11 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man with many friends comes to ruin, a mother's tenderness, acted as a traitor against me, Anselm, blessings, celebrity circles, count me for a stranger, deceitful friends, disappointment, earthly problems, encourage and support us, fears, friends, glory to God, God is faithful, guard the doors of thy mouth, hangers on, hath lifted up his heel against me, hurts, I will look unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my salvation, in a positive manner, in whom I trusted, inner circle, Inspire us for a better tomorrow, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Job, look first to God for guidance, LOVE, man's faithfulness, mercies, Micah, mine own familiar friend, my close friends have forgotten me, my God will hear me, negative attitude, Praise the Lord, put ye nor confidence in a companion, rats abandoning a floundering ship, rejoice not against me, secret sin, selfish, stand strong and steadfast, superficial relationships, surround yourself with people who will lift you higher, than to put confidence in man, the Lord shall be a light unto me, the universe is unfolding as it should, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, tragedy, trust ye not in a friend, ungodly world, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, when I fall I shall rise, when I sit in darkness, which did eat my bread, words of awesome wisdom, you can change the people you choose to be around, you cannot change the people around you
Psalm 41:9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me (acted as a traitor against me).
Well Friends, a glorious Tuesday morning to you all! God’s still on His throne and the universe is unfolding as it should. Glory to God! We too are still alive and have the promise of His many new blessings and mercies prepared especially for today to look forward to.
Hn! What a wonderful God we serve and worship eh! One who prepares special blessings and other good stuff for us each and every day. No stale stuff for our God! He LOVES His people so much that He wants to give us something new at every sunrise.
And then people wonder and ask why we LOVE Him so much? That’s obvious; simply because He sincerely cares and looks after us with a mother’s tenderness and concern, paying serious attention to all our hurts, fears and earthly problems and helping us to resolve them. How can we not LOVE Him then eh?
The problem for us now is to find people who are of like beliefs as ourselves, meaning believe in Jehovah God, and are willing to stand strong and steadfast in His Name and do what He desires. Unfortunately, in this ungodly world those people are hard to find.
But we have a couple of recent quotes from our Friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. They came separately, but I have put them both together as they fit nicely that way.
And Anselm wisely advises: ‘You cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around. Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.’
Oh my people, those are indeed words of awesome wisdom! We can’t change the habits of the people around us, but we can definitely change the people that we choose to be around. And following on from that, we need to surround ourselves with people who are going to lift us higher, give us sound and godly advice.
Yes Friends, in our camps, we desperately need people who are going to encourage and support us in our earthly endeavours in a positive manner, not those who tend to be negative, an attitude that only serves to drag us down.
That’s why it’s ever so important that we carefully choose those we allow into our inner circle, and not make that inner circle too large and unwieldy either. For a man with too many friends is just begging for destruction. And that’s why Cousin Sol says that ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly (may come to ruin): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov.18:24)
And the scholars paraphrase that by saying ‘a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial relationships. Far better it is to have (a few) friends who become like family and LOVE at all times (17:17).’
Gospel truth my brethren! That brings us to our Bit. ‘Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me (acted as a traitor against me).’
And that’s no lie! For many of us have experienced that same disappointment that Bruh David is talking about. And in this ever more selfish and ungodly world it is becoming real difficult to find true friends.
Look at Job nuh; instead of truly commiserating with him in his awful tragedy, his supposed friends only came and berated him, accused him of some secret sin as the reason for his downfall.
And we certainly can’t blame him when he cries out: ‘My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar (close) friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight…All my inward (close) friends abhorred me: and they whom I LOVED are turned against me.’ (Job.19:14-15,19)
Ah mih people, that is what usually happens when some serious tragedy overtakes us; many of our close associates no longer stand beside us. And you can see that in bright and living colour in a lot of celebrity circles.
When the celebrity is hot, riding the wave of financial and career prosperity, there are a lot of hangers on, but once their star begins to dim, and their financial ability diminish, they all quickly disappear, like rats abandoning a floundering ship.
Yes Friends, like Bruh David says later on in Psalm 55 – A cry against deceitful friends. ‘For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne (bear) it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide (companion), and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company (in the throng).’ (Ps.55:12-14)
Ah mih people, what heartache betrayal of close friends brings! And the closer they are to us, the deeper the pain! No wonder the prophet Micah, on denouncing the sins of Israel solemnly declares: ‘Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide (companion): keep (guard) the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.’ (Mic.7:5-7)
Ah Friends, sadly a lot of what Micah says is true, for there is a lot of unnecessary feuding between families these days. So if there is much dissatisfaction and resentment amongst the smallest unit of our society, what can we expect from the larger units eh? Nothing but the same, except on a larger scale.
But I like how Micah continues after bemoaning the untrustworthiness rampant in his day. He staunchly and confidently declares: ‘Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.’ (Mic.7:8)
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes my brethren, for He is indeed worthy to be praised because He does not ever leave or forsake us, or turn against us. Our wonderful God is forever faithful and true! That’s why we can put our total trust and faith in Him!
Please my brethren, let’s be wise and look FIRST to God for guidance, direction and every good thing in this life, for man’s faithfulness cannot be trusted. Much LOVE!
…it is better to trust in the Lord…than to put confidence in man… (Ps.118:8)
08 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversities, affection, anger, blessed, Bruh Paul, busyness, christ jesus, Christian life, commandment, conforming to God's will, Corinthians, daily struggles, eternal reward, expectant faith, faith, fight the good fight of faith, flee these things, follow after righteousness, gentleness, god of all comfort, godliness, grace, hardships, hunger and thirst, hungry hope, in the sight of God, keeping up with the Joneses, lake of fire, lay hold on eternal life, lord jesus christ, Lord of Lords, LOVE, love for money, Lucifer, meekness, negative consequences, O man of God, obedience, patience, peace from God our Father, perseverance, Praise the Lord, resentment, reverence for God, salvation, sin, spiritual life, steadfastness, stress, striving for material wealth, struggle with sin, the Father of mercies, the King of Kings, the Lord jesus christ, the prize, things of God, things of the world, Timothy, wisdom, with every beat of our hearts, with every breath we take
1 Timothy 6:11. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.
Aye Friends, on this summer Saturday morning, I greet you with the words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ! Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.’ (2 Cor.1:2-3)
Yes my brethren, we have indeed been blessed by seeing another day on God’s great earth! And grace, and peace, mercies and comfort are all ours for the taking. So please, let’s take them as we need them nuh, through expectant faith and hungry hope, turning to Jehovah God in every circumstance of our lives, with every beat of our heart, with every breath of life we take!
