05 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, anger, appreciation, blessings, bondage in Egypt, bottomless morass, catastrophic history, christianity, compacent, covenant, deprivation, fat, finest wheat, first commandment, followers of Jesus, foolish pride, forgiveness, forgot who brought us to the dance, gilty of the same crime, gladness, god, God's dictates, God's goodness, gospel truth, greed, honey, house of bondage, I am the Lord, idolatry, In Touch, insular worlds, Israel's waywardness, Israelites, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joy, lazy, let us rejoice and be glad, live as though everything matters, lives of excellence, lives of significance, LOVE, loving kindness, lust of their hearts, make a positive difference, mournful lament, my people would not listen, negative results, new mercies, no other gods before me, omnipotent god, one true God, pangs of want, peace, picture of your soul, prosperity, prosperous society, protective umbrella, psalmist asaph, rebellious, refuse to walk in covenant with God, religion, rumours of war, showing LOVE, sin, sincere repentance, sinful nature, stop focusing on ourselves, stubborn people, subdued their enemies, the day of the Lord, too big for their britches, topsy turvy world, tough times, true disciples of Jesus, true discipleship, true reflections, ungodliness, uniform authority, walked in their own counsel, walling in the mire, wars, wickedness, wisdom, worship strange gods, Yahweh
Psalm 81:9. There shall no strange (foreign) god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
Oh Friends, another new morn is here with new blessings, mercies and forgiveness! Wow! Are we ready to receive this new day and all the positive things it brings with joy, gladness and humble appreciation? I certainly hope so, because if we’re not, then we’ll lose out on the best stuff that Almighty God has to offer.
And all God’s children joyfully declared: This is the day the Lord has made, WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!’
Yes mih people, that’s the way I like to hear us shout out loud and proud in the name of Jehovah God! It’s the only way to go, otherwise we’re showing ourselves unappreciative of His wonderful blessings, mercies and forgiveness.
Now, while going through some papers here just now, I came upon this little note I’d taken from an article of the June issue of In Touch Magazine. It’s simple, but it says a whole lot. ‘The way you live your life everyday is a picture of your soul.’
Now that sounds like gospel truth to me! Why? Because we generally live our lives the same way everyday, and thus they are true reflections of how we feel, think and behave.
And to expand on that, I’m saying that we should therefore live everyday of our lives as though everything matters. We should try to make a difference, a positive one that is, and stop focusing on ourselves, and our little, insular worlds.
As believers we ought to live lives of excellence, lives of significance that impact positively in, and on the lives of others. Then and only then, will we be showing the LOVE and true discipleship that Jesus desires of His followers.
Now here’s our Bit: ‘There shall no strange (foreign) god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.’
Oh Friends, that verse comes from Psalm 81, where the psalmist Asaph is writing of God’s goodness and the Israelites waywardness. But in fact it’s the very first commandment the Lord gave His people when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt way back in time.
‘And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:1-3)
Oh my brethren, those words are self-explanatory, simple and to the point, as are most of the words of our great God! That meant the Israelites were entering into an exclusive covenant with Yahweh, the One, True God.
But as we all know, they were a rebellious and stubborn people and did not keep the covenant for very long. In fact they reneged on it several times during their long, stormy and catastrophic history.
This led the psalmist to write of God. ‘But my people would not hearken (heed, listen) to my voice; and Israel would (have) none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust (stubbornness): and they walked in their own counsels.’ (Ps.81:11-12)
Ah Friends, there’s a direct connection and relationship between the Israelites turning away from God, and our present behaviour, for we are doing the very same thing. We’re refusing to walk in covenant with God, and instead are taking Him out of lives; schools, public places and even homes, as quickly as we can.
And like the Israelites, the Lord has allowed us to walk in our own counsel. Hence the negative results, just like it befell the Israelites, EVERY TIME they turned away from the God of their forefathers.
I don’t have to paint a picture for you of the wars and rumours of war, of the strife, greed, anger foolish pride and idolatry that’s engulfing, no sorry, that’s already engulfed our ungodly world. And it’s getting worse everyday my friends. Everyday we’re sinking ever deeper into the bottomless morass of sin and ungodliness.
That brings to mind the psalmist’s writing, re God’s response. ‘Oh that my people had hearkened unto (listened to) me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their enemies…. He should (would) have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should (would) I have satisfied them.’ (Ps.81:13-14,16)
Oh my people, our wonderful God is mouthing the same mournful lament today, as He sadly sees us wallowing in the mire of wickedness as put forward by Lucifer. But He’s also willing and able to help us. However, we need to first turn back to him in sincere repentance and start living obedient to His dictates.
