30 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 3 Canal, a brand new day, a fool's wisdom, a positive sign, Achilles heel, almighty god, appreciate the blessing, bland, blessed, blessings, blood, Bruh David, buckler, Calvary, common sense, counsels of old, dangers, deliverance, disappointments, disastrous mess, disobedient, distance ourselves from God, doing God's work, dull, end of sermon, enemies, enjoy the goodness of God, enjoy this earthly life, enriched, faithfulness and truth, feckless, fellow believers, fickle, flowing through our mortal bodies, foolish, forgiveness, friends, further from the truth, glorifying God, glorifying man, Glory Halleujah, God's direction, gospel truth, have heaven right here on earth, have life more abundantly, high tower, horn of my salvation, I will call upon the Lord, I will exalt thee, I will praise thee, Isaiah, Jesus, joy, living beggarly, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, magnify God, mercies, minding other people's business, miserable, Moses, my brethren, my father's God, obedience, obedient servant, obnoxious, our Lord and Saviour, peace of mind, pedestal, praise, psalm 118, put it into practice, redeemed, redeemed people, remove god from our society, shield, simpleton, sinful, singing praises, smile, spewing forth, standing steadfast and strong, talkative age, thanks and praise, thanskgiving, the blessings of God, the breath of life, the cross, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is my fortress, The Lord is my rock, the Lord is my strength and song, the Lord is worthy to be praised, the Lord's salvation, the loving-kindness of God, the One and Only Living God, the spilled blood of christ, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art my God, tragedy, troubles, truth, ungrateful, untrustworthy, up heifer dust creek, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, worldly foolishness, worthless, writer's block, wrong
Psalm 118:28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Oh Friends, it’s a brand new day! Glory Hallelujah! A brand new day filled with new mercies, new blessings, and new forgiveness! Wow! And to make matters even better, we’re alive to enjoy it all! What a most wonderful Deity we serve and worship my people: the ONE and ONLY TRUE LIVING God!
So let’s give Him some thanks and praise, as we loudly and boldly proclaim these wise words of the psalmist in thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. Please declare with me: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes my people, let’s enjoy the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God today and everyday, as long as the breath of life is flowing through our mortal bodies. That is simply wisdom and common sense, for if He grants us all those things, we’d indeed be foolish not to enjoy them.
And believe me, for whatever reason(s), some of us are indeed foolish enough not to enjoy the blessings of God, thinking it wrong and sinful to enjoy what the Lord has provided. Nothing could be further from the truth my people!
Why would the Lord provide all that wonderful stuff if He didn’t intend for us to enjoy it eh? And why would Jesus, our great Lord and Saviour declare that He had come to earth, so that we could have life, and have it more abundantly eh, if He didn’t mean for us to be joyful, even in the rough times? (John 10:10)
So Friends, I implore us to stop having these foolish ideas and thoughts about enjoying life nuh. We’re supposed to have heaven right here on earth; standing steadfast and strong while doing God’s work – and enjoying it too, not living beggarly and miserable.
And believe me again, if we are truly doing God’s work, with the peace of mind that He provides, then we will truly enjoy this earthly life, regardless of the many dangers, disappointments and troubles with which it is fraught. End of sermon! (smile)
Ah mih breddren, it never ceases to amaze and amuse me how the Holy Spirit will give me a starting idea, then let me run with it, or rather, help to let it flow smoothly! I would therefore be wrong, foolish and disobedient, if I didn’t enjoy and appreciate that blessing.
And you know there’s no greater tragedy for a writer than writer’s block! Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t allow me to suffer from it too often and for too long. Then I’d really be up heifer dust creek. (smile)
And Friends, our Bit this morning comes from that same Psalm 118, where the psalmist is giving thanks for the Lord’s salvation. And it’s a rather appropriate Bit too; highlighting what our behaviour ought to be, as it boldly and rightly declares: ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.’
Oh Friends, what words of joy, LOVE, obedience and truth! If we do that sincerely, on a continuous basis, then our lives will be forever enriched and blessed!
And it’s mostly because we’re not fully and sincerely embracing that bit of gospel truth that our lives and our world are in such a disastrous mess. We are trying desperately to remove God from all aspects of our society, but that’s a fool’s wisdom my people.
We claim to have been redeemed by the spilled blood of Christ, through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, so why aren’t we more thankful and moving closer to Him eh, instead of being obnoxious, ungrateful and trying to distance ourselves from Him?
If we truly believe that we are indisputably redeemed, then we ought to be singing praises like redeemed people; praises like Isaiah’s declaration: ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is.25:1)
Yes Friends, those are the kinds of words that ought to be emanating from our hearts, souls and mouths. Not the simpleton, worldly foolishness that we’re now spewing forth in this oh so talkative age, when we really have nothing much to talk about because our lives are dull, bland and miserable.
As 3 Canal would say, we have no real business, so we keep on minding the business of others, glorifying man with his Achilles heel, putting him on a flimsy pedestal instead of Almighty God. Oh my brethren, it’s high time we got some business of our own, by turning to our mighty God for help, and start glorifying Him, rather than mortal, worthless, fickle, feckless, untrustworthy man!
We should be singing the Lord’s praises like His obedient servant Moses did: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise Him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2)
And we’ll end with more worthy words of praise, this time from Bruh David, another of God’s obedient servants. And just as I was about to write those last few words in my rough draft, the lights flickered out for a couple seconds.
Chuh! It’s a good thing I wasn’t on the computer, then I might have lost some stuff and be sorely disappointed. Consequently, I’ll take it as a positive sign, (smile) and continue in God’s direction. Therefore, please declare with me, my Friends and fellow believers, these words of thanksgiving for deliverance, as Bruh David saw it.
‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (lit. my rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3)
Now that’s wisdom from on high, my brethren! So let’s go out today and put it into practice, put it to the test nuh; praise and magnify our most worthy God, and see if our lives don’t improve substantially. Much LOVE!