That’s what He expects of us my brethren, faithful followers that we are. And since we have lots of stuff to look at, I won’t ramble on today… ‘Praise the Lord!’ several voices mutter in the background. (smile)
So let’s get straight to our Bit, wise words from Bruh Paul to his protégé Timothy. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness.’ Wisdom indeed Friends! Bruh Paul had just finished telling him what not to follow.
And the scholars have a good explanation of that verse. ‘6:11. Flee these things means shun a LOVE for money (v.10) and the striving for material wealth (v.9) with all its resulting woes. Follow after means pursue. Righteousness is practical correctness, conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting.
Godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to God. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’
Yes Friends, it all applies to us in these troubled times too. And in simple language it means don’t run behind the evil, idolatrous, destructive things of the world, but rather concern yourself with the good, wholesome and everlasting things of God. I don’t know how many times we need to hear that before we believe it and put it into practice nuh.
But too many of us are still running behind the things of the world, especially material wealth and money and are suffering the resultant negative consequences like general unhappiness, busyness, weariness, stress, anger and resentment.
Ah my people, trying to keep up with the Jones’ is a rough scene yes, which could eventually cost your life, and there are no guarantees of success. So please pay serious attention nuh, and let go of the flimsy, worthless things that Lucifer and his evil hordes are pushing. It will serve you much better in the long run.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to tell Timothy: ‘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.’ (1 Tim.6:12) Ah mih people, all of that also pertains to us in these dreadful and distressful times.
Hear the scholars’ explanation. ‘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 possesses spiritual life (John3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’
Yuh see mih breddren, as we face the daily struggles and hardships of life with steadfast faith, we grow, we mature in the Christian life. Oh it’s by no means an easy journey, but when we consider the prize, the eternal reward that’s waiting for us, it certainly makes it all worthwhile.
I don’t know about you nuh Friends, but I surely prefer to have salvation and eternal life with Jesus amidst plenty hard knocks down here, than to satiate myself with the things of Lucifer, then end up in the burning lake of fire when the time of judgement comes.
And to show how most of the things of the world that we hunger and thirst for are a waste of time, just take a look around your homes and you’ll see that amongst those things that we had to have, most of them are languishing, or have languished in obscurity for ages, as the shine and desire wore off in the early days. Most of them we only want them until we get them, then our interest quickly fades. So why do we still run them down eh? The Lord alone knows!
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘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; (c.f. John 18:36-37). That thou keep this commandment without spot, 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 (sovereign ruler), the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; who 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.6:13-16)
Oh Friends what glorious words of truth, what a perfect word picture of Jesus Bruh Paul paints there! Glory be!
And the scholars’ explain thus: ‘6:13. A charge is a command. Quickeneth contains the idea of giving life to. Since god gives life to all things, He can also enable Timothy to “fight the good fight” (v.12).’
‘6:14. This commandment refers back to the charge in verse 13 which embraces the injunctions of verses 11-12. Thus ‘this commandment” is the charge to pursue godliness (v.11) and to fulfill one’s ministry (v.12). Without spot, unrebukable means Timothy is to be meticulous in his obedience of verses 11-13, that is, without fault and failure in compliance.’
So Friends, there’s no more left to say today. Please pay careful attention to all we’ve said, and I do hope that the Most High God Jehovah will help us to understand it, then put it into practice, as soon as possible. Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the ultimate ruler…King of Kings…and Lord of Lords…Potentate of all He surveys…
22 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a fool's voice, a pleasant word, admonishment, amazing god, anger, backbiting, be not rash with thy mouth, be ye angry and sin not, blessings, bring to its knees, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, Christ's body, Christians, comfort, Cousin Sol, depart from evil and do good, disjointed, distrustful, disunited, don't give up on God, Ecclesiastes, encouragement, envious, every idle word that men speak, friends, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gnawing at our souls, God is amazing, God is awesome, God will never leave nor forsake us, God's faithfulness, gossip, guidance, heavenly wisdom, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, it's so wonderful to be alive, jealous, Jesus, Jesus is advocating for us, keep thy tongue from evil, kindnesses, let every man be swift to hear, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, let thy words be few, LOVE, malady, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, negative seeds, negative stuff, neither give place to the devil, out of the woodwork, peaceful mode, positive seeds, potential to be a winner, Praise the Lord, putting away lying, ramifications, rensentment, responsibility to live good with each other, seek peace and pursue it, slow to speak, slow to wrath, smiles, speak every man truth, stepping into a breach, the breath of life, the day of judgement, The Father is on His throne, the goodness of God's heart, the Lord's loving-kindness, the multitude of words, the straight and narrow, the wisdom of a fool, they shall give account for, thy lips from speaking guile, to a glorious future with Jesus, warnings, Wednesday Wail, what a delight to live for Jesus, wherefore my beloved brethren
James 1:19. Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful Wednesday morning, a little on the cool side, but nonetheless the sun’s shining brightly, Mother nature is about her business, and Jesus is advocating for us to the Father who sits on His throne. Wow! What a delight to live for and with Jesus!
And let me tell you my people, our God is really and truly an amazing God yes! Hn! A most awesome and amazing God is He! And although I’ve experienced it several times before, I still can’t believe how He springs some unexpected things out of the woodwork.
And I say that because yesterday was a blessed day in my life. And I’m not talking about big stuff, just small things like kindnesses, smiles, a little encouragement, a pleasant word, things that by themselves might not mean much, but when taken all together they do add up. My spirit yesterday was in a peaceful mode all day long. Praise the Lord!
But one thing was of sufficient importance for me to put my index finger to my brow and murmur a thoughtful and grateful ‘Hnnn!’ I got a surprising phone call, which I almost never answered, but which presented me with an opportunity I could not have imagined or come up with on my own.
But through the Lord’s LOVING-kindness an interesting door has opened. I don’t know how it will all pan out, but the potential is certainly there for it to be a winner. Glory to God!
Ah Friends, I keep on reminding us of God’s faithfulness. Once you try to be obedient and sincerely follow His will, He will bless you by stepping into a breach when you need help, as well as bless us in some unexpected way, simply out of the goodness of His heart.
So please don’t give up on Him, even when things get real bad. In fact that’s the time when you most need to turn to Him for comfort and guidance. Believe me, the Lord will never leave nor forsake you. I can testify to that.