The Israelites belatedly realized this, but they were smart enough to turn back to Yahweh when it finally dawned on them. And in accordance with His covenant their society prospered. But again, that holding on to the covenant only lasted as long as it took for them to become prosperous, and they then forgot who made them so.
We’re guilty of the same stupid crime today my people. Some years ago, when times were really tough, a majority of society worshipped the Lord God Jehovah, and eventually the land prospered. But then, as is our sinful nature, we got fat, lazy and complacent and forgot who brought us to the dance.
We began believing that it was our own hands that had brought us the prosperity. So the Lord left us to our own foolish ways. Now every thing is falling down, coming apart at the seams, because there’s no single, uniform authority, namely Almighty God, to hold it together.
Oh Friends, when are we going to learn that our omnipotent God controls the entire universe and all that happens in it eh?
Listen to what He said long ago through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed (proclaimed), when there was no strange (foreign) god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yes, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?’ (Is.43:11-13)
Yes mih breddren, the Lord’s omnipotence rules over His universe, and just like the Israelites, we are witnesses to it, especially with the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We’ve seen what Jehovah can do, so why are we so foolishly turning away from Him only to suffer the pangs of want and deprivation, when we could be comfortably enjoying peace and prosperity under the protective umbrella of His LOVING-kindness?
It makes no sense Friends, especially when history has a whole lot of societies buried in His dust, when they got too big for their ‘britches.’
So let’s be wise nuh mih breddren, and start turning back to Almighty God. That’s provided we want to see our topsy-turvy, troubled world stable and prosperous again. Now that’s certainly wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
… what is history eh….history provides a record of the past…to light the way of the future…but this foolish generation refuses to see the light of the future…Jesus…
04 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: absolute truth, active, affliction, ambassadors, assorted obstacles, beautiful earth, believers in Christ, bow to God's will, breathing, bumps, children of the living God, christianity, confidently declares, daily pilgrimage, dead, deity, disobedience, disquiet, distraught, doubt, empowering, eternity, everlasting king, faith, faults and frailties, fear, glorious day, God of Abraham, God's presence, greetings, hearts and souls, holy spirit, hope in God, idols, immobile, inanimate, indignation, intense longing, intense longing for God, Isaac and Jacob, Jehovah, joy of the Holy Ghost, joyfully receiving the faith, living, living truth, long and winding road, LOVE, Love the Lord, magnify God's Holy Name, meaningless, one true God, pagan gods, persecution, pilgrim feast, potholes, pour out my soul, praise God, psalm 42, relationship with god, religion, resounded, salutations, saviour jesus christ, son jesus christ, sons of Korah, souls thirsty for God, strengths and weaknesses, tears, thank God, the earth shall tremble, the living God, theology, troubled souls, true purpose, voice of joy and praise, where is God, wisdom, worship, worthwhile messengers, wrath
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Greetings and salutations my fellow believers in Christ! Our daily pilgrimage has begun, so let’s take a few moments and thank our wonderful God for so ably providing and equipping us with all we need to successfully traverse the long, dusty and winding road that we face today.
Please pray with me. ‘Oh Lord, we thank You for so graciously allowing us to see another glorious day on this beautiful earth. We know that there will be bumps, potholes and an assortment of obstacles along the way, but we’re not worried, for You’ve promised to safely lead and guide all who bow to Your will and accept Your Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
We ask You now to fulfill that promise through the Holy Spirit working in our lives, so that we can be worthwhile messengers and ambassadors of Your Word. We LOVE You Lord, and will do our best to magnify Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, without the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob involved in our affairs, our lives would be completely meaningless and without true purpose. No wonder in this Maschil, this contemplation of the sons of Korah, Psalm 42, a longing for, or rather an intense longing for God is prevalent in their hearts and souls.
Our Bit says it nicely: ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
And as we said yesterday Friends, that’s a very good question, one I guess that each believer has to work through and answer for him or herself, according to their individual relationship with Almighty God.
The psalmist is so distraught over his situation that he sadly continues: ‘My tears have been my meat (food) day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (a pilgrim feast) (Ps.42:3-4)
Oh Friends, are we undergoing such soul-troubled problems today? Are we like the psalmist asking: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?’ (Ps.42:5a)
Now if we are, then we can assuredly answer that question with the psalmist’s response. ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5b)
And that my brethren is the living truth, because we’re dealing with a LIVING God, who knows all, sees all, and can do all! He knows our strengths and weaknesses, our faults and frailties even better than we do. That’s why it pays to worship Him, and not some pagan god or idol created by man’s hands, supposed gods, but which are all dead and immobile; can’t hear, can’t talk, or even move.
