19 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a good confession, a good future, a hope, assurance, before many witnesses, believes on the Son, breath of life, Christians, confessed, defend our faith, diagnostic testing, don't give up, encouragement, engaged in warfare, eternal life, exertion, faith, faithful intentions, fasting, fight one more round, fight the good fight, finished my course, fought a good fight, Gentleman Jim, glorious future with Jesus, godliness, good advice, grin and bear it, halfway home, hands on the plough, heavyweight fighter, James J Corbett, Jesus Christ, Jesus' vocabulary, joyful day, lay hold on, LOVE, Love his appearing, LOVE of Money, lusts, man of God, material wealth, medical appointment, meekness, Messiah, New Covenant, not looking back, one more time, patience, personal experience, personal problems, relief, resources, rewards in heaven, right around the corner, righteousness., salvation, shuffle back, spiritual life, stand strong, struggle with sin, suck it up, the centre of the ring, the darkest hour, the mind, the most powerful tool, the one before the dawn, the righteous judge, the wrath of God, thou art called, Timothy, true believers, unto the breach, washed white as snow, Wednesday Wail
1 Timothy 6:12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.
One more time unto the breach, dear friends, one more time! Yeh, I’ve got another medical appointment this morning, that’s why the Bit is so early again. The good thing though is that I don’t have to go into Toronto, it’s just some diagnostic testing not too far down the street from me.
But I do have to fast for it, and fasting, or rather forced fasting and I are not the best of friends. The ole stomach is here growling away on me, calling for food, but I still have a few hours to go until I can grant it its request. (smile) But as they say, it’s all for my benefit. So just suck it up, grin and bear it!
That brings us to this bit of good advice attributed to James J Corbett (1866-1933), the American Heavyweight fighter, better known as ‘Gentleman Jim.’ He advises: ‘Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired you have to shuffle back to the centre of the ring, fight one more round.’ And that from someone who knows what He’s talking about through personal experience!
Yes my brethren, that’s what we Christians are called to do; fight one more round, even though we feel at the point of exertion, be it physical, mental or emotional. Oh, I know many of us are tired, what with all our personal problems, including health, wealth and friendship matters, but as believers, we’re not supposed to give up. Giving up doesn’t exist in Jesus’ vocabulary.
And further still, they say that the darkest hour is the one just before the dawn, so if you’re seeing what you consider a very dark hour, please believe that relief is right around the corner. Remember the mind is the most powerful tool in the world, and what we believe we can achieve. We have to use what resources we possess to our best advantage and keep on keeping on.
As Bruh Paul cautioned Timothy in his first missive: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (LOVE of money, hurtful lusts, material wealth.); and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’
And as the scholars say of our Bit: ‘6:12. The good fight concerns the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life, and the hardships and adversities in the ministry. A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare. Lay hold on eternal life does not negate the fact that a believer now possess spiritual life (John 3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’
Ah mih breddren being a true believer in Jesus Christ is not easy, but since we have declared ourselves to be true believers, we have to just keep on keeping on. And it’s not like we don’t have ample resources and encouragement, assurance and help to fight our earthly battle. We do! Namely all the resources granted to us as believers in Jesus Christ; the biggest and most important ones being salvation and eternal life.
As the Good Book declares: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth (remains) on him.’ (John 3:36) Oh friends, that provision alone ought to be enough to encourage us to stand strong and live and defend our faith. Which other faith has that sure promise eh…with the sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ to back it up eh? NONE!
And then we have so many other promises of God, who has a good plan for every life, with a hope and good future. He’s also promised never to leave nor forsake us; to hear our prayers and pleas when we diligently and sincerely seek Him; to bring us out of the fire unscorched; to take us safely through the flood, and most of all grant us a Deliverer, a Messiah, one to sacrifice and atone for our sins, which He did through His only Son Jesus Christ becoming flesh and offering His sinless life upon the cross at Calvary so that our sins could be washed white as snow.
Glory to God my people! For He has done all that He’s promised, and if we do what we’re supposed to do, then He will do the rest. The Lord will not do it all for us. He requires us to put in an effort on His behalf, since we’re partners in this New Covenant. So though life might be dark, dreary and difficult, we do have all the tools necessary to fight the good fight.
And hopefully, at the end of our days, we’ll all be able to proudly say like Bruh Paul did to Timothy: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim.4:7-8)
Yes mih breddren, what a joyful day that will be! But until then, let’s keep fighting the good fight nuh, and as a promise of our faithful intentions, go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our current position in Christ. All together now, let’s wail: ‘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!’
And the future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can imagine. So think on that nuh! Much LOVE!
…when life gets difficult…consider our rewards in heaven…and the glorious future promised us there…
15 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a miraculous task, a rewarder, Abraham, act, activate, all that labour, Anselm, assurance, beleive it, believe that he is, call for help, Christ's sacrifice, come unto me, conviction, dormant forces, early to bed, early to rise, evidence, faith, find rest, friend, future hope, gentle, give you rest, God spoke the world into existence, gospel truth, heavy laden, hope, humble, I am meek, impossible to please God, intercession of Christ, is already there, learn from me, like to become, lowly in heart, moves mountains, my burden light, my yoke is easy, not by sight, patience, perseverance, present realities, reality, realization, recuperate, righteousness, saved by hope, see it to believe it, see yourself, seek him diligently, sense of proof, sight, sleep in, substance, take my yoke, the glorification of saints, the great invitation, the New testament, the resurrection, the return of Christ, the Word of god, them's the breaks, then see it, things hoped for, things not seen, transform your dream, truths, two short days, unseen realities, unto your souls, wait eagerly, walking with Jesus, we walk by faith, what you want, wisdom, without faith
2 Corinthians 5:7. For we walk by faith, not by sight.
And then it was Saturday; the day so many of us use to sleep in. I tried to do it, but it didn’t work, the aches and pains were too powerful. Hn! I went out yesterday evening, came home tired and went to bed early, so the body responded by being up early too. But them’s the breaks! What’s the saying? Early to bed, early to rise!