And since today is Wednesday, let’s wail our Wednesday wail nuh, with plenty gusto and sincerity. As one wailer now: (smile) ‘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!’
Ah Friends, it’s so wonderful to be alive, despite any negative things that’s happening in our lives. There’s nothinng to beat the breath of God that’s giving us life here on planet earth!
But along with that blessing comes the responsibility for us to live good with each other, as outlined by our Bit. ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.’
Now that’s certainly something we very badly need to work on because it’s not happening as it ought to among believers. We are too disunited, disjointed, distrustful, jealous and envious of each other, filled with too many petty resentments and anger that goes to bed with us and wakes up gnawing at our souls the next day.
Please remember Bruh Paul’s admonishment to the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.’ (Eph.4:25-27)
Yes my brethren, by the time we go to bed our anger must have subsided, for when we go to bed with it, we just give Lucifer the chance to plant negative seeds during our sleep, instead of God planting positive ones. That means we wake up still angry and negative, thus doing oftimes non-repairable damage to ourselves. That my Friends, is the wisdom of a fool.
Now listen to how Cousin Sol puts it in Ecclesiastes. ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:2-3)
Oh my people, what wonderful and wise advice! Oh if we would only take it and put it into action! Life here on earth would so much better.
And we all know Bruh David’s warning from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.’ (Ps.34:12-15)
Ah Friends, how much more admonishment and warnings do we need to cut down the foolish and idle and destructive things like gossip, backbiting, resentment and anger eh? It is a malady that’s slowly eating away at Christ’s body, the church, and society in general, and is slowly bringing the world to its proverbial knees.
And believe me Friends, once we get there, it will be nigh impossible to get back up on our feet again. So please, I implore us, let’s get serious about our words nuh, both the quality and quantity, for remember our words are powerful and can have either negative or positive ramifications.
And we’ll close with one more warning, this from Jesus. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:36-37)
Now Friends, if Jesus said that we’d be judged by our words, then it must be true, since he cannot lie. So it’s up to each of us now to clean up our act and get on the straight and narrow. Please don’t put it off, because the longer we wait to straighten out the problem, the more condemnation we’ll be likely to create. Please let heavenly wisdom reign. Much LOVE!
…Christians are known for much talk…it might be better if we were known for less…
08 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, All State, Amen, bet your last dime, better hands than All State, circumstances, confession, faith, for he is faithful that promised, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, God's faithfulness, happiness, heavenly blessings, hope, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Isaac, joy, joy is God's creation, judged him faithful who had promised, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, make a way to escape, money in the bank, more than you are able to bear, motives, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no ifs ands and buts, obedience, obedient to God's Word, One Year Book of Bible promises, pitiful, Praise the Lord, redeem us of our sins, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifice, Sarah, saviour jesus christ, seek joy, sorry for ourselves, spiritual blessing, strength to conceive seed, suffer you to be tempted, surrender, temptation, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the church at Corinth, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Light, the Lord determines my joy, the Lord of hosts, the perfect image of jesus, the Son is shining, through faith, to a glorious future with Jesus, trust, truth, vulnerable, Wednesday Wail, without wavering, you can't fake joy, you can't hide joy
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh Friends, it’s a wailing kind of Wednesday – the Lord of Hosts is on His throne, the earth has been washed clean by a torrent of heavenly blessings yesterday, and now both the sun and the Son are shining ever so brightly all around the universe – so let’s wail nuh. (smile)
‘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 that’s exactly where our focus should be fixed my people; on the bright and shining Light that’s Jesus! For there is no where else that one can go to obtain the glorious wonders and blessings and promises that He has set aside for those who LOVE Him and are obedient to His commands.
Now here is something from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin which corroborates what we’ve just said.
It’s titled ‘JOY,’ and goes like this. ‘Joy! My favourite word. Circumstances may determine my happiness But, Lord, You determine my joy. Joy is sweetly honest. No wonder the minister said: “You can’t hide joy if you have it – You can’t fake it if you don’t.” Who can manufacture it Lord? Joy is Your creation. Who may have it? Anyone who asks. Thank You Lord for joy!’
And all God’s children said a loud and proud and grateful, ‘Amen! Praise the Lord for the joy He has given us!’
Oh Friends, what absolute and beautiful truth is ensconced in that poem! Joy is indeed the Lord’s creation, and anyone who wants it just has to ask for it. Come to Him in true surrender and obedience, and with faith ask for joy, and in His LOVING-kindness the Lord will grant your request.
So all of us who seek joy, not happiness which is controlled by circumstances, need only go to our heavenly Father with pure and true motives and ask for that most wonderful blessing of joy and it will be granted to us.
That means we need to stop searching for that fleeting thing called happiness that the world touts, and instead seek the everlasting and complete spiritual blessing of joy that only comes from God Almighty.
And for your info, the promise for that poem is the one we all know and LOVE so much. “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Neh.8:10 NLT)
Yes Friends, more absolute and wonderful truth! That’s why the ole crook Lucifer always tries to steal our joy, to get us feeling pitiful and miserable and sorry for ourselves, because he knows that’s when we’re most vulnerable. So we need to guard our joy with great care and concern, for once it’s lost, Beelzebub is in control.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, another foundational truth of our faith. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
And that my brethren is even better and truer than money in the bank! Your life’s in much better hands than All State when you give it to the Lord and Creator of this world through His Son and Saviour Jesus Christ! No ifs, ands and buts about it!
And if you don’t believe me, let’s look at some scripture that denotes the Lord’s faithfulness to His people. And we’ll begin with one from Hebrews: ‘Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of (bore) a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.’ (Heb.11:11)
Yeh mih people, if a Deity can promise that you’ll bear a child when you’re around ninety years old and deliver that promise in due course of time, then how can you ever doubt His faithfulness eh?
Just look at how Abraham himself went to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice when the Lord asked him. He must have been somewhat uncertain since the Lord had promised that Isaac would be his heir.
But after having walked with God for so long, having left his homeland simply because God told him to, and seeing God’s faithfulness all through his wandering, deep down inside he must have known that his God would do something to avoid that tragedy.
And the Lord did, providing a lamb for the sacrifice after seeing that Abraham was indeed willing to sacrifice Isaac. (Gen.22:1-19)
Now hear Bruh Paul, another man that placed everlasting faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This in his first missive to the church at Corinth.
‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
Oh Friends, what a faithful God we serve and worship!