Meanwhile, the ONE TRUE GOD, JEHOVAH, is living and breathing, active and empowering in the lives of His believers, and will continue to do so until eternity!
Now let’s check out some scriptures that prove our point. Listen to Jeremiah as he weighs in on the subject of God and idols.
‘But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.’ (Jer.10:10-11)
Absolute truth Friends, absolute truth!
Meanwhile, in speaking to the Roman church, re the Jew and the Gospel, Bruh Paul confidently declares: ‘And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children (sons) of the living God.’ (Rom.9:26)
There Bruh Paul is quoting the Old Testament prophet Hosea 1:10. Yes Friends, even way back then, all the true signs pointed directly towards the ONE and ONLY LIVING GOD!
Now hear bruh Paul in his greeting and commendation to the Thessalonians. ‘And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: so that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.
For they themselves show of us (declare) what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.’ (1 Thess.1:6-10)
Yes my brethren, the Thessalonians accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour despite persecution, and they found it so true and meaningful that their faith rang out loudly, resounded everywhere! They were worthwhile examples of joyfully receiving the faith in spite of persecution, then sharing their faith with others.
Oh that we could be such great examples my people!
But what more do we need to keep us sincerely following Almighty God eh? It is very clear from His Word, that since day one, He was the only real Deity in the universe, and he had only the best interest of His people, His children, His creation at heart. For despite our constant disobedience, He’s always made and/or shown us a way to come to Him when we’re serious and ready.
So why don’t we get truly serious and ready to day eh, right now, mih breddren! Let’s cast aside all doubt, fear and disquiet, and instead be confident and positive like the psalmist, and loudly declare: ‘Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health (help, lit. salvation) of my countenance, and my God.’ (Ps.42:11b)
That’s indisputable wisdom Friends, since there is no other living God to turn to! Much LOVE!
…it’s so foolish and illogical to worship and pray to dead, inanimate objects…when a truly living, omnipotent and ever-LOVING Deity exists…
21 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blessed, blessed on earth, bountiful eye, bread, cheerful giver, do good, due season, enthusiasm, everlasting truth, forgiveness, further God's kingdom, generosity, generous soul, God is not mocked, God's approval, God's goodness, God's LOVING embrace, good deeds, goodness, he that thinks of the poor, he that waters, household of faith, human affection, illness, jamaica gleaner newspaper, linked to Jesus, living God, lose heart, LOVE, material rewards, merciful, mercy, move mountains, my needs fulfilled, one true God, passion, pity, positivie attributes, Praise the Lord, prosperous, protection from enemies, pure and blamesless hearts, reap corruption, reap eternal life, richly blessed, right hearts, right motives, sickbed, sorrows turned to joy, sow to the flesh, sow to the Spirit, spirituality, summer, surrender to God, the cockles of God's heart, the hands of god, the hands of poverty, the helpless, the less fortunate, the Lord strengthens, the needy, the orphan, the poor, the powerless, the sick, the stranger, the widow, today's gem, well doing, wise, worthy of praise, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 11:25. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Ah Friends, at last some decent summer weather! Yes, it’s still warm, but not hot and humid, now in the mid 20’s instead of the 30’s, with a cool, refreshing breeze to minimize the heat. That’s what we finally had yesterday, and are likely to have for the next few days. All the seasons have their good points, but it’s when they get to the extremes, that they lose the human affection. (smile)
Anyway, here’s a quote I read today in a Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper of two weeks ago. It’s taken from something called ‘The Hands of Poverty,’ by Oliver Lawrence. I don’t know if it’s a poem or a book, because I couldn’t find anything about the title or the author on the Internet.
The Gleaner had it under the heading of Today’s Gem. ‘Now from the hands of poverty, I have passed. But from the hands of God, I will never depart. For in Him, my sorrows turned to joy, and my needs, He gladly fulfilled.’
And that quote Friends, is indeed a real gem! Those few words tell us how our lives change for the better once we’ve willingly surrendered ourselves to the LOVING embrace of the living God Jehovah. On our own, we’re nothing, but linked to Jesus….oh my, my, then we can move mountains, do the naturally impossible.
And turning to our Bit, we glean more everlasting truth, re our association with the ONE TRUE GOD of the universe. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’
All of that stems from one law that God designed the universe on; what you sow, the same you shall reap. Therefore my people, if we are generous in what we have and give, then the same generosity, oftimes double in God’s goodness and approval is returned to us.
