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)
31 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a necklace, abundance, adornment, bind them about thy neck, challenge, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, depart from evil, esteem, fear the Lord, filled with plenty, find favour, first fruits, forget not my law, forsake thee, give generously, glory to God, godly obedience, handle the issues of life, honour the Lord, if it's not one thing, intimate association, it's another, Jesus desires, keep my commandments, length of days, let thine heart, long life, loving-kindness, Malachi, mercy, my son, negative owrd, new wine, peace, possessions, prove me now, share, stewards, ten percent, the less fortunate, the mind, the table of thine heart, Thursday Blessings, Thursday's Blessings, tithes, truth, wisdom, wise in thine own eyes, with God and man
Proverbs 3:1. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.
At last friends, at long last, a breakthrough! Wow! I can now breathe fairly well through my nose again! Glory to God! You would not understand the difference it makes not having to wake up so often to moisten my dry mouth.
And I guess that’s why I slept in this morning; the body hasn’t had the luxury of sleeping for several hours undisturbed for a while now. (smile) Let’s hope we don’t regress again, because we were already at this stage last Saturday.
Yes, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things, like praying for those unfortunate people in Hawaii who are still struggling with the effects of the volcano lava spreading all over, and thanking the Lord that the tropical storm Alberto did not do as much damage to the Southern U.S. as expected, and has now been downgraded.
Ah Lord eh friends, as the old people would say; in this life, if it’s not one thing, then it’s another. And isn’t that indisputable truth, because we never seem to have a time when something negative is not happening in our lives. That’s why we’ve been admonished to godly obedience in our Bit, because it’s only through intimate association with Almighty God that we can successfully handle the issues of life.
‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.’ And some are brass-faced enough to ask why they should do that? Well here is why! ‘For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee.’ (Prov.3:2) And if you don’t want that, then I don’t know what to say to you, because I believe everyone wants those things.
And Cousin Sol continues with his exhortations to obedience. ‘Let not mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.’ (Prov.3:3) Wow! What wisdom friends!
But before we look at why doing those things are considered wise, let’s check out some explanations from the scholars on that verse. ‘3:3. About thy neck: The teachings should be made as much a part of one’s adornment as a necklace. The table of thine heart, that is, the mind.’
Yes my people, God’s laws should be so much a part of us, that they come like a necklace around our necks and should also be constantly on our minds. And what’s the benefit of all that? ‘So shalt thou find favour and good understanding (esteem) in the sight of God and man.’ (Prov.3:4) I don’t know about you, but I surely want to find favour with God, and to some extent with man.
Then in his God-inspired wisdom, Cousin Sol pens these words of everlasting truth, which so many of us quote, but don’t really put into practice. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6) Oh mih breddren, what words of truth and wisdom!
And the scholars explain: ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning, “rely on, depend upon”; 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 before you smooth and/or straight.’
And normally people would stop there, but I’m not going to, because there’s much more wisdom that we desperately need to follow in the next few verses. ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.’ (Prov.3:7) And you wonder why? ‘Because ‘It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov.3:8) Yuh see friends, following the Lord even brings bodily health and strength!
And we’ll close with this admonishment, that’s also so important, but which most of us don’t follow to our own demise. ‘Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase:’ (Prov. 3:9) And again you foolishly ask why you should give to God so generously of your earthly possessions? ‘So shall thy barns shall be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:10)
Ah mih people, remember one of the first rules that God laid down for the Israelites was giving a tithe, ten percent of their income to the church, so that the church could support the priesthood and do His work. And when they followed His command, they prospered.
But now, we seem to think otherwise and it’s not taught in many churches. But friends, that’s why a lot of us individually, and churches as a whole, are suffering in these difficult times. We consider it difficult or unwise to give God ten percent of what He has given to us. Remember it’s all His, and we are just stewards of it.
