough and trying times, spirit of your mind, St. Therese, steadfast faith, surrender, the fire next time, the North Country, the prince of darkness, The Saint of the Little Flower, trust, truth, ungodly world, watch, wherein the Son of man cometh, wisdom, wrongdoing
Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ah Friends, it’s Tuesday, and we’re in the last days of our stay in Paradise! And as I gaze out at the wonders of nature, hear the birds and insects sing their songs of praise to their Creator, with the seas at high tide bashing against the rocky shore, I sadly realize that in another couple days I won’t be waking up to this beautiful panorama of God’s making, but to a scene of snow and ice, of cold and darkness.
Ah Lord eh! And the ole heart stutters and flutters as it comes to grip with the great seismic change. (smile) But you know the ole fella will take it in his stride, because that’s where the Lord has me based for the present time. This was only a vacation, a blessed change and reprieve from the uncomfortable aspects of winter in the North Country.
And if I claim to have faith and trust in our omnipotent God, and have surrendered my will to Him, then I have no choice but to grin and bear whatever He allows to come against me, trusting in His faithful promises that He won’t give me more than I can bear, neither will He leave nor forsake me, while working everything out eventually for my good.
Oh my people, what a good and mighty God we serve and worship! And I’ve been walking with Him long enough now to be fully aware and fully cognizant of His everlasting faithfulness. He’s brought me through enough rough situations before, so why should He stop now eh, especially when I’m more faithful to Him now than I’ve ever been?
So although there’s sadness and disappointment in my upcoming departure from God’s Little Acre, I am also bolstered by the fact that my God is able to do whatever He promises, and will provide for me in whatever situation I may be in.
Consequently, I’d like to share this prayer from a devotional titled ‘A Journey of LOVE – Walking with St. Therese of Liseux; the Saint of the Little Flower, who promised to spend her heaven doing good on earth, letting fall a shower of roses as her signature. However Friends, in these very rough and trying times, we shouldn’t wait till we get to heaven to do good on earth, we need to do that RIGHT NOW!
And what better time to begin than in this Lenten season of both intro and retrospection!
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, help me to live always in the light of your presence. Should any darkness challenge my belief and LOVE for you, dispel that darkness so that I might witness to your merciful and gracious LOVE. Grant me the wisdom to confront a secular and egocentric world with your message of care and compassion for all people. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Yes my people, there’s so much darkness and evil in our current world that it’s only with the omnipotent help of Almighty God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that we can ever hope to dispel and remove them from our lives. And it can ONLY be done through LOVE and compassion! So please let’s come together seriously nuh, and do what we know is meet and right for us to do.
The sad part of the situation is that we full well know what is right, but yet we allow the façade of the world’s false and short lasting beauty to lure us into wrongdoing and ungodly behavior. If we are truly children of God, then we desperately need to be walking according to the dictates of our Bit: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
That’s the gospel truth my brethren! And it reminds me of a quote of James Baldwin (1928-1987), the controversial African American novelist, playwright, poet and social critic, who continually reflected on his experience as a black man in white America, penning such insightful works as ‘The Fire Next Time and Another Country.’
Well James is reputed to have said: ‘The future is like heaven – everyone exalts it but no one wants to go there now.’ And that’s a very accurate reflection of Christians nowadays! We all want to live a godly life, but just not yet, first we want to enjoy the pleasures and lusts of the fleshly world.
But Friends we can’t afford to wait one minute longer to live for Jesus, because we don’t know when He’s coming back. It could be today or tomorrow. And if we’re found wanting when He returns, like the five foolish virgins who didn’t prepare for a long wait with extra oil for their lamps, (Matt.25:1-12) we’ll be simply excluded from His train of glory, and forced to spend eternity in Hades with Lucifer, the prince of darkness.
And as I keep reminding us, that my brethren is the worst thing that could ever happen to a human being! So let’s get to it nuh, let’s begin living serious godly lives, putting into effect these wise and true words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth to his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath; Neither give place to the devil…
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:22-27, 31-32)
Oh my Friends, that’s how we’re supposed to live! Those are just some simple, every day, practical guidelines as to how we can put aside the ‘old man’ and assume ‘the new man,’ in our everyday lives. They’re definitely not very difficult to do, so let’s begin doing them seriously, diligently and Right Now nuh, so that we won’t be caught napping whenever Jesus comes.
Let’s put into effect these memorable words of Jesus. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt.25:13)
That’s heavenly truth and wisdom my fellow man, words for us to ponder today, and see if we’re ready to receive Jesus, just in case He returns today. Much LOVE!