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Palm 41; Abuse and assurance. ‘Blessed is he that considereth the poor (the helpless or powerless): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing (of illness): thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness (restore him in his sickbed).’ (Ps.41:1-3)
Yuh see people, it’s not only material rewards we’re liable to receive, but also physical protection from our enemies and from sickness. And all God’s children declared a loud and thankful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
And yuh better believe Friends that He is definitely worthy of much praise, much more than we give Him!
Remember too, yesterday, the scholars mentioned Proverbs 22:9, re Bruh Paul’s statement that God LOVES a cheerful giver. (2 Cor.9:7) I don’t know if any of you took the time to look it up, but here it is. ‘He that hath a bountiful (generous) eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.’ (Prov.22:9)
And these other wise words of Cousin Sol also fall into that category. ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.’ (Prov.19:17)
Yes my fellow believers, when we give generously and willingly, it warms the cockles of God’s heart, because that’s the kind of Being He is, and in return He rewards us for helping those less fortunate than us.
Remember too, our God is very interested, is a big booster of the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, the sick, the needy, the powerless and helpless. And anyone who goes out of their way to help any of those unfortunates will be richly blessed by God.
But note though, the motives, the state of our hearts must be right, and we mustn’t be only doing the good deeds to get rewards, but feel a genuine need to help the needy.
Now hear Bruh Paul as he talks to the Galatians on the subject. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). And as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:7-10)
Oh my brethren, those words spoken so long ago, still hold true even today! That’s because our God and His basic philosophy doesn’t change! From day one, He’s decreed that what we sow, we’ll reap, and that principle will continue until eternity.
So please, let’s wise up and start sowing good seeds out of pure and blameless hearts nuh. It’s the only way we’ll bring others to Christ and thus further His kingdom. And just in case you didn’t know or realize it, that’s one of our major purposes here on planet earth. (smile)
So let’s get the passion, the LOVE, the enthusiasm, the goodness, the mercy, the forgiveness and all the other positive attributes of Jesus going nuh Friends! For then, and only then, will we become worthy of the title…wise. Much LOVE!
…blessed are the merciful…for they shall obtain mercy… (Matt.5:7)
11 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend in Jesus, a-whoring, anger, believe in Jesus, benefits, bless the Lord, blessings, busyness, disasters, disbelief, do God's will, everything to God in prayer, evil ways, faith, faithful promise, fear, forgiveness, gladness, God's LOVING-kindness, hard times, healing, human failings, maturity, mental and emotional radar, needless pain, negative stuff, new blessings, obey God, Old Testament, one true God, petition God, petty differences, positive stuff, praise, pride, privilege to carry, prosperity, rejoice and be glad, salvation, satisfy us with mercy, sins and griefs to bear, something for nothing, souls of humans, summer, thanksgiving, the Good Book, true believer, truth, turn away from God, unified body of Christ, walk in God's ways, wisdom, worship
Psalm 90:14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Aye Friends, how are we this summer Thursday morning in July eh?
Hn! Summer! Steups! Believe me it feels more like spring or fall in my neck of the woods. And I can say that because around 4 a.m I went for a walk to clear my mind – and I sure got it cleared in a hurry by the brisk wind and rather cool temperature. I even had to shorten my intended walk, because it must have been in the mid teens.
But none of that really matters nuh Friends, when we’re all being chased down and pursued this morning by numerous new blessings and God’s LOVING-kindness, as so faithfully promised by the Good Book!
And I surely hope that they will soon catch up to us and overwhelm us with positive stuff. So much so that the negative stuff won’t even show up on the screens of our mental and emotional radar.
Oh I know it seems a lot to hope for, but that’s where out faith and level of maturity in Jesus come in. The Lord’s promised those things to those who believe on His Son, so it’s up to us receive them by faith now, if we truly believe.
And I want to share the first verse of an old but still popular hymn that will help us to do just that. ‘What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer! O, what peace we often forfeit. O, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.’
Now my people, that’s one of our major failings today. For one reason or another, we don’t take our problems to God in prayer, although He begs us to do so. I don’t know if it’s pride, the stupid and false kind, fear, busyness, disbelief, or some combination of them all, but that’s definitely not a wise move on our part.
I’m therefore imploring us, starting today, RIGHT NOW, to take EVERYTHING to the Lord in prayer – and BEFORE you take it anywhere else too, because that’s the wisdom of a true believer in Christ!
And now that I’ve said my piece, (smile) let’s turn to out Bit: ‘O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’
And doesn’t our Bit jibe ever so well with what we were saying before – turning to God in prayer?
