01 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ambassadors, Amorites, as for me and my house, be my guide, blatant refusal, blessings, bounden duty, Christian living, comfort, covers all the bases, different strokes, difficult times, disicples, do His will, encompassing, encouragement, evil, examples speak more forcibly than words, fear the Lord, feel discouraged, fellowship, first day of May, glamour, glitz, grateful, guidance, happiness, heartfelt thanks, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Joshua, lean on God for support, listen with conern, living God, LOVE, magnanimous god, material possessions, my every deed, my every word, New World Order, one and only God, peaceful moments, praise, praise the Lord for His goodness, prayer, put away the gods, reassure, rejuvenation of spirit, seek God, serve him, sincerity, sinful trap, steadfastness of purpose, strength to keep going, Sunday, talk the talk, thanksgiving, the Euphrates river, the gospel of Jesus, the Great Commission, the Lord's Day, the Most High God jehovah, the other side of the flood, time for church, troubles, truth, ungodliness, ungodly world, uplift, we will serve the Lord, wisdom, worship
Joshua 24:14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, it’s the first day of May, as well as the Lord’s Day, better known as Sunday!
That means it’s time for church; time for praise and worship, for thanksgiving and fellowship, for rejuvenation of spirit, encouragement and steadfastness of purpose, plus all the other good things that our magnanimous God pours out on those who LOVE Him, diligently seek Him and obediently do His will!
Now I’m not going to harangue or lecture us about going to church today. That shouldn’t be at all necessary, for if you’re a true believer, then you’ll know that’s your bounden duty, so I’ll just leave that up to you and your heavenly Father. (smile)
What I’ve been guided to do though, is to share a prayer which I shared a long time back, so many of you would not have heard it, but it’s one of my favourite prayers. From the first time I found it in my mother’s Bible after she died, something about it just touched me, and I’ve prayed it almost every day after that.
It’s a special prayer prepared by the Life Study Fellowship, Noroton, Connecticut. It’s titled ‘Lord, Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks!’ And the sub-title is ‘Praise the Lord for His Goodness.’ – Psalm 107:8’
Now please pray with me: ‘Dear Lord, You are so good to me! And I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness!
How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult times!
I’m grateful too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You never fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me!
As I look to 2016 (or whatever year) I pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my Guide hour by hour; I pray! Amen.’
Oh friends, I do hope that prayer touched you all! I guess what I like about it is that it covers all the bases, it’s so all encompassing, plus everything it says is true and relevant. Some of you may not like it, but that’s okay; it’s your choice. As they say, different strokes for different folks! (smile) Anyway, that’s my contribution for today.
Now let’s turn to our new Bit, a part of Joshua’s farewell address to the Israelites. He had just finished reminding them about all the good things the Lord had done for them, giving them houses they didn’t build, vineyards they didn’t plant etc.
‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’
Ah mih people, that verse is even more appropriate and relevant in this New World Order than it was thousands of years ago when Joshua spoke those fateful words. That’s because the worshipping of other gods, plus basic ungodliness is so rampant in our current society.
Unfortunately, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not held in respect nor reverence by a rather large part of the world. Many people know of and about Him, but yet they steadfastly refuse to honour and obey Him. How sad that is my people, for our world could be truly such a beautiful place if more of us sincerely worshipped and revered the Most High God Jehovah.
Now why the blatant refusal to accept the God of heaven eh? I believe there are two main reasons. First of all, the pull of the material, lustful and sinful world is rather strong. We feast our eyes on all the supposed glitz and glamour and possessions available, and our hearts clamour for them, and the evil one just makes it so easy for us to fall into his sinful trap.
And the second reason is that we believers, supposed ambassadors and disciples of Jesus, who have been assigned the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20) to teach and baptize and spread the wonderful gospel of Jesus all over the world, are not doing as good a job as we should. The hypocritical examples of our lives are turning people away from Jesus instead of drawing them closer to Him.
So there we have it; Lucifer and his evil cronies are doing a good job on selling sin, while the followers of Jesus are not doing a good job of selling righteousness. No rocket science involved at all friends.
So what are we doing, or going to do to change this rather unpalatable situation eh my believing breddren? All I can say is that we need to pull up our britches and do a better job of spreading the good news of Jesus, and backing it up with perfect, well not quite perfect, but much better examples of true Christian living.
Remember friends, examples speak more forcibly than words, and we can talk all the talk in the world, if we don’t walk that talk, then it’s useless, just wasted talk. And we’ll close with these precious and fateful words of Joshua, declared after our Bit.
‘And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15)
Yes friends, that’s the big and serious decision we all have to make. And like Joshua, I surely hope that we will all decide, with our families, to serve the Lord God Jehovah, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…until more believers get truly serious about the Great Commission…both talking and living it…the good news of Jesus will be sadly lacking in this ungodly world…
17 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a loud voice, after effects, after one time is two, all is well, Amen, Ark of the Covenant, Babylon, Beres Hammond, blessings, captivity, Christian brethren, circumspect, contrast, cooking, cultures, dance, despised, despising God, dinner, diverse congregation, donating food, everlasting goodness, excuses, fellowship, for He is good, for the life in me, giving thanks, glory to God, health, his mercy endureth for ever, honour, Israelites, joy, leftovers, leggo-beast, levites, lustful lifestyle, material possessions, might, noise, O Give thanks unto the Lord, pockets broken, power, practice what you preach, praise and worship, proportional, reasons not to go to church, shouted for joy, size, splendour, St. Francis, thanksgiving, the day of small things, the foundation, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the Lord's work, waiting for that break, wake up and smell the roses, weeping, West Indian, wisdom
1 Chronicles 16:34. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Ah mih breddren, the ole fella went out and party last evening… the first time in ages too. In fact, the first time since New Year’s Eve! Glory to God! But the ole fella must really be getting old if it takes three and half months between his partying. (smile)
Oh it was nothing spectacular, just our church’s first International Dinner and Dance held in the church’s auditorium. And was it ever well attended, over a hundred beautiful souls. And talk about food; all kinds of food from all the many cultures of our rather diverse congregation.
And would you believe that after everybody had their fill, with seconds and thirds, and people bought food to carry home, there were still loads of food left. And this was no catered affair, just members of our congregation cooking and donating food from their particular culture.
