13 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise, acknowledge him, adventure, all thine heart, assurance, barns, blessed is the man, cast by the wayside, Christian faith, confidence, depart from evil, direct thy paths, evil, exalt, faithfulness, foolish people, forgiveness, fragile, fraudulent man, fruitful lives, gifts, glorify, go awry, go overboard, grace, great faith, honour the Lord, hope is guiding, hypocrite, imagery, immeasurable proportions, increase, Jesus' joy of man's desiring, Job, joy, LOVE, love of joys, loving-kindness, Lucifer, maganimous and magnificent God, marrow to thy bones, mercy, mine own ways, new wine, possessions, praise, praise his holy name, put a new song in my mouth, put confidence in man., put confidence in princes, respects not the proud, riasen power, soar, steadfast, strength, the fire of life, the first fruits, the Lord's Day, the Lord's House, the straight and narrow path, thick skulls, Though he slay me, treasure, trust, trust in the Lord, trustworthy, truth unknown, understanding, vagabond, wisdom, Word of God, worship, yet will I trust him
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Come on mih people, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day! That means it’s time to gather in the Lord’s house to worship, praise, glorify and exalt Him; to hear His word and receive His awesome gifts of strength, mercy, grace, LOVE and forgiveness in whatever amounts we may need!
How wonderful it is to serve such a magnanimous and magnificent Deity! I simply can’t understand how all the world is not running to serve and praise His holy name nuh.
Unfortunately, their loss is our gain, though we still need to get the truth though their thick skulls, because that’s what the Father desires of us. He doesn’t want to lose even one of His magnificent creations to that worthless scamp and vagabond Lucifer.
And as always, we begin this morning’s worship with a song of praise titled ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring.’ But it was not a song of my choosing, but of the Holy Spirit, for as soon as I thought, ‘Well what hymn shall we sing this morning?’ that title just flew into my head.
So, as obedient children, let’s offer the sacrifice of praise and glorify our heavenly Father, for He is so deserving of it. Let’s raise our voices to heaven, and let the saints up there know that we too can exalt and worship the Lord, as good as them, if not better. (smile)
So as one harmonious whole now: ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring, Holy wisdom, LOVE most bright; Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring, Soar to uncreated light. Word of God, our flesh that fashioned, With the fire of life impassioned, Striving still to truth unknown, Soaring, dying round Thy throne.
Through the way where hope is guiding, Hark, what peaceful music rings; Where the flock, in Thee confiding, Drink of joy from deathless springs. Theirs is beauty’s fairest pleasure; Theirs is wisdom’s holiest treasure. Thou dost ever lead Thine own In the LOVEof joys unknown.’
Oh friends, aren’t those beautiful sentiments, rich in imagery and majesty? They surely are! And I particularly like that last line, which talks about our Saviour leading us ‘in the LOVE of joys unknown,’ because He certainly does. With Him, every day is an unknown adventure, and we have the complete assurance that whatever direction the adventure takes, it will ultimately work out for our benefit.
So how can we not bow and kneel before Him and give Him thanks and praise eh? To do otherwise would certainly be lacking in wisdom, definitely foolish. But unfortunately, our world is full of foolish people; people who refuse to acknowledge and accept the risen power and glory of Jesus Christ! They foolishly put their trust in princes and men and cast Jesus, the only one who can truly save their sinful and evil souls, by the wayside.
How sad my brethren! They obviously don’t know, and/or, don’t respect the truth of our Bit from the Good Book. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
That’s truth of immeasurable proportions my people! How can one put trust in weak, fragile, sinful, evil and fraudulent man eh? Oh we have to trust them some, but definitely not go overboard, always keeping a close eye on them. However, with the Lord God Almighty, our Creator, we don’t have to worry about a thing, for He is the epitome of trustworthiness. The word was coined to reflect His exalted station of absolute trust.
When a man like Job, having lost his family and all his earthly wealth in one fell swoop, can declare of God to his hypocrite friends: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)
Wow friends! There must be something in the water that Job was drinking, (smile) for him to be so adamant about his trust in God. And that’s the kind of trust great faith brings forth.