Please note His challenge to the Israelites in Malachi: ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat (food) in mine house, and prove (test) me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ (Mal.3:10)
Oh my people, let’s start back teaching it in our churches nuh. Let’s just try it and see, take up that challenge and see if we can prove the Lord wrong nuh. From personal experience, I guarantee that we won’t! End of sermon.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us, although we don’t deserve many of them. In strong and sincere voice 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 if we’re truly sincere, then we’ll go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate as Jesus greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…give generously to God…and He will give back to you…much more than you gave…
26 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gift from God, a servant of Christ, abundance, bad luck, be multiplied to you, be obedient, belief in Jesus christ, charles stanley, Commit thy way to the Lord, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself in the Lord, divine power, do goo, dwell in the land, escaped the corruption, eternal life, evil world, expect something for nothing, faith, faithfulness, fruit of the Spirit, given to us, given us all things, glory, God's unmerited favour, godliness, good examples, grace, great and precious promises, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, is in the world, judgement, justice, licentious behaviour, light, lustful, mercy, negative situations, negative word, noonday, partakers of the divine nature, peace, personally testify, Peter, precious faith, promises, prosper, prosperous life, reward, righteousness, salt, salutation, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share God's blessings, Standing on the promises of God, succeed, talent, testify, that pertain unto life, the desires of thine heart, the gift of God, the knowledge of god, the Lord's faithfulness, the wages of sin is death, third person, thou shalt be fed, through lust, Thursday Blessings, trust in the Lord, virtue, wisdom, you reap what you sow
2 Peter 1:4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Oh friends, this salutation seemed like the best way to begin today’s message, as it runs with our Bit. And if it was good enough for Peter, it’s good enough for me. (smile) Randy O’Brien, ‘a servant of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like (the same kind of) precious faith with us through the righteousness of (our) God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Peter 1:1-4)
Oh my fellow believers, you all hear that? Through our belief in Jesus Christ, we’ve been given ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, accompanied by ‘great and precious promises’ which help us get away, and stay away from the lustful and licentious behaviour of this evil world. Wow! What could be better than that eh friends? NOTHING REALLY!
The Lord has implanted His Holy Spirit to dwell in ALL believers, and the power of the third person of the Holy Trinity provides ALL that we need, or will ever need to be successful in this life. Please remember that, and seriously take hold of it nuh.
The fruit of the Spirit has already been planted in us, all we have to do now is ask the Lord to help us water and nurture them so that they can grow and show up in our lives, so that we can be good examples to the world, salt and light, and glorify and exalt His most precious and Holy Name! Glory be my brethren!
And we going to continue looking at some of God’s promises today. And this is one of my favourite, because I am currently living it. The immortal and oh so true words of Bruh David. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
Oh friends, if it’s one thing I can testify to is the Lord’s faithfulness. Although I’ve been going through a rough time medically this past year and a half, with no real relief in sight, you wouldn’t believe how the Lord has been blessing me during this time, surprisingly making some of the desires of my heart come to pass. Brother! Is he ever a wonderful God!
The problem with most of us is that we expect something for nothing – both from man and God. But that’s not real life my people! Generally speaking, you get back when and what you give. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say; ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ That’s just a fact of nature!
That brings us to this awesome but also frightening promise: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23) Yeh mih breddren, if you insist on following the sinful, lustful world, death will be your eventual reward.
However, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and do your best to be obedient to His rules and principles, then you will receive the most wonderful gift there is; that of salvation and everlasting life with Christ. As the scholars tell us: ‘6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’
Yuh see the difference friends? One is what you deserve; the other is mercy, giving you something good that you don’t deserve. And please remember that salvation is indeed a gift from God, we can’t do anything to deserve it. All the good works we do mean nothing unless we believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour, for that’s the way the Lord set it up, so that none of us could boast about our good works.
And that, I think, brings us to the end of these messages on the promises of God. I implore us to study them and take them to heart, because as Peter says, they’ve been given to us so that we can lead a good and prosperous life here on earth. Please don’t let them go to waste, and then complain about your bad luck and other negative situations. Then you only have yourself to blame.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings which have been showered down on us because we have tried to be obedient to God’s law and have taken up and held on to His many generous promises. All together 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 one of God’s most important laws is for us to now go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate! Much LOVE!
…promises…promises…I’m standing on the promises of Christ my God…
23 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wonderful life, adrenaline, angry world, at ease, aura of love, be afraid, be quiet, being confident, believe god's Word, Christians, come unto me, confidence, conquerors, distress, dwell safely, enthusiasm, evil, faith, friends, glorified, glorious kingdom, great invitation, heaven, heavy burdened, holy spirit, humble servants, if God be for us, inspirational words, inspired by God, invincible, Jesus, jobs, joy, justifed, labour, let not your heart be troubled, lies, listen to God, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obey God, obits, peace, predestinate, pulses, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rest for your souls, righteousness., Roman church, salvation, secure, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take my yoke, taunts, the BIBLE, the heaven we don't, the hell we know, the other side of the river, this one thing, too good to be true, trust, truth, ungodly world, who can be against us, whoso hearkens unto me, wiles, wisdom
Proverbs 1:33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.