Now hear this explanation from the scholars. ’10:13. Make a way to escape (lit, “an egress” or “way out”). In early Greek usage, this term had the sense of a landing place for a ship. The idea is thus not that He will enable us to escape temptation, but that He will enable us to land intact on the other side.’
Yeh mih breddren, we won’t always escape the temptation, but God’s faithfully promised to make a way for us to come through it with flying colours. And remember too, that all the problems we face in this life are in some way, shape and form, designed to bring us closer to the perfect image of Christ.
So please, let’s not be afraid and anxious when times and circumstances get rough, remember that we have a most faithful God, who has promised to look after us…and He certainly will. You can bet your last dime on it! Much LOVE!
…God’s faithfulness has been proven for all time…by the sending of His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross…to fulfill His promise to redeem us of our sins…how much more do we need to trust His faithfulness eh…
06 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ambition, aura of love, be rich in good works, Bruh Paul, caressed the air, complaining, compromise, confidence, Cousin Sol, coveted, destruction, eternal life, fall into temptations, friends, generous, glorious kingdom, glory to God, godly enthusiasm, godly purpose, guiding light, haughty, highminded, holy spirit, humble servants, hypocrites, idol, in great spirits, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, love for money, lusts, materialistic, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not on the things on the earth, on the ball, peace, pitfalls, praise and worship God, Praise the Lord, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., root of all evil, ruin, salvation, set your affection on things above, spiritual armour, spiritually concerned, steadfast faith, the goal of life, the house of God, the moral of the story, the Ten Commandments, the true light of the world, truth, ungodly world, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, working for the almighty dollar
Colossians 3:2. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, a fair number of hypocrites came to church yesterday, (smile) and did we ever sing and dance, praise and worship God, and enjoy each other’s company! Wow! So much so that we all left the house of God in great spirits, with our LOVE, peace and godly enthusiasm boosted sky high! Oh Glory to God, my people!
That’s why on this summer’s morn, this Monday morning, we are able to get up and get ourselves together to go out and labour without a lot of fuss and complaining. We set the tone for the rest of the week by affirming our convictions with Almighty God on the first day. And that’s why I keep advising us, that our Sundays set the tone and tempo for our Mondays.
Now for those of us whose spirits are still burdened and heavy laden, let’s get our act together by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. As one earthly, but angelic sounding choir, let’s sing.
‘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!’
Oh Friends, that was wonderful, marvellous! And most importantly, Jesus was thrilled. You could tell by the dazzling smile on His face as lost in the music, He swayed and wielded – no, not wielded, because that carries a sense of a crude, rough and heavy manner – but rather, as He gently, lightly, but firmly caressed the air with His conductor’s baton. (smile)
Yes my people, I don’t know what happened, but we are definitely on the ball this morning. As we sang, we must obviously have done what our Bit says. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’
Oh, if we could only do that in all the other areas of our lives, what a truly wonderful world this would be! But unfortunately that’s not the case; the things of the world still hold too much sway over us; we’re way too materialistic and not sufficiently spiritually concerned. And per the Good Book, my brethren, that is not a very good or wise way to be.
Cousin Sol puts it this way in Proverbs. ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov.23:4)
And why is that? As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘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 strayed from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah Friends, what absolute truth! When our main ambition is to be rich, to be materially wealthy, we lose sight of our godly purpose and fall into all sorts of compromises and wrong doing, just to make money. In other words we make money our idol, our god.
And that’s obviously not right. At least not in the eyes of our Creator and heavenly Father, who has faithfully promised that if we seek His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to be successful in this world. (Matt.6:33) Unfortunately, too many of us don’t seem to believe Him and thus kill ourselves working for the almighty dollar.
Now here is an important explanation from the scholars. ‘6:10. The root of all evil means a root or source of all kinds of evil. The LOVE for money is not the only source from which evil comes. Coveted after means that some have “striven after” money as the goal of life.’
Yes my brethren, money, in and of itself is not bad, and we definitely need it to live, but when we make amassing it our be all and end all, begin coveting it, that is when we lose our way. Remember the last of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not covet. (Ex.20:17) And that means anything that belongs to someone else. Any time you covet anything, it’s a sin. So the moral of the story is to not let material wealth be your guiding light, but rather Jesus, the true light of the world.
Now let’s conclude with some more wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19)
Oh Friends, what powerful and wise words! The scholars explain them thus: ‘6:17-18. Paul charges wealthy believers (1) not to be proud and look down on those who are not rich, (2) to confide in God, rather than in unstable riches, (3) to be rich in good works by generously sharing their surplus of financial resources with the needy. To be ready to distribute is to be generous in sharing. To be willing to communicate is to be liberal in giving.’
Now please notice as the scholars remind us: ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’
More words of wisdom Friends, so please let’s ponder on it all and then come to some right conclusions re our attitude towards money, for that will certainly make or break us. Much LOVE!
…money is good and necessary…but LOVING it…allowing it to rule your life…is fraught with many serious pitfalls…
11 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ask and ye shall receive, at thy right hand, awesome Deity, backsliders, change the world, doubters, Elihu, eternal life, everything is possible, forgiveness, friends, glory, God is my salvation, God's unconditional LOVE, gospel truth, grace, guidance of the Holy spirit, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jesus Christ, Job, joy, knowing christ, living lives honouring God, Lucifer, magnanimous hand of God, Margaret Mead, mercy, miracles, our leader, our Lord and Saviour, pleasures for evermore, power of Jesus, Praise the Lord, radical difference, repent, riding shotgun, righteousness., salvation, shout with joy, sing unto the Lord, small-minded, steal our joy, surrender, thanksgiving for god's mercies, the good news of the gospel, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord Jehovah is my strength, the path of life, the wells of salvation, the wiles of the enemy, trust, unbelievers, walking with Christ, walking with Jesus, what the Lord has done for me, your joy may be full, your joy might be full, Zion
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Oh Friends, I’ve got such a joy deep down in my soul this Thursday morning in June that I just can’t contain it! Wow! That joy just makes me feel like shouting out to the world what God has done for me! And I surely hope that you’re feeling the same way too, for that’s the beauty and benefit of being a true believer!
Oh my people, I’m talking about His unconditional LOVE, His constantly available grace and never-ending mercy, then the beautiful essence of forgiveness… and don’t even talk about salvation and eternal life! Oh my my! And what shall we say to the biggest blessing of all eh; His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, our Leader, Lord and Saviour!