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer. ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps.40:3-4) And Bruh David spoke from personal experience when he made those statements.
That’s the sort of trust that rises up in us when we truly believe, and have experienced God’s LOVING-kindness. Then there is no doubt whatsoever in the utmost faithfulness of our great God! Even when things go awry, we still stand steadfast in that trust, because we know He has good plans for us, and will always complete any work He’s begun in us, and work it out for our good.
Mama Mia! How awesome is our God eh! Awesome to the nth degree! And we’ll end with these immortal words of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, straight) thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)
Oh friends, I believe in those five verses we have the very essence of Christian living! If we were to just follow those instructions, we would never stray, and forever stay on the straight and narrow path. So let’s take Cousin Sol’s wisdom to heart his Sunday morning nuh my fellow believers, so that we can live trustworthy and fruitful lives as our Christian faith requires. Much LOVE!
…if you can’t trust the one who made you…and knows you better than you know yourself…then whom can you trust eh…
20 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's armoury, a compassionate heart, a gold mine, a perfect heart, a positive outlook, a willing mind, abundance, acknowledge God in all thy ways, advice, be not wise in thine own eyes, blessings, cast you off for ever, climb over, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, divine protection, dr robert h schuller, face a mountain, faith, faithful followers, faithfulness, family, fear the Lord, forgiving will, forsake him, friends, fruitless, good conscience, happy in Jesus, he shall direct thy paths, health to thy navel, imaginations, innate pride, last minute solution, lean not to thine own understanding, marrow to thy bones, merciful, Mountain Mover's Prayer, mover every mountain, negative word, obituaries, of Jesus, our own power, patience, perception, possibilities, prosper, quit, self-control, self-discipline, sensible action, serve him, sorry state of the world, strength, succeed, talent, Thanks be to God, the god of thy father, the Good Book, the land of the living, the Lord searches all hearts, thoughts, to keep on striving, trust and obey, trust in the Lord, tunnel underneath, understands, wisdom, wisdom of the world, with God's help
Proverbs 2:6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths.
One more day, one more day in the land of the living my people! Thanks be to God!
We haven’t seen our names and/or pictures in today’s obituaries, that means the Lord has a purpose for us to be still down here on His planet earth!
And as faithful followers of His Son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, I know that we will do our best, exert all our energy and move every mountain to bring His wonderful, merciful and forgiving will to pass.
Now that leads us directly to this simple but uplifting directive from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H Schuller), which he titles ‘The Mountain Mover’s Prayer.’ We’ve shared it several times before, but it’s one of those prayers that are always applicable to our earthly lives.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, when I face a mountain, do not let me quit! Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over; Find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, Give me the patience to stay, and the perception to see the possibilities of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen!’
Yeh friends, I know that each and everyone of us is facing some kind of unbreachable mountain in our lives right now, and we desperately need some wisdom, help, strength, faith and advice to overcome it.
And there it is in a nutshell! Seeking God’s help to handle our mountains is the only wise and sensible action in a believer’s armoury! For without Him on our side, remember we can do nothing at all!
The problem though is that too many of us don’t remember that li’l detail, and we foolishly try to do a lot of stuff under our own power and strength. And finally, when our efforts prove fruitless, then and only then do we turn to God as a last minute solution.
That’s very unwise my people, because our wonderful Creator and Provider wants us to come to Him for help first, not last, and also in each and every circumstance, not only in ones we feel unable to handle.
Oh, I know that our innate pride and the supposed wisdom of the world tells us that we must be able to handle our own affairs, but the sad and sorry state of the world, and all those who are trying to do it on their own just proves that supposition is totally wrong.
And yuh know what friends, I’m here chuckling now, because our God is so wonderful and faithful. Oh give Him endless thanks and praise my brethren!
