23 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future, a hope, accept Him, acceptance, adjust your focus, an expected end, attitude, Babylon, be wise, blurry, born again, calamity, call upon me, captivity, catch more flies with honey, celebrate, Christ's birth, Christian faith, Christmas Season, climate change, come to save, comfort, committed, confess our sins, control centre, difficult, diligently, disobedience, dreams, easy, empty vessels, eternal life, evil, find me, focused, forgiveness, Gentiles, give up, God's li'l Acre' Tobago, good cheer, hearken unto you, how sweet it would be, humble heart, I think toward you, Jesus, Jews, leeway, listen, LOVE, lying in the sun, mercy, mouthwatering aroma, my good word, negatives, northern climes, not come to destroy, not of evil, offer, peace, perform, pleasant attitude, positive talking, pray unto me, productive todays, salvation, saving grace, search for me, secret, seek me, seeking God, sets the tone, seventy years, sincerely, sinful life, snow, soup, sour attitudes, suffer in silence, that which was lost, the children of Israel, the Son of man, the thoughts, thoughts of peace, tomorrows, turn to Him, warm beaches, warmongering, we do today, what you want, white christmas, white stuff, wintertime, wisdom, with all your heart
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Well friends, that white stuff looks like it’s here to stay for a while yes! Steups! And more is forecasted to fall over the next couple of days. Brother! So the folks who so desire might get their white Christmas after all. Good for them!
The rest of us will simply have to suffer in silence, (smile) because that’s just the way it is: if you live in the northern climes, then you can expect snow in the wintertime.
But somehow you never seem to get accustomed to it. And in any case, we’re lucky or blessed, because with the effects of climate change, we don’t get half as much snow now as we used to get when I first came here forty something years ago.
Oh how sweet it would be to be lying in the sun on the warm beaches of God’s li’l Acre, Tobago! But right now that’s just a dream for the future. You can’t allow those dreams to die though. (smile)
Now, since it’s Saturday, -and several different kinds of hot, nourishing soup are being concocted up Calder Hall Road in Tobago – Oh just smell the beautiful, mouthwatering aroma nuh! Dreams friends, dreams; without them we’re just empty vessels. (smile)
Let’s see what our friend Anselm had to say in his quotes this week. Listen to this first one: ‘Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.’ Yeh mih people, what we do today is important, because that sets the tone for our tomorrows. If you want to have good, productive tomorrows, you have to begin by having good, productive todays.
And remember that ‘All things are difficult before they are easy.’ Well I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘all,’ but certainly many things begin with such difficulty that unless we’re strong, focused and truly committed, we’re likely to give up before we really get started.
But here’s a li’l secret: ‘When life gets blurry Adjust your focus.’ Ah mih breddren, unfortunately life is getting very blurry these days, and there is only so much focus to adjust. Only if you are focused on Jesus can you have enough leeway for proper adjustment.
Another helpful hint is to ‘Start telling the universe what you want instead of what you don’t want.’ Yeh more positive talking and thinking will certainly be of more benefit than dwelling on the negatives of life. And finally, remember this: ‘The control center of your life is your attitude.’
Oh friends, you’ll be surprised at how much our attitude controls our life, especially in our Christian faith. Sour attitudes simply suck! They turn others off and away. On the other hand, a good, positive, pleasant attitude draws people to you and encourages them to either help you, or be helped themselves.
It’s like the saying you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. And that’s definitely the kind of attitude we need this Christmas season of peace, LOVE and good cheer, because that’s what Christ came to spread amongst us angry, evil, warmongering humans. Yeh friends, Jesus did come to save us, but that salvation is not automatic. We need to first turn to Him and accept Him before we can find salvation.
Listen to the Lord’s promise to the children of Israel during their time of captivity, which in the first place happened because of their gross disobedience. ‘For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place (Jerusalem).
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:10-12)
It’s the same basic idea and promise God held out to Jews and Gentiles alike when He sent His only Son Jesus into the world to save it. Jesus made that very clear several times. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) ‘For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them…’ (Luke 9:56)
Oh my people, Jesus came as a Saviour, not a destroyer. However, like any other offer, His is also dependent on acceptance. Saving grace, salvation doesn’t just fall on everyone like a blanket. No, we have to come to Jesus and consciously accept His offer of salvation.
Like the Lord said through Jeremiah: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:12-13)
Yes friends, salvation and eternal life have been guaranteed to us through the sinless sacrifice of Jesus’ life, but we have to go seeking it diligently and sincerely in and through the Lord. Until we come to Him and confess our sins with a humble heart, salvation will elude us.
The important thing my brethren, is truly searching and seeking out God because we can’t handle our sinful life any longer and we need the forgiveness, the mercy, the grace, the comfort and LOVE that only He can provide.
So this Christmas season, when we celebrate Christ’s birth, I implore us to sincerely seek out the Lord and let Him give us all that He’s promised to those who diligently search for Him. That’s wisdom in spades! Much LOVE!
…anything worthwhile is worth seeking…and nothing’s more worthwhile…than the saving grace of Jesus…so please be wise…and seek it…
02 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 110 percent, a faithful Creator, a glorious future with Jesus, apostle, assurance of salvation, be counted, brought to his knees, case from anger, Christians, commit thy way, confidence, cut off, delight thyself, destroyed, enthusiasm, evildoers, faithful, for I know whom I have believed, for the which cause, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, giving everything, glad to be alive, glory, glory hallelujah, God's gifts, God's grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is able to keep, honour, I also suffer these things, I am not ashamed, I am persuaded, inherit the earth, Jesus is the best, judgement, justice, keeping of their souls, mercies, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negatives, new blessings, no leftovers, not looking back, obedient, passion, positives, preacher, principles, prospers, Rest in the Lord, righteousness, salvation, sincerity, stand up, stewards, teacher, template, thank God, that which I have committed unto him, the breath of life, the desires of thine heart, the judgement seat of christ, the noonday, the will of God, this is the day the Lord has made, Timothy, today's journey, trust, trust in the Lord, until that day, wait upon the Lord, walk of faith, walking in God's will, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, well doing, wicked devices schemes
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And then it was Wednesday! Yes friends, it’s a brand new day filled with brand new blessings and mercies made especially for this day. No leftovers or anything from yesterday.