…to create a better world…it’s essential that we put into effect…LOVE for God…for ourselves…and for our neighbours… plus sincere care and compassion for each other…
31 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2013, 2014, Abraham, actions dispute claim, actions speak louder than words, all the law, anger, angry spirit, avast security system, Beelzebub, calamitous, christianity, cops, courageous, deceitful, disatrous, do as God commanded, do the right thing, don't turn aside, don't worry, drink, drunk drivers, drunk or sober mind your business, eat, evil, evil cohorts, faithfully believe in, fellow believers, focus on Almighty God, forgiveness, Gentiles, Granny's advice, great god, have success, headeaches, heavenly Father, hope, in the church, interceded with god, Internet Explorer, intimate walk with Jesus, jesus name, Joshua, kingdom of god, LOVE, Love god ourselves and neighbours, loving kindness, lying, mantle of leadership, mercy, Moses, needs, negative emotions, New Testament, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolution, Old Testament, our benefit, prosper, rampant, rant, reverence, righteous people, righteousness., ringing in the New Year, run around, save the world, second chances, seek, seek God, serve and worship, sincerity, Sodom, strong, tenderness, to the left, to the right, topsy-turvy, ungodliness, wear, wisdom, wise, wrong foot
Deuteronomy 5:32. Ye shall (carefully) observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
Oh Friends, sorry this is somewhat late. I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year’s Eve, but right now my spirit is somewhat angered. I’ve been using a free avast security system on my desktop computer for a while now, just simple net surfing stuff, and I never really had a problem with them. However, they’ve been bugging me to buy their advanced system, so since I’d been using their protection for free and it wasn’t bad, I decided to do the right thing and purchase their system.
Lo and behold this morning when I came down to write the Bit, I decided to finally download the new avast system. Hn! What a mistake! It seems to have downloaded the system properly, but then said it need to close so everything could take effect. So I agreed to do it then. But upon rebooting I could not get back into Internet Explorer, which I use. I tried several times, but with no luck.
Then I tried logging in with Firefox, and was successful. However I don’t like the other servers. That’s just me. (smile) Then when I tried to contact avast, I got the usual run around, with oodles of screens to fill out questions, to which I’ve had no reply, except acknowledgement of my query.
Then when I got on to my laptop, which I’m on now, I got on to Internet Explorer without a problem, so I decided to check the site showing on my desk top, only to find that the avast system was blocking Internet Explorer from opening up. So the long and short of the story is that I’m on the verge of cancelling the avast system.
Ah Lord eh! Yuh see why I don’t like computers and all the nonsense they entail! And they never seem to cause problems until you need them most. Steups! And that’s my rant for the day. (smile)
Now dear Lord, please free up the ole fella’s mind, take away the anger and all the negative emotions, so that I can write a Bit worthy of You. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
So what’s new and exciting in your lives this New Year’s Eve morning, my fellow believers? (smile) I surely hope it’s better than mine, for who needs the unnecessary headaches eh? Life is already filled with enough necessary ones. Many of you will no doubt be ringing in the new year at some party or other, but please remember Granny’s advice: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.‘
And we all know that this is a time when Beelzebub is at his deceitful and lying best. So let’s not begin the new year off on the wrong foot, getting trapped by him and his evil cohorts.
As for me, I’m going to be doing my usual stay at home thing, spending it with my family. Going out in all the cold weather isn’t appealing anymore, and then you have to be careful with the cops and the drunk drivers on the road. Plus it’s supposed to snow in my area today. Who needs the headache eh, when I can enjoy it just as much at home?
Anyway, let’s finally get to our Bit. ‘Ye shall (carefully) observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.’
Ah mih people, we couldn’t have a better Bit to ring in 2014! Why, you ask? Because it brings, and hopefully keeps our focus on Almighty God, whom we claim to so faithfully believe in. Unfortunately though, too many of our actions dispute that claim. And remember that actions do speak louder than words.
Just look at our world, at the church, the body of Christ nuh. We certainly can’t say that we’re living up to our Bit, to God’s Word, to our promise to faithfully serve and worship Him? Evil and ungodliness are so rampant all over, even in the church, that it would be difficult, like when Abraham interceded with God to save Sodom, (Gen.18:22-32) to find enough righteous people to save our world.
However Friends, we’re indeed fortunate to have a God who gives second chances, and while we’re alive it means that there’s still hope for us. But for that to happen my people, we have to have a serious return to the dictates of Christianity; faithfully LOVING our wonderful God, ourselves and our neighbours.
We desperately need to do as the Lord instructed Joshua when he took over the leadership mantle from Moses. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success) whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:7)
Oh my fellow believers, it doesn’t get any simpler or plainer than that! And if like some, you believe that’s Old Testament stuff, then listen to Jesus saying the same thing.
‘Therefore take no thought (don‘t worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.‘ (Matt.6:31-32)
There we have it Friends, the New Testament version, of doing what the Lord commands, then all your needs will be met! And isn’t our God a great God? I couldn’t have chosen a better ending for this last Bit of this topsy-turvy, often disastrous and calamitous year of 2013.
Please my people, please let’s make 2014 a much better year in seeking God and His righteousness that we did 2013 nuh. Remember it’s all for our benefit, especially our children. There’s nothing the Lord wants from us except our sincereLOVE and reverence, but we need oh so much from Him; His mercy, His tenderness, His forgiveness, His LOVING-kindness, etc.etc.
So let’s be wise this new year and return to Him with a new found sincerity. That’s truly wisdom at its highest. Much LOVE!
…there’s only one New Year’s resolution that’s necessary…to develop a closer and more intimate walk with Jesus…for then…as promised… everything else will be taken care of…
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