24 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, a party, an inspiration, believers in Christ, believing in jesus, celebrate, Christians, coiffured, dancing, energy, faithfulness, force ourselves, free from bondage, giving thanks, glorify God, glory hallelujah, go to church, God's mercy, happy, joy, joyous, led astray, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, man-made rules, meet in secret, One Year Book of Bible promises, outward show, peace, persecuted, pick sense from nonsense, pinned their hopes, praise, praising, radiance, reading the Word, redemption, religiosity, religious achievement, revelation of God, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, shall be blessed in his deed, singing, spiritual acumen, talking to God, the Alpha and the Omega, the be all and end all, the First and the Last, the goodness, the perfect law of liberty, the Secret, time, to know Jesus, traditional church law, union with Christ, wisdom, worship
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, it’s Sunday! Glory Hallelujah! What a joy it is to be able to get up and go out to church and worship with other believers!
How awesome it is to get together and praise and celebrate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Receiving in return His unbeatable strength, unsurpassed wisdom, unconditional LOVE, ever-faithful care and heart-felt compassion! Glory Be!
Oh friends, how I wish the majority of us would feel like that on Sunday mornings. Hn! The sad reality though is that too many of us force ourselves to get up and go to church because it’s expected of us; just like work on a Monday morning. There’s no joy in our spirits like if we were going to a party.
But friends, it is a party we’re going to! Isn’t there singing and dancing, and praising and giving thanks? There surely is! It’s not just a mournful, dirge-like experience that we’re forced to live through. So why, for so many of us, going to church is like pulling teeth eh?
We ought to be happy and joyous, celebrating the occasion to be able to get together freely in public to glorify our Creator. Many of our fellow believers around the world don’t have that privilege. They have to hide and meet in secret, in out of the way places to have church. And in many places they are persecuted for simply believing in Jesus! That means we have the best of all worlds, but simply don’t appreciate it.
Anyway, enough of my ranting, (smile) listen to this excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. As soon as I read it, I knew that it would be most appropriate for this glorious Sunday morning.
It’s titled ‘The Secret,’ and it says: ‘I couldn’t help but watch her As we sat in the service together Last Sunday morning… Her white hair so neatly coiffured Her hands resting on her open Bible Her smile so beautifully tranquil. When the hymn was announced She sang with a glowing smile. Occasionally during the message She nodded her head in assent.
(O Lord, what peace she portrays.) After the service I spoke to her: “You are an inspiration, my dear. I hope I may sit with you again.” She thanked me profusely. Then she added with shining joy “Isn’t it wonderful to know Jesus? I mean – really KNOW Him!” In that instant, dear God I knew the secret of her radiance.’
Oh precious people of Jesus, that is how we ought to be, and can be if we’d only invest some more time and energy in truly getting to KNOW our amazing, magnificent and magnanimous God! And we can only do that by seriously reading His Word, sincerely talking to Him in prayer and joyfully fellowshipping with other believers.
And by the way, the promise attached to that poem is ‘Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ (Phil. 3:8 NL.V)
Oh what indisputable truth that is my brethren! There is nothing that’s worth more in this mish-mash world than truly KNOWING Jesus! For He is indeed the Be All and the End All of our world; the First and the Last; the Alpha and Omega! Oh praise His Holy Name my people!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).’ More truth of enormous proportions my brethren!
And we’ll continue looking at the references that the scholars gave re ‘the perfect law of liberty.’ We saw what Jesus had to say about His coming to fulfill the law not destroy it. (Matt.5:17) Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he talks about zeal but no righteousness.
‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record (witness) that they have a zeal of (for) God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.’ (Acts 10:1-4)
And the scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘10:4. Christ is the end of the law: Israel mistook the purpose of the law. The law pointed to the righteousness that is attainable only by belief in Christ. Israel also mistook the scope of the law. The righteousness to which it pointed was universally available to all who responded to God’s revelation of Himself through the law.
But by Paul’s time many had substituted works for faith. Rather than seeking redemption in God’s mercy, they pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement.’
And unfortunately many of us are doing the same thing today my people. We are concentrating too much on our religious works and achievements, and not enough on the righteousness that is necessary, and can be attained from a sincere and purposeful union with Christ.
Ah friends, many of us are being led astray by the religiosity of the church; the concentration on man-made rules and regulations, the many do’s and don’ts that have become institutionalized down through the ages. It’s time for us to be free from the bondage of traditional church law and return to what is truly important, the spiritual acumen that Jesus died for us to have; the true inner faithfulness and righteousness, not merely the outward show to look good in public.
Now I hope that this message makes sense, but as I always say, we Christians are bright enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) And if the message does nothing else, I hope that it puts a joy in our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits to get up and go to church this Sunday morning, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…oh the true joy of really knowing Jesus…nothing to it can compare…
29 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire, agape, assurance, at such times, Babylonian captivity, biblical promise, bondage, Buccoo, comfort, comprehend, doing the Lord's work, Easter Tuesday, empower us, evil, faithful God, fear not neither be dismayed, Goat races, God's presence, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartache, heartbreak, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Israelites, keep on keeping on, lost and alone, LOVE, Moses, no longer endure, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, people of god, promises, share His love with the world, shekinah glory, solace, state of mind, the Lord goes before thee, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, Tobago, transforming peace, triumphantly risen Christ, true believers, trust, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly world, writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, Yahweh, zeal
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
And then it was Tuesday my friends – Easter Tuesday! Now that means it’s also time for the great spectacle of goat races in Tobago!
Yes my brethren, it’s time to get us down to Buccoo and enjoy an afternoon of goat races and great partying at possibly the only stadium in the world built to host that sport. Only in T&T, you say!