And please note that the West Indian fare was first and foremost – as usual. (smile) Ah can’t help it people, ah just biased towards mih West Indian victuals and way of life. And if is one thing, no two things the St. Francis congregation can do well, is eat and party, led by our inimitable Fr. Jeff.
And the ole fella partied too, to the good music that the D.J. spun, with my natural enthusiasm obviously, but not with my leggo beast antics. It seems that those days are over, and now I have to be more circumspect about my physical activity.
But look at that nuh; the ole fella can’t party as physically and energetically as he used to. I guess, as they say, after one time is two. Hn, hn! And by the grace of God, and some man-made medication, the knees are holding up well this morning. Praise be!
Anyway friends, today is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and that means we have to get ourselves to church and praise and worship and fellowship with our Christian brethren. I do hope that all of the partiers’ last night can get up and get to church this morning, and they are not suffering from the after effects of the night before. (smile)
Or they don’t use that as an excuse, cause you ever notice how we Christian folks can find all sorts of reasons not to go to church, but none not to go out and indulge in the lustful lifestyle of the world. We just don’t seem to hold going to church as sacred and important as we ought to.
Now enough of my two cents worth, let’s check out our Bit. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.’
Yes friends, that’s what we ought to be doing this Sunday in the Lord’s sanctuary; giving thanks for His everlasting goodness to us undeserving human beings. That reminds me of the words of the old Beres Hammond song ‘Giving Thanks.’
‘Morning sun rising behind me, Stars at night come out to remind me, To give thanks for all the things that I have. All is well, I’ve got my health and in such good shape, Pockets broken, I’ve got nothing, waiting for that break,
So I’m giving thanks, for all I’ve got, I’m giving thanks, whether or not, I’m giving thanks for the life I’ve got, I’m giving thanks now, Yes I’m giving thanks for all I’ve got, I’m giving thanks, whether or not, I’m giving thanks for the life in me, I’m giving thanks…I’m giving thanks…’
Oh my people, if we’d only give a little more thanks to our wonderful God, our lives would be so much better! I guess we don’t realize that our blessings are proportional to the thanks that we give. Even if we don’t have anything, that’s material possessions, we still have life to be thankful for.
And to remind us that a lot of other folks don’t have even life this morning, just read the obits. So please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, let’s acknowledge the mercy and LOVING-kindness of our awesome Creator. That’s all He’s asking of us yes; to appreciate what He done, is doing, and has promised to do for us.
And we’ll continue checking out instances of our Bit being used in the Good Book. Yesterday we saw it used when Bruh David brought up the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, and when Cousin Sol finished building the Lord’s temple. Today let’s look at how it was also used when the Israelites returned from their captivity in Babylon and laid the foundation for the rebuilding of the Lord’s house.
The book of Ezra describes it thus: ‘And they sang together by course (responsively) in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted for joy: so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.’ (Ezra 3:11-13)
Ah friends, do we shout with such joy nowadays when we are doing the Lord’s work? I don’t think so. But you can see how happy the Israelites were that they were in the process of rebuilding God’s sanctuary. And we’ll close with an explanation from the scholars on that joyous time.
‘3:12-13. It had been about 50 years since the first temple had been destroyed, and many of the older men (ancient men) who had seen the earlier building, wept now because of the sorrowful contrast in size and splendour.
When the temple was completed later in 520 B.C; there were still some of these old men who wept again. Haggai 2:3 and Zechariah 4:10 relate Zechariah’s challenge to those who “despised the day of small things.”
Oh friends, please, let’s not despise small things, because EVERYTHING, big or small has been made and provided by God. Consequently, it means that we are despising God, when we despise the things He’s made or allowed to be made. That’s certainly not wisdom! Much LOVE!
…Blessing…and glory…and wisdom…and thanksgiving…and honour…and power…and might…be unto our God…for ever and ever…Amen… (Rev.7:12)
P.S. Sorry friends, it could have been earlier, but I had to practice what I was preaching; I had to leave and go to church. And it’s a good thing too, because it’s in one of today’s readings that I heard the afterthought above. Please have a blessed day! Much LOVE!
12 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: auspices, Beelzebub, believe it to see it, chimerical, christ jesus, compassions, contented, correction, deceit, destroyed, evil purposes, faith, faithfulness, furnished unto good works, God's great earth, God's will, God's Word, godliness, great is thy faithfulness, heartwarming, holy, Holy Scriptures, illusory, inspiration of God, Lamentations, live, living the life, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, material possessions, maturity, meditating, mercies, mirrors, money, moths, obedience, oral instruction, patience, perfect, perks, planned it, praying, prince of darkness, profitable for doctrine, reading, reassuring, reproof, reverence, righteous, righteousness., rust, salvation, sleight of hand, spiritual life, steal your soul, the BIBLE, the good fight of faith, the man of God, treasures in heaven, wisdom, working for good
2 Timothy 3:17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.
Oh friends, another day on God’s great earth is dawning in our hemisphere, whether we like it or not. Hn! That’s how God, in His infinite wisdom planned it, and we have no say whatsoever in the matter. The only choice we have is how we live, how we spend this day that the Lord has so graciously granted us.
We can either live it under the auspices of Beelzebub, enjoying the lusts of the flesh and the material possessions of this evil world. Or we can choose to dwell under the righteous and holy auspices of the Lord God Jehovah, Maker of heaven and earth and all therein.
Now, I believe that the latter choice is the better one. First of all, the stuff of Beelzebub doesn’t last, can be destroyed by rust and moths etc., plus you can’t take any of it when you depart this life. And besides, a lot of Beelzebub’s work is done through deceit, sleight of hand and mirrors, only giving you the impression that you actually have something good, when in fact you have nothing at all; just a chimerical, illusory state.
However, with Almighty God, you have the ability to store up treasures in heaven, which you can’t do in hell. And secondly, living under the mighty hand of God also brings new perks each and every day. Glory Hallelujah! You certainly don’t get new blessings every day from the evil prince of darkness; he just tries to steal your soul or keep you locked up in darkness to suit his evil purposes.
As Jeremiah reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23).
Oh my fellow believers it is so good, so heartwarming and reassuring to see our heavenly Father working diligently for good in our lives every day. And don’t forget, He is the epitome of faithfulness, He will NEVER let us down under any circumstances, which obviously can’t be said about our evil enemy who roams the earth like a roaring lion, looking for those whom he might devour.