So here we are, another week of work is over and we need to recuperate in just two short days. And it’s only if and when we’re walking wholeheartedly with Jesus that we can accomplish such a miraculous task. So please check Him out. He’s anxiously awaiting your call for help.
And you can see that by the wonderful offer of His Great Invitation. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Ah people, what an invitation! There’s never been any like it, and will never be another like it, because Jesus is the only Being who can promise such stuff and actually provide it. Glory to His Holy Name!
Now since it’s Saturday, we ought to look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us, but unfortunately I only received one this week. But it certainly is interesting and good enough for us to build around. So here it is: ‘The more you see yourself as what you’d like to become, and act as if what you want is already there, the more you’ll activate those dormant forces that will collaborate to transform your dream into your reality.’
And that’s the gospel truth friends! But you know why? Because as true believers in Christ: ‘We walk by faith and not by sight.’ Glory be mih people! It’s our faith in Christ Jesus that allows us to see the things that are not as the things that are. We don’t first have to see something to believe it. We believe it and then we see it! Glory to God!
That’s why we have those magnificent verses of scripture from Hebrews that tell us: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).’ (Heb.11:1-3)
Yeh friends, it’s faith that moves mountains; faith that allows us to believe what we don’t see, it’s through faith we believe that God spoke the world into existence from nothingness! And when we have great faith it can be counted to us for righteousness, like it was for Abraham.
And then later on in Hebrews 11, we have that other famous verse on faith: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb.11:6)
Oh my brethren, only through faith can one believe that God, the ephemeral, spiritual, almighty Being exists, because you can’t see nor touch Him. And I’d be amiss if I didn’t share the scholars’ thoughts on the subject.
‘11:1. Verse 1 is not so much a definition of what faith is, as it is a description of what faith does. (cf.11:6). Two truths concerning its activity are stated here. First, faith provides substance (Gr. hypostasis). Though broad in its usages, this Greek word normally has the meaning of “assurance” in the New Testament (cf.3:14; 2 Cor.9:4; 11:17) and this seems to be the best sense here.
Second, faith provides evidence (Gr. elegchos). It is evidence in the sense of proof that results in conviction. The difference between assurance and evidence would be minimal were it not for the phrase qualifying each: of things hoped for and of things not seen. The first involves future hope; the second involves present realities that are unseen.
The first includes the hope of the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the glorification of the saints. The second involves unseen realities, such as the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s sacrifice and the present intercession of Christ in heaven. Hope is faith relating to the future; conviction is faith relating to the present.’
Ah friends, I hope (smile) that that li’l treatise on faith helps you to understand it better. And to end, we’ll get some more immortal words from Bruh Paul, this time to the church at Rome, on the subject of hope. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (wait eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25)
Exactly my fellow believers! If you can see something, there’s no reason to hope for it. But if you can’t see it physically, then there’s all the reason to hope for it! So let’s wisely hope for all the good things we can’t see nuh, and through faith, believe that we have them and with perseverance wait eagerly for them! That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…you can’t have faith…unless you first have hope…
02 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a giant our Jesus, a quandary, a wave of his hand, a wise place, aimless conduct, all eternity, all have sinned, Aretha Franklin, being justified by his blood, believe in God, blood, break his own heart, broke his heart, Calvary, cleansing, come short of the glory of God, enemies, entrance to heaven's throne room, eternal life, eternal salvation, fellowship, for sin atone, foreordained, forgivenss, glory, God loved us, gold, Hades, hard currency, have a good ole time, healing, hear God's word, holiness, humility, I'll overcome, I'll reach my home, joy in God, justice, justified, lighten up our spirits, LOVE, Lucifer, make me whole, makes me white as snow, mercy, mired in sin, much more then, my hope, my pardon, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, patience, peace, perishable things, perseverance, power, praise, purged with blood, received the atonement, reconciled, redeemed with corruptible things, remission, renewing our spiritual lives, righteousness, Robert Lowry, sacrifice, salvation, sanctified, saved by his life, saved from wrath, shedding of Christ's blood, silver, sing, sinless blood, soften our hearts, still effective after two thousand years, the faithful singing praises, the Lamb of God, the Lord's Day, the Lord's House, tradition, truer words were never spoken, uplifting visit, vain conversation, wash away my sin, welcome, without blemish, without spot, without the shedding of blood, worship, yet sinners
Romans 5:9. Much more then now being (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Welcome, welcome to the Lord’s Day my faithful breddren! And we all know what that means: an uplifting visit to the Lord’s house, to sing and praise and worship and fellowship, hear His Word and just have a good ole time renewing our spiritual lives! Wow! There’s nothing like the faithful together singing the praises of our great and wonderful God my people!
If you saw Aretha Franklin’s funeral on Friday, you’d have seen how praise and worship can light up the spirits of a crowd of believers. So today, in anticipation of hearing God’s Word, let’s soften up our hearts and lighten up our spirits by singing praises to our God in this old and much LOVED hymn ‘Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,’ written by Robert Lowry and published way back in 1876.