They had a small offering while I was there the other day and it was really enjoyable. I hadn’t seen goat races in many a year. I vaguely remember the last time as being completely wasted and partying down the place with a friend’s sister on the verandah of a house near the track.
Ah Lord eh! Those were the days! In those times they had individual parties at houses that surrounded the track. But now, progress has come along, and it’s held in a brand new state of the art facility, with all the amenities; food, drink, music, etc, all in one place. So don’t hesitate to check it out. (smile)
And since Today is Tuesday, it’s of the utmost importance that we declare our Tuesday Mantra, with sincerity, joy and a true sense of belief and purpose.
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.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly who we are, the beloved of God; a fact that NO ONE can take away from us. So as many of us go back out to work after the long Easter weekend, let’s hold that thought, that fact, close to our hearts, and let it empower us as we go about our day, doing the Lord’s work.
Let’s remember too that Jesus is our friend, in fact our BEST Friend; one who sticketh, stands closer with us than a brother, as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 18:24. And basically, all we are called to do is share His LOVE with the world. Now that shouldn’t be too hard to do, should it? (smile)
Unfortunately though, our world today is not interested in true LOVE, the agape, the brotherly kind of LOVE that Jesus desires to share. But friends, we’ve got to keep on keeping on and pursue our vocation to LOVE with a strong, never-ending zeal, for that’s what makes us true believers and followers of the triumphantly risen Christ!
Now here is something from our One Year book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled ‘At Such Times.’
And it says: ‘God, there are times In the midst of heartache and heartbreak When there is no comfort, no solace Anywhere at all. There are times When in my crumbling state of mind I feel I can no longer endure – Not for a day, not even an hour.
It is at such times, O God That I draw heavily upon Your unfathomable LOVE. At such times I implore Your transforming peace. At such times I live By the power and promises Of a Father who cares infinitely more Than I can begin to grasp or comprehend. Today, dear God, is a “such time.”
Oh my precious and beautiful people of God, I’m sure that resonates so truthfully with us all, because there are times in all our lives when we feel lost and alone, and Almighty God is the ONLY One who understands our situation, and the ONLY One who can provide us true solace and comfort!
So let us never be afraid, ashamed or whatever, to call upon our heavenly Father for His peace and LOVE, because He’s always there, ready and able to help us.
And the Biblical Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Yes friends, our God made that promise through Moses oodles of years ago, and it still stands even to this day!
And all God’s people loudly declared: ‘O heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises! We don’t always put our full trust in them, but deep down we know that they are solid, solid as a rock, and that You will never renege on any of them, because You are a faithful and true God.
Please help us to stand more securely on the many promise You have made to us over the years, for that is the only way we will ever successfully handle the evil and ungodly world that now surrounds us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’
And one of the best-known instances of our God going before His people and neither forsaking nor failing them is this passage from Exodus when the Lord took the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt.
‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22)
And please note the last verse there friends. I believe the writer added it to assure us that God did keep His promise for the long haul. And we’ll close with these words from the scholars re the pillars of cloud and fire.
’13:21. This glowing cloud was the shekinah glory of Yahweh, which later filled the tabernacle (40:35) and then Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10), and finally departed from the temple and the city just before the Babylonian captivity (Ezek 8-11).
This “glory of the God of Israel” will not return to Israel until the second coming of Christ (Ezek.43:1-7), at which time the glowing cloud will once again cover God’s earthly people (Is.4:5). It guided the people through the wilderness, assured them of God’s presence, and protected them from the Egyptians (cf.14:19-20).’
Oh friends, what a faithful and mighty God we serve. Please never let us forget that. Much LOVE!
…the God of Israel…faithful and true…is His name and nature…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness. Just too much late night Easter Monday partying. (smile) Much LOVE!
16 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a solitary note, Advocate, appreciation, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, bicker, breathtaking knowledge, brother, chimes, Christian, complain, declarations, defer not to pay, difference, diligent, dissipation, enthusiasm, eternity, excess, exhort, faithfulness, friend, get on track, give ear, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God has no pleasure in fools, God's work, grateful, hear, heaven, hymns, I am halfway home, I will sing praise, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in God's sight, in the fear of God, instruct, It's Good, Jesus, life symphony, life-giving love, LOVE, magnify, mercies, Messiah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, o ye kings, o ye princes, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise the name of god, psalms, responsibility, Ruth Harms Calkin, saviour, serve, sing praise to the Lord God of Israel, sing praises to God, spiritual songs, steadfast, thankful, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the obits, to all generations, to be loved by God, tremulous heart, truth, unsettled questions, used for good, vow unto God, walk like the children of God, Wednesday Wail, with my mouth, worship Christ
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Oh my people, another beautiful day has dawned on God’s great earth, and along with it our responsibility to walk like the children of God that we are! Glory Hallelujah!
And our God is so great that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work. Glory to God!
So let’s not bicker and complain this glorious Wednesday morn. Instead, let’s raise our voices and wail our Wednesday Wail with joyful enthusiasm and grateful appreciation.
As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes precious people, that’s what we ought to be doing and feeling; be grateful that we’re still alive, for a lot of others names are in the obits today, but not ours. For that we ought to be rather thankful.
Then we have to be serious about doing God’s work; being diligent and steadfast about it, while believing and looking forward to a wonderful future with Jesus, both down here on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity.
And all Jesus’ followers declared loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Thank You Lord for giving us Jesus as our Messiah, Advocate, Saviour, Brother and Friend! We faithfully promise to do His work, serve, worship and LOVE Him for evermore! Amen.’
Now please remember what Cousin Sol says about promises in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Yes friends, that puts us on the spot, for we have just promised to serve and worship Jesus Christ for ever. So please, let’s not break that vow, let’s keep paying it each and every day, so that we don’t end up as fools in God’s sight.
And today I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘It’s Good.’
