20 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, accomplish for the Lord, add something to it, awaken to a new day, Bionic Man Generation, blessed, breathed his breath, curse, desires of the heart, divine protection, enjoy its fine fruits, eternally grateful, exalt His holy name, faith, favour, fervent, glory to God, heal me O lord, healing, her leaf shall be green, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Joel Osteen, let all the earth, life-keeping job, living waters, many opportunities, medical disciples, mortal bodies, my best days are still ahead, negative word, Oh Happy Day, populate the earth, positive outlook, prayers, promotion, righteous please, save me O Lord, shall not be anxious, shall not fear, spread out her roots, success, supplications, the dust of the earth, the Lord that heals thee, the man that trusts in the Lord, the road to recovery, the year of drought, Thursday Blessings, to take me home, when heat comes, work
Exodus 15:26b. …for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
And then it was Thursday- Recovery Day! Glory be! Yes friends, the Big Day came and went without any major problems…Give thanks! And now I’m on the road to recovery, with a metal-based device implanted in my body to assist my somewhat less than sturdy and stable heart in doing its life-keeping job!
Give our heavenly Father much praise and thanks my brethren, for He answered all your fervent and righteous pleas, prayers and supplications, by bringing me safely through what seems like a successful surgical procedure. At long last I’ve become a dues paying member of the Bionic Man Generation! (smile) Glory to God!
What else can I say eh, but give Him much deserved thanks and praise; let all the earth exalt His Holy Name! That magnificent, magnanimous Deity who so LOVINGLY and tenderheartedly created us from the dust of the earth, then so generously breathed His breath of life into our mortal bodies!
Ah mih people, I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I’m awfully glad to be alive, with no serious complications, and the Good Lord, through His medical disciples, has possibly prolonged it somewhat. I hope it’s at least fifteen more years, like He gave King Hezekiah when he was supposedly on his deathbed. (smile)
But whatever it is friends, be it one day, I will be eternally grateful, because He’s had many opportunities to take me home and didn’t. That tells me I still have work down here to do on His behalf. In fact, every time we awaken to a new day means we still have work to accomplish for the Lord our God! We’re not just down here to populate the earth and enjoy its fine fruits, but also to add something to it.
Anyway, as Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) likes to say, ‘my best days are still ahead of me!’ And I truly believe that because the Lord has put so many desires in my heart and I haven’t even accomplished half of them yet. For as Jeremiah says: ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by living waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8)
That brings us to our main concern today; healing. And what better way to acknowledge it than by accepting the Lord’s word promised through Moses at the bitter waters of Marah, when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt many moons ago. If they would heed His word and be obedient to His will, He would bring none of the diseases that He allowed to befall the Egyptians: ‘for I am the Lord that healeth thee.’ Words of absolute truth my brethren!
The Lord is our Creator, Controller, Provider and many other things, amongst them Healer! Thus His majestic Hebrew name: Jehovah Rapha – the Healer, the Restorer, the One that makes new! And there are so many instances of His healing prowess in the Good Book. Hear the beginning of His message to Hezekiah, through Isaiah, when He told Him that his time was up. After Hezekiah prayed sincerely to the Lord, reminding him that he had walked before Him in truth and righteousness, and he wept great tears.
The Lord stopped Isaiah before he had even left the palace compound, saying to him: ‘Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years: and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.’ (2 Kin 20:5-6)
Now I’m not in Hezekiah’s class, but I have tried my best to walk in truth and righteousness, prayed and wept, just like Hezekiah did, and it appears that the Lord is in the process of healing me. So who am I to question His word eh? Now let’s hear some more healing scripture.
In Bruh David’s words: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies.’ (Ps.103:2-5) And the psalmist declares: ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds (sorrows). (Ps.147:3) Yuh see friends, our great God heals all sorts of illness, not just the physical kind.
And here is Jeremiah’s cry to God for healing: ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.’ (Jer.17:14) Yeh friends, whenever the Lord God is our true praise, our wounds will be healed. I can vouch for that!
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings in strong voice, with sincere hearts. ‘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!’ And the purpose of all those blessings is to share them with the less fortunate. Please remember that! Much LOVE!