So please let’s appreciate it as such and seek all that our wonderful God has prepared for us today, starting by proclaiming with confidence; ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps.118:24)
That’s the first step in today’s journey my people, acknowledging that we will enjoy the day. That will just lead us to focus on all the positives in our lives and not the negatives.
And to help us do that, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail, again with supreme confidence, overwhelming enthusiasm, strong passion and heartfelt sincerity.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Oh my people, what a wonderful declaration!Who isn’t glad that they are alive today eh? I certainly am!
And the breath of life is one of God’s greatest gifts to us mere mortals. Consequently, it should be highly appreciated, for a lot of people have lost that gift just today, and we are the blessed ones.
And on top of all that, we’re being faithful and obedient in our walk of faith, looking ahead to a glorious future with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow friends; that is the ‘mostest!’ (smile)
Yeh, nothing can beat a long and glorious time with Jesus, for He is the BEST!
That’s why, when Bruh Paul was finally brought to his knees by Jesus, he spent the rest of his earthly life working his ‘soulcase’ out in his honour and glory!. Long time I haven’t hear that word ‘soulcase.’ It just means giving your everything, 110 percent.
Therefore, as a preacher, an apostle and a teacher to the Gentiles, he could confidently declare to the young pastor Timothy, the words of our Bit.
‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’
And the scholars offer these insights into that verse. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho): The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.“ That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Yuh see friends, our faith and our assurance of salvation are not things to be trifled with. They are very serious aspects of our lives, both here on earth and in eternity.
That means we have to be strong in Jesus, be fully committed to doing His earthly work, being good ambassadors for Him, not ashamed of Him, or be afraid to stand up and be counted in His name. Only then can we consider ourselves true followers.
Believers believe, but followers act on their beliefs!
Now hear this corroboration of Bruh Paul’s words by Peter, talking about being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet.4:19)
And so it should be my brethren! If we’re walking in and suffering in God’s will, then it’s only logical that we should commit our very beings to Him, especially since He is also our Creator, and a faithful one at that.
But it’s Bruh David who puts it in true layman’s terms, as he confidently declares in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:3-9)
Oh friends, I couldn’t put it any better. Bruh David has laid out the template for all Christians in that short passage of scripture. If we sincerely adhere to it, then we won’t go wrong.
Please, I implore us to check our lives today and see if we’re adhering to those wise principles, and as always, ask the Lord to help us wherever we are not coming up to scratch. Much LOVE!
…a Christian’s vocabulary should abound in these words…trust, delight, commit, rest and fret not…
24 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge him, advice, Anselm, arthritis, aspires to inspire, be of good courage, better advice ever given, bless, Christians, cold weather, courage, delight thyself in the Lord, depart from evil, depend on, devotion, do good, energy, entourages, faithful, fall season, fear the Lord, fears, fellowship, follow Jesus, frustrations, give thanks, godless, gospel truth, hangers ons, health to thy body, hopes dreams, impatience, in all thy ways, in the limo, intimacy, intimacy with god, keep us safely, lead a horse to water, lean not, leeches, long johns, LOVE, macho image, marrow to thy bones, native instincts, negatives, northern climes, now for now, obedient to god, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, parasites, patience, pay a hefty price, peace, perseverance, potential, rely on, ride with you, sinful times, sucker, surapsses all understanding, take the bus, the desires of thine heart, time, to each his own, tried and failed, tropical climate, truer words were never spoken, trust, trust in the Lord, trustworthy, unto thine own understanding, wait on the Lord, with all thine heart, zero, zilch
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.
Well friends, it’s the first Saturday in the northern climes fall season. So what is it to you eh, you ask? Well if you’re living in a tropical climate, then it means zero, zilch (smile). But if your abode is in the north country, then you have to start taking out jackets, sweaters, long pants, and long johns for some, and put away the skimpy tops and shorts till next summer.
The thing that annoys me about autumn though is that sometimes the days look so bright and warm and sunny, and you go out dressed for such, but as soon as the sun begins to set, the cold weather creeps in, and you find yourself not suitably dressed for it. And yet, many of us still flaunt the macho image by being not properly dressed in those in-between times.
That’s why so many people get sick around this time. Anyway, to each his own, and as the man said, if you don’t pay me now, you’re going to pay me much more later on, when things like arthritis begin to take their toll. It’s just like Christians who don’t do what they are supposed to, and pay a hefty price later on. (smile)
Now since it’s Saturday, let’s turn to a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. And the first one is certainly good advice. ‘Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.’
Yes friends, we should not dwell on the negatives in our lives, but we must learn from them and then move on to the bright future that lies ahead, gloriously waiting for us, as we follow Jesus.
And the second one is ever so true. ‘Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.’
Gospel truth mih people, and I can testify to that on a small level. But you’ll notice the numerous hangers’ ons, the large entourages that travel around with the reigning celebrities in good times. However, when the rough times come, a lot of it from spending lavishly on those same leeches and parasites, they simply disappear and look for another sucker.
And the best way to prevent such shenanigans is by paying heed to our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’
Ah friends, truer words were never spoken, or better advice ever given!
Hear how the scholars explain it nuh. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
It makes perfect sense my brethren! God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present Creator of the universe and He controls every aspect of it, so He is obviously the best person to get into partnership and fellowship with, if we truly want to be successful.
Now one thing is for sure, He will not forsake you when times get rough and you have to ride the bus rather than preen in the limousine. He will be right there riding the bus beside you. That’s the kind of God we worship my people; faithful and trustworthy to the very end!
And listen to how Cousin Sol continues after our Bit. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:7-8)
More wonderful words of wisdom my fellow believers! Unfortunately though, we can give others the best advice possible, but it’s still their decision to act on it or not. As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. The same goes for human beings, especially in these godless and ever so lustful and sinful times!