Mama Mia! What an awesome Deity we serve and worship my brethren! So how can we ever doubt or believe that the great God who created us, doesn’t LOVE and care for us eh? Steups!
What more has He got to do my brethren before we can comfortably and assuredly put our entire trust in him, to completely surrender our souls, minds and bodies to His superior guidance through the work and presence of His Holy Spirit?
I really don’t know what it will realistically take for the numerous unbelievers and backsliders to truly understand what this life is all about nuh, one controlled by the mighty but magnanimous hand of Almighty God.
Ah Friends, we’re such small-minded doubters and disbelievers that it isn’t funny. So much so that even if God did miracles in our lives every day, we’d still have doubts and refuse to believe. But here’s the good news Friends, we, a relatively small band of true believers are here to change the world, we’re going to make a radical difference.
And the best way to do that is by living lives honouring God, giving Him all the glory. And don’t think that we can’t do it because we’re too few, for if we listen to this quote by Margaret Mead (1901-1978) the famous American cultural anthropologist, we’ll see that it’s very possible.
‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
Gospel truth that, my people! Whatever serious changes that’s ever been wrought in our world have always been by a relatively small group of its population, and with the awesome power of Jesus riding shotgun with us… Oh my Friends, all and everything is possible!
And believe you me, that’s exactly what Jesus is calling us to do; to bring some radical changes to this wicked and godless world by spreading the good news of His gospel that’s overflowing with the most important elements of PEACE and LOVE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, GRACE, SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE!
And all God’s people joyfully shouted out: ‘All praise, honour and glory be to the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God of heaven and earth, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein!’
Now Friends, joy is something that’s always supposed to be in the spirit of the believer. As such, we therefore need to continually remember the words of our Bit: …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Yes my people, without God’s joy coursing through our spirits, we are weaklings. That’s why Lucifer is always trying to steal our joy, because then he knows he can get his evil claws into us without too much effort.
And if you listen to Jesus when He was talking to the disciples about the vine and the branches, you’d hear Him say to them. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) It’s obvious my people that we do need the joy found in Jesus to be able to live this earthly life fully and to be obedient to His will.
Then later on He said to the disciples: ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:24) Yes my brethren, the joy of God is ever so important in a believer’s life. Without it, we’re powerless to resist the wiles of the enemy.
All through the Bible there are passages which proclaim the importance of godly joy in our lives. Let’s check out a couple of them. Listen to Elihu as he reasons with Job, re God’s calling on men to repent.
‘He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him (delight in him): and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto (restore to) man his righteousness.’ (Job 33:26) Joy in the Lord is ever so important my brethren.
Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 16, where he’s seeking preservation and blessing. He ends it thus: ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps.16:11) And isn’t that absolute truth? It surely is! For once the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us, there will be joy in our souls.
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in his thanksgiving for God’s mercies, puts it this way. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout (with joy), thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is.12:1-6)
Yes Friends, that’s how a nation, a people behaves when the joy of the Lord is amongst them. And we’ll end with a few words from John, from his first epistle. ‘And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.’ (1 John 1:4)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:4. The major purpose of 1 John is stated in 5:13 (please look it up), but another purpose is stated here: for the recipients, and no doubt John as well, to enjoy and share in the deep sense of satisfaction and purpose that knowing Christ and walking with Him brings.’
Oh my fellow believers, that is indeed the gospel truth! And we’ll leave us this morning to each ponder our walk with Jesus, to see exactly how it is proceeding, and to strengthen it when and where necessary, with God’s help. Much LOVE!
…one can never fully appreciate the joy of walking with Jesus…until one really and truly walks with Jesus…
20 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decision, a dream, a gift, a proud look, a sound mind, a tad on the chilly side, abomination to God, absence of fear, absolute truth, alive and kicking, all is right in God's world, all my fears are gone, arrogance, assurance, be filled with courage, be fruitful and multiply, bear our burdens, bet your bottom dollar, beyond yourself, Bless His Holy Name, Bruh Paul, calm, chutzpah, common sense, communing with nature, courage, Courage is not the absence of fear, deliverance, disastrous state of our world, do god's work, do it afraid, encouraging words, entrance to the Lord's presence, evil world, fear mongering, fears, forgive their sin, friends, going going gone, Gramps Schuller, halfway point of the week, haughty eyes, he shall lift you up, heal their land, Hour of Power Devotional, humble yourselves, humility, in the sight of the Lord, Jerusalem, Judah, king of Egypt, let us rejoice and be glad in it, life, LOVE, my people which are called by my name, mysterious, no looking or turning back, peace, perverse mouth, power, Praise the Lord, pray, presence of a calling, pride, prosperity, Rehoboam, Scrip-Bit land, seek my face, servants, shall humble themselves, Shemaiah, spirit of courage, straight ahead to the finish line, Thank You Lord, the core of my invisible soul, the evil way, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is righteous, the presence of God, the spirit of fear, the sun is shining, them's the breaks, then will I hear from heaven, this is the day the Lord has made, tranquil, turmoil, turn from their wicked ways, turning away from God, what a relief, wisdom, wonderful Wednesday morning, working peace, wrath, ye have forsaken me, zenith
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Well a wonderful Wednesday morning to you readers out there in Scrip-Bit Land! It’s a tad on the chilly side today, as it was yesterday. Ah Lord eh! What is the weather coming to eh? We had a beautiful Victoria Day weekend, then yesterday it suddenly turned cold and windy.
As one Friend told me yesterday evening, ‘you were boasting in the Bit about sitting on your porch last night communing with nature. Let me see if you will do it tonight too.’ (smile)
And Friends, sad to say I didn’t. It was just too so and so cold. But them’s the breaks! And furthermore, the sun is shining, we are alive and kicking and all is right in God’s world! Bless His Holy Name. That’s why we can say, as the psalmist did eons ago: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
We might as well my brethren, because the only other alternative is to be sad and miserable, and God gave us the day to be fruitful and multiply, both in terms of children and in His work here on earth. Anyway, we’ve reached the halfway point of the workweek – rather quickly and easily I must say – (smile) so there’s no turning or looking back now, just straight ahead to the finish line.
And to help us do that, here’s something from Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, on the subject of courage, which we can never get enough of. He claims that courage isn’t a gift, but a decision. And ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the presence of a calling – a dream that pulls you beyond yourself. Hence it is something you can never lose. It is always something that you can choose. So, choose it today!’