…oh happy day…when Jesus healed…when He healed all my ailments…in His own way…
P.S. Yeh the Bit is late, since I didn’t get home until around 3 p.m. But let’s be thankful that we even have a Bit nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disastrous year, abundance, arrogant, blaspheme, bled, blemish, bless thou the Lord, blessed Redeemer, boll weevil, bore our sorrows, breath of life, Brook Benton, Christ is coming, cry down, died, disasters, doomed, endure for ever, finite minds, Frances Crosby, friends, glorify our heavenly Father, glory to God, god-like, godly love, gospel truth, grateful lips, hail him, happy, he touches the hills, heavenly portals, high-minded, Holy Name, hope of eternal salvation, hosannas ring, it trembles, Jesus, joyful song, king, lick our wounds, looking for a home, looks on the earth, mortal bodies, neighbours, no help, on the line, our rock, over the world victorious, plenty, praise him, Praise the Lord, priest, prophet, recuperate, rejoice in his works, returns to the earth, serving Almighty God, sing O earth, sing praises, sinless life, sinners, sound his praise, spirit departs, suffered, Sunday of fellowship, thankful hearts, the crucified, the glory of the Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the god of Jacob, the sacrifice of praise, the Son of man, thoughts perish, trust in princes, tumultuous year, unto my god, welcome, while I have any being, while I live, wonderful LOVE
Psalm 146:2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Welcome friends and neighbours to this last Sunday of fellowship in 2017! It has been indeed a tumultuous year, and let’s just hope and pray that 2018 will be quieter and more God-like, because our world doesn’t need another disastrous year like this one. We need something in which we can quietly lick our wounds, recuperate from all the disasters, natural and manmade, and get back to serving Almighty God the way we ought to.
Anyway, on this last Sunday of fellowship, let’s open with this old but beautiful hymn by Frances Crosby, ‘Praise Him, Praise Him.’ Yes friends, regardless of what our year has been like, our great God is worthy of much thanks and praise, so please lets offer up the sacrifice of praise from our thankful hearts through our grateful lips as one harmonious choir.
In full voice now: ‘Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory; Strength and honor give to His holy Name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children, In His arms He carries them all day long. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!)
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died. He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows, Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong. (Refrain)
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King! Christ is coming! over the world victorious, Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!)’
Oh my people, what an excellent song of praise! Jesus deserves every word of it because He did put His sinless life filled with Godly LOVE on the line for us while we were yet sinners! Wow! No other supposed deity has, or will ever come close to that. All the other deities want to take what little we have from us, while Jesus comes to give of the plenty, of the abundance that He has.
Glory to God my precious people! How can we not LOVE, praise, honour and worship Him eh? No wonder the psalmist proudly declares in our Bit: ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’
Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do while there is any breath of life left in our mortal bodies! For we were made to sing praises to and glorify our heavenly Father, the One who blessed us with His awesome breath of life.
Hear the psalmist as he continues his song of praise. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5)
Words of gospel truth my friends! If we don’t have the help of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then we’re in plenty trouble. And that is why this year of 2017 has been such a disastrous year; we haven’t had God’s help, because as a society, we have turned away from Him. How can He help us if we don’t cry out to Him for help eh?
Instead, we foolishly cry down, blemish, and blaspheme His holy name, while trying our best to get rid of him completely from our society. How stupid, arrogant and high minded can we get eh people? How can you remove the One who created the society from the society eh?
We’ve become so blinded by the supposed brilliance of our small, finite minds that we refuse to see ourselves as we truly are; in comparison to God, mere insects scurrying around aimlessly, like the boll weevil in the old Brook Benton song, looking for a home.
And the truth of the matter friends, the ONLY home there really is, is that provided by Jesus Christ, for all else will eventually be destroyed. But let’s place these truthful words of the psalmist deep in our hearts and souls nuh. ‘The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.’ (Ps.104:31-32)
Well then people, if that’s the awesome truth, then the only sensible recourse we have is to do like the psalmist says: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord, (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps.104:33-35)
Yeh my fellow believers, there is no better road down which we can travel than one of praise and glory to our great God. So let’s seriously resolve to do that this upcoming year nuh, because that’s the ONLY way our fortunes will be changed. Much LOVE!