And then again, sometimes we try it, but don’t get the results we want, or they don’t come as quickly as we desire, so we lose faith. But if we pay serious attention to Bruh David’s words from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we’ll see that after he says: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’ He then specifies: ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-4)
Yuh see friends, we need to take pleasure in being obedient to God, before we can get the desires of our hearts. The Lord doesn’t just give out desires for no good reason; we first have to invest time, energy, trust and faithfulness in the relationship. Another thing we need is patience, here considered perseverance.
Bruh David ends Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation thus: ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) Notice how he emphasizes waiting, both at the beginning and at the end of that wonderful encouraging and uplifting verse.
Ah friends, impatience is one of the serious mistakes we make as Christians. We want to apply the now for now system of the world, but that is not God’s way. He will give us all we desire, but in His own time and in His own way. And until we learn to wait patiently on Him, while keeping a good attitude and being obedient, we’ll never fully attain the great plans He has for our lives.
More on this tomorrow, the Lord willing. Till then, may He bless and keep us safely, and cause His wonderful countenance to shine upon us, and give us His peace which surpasses all understanding. That’s my prayer for us this day. Much LOVE!
…only as we obey…trust in…give thanks…delight in…and are faithful to Almighty God…will our lives be truly blessed…
13 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good courage, be strong and of a good courage, believed to see, Bible promise, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, captivated by, Christians, competitive goals, confession, courage, defeated by, enthusiasm, erred, eternal life, faith, fight the good fight of faith, Financial Adviser, foolish, fountain, friend of Jesus, futile, goading competition, God's plan, godliness, greediness, he shall strengthen thine heart, I am the light of the world, I had fainted, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, joyful, keep up with the Joneses, life's goal, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE of God, LOVE of Money, lure of the world, lustful pleasures, material possessions, meekness, negatives, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, pierced themselves, positive spirit, rich, righteousness, rotting carcasses, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first, share His love, spiritual life, spiritual realm, strain, strayed from the faith, stress, the beloved of God, the goodness of the Lord, the lack of money, the light of life, the lure of money, the root of all evil, this is the day the Lord has made, trials, tribulations, true believers, truthful word of God, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers, wait on the Lord, walk in darkness, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Joshua 1:6a. Be strong and of a good courage…
Well friends, it’s Tuesday, the day after Monday. (smile) Hope you had a good Monday, but even if you didn’t, it’s time to let it go into the past where it belongs and greet today with new enthusiasm and faith, by declaring, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ Yes my people, it’s the only way to keep a joyful, positive spirit in these end times.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s ever so timely for many of us Christians, as well as unbelievers. It’s simply titled ‘Seek First.’
And it says: ‘O Lord How futile, how foolish To attempt to keep up with the Joneses On the gold-studded ladder of success. Even if we make it (Setting high, competitive goals) We awake one dismal morning To discover the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses So it starts again – the goading competition.
God, Your objective is far more rewarding. You want us to “keep up” with Your Plan For our individual lives. “Seek first the Kingdom of God” Is Your shining word to us. Forgive us for moments and days (Even months) When our LOVE of money Has exceeded our LOVE for You.
Please, God Be our Financial Advisor And deliver us from a thousand “if onlys.” May we never be defeated By the lack of money Or captivated by the lure of it.’
Oh my brethren, in this ever more greedy, selfish and competitive world, that is the path a lot of us are following; the lure of money and material possessions. But our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has in no uncertain terms told us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes friends, if we first seek the spiritual realm, then the material will be forthcoming to us. And the Bible promise used for that poem is one we know all too well, but still neglect to follow properly. Listen up to these monumental words of Bruh Paul to Timothy.
‘And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:8-10)
Oh my people, the world is strewn with the rotting carcasses of so many of us who have made being rich in money and material things our life’s goal. It’s certainly not a goal that’s worth striving after because it causes too much stress and strain and invites too many negatives in our lives.
However, as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things: and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) with a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)
Yeh friends, as true believers in Christ, that is the path we ought to follow. But unfortunately, the lure of the world, its material possessions, and lustful pleasures are so strong that we can easily get caught up in them. That’s why our Bit is so important in these times of much agitation. ‘Be strong and of a good courage…’
It doesn’t have many words, but it says a whole lot in terms of our spiritual life. Without strength and courage we won’t be able to withstand the attacks of the evil one. And that spiritual strength and courage can only be gotten by having the truthful word of God dwelling securely in our souls.
As Jesus said: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Oh my people, are we walking in the light of Jesus or the darkness of the world? For all our sakes, I sincerely hope it’s the latter, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe (ours will be a very rough landing).
Now let’s look at a scripture that encourages us to seek the Lord’s strength. And nobody exemplified that more than Bruh David. Hear him: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Bruh David was anointed king of Israel in his teenaged years, but never got to sit upon the throne until many years later, after going through many trials and tribulations not of his own making. He only succeeded by staying strong in his faith in the God of his forefathers. And that’s the only way we will succeed too my friends.
Now let’s go home by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with lots of conviction and passion, because, without conviction and passion in our lives we are just like the living dead.
All together 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!’
So having said all of that, let’s now go out and behave like the beloved of God and share the LOVE of our friend Jesus with the rest of the world. That’s wisdom of untold dimensions! Much LOVE!
…the only fountain of true strength…is that which is found in Jesus…
22 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false witness, a word to the wise, adrenaline, anger, angst, at our peril, aura of love, be about the Lord's business, by our words, Christians, condemned, confidence, conquerors, constructive purposes, curses, death and life, deceit, disgruntlement, enthusiasm, evil, excited to greet the new day, foibles, frailties, friends, frustration, glorious kingdom, going to work, humble servants, ignore them, in the power of the tongue, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement day, justified, lies, listening to God, LOVE, mass communication, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nasty weather, negative behaviour, negative reactions, negatives, patience, peaceful, piercings of a sword, raise our spirits, refreshed, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, relaxed, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., shall eat the fruit thereof, silence., slow to speak, slow to wrath, social media, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, swift to hear, talk inflames anger, technology, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, think before we talk, traffic jams, trials, truth, ungodly world, utilize the weekends, wake up devices, weary souls, wisdom
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
And then it was Monday…with all the wake up devices going off around the world, and millions of people rolling over, muttering curses, steups’, chuhs, etc. in disgruntlement and frustration at the signal to get up and get ready for work!