Please pray with me. ‘God, it’s good to be LOVED by You! The breathtaking knowledge Of Your life-giving LOVE Rings chimes in my tremulous heart. It fashions eternal declarations Out of unsettled questions. It creates a majestic life symphony from a solitary note. God, it’s good to be LOVED by You!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my brethren! It’s so wonderful to be LOVED by a God as powerful and merciful and forgiving and understanding as ours! Give Him the thanks and praise He rightfully deserves my people!
And the biblical promise for that prayer comes from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. Ethan the Ezrahite opens it thus: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1)
And does that ever fit right in with our Bit, our continuing desire to sing praises to our great God. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t think that we do that as much as we should. We don’t seem to have time, or make time to do as Bruh Paul directed the Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to conduct our lives as true believing Christians! Unfortunately though, not enough of us are doing it to the extent that we should, and that’s why we are not making as powerful a difference in this evil world as we should.
And we’ll close today with some valuable info from the scholars on those verses. ‘5:19-21. There are four results of being Spirit filled (v.18): (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other;
(2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good;
(4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’
And there we have it my brethren; the way we ought to conduct ourselves as true believers in Christ. I therefore implore us, starting today, right now, to get on track and give thanks and sing praises to our wonderful God, the way we ought to, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…I will praise the name of God with a song…and will magnify him with thanksgiving… (Ps.69:30)
09 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: balanced lives, children of God, common task, communing with God, Crusoe's Isle, daily grind, devotions, evil, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, friends of Jesus, giants, give thanks, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, grow in grace, harmony, holy spirit, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, ingenious God, Jesus Christ, kindness, knowledge of Jesus, LOVE, memorable, memories, mercy, midget, more like Jesus, One Year Book of Bible promises, pollinating, praying, reproduction, Rosie's rock cake, Ruth Harms Calkin, salt air, share His love with the world, sights and sounds of nature, sitting on the patio, spiritual growth, the Lord in favour, the party's over, Tobago, truth, Tuesday Mantra, warmth, wisdom, worth the waiting
2 Peter 3:18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.
Well friends, the music has ended, and the D.J is packing up his equipment, that means the party’s over! Steups! So sad, but oh so true.
The simple fact of the matter is that we can’t party for ever, we also have to have periods of work if we want to live balanced lives as the Lord, our Maker intended.
And all of that is just to say that the ole fella’s vacation in paradise, on sweet Tobago is over. Chuh! But them’s the breaks! Sadly, it’s time to get back to the common task and daily grind in the cold North country.
No longer will I be waking up to the sweet singing of the birds, coming out the front door and inhaling the fresh salt air from the sea as the waves rush foam-filled over the reef and crash against the rocky shore. No more sitting out on the patio in the early morning hours communing with the Father, watching the sun rise and feeling it’s heat permeate my very being.
No more watching the birds and insects play amongst the bunch of young date palms on the small tree as they go about their business, God’s business of pollinating the flowers so that life can go on.
And I have to stop and say what a wonderful and ingenious God we serve, the ingenious way He designed for nature’s reproduction. Please give Him all the glory!
Then no more walks along the rocky coastline after devotions… Hn! No more dips in my waterhole either. No more sitting on the patio with the duchess taking in the sights and sounds of nature, as she says, enjoying the ambiance. (smile) And she certainly won’t be able to see, or hear her boats, the ferries speed back and forth along the horizon.
And she won’t be able to have me drive miles down the road to get some of Rosie’s rock cake! Hn! Three times this past week I drove all the way down to this local bakery, in the hot sun to boot, only to discover that she was closed, or she had no drops. I wasn’t very thrilled.
But you know what friends; the vacation might all be over in reality, but the wonderful time we had on Crusoe’s Isle will never be forgotten, will never be erased from our memories. For as Johnny Bristol says in his old song: ‘Memories don’t leave like people do. They always stay with you. Whether they’ve been good or bad, They’re always something that you have.’
And that is gospel truth my people! And believe me, we made many many good memories over the last few weeks. As I sit in my rocking chair during the cold days and nights, I will recall many of them, chuckle and give thanks to the Almighty for having allowed me to make them.
And to all of you in T&T who made our stay so memorable, the duchess and I give you thanks from the very bottom of our hearts. We sincerely appreciated your warmth and kindness, and hope that we can savour some more of it next year, the Lord in favour. Can’t wait to come back! (smile)
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s get on with our Tuesday Mantra nuh. Altogether 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.’
Glory to God my people for those true and wonderful sentiments! Please, let’s remember that what the world says or thinks about us is of no importance, once we are sincerely trying to do the Father’s bidding. We are indeed children of God and friends of Jesus! That’s our designation; nothing else!
And today I want to share a rather important message from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s aptly titled, ‘Worth the Waiting.’
Listen closely: ‘Growing spiritually is such a long, slow process! It’s painful too. Every day at the turn of the road I become acquainted with new pitfalls and heartaches. Sometimes the pain backs me into a corner. For example: There is a woman I know who is so sarcastic, so curt and unkind. Am I ever excused? Is forgiveness always a part of my growth?
So often I feel like a spiritual midget while my husband and friends appear to be spiritual giants. I seem to shrink in my own home. Another thing: I confess that I am a coward about pain. Emotional pain. Physical pain. The pain of loneliness, the pain of grief.
Yet, again and again it is true. What I must learn in my pain is that it is leading to something positive, something beyond what I can see in the present darkness. I do want to grow! I want to become more and more like Jesus. Even though it takes so long, surely it is worth the waiting.’
And friends, that is the immutable truth! Becoming more like Jesus, is indeed a long and ofttimes painful process, but believe me, it is worth the wait!
So for all of us who have problems like those above, and we all do at some time or other, the important thing is never to give up, just keep holding on tightly to Jesus, because in due time, in His time, He will bring us through the fire transformed, more like Him.