One more morning…one more Monday… to go out and face the cold, cruel and evil world! Or would you rather not be around to face it eh, have your picture staring back at you from the obits instead? (smile) Definitely not! Most of us would vote for seeing another Monday morning though they seem to cause us constant distress.
That’s possibly because what awaits us on the other side of the river appears to be so grand, too good to be true, and nobody has ever come back from there and told us the real story. So until we just can’t help it, do otherwise, we’ll stay on this side of the river, unhappily accepting the hell we know, instead of the heaven we don’t.
But friends, we ought to believe God’s Word because it is true. So if He says a wonderful life awaits us on the other side, why doubt it eh? As we saw yesterday the Bible, though actually written by men, was inspired by God, and one truth from it is greater than the wisdom of all mankind. Anyway, we still on this side, (smile) and we still have Monday to get through, so let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us get started nuh.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yeh friends, I know our pulses are beating a little faster and the adrenaline is now swiftly coursing through our bodies, so let’s get a move on before we lose the rush nuh. (smile) And today we’re going to continue talking about the great and wonderful promises of God.
And the first one today is our Bit; wise and holy inspiration of God to Cousin Sol. ‘But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.’ A promise of absolute truth my people! When we listen to God and obey Him, we are not afraid when evil comes against us. Why?
Because as Jesus told His disciples and consequently promised us: ‘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.’ (John 14:27) Wow! What a promise! Exactly what we need in this evil, confused, hateful, ungodly and angry world. And it’s available to whosoever wants it.
All you have to do is to accept Jesus’ Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Glory be my breddren! How can you beat that promise eh? No way Jose! And if yuh still having doubts, then try this promise for size. The inspired words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians, after letting them know that he’s been praying for them from the first day that they received Christ. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:16)
Yeh friends, whatever God begins in us, He will complete it, or keep it going until Jesus returns. There are no if, ands, or buts about that! And we going to end with some more of Bruh Paul’s wise and inspirational words, this time as he talks to the Roman church about life in the Spirit.
‘Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’(Rom.8:30-32)
Oh precious people, if God, gave up His only Son to save us, and if we are obediently following Christ, then God will obviously be on our side. And once He’s with us, NO ONE, or NOTHING can come successfully against us, because God and any one of us constitutes a majority in any situation. Let’s remember that so we can live it too nuh. More on God’s awesome promises tomorrow, if He wants it that way. Much LOVE!
…God’s promises were never made to be broken…but for each and every one to be fulfilled…
19 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, accumulate, affluence of the wicked, asaph, boastful, bring us joy, Christ is Lord, Christians, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, cut off, disgusting situations, dreary looking day, envious, every knee must bow, every tongue confess, evil doers, God is good, God is the strength of my heart, God's sanctuary, great commission, great invitation, Hallelujah, happiness, I had stumbled, important aspects, inherit the earth, light, live for Jesus, Love of Jesus, my feet were almost gone, my flesh and my heart fails, negative word, no words, our faith, peace, positive outlook, power, prosper, prosperous wickedness, relationship with god, repented, self-control, self-discipline, seriously enough, sold their souls, succeed, talent, thank the Lord for Jesus, the foolish, the name above every other, the prosperity, the things of the world, the wicked, Thursday Blessings, to do Christ justice, to the glory of God, ungodliness, wait upon the Lord, wealth of the world, wisdom
Psalm 73:3. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Ah mih people, it’s a good thing that we have the light, the power, peace and LOVE of Jesus residing within us yes, otherwise when we look outside all we’d see is the beginning of another cold, damp and dreary looking day. Steups!
Thank the Lord for Jesus oui! Shout ‘Hallelujah!’ and praise His most wonderful and holy name. The name that’s above every other name and to which every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of our heavenly Father.
Mama Mia! How beautiful is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? There are no words in the human vocabulary to do Him justice! And when we add all the sad and disgusting situations existing in our current world and it’s exceeding ungodliness, it just makes us want to LOVE and live for Jesus even more.