That brings us to our Bit, Bruh Paul’s admonishment to his young protégé Timothy. ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’
And how do we get to be like that? By praying, reading and meditating on the scriptures and living the life it espouses.
As Bruh Paul explains before our Bit: ‘But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’ (2Tim.3:14-16)
And the scholars illuminate us thus: ‘3:14-17. Continue literally means “remain.” The things which thou hast learned were his oral instruction in the holy scriptures (the Old Testament, here) by his mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois). Inspiration of God (Gr. theopneustos, lit. “God-breathed) describes the unique character of Scripture. It is not only written by men, but authored by God.
For doctrine means to tell one what to believe. For reproof means to tell one what is wrong. For correction means to tell one how to correct wrong. For instruction in righteousness means to tell one how to live. Perfect (Gr. artios, “proficient, capable”) is having everything needed to do what God wants. Thoroughly furnished means “thoroughly equipped.” God’s inspired Word, properly used and applied, provides all we need for life and ministry.’
I couldn’t say it any better myself friends. And many of us were raised like Timothy, with oral instructions in the scriptures from some family member, friend or Sunday school teacher, which means that the Word of God was planted in our hearts early on in our lives, so it’s nothing new to us, however we need to continue studying it, so that we will know how to live a godly life as adults.
That’s because the Word is a complete set of instructions on how to live this life. We don’t need anything else beside it; just wisely and diligently follow its instructions and we’ll be well covered. I know that many of us might think otherwise, but you’ll never know the truth until you try it.
Remember in Jesus’ realm, you have to believe it before you see it. That means to have trust and faith in Jesus, regardless of the situation. Again, that’s how the Lord planned His realm and we have no real say in the matter; is either we accept it or not. And we’d be foolish not to accept it, because there’s no faithfulness to be had in Beelzebub’s realm. The word doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. So that’s not a very wise place to be in.
Meanwhile, in our Bit, Bruh Paul to a certain extent is reminding Timothy of his earlier words, re the good fight of faith. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession).’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)
That’s after he warned him about the pitfalls of listening to false teachers and being contented with whatsoever he had, as well as the erroneous and disastrous ‘LOVE of money.’
And we’ll end with some thoughts from the scholars. ‘6:11. Flee these things means shun a LOVE for money (v.10) and the striving for material wealth (v.9) with all its resulting woes. Follow after means pursue. Righteousness is practical correctness, conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting. Godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to, God. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’
‘6:12. The good fight concerns the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life, and the hardships and adversities in the ministry. A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare. Lay hold on eternal life does not negate the fact that a believer now possesses spiritual life (John 3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’
So friends, as usual, I’m asking us to ponder all that we’ve read today, then, with God’s help, let us try to improve , to steadily mature as we ought, for that is indeed true wisdom. Much LOVE!
…the Bible is God’s Word to us…still fresh through all the ages…and if we read it…we will find God’s wisdom on its pages…
29 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leap year., adrenalin, as for me and mine, asaph, aura of love, be ye holy, blessings, burdened, conduct, confidence, confuse, conquerors, Creator of the universe, destruction, discipline, earthly domain, enthusiasm, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, fool your fat, for I am holy, forsake, freedom of choice, friends, further your glorious kingdom, gird up the loins of your mind, grace, harmony, holiness, holy spirit, hope to the end, humble servants, ignorance, intoxicate, invincible, jealousy, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, jobs, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, lusts, material possessions, meet the enemy in battle, mental, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedient children, on the cross, praise Your Holy Name, prosperity, renewed vitality, resolutions, revelation of Jesus, righteousness., salvation, slippery places, so great a God, sober, spiritual armour, spiritual being, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the heathen, the kingdom of God, the sanctuary, the straight and narrow path, thy way O God, tolerate sin, trust, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, we will follow the Lord, wealthy, weary souls, why hast thou forsaken me, wickedness, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 77:13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?
Ah friends, isn’t it insightful and mysterious how our God made this last day of February in this leap year of 2016 to fall on the day we most LOVE to hate? (smile)
Yes precious people of God, it’s Monday, when our time of weekly labour generally begins. Are we up to it today? Have we rested and fellowshipped sufficiently yesterday so that we can go our bright and beautiful today to face the big world and all its evil? I certainly do hope so?
But just in case we have not taken the Lord’s advice and refreshed our spirits on the first day of the week, Sunday, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to encourage us. So let’s declare it with much enthusiasm and harmony.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t a bad rendition at all! And most important, it did bring a small smile from Jesus, our choir director.
Now, having our Adrenalin levels raised and our motors running smoothly, let’s go out and put all that stuff into action nuh; show the heathen the true beauty of being a believer in Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’
Oh my people, my people, that’s a great statement and a wonderful question, both in the same sentence. Let’s see how we can explain and expand upon them nuh.
First of all, our God is a holy God. That means, by His very nature He is unable to tolerate sin, evil, and wickedness of any kind. Yuh see, even when His only Son Jesus was burdened down on the cross with our sins, He could have no part of Him, He had to forsake Him, although His heart was breaking in a million pieces, so that things could be made right.
Note Jesus’ plaintive cry: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) That was the ONLY time ever that the Father has ever left Him on His own. But it was necessary, if we were to be cleansed and reconciled to the Father.
And then in God’s house, His ‘sanctuary,’ is where His holiness can best be found and sometimes understood. As the psalmist Asaph say in Psalm 73, when he was being tortured by the prosperity of the wicked. ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.’ (Ps.73:17-18)
Yes friends, only when Asaph entered God’s house and communed with Him, did he understand the destruction that the wicked face, despite their worldly prosperity.
Now sadly, thousands of years later many, too many, of us are still afflicted by Asaph’s jealousy of the prosperity of the wicked.
Precious people, please don’t travel that road, because it is one that only leads to destruction and eternal separation from Almighty God. It’s true that the wicked seem to prosper in this earthly domain, but in the heavenly one they will not even come near the gates.
It’s understood that our sinful human nature makes us gravitate towards material possessions, but they don’t last, and we can’t carry them with us when we return to the dust of which we were formed. So why waste our lives fighting to get them eh?