…a believer’s faith is only as strong as…the sincere thanksgiving in his heart…
06 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, as a man speaks to his friend, aura of love, chutzpah, dignity, enemy's taunts, enthusiasm, face to face, faithfulness, friends, friendship, further God's glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, golden calf, Gordon Lightfoot, gospel truth, greater love hath no man, holy spirit, humble servants, idol of worship, impatience, integrity, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joshua, leave all the consequences to Him, lies, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Moses, obey God, omnipotent, passion of Jesus, pillar of cloud, rainy days and Mondays, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, serve a useful purpose, spirit of the living god, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, stubbornness, tabernacle, Ten Commandments, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, than to lay down his life for his friends, the Good Book, the Lord spake unto Moses, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Oh Friends, like the world renowned Canadian balladeer, Gordon Lightfoot says in his old song: ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’ And it looks like we’re going to have a rainy day Monday today.
But you know what? We don’t have to let those rainy day Mondays, or any other kind of days, get us down, because we have the omnipotent Spirit of the Living God, and the unbridled passion of Jesus living within us, and they can certainly drive away every fear and care! And that’s the gospel truth my people, as so many of us can testify to!
So when you get up this morning and come face to face with the gloomy, rainy, chilly weather, please don’t get too upset. It’s just one of those days where the sailing might not be as smooth as you like, but remember Jesus is in the boat with you, and if things get really bad, He will rise and calm the storm.
Consequently, on this rainy October morn, let’s all say a loud and cheerful, ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday, and we’re alive to tell the tale!’ (smile) Now before anybody starts chirping and calling me crazy, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty chutzpah, so that the dark clouds hanging over our spirits will disappear.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Wow Friends! That was particularly good for such a rainy, miserable Monday! (smile) That means our faith is getting stronger with each passing day. Glory Hallelujah! And now with our motors running smoothly, let’s get out and show the enemy what’s what, in Jesus’ name.
All the while not forgetting those momentous words that Jesus spoke in our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
And today we’ll continue looking at Bible verses re friends and friendship, beginning with a couple more Friends of God. Here’s what the Good Book says about Moses, after the Israelites, in their impatience and stubbornness had made the golden calf as an idol of worship, (Ex.32) while Moses was up the mountain getting the Ten Commandments.
The Lord commanded him to move the tabernacle from out of the camp, calling it the Tabernacle of the congregation. ‘And it came to pass, that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out into the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.’ (Ex.33:7-11)
Yes my brethren, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face like a friend, with trust, dignity, faithfulness and integrity! Those are the qualities inherent in true friends. Do we possess those qualities, and do those we consider our friends, possess them? That’s of the utmost importance in these crucial and critical times. Therefore we need to be very careful who we let into our inner sanctuary.
That brings us to another Friend of God, Bruh David. The Lord valued Bruh David so highly that after Saul had done wrong by usurping the priest’s duties and offering burnt offerings, (1 Sam.13:9-10) Samuel told him. ‘But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (1 Sam.13:14)
Bruh David was described as a man after God’s own heart! Wow! Can you imagine that my people? And note, at a very tender age too. As far as I’m concerned, there can be no higher accolade given to a mortal man. That’s better than being called a friend, because friends don’t always agree or see things the same way. But when you have the heart of God, it means you continually see things the way He does.
And what’s important to notice in those relationships my fellow believers, is that neither man was an angel; Moses was considered a murderer and Bruh David an adulterer, but they still found favour in God’s eyes, that means there’s hope for all of us yet. (smile)
And we’ll stop there for today… don’t want to disrupt your busy, short attention spans and schedules. (smile) So till we meet again tomorrow, the Lord willing, let’s just go out and sincerely and diligently do our best nuh, because that’s all the Lord asks of us. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…the best way to live life… is to simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…and that’s indisputable truth…
29 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing O, Aaron, Adam and Eve, aura of love, Beelzebub, blessings, bondage, confidence, conquerors, consigened to the trash heap, Creator of the universe, death, deceits, destruction, destruction unto them, dismantling god, disobedience, evil, faith, fathom the gravity, foolish pride, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, Glory Halleujah, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, humble servants, I have redeemed them, inroads into the enemy's ranks, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, jobs, keep on pushing for Jesus, largesse, lies, look a gift horse in the mouth, Miriam, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, new wisdom, obeying God, Oh Lord God Almighty, one and only living God, Praise the Lord, prosperous, raise our passion for Jesus, raise the roof of heaven, rebellion, rejuvenation of spirit, reprisals, righteousness., shuddering with fear, sinful nature, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stubborn, sunshine and saltwater, taunts, testify, therapeutic remedy, they have fled from me, they have spoken lies against me, they have transgressed against me, Tobago day, too big for their britches, trust, truth, uesful purpose, understand the reality, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, woe unto them
Hosea 7:13. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Oh Friends, these Tobago days are surely wonderful yes! (smile) And another one seems to be in the offing this blessed Monday morning. I don’t know if it’s my brother who brought them when he came, but he’s been dreading the cold even before he arrived. Hn, hn! However, so far, I don’t think he’s experienced one really cold day yet, for they have been mostly Tobago days.
Anyway, whatever the reason that God’s blessing us with such lovely weather at the end of September, let’s just enjoy it, be thankful and say, ‘Praise the Lord! Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes, let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. The only thing I’m missing now is the salt water, that great therapeutic remedy!
Chuh! But them’s the breaks, we can’t have everything we desire. And I know that someday soon, I’ll have both the sunshine and saltwater to cleanse and heal my aching body and bones. We got to have faith Friends! (smile)
So with all these good things we have going for us, let’s now raise our passion in, and for Jesus by bursting out in song, by sending up a marvellous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one that will raise the roof of heaven and also have Beelzebub shaking and shuddering with fear in his evil, muddy boots.
All together now, in loud harmonious voice! ‘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!’
That was wonderful, my fellow believers! We didn’t quite raise heaven’s roof, but we did get a standing ‘O’ from heaven’s host, and had the evil one quaking in his boots. Now let’s go out into the ungodly world that surrounds us and keep on pushing, pushing for Jesus!
Let us not allow our Creator and our God to truthfully say about us: ‘Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.’
Oh my brethren, I use to wonder how the Israelites could rebel against God after He had done so much for them. But having watched our once godly society change over the last thirty or so years, I can now understand it. Prosperity certainly breeds pride and self-centredness!
And that’s exactly what happened to both the Israelite and our societies: we got prosperous by obeying God, but then, foolishly, like Adam and Eve, we listened to the lies and deceits of the enemy which suggested that the prosperity was all our own doing and began dismantling Jehovah God from our society.