Moses, the author of Psalm 90, knew that only the Lord God Jehovah could grant true mercy and bring gladness to the souls of humans. But before we can get that gladness and mercy, we have to do our part, that’s walk in His ways and do His will.
Though our God is merciful and bounteous, there’s no getting some thing for nothing, although that’s the prevalent approach in our current society. Getting much more of whatever the world offers, than we’re willing to give, is a motto that too many of us live by.
Unfortunately though Friends, our God doesn’t operate like that. We have to walk in faith, with praise, worship and thanksgiving, otherwise our blessings will dry up. And you can see that already happening from the sad state that our world’s currently in. Blessings are indeed drying up, but disasters are multiplying, because of our turning away from God.
And as we said yesterday, Moses wasn’t the only one who recognized our human failings and petitioned God for mercy. In Psalm 85, God has removed his anger from Israel, the sons of Korah say it thus: ‘Turn (restore) us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger towards us to cease.
Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt thou draw out (prolong) thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people will rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.’ (Ps.85:4-7)
Yes my brethren, we need to come to God with petitions like that, but we also have to change our evil ways, if we expect the Lord to hear us and grant our petitions. Until we do that, all the petitions in the world won’t make any difference.
You’ll notice throughout the Old Testament that whenever Israel obeyed God, they prospered, but whenever they went a-whoring after other gods, they fell on extremely hard times. Well that’s exactly what’s happening to us today Friends, and we’ll only return to prosperity when we return to truly worshipping the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And here are some appropriate ending words from Bruh David on the subject, taken from Psalm 103, Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s… Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers (servants) of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.’ (Ps.103:2-5, 21-22)
Oh my fellow believers, those are words of absolute and eternal truth! But we need to get ourselves together as one, unified body in Christ to make them come true. Fighting each other over petty differences and being more interested in the things of the world more than those of heaven will get us absolutely nowhere.
And we can only get together by truly pursuing LOVE for God and LOVE for each other as Jesus told us to do. So do we really want mercy and gladness all our days?
Well then, let’s do the things that will bring them to pass nuh! Let’s truly live for Jesus, do what He desires of us! Otherwise we’ll just keep on falling, going downhill, until we end up in Hades. And I’m sure we don’t want that. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…for the price of disobedience…is awfully high…
17 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: apostasy, British Commonwealth, confusion, damnation, death, deliverance, dominion over us, drunk or sober, fellowship, Friday chant, frogiveness, glorious kingdom, God never changes, God's Sovereignty, great god almighty, humbled themselves, humility, hymn of praise, let our hair down, long weekend, longevity, mercy, negativity, obedience, Old Testament, one true God, other gods, prosperity, Queen Victoria, relaxation, repentance, rest, reverence, sonny boy, starting prescription, sufficent fun, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, times of celebration, transgression, turmoil, wrath, yoke of burden
Isaiah 26:13. O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the day that heralds the coming of the weekend! And a mighty shout rises from the people: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank Him that work will soon be done for another week! Thank You great God Almighty!’
And in the British Commonwealth of Nations, this shout is going to be even louder today, because it’s a long weekend in celebration of Queen Victoria’s (1819-1901) birthday on Monday. She reigned for some 63 years, from 1837 to her death, longer than any other British monarch. The current Queen Elizabeth I believe has just hit her sixtieth year on the throne.
Anyway, that means many people won’t be going back to work until Tuesday, which brings us the need for Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, remember, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ (smile) Yes Friends, we have to be very careful when we we’re celebrating this weekend, because it’s usually in times of celebration, when we let our hair down, that the ole scoundrel Lucifer manages to finagle his way into our souls and cause us to disobey God.
But luckily we have a starting prescription for that problem, our Friday Chant. So let’s chant it now and set the right tone for the upcoming weekend. ‘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 remember Friends, that’s only the opening prescription. You also have to take other stuff like praying, reading the Good Book and fellowshipping with other believers, if you want to keep away the wiles and lies of the enemy this long weekend.
And we seem to have a rather appropriate Bit to help us do that, taken from Isaiah’s hymn of praise for Israel. ‘O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.’
Yes my brethren, it’s high time to cast aside all the other gods, worldly idols and images which have kept us away from the ONE TRUE GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! For without a doubt, that disobedience is what’s ruining our lives in this modern age.
And remember too that our God, His Word and dictates never change. So if He said long ago, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me,’ (Ex.20:3) then that admonition still prevails today. And we’ll consider a pertinent example from the Old Testament of how our God works when we don’t obey.