Jesus says if we seek the Father first; ‘the kingdom of God and his righteousness,’ then all the earthly stuff we need will be given to us. (Matt.6:33)
Now we all might not made be wealthy and otherwise, but we will never lack for anything. And don’t fool your fat, there are many wealthy Christians in the world, you just won’t know or see it because they don’t display their wealth like a lot of the wicked do, and they use it for purposes that glorify God and furthers His kingdom. So being a child of God doesn’t mean you can’t ever be wealthy, it’s just how you get it and how you use it.
And we’ll end with these wise and very instructive words of Peter. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace (rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation (second coming) of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct).’ (1 Pet.1:13-15)
There we have it friends, the call to be holy. It calls for serious inner resolution, accompanied by personal discipline and outward conduct. We can’t afford to let anything confuse or intoxicate our mental and spiritual beings.
Now God in His wisdom gave us freedom of choice, which means it’s up to each individual to choose his own path. Let’s hope that most, if not all of us will choose the straight and narrow path that leads to God, but as for me and mine, we WILL follow the Lord, because that is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…it is written…be ye holy…for I am holy… (1 Pet.1:16)
26 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool uttereth all his mind, a fool's wrath, a helping hand, a prudent man, a talebearer, a wise man keeps it till afterward, accept responsibility, barrier, bounden duty, Christian faith, defers anger, discretion, Eva Rose York, faithful spirit, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, giving, gospel truth, gossipmongers, heartache, heavy load, help others, holy spirit, I shall not pass this way again, ill-will, Jesus Christ, lash out, lime, looking down our noses, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, material possessions, mercy, motives of our hearts, needy, negative images, opposition, party, prideful, receiving, relaxation, relieve pain, renewed and refreshed, rest, run off at the mouth, secular world, selfish nature, slow to anger, strife, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the weekend, transgression, trouble, understanding, vents all his feelings, wearing our emotions on our sleeves, week of work, wisdom, worldly pleasures
Proverbs 29:11. A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward (holds it back).
And then it was Friday…
And the working people joyfully declared: ‘Oh Friday, glorious Friday! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend! Imagine nuh, for two whole days, no massa and his economic slavery! We can do whatever we want. Party and lime as much as we want. No wonder we shout, TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’
Oh friends, what can I say, it’s the basic truth. But then doing whatever we want, whenever we want, and as much as we want has never brought us anything but heartache and trouble. And continual partying and liming is definitely not the proper way to spend our weekends, though many of us seem to think so and thus perpetrate all sorts of misery on ourselves by wasting it in idle worldly pleasures.
In total opposition to that way of thinking though is our Friday Chant, so let’s chant it with sincerity and godly understanding nuh. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers in Christ, that puts the weekend into a much better and wiser perspective!
And today I want to share a few lines of a poem by one of Canada’s early female writers, Eva Rose York. The poem’s titled, ‘I shall not pass this way again.’
And the particular lines tell us. ‘I shall not pass this way again; Then let me now relieve some pain, Remove some barrier from the road, Or lighten someone’s heavy load, A helping hand to this one lend, Then turn to some other to befriend.’
Oh friends, what a telling description of our Christian faith! For that’s exactly what we are supposed to do as believers in Christ Jesus; HELP OTHERS!
And it doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, black or white, or of any particular creed, we all need help at some time or other, and it is our bounden duty to help the needy who come across our paths.
And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, describes that help thus. ‘LOVING help is not prompted by pity or superiority, but by empathy and shared humanness.’
That’s the kind of help Jesus wants us to show and share my brethren, not the kind prompted by looking down our noses at others in worse situations than us. Unfortunately though, too may of us who are fairly well-off, tend to behave in the latter manner.
But friends, I’m here to tell us that the Lord doesn’t welcome or accept that kind of prideful help, and He knows it, because He looks at the motives of our hearts, not our words or outward actions.
So please, let’s stop allowing our pride, our material possessions, our place and power in the secular world from dominating the way we think, and therefore the reason and manner for the help we give to others and also accept, because help doesn’t mean only giving, but also receiving, and receiving in the right manner too.
And that’s my sermon for today! (smile) I know it won’t resonate well with some, but them’s the breaks.
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward (holds it back).’
Ah mih people, we all know that to be gospel truth, but nonetheless we too often run off at the mouth and/or show our emotions without first thinking about the reactions that they will cause. And sadly it’s a phenomenon that causes a lot of the strife in our world.
It’s ever so important that we, especially Christians, learn to listen and think seriously before we respond since our reactions can impact either negatively or positively for Christ. And remember, whatever we do is all about Jesus, so we definitely don’t need to create any negative images or reactions about Him and his great salvation.
We need to speak words, do things and have reactions that will boost His LOVE Revolution, rather than stuff that will negate it. We already have too much negative stuff re our faith, we certainly don’t need anymore.
And sadly too, in this dangerous and disgusting world, we tend to lash out at others more easily and quickly than we’ve hitherto done. I don’t know if it’s the more selfish nature that now pervades our society that causes it, but it has become a serious problem.
Look at things like road rage, how at the drop of a hat, with very little provocation, someone is ready to pull and use a gun or a knife, plus the amount of verbal, physical and emotional abuse that’s been heaped on others daily. A lot of it stems from selfish behaviour and our refusal to accept responsibility for our actions.
Now let’s check out some more scriptures on the subject from Cousin Sol, who deals with it a lot. Listen up: ‘A fool’s wrath is presently known (known at once): but a prudent man covereth shame.’ (Prov.12:16) Yes friends, wearing our emotions on our sleeves has its proper time and place.
Hear Cousin Sol again: ‘A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.’ (Prov.11:13) Christians ought never to be gossipmongers or congregate too often with them!
It’s all Cousin Sol today friends. ‘Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.’ (Prov.14:33)
And we’ll end with this gem from the wisest man ever. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11)
So my fellow brethren in Christ, in conclusion, let’s be wise and go out today being slow to anger and overlook transgressions nuh, just as our God has so often done, and continues to do, in each of our lives. Much LOVE!