And the Bible Promise for that passage is also our Bit for today. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, the only way to handle the wickedness and the temptations of this evil world is by growing in the grace and knowledge of our great and wonderful God. Without the bulwark that His favour and word provide, we’re easy pickings for the enemy.
And remember God’s basic plan for each of us is that we grow more like the Saviour each and every day, by studying His Word, praying and fellowshipping with other believers. Those things need to be constants in our lives, if we are to mature successfully.
And we have a very relevant scripture to quote from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. As pertaining to the new life in Christ, he tells them. ‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (trickery) of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in LOVE, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted (knit together) by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual (effective) working in the measure of every part (of each part doing its share), maketh increase (causes growth) of the body unto the edifying of itself in LOVE.’ (Eph.4:14-16)
Yes my brethren, the church of Christ is like the human body, to grow successfully, it needs proper food and all the parts working together in harmony. And the best way to do that is to come up over our problems with LOVE; the LOVE of Christ! Much LOVE!
…in all things…the LOVE of Christ suffices…
20 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, acceptance, affirmation, ailments, alive and kicking, as the heaven is high above the earth, behave appropriately, benefits, bless the Lord, blessings, burden, chameleon, Creator of the universe, crowns, deity, destruction, diseases, dust, enjoy your life, ever-faithful God, ever-LOVING God, faith, flesh and blood, forget, frail, friends, give yourself to God, glory hallelujah, glory to God, goodness, gospel truth, human nature, incomprehensible God, iniquities, inner being, Jesus Christ, living God, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than yours, One Year Book of Bible promises, pains, plans, pray, redeems, revere, Ruth Harms Calkin, satisfies, Saturday, serve, slow to anger, so great is his mecry, the east is from the west, the Exception, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, top of the line, toward them that fear him, transgressions, truth, turn away from God, wisdom, worship, your ways, youth is renewed like the eagle's
Psalm 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
Saturday, oh Saturday! What a great day thou art! And isn’t that the awesome truth friends? It surely is! But what’s even better than that, is that every day that God makes is a great one! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s because He has great plans for those who LOVE and sincerely seek Him and dispenses His blessings and mercies in abundance to them each and every new day! Glory to God!
Ah mih people, I can’t impress upon us enough the fact that we worship a most mighty, awesome, generous and ever-LOVING Deity! The ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, Creator of the Universe and all therein!
Yes Friends, all the other supposed Gods are dead, ours is the ONLY ONE who’s alive and kicking! So why worship something or someone that’s dead eh? No good reason at all my brethren.
And in response to the quote from our friend Anselm yesterday, here’s one similar to it that another friend sent me. Thanks Keith.
Listen up: “As you grow older, there are ailments and pains that beset you. Some will stay with you forever. But as you pray and give yourself to God, He gives you ways in which to deal with the aches, and in doing so, He makes them so much less a burden to you that you can still fully enjoy your life.”
And again I say: What an awesome God we serve and worship!
Now here’s some more indisputable truth, this time from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Today’s writing is called ‘The Exception.’ Please pray with me, because we all need to come to this rather significant conclusion.
‘Lord, too often I demand From my family and friends More LOVE More affirmation More acceptance Than they are capable of giving. Today, dear God I ask You to burn this truth Into the depth of my inner being: Nobody in all the world Can ever LOVE me As much as I need to be LOVED – Except You!’
Ah mih breddren in Christ Jesus, I won’t even comment and say that that is the gospel truth! (smile) But we do expect a lot more from others than some of them are capable of giving.
Sometimes we need to remember that they are only flesh and blood, and though made in the image of God Almighty, yet are but frail and not as top of the line like Him. Thus we can only do so much and give so much, even though we may want to do and give more. Our human nature in other words is rather finite and at a very low level.
As the Lord has so rightly reminded us in His Word: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9)
Now that’s telling us friends! We can in no way truly comprehend the length and breadth of our incomprehensible God! But some of us still foolishly try.
Anyway the promise for today’s writing is also our Bit: ‘For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.’
More gospel and indisputable truth my people! The Lord’s goodness and mercy are unlimited towards those who serve and worship Him faithfully. And I can give testimony to that wonderful fact. Oh, all praise and glory be to our magnificent and magnanimous God!
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy – from which our Bit is taken. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 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.’ (Ps.103:1-5)
Oh friends, oh friends, how can I not serve and worship and LOVE and revere such a wonderful God eh! And the most important part of all that is ‘forget not all his benefits.’
And all God’s children gratefully shouted: ‘Oh praise and thank the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for His undeserved kindness to the children of men!’
And that we should truly do my brethren; much more than we actually do, because too many of us forget His benefits, especially when times get rough.
Now that is something I can’t understand; when times get rough, a lot of us forget or turn away from God. But the truth is, that’s when we most need the affection and caring of our heavenly Father, because ofttimes, He is the ONLY ONE who can set our matters right.
We tend to quickly forget what the Lord has done for us in the past. But friends, if He’s helped us in the past, why would He refuse to do the same in the present, if we’re still being obedient and faithful to Him eh? No reason whatsoever.
Remember that we also serve an ever-faithful God, who does not change, is not a chameleon; one moment this, another moment that, but is ever constant.
Listen to Bruh David again. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (revere) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remebereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:8-14)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, in ending, all I ask, is that we too remember that we are mere dust; nothing but dust, and behave appropriately. Much LOVE!