Now over the last two days we have spoken about Jesus’ Great Commission and His Great Invitation, but yuh know what friends, too many of us Christians are not taking those very important aspects of our faith seriously enough.
Unfortunately we are turning to the things of the world to bring us joy, peace and happiness; seeking to accumulate the wealth of the world, so that we can leave lots of it behind for our families and lawyers to fight over when we depart this life.
Oh my breddren, too many of us are behaving like the psalmist Asaph when he wrote Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. Hear how he opens it: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Yeh friends, just like Asaph, many, too many of us are looking at the prosperity of the wicked and are being envious and jealous of them and trying to be like them. But that’s not our calling my people. We are called to be righteous and to do good in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour!
And if we do that, we’ll end up as Jesus promised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes, if we look to God first, He will provide all that we need. As Bruh Paul said to the Philippians: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by (through) Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19)
It’s obvious though that many of us either don’t know those promises or don’t believe or adhere to them since we are so busily seeking the things of the world, which eventually perish and we have to leave behind anyway. We seem to think like Asaph did, even though he was a highly spiritual man, as he continues after our Bit.
‘For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish.’ (Ps.73:4-7)
Yeh friends, the ungodly and wicked are currently prospering in this evil world, but it won’t be forever. Listen as Bruh David tells about the true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps.37:3)
And the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 73: This psalm is another dealing with the problem of the prosperity of the wicked. Unlike Psalm 37, however, it does not emphasize the brevity of that prosperity. The author observes that sometimes the bounty achieved by the wicked does in fact last throughout life (v.4).
He emphasizes every believer’s need to test his own personal relationship with God. That alone provides the ultimate satisfaction available to the believer who witnesses the affluence of the wicked. That’s a fact that almost caused him to stumble spiritually and lose his faith.’
Ah mih people, I know that we suffer from the same problem, but like Asaph, we can also overcome it. And how did he do so? Hear him: ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps.73:17)
Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars further explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs.17-28) He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs.17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs.21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs.23-28).’
And so can we my brethren, if we look solely to God for our earthly sustenance and not be envious of those who seem to have it all, for who knows if they sold their souls to achieve that power and abundance. And eventually, like Asaph, we will also be able to declare: ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:26)
And having said that, let’s go home now declaring our Thursday Blessings, those wonderful attributes the Lord pours down on those sincerely believe and stand steadfast with Him. All together 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 the corollary to that, is to now go out and generously share those blessings with the less fortunate, as Jesus intends for us to do. Much LOVE!
…evil doers shall be cut off…but those that wait upon the Lord…shall inherit the earth… (Ps.37:9)
05 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prophetess, abundance, believe in your dreams, benefits, best by date, blessings, brokenhearted, calamity, call out to wisdom, calls aloud in the street, Christians, complacency, consequences, counsel, courage, creativity, curse, delight in scorning, despairing thoughts, despised, destroying, disobedience, do great things, do productive stuff, dr robert h schuller, encouragement, faith, faithful brethren, favour, fear, fools hate knowledge, godly lives, greetings, hopes, Hour of Power Devotional, hurts, in God's name, in the name of Jesus, laugh at your calamity, loud and proud, LOVE, make known my words, naive, naivete, negative word, ole fogies, openings of the gates, peace, peace of mind, pour out my Spirit, rejecting wisdom, reproof, scoffers, scorners, sensible option, set your compass, she raise her voice, simple ones, slain, talent, terror, the elderly, the humble, the poor, the presence of God, the valley of the shadow, the winter of our days, Thursday Blessings, trust, turn you, ways of Jesus, waywardness, wisdom, wisdom cries out, wisdom of God, worldly ways, young uns
Proverbs 1:20. Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas).
Greetings and salutations this glorious Thursday morning in the springtime of our lives my faithful brethren! (smile) Awright, so some of us might have already passed our best by date, but that doesn’t mean we have to be thrown away. In fact we are the kind of people the Lord finds much use for when the world is no longer interested in us. He uses the poor, the elderly, the broken hearted, the humble to do great things in His name.
So though we are actually in the winter of our days, we ought not to give up hope and stop trying to do productive stuff. And saying that, here is some encouragement from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His Hour of Power Devotional as he talks about being in the valley of the shadow.