And no doubt you’re wondering why I’m chuckling. Well, I’ve been writing so far without a Bit or any idea of where I really wanted to go, and I simply felt lost. So just now I asked, well it’s more like cried out to Him for help to find a Bit, help to climb over my mountain. (smile)
Then I opened my Bible, and the first words my eyes beheld were those of our Bit. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths.’
Ah my fellow believers, that’s just what we were talking about! So how can I now in all good conscience doubt His everlasting faithfulness eh? I certainly can’t! And I do hope that it goes a long way to convince you of our God’s faithfulness when we sincerely turn to Him for help and advice.
And one of the best pieces of advice given from one human to another in the Good Book is that from Bruh David to his son Cousin Sol, re the building of God’s temple.
‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9)
Oh my people what wonderful advice! It’s obvious though that not enough of us have given that same advice to our offspring, otherwise so many of them would not be turning away from God today.
And isn’t it amazing that our Bit comes from the words of Cousin Sol himself. Now hear what he says in the full context of our Bit.
‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, make straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:5-8)
Ah my people, if we sincerely take that advice and live up to it, then there’s no doubt that our magnificent and magnanimous God will shower us with our Thursday Blessings! So let’s declare them now nuh, for remember they are not applicable until they are declared over someone or something.
In sincere sincerity now: (smile) ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes friends, now that we’ve declared those heavenly blessings over ourselves, let’s go out and declare them over others nuh, so that they can be spread over all and sundry as Jesus desires. Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no other way…to be happy in Jesus…but to trust and obey…
24 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge him, advice, Anselm, arthritis, aspires to inspire, be of good courage, better advice ever given, bless, Christians, cold weather, courage, delight thyself in the Lord, depart from evil, depend on, devotion, do good, energy, entourages, faithful, fall season, fear the Lord, fears, fellowship, follow Jesus, frustrations, give thanks, godless, gospel truth, hangers ons, health to thy body, hopes dreams, impatience, in all thy ways, in the limo, intimacy, intimacy with god, keep us safely, lead a horse to water, lean not, leeches, long johns, LOVE, macho image, marrow to thy bones, native instincts, negatives, northern climes, now for now, obedient to god, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, parasites, patience, pay a hefty price, peace, perseverance, potential, rely on, ride with you, sinful times, sucker, surapsses all understanding, take the bus, the desires of thine heart, time, to each his own, tried and failed, tropical climate, truer words were never spoken, trust, trust in the Lord, trustworthy, unto thine own understanding, wait on the Lord, with all thine heart, zero, zilch
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.
Well friends, it’s the first Saturday in the northern climes fall season. So what is it to you eh, you ask? Well if you’re living in a tropical climate, then it means zero, zilch (smile). But if your abode is in the north country, then you have to start taking out jackets, sweaters, long pants, and long johns for some, and put away the skimpy tops and shorts till next summer.
The thing that annoys me about autumn though is that sometimes the days look so bright and warm and sunny, and you go out dressed for such, but as soon as the sun begins to set, the cold weather creeps in, and you find yourself not suitably dressed for it. And yet, many of us still flaunt the macho image by being not properly dressed in those in-between times.
That’s why so many people get sick around this time. Anyway, to each his own, and as the man said, if you don’t pay me now, you’re going to pay me much more later on, when things like arthritis begin to take their toll. It’s just like Christians who don’t do what they are supposed to, and pay a hefty price later on. (smile)
Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And the first one is certainly good advice. ‘Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.’
Yes friends, we should not dwell on the negatives in our lives, but we must learn from them and then move on to the bright future that lies ahead, gloriously waiting for us, as we follow Jesus.
And the second one is ever so true. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’
Gospel truth mih people, and I can testify to that on a small level. But you’ll notice the numerous hangers’ ons, the large entourages that travel around with the reigning celebrities in good times. However, when the rough times come, a lot of it from spending lavishly on those same leeches and parasites, they simply disappear and look for another sucker.
And the best way to prevent such shenanigans is by paying heed to our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’
Ah friends, truer words were never spoken, or better advice ever given!
Hear how the scholars explain it nuh. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
It makes perfect sense my brethren! God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe and He controls every aspect of it, so He is obviously the best person to get into partnership and fellowship with, if we truly want to be successful.