What a sad state of affairs it is for the majority of the world’s population on a Monday morning; thinking about how lousy they feel, the traffic jams they will undoubtedly encounter, the nasty weather out there, the bosses and co-workers they have to put up with for another week, etc. etc.
Meanwhile, a handful of smart, peaceful, relaxed and refreshed individuals roll over, are excited to greet the new day, and simply declare: ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday! Time to return to work and do my thing! Thank God for Mondays!’
For whatever reason that group doesn’t allow the many negatives to disturb them. Oh, I would like to say that they are a bunch of Christians, but I know that’s taking it a bit too far. (smile) But friends, until and unless we change our work systems, or utilize the weekends properly, preparing wisely for Monday, there’ll always be a lot of angst, anger, frustration and other negative reactions to getting up and going to work.
And the strange part is that the rest of the week doesn’t bring about such a rash of anger and disgruntlement as does Monday. Anyway, we working on it, and will eventually bring it down to a minority, but until then, let’s continue to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to raise our spirits and encourage us to be up and about the Lord’s business. So let’s belt it out with as much enthusiasm as we can muster, remembering that our choirmaster, Jesus, expects us to put on a good show.
As one 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!’
Ah mih people, that wasn’t too bad, but just barely average. Jesus wasn’t thrilled, but neither was He terribly displeased, in His wonderful way of understanding our foibles and frailties. Now let’s keep that adrenaline fuelling our motors as we go out to meet the enemy in battle, paying close attention to the very important words of our Bit. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’
Oh my brethren, my brethren, those are words of such importance in a Christian’s life that we ignore them at our very peril! Remember what Jesus said yesterday? That we will all have to account for our words come the judgement day, and that we’ll either be justified or condemned by them. (Matt.12:36-37)
So please, I implore us to be very careful with our words. Let’s stop and think before we speak. James puts it thus: ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20) So true my friends.
And the scholars expand on those two verses. ‘1:19. This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, 3:1-12; and wrath, 4:1-12.’
‘1:20. Trials require silence and patience because talk inflames anger, and anger inflames talk. Anger also distracts from listening to God.’ And not listening to God is something we surely don’t want to be guilty of as believers!
Now let’s listen to Cousin Sol from his contrasts of the wise and the foolish. ‘He that speaketh truth showeth forth (declares) righteousness: but a false witness deceit. There is that (one who) speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is (promotes) health’ (Prov.12:17-18) More words of absolute truth friends!
And the scholars tell us. ‘12:18. Words have the power to penetrate where no sword can touch; for good or for evil. A wise man uses his tongue for constructive purposes.’
Now the first sentence of the scholars’ explanation is ever so true! Words can hurt and cut us to pieces more than any sword can. However, the last sentence is unfortunately not true of our current society, for nowadays we don’t use words constructively; we don’t care what we say or to whom we say them, we wield them more like a sword, intentionally out to hurt others.
We don’t seem to consider the feelings of others in this age of technology and mass communication. And I believe those supposed areas of progress bear a lot of the blame for that negative behaviour, since we didn’t talk as much or at such length before they allowed us to do so.
And we’ll end there for today. But please, please my people, let’s take time to stop and think before we talk, because the words we speak here on earth, will definitely play a big part come the judgement day in heaven. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…and Christians are supposed to be wise…
18 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, abundance, affliction, almighty god, authority, awe-inspiring, belief, broken, call upon me, clear direction, confession, confidence, courage, creativity, curse, death, divine protection, faith, faithful promise, family, favour, fire, forgetfulness, friends, fulfillment, God cannot lie, God's supernatural wisdom, gold is tested, good friends, good health, great family, He is faithful that promised, heartfelt words, heavenly Father, hell, hold fast, hope, I cry unto thee daily, I put my hands to, I will deliver thee, in the day of trouble, in the name of Jesus, it is my people, Jesus Christ, lift up my soul, Lord and Saviour, Lord of all, Lucifer, merciful, mercy, Most High God Jehovah, negative word, negatives, our redeemer, plenteous in mercy, power, prayer, promotion, prosper, ready to forgive, reneged, righteousness., Scrip-Bit, self-control, self-discipline, silver is refined, soul, soul of thy servant, strong will, success, supernatural strength, supplications, talent, teach me thy way, test, the evil one, the goodness of God, the grave, The Lod is my God, the profession, the rhird part, the wonderful news of Jesus, thou shalt glorify me, through the fire, Thursday Blessings, trust, truth, try, undeserving children of men, uplifting sentiments, voice, wastes away, wavering, wisdom
Psalm 50:15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
A beautiful Thursday morning to you, my Scrip-Bit friends and family! It’s always good to come to you with encouraging and uplifting sentiments based on the wonderful news of Jesus, our Redeemer, Lord and Saviour…
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful; ‘Praise the holy name of Jesus! Praise Him for His selfless sacrifice on our behalf at the cross of Calvary! For that, the Father gave Him authority over all. Therefore let every knee bow before Him, and let every tongue admit that He is Lord indeed! Amen.’
Yes friends, that’s how it ought to be, and how it will be at the end. No doubt about it! Jesus Christ has already defeated, the evil one, Lucifer, hell, death and the grave, so who’s there to stop Him from becoming Lord of all eh? Absolutely no one or nothing!
Now let’s get into the groove by declaring our Thursday blessings, for remember a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. So in one strong, loud, sincere and truthful voice let’s declare blessings over our lives.
‘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!’