…Christians ought to be steeped in LOVE…and LOVE bears no ill-will to another…
25 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of rest, a faithful saying, a hammer, a jumble of thoughts, a lamp that guides, a mirror, a sword, abides, abominable iniquity, aches, affirm constantly, asaph, asthma, bends before it, Bibly Study, blessings, born again, bounden duty, breathed life, children of God, Christian, citicenship, contentious, cooperate with God, corrupt, cough, deceit, defeats Satan, disobedient, divers lusts, divine workman, donkey's years, empathy, enticed, envious, envy, ethics, evil, faith, fellowship, flu, foolish, friends, funeral, gentle, glory hallelujah, glory to God, god moves in mysterious ways, God's will, good works, gospel of Christ, grace, hating, holy spirit, human nature, illnesses, imbibed, Jesus Christ, joy, judges sin, kindness, living for Christ, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, Lucifer, make sense of, malice, material possessions, meekness, mercy, Mt. St. George, new life, newborn, Nicodemus, none that doeth good, pains, Paradise, pay the cost, potholes, powers, principalities, profitable, prosperity, regeneration, resist the wave, reveals sin, righteousness., salvation, sell our soul, stand strong and steadfast, stumbled, surrogate daughters, swept away, talk is cheap, temptation, tentacles, the BIBLE, the fool say in his heart, the likeness of Christ, the wicked, the work of god, there is no god, Titus, treachery, trust, truth, West Indian, winding road., wisdom
Psalm 53:1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
Oh friends, there is so much I want to say this beautiful Thursday morning, but I simply can’t say anything! Chuh!
Has that ever happened to you? My mind is a jumble of thoughts and whatever else that I can’t seem to make sense of, but I’m not worried because I know that our great and magnanimous God will eventually look down on me with empathy and guide me to what He wants me to say.
I guess that part of my problem is that I have a touch of the flu and cough that’s causing my asthma to act up a bit. And there’s nothing that drives me bonkers like coughing.
Anyway, I went to the funeral of an old schoolmate yesterday afternoon in Mt. St. George – and now I realize why it’s so named, for we had to drive up a steep, winding road littered with potholes to reach the church, then come another steep winding one to get back to the main road.
It’s a good thing the duchess wasn’t my co-pilot, because I don’t know if we would have made it back safely. (smile)
The funeral was well attended, and I saw people whom I hadn’t seen in donkey’s years (smile). The deceased lived in the U.S but was brought back home to her village for burial, exactly what I want to happen to me.
And to show how our God moves in mysterious ways, he took one home but also breathed life in to a newborn son of one of my surrogate daughters down here. Glory to God!
Now a buddy and I was supposed to go touring today, but it seems that he imbibed a tad too much last night, so he is also under the weather, which means that tour will have to be put off indefinitely.
Ah mih people, my time in sweet Tobago is swiftly drawing to a close, and as the duchess said recently, the problem is not how we’re going to face the cold up in the Northern climes, but how we’re going to leave this paradise? It will definitely be hard, although every day we complain how the sun is so hot.
So I guess today will just be a day of rest and later this evening I’ll go to the Bible Study class up the road. I heard they missed me last week when I was in Trinidad. I missed them too, because it was a spirited gathering, West Indian style. And call me biased, but nothing beats anything, West Indian style! (smile)
Now that’s the end of my news, but before we get to our Bit, I want to share these words of wisdom from one Leviticus, whom I assume was an olden Greek philosopher. And he is reputed to have said that: ‘He who attempts to resist the wave is swept away, but he who bends before it abides.’
And I rediscovered that in reality recently on the beach. I tried to fight off a big wave and it sent me crashing into the sand. But another one, instead of trying to fight it, I rode it successfully into the shore.
The same way it is with life my friends, especially when we are getting up in age and can’t fight all the unusual stuff that’s coming against us; all the aches and pains and illnesses. We have to learn to bend with the tide, if we hope to continue living a full and enjoyable life.
That also means we cannot emulate the people in our Bit. ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.’
Now, though we know better, the prosperity of the wicked can sometimes drive us to want what they have. Listen to the psalmist Asaph, as he discourses in Psalm 73 on the Mystery of Prosperous wickedness.
‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Yes friends, although Asaph knew better, the sinful human nature still enticed him to be envious of the wicked in their earthly prosperity. And unfortunately it still does the same thing to us in these very trying and difficult times.
But we need to see the treachery and deceit of material possession and earthly prosperity for what it really is; ofttimes a temptation of the enemy, and don’t allow it to get us caught up in its wicked tentacles. Because once we sell our soul for those things, it’s not very easy to get out of Lucifer’s contract.
Now hear Bruh Paul to Titus on Christian citizenship and the basis of the Christian ethic. ‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities (rulers) and powers (authorities), to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers (not contentious), but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.
For we ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour. That being justified (declared righteous) by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:1-7)
Yes my fellow believers in Christ, it’s only through God’s grace and mercy and LOVING-kindness, poured out on us through Christ that we are able to withstand the wiles and lies of the evil one. That means we have to stand strong and steadfast in faith if we want to resist the enemy.
Now here is some info from the scholars on the term ‘regeneration.’‘3:5. Regeneration refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation experience that produces new life in the believer. To express this concept, Jesus used the expression “born again” in His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:3-7).
Regeneration is the work of God, through the Holy Spirit, of placing in one who has faith a new nature, capable of doing God’s will. The Holy Spirit is the agent or divine workman of this regeneration. His instrument is the Bible, which is likened to a hammer that judges sin (Jer.23:29), a mirror that reveals sin (James 1:23), a sword that defeats Satan (Heb.4:12), and a lamp that guides the believers (Ps.119:105).
Illustration: People are instantaneously “born again “the moment they trust Christ as Saviour. (1 Pet.1:23). Application: Christians should be careful to cooperate with God in growing as children of God after they are regenerated, or given new life. (First Ref. John 3:3), Primary Ref. Titus 3:5. cf. Eph.1:15.).’
Oh friends, only by cooperating with God and growing in the likeness of Christ, can we ever hope to stave off the foolishness and deceit of the enemy! And it will benefit us all, if we looked up the references the scholars provided. (smile)
Now let’s end with some more words of Bruh Paul to Titus. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’ (Titus 3:8)
There’s nothing left to say my brethren, except that we should all go out, each and every day, being careful to do works that enhance the gospel of Christ, so that the heathen can see the true beauty in living for Christ and want to come to Him. It’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but good works cost something…Christians should be prepared to pay that cost…
P.S. I know it’s long, but God’s word is worth it. (smile) Much LOVE!