Now one thing is for sure, He will not forsake you when times get rough and you have to ride the bus rather than preen in the limousine. He will be right there riding the bus beside you. That’s the kind of God we worship my people; faithful and trustworthy to the very end!
And listen to how Cousin Sol continues after our Bit. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:7-8)
More wonderful words of wisdom my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, we can give others the best advice possible, but it’s still their decision to act on it or not. As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same goes for human beings, especially in these godless and ever so lustful and sinful times!
And then again, sometimes we try it, but don’t get the results we want, or they don’t come as quickly as we desire, so we lose faith. But if we pay serious attention to Bruh David’s words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we’ll see that after he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’ He then specifies: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-4)
Yuh see friends, we need to take pleasure in being obedient to God, before we can get the desires of our hearts. The Lord doesn’t just give out desires for no good reason; we first have to invest time, energy, trust and faithfulness in the relationship. Another thing we need is patience, here considered perseverance.
Bruh David ends Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation thus: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) Notice how he emphasizes waiting, both at the beginning and at the end of that wonderful encouraging and uplifting verse.
Ah friends, impatience is one of the serious mistakes we make as Christians. We want to apply the now for now system of the world, but that is not God’s way. He will give us all we desire, but in His own time and in His own way. And until we learn to wait patiently on Him, while keeping a good attitude and being obedient, we’ll never fully attain the great plans He has for our lives.
More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may He bless and keep us safely, and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His peace which surpasses all understanding. That’s my prayer for us this day. Much LOVE!
…only as we obey…trust in…give thanks…delight in…and are faithful to Almighty God…will our lives be truly blessed…
05 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wonderful weekend, acknowledge God in all thy ways, and he shall bring it to pass, antidote, be not wise in thine own eyes, Bruh David, cease from anger, Christ-like, Commit thy way to the Lord, communication with Jesus, compassion, Cousin Sol, depart from evil, directed by the Lord, evil minions, evildoers shall be cut off, faith, faithful, family time, fear the Lord, fellowship, food, forgiveness, forsake wrath, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, get down to brass tacks, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God doesn't give us more than we can bear, good relationships, gospel truth, gracious, he shall direct thy paths, he shall not be utterly cast down, he will never turn you away, health to thy navel, holy spirit, jehovah god, joy, laughter, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, Lucifer, marrow to thy bones, merciful, negative situations, praise, prayer, promises, Proverbs, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, Rest in the Lord, sadness, saviour jesus christ, smile, sorrow, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the great invitation, the steps of a good man, the Word of god, though he fall, trials, tribulations, trust also in him, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, wait patiently for the Lord, weather, wisdom, worship
Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
So what it is eh my people? (smile) How all yuh doing? Hope all yuh doing good! But just in case oonoo not doing so good, then I certainly hope that you all are in constant communication with our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For He is the ONLY One who can truly ease and/or solve our problems.
Yes Friends, He’s even invited us with the Great Invitation to come to Him when we are heavily burdened, and He will give us rest and peace for our tired and burdened souls. (Matt.11:28-30) And that is not an invitation to be sneered at or taken lightly, for He will indeed do as promised.
Ah Friends, it’s a proven fact that when we’re doing poorly, that’s when we most need to communicate with the Saviour. For the best antidote for sadness and sorrow, or anything that discombobulates us, is prayer! Never forget that.
So having said all of that, I guess we can get down to brass tacks now. (smile) And I guess you all know that today is Friday…
And as expected, I’m greeted with a joyous shouting of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And we going to have a wonderful weekend; good weather, good food, good LOVE, plenty laughter, joy, compassion and forgiveness…Oh Glory to God! Thank Him for the weekend!’
What wonderful sentiments my brethren! And I do hope that our weekend does turn out that way, as we get involved in praise and worship and fellowship and enriching family time, for the name of the game is good relationships; both with each other and with Jehovah God!