…if Jesus isn’t a big part of our life and our world…then we’re surely doomed…
26 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man, atone for sins, blaspheme His holy name, breadth, breath of life, Christ died, cleanse, comfort me, concern, defenseless head, demonstrates, depth, enthusiasm, entourage, everlasting love, exalt, fellowship, glorify, glory to God, go marching in, God's Holy Name, God's sanctuary, grace, greater love, hang in there, have I drawn thee, healing streams, heartwarming, height, human creation, i have loved thee, in due time, jehovah god, Jerusalem, Jesus, joy, joyful, lay down his life for his friends, leave me not alone, length, LOVE, lover of my soul, loving kindness, mercurial splendour, mock, mortal bodies, my helpless soul, naysayers, patience, pendulum, plans, portrait of love, pure within, refuge, restoration of Israel, righteous life, righteousness., sacrifice of praise, sacrificial debt, sinful souls, stay focused on Jesus, substitutionary sacrifice, Sunday, support, the last laugh, the Lord hath appeared. of old, the shadow of thy wing, the storm of life, the ungodly, time, touching, trust help, unbelievers, wash, when the saints, without a bleat, without strength, worship, yet sinners
Jeremiah 31:3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.
And the pendulum of time swings – back and forth – every minute of every hour, of every day, month and year. But who knows when that pendulum of time will stop swinging eh? Only Jehovah God, who created it, in the first place. It is not for man to know the plans God has for His universe, but to just accept them with humility and gratitude, while praising and worshipping the One who breathed the exotic breath of His eternal life into our frail, mortal bodies.
Now, as another Sunday rolls around, we gather once more in joyful fellowship in God’s sanctuary to praise and worship, exalt and glorify His Holy Name, as he desires of us. And, as always, we’ll begin the worship by offering up the sacrifice of praise in song. Today’s opening hymn is an old one, ‘Jesus LOVER of my Soul,’ written by Charles Wesley way back in the 18th century. It’s one we all know and cherish, so let’s belt it out with great joy and enthusiasm.
‘Jesus, LOVER of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high; hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last! Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. All my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee I bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing.
Plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within. Thou of life the fountain art; freely let me take of thee; spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity.’
Yes friends, Jesus had to LOVE our sinful souls, else why did He sacrifice His righteous life, taking our sin unto His shoulders, while giving us His righteousness? True LOVE could be the only answer. Jesus said it to His disciples. ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ (John 15:13) Then He went out and laid down His life for us all.
But it all began with the Father, as Jeremiah reports in our Bit, when the Lord promised the restoration of Israel. ‘The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have LOVED thee with an everlasting LOVE: therefore with LOVING-kindness have I drawn thee.’
Yuh see how often He allowed Israel to be torn apart, then He LOVINGLY built them back up again. And it’s not only LOVE that God has for His human creation, but also infinite patience! Oh my people, what great and undying concern the Lord has for us! It’s almost impossible to understand the length and breadth and height and depth of it.
As Bruh Paul said to the church at Rome: ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time), Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:6-8)
As the scholars explain: ‘5:8. Christ died for us: His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit, but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’ Oh my people, how touching and heartwarming that is eh! Knowing that Christ died instead of me, so that I didn’t have to die an awful, sinful death… How much more should that make me LOVE Him and place my undying trust in all that He stands for!
Oh my fellow believers, as we truly study it, the portrait of LOVE coming out of heaven, just keeps on getting bigger and deeper. How so, you ask? Because Jesus didn’t have to die for us, but because He was sinless, He was the ONLY One who could atone for our sins, pay the sacrificial debt needed to wash and cleanse us and prevent us from being thrown into everlasting darkness. And being the wonderful and obedient Son that He was, He accepted the Father’s assignment without hesitation, and like a lamb, without a bleat, eventually went to the His awful death for our sakes.
And now, ingrates that we are, we’re boldfaced enough to make nasty jokes about Him, mock Him, put Him down, offer blatant derision and blaspheme His holy name! But friends, that’s a fool’s wisdom, for time is truly longer than twine, and in God’s good time, He will send Jesus back into this horrible world to clean it up, and all those naysayers and unbelievers, and workers of iniquity will not be laughing then, because Jesus will be sitting on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem running things. Glory to God!