So let’s sing it like we really mean it nuh. All together now: ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.) For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)
Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Now by this I’ll overcome; Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Now by this I’ll reach my home, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Glory! Glory! This I sing; Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing but the Blood…Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’
Ah mih people, truer words were indeed never sung or spoken, for ALL that we are is based on the blood of Jesus shed at Calvary! Without that shed blood we’d still be mired in sin for now and all eternity. As the Good Book says: ‘For all have sinned and, come short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
In short friends, it means that ONLY the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary can wash away my sins, cleanse my soul, allow the Father to pardon me. In Him ONLY, can I find peace and hope, righteousness, salvation and eternal life! Glory to God!
Christ’s blood is the most powerful element that ever washed this earth! It atoned for our sins; justified us, sanctified us, reconciled us, made us righteous and gave us entrance to heaven’s throne room! Oh my, my! What other substance on earth can do, or could have done all of that eh? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
In it there is power, forgiveness, LOVE, humility, healing, patience and perseverance, so much so that after two thousand years it is still as effective as ever. Wow! The blood of Jesus! We even plead the blood of Jesus in tough times, confidently calling out to the Father for mercy because of the shed blood of His Son! But enough of me spouting off, (smile) let us quote a few scriptures that show the importance of Christ’s blood in our lives.
And the first one that comes to mind is one that we all know: ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29) And that He did! Then Bruh Paul elucidates to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth his (demonstrates his own) LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then now being (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom.5:8-11)
Ah friends, it seems quite complicated, but it’s really quite simple: God LOVED us so much that it broke His heart to see us headed to Hades with Lucifer, so He decided to do something about it. The only problem was that because of His holiness and justice, He couldn’t just pardon sin with a wave of His hand. Our sin had to be paid for, for want of a better term, in hard currency, (smile) and that currency under the Old Covenant was animal blood.
As Hebrews reminds us that through Moses, the Lord commanded the Israelites to continually shed animal blood as short term atonement for their sins: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.’ (Heb.9:22) So there had to be blood shed if the Lord wanted to reconcile us to Himself. And besides, the blood had to be sinless blood, and unfortunately His Son was the ONLY One who fit that bill.
No doubt the Lord found Himself in a quandary, but He LOVED His greatest creation so much that He decided to break His own heart and offer up His one Son as the perennial sacrifice for our sins! Now if that isn’t LOVE, I don’t know what is. Hear how Peter puts it. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet.1:18-21)
Yeh mih breddren, that’s the only wise place to place one’s faith and hope! Much LOVE!
…the shedding of Christ’s blood paid for our sins…and His resurrection pays for our eternal salvation…what a giant is our Jesus…
24 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good opening, a listening ear, A Quiet Tongue, a revealing fact, bane, beloved brethren, beloved of God, best to listen much, Bible Study, bits of wisdom, break into conversations, brilliant mind, cardboard coaster, Carib Beer, channels of communication, chill, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, cringed, discipline costs, enlightened insight, every man, expounding, feel more comfortable, filthiness, get involved, grounded, guilty heart, hurry, imminent, implanted word, inspiring experiences, it's Jesus time, Jesus' Second Coming, LOVE Revolution, mature, meekness, my friend Jesus, not become angry, on the outside looking in, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, pay a price, practice what we preach, precerve, preserve, relax, rooted, Ruth Harms Calkin, save souls, slow to speak, slow to wrath, solid advice, solve the predicament, speak little, swift to hear, taking the world by storm, talk inflames, talk more than listen, the Christian's life, the righteousness of God, the wrath of man, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, wanted to run, wickedness, worry
James 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Oh friends, just relax and chill nuh, it’s Jesus time! (smile) And is it ever, in more ways than one! His LOVE Revolution is taking the world by storm and His Second coming is imminent – more imminent than many of us realize, so it’s definitely time to get involved with Him and His awesome movement. For you certainly don’t want to be caught on the outside looking in when He returns, because then, crapaud truly smoke yuh pipe!
And just so you know, it wasn’t my brilliant mind that came up with our opening statement.(smile) I got it from a cardboard coaster advertising Carib Beer that I’ve had on my desk for years, but it’s usually hidden below some paper. However, while cleaning up the desk last evening, the Lord drew my attention to what was written on the coaster and intimated that it was a good opening for today’s Bit. Hn! Does He ever move in mysterious ways!
Now here is something else He also requested in today’s Bit; something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is aptly titled ‘A Quiet Tongue.’
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, a revealing fact Began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need. Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight Will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously, I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding.
But this morning at a Bible study I cringed when I read your command In the first chapter of James: “Don’t ever forget That it is best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.” At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink.
Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs. I know I must pay a price. The price for me Is a listening ear and a quiet tongue.’
Oh my people, my people, does that ever describe so many of us, as well as our world today in general! With all the easy and open channels of communication available in these crazy times, we’re all chattering away at each other and nobody’s really listening to what the other is saying, because we all think we know better than the next person.
I know that’s one of my problems, although I’m much better at it than was a few years ago. At least today I’m cognizant of the fact that I need to listen more. (smile) And James, in our Bit, does admonish and advise us most crucially and critically: ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.’
And the thought just occurred to me, how much more effective James would have been if he had listened to his big brother Jesus, when He was alive than after He had died. But I guess that was God’s plan. Nonetheless, it’s solid advice we all need my brethren, especially believers! And why is that? James goes on to explain: ‘For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:20)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:19. This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, 3:1-12; and wrath, 4:1-12.’ 1:20. Trials require silence and patience because talk inflames anger, and anger inflames talk. Anger also distracts from God.’ That’s such awesome truth my fellow believers, and unfortunately we both see and experience it everyday!