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant to help us stay on the straight and narrow path. As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, that is how we ought to use the weekends, not merely for partying and our own amusement. And yuh know what? If we follow the wise advice of our Bit, we won’t have any real problems living life the way we ought to. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’
Oh Friends, there’s absolutely no doubt in that statement, for our gracious and most merciful God is indeed a faithful keeper of His promises! So whenever you come to Him, He will never turn you away.
Listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs, in his exhortations to obedience. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) your paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:5-8)
Oh my brethren, in all the Good Book, there is no better advice than those four verses. If we live our lives by them, we will never go wrong… Oh you know what I mean; we’ll live under the shade of the golden umbrella of our omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God!
Now that doesn’t mean we won’t have trials and tribulations, but when we go through them, we’ll know, we’ll be assured that Almighty God is there with us through all the sadness and mayhem. And on top of it all, He won’t give us more than we can bear, and will bring us out of the negative situations better than before, meaning more Christ-like, for that is often the purpose of our problems.
And Bruh David offers these wonderful words of advice after our Bit. ‘And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (plans, schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:6-9)
Oh mih lovelies, why is it so difficult for us to take such simple advice and live faithfully by it eh – especially when we know that it’s all gospel truth? I don’t know the answer nuh. I can only surmise that our natural sinful nature is getting the upper hand of us in these relatively sinful and godless times.
Plus the fact that Lucifer and his evil minions are in control of the day to day world, and are making a protracted push with lots of worldly things and advice, to get us to move away from God.
But my people, we are supposed to be the best creation of our God, therefore we cannot allow the wicked and wickedness of this world to get the better of us. But we can only do so if and when we take the Word of God seriously and truly live by it. Otherwise we’ll be very susceptible to the wiles and lies of the enemy.
And we’ll end today with some more encouraging advice from Bruh David from Psalm 37. ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.’ (Ps.3723-24)
Oh Friends, that’s gospel truth! And I can personally vouch for it, because though I’m not the greatest or the most godly and righteous, yet the Lord has upheld me with His mighty hand several times over the years! So you can imagine what He’ll do for the very godly and righteous.
Oh mih people, mih people, there’s only one wise and sensible path to follow in this crazy, calamitous and disaster-prone world – the straight and narrow one, which leads directly to Jesus and our heavenly Father! And we can successfully do that if we allow the Holy Spirit which indwells us to lead and guide us in all truth. That’s our ‘ponderation’ for today my people. (smile) Much LOVE!
…only as we sincerely trust…and have true faith in God…will we see Him work in our lives…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.wordpress.com
18 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, acknowledge God in all thy ways, and lean not unto thine own understanding, as for me and mine, at odds with God's direction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blueprint for living a godly life, calamity, cast into the lake of fire, comfort, common sense, compassion, cry out to God for help, depart from evil, disobedience, ever-faithful God, fear the Lord, friends, give generously, glory hallelujah, glory to God, goals, God's plan for our lives, Hades, he shall direct thy paths, health, health to thy navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, how to live to purpose, humble yourself before God, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, joy, living God, LOVE, Lucifer, made in the image of God, magnificent and magnanimous God, marrow to thy bones, masterpiece of man, miracle, no way Jose, our heavenly Father, pay a price for disobedience, personal experience, possessions, praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, prince of darkness, rule the roost, sinful desires, sinful souls, singing praises to God, sufferation, the breath of life, the first fruits, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, top dog, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, understanding, usurp God's kingdom, wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell the roses, we move and have our being, we will follow the Lord, wealth, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Well Friends, yesterday was another beautiful day in my area; lots of sunshine and blue skies, with unseasonably warm temperatures, and above everything else, a most magnificent and magnanimous God, controlling it all!
Oh, Glory to God! What more can I say eh? Not a whole lot, because my vocabulary is limited when coming to singing the praises of God. And in any case, ‘Glory to God’ says it all.
Yes my people, He is indeed the God in whom we move and have our being. The very breath of life that percolates through our frail and finite bodies comes from Him, and to top it off, we’re also made in His likeness, His wonderful image. What a miracle!