And then, in a little poem, he declares: ‘I have it! My fears are going, going, gone! I feel a mysterious, calm, quiet, tranquil assurance rising deep within my being. This remarkable spirit of courage is overpowering me. It is the very presence of God working peace at the core of my invisible soul. Thank You Lord. All my fears are gone. What a relief! Amen.’
Yes my people, courage, like all other good things, comes from Almighty God! It is He who gives us the wherewithal to bear our burdens with chutzpah, and not give up to the fear the enemy tries to instill in us. So please, today, let’s be filled with courage, as we endeavour to do God’s work and be fruitful.
And we will need plenty of courage if we are to fulfill the words of our Bit, especially with the power of the unbeliever in today’s world, and his determined purpose to remove all aspects of God from our society. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
Ah mih breddren, what a most worthy promise! One that should allay all our fears. But even if we’re still fearful, we can do like Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘Do it afraid.’ We just can’t afford to let fear hold us back in these very difficult and trying times.
And we can punctuate that with these encouraging and uplifting words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) And that’s the absolute truth Friends, so please let’s not give into the fear mongering of this evil world, for the power that’s within us, the Holy Spirit, is greater than that which is in the world.
And all of God’s people gave out a loud shout of, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen.’
Now let’s turn to some scripture that pertains to the first of the four things in our Bit, that we need to do to turn back to God, so that He can heal us and our land. That’s ‘humble themselves.’
Oh Friends, one of the things our God thoroughly dislikes is pride. As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 8: ‘The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward (perverse) mouth do I hate.’ (Prov.8:13) And in Proverbs 1.17, he mentions ‘a proud look (haughty eyes)’ as one of the seven things that are an abomination to our God.
So Friends, it’s obvious that we can’t come before our heavenly father in pride and arrogance, for He will just ignore us, possibly just have us thrown out from His presence. (smile) Now hear how He rewards humility.
Way back when, in the days of the apostasy of Rehoboam, king of Judah, Shishak, the king of Egypt, came to fight against Jerusalem with a mighty army. And he captured several cities of Judah before he came to Jerusalem.
‘Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore I also left you in the hand of Shishak. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.
And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless, they shall be his servants; that they may know my service (distinguish my service from) the service of the kingdoms of the countries.’ (2 Chr.12:5-8)
Yuh see Friends, even though God provided them with some relief for their humility, they still had to pay a price for their earlier pride and arrogance. And I wonder why our world is in so much turmoil eh? Could it be partly because of our pride and arrogance and turning away from the ways of God?
You can bet your bottom dollar that our intransigence plays a big part in the disastrous state of our world my people!
And we shall close with one of the most notable scriptures on the subject. This from James: ‘Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:10)
Oh my people, my people, there is no better advice to be had than that! So please, let’s just grab it and run with it nuh, so that our world, our children, will stand a much better chance of life and prosperity than we now do. That’s wisdom and common sense at the zenith! Much LOVE!
…humility…it is the first…and most important requirement…for gaining entrance to the Lord’s presence…
29 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of confusion, a tree of life, action, all ye that hope in the Lord, ambassadors for Jesus, and he shall strengthen thine heart, be of good courage, bet the bank on that, bide our time, Bruh David, caused me to trust, comprehend, Cousin Sol, depresses, disappointed, dissipates tension, don't give in, don't give up, don't look back, elementary potential, encouragement, endurance, enthusiasm, ever-faithful, excellently, exhortation, finite minds, glory hallelujah, God is on the throne, God will never disappoint us, God-awesome truth, he that took me out of the womb, hope, hope deferred makes the heart sick, hope is the anchor of our souls, hope thou in God, humour, I shall yet praise him, I trust you, Jesus is the same yesterday today and for ever, keep keeping on, keep pressing on, laughter is the best free remedy, mine hope hath he removed like a tree, move from strength to strength in Jesus, my god, no hope in our souls, no reason for living, omnipotent, on an April morning, One Year Book of Bible promises, opportunity, patience, patiently, perseverance, Praise the Lord, promise, Proverbs, purpose, revitalizes, Ruth Harms Calkin, security, sense of safety, serve God, the health of my countenance, the universe is unfolding as it ought to, thou didst make me hope, Trust me, truth, turmoil, unchangeable position, Wednesday, when I was upon my mother's breast, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me, wisdom
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
Well Friends, it’s a wonderful Wednesday! We’re alive, the sun’s shining brightly, it’s fairly warm, God is still on His throne, and the universe is unfolding as it ought! Glory Hallelujah!
It also means that we’re now halfway through our work week, so please don’t give in or give up, don’t look back, just keep pressing patiently and excellently forward in Jesus’ name!
And all God’s people gave a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord!’
And I couldn’t resist sharing this poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it seemed so appropriate. It’s titled, ‘ I TRUST YOU.’
And it says: ‘Lord, it was on an April morning So many years ago That You said to me so clearly “Trust Me and you won’t be disappointed.” Having heard You on that special morning I simple cannot “unhear” you now.
I can’t forget that morning Nor do I think You want me to. Because You live in an eternal Now Your words are just as relevant today As they were that long-ago morning. I trust You. You will not disappoint me!’
And that’s the God-awesome truth my people! Once we have paid attention to, accepted God’s call on our lives, He will NEVER, NEVER disappoint us! You can bet the bank on that!
Why? Because our God is omnipotent and ever-faithful, and as the Bible Promise used for that poem says: ‘Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13:8) More God-awesome truth Friends!
And that unchangeable position provides us with a strong, uncompromising sense of safety and security. So we’re not surprised or confounded when Bruh David solemnly declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Ah mih people, the Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He breathed His wonderful breath of live into our little bodies. And that word ‘HOPE’ is such a marvellous and magnificent word that with our finite minds, we can never really begin to comprehend its awesome meaning. But I’ve tried to break it down to it’s elementary potential.
‘H’ stands for Humour. Humour dissipates tension, cools situations like nothing else. And laughter is the best free remedy and medicine in the world! ‘O’ stands for Opportunity. We need to be always on the lookout for opportunities to serve God, for they crop up when we least expect them to.
‘P’ stands for Patience and Perseverance. We need to bide our time quietly, but still keep keeping on with the perseverance Christ expects of us. And ‘E’ stands for Enthusiasm, Endurance, Encouragement, Exhortation and all the other good stuff that lifts our spirits!