So James continues: ‘Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity (abundance) of naughtiness (wickedness), and receive with meekness the engrafted (implanted) word, which is able to save your souls.’ (James 1:21) Invaluable teaching friends!
To which the scholars declare: ‘1:21. Engrafted word might be better translated “implanted word” and may reflect Christ’s parable of the seed planted in four different soils (Matt.13:3-9). Both Christ and James focus on the proper hearing of God’s Word (Matt.13:13,19,20,22,23).
One needs to hear that Word, for it is able to save your souls. Though this phrase accurately describes the Word’s work of producing initial salvation, it is better in this context to understand it as the Word’s ability to preserve and mature the Christian’s life through trials.’
And is it ever useful and important in that undertaking my people! In fact it’s what keeps us rooted and grounded so that we can bear those trials and tribulations that Jesus promised would come against us: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b) And so He has my fellow believers.
That’s why we can now authoritatively and sincerely declare our Tuesday Mantra, as to who we are and to whom we belong. In full voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And to show our sincerity, let’s go out now and practice what we’ve just preached, as Jesus so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…unnecessary talking…and not enough listening…is the bane of man’s existence…
P.S. It’s late… but it’s great! (smile) Much LOVE!
17 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Family Pledge, a foolish man, beloved of God, built his house upon a rock, built in defenses, celebration of gratitude, climb together, compete, conflicts, defeats, dens of devilry, doctrines of men, doeth them, evil cronies, evil world, friend of Jesus, God's amazing love, growth, highlights, hot, humid, hurry, irresponsible, judgement, laughter, lessons, lift our hearts, lightning, liken him, LOVE, mixed emotions, opinions, patience, perfection, permit God, place of refuge, proper foundation, quiet growth, ridicule, righteous family, seek to please, share jesus' love, share the humdrums, sinking sand, tears, the christian way, the floods came, the image of God, the mountaintop, the prince of darkness, the rain descended, the rock that's jesus, thunderstorm, to a wise man, to delight, to demand, to get, to give, Tuesday Mantra, untangling, victories, wait for each other, whosoever heareth these sayings, wisdom, worry
Matthew 7:24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock.
And yes, a savage thunderstorm hit my area early yesterday evening and cooled down the heat and humidity some! I have to laugh though, because I went out on my front porch to check it out, but could only stay a couple of minutes as the wind soon began blowing the rain in on me and the incessant lighting wasn’t too appealing. Let’s hope that today is not as hot and humid.
Anyway, today I want to share something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, something appropriately titled ‘A Family Pledge,’ and it’s oh so appropriate to individual families as well as the family of Christ, His church.
Please pledge with me. ‘We will permit God to use our conflicts and mixed emotions as lessons in quiet growth. With LOVING patience, without ridicule or judgement, we will support each other in the gradual untangling of built-in defenses. We will focus on each other as persons made in the image of God.
We will seek to please rather than to pressure, to delight rather than to demand, to give rather than to get. We will share the humdrums as well as the highlights, the tears as well as the laughter, the defeats as well as the victories. We will not insist on perfection – rather we will anticipate growth.
We will not compete for the mountaintop, rather we will climb the mountain together. We will wait for each other if one of us gets behind. We will lift our hearts in a celebration of gratitude for God’s amazing LOVE, which makes our family LOVE possible. We will LOVE each other as we do these things.’
Oh friends, can you imagine the joy, especially in heaven, the goodwill, the glorious relationships in our cruel and evil world if we were to put those pledges into real action! And the sad part is that they don’t represent anything new, it’s just what we’re supposed to be doing all along, what we know we’re supposed to do but simply aren’t doing,
That’s why Jesus died; so that we could be one big, happy and righteous family! Instead we’re allowing the prince of darkness and his evil cronies to invade our families and Christ’s church and turn them into dens of devilry. How sad my people!
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit; immortal words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.’ (Matt.7:24-25)
My friends and fellow believers, have we built our houses, both literally and figuratively on a rock? I certainly hope so for all our sakes, especially the figurative house that wisdom dictates must be built on the rock that’s Jesus in order for our souls to survive.
Now listen to Jesus as he details the other side of the equation. ‘And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt.7:26-27)
Unfortunately my brethren there are way too many of us who have built and are still building our lives and our houses on sinking sand; meaning not on the words and instructions of Jesus. Now that’s a seriously irresponsible and foolish way to go, for Jesus is the ONLY way to a secure, sincere and eventual eternal life with our magnificent and magnanimous Maker and Godhead. Anything else is simply foolishness and not true.
But hear the scholars. ‘7:24-27. In drawing His concluding illustration of the two foundations, Jesus begins with the word therefore. On the basis of all that He has taught and illustrated, He concluded that all who both hear and do His sayings shall be saved. As a great Master Counselor, Jesus reminded His listener that hearing this message alone will not change his life. He must both hear and do what Jesus has said.
The elements of the closing illustration are drawn from the simplicity of nature itself, the rock, the rain, and the winds. The man whose house collapsed was at fault, not because he failed to labour, but because he did not lay the proper foundation. The shifting sand represents human opinion and the doctrines of men as opposed to “these sayings” (vs.28).’
Ah mih people, please let us not be numbered amongst those who have laboured hard, but have built their lives on the wrong foundation; the opinions and doctrines of mortal men and not those of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Rock and safe place of Refuge.
And for those of us who have built wisely, let’s go home now declaring to the world who and whose we are in our Tuesday Mantra. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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 be my people! Now let’s go out and do what we’ve just pledged; share Jesus’ LOVE and friendship with the world. Much LOVE!