Oh precious children of God, please don’t let those be only idle words spoken, but sincere, heartfelt words of hope and belief, for it’s only when we believe them that they have authority over our lives.
Now let’s see what our Bit has to offer. ‘And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’
Ah Friends, that is such an awe-inspiring verse of scripture; a faithful promise of Almighty God, the Maker of everything in this world! Therefore it must be filled with the truth and power which emanates from our heavenly father. There’s absolutely no reason to doubt it.
As the Good Book so wisely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb.10:23)
Yes my brethren our God’s promises are ever faithful, for He cannot lie. He has never reneged on not even one, and will never renege on any, so please don’t be afraid to hold Him to them.
Now let’s check out a couple scriptures that exemplify our Bit, beginning with Bruh David’s immortal words from Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord.
‘Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily (all day long). Rejoice, (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.’ (Ps.86:3-7)
And call upon the God of his forefathers did Bruh David – often and with deep, strong faith…And answer him did the Lord of heaven and earth with blessings and safeguards untold! Glory Hallelujah!
Likewise my people, will the Lord answer us if we call upon Him in our time of need. We just have to be faithful, persistent, persevering and patient. (smile) We can cry out like the sons of Korah did in Psalm 88 – A cry for deliverance from death.
‘Mine eye mourneth (wastes away) by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou show (work) wonders to the dead? Shall the dead (the Spirits of the dead) arise and praise thee? Selah.
Shall thy LOVING-kindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent (come before) thee.’ (Ps.88:9-13)
Yuh see friends, despite all the negatives the psalmist writes about, he still insists that his prayers will be made each and every day to the Most High God Jehovah. Nothing is going to stop that from happening! And as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we should be acting the same way.
Now let’s end with these words from the prophet Zechariah, from the chapter headlined – The cleansing of Jerusalem. ‘And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try (test) them as gold is tried (tested): they shall call on my name, and I will hear (answer) them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’ (Zech.13:8-9)
What a beautiful promise friends! Now let’s go out and put it into action nuh… Let’s call upon our God with confidence, trust and faith, for that is the utmost height of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…oh…how great is the goodness of God to the undeserving children of men…
18 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon of hope. for the poor and downtrodden, a bright ray of light, a willing hand, acceptable to God, aggressive, air-conditioners, air-conditioning techs, approved by men, be gentle unto all men, bet your bottom dollar, blessed are the pure in heat, Christians, climate change, consequences, Cousin Sol, dangerous territory, defiled, disobedience, edify another, encouragement, fall short of the grace of God, filled with a spirit of love, follow after things which make for peace, follow peace with all men, for they shall see god..., get our jollies, high standards. try our best, holiness, if he has done thee no harm, joy in the Holy, making a mint, negatives, one that takes a dog by the ear, peace, positives, quick to take offence, reasl summer weather, righteousness., root of bitterness, speaking words of truth, strife, strive not with a man without cause, the body of Christ, The kingdom of God is not food and drink, the nature of the beast, the servant of the Lord must not quarrel, those in opposition, to each his own, to help those in need, understanding, wild imagination, wisdom, with God's help
Proverbs 3:30. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm
Well my people, the summer is moving along briskly, but we aren’t seeing real summer weather as yet. It’s only a few days since summer officially began that we have seen truly warm temps.
We’ve been mostly getting temps in the low twenties with cloudy skies, but I’m not really complaining nuh, because on the hot days the heat can be a bit much. (smile)
If we’re past the middle of July and the heat and the hot sun aren’t blazing down on us, then something has obviously gone awry. By now the air-conditioning guys would be making a mint, with all the calls for broken air-conditioners, but I don’t think they’ve been having such a field day because we have not had any real need for them.
I haven’t even attempted to turn on mine as yet. If this mild weather keeps up then we will certainly not be able to write off climate change as the product of someone’s wild imagination, but need to take it seriously.
Some days it feels more like spring than summer, and the strong, cool winds just exacerbate the situation. After a long and cold winter, everyone’s been looking forward to a hot summer, but sadly that has not really materialized as yet. And you can bet your bottom dollar that if and when it does, we’ll be complaining that it’s too hot. That’s just the nature of the beast. (smile)
Anyway, here’s a little something that deals with being a true Christian. I believe it was my brain-child (smile) because there’s nothing on the sheet of paper on which it’s written that acknowledges it as a quote from someone else.
It says: ‘A true Christian must be … a bright ray of light in this darkened world, this world of unbelievable darkness … a beacon of hope for the poor and downtrodden … a willing hand to help those in need … while speaking words of truth and encouragement…filled with a spirit of LOVE and understanding…’
Yes Friends, if we can claim all those conditions as part of our daily lives, then we can indeed call ourselves true Christians.
And then we have our Bit, which wisely tells us: ‘Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no wrong.’
Now why would we want to strive with someone that hasn’t done us any wrong eh? I certainly won’t. I don’t want to strive with anybody period, because that produces no Christian positives, only evil negatives.
However, some of us are so aggressive and quick to take offense and get uptight over petty and imaginary stuff that we spend a large part of our lives in involved in meaningless strife. That’s definitely not heavenly wisdom; in fact it’s not any kind of wisdom at all.
But some of us do get our jollies from that kind of behavior. So to each his own…but just remember that there are consequences to each and every decision we make, good or bad.
Now let’s delve into some scripture that agrees with our Bit. Hear Cousin Sol from Proverbs 26. ‘He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.’ (Proverbs 26:17)
Ah mih people, Cousin Sol’s analogy is something else yes! But it is the truth. We all know how a dog reacts if we try to hold it by its ear; it snarls ferociously and tries to bite the one who’s holding its ear. Strife, whether it belongs to us or not, does the same thing; it puts us in dangerous territory.
Meanwhile Bruh Paul told the Roman church, in the discussion on what is clean to eat or not. ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink; but righteousness; and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify (build up) another.’ (Rom.14:17-19)
Yes my brethren, if we are to be true followers of Christ, we need to seek peace and build up our neighbours, not tear them down in strife. And the author of Hebrews, in his warning against disobedience tells us in no uncertain terms.