And all God’s faithful people declared a loud, proud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord! He is indeed a great God! The One who gives us everything we need to live this earthly life; health, wealth, comfort and joy, LOVE and compassion, wisdom and understanding. Glory Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name!’
Oh Friends, our heavenly Father is indeed a most wonderful God! In fact, He is the ONLY true and living God in existence! All other supposed deities are dead, but He is most certainly alive and kicking, and running the marvellous universe He created, the way He desires, with no one to tell Him yay or nay! (smile)
And one of His most important rules is that we, His most important creation, live and LOVE the way He does. But unfortunately too many of us refuse to do so. We’re more interested in living and LOVING the way our naturally sinful souls desire, which is most often at odds with God’s direction.
And if we don’t look sharp, we’ll pay all sorts of harsh and hefty prices for our disobedience.
Anyway, here is an interesting quote that addresses the matter somewhat. It’s attributed to Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), one of the significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He reputedly declared: ‘The great and glorious masterpiece of man, is to know how to live to purpose.’
And there’s a lot of truth to that statement my brethren. To live a successful life we must set proper goals and also take good care of ourselves, all in accordance with God’s plan for our lives. However many of us in today’s sinful, ungodly world don’t care about God’s plan for our lives, so we do our own thing. Then when the ‘sufferation’ comes, we quick to run to God and cry out for help!
But life doesn’t work that way my people. God’s Word wisely tells us in our Bit: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.’
That my Friends, is one of the most significant and important passages of the whole Bible! If you follow that and nothing else, you will never go wrong, for it encompasses everything. In this chapter of Proverbs, Cousin Sol is exhorting us to obedience to God, because our God takes it very seriously.
Now hear how he continues after our Bit. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:6-10)
Oh my people, my people, those 6 verses (5-10) are the everlasting blueprint for living a godly life! Humble yourself before God, don’t be too proud, let Him guide you, and then give generously of your possessions to His cause. Oh Friends, it’s so simple that we think it couldn’t be true. But believe me, it is true, and I’m talking here from personal experience.
Instead, we foolishly follow the worldly lusts and dictates of Lucifer. But my brethren, if Lucifer was so smart, he would not have tried to usurp God’s kingdom, and he’d still be top dog, the number one angel in heaven. But no, he wanted to be king and rule the roost, so he rebelled against the Father, the same senseless thing that so many of us are doing in this current age.
But how can the created ever overthrow the creator eh? Not in this life, or any other! Granted, Lucifer is now the top dog, but in the darkness of Hades and in this sinful world which will eventually be destroyed and he and his minions cast into the lake of fire.
So Friends, if that is where you want to end up, you just have to keep on following the sinful desires of our nature and the lusts of this evil world, ruled over by the prince of darkness. But that’s not wisdom, common sense or the plan that God has in mind for any of us.
Remember the words He spoke through Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
Now my brethren, after hearing that wonderful promise from our ever-faithful God, how can we ever go and get seriously involved with Lucifer eh? Steups! No way Jose!
But everybody has to make their own decision, and I guess, though we may all speak the same language, we don’t necessarily have to think alike. Just look at the wicked, evil, war-like, greedy, ungodly, vengeful state of our world nuh. How could you ever want to be involved with those who are running it eh?