It’s in the time of Rehoboam, Cousin Sol’s son, who reigned after him. Foolishly, Rehoboam increased the yoke of burden on the people, and eventually those of the kingdom of Israel rebelled against the house of Bruh David. But Rehoboam continued reigning in the kingdom of Judah.
Now this is the telling passage. ‘And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.’ (2 Chr.12:1) So you can imagine the apostasy and the sinful living and whatever that went on then.
But Friends, as the old people were wisely wont to say; ‘time longer than twine.’ And as usual, they were right, for as the Good Book declares: ‘And it came to pass that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord.’ (2 Chr.12:2)
Yes my brethren, the Lord did not allow Judah to go a whoring forever, just for five years. ‘And he (Shishak) took the fenced (fortified) cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them,
Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, the Lord is righteous. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying,
They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know (distinguish) my service and (from) the service of the kingdoms of the countries.’ (2 Chr.12:4-8)
Oh Friends, our God doesn’t make jokes over His sovereignty! Please remember that. He might put up with our shenanigans for a while, but sooner or later He’ll take us to task. As in Rehoboam’s case, Shishak took away all his treasure, even the gold shields that Cousin Sol had made, leaving Rehoboam to make shields of brass, and not very many either, as the Good Book describes. (2 Chr.12:9-11)
So my fellow believers, unless you’re thoroughly blind, you can see that a lot of the negativity, the turmoil and confusion that’s currently engulfing our world is a direct result of our constant and wilful disobedience to God’s Word. We have to band together and bring the world back to its Creator. For He’s very willing, able and exceedingly glad to grant mercy and forgiveness to those who turn to Him in sincere repentance.
A fact that’s proven by this scripture. ‘And when he (Rehoboam) humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.’ (2 Chr.12:12)
So if we want things to start going right with our world again, we have to cause and/or encourage, repentance, humility and reverence to be brought before Almighty God. Now that’s certainly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the equations are simple…obedience to God’s law equals prosperity and longevity…disobedience to it equals wrath, death and damnation…
03 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxiety, awesome universe, barbecues, be not afraid, christianity, comfort, covenant, doubt, fear, feed his flock, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, gather the lambs, generous help, gently lead, good shepherd, good tidings, good weather, guys and dolls, human incarnation of God, Jesus, lawnmower blues, lawnmowers, like a shepherd, live our faith, living God, Love our God, Messiah, one true God, promises, relaxation, rest, security, spirituality, spread His Word, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the weekend, trust in God, truth
Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
And then it was Friday – a seeming summer Friday to boot! And all the workers around the world, declared a loud and joyful, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Praise the Lord! The weekend’s here at long last!’ Ah Friends, I can imagine what this first warm weekend in the north country will be like; the barbecues will be flaming, the guys and dolls will be out in their summer wear, half-naked, the hot rods have already been going, and so too have my nemesis, the lawnmowers. Chuh! It never fails, just when I lie down to rest, during the day, some lawnmower around the area starts up its irritating noise, and I get up using some expletive deleted language. Sometimes its even my own lawn- maintenance person, but that doesn’t make me feel any better, possibly worse, since it’s right close to my bedroom window. Anyway, I’m thankful that the good weather is here, and for that I can, and will suck up the lawnmower blues. (smile) And more than ever, today, with the wonderful weather in the offing, we need to chant our Friday chant to keep the right perspective of the weekend in front of us. So let’s chant with a right heart and clean spirit. ‘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.’ And now that we’ve set the right tone for the weekend, let’s look at one of the greatest promises that God has made in our Bit. But first a little background. This chapter is titled, ‘Comfort through trust in God.’ And that’s exactly where our best hope for comfort and security lies my people! Isaiah felt the prophecy so keenly that he began the chapter thus: ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.’ (Is.40:1) Yes Friends, the prophet saw a day of salvation coming for God’s people. Then he goes on to lay out this vision: ‘O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him.’ (Is.40:9-10) Now what other God is bold and confident enough to declare those mind-boggling things eh, my people? NONE other than the ONE TRUE and LIVING God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator and Controller of this awesome universe! But He’s not done there, He declares in our Bit: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ Oh my brethren, don’t you just shake your head in awe and wonder at the prophecies that were made in the Old Testament and then were fulfilled in the New, with the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hundreds of years before John began crying out in the wilderness re the making straight the crooked and rough places for the Messiah’s coming, the Lord promised that His people, those in serious covenant with Him, would be fed and well looked after by His shepherd, when the time was right. And two thousand years ago, the time became right. Jesus, the human incarnation of God was born, gave us the good news of the gospel, then died for our sins, and rose from the grave to give us salvation and eternal life. And all God’s people declared a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord, for His goodness to the children of sinful men!’ So why do we keep on doubting the Word of God eh? Everything that’s been prophesied there, beside the Second Coming of Jesus, has been fulfilled. And there’s no doubt that the Second Coming will happen in God’s good time. Yet doubt and disbelief still linger in the hearts of many of God’s people, because we listen to the heathen who cry down God’s Word with a loud voice. Oh Friends, the volume, nor the insistence doesn’t dictate the truth nuh! So though many are up in arms against Jesus, and cry out vociferously against Him, that in no way denies the truth of His Coming to earth and His shepherd-like duties towards the people in covenant with His heavenly Father. Even Jesus described Himself in those terms. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that He did Friends! So today, let’s release and remove any doubts, fears or anxieties that are preventing us from truly accepting and holding on to God’s great promise of a good, kind and LOVING shepherd in our lives, because we have already seen and experienced Him…and His name is Jesus Christ. More on this tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please let’s do our bounden duty and truly LOVE our wonderful God, diligently LIVE our Faith and faithfully SPREAD His Word. That’s the wisdom of a true believer. Much LOVE!…promises, promises, promises…unlike man…ALL of God’s come true…
16 Feb 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all knees shall bow, appallingly horrible, author of hebrews, beautiful soul, boldly, brimstone and fire, christianity, confidently, deceit, defend the needy, disastrous predicament, eternal god, help the fatherless, holy spirit, iniquities, Jesus, one true God, prophets prophesy falsely, respect and reverence, reverence, right, setting traps for men, shocked disbelief, sins, the throne of grace, wicked men, wisdom, wrong
Jeremiah 5:25. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful Saturday morning! Ah well in some places it is, while in others it’s not so great. My area looks dry, but it’s cold and there’s still some snow on the banks. That just goes to show how much snow fell last weekend, so even with some warm days this past week, it’s not all melted. But anyway, regardless of what the physical world looks like outside, as believers, we all know that inside our souls are always beautiful, because Jesus, His Holy Spirit resides there. And if Jesus is in you, your soul has no other option but to be beautiful! And all God’s children gave off a mighty shout of joy: ‘Blessed be the name of Jesus!’ Yes Friends, blessed is that holy name to which all knees shall bow and all hearts eventually give reverence. Now let’s say this beautiful, inspiring, positive prayer taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. ‘Father, I turn these minutes over to you. Do something beautiful in my mind, in my heart, and in my life today. So I will look back and say: “I was caught up by an inspiring spirit of the eternal God in this moment of prayer.” In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.’ I like Dr. Schuller’s prayers because they are always so upbeat, thought-provoking and motivational. I just wish more believers would adopt that attitude because it’s how Jesus wants us to be, how the author of Hebrews – in my mind Bruh Paul – envisions us when he says: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16) Yes Friends, we must come humbly, with the appropriate respect and reverence, but with confidence that since we are in Jesus, our entreaties will at least be heard, and if they are aligned with God’s will, positively answered. And here’s how the scholars describe that verse. ‘Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest. The figure of a throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’ And since only Christians have that wonderful opportunity, let’s take advantage of it nuh mih breddren, by bringing our every need confidently to the Lord in prayer. That’s what he desires of us. Let’s behave positive and lively, LOVING and confident, so that our Bit won’t have any material bearing on our lives. ‘Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.’ Oh Friends, our society is a mirror image of Judah’s when the Lord made that statement, and if we continue down the sinful, ungodly path we’re now so boldly but foolishly treading, we’re just dangerously playing with brimstone and fire, because the Lord will not stand by idly and let us continue our sinful ways forever. Now listen to what the Lord says through Jeremiah, concerning the allegations in our Bit. Sorry, they’re not allegations, but proven facts. ‘For among my people are found wicked men; they lay wait (lie in wait), as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen (grown) rich. They are waxen (have grown) fat, they shine (are sleek): yea, they overpass (surpass) the deeds of the wicked: they judge (plead) not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge (defend). Shall I not visit (punish) for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful (an astonishing) and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule (rule) by their means (own power); and my people LOVE to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?’ (Jer.5:26-31) Oh fellow believers, unfortunately all those things listed there are also unvarnished truths of our society today! We simply cannot deny them. And if you’re wondering how a wonderful and horrible thing could be simultaneously committed in the land, listen to the scholars’ explanation. ‘Judah’s sin is so exceedingly evil that it is described as being appallingly horrible and staggeringly wonderful (wondered at in shocked disbelief).’ Yes Friends, I’m sure when we hear and/or see some of the evil, ungodly goings on in our world we are shocked. But the most important question my brethren is the one the Lord asks at the end of the passage: ‘and what will ye do in the end thereof?’ Now that’s the billion dollar, salvation and eternal life threatening question. Please, let’s seriously ponder it today, then go out and do our best to change the disastrous predicament that’s assuredly in our future, if we don’t repent and turn back to sincerely worshipping the ONE TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Much LOVE!…true wisdom is the God-given ability…to decipher right from wrong…we have it…so let’s use it nuh…
25 Feb 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: big up, exalt, glorify, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, magnify the Lord, one true God
Luke 1:46. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord.