‘Follow (pursue) peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God. Looking diligently lest any man fail (fall short) of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.’ (Heb.12:14-15)
Oh Friends, unfortunately in today’s society many are falling short of God’s grace and the root of bitterness is widespread, leading to many being defiled, which is not good for the body of Christ, the church, nor the individuals who make it up.
And we’ll close with some more wise words from Bruh Paul on personal conduct and relationships, this time to Timothy. ‘But foolish and unlearned questions (ignorant disputes) avoid, knowing that they do gender (generate) strifes.
And the servant of the Lord must not strive (quarrel); but be gentle unto all men, apt (able) to teach, patient. In meekness instructing (correcting) those that oppose themselves (are in opposition); if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of (so they may know) the truth.’ (2 Tim.2:23-25)
Ah Friends, one more lesson as to how the genuine Christian ought to behave. Please, let’s take it all seriously and consider how all that we’ve said relates to us as individuals and try our best, with God’s help to live up to the high standards that Jesus desires of His followers. Much LOVE!
…blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God… (Matt.5:8)
21 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, alive and kicking, author, backbone, belly, blazed the trail, blessed day, champions, Christian faith, christianity, cloud of witnesses, Colossians, compassed about, complain, deity, despising shame, discouraged, don't worry, emulate, encourage, endeavours for Jesus, endurance, endured the cross, ensnares us, ethical condition, every good work, exciting, exhort, faint, feels great to be alive, filled with the knowledge of God's will, finished the course, finisher, frutiful, give it a try, giving thanks to god, glory hallelujah, God doesn't give us more than we can bear, God will never leave nor forsake us, God works everything out for our good, God's glorious power, God's people, good hands, gospel truth, grow in the image of Jesus, happiness, hostility, human creations, in your patience, increasing in the knwoledge of god, interesting, Jesus Christ, joy, joyfulness, lay aside every weight, leap of faith, light, light at the end of the tunnel, live our lives in faith, longsuffering, Love God, love our neighbours, make this world a better place, mandate, mature, meditiate, misfortunes, morality, negatives, our Lord and Saviour, pains, partakers of the inheritance, patience, peace, perseverance, phenomenal, ponder, possess ye your souls, power of darkness, practical situations, praise Your Holy Name, prayer, prayer for spiritual wisdom, promise to walk worthily, right hand of God, run with patience, serve and worship, setbacks, show Love, sin, sincere effort, sinners, skilful application of God's wisdom, spiritual understanding, spread the word, steadfast and strong, strengthened, thank you heavenly Father, the middle of the week, the patient in spirit, the proud in spirit, the race set before us, the weekend is near, trials, tribulations, true nature of things, uplift, walk worthy of the Lord, walking in Jesus' footsteps, walking in LOVE, wasting our God-given lives, weary, Wednesday, wisdom, wonderful faith, working for Jesus
Luke 21:19. In your patience possess ye your souls.
‘Wednesday, oh Wednesday, oh glorious Wednesday – the middle of the week! A bright light at the end of the tunnel! That means the weekend is near! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yeh Friends, it’s not only on Fridays we should celebrate, but if possible, everyday of the week, for it tells us that we’re alive and kicking through the generous bounty of our great and wonderful God!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for allowing us to see another blessed day on planet earth! We bless you and praise Your Holy Name and promise to walk as worthily as we can in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen.’
Ah mih people, it does feel great to be alive, doesn’t it? It surely does! Despite all the pains, the setbacks, the misfortunes, the trials the tribulations, I don’t think many of us would prefer to be dead.
We complain a lot about the negatives in this life, but remember it’s the only one we have, and furthermore, the only one we’ll ever get. So let’s enjoy it nuh, especially when we have such a wonderful faith like Christianity to live it under.
Remember what Jesus said in our Bit: ‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’
And if we don’t listen to Him and follow His wonderful example, we’ll just be wasting our God-given lives. And that would be such a tragedy!
And for the last day, I’ll like to bombard us with more scripture that teaches patience, perseverance, endurance, backbone and belly. (smile) No my brethren, you don’t have to tell me, for I know from personal experience, that it’s not easy, a bed of roses, working for and walking in Jesus’ footsteps, but it sure is exciting and interesting!
And you’ll never know how interesting and exciting it is, until YOU give it a try!
It’s all about a significant leap of faith Friends! A leap I enjoin us all to sincerely take today, right now, so that we can all work together to make this world a better place.
For that is what we were commanded to do by our leader, Jesus Christ: SPREAD the Word all over the world; LIVE our lives in true Faith, and above all, SHOW LOVE to our magnanimous and magnificent God and also our neighbours!
Wow! What an awesome mandate! Now let’s hear some scripture that’s supposed to encourage, uplift, exhort and keep us steadfast and strong in our earthly endeavours for Jesus.
Let’s start with Bruh Paul’s message to the Colossians, where he’s talking about prayer for spiritual wisdom: ‘For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(Scholars note: Wisdom is an accurate perception into the true nature of things. Understanding is the skilful application of his wisdom in practical situations).
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
(Scholars’ note: Patience is persevering through problems, trials, tribulations and so forth. Longsuffering is forbearing the faults and offences of others).
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (qualified us) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in (the) light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated (transferred) us into the kingdom of his dear Son (the Son of His LOVE).’ (Col.1:9-13)
And the Scholars’ note in verse 12: ‘Light is the ethical condition in which God’s children live, namely, that of spiritual understanding with its accompanying morality and happiness.’
Ah Friends, as I said above, it’s not easy, but working for Jesus is surely interesting! Now here these rich and encouraging verses from Hebrews 12, which we all know, but refuse to take seriously.
‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb.12:1-3)
Yes mih people, we find the best examples of it all in Jesus!
And the scholars’ have this to say: ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.
12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my brethren! His is a very difficult, and possibly impossible example for most of us to emulate, but try we must. Don’t worry though, our God knows exactly what we are capable of, for He made us, and all He really expects of us is a sincere effort in our daily living.