But Friends, that couldn’t be any further from the truth than disobedience won’t bring serious reprisals! The Israelites experienced it, several times too, and we’re now experiencing it too. The difference though, is that the Israelites were smart enough to eventually recognize from whence their largesse had truly come.
Right now though, I’m not sure that we have even begun to understand the reality, to fathom the gravity of our situation, much less to consider and find a way to change it.
Oh Friends, I keep telling us that the history books are full of societies who made it big on God’s back, but then got too big for their breeches and were then unceremoniously consigned to the trash heap of history by their omnipotent Creator.
And just as the Lord contended with Israel back then, unable to understand their disobedience, I believe He’s also contending with us today, asking the question: ‘O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants (bondage); and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.’ (Mic.6:3-4)
And yuh know what Friends, just like Israel was unable to testify against God with any serious slights, likewise we have no real grounds for rebellion and disobedience against Him besides a sinful stubborn nature and foolish pride.
So today my brethren, for the sake of our descendants, let’s cast off that unwise behaviour nuh, which is only leading us closer to death and destruction, and begin flaunting a new wisdom, like the Israelites did, return to sincerely serving and worshipping the One and Only Living God: He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Now that’s truly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God…for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth… (Deut.8:18a)
18 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: belly and backbone, birds of the air have nests, burned his past, cast his mantle upon him, Christ is our be all and end all, concentrate on Jesus, Concentration is the secret of strength, cruel, decisive, Elijah, excellence, fit for the kingdom of heaven, focus, follow me, forsake friends and family, foxes have holes, God will always make a way for us, God will never give us more than we can bear, God's work, God-awesome truth, gospel truth, hard row to how, having a servant's heart, I will make you fishers of men, immediacy, insensitive, it is well with our souls, James, Jesus Christ, Jesus is all about excellence, Jesus is the one, John, Joshua, let the dead bury their dead, life's lesser matters, look neither to the right nor to the left, look toward jesus, LOVE, Moses, our Lord and Saviour, preach the kingdom of god, purpose, Ralph Waldo Emerson, reflecting a christ-like image, secret to a successful ministry, servant of all, sons of Zebedee, summons, tests for discipleship, the first shall be last, the Good Book, the Lordship of christ, the Old Testament, the palms of His nail-scarred hands, the prophet Elisha, the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head, tried and tested, true obedience, tunnel-like vision, without hesitation, yoke of oxen, you can't plough and look back
Luke 9:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
So what’s up this Thursday morning eh my people? I hope that all is well with you. And even if your body isn’t so great, like mine (smile), it is of the utmost importance that our souls be well, be beautiful, and reflecting a strong Christ-like image.
But to do that successfully Friends, we have to keep focusing, keep concentrating on our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We can’t let anything else get in the way of that tunnel-like vision, where Christ is our be all and end all. In this life, whatever we are seriously about, we have to steadfastly focus and concentrate on it.
That’s why the great American poet, essayist and lecturer, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) is reputed to have said, from our August Calendar: ‘Concentration is the secret of strength.’ And that’s no lie! For if you’re not thoroughly focused, or concentrating on any task before you, you won’t be strong enough to do it properly.
That’s why we’re also encouraging us today, to look toward Jesus… to keep our eyes, hearts and minds continually on Him, for He is the ONE who has our whole life safely cupped in the palms of His nail-scarred hands.
So, let’s look neither to the right, nor to the left, and definitely not behind us, for as Jesus so plainly says in our Bit: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’
Oh my brethren, if Jesus says so, then it must be true, because as a holy and just God, He cannot lie!
And the scholar’s offer this explanation: ‘9:62. Fit, occurring elsewhere only in 14:35 and Hebrews 6:7, means “suitable” or “usable.” One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to Him.’
And isn’t that the God awesome truth? It certainly is! In fact, as we said above, focus and concentration apply to almost everything we do. If we don’t seriously concentrate and focus on whatever we’re doing, we’ll definitely not do a proper job.
And remember people, Jesus is all about excellence, which means that His followers have to come up good, come up high, if they truly desire to work for Him.
Now for those of us wondering when and why Jesus made such a purposeful statement, it came at a time of tests for discipleship. People wanted to follow Him, but weren’t willing to do what it takes.
Here’s what the Good Book says about it: ‘And it came to pass, that as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where (nowhere) to lay his head.
And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer (allow) me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’ (Luke 9:57-61)
That’s when Jesus declared the words of our Bit. He wasn’t being cruel or insensitive, just making it plain that to be one of His disciples, one sometimes had to forsake friends and family and other earthly things. And if you were not willing to do so, then your service would never come up to scratch.
Just look at how quickly, without any hesitation at all, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew left their fishing business when Jesus passed by and said, to them: ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.
And going on from thence, he saw two other brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt.4:18-22)
Wow! Poor Zebedee must surely have wondered what was going on as his sons just upped and left him for some poor, itinerant rabbi!
But as the scholars conclude: ‘The statement in verse 22, that they immediately responded to His call gives us a perfect picture of true obedience to the Lordship of Christ.’
Yes my brethren, that’s the kind of response Jesus is looking for from us. And a similar sort of thing happened to Elisha back in the Old Testament, when the prophet Elijah came a-calling.
The Good Book reports it thus: ‘So he (Elijah) departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
And he (Elisha) returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen (using the oxen’s equipment), and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him. (1 Kin.19:19-21)
Ah Friends, Elijah obviously wasn’t as desirous for immediacy, as was Jesus. But that didn’t mean Elisha didn’t know his purpose. For as the scholars’ tell us: ’19:19-21. Elisha did not mistake his summons. His response was decisive. He burned his past behind him.
How different are those whose profession is merely external (cf. Matt.8:18-22; Luke 9:57-62). In serving Elijah, much as Joshua had served under Moses, Elisha would learn that the secret to a successful ministry lies in having a servant’s heart (cf. Mark 9:35).’
Oh my people, there’s not much more to say, except that if we truly desire to follow Jesus, we have to be prepared to hoe some hard rows. Now it won’t always be that difficult, but there will be times when we are truly tried and tested. So it’s obvious that we must have plenty belly and backbone to work for our Lord and Saviour.