He says: ‘Peace comes to the person who feels the presence of God…. Don’t trust the clouds – trust the sunshine. Don’t set your compass by the flash of lightning – set it by the stars. Trust the sun – don’t trust the shadow. Believe in your dreams – don’t believe in your despairing thoughts. Have faith in your faith – and doubt your doubts. Trust in your hopes – never trust in your hurts.’ Amen friends, Amen!
And I believe that’s useful not only for the ole fogies, but also for the young uns. The sooner they learn that kind of stuff, the more productive and godly lives they will live. But ALL of us need to pay serious attention to that woman of all women; WISDOM, for without her we are completely lost.
As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas). She crieth in the chief place of concourse (concourses), in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple (naïve) ones, will ye LOVE naiveté? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov.1:20-22)
Ah mih people, those words are ever so true in these tumultuous times, as real wisdom, that of God, is being trampled down by the falsehood that the world purveys as wisdom. And too many of us, Christians included, are foolishly following that supposed wisdom the world perpetrates. However we need to desperately understand that TRUE wisdom comes ONLY from God; from His word, His statues and His commandments.
As Gramps Schuller says in the passage above: ‘have faith in your faith.’ Otherwise, what’s the purpose of having a faith, if you don’t have faith in it eh? None whatsoever!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:20-33. Wisdom is personified here as a prophetess calling in public places to everyone to come to her and learn. Three groups are especially singled out in the appeal: ‘the simple ones, or untaught; the scorners or scoffers; and the fools, or morally dull (v.22). The consequences of rejecting wisdom are immense (vs.26-28).’
And sadly my brethren, in this supposedly wise society, there seems to be way more of those three groups who are not interested in true wisdom, than those of us who are. But true and godly wisdom keeps crying out: ‘Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.’ (Prov.1:23)
Yes friends, the wisdom of God is crying out for us to turn back from our sinful, worldly ways and embrace His LOVING-kindness, for that’s the only wise and sensible option open to us. But we don’t seem to be paying any serious attention to His call.
Thus wisdom continues: ‘Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought (disdained) all my counsel, and would (have) none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear (terror) cometh.
When your fear (terror) cometh as desolation (a storm), and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them.’ (Prov.1:24-32)
Ah mih people, yuh see the serious consequences involved in rejecting the wisdom of God! And that’s exactly what’s happening in our society today; we are being slain by our waywardness and disobedience, and our complacency is destroying us.
But it’s not too late to call out to wisdom friends. Please, let’s be wise and do so nuh, that our children and us can benefit from it. ‘But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, or at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov.1:33)
And accompanying that peace of mind will be numerous benefits, like those enshrined in our Thursday Blessings. Let’s declare them out now, loud and proud, so that the unbelievers can see what to expect when they wholly embrace the wisdom and ways of Jesus.
‘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!’
Now let’s go out and share some of those many blessings as Jesus intends for us to do. Much LOVE!
…blessings only come with obedience…which is a by-product of wisdom…
26 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, an even keel, aura of love, battlefield of life, confidence, conquered the world, conquering hell, dark door of death, disbelief, doubt, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, excitement, faith, fearful, friends, given us the victory, glory to God, have Jesus in our hearts, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, living for Jesus, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal life, nothing is impossible with God, O ye of little faith, peace, push comes to shove, put up or shut up, reams of faith, rebuked, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, sacrificially, salvation, same old, save us, selflessly, shining gate of life, sinful ways, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, struggling, the name that's above all others, trust, truth, ungodly world, waffle, whine, why are ye fearful, wiles, wisdom, with God's help, workweek cycle
Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Here we go again friends; one more time around the workweek cycle. I know it’s tiring and otherwise; the same old, same old, but that’s just life. We can only have so much fun and excitement in this mortal life before we get overwhelmed, so the constant work cycle is here to keep us on an even keel. (smile)
But yuh know what, when we’re sincerely living for and in Jesus, that bland, oftimes hard and controversial cycle doesn’t bother us at all, because we know that Jesus has already conquered the world and all its evil, sinful ways, and given us the victory. Glory to God my brethren!
Yeh, so though it’s hard to get up and go out to work every week, it’s just something we have to do, and when we have Jesus in our hearts, it makes it that much easier. And on days like these, when we’re struggling, it’s ever so important to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which brings us such solace and encouragement and gets our adrenaline running. So let’s sing it with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Mama Mia! Doesn’t that just lift your spirits my brethren! It surely does. Now let’s get ourselves together and join our Leader and Field General, Jesus Christ, on the battlefield of life, as we fight to subdue the unbelieving hordes and bring them to salvation and eternal life, in His name. Amen!