And if we give that sincere effort, then He will help us to mature and grow in the image of His Son. For remember, our wonderful God doesn’t ever give us more than we can bear. And even then, He’s promised to work out everything for our good, when we’re called to do His bidding.
So there’s no need to worry and fret, for our heavenly Father has us in the palms of His hands, plenty better hands than All State, and will never leave nor forsake us. Ah mih breddren, what a marvellous and magnificent Deity we serve and worship! He’s just so phenomenal! I can’t understand how His human creations choose not to work for and follow His directives.
But we His true followers WILL change that won’t we? For sure, as we go about doing good, spreading His Word and living a life of Christian faith, celebrated with joy, peace and LOVE! Now that’s true wisdom!
And we’ll end here for today. You already have much scripture to ponder and meditate upon, so I won’t burden you with any more. I’m so kind and thoughtful, aren’t I. (smile) Please have a blessed day my brethren, walking in LOVE for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…better is the end of a thing…than the beginning thereof…and the patient in spirit…is better than…the proud in spirit… (Eccl.7:8)
22 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, acts of faith, all the nations, altar, Amen, Beer-sheba, Bible, blessed, blessing, body soul and mind, chosen people, Christians, consequences, contradiction to God's character, correct perspective, covenant, descendants, descendants of Abraham, different light, edification, enlightenment, ever-faithful God, evil, faithfulness, father of many nations, fear God, fellowship, followers of Jesus, Friday chant, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Gentiles, God's command, heaven, honour, in Jesus' name, Isaac, Ishmael, Israelites, Jehovah-Jireh, Jesus, Jews, journey of faith, jump to it, land of Moriah, LOVE, magnanimous, monstrous deeds, murder, Muslims, mysterious ways, negatives, Noah, obedience, obeyed God's voice, party time, promises, prove, rainbow, relaxation, renege, renewed and refeshed, rest, reverence, right attitude, sacrifice, sacrifices to gods, sign, soul searching, stars, stress, substitute, sufficient fun, tempt, test, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the angel of the Lord, the Good Book, the Lord will provide, time of want, token, trust, try, unselfish act, way of the world, weekend, wisdom, zenith
Genesis 22:18. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Aye mih people, it’s Friday morning, and I hear you loudly shouting ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend is here, and no more work for two big days! Pappy oh! That means it’s party time!’
But hold on a minute mih people, that’s the way the world looks at it. True followers of Jesus ought to look at it in a different light though; the light that our Friday Chant extols. So please let’s chant our Friday Chant instead, so that we can bring the right attitude, the correct perspective to the wonderful weekend ahead of us.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that, my Friends and fellow believers is more in keeping with what our response to the weekend ought to be! And the time has come to turn to our Bit, the same one as yesterday: ‘And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.’
We saw yesterday where the Lord commanded Abraham to go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. No doubt Abraham experienced great internal stress, since the Lord’s command deviated substantially from His promise to make him the father of many nations through Isaac.
However, on the outside, Abraham remained calm and did what the Lord commanded. And when he was about to slay Isaac, the Lord stopped him, then provided a lamb for the purpose, and in honour of the Lord’s faithfulness, Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh (the Lord will provide; for He did indeed provide in Abraham’s time of want. (Gen.22:1-14)
Now that whole episode makes me wonder what effect it had on young Isaac. How he must have fretted eh, especially after asking his father about the animal to be sacrificed, being told that the Lord would provide one, then having his father bind him upon the altar to use him as the sacrifice. (Gen.22:7-8)
The Good Book doesn’t say anything about it, but one way or the other, it must have had a great impact on Isaac, a mere youth at the time. But that unselfish act of Abraham must be considered as one of the greatest acts of faith ever shown by a believer, especially in those first days when the Lord was trying to put His chosen people together.
The Lord must also have been greatly moved, for as the Good Book tells it: ‘And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed (descendants) as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.’ (Gen.22:15-19)
Yes Friends, that’s the magnanimous, ever-faithful God that we serve! When we are faithful to obey His commands, especially those real deep, soul searching one, He honours us superbly! You can certainly see why He eventually made Abraham the father of many nations; his faith and trust were exceedingly great!
Now here are some relevant thoughts on the situation from the scholars. ’22:1-14. God did tempt Abraham: The word tempt is better rendered as “proved or tested.” God does not tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13), but in certain instances, He does test, try, or prove us (James 1:2; 1 Pet 1:6-7). Therefore we must assume that the command to sacrifice Isaac was not evil. God knew what He would do in the end. He had no intention to permit the murder of Isaac.
The reason God prohibited the Israelites from following the example of the Gentiles who offered their own children as sacrifices to their gods (Deut.12:31) was that such monstrous deeds were in contradiction to the character of the true God. Abraham’s faith was being tried. This was the entire purpose of the episode.
Moriah was in the general area that included the hills on which Solomon later built his temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr. 3:1) The journey was about 50 miles. God will provide is a phrase that would be immortalized in the name of the place in verse 14.
Now I know that thou fearest God indicates that God was certain that Abraham feared (reverenced) Him more than anyone else, since he was willing to offer Him his son. So God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac. (cf. John 1:19)’
Ah my brethren, our great God does move in mysterious ways, but He’s never reneged, or will He ever renege on any of His promises! That’s the point that we’re trying to make.
He promised Noah a rainbow as a token of His covenant, and even to this day, thousands of years later, the beautiful rainbow of God’s promise still graces our skies every so often.
Likewise Abraham, though he experienced a lot of negatives on his journey of faith in and for God, today, most of the world, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all considered descendants of Abraham through Isaac, Jesus and Ishmael respectively.
Wow! The Lord indeed kept His awesome promise, making him a father of many nations, and his heritage known around the world. That just goes to show my people that we can faithfully trust the God of Noah and Abraham to keep His promises to all and sundry, without any exceptions.