But the good news is that He will NEVER give us more than we can bear, and with whatever trials and testing He devises, He will ALWAYS make a way for us to come though it.
So don’t be fearful or anxious, though times may seem tough, for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the BEST employer we can ever have. And that’s the gospel truth! Much LOVE!
…if any man desire to be first…the same shall be last of all…and servant of all… (Mark 9:35)
17 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, ambassadors, and not unto men, as to the Lord, ask for the old paths, celebrate, come unto me, comforted, do it heartily, economic situation, energy, enthusiasm. witnesses, eternal life, evil, Father Abraham, giving thanks, gladden our hearts, go off like a dream, godly ways of our forefathers, good news of Jesus, great invitation, Hades, hate, heathen, heavy laden, I am meek, I will give you rest, injustice, Jesus, joy, labour, Lazarus, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lowly in heart, Lucifer, Moses, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, parable of the rich man and beggar, peace, prosperity. the ways of God, refuse to walk with God, rejuvenate our spirits, repent, resurrection, reward. inheritance, search the scriptures, singing, stand in the ways and see, standard of living, strife, Sunday, take my yoke upon you, that ye might have life, the Lord's Day, the ways of death, tormented, ungodly world, where is the good way, wisdom, worshipping, you shall find rest for your souls
Jeremiah 16:6. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Oh Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, it’s the best day of the week – Sunday, the Lord’s Day! So let’s celebrate appropriately by going to His sanctuary and worshipping, singing praises and giving thanks with other believers!
Wow! What a blessed day! And if you are too sick or frail to get out, then turn on the tube or the radio and celebrate with others that way. And if by chance you can’t do any of those things, then simply get your Bible out and read it and sing whatever hymns you know and worship with the Holy Spirit and Jesus as your companions.
The important thing is to get some celebratory face time with the Father on this restful day. (smile) But please don’t let the joy and singing and pleasure disappear when you come out of the sanctuary or turn off the TV and radio, because that is when our real work for Christ ought to begin.
Going to the sanctuary, in fact worshipping is also a means to rejuvenate our spirits, gladden our hearts, so that we can spread the joy and good news of Jesus to others. That’s where we’re supposed to get the energy, enthusiasm and whatever else we need to be good witnesses, good ambassadors for Christ.
And as we’ve been saying, it’s also the best way to prepare for that awesome first day of the workweek, Monday. Once you do right, make good preparations on Sunday, Monday will go off like a dream. (smile) And if you don’t believe me, then just try it nuh.
Now let’s continue with our Bit of the last couple days: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.’
Ah Friends, that is such an important scripture that we do ourselves a great injustice by not paying proper attention to it. History is littered with nations and individuals who refused to pay it the attention it deserved. Please don’t let us and our society be numbered amongst that unfortunate lot nuh.
We all know that when Western society truly had God at the forefront of their lives, it prospered like never before. But now that we’ve foolishly removed God from so many parts of Western life, everything is now on the downslide.
There’s very little peace and LOVE, but lots of hate and strife, while the economic situation is terrible and the standard of living is continually falling. But yet we refuse to return to the godly ways of our forefathers.
Oh my brethren, in the ways of God there’s peace and prosperity, and rest for your souls. Listen to Jesus’ great invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh my people, how could we ever turn down such a wonderful invitation eh? It’s the epitome of foolishness! But unfortunately, there is a very large number of fools in this evil, ungodly world who refuse to walk with God and accept Jesus’ most awesome invitation. I’m sorry for them, but they’ve made their choice.
This brings us to a scripture in Luke 16, where Jesus is telling the parable of the rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus covered with sores that the dogs licked as he sat at the rich man’s gate, eating the crumbs from the rich man’s table, where a sumptuous meal was laid out every day.
But as the Lord would have it, the rich man died and went to sojourn with Lucifer in Hades, while Lazarus was transported to heaven where he enjoyed Abraham’s company in a messianic feast. We all know the story, where the rich man in severe torment, lifts up his eyes to heaven, sees Lazarus hanging with Abraham.
‘And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.’ (Luke 16:24-31)
Ah mih people, yuh see how life turns around on the other side, and how those in the nether parts of the world are suffering severe torment? That alone should be enough to make us serious believers. But sadly it doesn’t. As Abraham says, if we won’t listen to Moses and the prophets and Jesus, as I’ll show you in a moment, why would we listen to one coming from the dead eh?
In fact Jesus came from the dead and told us both before and after His resurrection, yet we didn’t believe and refused to walk in the godly paths. Now hear Jesus while talking about His relationship with the Father. ‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And (but) ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.’ (John 5:39-40)
Ah mih people, two thousand years later, mankind is still stupidly refusing to come to Jesus so that they might have life! But we believers are still expected to work at bringing the heathen to our wonderful Lord and Saviour, so let’s not get weary and tired, though the task seems difficult:
‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col.3:23-24)
That’s wisdom of the highest order my brethren! So please let’s practice it nuh. Much LOVE!
…there is a way which seemeth right unto a man…but the end thereof are the ways of death… (Prov.14:12)
14 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: act wisely, actions speak louder than words, ask for the old paths, be strong and of a good courage, bones crying out, break free from a limited mindset, bring me out better on the other side, caring, characteristics of Jesus, Christ-like actions, Christian brethren, conquerors, created me to be uncontainable, Creator of the universe, death and destruction, destined to be a barrier breaker, disobedience, do according to all the law, doing good, eternal life, evil and ungodly times, example of our everyday lives, experience god's favour, fellow believers, find rest for your souls, friends, frightful times, glory hallelujah, God's children, God's promise, God's purpose for my life, God's Word, good news, I won't bear more than I can handle, inheritance, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, Joel Osteen, keep keeping on, living God, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, Moses, my destiny, never to leave or forsake me, obedience, one of those days, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, persecuted, potential, Praise the Lord, problems, prosperity, salvation, seeds of greatness in me, sharing, sight of faith, significant lesson, stand in the ways and see, success, successful living, suffering, talent, thanks and praise, the gospel in action, the head and not the tail, Today is my day, trampled in the dust, victors not victimes, way ahead of the game, where is the good way, wisdom, with God's help
Jeremiah 6:16. Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Oh Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, it’s just one of those days… I went to bed late, got up early, feeling foggy, with all the ole arthritic bones crying out!