So let the fools have their way now my brethren, we will have the last laugh when Jesus comes back in all His shining glory and mercurial splendor. Then ALL knees WILL bow before Him, and ALL voices WILL declare that He is Lord of all, to the everlasting glory of God the Father!
Yes friends, that’s how it is going to be whenever the Lord decides it’s time to clean up this awful mess of His world that we have created. So please hang in there, stay focused on Jesus and in serious and sincere LOVE with Him, so that when He returns, we will be numbered amongst His entourage. Much LOVE!
…oh when the saints…go marching in…I want to be amongst that glorious number…oh when the saints…go marching in…
06 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry in distress, a full picture, a good attitude, a heavenly place, affliction, anchor, basking, boundaries, breath of life, Christians, comforting, communication mad world, confused, created the world, day has dawned, earth, earthly living, endure, enjoy our lives, eternity, extreme celebration, fellowship, forget about work, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory to God, gratitude, greatest gift, grow old, guidebook, have a good time, have no end, healing embrace, heaven, holy spirit, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, Jesus Christ, joy, joy of the lord, like a garment, limits, lost, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, mortal bodies, my words, on board, only true and living God, our Lord and Saviour, our Redeemer lives, party, pass away, pay, perish, praise your name, prayer of the afflicted, relaxation, rest, rewards, rise up, safely through, shall not pass away, souls, sound bite, spirits, spiritual beings, stress, strong arm, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Alpha and Omega, the believer's strength, the first, the foundation of the earth, the heavens, the last, the light of God, the same, the weekend, the Word of god, the workingman, time of storm, time to live, understanding, weary, week of work, work of thy hands
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Well friends, the day has dawned somewhat cloudily in my area, but fear not, for our Redeemer lives! Glory to God! Yes my fellow believers, the light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is still shining as brightly as ever!
Wow! Of one thing we can be sure; His light never dims or diminishes, its divine brilliance is steadfast and strong, always illuminating our lives and our paths. So as we face a new day in an ungodly world, we too need to stand steadfast and strong, gloriously basking in the light of our Saviour.
And the workingman has already reminded us that it’s Friday by loudly voicing his anthem. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! That means the weekend is here! Glory be! Time to live, to party, to have a good time, to forget about the chupid work and all the stress that come with it…and for so li’l pay too! Steups! Thank God for Fridays and these weekends yes!’
And truthfully friends, we can’t deny what he’s saying; work these days, if you can get it, is truly stressful and in the majority of cases, lacking appropriate rewards. But where the workingman falters is his extreme worldly celebration of the weekend.
Celebrations without boundaries only cause the enemy to get strongholds in our lives, and as Christians, we definitely don’t want, or can’t afford to do such a foolish thing. Therefore we must put up some boundaries, some limits to our celebration.
And our Friday Chant offers a much better declaration. So let’s chant it as though we really mean it nuh. ‘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!’
Ah mih breddren, that’s a much more sensible plea; as we enjoy our time off, but also prepare to get back into the fray in excellent shape, so we don’t miss a beat in doing Jesus’ work; that’s raising up, furthering His LOVE Revolution!
And that brings us to our Bit…yeh, the same one of the last couple of days. (smile) Oh I know that some of you like to have a new Bit every day, but sometimes it’s necessary to repeat them when there is a lot of information to be shared.
I know we’ve become accustomed to the short sound bite in this communication mad world, but we’re not doing sound bites here in the Bit, we’re trying to get as full a picture and understanding as possible, which means sometimes hearing some things over and over. Consequently, you have to be totally on board with Jesus to appreciate it.
Anyway, enough palavering, (smile) here is our Bit: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’
What an awesome declaration by our amazing Lord and Saviour! And the great thing about it, is it’s indisputable truth! The Word of God existed even before mankind did. In fact it was the Word, read Jesus, who created the world with words.
And even after this world no longer exists, the Word, and the word of God will exist into eternity. That just goes to show how powerful it all is. And unless we accept and hold on to all aspects of it, we’ll be lost, eventually destroyed, just like the earth.