And as we journey through this Holy Week, where Jesus suffered so many trials, moving from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, to His crucifixion on Good Friday, and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, here is a li’l something very appropriate for us to remember. It comes from one of the Daily Bread Devotionals, and says: ‘Jesus has replaced the dark door of death with the shining gate of Life!’
Glory be my faithful friends! For that’s exactly what He’s done, through conquering hell, death and the grave, then rising triumphantly back to life, so that we too can have life in the ever after. That’s why we should never give Jesus occasion to ask us this rather embarrassing question, as stated in our Bit. ‘And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus asked that question of His disciples, men who had been with Him for some time and seen Him do so many miracles. But yet, when they got caught in a storm, aboard a ship, and He lay sleeping quietly in the back, in considerable fright, they awakened Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us: we perish.’ (Matt.8:25).
That’s when Jesus awoke and rebuked them with the words of our Bit. ‘And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man id this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt.8:26-27)
Oh precious people of Christ, please let’s not allow ourselves to fall into that trap of doubt and disbelief. Remember what we said at the beginning of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn? ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein!’ That means if the Lord created the winds and the seas and everything in the world, therefore He ought to have control over them.
And we keep bleating that nothing is impossible with God, but do we truly believe it when push comes to shove and some circumstance faces us that needs God’s almighty power? That’s where true faith comes in my brethren! That’s when God calls us to put up or shut up!
Oh, it’s never easy to call up great reams of faith amidst adversity, but with God’s help, we can certainly do it. So let’s remember why Christ died and rose again, and keep on fighting the good fight of faith, so that we can faithfully acknowledge all that He’s done so sacrificially and selflessly for us. Much LOVE!
…the true believer…doesn’t whine and waffle in times of calamity…but remembers Jesus’ work…and stands strong and steadfast in His name… the one that’s above all other names……
20 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gorgeous day, a point of interest, a solitary note, artificial intelligence, autonomous, beloved of God, blessed, breathtaking knowledge, change our mood, chimes, collisions, congregation of the saints, covenant, declarations, Egypt, eternal benefit, Ethan the Ezrahite, extinct, faithfulness, first day of spring, friend of Jesus, glory to God, God's uncomditional love, heads up, hurry, It's Good, Jesus' gospel, kingdom of Jesus, laziness, life symphony, life-giving love, lift our spirits, LOVE, loving-kindness, make known thy faithfulness, mercy, my chosen, no tails, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, percolating, praise thy wonders, Rahab, reason, replace ourselves, robots, Ruth Harms Calkin, Selah, self-driving cars, sense of purpose, share His love, sinful law of man, sing of the mercies of the Lord, snwo, spring cleaning, spring has been sprung, strong arm, Thank the Lord, the heavens, the LOVE of God, the raging sea, the Son shining brightly, thy seed, thy throne, to be loved by you, tremulous heart, Tuesday Mantra, unsettled questions, wild animal, winter clothing, with my mouth, worry
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Happy First Day of Spring friends! Yes, today is the official first day of spring, and what a gorgeous day it is in my neighbourhood! So it’s somewhat chilly…so what? Once the sun and SON are shining brightly, it doesn’t matter what else is happening. And besides, from now on, the weather picture is all heads up, no tails! (smile)
Spring has finally been sprung from its winter lair! Thank God for His awesome mercy! Soon there will be no more snow and heavy winter clothing to put on and cart around…Thank the Lord again!
And on a point of interest, it seems as though one of these self-driving cars we’re touting so much and are so quickly trying to build, has killed a woman in Arizona trying to cross the road. Ah Lord eh! Why are we in such a hurry to replace ourselves and make us extinct eh?
Everything we’re working on is autonomous; self-driving cars and trucks, self-flying planes, not to talk about robots taking over most of the functions that humans are supposed to do. Can’t we see that God’s greatest creation is foolishly trying to kill itself off either through horrible collisions, or just through laziness and having nothing to do?