24 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable iniquity, big bang, ceased being wise, Christ is Lord indeed, Christian principles, corrupt, covetousness, deceitful, defeat the enemy, despises not evil, earthly sojourn, every foe is vanquished, evil, faith, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, give thanks, glory hallelujah, greed, he flatters himself, holy spirit, I am halfway home, I'm so glad to be alive, indisputable truth, infiltrated, Jesus Christ, Jesus returns, Jesus' desires, keep up the fight, lies, logistics, LOVE, Lucifer, lusts, lusts of the flesh, mano a mano, material possessions, mercies, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, new every morning, none that doeth good, paramount, power, Praise the Lord, pride, promises, seek after God, soldiers of Christ, stand strong, stand up for Jesus, steadfast love of God, the beauty of nature, the breath of life, the fool has said in his heart, the foolish, the four seasons, the heathen, the obits, there is no god, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust, ungrateful children, way of the world, wicked, wisdom, words of his mouth
Psalm 53:1. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
So what’s up this glorious Wednesday morning my people? I do hope that the LOVE of God is flowing through all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, as it ought to, because without it, we’re nothing.
And along with that wonderful blessing I do hope that we have given Him thanks for bringing us safely through another dark and fearful night, into the brilliant light of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful; ‘Praise the Lord! Amen.’
Yes friends, above all else we do need to be thankful for God’s mercies that are new every day, for that’s what keeps us going successfully on this our earthly sojourn. Thanks and praise are an essential part of the believer’s life.
So since today is Wednesday, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with much gusto and sincerity nuh. Remember though that the Lord isn’t just listening to our words, but monitoring our hearts, so though our words might sound sincere, if our hearts aren’t right, He won’t pay any attention to our prayer.
Anyway, wailing now as one: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And that’s how it ought to be my brethren! We are supposed to be thankful for the breath of life we possess; our names are not in the obits this morning. (smile)
We are also to be holding tightly to that plough, looking straight ahead, so that we can plough straight furrows, and glory in the majestic future that Jesus has planned for us. Oh glory to God, for the way He looks after us, His ungrateful children!
And since I don’t have any adventures to share, the past couple of days have been rather mundane and uneventful, let’s get right into our Bit. ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.’
Ah mih people, it is ever so sad that our world is populated and run by the corrupt and sinful! But friends, just from a logistics point of view, how could there be no God eh?
So who set up the universe and all the things that run by themselves in it; the four seasons, day and night, man’s birth, life and death, the fishes in the sea, the birds in the air, the beauty of nature, all those who don’t have no sense but are well taken care of?
One big bang could not have caused all that stuff to be so precise and continuous. Oh, and I heard one preacher say recently, that if the world was formed by the big bang, then it was God who pushed the button to cause it. Now that does make more sense. (smile)
Ah my precious people, regardless of what you call Him, there IS a greater power than mankind out there, too many unexplainable things happen in our lives and on the earth to preclude that. But the heathen and the foolish think it not so.
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 10 – A prayer for the overthrow of the wicked. ‘The wicked in his pride doth persecute (hotly pursues) the poor: let them be taken in the devices (plots) that they have imagined (devised).
For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous (greedy), whom the Lord abhorreth (renounces the Lord) The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts (all his thoughts are, There is no God).’(Ps.10:2-4)
And unfortunately that is exactly how a majority of our world now thinks, and consequently behaves! Covetousness, greed, lust for power and material possessions, plus other lusts of the flesh are paramount in our societies these days. Those obviously leave no room for God and His things.
And though Bruh Paul tells the Roman church: ‘For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God;’ (Rom.3:28) And that’s indisputable truth!
However, through God’s wonderful LOVE, grace and mercy, we have been justified, sanctified, set apart and cleansed from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross at Calvary, where His death atoned for ALL sin.
And all God’s children shouted loudly and gratefully: ‘Thank You Jesus!’
And what truly amazes me, is that most of Western Society and Civilization were founded on Christian principles, and prospered under those principles, so how can we foolishly move away from them eh, and expect to continue prospering?
Lucifer has clearly infiltrated our souls, hearts, bodies and minds with his deceitful promises and ungrounded lies.
Listen to Bruh David in Psalm 36 – The steadfast LOVE of God, where he again describes the ways of the wicked. ‘The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
The words of his mouth are iniquity (wickedness) and deceit: he had left off to be wise (ceased being wise), and to do good. He deviseth mischief (plots wickedness) upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth (despises) not evil.’ (Ps.36:1-4)
Yes friends, that’s the way of today’s world! Wicked men and their evil thoughts and deeds have invaded the halls of power and are controlling our lives under the auspices of Beelzebub instead of those of God.
But friends, please remember that the battle is not over, will not be over until Jesus returns, and we can still defeat the enemy and his evil intentions and deeds by truly hunkering down with Jesus and fighting them mano a mano like true soldiers of Christ!
Now let’s encourage each other to stand strong and keep up the fight for that is what Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…stand up, stand up for Jesus…ye soldiers of the cross…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…
22 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leper until the day of his death, a star shining in the east, an outcast from society, as long as he sought the Lord, Bethlehem, Born is the king of Israel, charles stanley, confidence, cut off rom the Lord's house, forgot who brought him to the dance, frankincense, God made him to prosper, God's faithfulness, gold, he sought God, his heart was lifted up to his destruction, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Jesus Christ, Jotham, joy, judging the people, keeping their sheep, leave all the consequences to Him, leprosy, material possessions, monetary wealth, myrrh, obey God, on a cold winter's night, peace, poor shepherds, reverently upon their knee, share His love with the world, sing praises to our heavenly Lord, strength, the Christmas spirit, the first Noel, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Messiah, the reason for the season, three wise men, to burn incense, to the earth it gave great light, transgressed against the Lord, trials, Tuesday Mantra, understanding in the visions of God, Uzziah, wisdom, with His blood mankind has bought
2 Chronicles 26:5. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Oh Friends, only three more days to go to that most auspicious birth; that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! And I do hope that we all are getting into the Christmas spirit, enjoying the real reason for the season – Jesus!
And to help us do that this morning I figured we could sing the wonderful carol, The first Noel. So please sing along with me.