So Friends, if the Lord is talking to you today, please listen closely, then do as he asks. You’ll cause yourself less problems in the long run, for if He really wants you, He’ll eventually get you, the hard way. I can tell you that from personal experience.
So whenever he comes a-calling, just say, ‘Yes Lord! How high Lord?’ And then jump to it. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
…as per Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley)…the wisest move we can ever make…is simply to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
P.S. Yes Friends, I know it’s a tad long, but I just wanted to finish the messages on Abraham’s promise today. So please bear with the ole fella, since it’s all for your enlightenment and edification. (smile) Much LOVE!
14 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aberration, Abram, Abram's behaviour, altar, be a blessing, bless thee, calamity, Canada, colour the situation, curse, dust of the earth, eat one's words, evil, expected end, fellow believers, forgiveness, fortitude, future, God's pronouncements, God's reserved space, God's Spirit, great faith, great nation, Haran, Hebron, heir, hem and haw, hope, jesus name, job frustration, lacked for nothing, leading and guiding, lift up your eyes, Lot, make tracks, Mamre, mercy, negatives, nomadic journey, obedience, obey God's dictates, omnipotent god, politics, positives, praise Your Holy Name, promises, pull up stakes, reality, renege on a promise, Sodom & Gomorrah, T&T, Thank You Lord, thoughts of peace, unknown God, words of wisdom, work ethic
Genesis 12:2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
Ah mih people, once again the Lord has seen it fit to bless us with another glorious day of life on Planet Earth! Isn’t that wonderful? It sure is! And for that let’s give Him a loud shout of ‘Thank You Lord, for being so good to us! We praise You and Bless Your Holy Name. Amen.’
And I won’t get into any long preamble today, (smile) because in this promise there’s a lot of scripture I want to share. Remember we’re currently dealing with the promises of God to man. And today’s promise is one of the greatest promises ever given by our omnipotent God to one of His creations. It’s His call to Abram.
Hear how it starts: ‘Now the Lord had said unto Abram (High Father), Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ (Gen.12:1-3)
Oh Friends, what a great promise for a move of obedience. The Lord called Abram to leave his father’s house in Haran to go out, only the Lord knew where.
However my fellow believers, it’s very important that we study, pay great attention to Abram’s behaviour, his great faith and fortitude, for as believers, the Lord’s constantly leading and guiding us to do things and go places that seem to have no basis in the reality of our situations. But like Abram, once we’re convinced the guidance and direction is of our God, then we need to make tracks and do it.
Now Abram had no way of knowing where the Lord was planning to take him, or what sort of life he was going to have. For heaven’s sake, he was already seventy-five years old, wealthy and quite settled in his ways. The only thing he lacked was a child, an heir from his own loins.
So why would he pull up stakes at that late stage of his life and head out with his whole family and his possessions on some nomadic journey that some unknown God told him to take eh?
On the face of it, the many negatives definitely outweighed the positives. In fact, judging from the outward aspects of the situation, there were no positives whatsoever. But despite all the negatives that seemed to colour the situation, something in Abram made him do it.
I guess the Lord filled that little reserved space in Abram’s soul with His Spirit. The same space that is reserved for God alone in all His human creations.
The promises were indeed enormous, but I don’t know if at seventy-five, with wealth and comfort to last my lifetime, I’d want to journey into the great unknown, just to father a great nation, or to make my name great.
Oh, I’d better shut up here yes, because knowing the Lord’s penchant for making one eat one’s words and for drama, at seventy five, He’ll just find some new mountain for me to climb. (smile)
‘So I’m sorry Lord. I take that back. That was just a slight aberration on my part. Please forgive me. I’ll go anywhere you send me, at any age. Thank You Lord for your mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray.’
Doh laugh nuh Friends, I’ve made that kind of mistake before, and paid dearly for it.
Anyway people, God also made other promises to Abram. When Abram and his nephew Lot separated – remember Lot went with him on the nomadic journey – because the land was too small for all their herds and people to live comfortably.
While Lot went toward the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord said to Abram: ‘Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (descendants) for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.’ (Gen13:14-18)
The only problem though Friends, is that Abram was possibly eighty by then, and his wife Sarai around seventy, so where were these descendants like the dust of the earth going to come from eh? But that didn’t seem to bother Abram, he kept on believing in the Lord, having faith in His pronouncements.
Another key point here is how would we have reacted? Right now we know more about God and His strengths, purpose and plans than Abram ever dreamed about, but yet we still hem and haw when God directs us to do simple tasks in His Name.
Can you imagine if forty years ago, He’d told to me to pull up stakes in T&T and go to cold, rough, foreign Canada where I’d make a big name for myself, what would my reaction had been? I doubt I would have just done it. Though, for all you know, He might have purposely engineered the job frustration I felt in T&T, which eventually made me leave.
Like Abram, I was doing well, lacked for nothing in the Government’s job, except job satisfaction, with all the foolish politics being played in higher places hampering the work I was hired to do. And since my mother was already in Canada, I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to get here.
But it hasn’t been easy, and the job satisfaction hasn’t really been any better. At least in T&T we don’t pretend to have this great work ethic, as they do in Canada. In T&T I would certainly have had a much easier and possibly more successful life.
So Friends, please be careful of what you wish for, of the frustration you find in what you have or do, because in many cases, what you rush off to, is much worse than what you left behind.
Anyway my brethren, with those words of wisdom, we’ll close for today. I have to chuckle because I never planned to get into my situation, but the Spirit just brought it to mind, and it just seemed to fit naturally. In any case I couldn’t have got in all the scriptures I wanted today, so God willing, tomorrow we’ll continue looking at Abram and all the promises God made him.
Till then, please let’s listen closely to whatever God is saying to us, and obey His dictates, because He knows the plans He has for us, ‘thoughts of peace, and not evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer.29:11) That’s a divine promise, so please let’s be wise and heed it. Much LOVE!
…our omnipotent God…has NEVER…and WILL NEVER renege on a promise…since He can do whatever He promises…
SCRIP-BITS 