Oh Friends, morning has broken, just like that first morning many many moons ago! Likewise, blessings, mercies and manna are pouring forth from heaven, just like that first day back in Eden! Can we see and appreciate all that the Lord is doing for us? Do we with grateful heart appreciate it and give Him praise, thanks, honour and glory? I sure hope so for all our sakes. Unfortunately though, a large proportion of earth’s population don’t know, and/or don’t recognize and accept the Lord God Jehovah as the Creator of the universe. Consequently, He’s not intimately involved in their lives. That only makes them fretful and frustrated, jealous and envious, angry and resentful, bitter and filled with hatred towards mankind. All these negative emotions have led to the tangled and troubled mess that has befallen our world. Oh Friends, it’s only when the majority of the world knows and accepts the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the ONE TRUE GOD, with His Son Jesus, as their Lord and Saviour, and His Holy Spirit as Guide, Comforter and Teacher, will our world ever know peace. And that’s the true believer’s calling, our great commission; to spread the Word to the whole world. (Matt.28:19-20) But sadly, too many a believer behaves like the heathen, though the Spirit is supposed to live in them. There is no passion, no excitement in their reading of the Word, or in their faith walk. That brings us to our Bit: ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt, glorify, big up) the Lord.’ Note I used some of the new fangled slang there (big up), although I don’t like it, but that’s because I want the younger folks to get the real meaning, the true gist of the word ‘magnify’ and most likely they might not understand ‘exalt’or ‘glorify’ either. But Friends, those words play a very crucial and significant aspect in our faith and not enough of us really use them when connecting with our God. How many of us can truly stand up and boast about magnifying the Lord eh? Certainly not enough! And just consider the unnatural circumstances under which Mary made that awesome and immortal statement. She had recently been told by the Angel Gabriel that she would become a mother without knowing a man, and also that her cousin Elisabeth, hitherto barren, was now with child (John the Baptist): ‘For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’(Luke 1:37-38) Oh my people, how would we have reacted under those circumstances eh? Would we have had enough faith, like Mary, to say? ‘Okay Lord, whatever’s your will.’ Or would we be so scared and confused that we’d become emotionally distraught? That’s where faith, walking by it, really comes in Friends. Mary was just a simple, young, country girl, but the Lord saw the strong seeds of faith that were growing in her soul. Now, soon after hearing all this exciting but scary and unconventional news from Gabriel, Mary goes to visit her cousin Liz. And what happens? As soon as Liz hears Mary’s greeting, John the Baptist leaps in her womb ‘and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.’ (Luke 1:41) Oh my brethren, our God is the original Master Dramatist! Nobody can frame a scene like Him! Sometime before that He’d made John’s father, Zechariah dumb, because he didn’t believe that his wife would not only bear a son, but a prophet, the harbinger of the Messiah. Now when the two women come together, He ramps up the drama by having John jump for joy in Liz’s womb, and also opening her eyes to Mary’s significant role through the presence of the Holy Spirit. So much so that Liz waxes poetic and prophetic: ‘And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence (why) is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that (who) believed: for (that) there shall be a performance (fulfillment) of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ (Luke 1:42-45) And that’s when Mary declared those first words of the wonderful song of praise we know today as the Magnificat! ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord.’ Oh Friends, it seems like I also got so caught up in the drama and excitement of the Lord’s miraculous and mysterious workings that I completely lost count of time and space. That’s what happens when the Spirit stirs you up. (smile) I haven’t even used one of the scriptures that I’d planned to. So like we’ll have to continue this drama tomorrow, provided of course that God’s breath of life still flows through our bodies. Till then, please let’s stay steadfast and strong under the umbrella of God’s mighty protection, and ponder the true state of our faith, contemplating how we would react to a situation like Elisabeth’s and Mary’s. Much LOVE!…the Lord made us to glorify, magnify, exalt and big Him up…so let’s put some more effort into doing that nuh… Selah.
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