I don’t know about you all nuh, but I’m NOT going in any car that doesn’t have a driver at the wheel, or a plane that has no pilot at the controls! I’ll take my chances with people, not with artificial intelligence. End of sermon! (smile)
Now here is a li’l something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin to change our mood and lift our spirits this glorious Tuesday. The title simply says ‘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 is it ever? If you don’t know the LOVE of God, then you’re missing the best part of life. For without His awesome and amazing LOVE percolating in our souls, and bodies, we’re nothing but another wild animal without any sense of purpose or reason. And that’s why our world is in such a mess; the LOVE of God is absent from too many of our lives!
That brings us to our Bit, the Bible verse associated with the poem above. It’s taken from Psalm 89 – A Maschil (contemplation) of Ethan the Ezrahite declaring ‘God’s sure promises to David. And it joyfully proclaims: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.’ (Ps.89:1-4)
And that is exactly what the Lord has done! He has established the kingdom of Jesus, Bruh David’s descendant, and by His great mercy and LOVE, we are a part of that awesome gathering. Glory to God my brethren! For without His faithfulness, we’d still be living under the sinful law of man, and not God’s unconditional LOVE. Bless His holy name for all of His goodness to us my people!
No wonder, Ethan, the psalmist continues in such glowing terms: ‘And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. Thou hast broken Rahab (Egypt) in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.’ (Ps.89:5-11)
Yes friends, on this first day of spring, I believe it’s only wise that we begin spring-cleaning in our hearts and souls. Let’s throw out all the old, false winter stuff and renew our minds with the wonderful LOVE of God that He has shed abroad for our eternal benefit. That’s wisdom personified!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In unison and harmony 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 the next move is for us to actually go out and share that amazing LOVE of our friend Jesus with those who don’t know about it, or Him! Let’s make known His faithfulness to all generations. Happy LOVE sharing! Much LOVE!
…blessed are those…who sincerely share Jesus’ gospel of peace and LOVE…
19 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: almighty god, aura of love, Christians, conquerors, enthusiasm, friends, God's wondrous works, good tidings, grumbling, harbinger, holy spirit, humble servants, humility eager expectation, invincible, Jesus, joy, judgements of his mouth, killing two birds with one stone, lies, LOVE, Love of Jesus, loving kindness, meditate, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my light, peace, raise our spirits, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, remember thy wonders of old, renewed vitality, salvation, seek the Lord, seek ye my face, sing psalms, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, trust, truth, ungodly world, verve, wiles, wisdom, with all your heart
Psalm 105:4. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Welcome to the new workweek friends, and its harbinger of good tidings, Monday! (smile) Yeh, Monday is a blessed day; we get to go out and work and make some money and also share the word and LOVE of Jesus. Now what could be more important and blessed than that eh? Nothing really! We’re killing two birds with one stone…
And I hear some of you grumbling that you don’t want to hear no nonsense about Monday being blessed, etc. etc. cause you’re having a hard enough time getting up. Oh I know that it’s not always easy to roll out of bed on a Monday morning, and that all of us suffer the Monday Blues at some time or other, and that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; a most effective antidote for just such occasions.
So let’s raise our voices in song, with as much enthusiasm and verve that we can muster, and simultaneously allow it to raise our spirits. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now doesn’t that make you feel better? I’m sure it does! Now you do feel more energized and alive, not only ready, but also willing and able to go out and face the cruel and evil world in which we dwell and give them heck, in Jesus name! That’s why we are constantly advised in the Good Book to look to Jehovah God for whatever we need.
Hear this example from Psalm 105 – God‘s wondrous works in behalf of Israel which includes our Bit. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.’ (Ps.105:1-5)
Ah friends, what great advice! And that’s exactly what we’ve done this morning; we’ve cried out to Him in song, noting His power and LOVING-kindness, and placing our supplications before Him, asking for mercy, LOVE and guidance to do His will and His work diligently and sincerely in the tough situations that we face as we encounter the evil enemy.
And you’ll notice how after singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn our spirits were lifted. That’s the Lord answering our pleas. It’s therefore necessary to keep regular communication with our heavenly Father, if we want to enjoy the fruits of the relationship.
And also of the utmost important my fellow believers, is that last verse we quoted above: ‘Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth.’ (Ps.105:5) By so doing friends, we not only exalt and glorify the Lord, but we also remind ourselves of His might and power and all the good stuff He’s done earlier on in our lives and His promises to keep on blessing and looking after us.