And that’s my take on the word ‘HOPE.’ Hope it makes sense. (smile)
Now let’s look at some scriptures that deal with ‘HOPE’ in all its different circumstances. And we’re going to begin with a statement from Job, who after enduring the cruel remarks and judgements of his supposed friends, says of God: ‘He hath destroyed me (breaks me down) on every side, and I am gone: and mine HOPE hath he removed (uprooted) like a tree.’ (Job 19:10)
Oh Friends, it’s such a sad and desolate time when our HOPE dies! We need to avoid that happening like the plague. For if there’s no HOPE in our souls, then there’s no reason really for living. For as Cousin Sol so wisely tells us in Proverbs. ‘HOPE deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12)
What a powerful statement my people! And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. HOPE deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
What a powerful truth, for when we lose HOPE our lives just seem to fall apart. But when we recapture that strong emotion, oh mih breddren, our lives are just flooded with purpose and promise, and we move on from strength to strength in Jesus.
Now listen to the Sons of Korah on the subject from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘Why art thou cast down , O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? HOPE thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (help, salvation), and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
Yes Friends, that is wisdom personified! Being merely frail and fickle humans, our HOPES and fears and dreams are always in a state of confusion, a state of turmoil, that’s why it’s ever so necessary and important to hold on to the HOPE we find in Almighty God.
As we saw yesterday, the Good Book tells that ‘HOPE is the anchor of our soul.’ (Heb.9:19) What a promise, what an anchor my brethren! We couldn’t want for a better anchor than that which is secured in heaven!
And we shall end with a most encouraging and appropriate verse on the subject from Psalm 31. Bruh David wisely advises us: ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:24)
That my Friends is heavenly wisdom at its peak! So please let’s go out and put it into action in our lives today, so that we can be worthwhile ambassadors for Jesus. That’s all He really desires of us. Much LOVE!
…without HOPE…a man’s life is technically over…
26 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a career opportunity, a medical situation, a stronger marriage, belief, blessing, breath of life, caused me to trust, children to come back to the Lord, Christ's body, confidence in God, confident expectation of good, desires, faith in God, faith is the substance of things hoped for, fellowship, financial breakthrough, first day of the week, followers of Jesus, fountainhead, friends, fullness of joy, future glory, glorify the Father, gospel truth, harmony, he that took me out of the womb, hope, hope is lost, hypocrite, I have set the Lord always before me, I shall not be moved, Jesus, Job, Joyce Meyer, king of the hill, lifeline of hope, living hope, longings, LOVE, master of our destiny, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, my salvation, pick sense from nonsense, praise and worship, Praise the Lord, preservation, rest, Sister Joyce, something good is going to happen, Sunday, swifter than a weaver's shuttle, the author and finisher of our faith, the bedrock, the believer's motto, the evidence of things not seen, the instincts of God, the Lord is at my right hand, the Lord's sanctuary, the path of life, thou didst make me hope, Though he slay me, tidal wave of words, tribulation, trust in God, unity, when I was upon my mother's breast, yet will I trust him
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
Oh Friends, it’s that big first day of the week, Sunday! It’s the day on which many Christians choose to rest and also go to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him with other believers. Now that’s absolutely necessary to keep harmony and unity and fellowship amongst Christ’s body of people here on earth. So please try and get in those two important aspects of our faith today, because we’ll surely need them come tomorrow.
Anyway my people, unlike yesterday, the ole fella has a lot to say today. Just hope that I can put it all together so that it makes sense. (smile) And the tidal wave of words was born from some literature I recently received from Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer).
She started it off by asking these questions. ‘Are you in need of financial breakthrough? Do you wish your marriage was stronger? Are you praying about a medical situation? Have you been waiting for a career opportunity? Do you long for your children to come back to the Lord?’ And I guess all of us will probably say yes to most of them, though to varying degrees.
But the point she wanted to make was that whatever our problems, our longings, our desires, there is HOPE, there is always HOPE when we surrender our lives to God, and make Him the true master of our destiny. And all of that just led me to want to put together a series of messages on that great emotion termed HOPE.
Now what is this HOPE we’re talking about eh? In her message Joyce defines it thus: ‘HOPE is the happy and confident expectation of good. It comes from a confidence that God is in control of your situation, no matter how things appear. HOPE is the belief that something good is about to happen at any moment!’
And that my people is the gospel truth! For if we are followers of Jesus, to whom nothing is impossible, then we ought always to feel positive about our situations, regardless of the circumstances surrounding them. Yes Friends, while there is the breath of life in our bodies, the lifeline of HOPE is always present too.
Now HOPE is where it all begins; it is the fountainhead of all our dreams and desires. Without HOPE, we can’t even have faith. For as the Good Book says: ‘Now faith is the substance (the realization) of things HOPED for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) That means HOPE is indeed the basis for faith, the bedrock on which faith is built.
Unfortunately though my brethren, a lot of us don’t hold out much HOPE of anything in this life, and that’s wrong. In the Book of Job we find several instances where Job’s hope is lost. Listen to him as he remonstrates with God: ‘My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without HOPE. (Job 7:6)
Meanwhile in Chapter 17, when Job appeals to God, he mournfully declares: ‘And where now is my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit (hell), when our rest together is in the dust.’ (Job 17:15-16)
Ah Friends, we all know the sad fate Job suffered; from being king of the hill, to being the beggar at the bottom, all in one fell swoop. But please note, that though Job’s HOPE was at very low ebb, his faith had not withered at all, as he solemnly tells his friends who were tearing him apart.
‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways (defend my ways) before him. He shall also be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)
Oh Friends what powerful words of trust in God, from a man who had just lost everything! How many of us could have undergone such tribulation and still claim such strong faith in God eh?
Not too many, but that is the expectation of being a believer; though the walls are falling around us, we must still believe, still have hope, trust and faith in our omnipotent and ever-LOVING God, knowing deep down that He will never leave nor forsake us as He has so faithfully promised.
That’s not an easy row to hoe my people, but with our Saviour’s help we can do it. On the other hand, Bruh David was so sure of God’s deliverance that he declares in our Bit: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me HOPE (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Yes my people, from the time we exit our mother’s womb and begin nursing at her breasts, HOPE is being instilled in us. How do we know that there is food and nourishment in those breasts eh, when we’re just a little bundle of joy? It’s the instincts of God, that have us so feverishly clamouring for succour, and knowing where to find it, at such a tender age.