…to LOVE…to LOVE…and yet to LOVE…that is the truly Christian way…
28 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high look, a proud heart, a proud look, adversities, afflict, bountiful earth, bread, causes the grass to grow, compassionate heart, curse negative word, daily struggle, debas, defame, dring forth food, eternal life, excellent in power, faith, fight the good fight of faith, foolish pride, goats, God is great, godliness, grace, hardships, haughty eyes, he respects not the wise of heart, he waters the hills, I laid the foundation of the earth, in the sight of God, judgement, justice, King of Kings, lax, let God be God, Lord of Lords, LOVE, LOVE of Money, makes glad the heart of man, makes his face shine, material wealth, meekness, men fear God, mercy, of our doing, oil, omnipotent Creator, oppress, patience, prepare yourself, prosper, questions God asked of Job, righteousness, self-control, self-discipline, seven deadly sins, sheep, showers of blessing, sovereign, strengthens man's heart, success, survive, swin, take it for granted, the Crhistian life, the earth is satisfied, the fruit of thy works, the service of man, Thursday Blessings, touching the Almighty, ungrateful, vegetation, vilify, we cannot find him out, where were you, wine, wisdom
Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgement, and in plenty of justice (abundant justice): he will not afflict (oppress).
Once again, during the night, the Lord blessed the earth in my area with showers of blessings. As the Good Book says: ‘He watereth the hills from his (upper) chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and the herb (vegetation) for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.’ (Ps.104:13-15)
Oh friends, our God is so wonderful that He gives us all that we need to survive, and not only survive, but to prosper on this bountiful earth that He has created for us to dwell on. Why then are we so lax, so ungrateful in thanking Him for His ongoing grace and mercy eh? And why instead do we feel it necessary to vilify, to defame and debase Him?
On this side of the world we’ve gotten so used to prosperity that we’ve come to take it for granted, and even to believe that it is of our doing. But are we ever so wrong my breddren. Remember the questions that God asked of Job, when Job got a li’l too bright with himself.
‘Gird up now thy loins like a man (prepare yourself); for I will demand of thee (question thee), and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.’ (Job 38:3-4)
Obviously Job could not answer. Neither could he answer any of the whole host of questions that God poured at him in both chapters 38 and 39. The scholars say the questions number about 83. ‘The significant thing about these questions is that Job cannot answer a single one! God was driving home the point that Job must let God be God, the sovereign and omnipotent Creator who answers to no one.’
Ah mih breddren, the very same thing applies to us today. We cannot answer any of the questions the Lord posed to Job back then either, we just have to know that God is great and is always around and is always doing His thing and conform to whatever He desires and declares.
Thus we come to our Bit, the immortal words of Job’s friend Elihu: ‘Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgement, and in plenty of justice (abundant justice): he will not afflict (oppress).’ Yeh friends, our minds are too small and limited to understand all that God is about, therefore we ought to fear Him.
As Elihu summarizes: ‘Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.’ (Job 37:34) And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! God respects, have no use for, abhors those who let their foolish pride make them feel superior to Him. And remember the seven deadly sins that Cousin Sol declares are an abomination to God? (Prov.6:16-19) Well the first one is ‘a proud look (haughty eyes).’
And Bruh David tells us of the Lords purpose in Psalm 101: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (endure).’ (Ps.101:5)
And with all of that, I think we need to be reminded of Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy, re fighting the good fight of faith, staying strong and steadfast in ‘the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life and the hardships and adversities in the ministry.’ ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things (shun the LOVE of money and material wealth): and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession) before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth (gives life to) all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. That thou keep this commandment without spot (blemish), unrebukable (blameless), until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Which in his times he shall show (manifest), who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see; to whom be honour and power everlasting Amen.’ (1 Tim.6:11-16)
Yeh friends, living the true Christian life is not easy, but if we are serious about it, with God’s help we can do it. Remember NOTHING is impossible with God! And also we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. So let’s get with the programme nuh. And to help us do that, let’s acclaim our Thursday Blessings in strong voice with sincere hearts.
As one now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And in true Christian fashion, let’s go out and share all those blessings with the less fortunate, as Jesus so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…when Jesus returns…do we want to be numbered amongst the sheep…or the goats…that’s the eternal question…
26 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a work in progress, action, beloved of God, calm, confidence building, dwell in safety, faith, faithful, fear, fearful, free society, friendship, God is on his throne, grace, guarded, guards, guiding beacon, in a tizzy, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts, lay me down in peace, let not your heart be troubled, Lord and Saviour, my friend Jesus, negative cycle, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, passeth all understanding, patience, peace, peace of god, peace of mind, peaceful, protecting, reassuring, share love, sleep, state of affairs, stress, surrender your life, Thank You Lord, times of storm, topsy turvy world, trust, trusting, Tuesday Mantra, turbulent, who can say Him nay, wisdom
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Well it’s a glorious Tuesday morning, and the world is unfolding as it should! Yeh friends, the Almighty is on His throne working things out for our good in His own inimitable style, purpose and time! And who can say Him nay eh? Nobody whatsoever!
So let’s just say ‘Thank You Lord!’ and accept all that He hands us with simple faith and enormous trust nuh. Then we will walk through this turbulent and topsy-turvy world with the everlasting peace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And believe me, friends, there’s nothing better in this world that that!
Currently, we do all sorts of stuff, spend money on all sorts of things to find peace, like vacations, shrinks, alcohol, retreats, pills, etc. etc. It’s amazing at the amount of time and money we spend these days trying to relieve stress and get peace of mind. Hn!
And we might find some for a while in those dubious avenues. But since they depend mostly on cumstances, they obviously don’t last long, and once you get back into the milieu of life, all those stressors come back against you and break down your walls of peace again. It’s just a never-ending negative cycle.