…all flesh shall perish together…and man shall turn again unto dust… (Job 34:15)
28 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to your faith, acknowledge God, bane, believer, black pudding, blessed is the man that trusts God, blessings, blue sky, climate change, courabe fails, cross-lile, daily devotions, darkest night, deepest waters, dissolve, dry season, faith, faith is feeble, fellowship, floating, giving thanks, glory hallelujah, God's word remains secure, gospel truth, he shall direct your paths, heaven, home, Hotel Magdalena, I Trust, in all thy ways, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, joy, lean not to thine own understanding, LOVE, One Year Book of Bible promises, promises, realtionship, renew, respects not the proud, revitalize, Ruth Harms Calkin, salty air, souse, surrender, those who turn aside to lies, Tobago, topsy-turvy, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, warm weather, white clouds, wisdom, with all thine heart, working of God
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Ahoy there friends and fellow believers! From my little cottage by the sea in Tobago, I write these words of LOVE to you!
Yes mih people, it is wonderful being in Tobago. I haven’t done much as yet, but just the warm weather and salty air has me feeling less pained up and tired, plus I finally got a good night’s sleep last night.
Now what did I do after we last spoke yesterday? Well after sending out the Bit, while the duchess was sleeping, I went down to a li’l waterhole close to my cottage and soaked in the salt water for about half an hour. Well it’s not really a water hole, but just a man-made inlet on this side of the bay.
Thankfully this space has sand and not rocks or coral like a couple of other places along the shoreline. Oh friends, being in the sea felt so wonderful, I…I can’t find words to describe it.
For a few minutes I just lay floating on my back, arms outstretched, legs together, cross-like, looking up at the blue sky with white clouds drifting gently by and the bright sun going down in the east, giving thanks to my creator for bringing me home to Tobago to renew, refresh and revitalize my tired soul, body, spirit and mind.
Then later in the evening, when the duchess got up, we went down to the grocery, Penny Saver, and stocked up on food. Then we came home, had a quiet evening, with no t.v. because apparently when the rain falls, the cables which are foolishly run underground get wet and malfunction. Ah Lord eh!
Strangely enough, both yesterday and today have been cloudy with intermittent short bursts of rain. This is usually the dry season, with not much rain, and even the forest on the other side of the lagoon seems brown and dry. Hopefully my arrival brought the blessings, (smile) and not climate change.
And this morning it was nice to sit outside and do my daily devotions, looking at the tumbling sea and the beautiful scenery, while feeling the cool wind as it blew along, instead of being cloistered up in a cold house. One could hardly ever refuse to pray and give thanks under such excellent conditions.
The only thing that has surprised me so far, is that the wind has kept up a brisk pace all yesterday and today. The poor trees have had to dance along with little respite.
Now let’s get to what I had originally planned to write. It’s a poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled: ‘I TRUST.’
And it says: ‘O God, thank You That Your promises are valid As long as the world lasts. They do not suddenly dissolve When my faith is feeble And my courage fails. When You have given a promise You will perform it – Sight or no sight Feeling or no feeling.
You may take me Through the darkest night The deepest waters. The very worst may happen But out of it You will bring the very best For Your word remains secure. Lord, keep me faithful in my trust. When I can articulate no other prayer May my waiting heart Continually avow: I trust! I trust!’
Oh Friends, not enough trust is the bane, the downfall of every believer! When times are good, there’s no problem in trusting our heavenly Father, but when times are rough, that is the time we need to trust the most and when we seem to trust the least.
And what we need to remember is that total surrender means total trust. So if we are prone to doubt, that means we have not completely surrendered. And as such, we will not see the full working of God in our lives. As Jesus said to the blind men: ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt.9:29)
Yes my people, according to our faith, so will it be unto us too, because faith implies surrender and trust. So how much you surrender and trust, that’s how much you will receive. And from personal experience, I can tell you that’s gospel truth, since over the years as I surrendered more fully and my faith and trust grew, so did the quality of my life!
And the verses pertaining to that poem are ones we all ought to know and follow, but we obviously don’t, that’s why our lives can be so topsy-turvy.
Hear these wonderful words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘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 straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6)
Ah mih breddren, there’s no disputing those words! If only we would follow them in our everyday lives eh! And the scholars have some interesting and wise thoughts which I’m sure I’ve shared before, but they are indeed important enough to share again.
‘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.’
Oh friends, the important word in all of that is ‘DEVOTION!’ It’s no different to our normal behaviour; we treat those who are devoted to us better than those who are not. It’s just a natural facet of our nature. Likewise, God will treat those who are devoted to Him better than those who are not.
And we’ll close with our Bit for today, which also greatly stresses the importance of trust in our heavenly Father. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ Much LOVE!
…whatever you put into an earthly relationship…is what you will usually get back…the same applies to God…
P.S. The duchess went out the street for a walk some time ago. Next thing, I got a phone call saying she’s up the road at the Hotel Magdalena having coffee on the balcony. Well that’s fine by me, the walk will do her good. Don’t think I could have walked so far – well not as yet.
However, I’m going to have some ‘souse’ now on my not as spiffy balcony! Glory to God! Unexpectedly I found the souse person outside Penny saver last night, and tonight I’m going back to get some black pudding…Oh, am I in heaven or what! Much LOVE!
14 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new lifestyle, a new nature, anger, aspirations, Barbarian, behold I make all things new, blasphemy, bond, character, Christ is all, Christmas, Colossians, conduct, conversion, drawing closer to God, dreary middle, encompassed about, falsehood, filthy communication, forget God, free, friends of faith, glory to God, God's faithful help, Greek, Greek Olympics, heroes, humanity, I am the truth, impediments, January, Jew, John Hagee, lay aside every weight, lie not, LOVE, malice, mature knowledge of God, mentors, mid-January funk, New Year's hoopla, One Year Book of Bible promises, our best efforts, predicament, put off the old man, put on the new man, put sin to death, renewed in knowledge, renounced, resolutions, Run to win, run with patience, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints, salvation, salve, sinful acts, slump, so great a cloud of witnesses, social distinctions, springtime, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the sin which so easily ensnares us, trinkets, values, vices, victorious, words of wisdom, worldly thinking, wrath, year-end sales
Hebrews 12:1. 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, endurance) the race that is set before us.