And to make matters worse, a tooth in my lower right jaw has suddenly begun acting up, which might necessitate a trip to the friendly dentist. (smile) Oh, my dentist is truly friendly. I’ve been going to him for over thirty years.
And what’s my response? A great ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes Friends, I’m giving thanks and praise, because if those are my biggest worries, then I’m way ahead of the game! Those are minor problems compared to those so many others are suffering, especially our unjustly persecuted Christian brethren in other parts of the world. Hope you are continually praying for them.
And my problems most likely won’t do me in, so I’m just going to keep on keeping on, in the holy name of our magnificent Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has faithfully promised never to leave or forsake me.
Now He never promised that I wouldn’t have problems, in fact He assured us that we would by simply believing in Him, but promised that He would not allow me to bear more than I can handle, and even then to help me go through them and bring me out better on the other side.
Wow! That’s why I can confidently say, like my Bubba Joel, (Joel Osteen): ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!
Yes my brethren, today is our day, so please affirm with me: ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me.
Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’
And all of God’s children gave out a mighty shout of, ‘Praise the Lord!’
And now that we’ve affirmed all that, let’s go out and through sight of faith, make it happen…with God’s help obviously. Because through our great and wonderful God, we’re all conquerors, victors and not victims, the head and not the tail!
So please let’s behave in a suitable manner, one that embodies all those fine characteristics of Jesus; also doing good, caring and sharing, both emotionally and physically, like He wants us to do.
Oh my fellow believers, the best way to speak of Jesus is through the example of our everyday lives! For remember that actions speak much louder than words, and others are liable to come to Jesus much more through our Christ-like actions, than our good news words.
As they say, the gospel in action is a most remarkable tool, and so very hard to ignore. And that’s my little spiel for today! (smile).
Now let’s see what our Bit has to offer. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.’
Oh Friends, that is such a powerful and meaningful scripture, especially in these rather evil and ungodly times! It was very apropos in Jeremiah’s time, and even more so in ours now. I heard Uncle John (John Hagee) preach on it last night, and though we’ve used it as a Bit before, it’s so relevant to our frightful times, that I was guided to use it again.
Ah mih people, those old ways and paths of our forefathers were so blessed by obedience to God’s Word that prosperity was a given!
My brethren, let’s listen to this most potent passage of scripture, and as we do so, let’s also embed it deep in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, for it’s the quintessential, the purest and most perfect direction for success and successful living.
‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success, act wisely) whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein in 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. 1:5-8)
Oh Friends, that says it all! The numerous new-fangled books on prosperity and success are totally unnecessary since we have God’s own direction for successful living.
Those are the old paths and way that we ought to tread and embrace if we want to be truly successful and prosperous! They have been proven over and over by numerous societies, who rose to greatness by following them.
But by the same token, when they have turned away from, forsaken the Lord God Jehovah, like we are currently doing, then their success and prosperity have been sadly trampled in the dust.
Please my fellow believers, I plead with us to learn that significant lesson today, and to put it into practice, for it is the wisdom of Almighty God Himself! And if we foolishly continue to not adhere to His commands, disobey His imperial dictates, then eventually, possibly sooner than later, our society will also crumble into dust and ashes.
Is that what we want to happen? I very much doubt it. Well then, let’s wake up and smell the awful stench of our disobedience nuh! Much LOVE!
…when new ways and new paths lead to death and destruction…the wise turn back to the old ways and paths…those of the living God…which lead to success and prosperity…salvation and eternal life…
10 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Anakim, assurance of victory, before thy face, believe, believers in Jesus Christ, bondage, brings joy to our souls, comfort, consuming fire, destroy them, Deuteronomy, disobedient, Egypt, exodus, faith, faithfulness, fellowship with other believers, fenced up to heaven, first day of the week, fulfill His promise to Abraham, glorify, God's wisdom, goodness, he shall thrust out the enemy, help, holy spirit, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful praise and worship, lack of true faith, LOVE, magnify, miracles of God, Moses, one word from the Bible, pass over Jordan, possess the land, praise, prayer, Promised Land, protective and comforting wings, puts a positive spin on our doings, raises our spirits, readies us for Monday, refuge, righteousness., saviour jesus christ, sing, stiff-necked people, stubborn, succour, Sunday, surrender, the Bible is God's word to us, the eternal God is our refuge, the good news of Jesus, the Lord's Day, trust, truths, underneath are the everlasting arms, uprightness, wander in the wilderness, wickedness, wisdom, wonders, worship, worshipping, worth more than all man's wisdom
Deuteronomy 33:27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and he shall say, Destroy them.
Aye mih people, fellow believers in Jesus Christ, once again the week has come full circle – Sunday to Sunday. Yeh, it’s time to begin another new week on the Lord’s Day.
And I was guided by the person of the Holy Spirit to remind us of two unassailable, irreversible truths. The first is that the Bible is God’s Word to us, and remains fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom embedded in its pages.
And the second truth is that ONE truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man.
Oh Friends, please let’s spend a quiet moment and contemplate on those two statements, while writing them indelibly in our hearts and souls, for they will certainly help to guide us along the straight and narrow path that we need to adhere to, to successfully follow our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And now having reminded us of those two glorious truths, (smile) let’s also remind us that the Lord’s Day is the day we generally get together with other believers in His sanctuary to sing and praise, worship, glorify and magnify our heavenly Father, Jehovah God! So please, let’s get ourselves together and find ourselves in a place of worship sometime today.
And the great thing about getting together to worship, is not only that it magnifies and glorifies God, but it also raises our spirits, puts a positive spin on our doings, brings joy to our souls and readies us for the coming Monday, the first day of the work week!
Yes Friends, having participated in joyful praise and worship on Sunday, undoubtedly enables us to face the daunting Monday without fear. In fact we are enabled to face it with complete assurance, joy and the oodles of positive opportunities that will be available to help us spread the good news of Jesus and His wonderful doings! In other words, to face Monday fearlessly and positively, we have to start getting ready on Sunday by worshipping.