However my brethren, however, when we find peace in Jesus, the true peace, all those things are rendered obsolete and useless, because the peace that our Lord and Saviour offers is a whole different kind of situation. Listen to how He puts it to the disciples, and consequently to us, in our Bit. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
What reassuring and confidence building words my people! The kind of peace that Jesus gives us is entirely different to the peace that we get from the world. His is a heavenly peace that doesn’t fluctuate in times of storm or times of calm. One is able to stay steadfast and strong through all of life’s unnerving and disastrous circumstances.
Now wouldn’t you rather have that kind of unmovable peace than the unsatisfying kind we get from the world? Of course! But then you have to put your trust, surrender your life to Jesus to get it.
And hear how Bruh Paul describes to the church at Philippi, the kind of peace we get when we let Jesus be the guiding beacon of our lives. ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7) Mama Mia! What a beautiful state of affairs mih breddren!
And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘4:7. The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it.
Shall keep means “shall guard.” This is a military term for a sentinel standing guard duty. As Philippi was guarded by a Roman garrison, and its citizens were accustomed to seeing soldiers protecting the city, this word would be especially appreciated by the readers.’
And so too the word ‘guard’ should be highly appreciated by us today, because in spite of the free society we supposedly live in, there are more guards, private and public, armed and unarmed than I believe we have ever experienced before in our type of society. Everybody seems to be fearful and guarded…everybody except true believers who have truly received the peace of Christ that passes all our human and finite understanding.
Now none of what goes before means we should not be concerned or that fear won’t ever come upon us. It just means that we will be able to handle whatever comes against us with the wisdom, grace and help of God. We won’t always be in a tizzy at the slightest uneven part of our earthly journey.
And we have Isaiah’s song of praise declaring it in spades: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is.26:3)
And what can be more soothing and reassuring than Bruh David’s immortal words that end Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God. ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8) That says it all friends: To find true peace, put your trust in Jesus!
So let’s go home now boldly proclaiming our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In strong and sincere voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And we know the corollary to that is to action those words; truly go out and share Jesus’ LOVE and friendship with the world. Much LOVE!
…it deserves saying again…true peace can only be found…in Jesus…
P.S. And after reading the Bit, I’m chuckling here friends, because I just realized that it pertained to me a whole lot, was a kind of testimony of the way my life has gone in the last year and a half. What with all the sickness and otherwise and the growth in faith and patience. Oh, I’m still a work in progress, but a much quieter, peaceful, faithful and trusting work. (smile) Much LOVE!
02 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a big posse, a difficult journey, a roof to sleep under, a single best friend, adventuresome, all kinds of evil, Anselm, aspires, basic amenities, be contented, be happy with what you have, betrayal, blessed, comfort zone, complain, contentment, desire to be rich, destruction, divine means, dog and pony track, drown men, eternal life, exit the world, faith, follow Christ's advice, food to eat, for your benefit, friends, fruitful, godliness, good things happen, gospel truth, great gain, greediness, greedy, Guide, hangers ons, higher the number, in time of need, inspires, interesting, internet connection, leader, lesser, life's basic necessities, LOVE, many sorrows, material wealth, meekness, misconception, missing out, more fun, negative things, patience, peace, perdition, pierced themselves, righteousness, ruin, seek first the kingdom of God, seeking for more, selfish, serve God and mammon, strayed from the faith, the Christian's life, the LOVE of money, the natrue of our society, think positive, Timothy, walking hand in hand with Jesus, we brought nothing, we can carry out nothing, wisdom, you can count on
1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
All right friends and family, here we go again; one more time around the dog and pony track called Life. (smile) And though it’s oftimes a difficult journey, it certainly is an interesting and adventuresome one, made even more interesting and fruitful if you’re walking hand in hand with Jesus, the great Saviour of the world!
Wow! What an awesome guide and leader He is! And if you’re not walking with Him, then unfortunately you’re missing out on the best part of this earthly life, and consequently the eternal life too. So please check Him out nuh. You’ll be surprised at what He has to offer…and it’s all for your benefit.
And with it being Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes of this past week from our friend Anselm, who genuinely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And we’ll begin with the shortest one: ‘When you think positive good things happen.’
And that’s generally true. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have any negative things happen, but they will be mostly positive, since what the mind focuses on, is what generally comes to pass.
And like Anselm was in a friend seeking mood this week (smile) as he offers these two quotes on the subject. ‘There is a misconception among people that the higher the number of friends you have, the more fun you’ll have. The fact is the lesser friends you have, the lesser you have to deal with.
Trust me; it doesn’t matter how many friends you have, all that matters is how many friends you can count upon when you are in need.’ And ‘Having a single best friend is better than having ten random friends who aren’t going to be with you for long.’
Oh my people, how many of us have suffered betrayal and rejection by those we thought were friends eh? We all have, because it’s a human frailty. The wisdom lies in having a few staunch and genuine friends you can call on in times of need. A big posse is not a set of friends, but a group of hangers’ ons. And remember the corollary to the above; to have genuine friends, you must also be a genuine friend.
Then there is this last one: ‘You are living in your comfort zone, having an active Internet connection, food to eat, TV to watch and a roof to sleep under. Do remember that even if you have only these four basic amenities, you are richer than 75% of the world’s population. Be happy for what you have, but don’t settle for it.’
I would say that you are better off than more than 90 percent of the world, and you shouldn’t just be happy, but be darm happy and contented and feel extremely blessed, because there are so many others in the world struggling and suffering with much less than you have.