Ah mih people, it’s another cold, bleak winter’s day! But we have to remember that that’s what winter is all about; cold and bleak, though it doesn’t seem so bad when the sun shines through in all its glory. (smile)
And since this is where we live, we just have to learn to live with it, knowing that through God’s faithful help we will be able to handle it, and eventually come out victorious in the glorious springtime. Oh glory to God friends for His unceasing help!
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that probably hits the nail on the head with many of us. I couldn’t help but share it.
It’s simply titled ‘January,’ and reads thus: ‘It’s January, Lord – The drab, dreary middle – And my thoughts are as drab As the miserable month. Does everybody hit a January slump Or am I the only one?
The first week wasn’t too bad: There were Christmas thank-yous to write A few resolutions to store away The huddle of year-end sales. But thank-you notes bring no returns And resolutions are quickly broken And marked-down trinkets fast lose appeal.
When you said Behold, I make all things new Did You forget January, Lord? Or in January do I sometimes forget you?’
Oh friends, that poem certainly does resemble the mid January funk that many of us find ourselves in. The weather is the pits, the Christmas bills are starting to come in, and we don’t know where the money is going to come from to pay them, and added to that anxiety, we’re still physically and mentally tired from all the Christmas and New Year’s hoopla. It certainly is a familiar predicament.
But to answer the poets ending question, the response is a definite Yes! We do seem to forget God in these anxious times, when these are the times we should be drawing ever closer to Him. God doesn’t make mistakes or lie. If he says that everything is made new, then it IS made new!
That means the problem lies with us, which brings us to the promise for that poem, which is also our Bit. ‘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, endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Ah my fellow believers that is exactly the kind of advice we need this cold morning in mid-January. And the Lord moves in such mysterious ways, that it’s only last night I watched Uncle John (John Hagee) preach a sermon on that same verse. He titled it ‘Run To Win!’
And so it should be my fellow believers. Why else would we run a race if it were not to win eh? And the particular race we’re talking about here is the race of life!
Bruh Paul likened our earthly lives to a race, having in mind the ancient Greek Olympics, which we can compare to out own modern day Olympiads.
And the first thing he does is remind us of all the other saints, the heroes that have run this race before us, the ‘great cloud of witnesses,’ who are looking down on us as we run our race. So it’s not like we don’t have any examples or mentors to look back at.
Then we have to ‘lay aside every weight,’ that prevents us from running this race of life. Yes my brethren we have to get rid of all the impediments that weigh us down and prevent us from putting forth our best efforts.
And Bruh Paul refers to some of them in Colossians. ‘But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not to one another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond (slave) nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.’ (Col.3:8-11)
Oh my precious friends of faith, those are the kinds of things that prevent us from properly concentrating on running this magnificent race of life that’s set before us.
And here are some explanations from the scholars, which will help us to further understand those scriptures. ‘3:9. Seeing means “since.” The old man is all that a person was prior to salvation: his worldly thinking and sinful acts. Since all this was renounced at conversion, one should lie not. Falsehood ill becomes the person claiming to be a disciple of Him who said, “I am the…truth.”
‘3:10. The new man is the person one becomes after conversion: he possesses a new nature, values, aspirations, and a new life-style. This “new man” is constantly being renewed or developed until he attains a mature knowledge of the God who (re)created him. The more a believer knows and understands of God, the more he will be like God in character and conduct.’
‘3:11. Not only is the “new man” to put sin to death, he is also to put away man-made barriers that divide people and that nourish the vices of the old life. Among renewed humanity there are no national, ceremonial, cultural, or social distinctions. To the redeemed Christ is all: that is, He is everything and He is what matters most to them. And Christ is…in all; that is, He dwells in all believers.’
Yes Friends, we’ll end with those wonderful words of wisdom: Christ is everything to the believer, and He dwells in each and every one of us. Oh what a wonderful scenario!
Let’s remember that, and ponder on all that we’ve said to day, so that we can increase in the knowledge and maturity of Christ our Lord and Saviour. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
10 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sovereign God, cease not to give thanks, celebrating, Christ-like maturity, church, church bells, condescending, conversion, daily living, divine strength, enlightened, Ephesians, everlasting love, exceeding greatness of God's power, faith in the Lord Jesus, faithful believers, feel smug, feverish activity, glorify the Lord, God's goodness, God's infinite wisdom, God's limitless power, Good News Gospel, growth in Christ, heavenly destiny, his inheritance in the saints, illuminated Christian, in heavenly places, in sincerity and truth, in the hands, inheritance in the saints, invitation to worship, Jesus Christ, knowledge of God, lift the name of Jesus, LOVE, majestic God, mercy, my times, my ultimate good, One Year Book of Bible promises, powerless, praise, prescription for earthly living, priceless treasure, purpose in our hearts, reserve, resolutions, Revelation, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, set him at his right hand, surprise, thanksgiving, the eyes of your understanding, the Father of glory, the hope of his calling, the Lord's sanctuary, the mind's understanding, the New Year, the riches of glory, the riches of his glory, the spirit of wisdom, Togetherness, trick. disillusion, uplifting scriptures, walk in step with Christ
Ephesians 1:18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Well a good Sunday morning to all, as the church bells peal a beautiful and blessed invitation to us to come to the Lord’s sanctuary and worship and glorify Him in sincerity and truth!
Yeh mih people, it’s a day of togetherness, of praise and thanksgiving amongst the faithful believers in Jesus Christ. So please honour it by darkening the door of your church and celebrating God’s goodness and mercy with others of the same ilk.