And today we’ll continue with the message of our Bit from yesterday. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
Yes Friends, that’s our great God! We have already seen how He is the safest and most wonderful refuge we can ever have, how He gathers us under His protective and comforting wings like the hens gather their chickens under their wings, and how He provides awesome comfort to all who believe and come to Him for succour.
Now let’s look at the second half of the Bit: ‘…and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
And my brethren, that is exactly what the Lord said to the Israelites through Moses, at the beginning of their Exodus from bondage in Egypt. Listen to what Moses told them way back in chapter 9 of Deuteronomy.
‘Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go into possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced (fortified) up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the children of Anak!
Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For (because of) my righteousness the Lord hath brought me to possess this land: but for (because) the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform (fulfill) the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ (Deut.9:1-5)
Yes Friends, the Lord made it abundantly clear that they would inherit the Promised Land, not because of their righteousness, since they were already a stubborn, disobedient and stiff-necked people, but because of His will and the wickedness of the people then inhabiting the Land. Above all, it would fulfill His promise to their fathers to give the land to their descendants.
But even with God’s assurance of victory, the Israelites were afraid, and showed that fear and stubbornness by refusing to cross over the Jordan and take the land. And it’s not like they hadn’t experienced the wonders, goodness and miracles of God during their exodus from Egypt.
That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty more years, until all the people who had come out of Egypt had died. It simply showed a lack of true faith and trust in the God of their fathers, in spite of all He had done for them. That, to the Lord was definitely not acceptable.
Ah mih people, how many of us today behave the same way eh? How many of us have God assuring us of victory in some area(s) of our lives, but because of fear or some other negative emotion, we refuse to take the next step, that leap of faith that will solidify our trust in His LOVE and faithfulness? How many of us have missed out, or are missing out on God’s blessings like the stubborn and fearful Israelites eh?
Oh Friends, that is not the way Jesus expects His followers to live. We can’t say we trust and believe and surrender, then don’t do what He asks or guides us to do! That just makes our faith a total lie!
So please, for today’s ‘ponderation’ (smile), let’s take serious stock of our actual level of faith nuh, not the one we believe we have, but the real nitty gritty one, and see where we are falling down in the things that Jesus asks and expects of us, and then, with sincere prayer, ask Him to help us improve.
Now that is what is termed absolute wisdom! For He WILL NEVER refuse our requests in that area. Much LOVE!
…if God has been faithful to us in the past…why would we ever doubt Him in the present and the future…
09 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years in thy sight, a watch in the night, actions, assurance, caring, character, clothing, comfort, comforting God, count our blessings, destiny, dwelling place, evil, faithfully promised, favour, food, fortress, Friends and family, from everlasting to everlasting, God Jehovah, habitation, habits, hard-headed, health, heaven on earth, Israel, Joyce Meyer, loving god, Lucifer, magnaimous God, Moses, obey, omnipotent, problems, prosperity, protection, refuge, salvation, Scrip-Bit Friends, secret place of the Most High, shadow of the Almighty, shelter, Sister Joyce, stubborn, succour, summer's day, the eternal God is our refuge, the Promised Land, times of danger, tribulation, trouble, trust, underneath are the everlasting arms, watch your thoughts, watch your words, water, wealth
Deuteronomy 33:27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Well a good Saturday morning to you and yours, my Scrip-Bit Friends and family! Hope this message reaches you all in good health, wealth and prosperity. (smile) It’s supposed to be a glorious summer’s day in my neck of the woods, let’s hope it’s the same in yours.
But yuh know what, even if the weather’s not the greatest, neither is our health or finances, it’s imperative my people that we look on the positive side of the ledger. There are a whole lot of things that we need to be thankful for, especially Jesus, salvation and eternal life. Not to mention the daily blessings and mercies that our magnanimous God showers down on us.
So although things might appear to be somewhat on the rough side, the reality is that we, in this Western Society are living much better than 80 or 90 percent of the world. Most of us have food, water, clothing and shelter at our beck and call, not so many many of our fellow earthlings. So please let’s learn to count our blessings instead of our problems.
Our God Jehovah is a great God, and if we obediently and consistently hang out with Him, He will eventually alleviate our problems and bring us out in better shape on the other side, as He has so faithfully promised. (Rom.8:28)
Now listen to this interesting but supposed anonymous quote on habits, I heard Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) talk about recently. It says: ‘Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.’
And isn’t that the living truth my people, for everything we do has meaning and importance in our lives, sometimes good, sometimes bad! So if we want to have a good destiny, then we need to follow the path that brings goodness. Likewise, if we desire an evil outcome, then the wide and winding road will do that. All of that simply means we have to carefully watch what we think, say and do, since they will all eventually forge together and make us who we are.
Now let’s take a gender at our Bit; some of Moses’ last words, as he blessed the tribes of Israel. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
And that is exactly what the Lord said to the Israelites when He told them to go in and capture the Promised Land. But they were afraid to cross over the Jordan and take what had been promised to them, thus they wandered for forty years in the desert, till all those who had come out of Egypt had died. That is what happens Friends, when we don’t obey the dictates of our God, especially when we’ve constantly been the recipients of His favour in past times.
Anyway, what I really want to talk about in this message is not Israel’s or our disobedience, but the fact that our God is indeed a refuge, and as His children, we abide under the safety of His outstretched everlasting arms.
Like chickens who flock under their mother’s wings for protection in times of danger, and also simply for LOVE, caring and comfort, so too we are called to flock under the mighty wings of our omnipotent and LOVING God for those same things. Yes my brethren, that’s how wonderful, fatherly and motherly God treats His children… those who wisely come to Him for succour.
Now let’s check out some scripture on the subject. And what better place to begin than with the only Psalm written by Moses and the oldest one in the Psalter. He begins it thus: ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed (gave birth to) the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’ (Ps.90:1-4)
Oh Friends, what a mighty but ever-LOVING, caring, considerate and comforting God we serve!
How did Bruh Paul refer to Him? ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4)
Oh my fellow believers what an assuring piece of scripture that is! God comforts us, so that we can comfort others. Wow! And people still find it hard to believe in Him. Ah Lord eh! How stubborn and hard-headed can we be to refuse God’s blessings and mercies?