But unfortunately the nature of our society is that the more we have, the more we complain about the few things we don’t have. We never seem to value sufficiently the things we do have, always seeking for more, when we don’t even have the time or the resources to handle it. And it just results in a greedy and selfish society, of which we are the cream of the crop.
But Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy in our Bit should be the norm in our society. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren? It surely is! When we have God first place in our lives we’re not selfish or greedy, because He induces a peace and contentment in our souls regardless of our particular situations.
And the verse following our Bit highlights the ridiculousness of fighting and killing ourselves over the material wealth of the world. ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.’ (1 Tim.6:7)
And the scholars offer this very interesting explanation of that verse. ‘6:7. And it is certain we can carry nothing out (or, “because we are unable to carry anything out”): Man enters the world at birth possessing nothing, in order to teach him that he will exit the world in the same manner – taking nothing with him. This is a divine means of showing man that since material wealth is relatively insignificant, he should pursue the important things mentioned in verse 11.’
And those things include ‘righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience and meekness.’ Now here is this very seminal verse as Bruh Paul continues: ‘And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.’ (1 Tim.6:8)
The scholars explain: 6:8. This verse prevents the wrong understanding of verse 7, that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’
However, contentment is not a mainstay of our current society. We are more apt to follow this agenda that Bruh Paul talks about. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds of) evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah mih people, the desperate seeking after money and the material possessions of this world only cause more problems than they solve. So please, let’s stop it nuh, and follow Christ’s wise advice: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:32) That’s all there is to it! Much LOVE!
…you cannot serve God and mammon (money)…at the same time… (Matt.6:24b)
26 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a lively hope, abundant mercy, begotten us, believed in Him, believing is seeing, blessed, child of God, complaining, don't fear, dream about, dwell securely in hope, eagerly wait, education is expensive, evacuated, face persecution, face the rigours, feel inferior, Friend Anselm, glory to God, Hawaii, holy spirit, hope, hoping, hungry hope, ignorance, inferior to anyone, inspire us, joyful expectancy, keep on keeping on, lava, look forward to, my flesh shall rest, my heart is glad, never give up, our Lord Jesus Christ, our sins forgiven, overcome the world, patience, perseverance, prisoners of hope, resurrection of Jesus, rise to life eternal, saved by hope, seeing is believing, sinless life, spend eternity with Christ, the cross at Calvary, the God and Father, the Lord at my right hand, the most exciting thing in life, the resurrection of Christ, tough times, unconditional LOVE, volcano, wisdom, working for Jesus, worry
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Well friends, it’s somewhat cloudy outside on this Saturday morning, but that’s no reason to think we won’t eventually have another glorious day. Technically it’s spring, but does it ever feel like summer. Last night I had to get up and change my T. shirt because I woke up with it soaking wet, even though my bedroom window was wide open. Please note, I’m not complaining, just making a point (smile). I will take that situation over the winter cold any day.
Unfortunately though, the Big Island of Hawaii is experiencing more heat than an ordinary summer because the volcano just keeps bubbling and releasing lava down its slopes. Houses have now been swallowed up by the molten rock and people are being evacuated, as it doesn’t seem to be easing up.
I guess the good thing is that it hasn’t erupted with full force spewing its molten guts all over the place. At least this way there is time to evacuate residents who are in immediate danger. Let’s keep on praying for them.
And today being Saturday, let’s turn to some quotes that we received from our friend Anselm this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one is certainly amusing. ‘If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.’ But nonetheless it’s true! At least with education you have some idea what it’s all about, but with ignorance, you’re completely lost.
Now here is an important one. ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ And is that ever true friends! Inferiority is something we allow or bring on ourselves. No matter how much someone else may think they are better than us, because of their wealth, power, or social position, it only holds true if we believe it too.
So please stop thinking you’re inferior to ANYONE! NO child of God is inferior to any other! We were all made the same way and for the same purpose by Almighty God and He LOVES us all unconditionally, regardless of our circumstances or behaviour!
And the next quote wisely advises: ‘Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.’ Ah mih people, the first sentence is paramount: ‘Never give up.’ As followers of Jesus we are not supposed to do that because giving up does not exist in His vocabulary.
He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that we could be saved, our sins forgiven, and that we’d be imbued through the work of His Holy Spirit with whatever we need to face the rigours of this world.
And Jesus didn’t mince words, He told us that we’d face persecution and tough times simply because we believed in Him, but that He had already overcome the world, so we had no need to fear or worry, just keep on keeping on in His name! That means to keep on hoping, which makes our last quote invaluable:
‘Hope is the most exciting thing there is in life!’ Glory to God my people, that is gospel truth! Without hope we have nothing to look forward to. But with hope, we have everything to look forward to and dream about! With hope in our hearts, ANYTHING is possible, especially if we are believers in Jesus, the ONE who can do ANYTHING!
And there are a couple of expressions about hope that I just LOVE: ‘the first talks about ‘hungry hope, and the second, about ‘prisoners of hope.’ Mama Mia! And as true followers of Jesus we need to possess the first and be one of the latter, if we want to lead a successful earthly life working for Jesus. And the thing about hope friends is its power to bring expectancy, joyful expectancy to our lives.
And there are so many passages of scripture that deal with hope that we only have time and space for a few. First, check out our Bit: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.’
Oh my fellow believers that’s the greatest hope we can ever have; to spend eternity with Christ, because He rose from the dead, we too shall rise to life eternal!
And then there is this famous passage from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, which we all know. ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) wait (eagerly) for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25) That’s the power of hope friends, believing without seeing, then keeping on in eager expectation of its eventual arrival.