That’s the Lord’s wish for us this second Sunday in the New Year. And if, as we purpose in our hearts and resolutions to lift the name of Jesus and His Good News Gospel this year, we cannot afford to start backsliding so early in the month. (smile)
Now here is a rather appropriate excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled, ‘The New Year.’
And it says: ‘Mysterious New Year So wrapped in reserve and surprise You have no reason to feel smug Or even condescending. After all, the majestic God Has full knowledge of you Just as He has of me.
There is not an issue you can evade. Furthermore, you are powerless To do anything to me That God does not permit. All He allows in His infinite wisdom Is for my ultimate good And His greatest glory.
Consequently, New Year You cannot trick or disillusion me By your baffling unexplainables Or your feverish activity. My times are in the hands of my sovereign God Whose power is limitless And whose LOVE for me is everlasting.’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! Let’s never forget that God’s LOVE for each and every one of us, is everlasting!
And the scripture promise for that poem is also our Bit for today. ‘The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.’
But before we get into our Bit, let’s hear what comes before it, so that we can understand in what context it was used. Bruh Paul is here praying for God’s knowledge and understanding for the Ephesians.
And he begins this section thus: ‘Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and LOVE unto all the saints. Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set (seated) him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.’ (Eph.1:15-20)
Oh friends, what powerful and uplifting scriptures!
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:17. The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him means “a disposition consisting of wisdom and revelation in knowing Him.”
And we all still need that up to this day my brethren, despite our much better knowledge of God, in comparison to the Ephesians!
‘1:18-19. When the figurative terms are removed from the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, the clause means that “your mind’s understanding may be fully enlightened.” The clause further explains verse 17.
That ye may know signifies that the believer comes to know three things upon being enlightened: (1) what is the hope of his calling; that is, he realizes how sure and certain is his heavenly destiny;
(2) what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints; that is, the illuminated Christian recognizes more and more both the priceless value of his salvation, and what a priceless treasure he is to God;
And (3) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe: perceiving how God’s power has changed him since conversion, he experiences to a greater extent this divine strength in daily living.’
Oh friends, I do hope we understand all of that, because it is so important in our growth, our maturity in Christ. We do need it all; the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God, so that we can better understand what He is all about, and are thus enlightened about the certainty and security of our heavenly destiny.
And my people, my people, that we may truly understand the richness, the ‘invaluableness’ of God’s salvation, and how important we are to Him. As well as understanding His awesome power and how it has changed us since we’ve become new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Yes my brethren all of that stuff we need to help us in living our daily lives, for without it we’d simply be lost and confused, even more than we are now. (smile)
Anyway, we’re going to end for today, because I need to go and get myself ready for church – the bells are pealing beautifully in my neighbourhood too – and there is also a lot for us to ponder in the Bit.
So until tomorrow, the Lord in favour, please, let’s all walk in step with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, securely dwelling under the wide wings of His everlasting LOVE, for that is indeed the wisdom of heaven!
Much LOVE!…walking daily with Christ…is the only true prescription for earthly living…
02 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2016, a rousing welcome, and all these things shall be added unto you, believers in Christ, bless the Lord, consolation of joy, crapaud smoke we pipe, devotion, exalted, faithfulness, forget not his benefits, forgiveness, glory, glory hallelujah, God's faithfulness, God's mercy, happy, Happy New Year, He is love, heals thy diseases, help, honour, hope, How good it is to sing God's praise, human beings, I sing a new song, I will be glad in the Lord, I will sing praises unto my God, iniquities, joy, joyful, LOVE, loving kindness, meditation, memory, mete and right to do, New Year's celebration, no bounds, no limitations, One Year Book of Bible promises, perseverance, pledge allegiance to Jesus, praise, Praise ye the Lord, put not your trust in princes, resolution, rocket science, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek ye first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, shout Hallelujah, sincerity, sing praises unto God, stand strong and steadfast, tender mercies, the best is yet to come, the future, the god of Jacob, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Love Revolution, thoughts perish, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, truth, while I live I will praise the Lord, wisdom
Psalm 146:1-2. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Ah Friends, the New Year’s celebrations are taking a toll on the ole fella. Chuh! I’m getting to bed late, so I can’t get up early. (smile) I had a hard time even getting up late this morning. But it’s not every day we ring in a New Year so it’s understandable.
Anyway, here is an appropriate prayer that I found written at the back of my mother’s Bible. Please pray it with me. ‘Father in heaven, we thank you for your faithfulness during the past year. Help us to remember that your faithfulness will go with us into the New Year. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my fellow believers in Christ, it’s ever so important to remember that the changing of the year makes no difference whatsoever to our God’s faithfulness. It will constantly be with us and consistently follow us wherever we go, on whatever day it may be, because it knows no bounds or limitations, we just have to remain faithful.
And here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that will help us to do just that. It’s titled ‘Happy New Year.’ Let’s declare it together: ‘This very first (or second) day Of the fresh new year I sing a new song – A joyful, exalted song!
With Israel’s sweet singer I exclaim: “How good it is to sing God’s praise How delightful and how right.” The volume increases The tempo accelerates. With glorious anticipation I shout a rousing welcome To the up-and-coming days.
The future cannot daunt me Every inscrutable memory Becomes a consolation of joy For with You in control, dear God The worst may happen But the best is yet to come.’
Oh my people, the best is surely yet to come! Please believe that. We definitely have sot seen the best of our great and wonderful God as yet! So please stay strong and steadfast in this year of HOPE, for lots of exciting things are forecasted to happen, amongst them the great surging forward of Jesus’ LOVE Revolution as we serious believers give our all to recapture our lost world.
Remember, if we don’t do it, nobody else will, and what kind of life is that going to entail for our descendants eh? Not a very nice one, I can assure you.