Now listen to the psalmist as he unequivocally declares in Psalm 91: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ (Ps.91:1-2)
Then later on he continues: ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra); the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:9-16)
Oh Friends, that says it all! How much more do we expect from God eh? This not a mickey-mouse operation He’s running, but something very serious. So for all those who are quick to find fault, whine and complain, I say go ahead and deal with Lucifer and his evil minions, but as for me and mine, we shall follow the Lord! And that’s wisdom for all ages my brethren! Much LOVE!
…to dwell under God’s wings…is to dwell in a place of peace and LOVE…HEAVEN ON EARTH…
17 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all praise and glory to God, Almighty God is always there for us, be not afraid, bear witness, belief, blessings, born again, born not of blood, bring forth fruit, children of God, destruction, dire need, earthly pilgrimage, Elementary my dear Watson, eternal life, faithful children, fellow believers, fertile soil, forgiveness, give a little love, giver of all good things, good heart, gospel truth, Guide, if you don't believe in something, Jesus Christ, Jesus is my Saviour, Jesus will catch me when I fall, John the Baptist, live righteously, Lord Jehovah, LOVE, love that Jesus Christ died for, Love your God, Love your neighbour as yourself, mercies, Moses, noble intentions, only believe, our Father in heaven, parable of the sower, patience, power to become the children of God, Praise the Lord, produce good fruit in Jesus' name, protect, raise the level of our belief in christ, reggae riddims, resourceful, salvation, saviour, show a little love, sinless blood, Son Jesus, son of god, Spirit of God, steadfast, strife, take root in our hearts, testify, the Lord is my keeper, the Lord will hear me when I call, the seed that fell on good ground, the true light, troubled state of our world, true belief, True LOVE, trust, what the world needs, will of God, will of man, will of the flesh, wise, Word of God, words of jesus, you'll fall for anything
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Morning mih breddren! All praise and glory be to our Father in heaven, giver of good things, of blessings and mercies and forgiveness to His faithful children! And all God’s people said a loud, joyful and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now please listen to these simple words from two songs I heard last night for the first time, two pretty li’l reggae riddims that warmed the cockles of my heart, reminding me of the part of my life I spent in J.A; the part where I so belatedly realized, as the old people would say, where I turned man. (smile)
And the first one comes from Ras Shiloh, and says: ‘Give a little LOVE. Show a little LOVE. Live righteously. Give a little LOVE. Show a little LOVE. That’s what the world needs.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my Friends! Our world is so sadly bereft of LOVE, of TRUE LOVE, not the silly little word that’s bandied about nowadays, that it’s simply creating oodles of strife and destruction all over our beautiful planet.
And Friends, that’s all we’ll ever have until we reinstate, replenish, revive the LOVE that Jesus Christ died for, that He shed His precious, holy, sinless blood for. For without TRUE LOVE we have nothing at all!
And the second song is from Ras Zachari, and it’s chorus faithfully declares that ‘Jah is my keeper. He will hear me when I call. Jah is my Saviour. He will catch me when I fall. Jah is my keeper.’
Oh my fellow believers, truer words were never spoken! For the good Lord Jehovah is indeed our keeper, and He will definitely hear us when we call, and also catch us when we fall! He’s been doing that for ages, so why would He stop now eh? The problem though is that not enough of us believe it and consequently live by it.
However Friends, today I want to impress upon us the dire need for us to give and show much more LOVE than we’re currently showing, and also to remember that Almighty God is always there for us, ever ready to guide and protect us. If we would only keep those sentiments first and foremost in our consciousness and therefore live our lives by them, then our world would be a much a better place.
But we need to do, as Jesus says in our Bit: Be not afraid, only believe.’
And I think that one of our major problems is that with the troubled and uncertain state of our world, too many of us are too afraid to believe. But Friends, as the saying goes, if you don’t believe in something, then you’ll fall for any and everything. And that’s certainly not a wise and/or resourceful way to live our lives.
Then we come to the problem of what to believe in? Unfortunately the current world has no use or regard for the Word of God and the redemptive death of His Son Jesus, but unfortunately, or rather fortunately, that’s the only place where we can find real and true hope to endure and succeed in this earthly pilgrimage.
And a lot of us are wondering why the world is in such a messed up state, but the answer is very simple: we have removed from our society and consciousness the two great commandments that Jesus boiled everything down to: LOVE YOUR GOD, AND YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF!
‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’ would be Sherlock Holmes’ take on the subject.
Ah my people, both Jesus and His disciples and apostles stressed the need for BELIEF; STRONG AND CONTINUOUS BELIEF in their teachings. It’s the ONLY WAY that the church of Christ can come together, stay together and grow into the awesome, LOVING and faithful body that Christ envisions.
Let’s look at some of those instances now. And we’ll begin with some words of Jesus, when He was explaining the parable of the Sower. ‘But that (seed which fell) on the good ground are they, which in an honest (a noble) and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.’ (Luke 8:15)
Yes mih people, our hearts need to be good and fertile soil for the Word, so that we can grow it and thus produce good fruit in Jesus’ name with patient, honest, true and noble intentions. We have to truly BELIEVE!
Then listen to John as he talks about the true Light. ‘There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.’ (John 1:6-8)
Again my brethren, we see the emphasis on believing. And that’s simply because we’re always stronger and more steadfast in a situation of true belief. And if you don’t believe me, then try it and see. (smile)
Then later on in the same chapter, John declares: ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he the power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13)
Yes Friends, we do need to believe and be born again, not of flesh and blood, but of the Spirit of God! The Spirit that brings us to belief in Jesus Christ, and consequently salvation and eternal life.
Wow! What an awesome Saviour we serve and worship my fellow believers!
And we’ll close with some more words from Jesus, where He’s talking about the Son’s relationship with the Father, and telling His listeners that they think they can get eternal life by simply searching the scriptures, but that’s wrong, because those scriptures are talking about and testifying of Him; meaning that without Him they can’t get that eternal life.
‘Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?’ (John 5:45-47)
Now that’s a very good question my people, one which I’ll leave us to ponder on today, and hopefully, from that ‘ponderation’ (smile) we’ll all raise the level of our belief, our belief in Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God. Much LOVE!