‘The first Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay: In fields where they lay keeping their sheep On a cold winter’s night that was so deep. Noel Noel Noel Noel Born is the King of Israel.
They looked up and saw a star Shining in the east beyond them far: And to the earth it gave great light And so it continued both day and night. Noel Noel Noel Noel Born is the King of Israel.
And by the light of that same star Three wise men came from the country far; To seek for a King was their intent, And to follow the star wherever it went. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
This star drew nigh to the north-west; O’er Bethlehem it took it’s rest, And there it did both stop and stay, Right over the place where Jesus lay. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.
Then entered in those wise men three, Fell reverently upon their knee, And offered there in his presence Their gold and myrrh and frankincense. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the king of Israel.
Then let us all with one accord Sing praises to our heavenly Lord, That hath made heaven and earth of nought, And with his blood mankind has bought. Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.’
Yes my fellow believers what wonderful sentiments concerning the birth of our Messiah. And I do hope that singing that lovely carol infused some Christmas spirit in us, took our minds off the busyness of the season, and helped us concentrate on Jesus. It also meant you had to put up with less of my badgering to get us to live right. (smile)
Anyhow, today is Tuesday, that means we need to recite our Tuesday Mantra. So let’s get right into it with true conviction and a strong sense of purpose.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh glory and honour to our wonderful God my people, for He has done so much for us! I don’t understand why we aren’t more thankful for His many blessings nuh, especially the birth of His Son Jesus, which we are now in the process of celebrating.
That brings us to our Bit, based on one of the foundational bricks of our faith. ‘And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions (fear) of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.’
Yes my fellow believers, if we want to truly prosper, then we need to seek out the face of Almighty God and do the things that He desires of us.
And by prosper, we don’t only mean the acquisition of monetary wealth or material possessions, but also things like joy and peace, the ability to handle the trials that come against us with confidence in His faithfulness and promises, and also the ability to not allow the enemy to disrupt our lives; in other words, the strength and wisdom found only in worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Now yesterday we saw how some of the rulers of early Israel sought the Lord and prospered, today we’ll continue looking at the way one of those rulers, Uzziah, ended up, the one to whom our Bit refers.
Now pay serious attention my brethren. The Good Book declares: ‘But when he (Uzziah) was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense.’ (2 Chr.26:16)
Ah mih people, what happens to us when we get strong and prosperous eh? Like we just seem to lose our minds! Uzziah knew full well that only the priests were allowed to burn incense on the altar. But as so many of us do, he forgot who had brought him to dance, conveniently believing that he had gotten there by his own power.
Now the priests withstood his efforts to burn the incense, and per the Good Book: ‘Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.’ (2 Chr.26:19)
Yes friends, that’s what happens when we disobey the Lord’s rules and procedures; we pay a hefty price. The priests threw him out of the sanctuary, and Uzziah himself hurried out because he realized that the Lord had stricken him in the worst way possible, for leprosy made him an outcast from society.
And we’ll end with this telling verse from the Lord’s Word. ‘And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several (isolated) house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.’ (2 Chr.26:21)
There’s not much more for me to say Friends, except that we need to be very careful about how we live under the Lord’s umbrella and remember who causes us to have whatever we have and to do whatever we do. Now that is wisdom in the truest sense of the word! Much LOVE!
…Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says it best…obey God…and leave all the consequences to him…that’s the best prescription for living this earthly life…
18 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner, a two-part being, believers in Jesus Christ, Christians, compassion, dirt poor, dividing asunder of soul and spirit, doing God's work, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, functions, furthering God's glorious kingdom, getting me through another week, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, godly power, human bone structure, in soul body and mind, integrity, John's vision, judging by what we have, like a hammer, LOVE, material possessions, my word is like a fire, our most important activity, overstanding, P.S. I Love You, partying soon start, preserved blameless, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, sharper than any twoedged sword, speaking God's Word, the branch of Jesse, the joints and marrow, the right perspective, the rod of his mouth, the Son of man, the thoughts and intents of the heart, the Word of God is quick, the workweek finish, there is power in the Word, till the coming of Christ, True wealth is what you are, wisdom, with righteousness, with the breath of his lips, with your generous help
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
And then, at last it was Friday…
And the whole town singing, ’Friday, Friday Friday, we LOVE you! Even though today yuh dark and dreary, we still glad that yuh here, because it means the workweek finish and the weekend finally here. Partying soon start! Thank God for Fridays yes! Thank Him for everyday, but especially Friday!’
Ah mih people, try as we can, we can’t break the party attitude that is first and foremost on our minds come Friday eh. As I keep saying though, nothing’s wrong with partying, just that it shouldn’t be the major thought in our minds come the weekend. Some rest and relaxation, plus serious time with our heavenly Father are also important to our weekend activities.
And to help us get in the right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant like we really mean it nuh. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, we need to remember that doing God’s work is our most important activity down here on earth, so it is necessary to make some special preparations that we can do it positively and effectively.
Now here’s a li’l brain teaser from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ poster. And it says: ‘True wealth is what you are, not what you have.’
And that’s the truth in spades my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! Who we are as people, is much more important that what we have. Unfortunately though, the world, including too many Christians behave the opposite way, judging others and ourselves by what we have.
Our material possessions are too often used to describe us as successful or not. But the truth is my people, we could be dirt poor in economic terms, but wealthy as ever internally, with integrity, compassion, wisdom, overstanding and God’s LOVE! Glory Hallelujah!
Now there’s nothing wrong with possessing economic wealth, but it must not take priority over those other things we just mentioned. So please, let’s get our priorities straight this Friday morning nuh, because the whole ebb and flow of our lives depends on it.
And that segues very nicely into our Bit. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’
Ah Friends, there is indeed immense power in the Word of our mighty and wonderful God! All glory and majesty be to Him!
And the scholars have this interesting info on our Bit, which they have titled: ‘Immaterial Part of Man. 4:12. The writer here draws an interesting parallel between the joints and the marrow, which have different functions, yet both are a part of a human’s bone structure.
Thoughts and intents are also two distinctive activities, yet both activities of the mind. And while the soul and spirit are distinct in function, both have an immaterial character. When considering the nature of humanity, we must realize a person is a two-part being, that is, with body and soul. But in activity or function the body, soul, and spirit of a person each has a different function.