Now hear the psalmist on the topic from Psalm 102 – A cry in distress, a prayer of the afflicted. ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment: as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:25-27)
Yeh friends, our amazing God, the ONLY TRUE AND LIVING DEITY is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, who was, is and always shall be! What wonderful news for us believers!
On this earth, we have a solid anchor to keep us steadfast in time of storm, a comforting and healing embrace in time of affliction, a strong arm to lean on when we’re weary, and a divine guide when we’re lost and confused. But the greatest gift is that our spiritual beings have a heavenly place to go to when God’s breath of life is extinguished from our mortal bodies.
And all God’s people cried out in gratitude: ‘Thank You Lord, for Your Word, in the form of Jesus Christ, as well as a guidebook for earthly living, overseered by Your Holy Spirit! We LOVE you and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Oh my people, please allow the joy of our God to rise up in our souls and spirits today, so that we can enjoy our lives and do His work with a good attitude. Much LOVE!
…in the joy of the Lord…lies the believer’s strength…
29 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Success, all blessings flow from God, beloved of God, depart out of thy mouth, dr robert h schuller, establish His covenant, faith, faith stimulates success, friend of Jesus, God owns everything, good to be alive, gospel truth, grace, have good success, He gives thee power, He sware unto thy fathers, honour and glorify, hope, hope sustains success, Jesus Christ, Joshua, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate day and night, mercy, mortal bodies, our Lord and Saviour, pagan gods, promise to their forefathers, remember the Lord thy god, righteousness., seek ye first the kingdom of God, success, thanks and praise, the blessing of the Lord, the book of the law, the breath of life, the help of Almighty God, Tuesday Mantra, walk the straight and narrow path
Deuteronomy 8:18. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
Well a merry Tuesday morning to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! It sure is good to be alive! And for that we can thank our wonderful and ever LOVING, ever gracious Deity, the Most High God Jehovah! For He is the one who created us and continues to keep the breath of life flowing though our mortal bodies.
Let’s give Him a li’l thanks and praise nuh. And all God’s children declared in a loud and sincere voice. ‘Thank you heavenly Father for bringing us safely through another dark night and into the bright light of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
We LOVE You with all our hearts, and honour and glorify Your holy name! We give You plenty thanks for looking after us like you do with your grace and mercy. Help us today to walk the straight and narrow path that leads to you. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Yeh people, there’s nothing better than giving thanks and praise to our amazing God. Now here is some more prayer, this titled ‘A Prayer for Success,’ taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) We’ve shared it before, but it’s one of those prayers that call for sharing again and again.
Please pray with me. ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. Love sanctifies success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
And that is the gospel truth friends, we cannot truly succeed without the light of Jesus Christ in our lives! Moses said it a long time ago, when He gave the Israelites the Word of God. Our Bit says it plain and straightforward and true.
‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’
And as the scholars explain: ‘8:18.Yahweh alone gave Israel the ability to get wealth, and the blessing the nation enjoyed was the result of His covenant with the people and was the outcome of His promise to their forefathers.’
But unfortunately, today, a lot of us are running down wealth but God is not in our thoughts. Now that is certainly a recipe for disaster. Didn’t God tell Joshua, in no uncertain words, when He made him the leader of the Israelites after Moses died.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8)
It’s right there in black and white my people: If you don’t have Yahweh in your thoughts and spirit, and don’t follow His word, then you won’t ever be truly successful. So why are we turning away from God and expecting to be successful eh?
Listen to Cousin Sol, supposedly the wisest and richest man who ever lived. ‘The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow.’ (Prov.10:22) Now who made Cousin Sol so rich and powerful and wise eh? Jehovah God: He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And what happened when Cousin Sol moved away from the God of his forefathers and began worshipping pagan gods eh? He lost his mind and the ability to do all that he had previously done. So why do we insist in seeking wealth and wisdom and fame without the help of Almighty God eh?
The psalmist says it so plainly in Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3)
And Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
I don’t see how much clearer it can be nuh friends. We need to first follow God and then receive His blessings. That’s the only way to be truly successful in this world.
Now with all of that churning in our souls and spirits, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, reinforcing what Gramps Schuller said earlier on, that what we are is more important than what we do.
In strong and sincere voice now: ‘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!’
Now let’s go out and do exactly that. Much LOVE!