So Friends, with all that good stuff to ponder on, let’s end this message on an upbeat tempo. Listen to these uplifting and encouraging words from Bruh David, as he seeks preservation and blessing from the God of his fathers. ‘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.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore.’ (Ps.16:8-11)
Yes my brethren, we have that great confidence in those words because Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, has already travelled down that path, paved it, and made it safe for us.
And all God’s people declared a most grateful ‘Praise the Lord! For He is indeed the living HOPE of our future glory!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s go out and put it all into action nuh, so that we can truly glorify our heavenly Father and make Jesus proud of us. Much LOVE!
…to HOPE…and yet to HOPE…never losing HOPE…while we are yet alive…that’s the believer’s motto…
P.S. Oh Friends, I do HOPE that it all makes sense. But then I know that you all have the godly ability to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
22 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future, agenda, all is well, basic tenet of our faith, bestows on us, bleary eyes, blessings, Bruh Paul, called to do his bidding, caring, Christ-like, corrupt, cruel, cruelty, empathy, empowering strength, empowers, endures forever, enlightened times, ever-changing circumstances, evil, evil powers of darkness, faith-feeding scriptures, faithful promise, fellow believers, forgiveness, forgiving, from head to foot, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God is on His heavenly throne, God works everything out for our good, God's comforting presence watches over us, God's power protects us, God's unconditional love enfolds us, good news of Jesus' gospel, good plan, gospel truth, gracious, grees, gruesome crime, his goodness to the children of men, hungry, I AM, I can do all things through Christ, I have learned, in full control of all activities, in regard of need, in respect of want, integrity, Jesus Christ, joy, judge others, kindness, lead me astray, LOVE, mercies, merciful, moral character, motherly type, motives, of good over evil, on the other side of the coin, outward appearances, perpetrated by a woman, perplexing, practical experience, Praise the Lord, prosperity, rectify the situation, refined ways, sadistic, selfishness, Spirit-induced, spiritual superman, standards, suffer need, the joy of following Jesus, the light of Jesus surrounds us, the long and short of the story, the Lord sees into our hearts, the universe is unfolding as it should, there's no need to worry, to be abased, to be content, to be full, to sleep in, toabound, ungodliness, uphill battle, what a marvellous God we serve and worship, whatever he wills, which strengtheneth me, wicked stuff, win the battle
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Oh Friends, I really don’t know what to say this cold, wet and windy Wednesday morning nuh. I was most surprised when I opened my bleary eyes and saw that it was after eight o’clock. But I guess the Lord saw that the body needed more rest than I was prepared to give it and He allowed me to sleep in. Hn!
But then when I did get up, the ole body was aching all over, from head to foot, which also shows that too much rest is not good for it. (smile)
But the long and short of the story Friends is that I’m up and about, though not kicking as strongly as I would like – yet. However, I do know that our wonderful God is on His heavenly throne in full control of all activities in His beautiful universe.
The brilliant light from His awesome Son Jesus surrounds us. His never ending and unconditional LOVE enfolds us. His unimaginable power protects us, while His faithful and comforting presence continually watches over us. And that means that ALL is well my people!
So there is no need to worry, because the gracious and merciful and forgiving I AM, has everything under control, the universe is proceeding and unfolding as it should. What a marvellous God we serve and worship my brethren! Never let anybody tell you differently nuh!
On the other side of the coin though, this morning I read where a farmer, a middle aged woman in Oregon, U.S.A was found guilty of murdering two men over a period of a year and feeding their remains to her pigs. How gruesome a crime – especially to be perpetrated by a woman!
We certainly don’t expect that sort of crime to be committed by women. And the sad part is that her picture shows her like a caring, motherly type. It just goes to show that we truly can’t judge others by their outward appearances, and unfortunately only the Lord has the power to see into our hearts and discern our real motives and agenda.
That means we have to be very careful of whom we allow in to our lives and associate with. What a sad time we’re living in my brethren. How ironic that at the most enlightened and advanced time in man’s history, that we’re possibly the most corrupt, cruel and sadistic, though in more refined ways.
We’re certainly not using the advances and enlightenment for good purposes like we should, but rather for evil and wicked stuff. Things like moral character, integrity and high standards are disappearing from our world, only to be replaced by stuff like greed, selfishness, heinous cruelty and ungodliness.
However my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, the good news is that we’re here to try and rectify the terrible situation that now exists in our world. And though it looks like a long, uphill battle, with our kindness, caring, empathy and the good news of Jesus’ gospel, we can prevail over the evil powers of darkness and win the battle of good over evil.
Glory Hallelujah! And we are assured of this in the wonderful words of encouragement that flow from Bruh Paul through our Bit. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
And all God’s people shouted a loud and delirious; ‘Glory to God who empowers us to do whatever He wills!’
Yes my fellow believers that’s gospel truth and a basic tenet of our faith, which we must clearly and dearly believe and then act upon it with faith. But before we go any further, let’s hear the scholars’ important explanation on that verse.
‘4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman. The reason he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability.
Rather he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances. God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
Oh my people, my people, those words also resonate with heavenly truth in our modern day situations. God allows us to be in different kinds of situations, then gives us the wherewithal to endure them and come out more Christ-like on the other side.
Thus we can, or ought to be able to say like Bruh Paul does before our Bit. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
I know both how to be abased (live humbly), and I know how to abound (live in prosperity): every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.’ (Phil.4:11-12)
Oh Friends, all of that also pertains to us today! But please note one thing, that process of being content in any situation does not come easily, neither from book learning or overnight, but from hard practical experience. It has to be learned, as Bruh Paul says: ‘I have learned.’
So too we must learn from all the experiences that God allows us to go through, remembering that with His empowering strength, we can do whatever He calls us to do, and also that He has a good plan and a future for our lives, as well as He works everything out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called to do His bidding.
Oh Friends, I had to chuckle at that last Spirit-induced sentence, as it contains three basic but ever-faithful tenets of our faith and the everlasting LOVING-kindness of our God. I’m not going to elaborate on them, because they are three faith-feeding scriptures that we all should know.
So let’s ponder them this fateful day, as we give thanks for the breath of life that God has allowed in us, and all the other mercies, blessings and forgiveness that He daily bestows on us, many of which we are totally undeserving of.
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! For his goodness to the children of men endures for ever!’
And that’s gospel truth Friends! So with all that stuff in mind, let’s go out and show the world the real joy of being a follower of Jesus, so that they too can want, can greatly desire to follow in His footsteps. Much LOVE!
…where He leads me…I will follow, follow…for He will never lead me astray…that’s His faithful promise…
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