Oh my people, let’s smarten up nuh. Let’s ask God for the wisdom to make right and good choices, and stop depending on our sinful nature and limited mentality, for as James says, He gives it liberally to all who ask and without reproach too. (James.1:5)
So Friends, let’s wake up and smell the roses, the coffee, or whatever it takes to follow the Lord God Jehovah nuh, for that is the essence of wisdom and common sense. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will follow the Lord till our dying day…
12 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of joy, a very present help in trouble, anger, be not dismayed, be not far from me, be not wise in thine own eyes, believers, blessed be the Lord, blessings, bolster our faith in God, Bruh David, Canadian Thanksgiving, come up over a problem, courage, depart from evil, encouragement, faith, faithfulness, faithlessness, fear the Lord, fellowship, first day of the week, for there is none to help, for trouble is near, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, forgiveness, friendship, glory hallelujah, God is our refuge and strength, grace, guidance, health to thy navel, help, Hosea, I am in the midst of them, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in me is thine help, Israel, Jesus Christ, joy, like a bird from a snare, marrow to thy bones, mercies, our help is in the name of the Lord, our soul is escaped, praise for deliverance, praise the Lord for His goodness, promises, prosperity, protection, psalm 46, Sabbath Day, Selah, strength, succour, Sunday, thanksgiving, the Lord God Jehovah, the LOVE of Jesus christ, Togetherness, truth, wanton, we will not fear, words of wisdom, worldly, worship
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Well hello there Friends and Neighbours, another Sunday has rolled around! As the song says: ‘We’re right back where we started from;’ Sunday, the first day of the week.
And that means fellowship, worship, a gathering of faithful believers to give thanks and praise and receive blessings, encouragement, friendship, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and all the wonderful things our great God so generously bestows on us, His marvellous children! (smile)
And all God’s children declared a loud and ecstatic’ Praise the Lord for His goodness to us, undeserving though we may be!’
Yes Friends, our great God is indeed worthy of much praise, especially on this weekend when we choose to celebrate the feast of Thanksgiving here in Canada. That means all the sanctuaries should be filled to overflowing with believers, whether there are thousands in a big, new, pretty building, or a handful under a mango or apple tree. (smile)
Remember what Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) So the surroundings aren’t all that important, just the people and what’s in their hearts – the LOVE of Jesus! Consequently, ALL believers ought to find some means of joining with others to celebrate the Sabbath Day in the Lord’s Name!
And remember too Friends, that when we treat the Sabbath Day, the first day of the week, as it ought to be treated; with worship, praise and togetherness, then the rest of the week will unfurl so much better than if we are wanton and worldly. It’s always better to come up over a situation or a problem, than to have the situation or problem come up over you.
And the only way we can do that on a fairly consistent basis is by turning to the Lord God Jehovah for help at ALL TIMES! Why? Because as our Bit so wisely and truthfully declares: ‘Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’ And truer words were never spoken my brethren!
So let’s continue with some scripture passages that prove our point and bolster our faith in Almighty God. And we’ll begin with these poignant words from Psalm 46 – God is our refuge and strength, from the sons of Korah. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (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)
Yeh Friends, take a moment to ponder those statements nuh! What words of wisdom, truth, courage, strength and faithfulness!
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 124 – Praise for deliverance from enemies. ‘Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of a snare of the fowlers (bird trappers): the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.124:6-8)
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people? It certainly is!
But just in case you don’t believe the psalmists, then hear the words of God Himself, as spoken through the prophet Isaiah, re the final restoration of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10)
Oh my fellow believers, what could be more uplifting and encouraging than that eh? Nothing! When our powerful and faithful God promises something, we know for a fact that it will come to pass, for He cannot lie, and thus ALWAYS does as He says! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s why I can’t understand how, in this modern day and age, when everything is going haywire and things are topsy-turvy, we are turning away from God in anger and faithlessness, rather than running full speed into His ever-LOVING arms for protection, strength, LOVE, succour and guidance.
And just to prove that our wonderful God is not a wishy-washy, unfaithful Deity, who just talks for talk sake, listen to the prophet Hosea, as he declares the Lord’s words, when foretelling the destruction of Israel.
‘O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.’ (Hos.13:9-11)
Yes Friends, through the source of His mighty power, the Lord gives…and He also takes! Which man or other supposed deity can say Him nay eh? NONE WHATSOEVER!
So my people, on this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, let’s all make it a time of joy nuh, of giving serious and sincere thanks, of being faithful, of getting together in worship, and above all, remembering that Jehovah God is the source from which all blessings, help, prosperity and all good things flow. Do have a happy Thanksgiving weekend. Much LOVE!
…be not wise in thine own eyes…fear the Lord…and depart from evil…it shall be health to thy navel (body)…and marrow (strength) to thy bones… (Prov.3:7-8)
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