Paul desired of his converts “whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess.5:23). (First Reference, Gen.2:7; Primary Reference, 1 Thess.5:23; cf. Prov.4:23.).’
Now that’s what is so wonderful about a human being; we’re made of so many different parts that function separately, as well as together, to make up the whole that we are in God! And please take a moment to read those references, because they are oh so good and true!
And today we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that corroborate the truth of our Bit, beginning with words from Isaiah, as he talks about the righteous reign of the branch of Jesse.
‘But with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity (decide with uprightness) for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite (strike) the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.’ (Is.11:4)
Yes people, the Lord’s servant will do it all through the power of His mouth. Meanwhile, when talking about false prophets, Jeremiah describes it thus: ‘Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?’ (Jer.23:29)
And finally, in John’s vision of the Son of Man, he declares: ‘And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.’ (Rev.1:16)
Oh friends, I do hope that all of this is having some significant impact on us, teaching us about how mighty and powerful the Word of out God truly is. Why you ask?
Because until we understand that, we will be severely limiting ourselves of the power that we have, through speaking God’s Word. And life is hard enough as it is, we don’t need to make it any harder by limiting the godly power that’s available to us. Much LOVE!
…there is power in the Word…power in the Word…power in the Word…
29 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affordability, all or nothing at all, almighty god, Black Friday, bring us to our senses, buying and selling, care, Caretaker, churlish, consumer socisty, Creator, Creator of the universe, Cyber Monday, double vision, drawing closer to God, drifting away from God, enlightened times, enslavement, eternal live, evil, fear not, flies out the window, forgiveness, friends, God agonized over our behaviour, God and mammon, God causes us to get wealth, God smoothens our paths, God takes plastic too, God's greatest creation, gorging ourselves, gospel truth, grace, guidance, improper attitude, Israelites, jealous god, Jesus Christ, Joshua, joy, lavish giver, like chickens with our heads cut off, LOVE, loyalty, lucifer's evil minions, Mammon, material possessions, material things, mercy, Moses, neither be dismayed, no man can serve two masters, our Lord and Saviour, peace, petty, power brokers, powers of darkness, priority, provider, read mark inwardly digest, reality, reasoning, refuse to heed God's call, run like cheetahs, running around in circles, salvation, secret, selfish, smart money, strength of plastic, taker, the bottom line, the Lord goes before thee, the Lord will be with you, the Lord will not fail you, the Lord will not forsake you, wake up and smell the roses, wisdom, you cannot serve God and mammon
Matthew 6:24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).
Well Friends, the craziness and stupidity of Black Friday is over!
Chuh! What a mind boggling event! It’s ever so sad to see the video footage of the enormous crowds, normally sane people, behaving like wild animals, like leggo-beasts, rushing, pushing, shoving and screaming like banshees, with their big boxes of supposed bargains.
I got so tired of hearing about Black Friday on the car radio yesterday, that at one point I just turned it off. Wonder what they’re going to call this Saturday eh? Remember cyber Monday soon come. Steups!
Ah Lord eh Friends, we’re just being turned into nothing but a consumer society by the powers that be! It’s all about buying and selling and padding the bottom line and the pockets of the already rich merchants and power brokers!
And sadly, we’re falling for it. We refuse to heed God’s call, although He has much better stuff to offer, but we run like cheetahs when Lucifer’s evil, greedy minions call. That’s not right my people. Many of us, when we go to church, find it difficult to put a decent offering in the collection plate, always focusing on what we can and cannot afford to give God.
But when coming to the sales of worldly goods, like yesterday, affordability quickly flies out the window, and we put it all on plastic without a qualm. Well I have a little secret to share with you – God takes plastic too yuh know! (smile)
But seriously Friends, our behaviour in these supposed modern and enlightened times has become so churlish, petty and selfish that it’s embarrassing sometimes to call ourselves human beings, God’s greatest creation.
I’m sure our heavenly Father must have agonized over our behaviour yesterday, even to the point of questioning His wisdom in creating us, because we seem to be foolishly drifting further and further away from Him, instead of wisely drawing closer to Him, seeking His everlasting LOVE, care and guidance.
For in the memorable words of Moses to the Israelites, when he commissioned Joshua as his successor: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ (Deut.31:8)
Yes Friends, it is Almighty God, our Creator, Provider and Caretaker who goes before us to smoothen out our paths, the same One whom we are so rudely and unwisely ignoring these days.
And I can just imagine, when the bills arrive for those of us who did the big shopping yesterday on the strength of plastic, the first words we’re going to cry our are: ‘Oh God!’ Then we’ll run to Him asking for help to pay them.
But He was nowhere in our thoughts when we gorging ourselves on the flimsy, soon destroyed, material things of the world. And we fully expect God to help us too! Hn!
Oh my people, please read, mark and inwardly digest these important words of our Bit, words that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ proclaimed some two thousand years ago. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).’
Now that’s both logical reasoning and gospel truth!
And the scholars offer an excellent explanation of that verse: ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty towards one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. kurios) is a lord or an owner.
That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
Yeh mih breddren, nothing’s wrong with having wealth and material possessions per se, but when we make them our priority, and put God somewhere down the totem pole, then we’re being foolish and worshipping them as idols.
Remember too that it’s our great God who causes us to get wealth, (Deut.8:18) and He’s also a very jealous Deity, wanting us to serve and worship nothing, or no one else but Him. That’s His first commandment: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3)
Oh Friends, let’s wake up and smell the roses, or the coffee, or whatever it is that’s going to bring us to our senses nuh, bring us back to the reality that we cannot serve the things of this world and Jehovah God at the same time. One has to take precedent and priority over the other, and the smart money is on the Creator of the universe!
So please, let’s stop allowing the powers of darkness and evil of this world to cause us to run around in circles, like chickens with our heads cut off, doing their unwise bidding, and instead wisely concentrate on the One who has amazing stuff to offer, for free too; stuff like peace, LOVE, joy, mercy, grace, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life!
Wow! Now can any bank, credit card company or businessman offer you those things? Absolutely not! They’re only interested in taking what little material possessions and wealth you have to increase their pile.
But the Lord God Jehovah is a lavish giver, not a taker! So let’s get smart nuh and truly follow Him, for that’s the apex of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…our God doesn’t play halves…with Him…it’s either ALL…or nothing at all…
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