…true belief must first take root in our hearts…before it can produce any fruit…much less good fruit…
16 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a divine necessity, a positive idea in the mind of a believer, abundant life, Adam and Eve, all things are possible, Amen, be not afraid only believe, belief, Botanical Gardens, clutches of sin, confession, decry, demon spirit, disparage, dr robert h schuller, earthly things, Eureka moment, faith, faltering faith, fear not, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, glorious deliverer, glory, glory hallelujah, god-given idea, heavenly things, help my unbelief, honesty, Hour of Power Devotional, if you can believe, impossible to fool God, inner turmoil, insincerity, Jairus, jehovah god, Jesus, Jesus' desires, Jesus' glory, Jesus' resurrection, Julie, julie mango, life is too short not to enjoy it, Lordship, LOVE, Lucifer, majesty, memorable words of Jesus, Messiah, Moses, most powerful force, mouth watering flesh, My walk, Nicodemus, Old Testament, only believe, peril of understanding, repentance, road to Emmaus, salvation, significance of Jesus, slow of heart to believe, stupidity, suffering, testify, tittilate the senses, Tobago, true and faithful believer, trust, truthful words of Jesus, understanding, walk of faith, walking in God's will, witness, words of jesus
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella experienced a Eureka moment yesterday afternoon! Glory Hallelujah! I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this info before, but in the last little while I’ve developed this theory, and yesterday afternoon, while out on my deck eating a Julie (July) mango, the last few threads fell into place.
And the conclusion my people – wait for the drum rolls braising brass and clanging symbols – is that the nonsense about Eve giving Adam an apple to eat in the garden of Eden, that made mankind fall into the dire clutches of sin is just that –nonsense! The forbidden fruit that they disobediently ate was a Julie mango!
Oh mih breddren, the Julie I ate yesterday was pretty nice; so nice that when I was finished you could only see the white of the seed. Now that’s how a Julie should have you going; right down to the seed!
It just puts me in mind of those wonderful Julies we use to steal, or rather get unofficially (smile) from the Botanical Gardens back in Tobago when I was growing up. And this one, though nice, was no match for those. So you can imagine what the ones in the Garden of Eden were like. Mama Mia!
So from now on Friends, when you hear about the forbidden fruit in Paradise, just remember that it was a sweet, succulent, golden yellow Julie mango, with a beautiful aroma wafting from it that just titillated all the senses – sight, smell, touch and taste – and sound too, as you bite into the juicy, mouth watering flesh!
And all God’s people said a loud and joyful ‘Amen!’
Oh Friends, life is too short not to enjoy it. Remember that Jesus said He came that we might have abundant life. And in any case, who is there that has overwhelming facts to prove my theory wrong eh? Nobody!
And though Lucifer might not be too bright in trying to overthrow Almighty God, he was smart enough not to try and entice Eve with a simple apple, when there was that exotic Julie mango available; looking so good, and smelling so nice.
So now that we’ve had our daily fun, let’s turn to our walk of faith with Jehovah God. And today I want to share this inspiring poem from Dr. Robert H. Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. It’s simply titled, ‘My Walk.’
‘O God, I’m inspired. For you have just impressed this truth into my mind: The most powerful force in the world is a positive idea in the mind of a believer who is walking in your will! I now reach forth my life and say, “God, put my life into the centre of your will.” Amen.’
Yes my people, there’s nothing more powerful than a God-given idea in the mind of a true and faithful believer! That’s why we have to look to God for direction in our lives, and why Jesus encouraged Jairus, the synagogue leader, and consequently us in our Bit: ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
Yes my brethren, it all begins with belief, strong belief, aka faith! And today we’ll look at some other passages of scripture where Jesus enjoined the people of His day, and now of our day, to believe, to have faith.
Let’s start with the demon spirit in the child that the disciples could not drive out. What did Jesus say to the father who came seeking His compassion and His help? ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ (Mark 9:23) Strong, but very truthful words, my people!
‘And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’ (Mark 9:24)
And the scholars have an interesting footnote to that last verse. ‘9:24. He had a certain faith; but it was confession of his undeniable inner turmoil and doubt that marked his faltering faith as truly authentic, if imperfect, trust. Before God honesty is a wise course.’
And isn’t that the obvious truth! Yet so many of us go to God with a less than honest approach. He sees all, and knows all, so why try to fool Him eh, when it’s simply IMPOSSIBLE to do that? It just shows up our stupidity, insincerity and lack of true faith and understanding.
Now in Luke’s gospel, re the instance of our Bit, where the people of Jairus’ household came and told him that his daughter was dead and so to stop bothering Jesus, it’s told like this. ‘But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’ (Luke 8:50)
And then we come to the passage of scripture, where shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, He’s walking along the road to Emmaus with two believers who obviously don’t recognize Him, and they are recounting the confusion and disbelief back in the disciples camp in Jerusalem, as to whether Jesus was really risen or not.
‘Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:25-27)
Now here is what the scholars have to say about those verses. ’24:26. Ought (Gr. dei) bespeaks a divine necessity; what the prophets had foretold (see Is:53, Ps.16; 22) must and did come to pass. The disciples had been ready to see in Jesus a glorious deliverer, but Jesus’ rebuke (vs.25) relates to their unwillingness to take seriously the many Old Testament texts that speak not only of the Messiah’s glory, but also of His suffering.’
’24:7. The entire Old Testament is indispensable for a grounded grasp of the identity and significance of Jesus.’
And right there Friends, is where a whole lot of believers fall down; wrongly thinking that the Old Testament is just that; old and out of date! But without understanding the Old Testament, we can NEVER fully understand the New, because they are both so closely intertwined.
The New is basically the Old brought to life, to fulfillment through Jesus. It’s like the saying; you can’t know where you’re going, if you don’t know where you came from. So Friends, please don’t decry, don’t disparage and cry down the Old Testament, because you do so at your own peril of understanding.
And we’ll close with these memorable words of Jesus to Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who came by night to Jesus, looking for answers. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that (what) we do know, and testify that (what) we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?’ (John 3:11-12)
And unfortunately Friends, even to this day, we refuse to believe the truthful words of Jesus! How sad my people.
But fortunately, a few of us do believe, and that few will soldier on in faith, until we bring all the earth to repentance and salvation, as Jesus desires; to the recognition of His glory and majesty and Lordship! That’s our sincere belief and wish for all believers today! Much LOVE!
…fear not…only believe…only believe…only believe…
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