…ALL blessings flow from God…for EVERYTHING belongs to Him…
23 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a decision, a dream, a gift, be strong and of a good courage, be thou dismayed, Canadian, choose courage, Christian brethren, courage, do what we have to do, dr robert h schuller, end of life, end times, eternal life, fear, fear not, followers of Christ, freedom, friend of Jesus, glory, glory to God, God is a refuge for us, greater than he that's in the world, He that is in us, Hour of Power Devotional, Jesus Christ, kill the body, LOVE, mortal bodies, of whom shall I be afraid, our Lord and Saviour, pour out your heart, power to cast into hell, presence of a calling, pulls you beyond yourself, put it into action, salvation, Selah, share His love, the absence of fear, the beloeved of god, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, traffic, trust Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walking in fear, wherewithal, whom shall I fear
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Well my Canadian friends, I hope the getting up and going back to work this Tuesday morning wasn’t too onerous, after a long weekend of celebrating Queen Victoria’s long reign over the British Empire! (smile)
Oh I know it was hard for me to get up, and many of you had to get up long before I did and make your way through the mean traffic. But that’s why we’re so proudly Canadian; we have the courage, the wherewithal to do what we have to do! Glory to God!
Now, rather appropriately, here is a li’l something on ‘Courage,’ from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, where he emphatically states:
‘The truth is that courage isn’t a gift. Courage is a decision! Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the presence of a calling – a dream that pulls you beyond yourself. Hence it is something you can never lose. It is always something that you can choose. So choose it today!’
Yes my brethren, I’m pleading with us to CHOOSE courage over fear today, because it’s ever so necessary in our faith walk with Christ, especially in these fearful end times.
Walking in fear is not acceptable in a child of God, for Christ died that we might have freedom, freedom from fear and all its associates. And to have freedom, one must have the courage to trust Jesus, as well as to handle whatever you need to handle.
That’s why Bruh David was able to so boldly proclaim in our Bit: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’
And the resounding answer from a follower of Christ, is simply: ‘ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!’ Yes friends, we ought not to be afraid of anybody or anything in this world.
Listen to Jesus on whom to fear. ‘And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.’ (Luke 12:4-5)
Oh my Christian brethren, those are words straight from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and as His followers, we ought to listen attentively to what he says and put it into action!
And here are two simple explanations from the scholars on those verses. ’12:4. The body’s death is not the end of a person’s life’ ’12:5. God is the One with this power (James 4:12).’
Yeh precious people, the death of our mortal bodies doesn’t mean the end of life, rather, it is the beginning of eternal life with Jesus! Glory to God!
And ONLY God has the power to cast any of us into hell with the evil one. So once you’re living under His mighty umbrella, there’s nothing to fear.
And hear how Moses put it to the Israelites many, many moons ago. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6) Words of absolute truth my brethren!
And furthermore, listen to how often God warned Joshua about not being fearful when He anointed him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of a good courage… Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee… Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:5, 6,7,9)
Yeh friends, within four verses, God warned Joshua three times to be strong and courageous and not be afraid. The same advice goes out to us today my people, so let’s take it to heart nuh, since it’s only the courage and strength we get from God that will see us successfully through this earthly life.
Now hear Bruh David wrap it up, from Psalm 62: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:7-8)
Yes, let’s ponder that for a moment nuh, before we move on to declare our Tuesday Mantra, boldly proclaiming to the world, whom and whose we are.
In strong voice now: ‘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!’
And if we sincerely believe all of that deep down in our hearts, then let’s go out and put it all into action nuh, as our Leader, Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…the fear of man…can never outweigh the courage of God…for Him that is in us…is greater than he that is in the world…
14 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gift, a glorious day to be alive, a glorious future with Jesus, action, alive and fruitful, associated with Jesus, brings forth much fruit, buried, Christmas, conquer sin, controlling everything for our good, crucified, dead, father in heaven, glorified, glory hallelujah, God's great earth, gospel truth, halfway home, happy life, he that abides in me, hope, I am the vine, I in him, I'm not looking back, if any man thirst, ingredients, intimate relationship, Jesus Christ, know, let him come to me and drink, LOVE, made alive, miserable, mortal bodies, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, obey, our Lord and Saviour, out of his belly, pruning, quickened, raised, reckon, rivers of living water, someone to love, something to do, something to hope for, the breath of life, the christian experience, them's the breaks, this is the day the Lord has made, Titan, Tom Bodett, unhappy, watering, waters our hearts, we will be glad and rejoice in it, Wednesday Wail, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches, yield
John 15:5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Ah friends, it’s been one of those pretty late nights or early mornings, so the ole fella is a bit behind in his activities. (smile) Anyway, it’s a glorious day to be alive on God’s great earth.