And we’ll close with these encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 16. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’ (Ps.16:8-9)
Oh my faithful brethren, this Saturday morning, I implore us, if the Lord is at our right hand, then let’s be filled with hungry hope and be strong prisoners of hope nuh! And consequently, let our hearts be glad and rejoice in the glory of our great God, and rest, dwell securely in His hope. That’s wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…the world says…seeing is believing…but God says…hoping and believing is true seeing…
15 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a broad grin, a complaining word, a godly mother, a mother's work, a virtuous woman, a warm hug, a woman of God, an endurance contest, awesome task, backbone of the family, batting an eyelash, beloved of God, blaring television, born again, breathe through my nostrils, broken dishes, call her blessed, cherish, chocalate cookies, compassionate, confusion, constant, dentist appointments, discipline, distasteful, duty-conscious, enterprising, ever an end, faltering steps, far above rubies, for Mom, God-hunger, good seamstress, heaven, her children rise up, her husband praises her, high temps, humour, hurtful words, independence, industrious, kind, like a new man, LOVE, marreid to a leader, midst of turmoil, monotonous work, Mother's Day, motherhood, my friend Jesus, nasty taste, not swayed by circumstances, nurturing, One Year Book of Bible promises, our tail would be grass, parched mouth, patience, praiseworthy, pressures, priceless treasures, principles of wisdom, rebellious tears, rewards, riddim of the falling rain, ringing phone, Ruth Harms Calkin, school conferences, self-starting, share His love, sleep better, struggles, Thank You God, the good and bad of it, the heart of her husband, thrifty, treasure, trials, trust, trustworthy, Tuesday Mantra, willing to do hard work, wise, work with God, worth
Proverbs 31:28: Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
‘I’m in heaven, yes heaven, cause I can once more breathe comfortably through my nostrils!’ Glory to God my breddren! I feel like a new man, after I went into the city yesterday afternoon and the medic took out some stuff left there after the surgery. The nostrils still aren’t perfect, but they are a whole lot better than they were.
Boy! Does it ever feel like a new world! Like I’m born again! And believe me, it took a little while for me to get accustomed to breathing through my nose again. (smile) But unfortunately that cloying, chalky, nasty taste from constantly breathing through my mouth for the last two weeks is still there. I guess it will take a while to go away…Let’s hope so yes, because it’s rather distasteful!
And I can certainly sleep a li’l better. I don’t have to wake up every hour or so to moisten my parched mouth. And talking about sleep, I did get lulled away by the beautiful riddim of the falling rain this morning, that’s why the Bit is somewhat late. (smile)
And in keeping with our promise not to just celebrate our mothers on Mother’s Day, I know some of us have already forgotten it, here is this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s simply titled ‘Motherhood.’
Please read with me: ‘Motherhood is now! The good and bad of it. The rewards and the trials. Tremendous pressures are placed upon you as a mother, for you have been chosen to work with God in the awesome task of nurturing the priceless treasures God has given you.
As a mother, you accept your children’s faltering steps toward independence with discipline, humour, patience, and a tremendous amount of trust. At times the struggles almost become an endurance contest. You wonder if you can handle all the confusion another day: the ringing phone, the broken dishes, the blaring television, the hurtful words. High temperatures, school conferences, dentist appointments, rebellious tears. Is there ever an end?
But suddenly in the midst of turmoil you catch a broad grin. You feel a warm hug. At bedtime somebody prays, “Thank you, God, for Mom and for the chocolate-chip cookies…and for LOVE.” You renew again your deep desire to create a genuine God-hunger in your children. God has chosen you for such a task as this.’
Wow mih people! What an accurate account of a Mother’s harried life! And surprisingly, most of them do it without batting an eyelash or offering a complaining word. What towers of strength they are! That’s why I encourage us to cherish and treasure and LOVE them much more than we currently do! For without them, as they say, ‘our tail would be grass.’ (smile)
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today. ‘Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.’ Yeh friends, that’s the reaction of a godly mother’s family. It all comes from the last chapter of Proverbs which sings the praises of a virtuous woman.
As it says: ‘Who can find a virtuous woman (wife of valour)? For her price (worth) is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil (lack of gain). She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.’ (Prov.31:10-12) And I don’t know if I have enough space, but I will endeavour to describe the qualities of a godly mother, of an excellent wife, as set out in these last verses of Proverbs.
‘She is rare (v 10); trustworthy (v.11); constant in her LOVE (v.12); industrious (v.13); thrifty (v.14); self-starting (v: 15); enterprising (v.16); willing to do hard work (v.17); willing to work long hours (v.18); willing to do monotonous work (v.19); compassionate (v.20); prepared for the future (v.21); a good seamstress (v.22); married to a leader (v.23); an entrepreneur (v.24); not swayed by circumstances (v.25); wise and kind (v.26); duty-conscious (v.27); blessed by her family (v.28); not satisfied with the mediocre (v.29); a woman of God (v.30) ; and praiseworthy (v.31).
She is a woman of means (vs.15, 22) and a woman of great skill and ability who lives in an agrarian economy. She is a woman of God who is enterprising and dedicated to her home. Perhaps this acrostic on the excellent wife is placed at the end of the book because she, above all others, will be most able to demonstrate the principles of wisdom in the home.’
Ah friends, what more can I say about mothers eh? Nothing really. Yuh see the many varied tasks and problems she has to deal with. She is indeed the backbone of the family! So let’s try and do more to appreciate and LOVE her nuh, that’s our bounden duty.
Now let’s go home declaring who and whose we are through our Tuesday Mantra. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we were sincere in our words, then let’s go out and share all we have with others as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…truthfully…a mother’s work is never done…
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