We need to remember that if He’s done it once before, there’s no reason He won’t do it again, and that builds our faith, keeps us strong, gives us confidence to come before Him with humility, but also eager expectation. As the psalmist Asaph declares in Psalm 77 – Who is so great a God as our God?
‘I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of all thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’( Ps.77:11-13) And the emphatic answer to that my people is simply ‘NOBODY!’
And we’ll close with these wise words of Bruh David from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.’ (Ps. 27:8) Yeh friends, that’s wisdom at its highest, for unless we seek the Lord’s face, all our other plans and efforts will be futile. Much LOVE!
…and ye shall seek me…and find me…when ye shall search for me…with all your heart… (Jer.29:13)
18 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decree, a full moon, a full tank, a glow of wamth, a golden sunset, above the earth and heaven, all creatures, all things, All things bright and beautiful, birds singing, children, Christians, come together, confidence, enthusiasm, exalt, faith, fellowship, fire, flying fowl, gospel truth, gratitude, great and small, hail, handiwork, he commanded, heavens, hope, joy, LOVE, maidens, old men, peace, persistence, praise, praise the name of the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, refresh our souls and spirits, ripe fruits, saints, snow, spiritual touch, sprinkle the night sky, stars, sun, sweet songs of thanks, tenderness, the beauty of nature, the breath of his mouth, the Lord made them all, the Lord's sanctuary, the Lord's Word, the rushes by the water, the strength of his people, the word of the Lord, they were created, waters, wise and wonderful, work diligently, worship, young mne
Psalm 148:5. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded and they were created.
Seven days have passed friends, since we last visited the Lord’s sanctuary to refresh our souls and spirits. That means we are due for a refuelling today.
So let’s all come together, gather in the Lord’s house and fellowship with enthusiasm, hope, faith, praise and worship, while He replenishes, with His word and spiritual touch, the faith we’ve used up this past week. That will enable us to go back out and work diligently and sincerely on His behalf, with a full tank of joy, LOVE, confidence, persistence and peace.
And all of God’s children declared a loud and thankful: ‘Glory to God for His LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ And how right we are, to give God the glory for all the magnanimous and magnificent things He’s done for us.
Now, as always, let’s begin our praise and worship with a favourite old hymn titled ‘All things bright and beautiful.’ It was written by Cecil F. Alexander around 1848. And does it ever celebrate the Lord and His creations in nature. So let’s belt it our now through lips lined with sacrificial praise and hearts filled with enormous LOVE and gratitude to our Maker.
‘(Refrain: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.) Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. (Refrain)
The purple-headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky.(Refrain)
The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them every one. (Refrain) The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day.(Refrain)
He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.’
Yeh friends, ALL the beauty we enjoy in nature was made by our heavenly Father, for our enjoyment. Unfortunately though, many of us, including Christians, don’t seem to appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature.
What can be more beautiful than a golden sunset; a full moon in full glow while stars sprinkle the night sky, or birds singing sweet songs of thanks in the early morning hours as they rise and give praise to their creator.
Chuh! But we, the most important of God’s creation find it difficult, or even impossible to thank Him for His fatherly goodness and the beauty He’s created to enliven our earthly lives.
Now we’re going to spend the rest of this message giving Him some of the praise He so worthily deserves. And we’ll begin with Psalm 148 – All creation to praise the Lord – from which our Bit is taken. ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah): Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.’ (Ps.148:1-5)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! The Lord commanded everything to be made that was made! Therefore everything that was made, especially man, ought to be constantly singing His praises and admiring His handiwork. And He even went a step further than just creating them: ‘He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall never pass.’ (Ps.148:6) Glory to God friends!
Nothing God has made shall pass away unless He wills it. Therefore ‘Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps (sea creatures): Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven.
He also exalteth the horn (strength) of his people, the praise of all of his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah)’ (Ps.148:7-14)
Oh my people, how awesome is our God eh! I can’t understand why we refuse to exalt and glorify Him the way we should. But this Sunday morning, as we gather to worship Him, let’s begin changing that nuh. Let’s raise up our voices and our hearts in gratitude and tenderness and LOVE and exaltation, so that He can know that we truly appreciate Him and bring a beautiful smile to His face and a glow of warmth to His heart! Much LOVE!
…by the word of the Lord…were the heavens made…and all the hosts of them…by the breath of his mouth… (Ps.33:6)
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 