We don’t know exactly what will happen to us, how our day will go, but we do know that our wonderful Father in heaven is controlling everything for our good. Therefore we can confidently proclaim like the psalmist: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yeh mih people, what’s the use of having a day given to you as a gift and not enjoy it eh? None whatsoever! But please remember too that the Lord expects good stuff from us in return, so let’s do our best to please Him.
And I got a bookmark from the Prostate Cancer Society yesterday with this interesting quote from Tom Bodett (1955), American author, voice actor and radio host. It says: ‘They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to LOVE, something to do, and something to hope for.’
Well I don’t know if those three things will necessarily keep us happy, but I do know that without them, we’ll be very miserable and unhappy. (smile)
Yeh friends, LOVE, Action and Hope are all very necessary ingredients of a successful and happy earthly life. But sadly, a lot of people lack them all.
And the only place you’ll truly find them in all their glorious splendour is in an intimate relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth, was born in this Christmas season, so that we could understand more about our Creator and heavenly Father.
Now let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, which helps us keep our eyes on Jesus, who gives us the LOVE, Action and Hope we so fervently desire.
Altogether now: ‘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!’
Ah mih breddren, isn’t it just great to be associated with Jesus and all the wonderful things He has in store for us!
And what could be more invigorating and pleasing than the awesome breath of life that He has breathed into our mortal bodies eh? Nothing really! For without it, we’re nothing; nothing but a dead set of bones and flesh.
And yuh know, even with the breath of life in us, if we don’t have Jesus too, then we’re still nothing, because as He says in our Bit:‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! In the relationship between man and God, Jesus is indeed like the vine, and we are the branches, offshoots of that vine. Just like in real vines, the branches can’t produce anything unless they are attached to the vine, likewise, we can’t do anything without being attached to Jesus.
And to make it even more lifelike, the Father tends the branches, like a real gardener, pruning and watering and doing whatever is necessary to keep the branches alive and fruitful.
Now here is an interesting explanation from the scholars re our Union with Christ. ’15:5. The uniqueness of the Christian experience results from the union of Christ and the believer. This is expressed in scripture as Christ being in the believer and the believer in Christ.
Ten times Paul uses the Greek preposition ‘sun’ (“together”) to describe this relationship. Believers were crucified (Gal.2:20), dead (Col.2:20), buried (Rom.6:4), quickened or made alive (Eph 2:1-5; Col.2:13), raised (Col.3:1; Eph.2:6), and glorified (Rom.8:17) together with Christ.
Illustration: Jesus used the image of the vine and its branches to describe His union with the believer. Application: On the basis of the union, the apostle Paul showed how the successful Christian life can be opened with four key words in Romans 6: know (v.6), reckon (v.11), yield (v.13), and obey (v.17).
The Christian can conquer sin because Christ lives in him. (Gal.2:20). (First Ref. John 7:37-38; Primary Ref. John 15:1-5; cf.1 John 5:13).’
Ah friends, I do hope those explanations helped us to better understand our relationship with Christ. And what would be a good exercise would be to check out all those scriptures. I just did that, and they are very interesting and useful.
And we’ll end with one of those inspirational scriptures. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:37-38)
Oh precious people, what a Titan, what a gigantic figure is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Please, let’s show wisdom and common sense by staying attached to Him. Much LOVE!
…oh what beautiful fruit we bear…when Jesus waters our hearts…
P.S. It’s somewhat late, but it wasn’t all my fault (smile) for while writing, I also had to get up and attend to a couple of technicians who came to do some work on my new furnace. Ah Lord eh! That wasn’t connected properly in the first place. But them’s the breaks. Have a blessed day my people! Much LOVE!
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