So in this momentous year of 2016, it’s essential that we re-pledge our allegiance to Jesus Christ, pledging to sincerely follow Him, to grow and mature in our relationship with Him, for that’s the only resolution we need to make. Once we do that, everything else will fall into place.
As Jesus so wisely and rightly stated in His Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yeh mih people, following Jesus doesn’t entail any rocket science, just a whole lot of sincerity, perseverance, devotion and faithfulness, which all adds up to simple and true LOVE for Him.
And quite appropriately, the verses to which our promise is attached will be our Bit for today. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’
Ah friends, that is only mete and right to do, because Almighty God, our Creator and Provider deserves our praises, for all that we are and have come directly from Him. And in any case, that’s one of the reasons He made us. Praise and honour and glory are expected of us.
Hear how the psalmist continues. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5)
And isn’t that the everlasting truth my people! Only in the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is there any real help to be found for mankind!
Now listen to how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 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.’ (Ps.103:1-5)
Oh friends, how can we not praise and worship and glorify a Being who is so kind and generous to us eh? We ought not to forget who brought us to the dance. But sadly too many of us do, that’s why our lives and the state of our world are in such a desperate, dangerous and destructive state.
And in this year of 2016 my brethren, we desperately need to turn that situation around, otherwise, crapaud smoke we pipe, the destruction and strife will just get worse, until it all goes up in one big fireball. And I’m sure that is not what we desire for our once beautiful world.
So let’s end with these beautiful, uplifting and encouraging words of the psalmist. ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah).’ (Ps.104:33-35)
Now let’s go out and do all that my people, for it is indeed the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…Praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
16 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discernerof the thoughts and intents of the heart, a package of ethics, Advent, crash head-on with a living Person, crooked places become straight, darkness becomes light, festivity, glory hallelujah, God said let there be light, God's infallible Word to man, God's wisdom, gospel truth, I am halfway home, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, jesus birth, Jesus is the reason for the season, keep Christ in Christmas, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, One Year Book of Bible promises, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, Ruth Harms Calkin, season of joy, serious shortcomings, sharper than any twoedged sword, the BIBLE, the Bible is God's word to us, the Book of All Books, the breath of life, the God of all goodness, the living Word, the One who makes all things new, the real spirit of Christmas, the Word of God is quick, there is power in the Word, to a glorious future with Jesus, true insights into God, Wednesday Wail
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
Oh friends and neighbours, it’s only nine more days to that marvellous and miraculous day of Jesus’ birth! Wow! Isn’t it wonderful how we all come together to celebrate Christmas!
Oh how I wish that we could be so together all year round. But I suppose that’s just an idle wish of a naive old man. Hn, hn!
However, what I want to point out here is that though Christmas Day is important, what’s also important is our journey to it, the way we approach it; with joy and gladness and singing and pleasant fellowship and good cheer.
That’s what this season of Advent, or preparation for the arrival of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is all about. So let’s get in the spirit nuh, the real spirit of Christmas, not the worldly aspect of it, where the buying of gifts and busyness and rushing and pushing and frustration and household preparations are paramount.
Let’s remember to keep Christ in Christmas, for He is the reason for the season!
Now listen to these words of wisdom from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I just couldn’t pass up the chance to share this one. It’s titled ‘Book of All Books.’
And it says: ‘Lord, I am overwhelmed As I read Your living Word. What power, what pungency I find within its pages. It stirs me, burns with me It challenges me, invigorates me And often disturbs me. When I obey its commands The results are what you claim: Darkness becomes light Crooked places become straight
The more I seek, the more I find. Within its pages, God I see beyond mere philosophy I see beyond a neat package of ethics. I crash head-on with a living Person The One who makes all things new. No other book can claim as much.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! No other Book in all of man’s existence can make all those truthful claims but the Bible; God’s infallible Word to man! Glory Hallelujah!
Now the next thing is when we read it, does it elicit in us the emotions the writer points out? I surely do hope so, because that is what it was meant to do. That’s why it is ever so important for us to continually read and study the Bible, for it’s the only way we will get true insights into our great God and His most wonderful persona!
And since it’s Wednesday, that means it’s wailing time, so let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with much enthusiasm and sincerity. As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh glory to God my precious people! Isn’t it wonderful to be alive, especially in this Christmas season of joy and festivity! And looking forward to all that Jesus has promised to those who follow Him is certainly intoxicating, for no one else has, or can make the promises that He has done? Give Him thanks and honour my brethren!
And the promise for that poem above is also our Bit for today. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’
More indisputable truth my fellow believers! The Word of God is indeed powerful! Remember how He created the universe and all therein? With His Word, by word of mouth! ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’ (Gen.1:3)
And you can go through that first chapter of Genesis and see where our mighty God spoke everything, except man, into existence. Man, He made LOVINGLY with His own two hands, in His own image, and gave us His breath of life. That’s why we’re so special to Him.
But friends, if the Word of God is that powerful, and we are made in His image, with His breath of life flowing through us, then that means we also have power through the Word. Consequently, we need to continually speak God’s Word over our lives and the lives of those around us. For as the song says: ‘There is power in the Word!’ Glory Hallelujah!
And one of our serious shortcomings is not speaking the Word more often in our daily walk with Jesus. And you’ll notice that during Jesus’ sojourn here on earth, He was always quoting the Word. So if he could quote the Word, why should we be any different eh friends? No reason whatsoever!
Anyway, enough stuff for us to ponder today. (smile) Tomorrow, God in favour, we’ll continue this most important teaching. Till then my fellow believers, may the God of all goodness and LOVE, walk beside us and keep us safe, for that’s what He has promised to do for all those who believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ. Much LOVE!
…the Bible is God’s Word to us…still fresh through all the ages…and if we read it…we will find God’s wisdom on its pages…
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