13 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Jesus, a miracle is happening, a wasted life, be fed, be thou envious, bring it to pass, Christians, come into my life, commit thy ways to the Lord, common sense, cut down like the grass, David, delight thyself in the Lord, divine destiny, do good, dr robert h schuller, dwell in the land, encouraging scripture, evil doers, faithful children, fret not thyself, frined of jesus, glory, glory to God, God controls everything, God's ways are higher than ours, great god, have faith, hectic riddim, I want to improve, iniquity, insignificant, Israel's greatest king, lost passion for God, LOVE, loving-kindness, miracles, obedient, obey, our heavenly Father, passion, praise, problems, serve, Something Beautiful, something good is happening, strong belief, thankful, thanks, the beloved of God, the desires of thine heart, the Good Book, the Holy Spirit, the storms of life, the true state of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, trust, trust in the Lord, Tuesday Mantra, unified voice, wisdom, wither as the green herb, worship, zest for life
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Well friends, yesterday I finally had to turn on my a/c for the first time this year. It was the first of many truly hot days I believe we’ll have this summer. But what amazes me is that though it was hot, the wind was also blowing at a brisk pace, the poor trees were dancing all day to its hectic riddim.
But then this morning, around 3.a.m, I was outside on my porch, and though it was somewhat cooler than during the day, there was not a breeze to be had.
I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but in the last year or so, I’ve noticed that regardless of the season or time of day, in my area, the winds have been much stronger and more persistent than before.
Who knows what our great God is doing eh? He controls everything, and His ways are so much higher than ours, that even if He explained it to us, we would not be able to comprehend it. So we just have to have faith, and trust and obey.
And to help us do that, here is a li’l something from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional titled ‘I want to Improve.’
Please pray with me. ‘O God, how thankful I am that you have come into my life through the Holy Spirit. I’m willing to say: “I’m not perfect, Lord! I want to improve. Show me where I can.” So, Father, I sense that a miracle is happening in my life right now. You are doing something beautiful in my heart this very moment. I thank and praise you! Amen.’
Yeh friends, if we sincerely and faithfully prayed that prayer, then I’m sure something good is happening in our hearts right now.Wow! What a great God we serve and worship!
Now it might not be a huge miracle, or manifest itself right away, but I’m sure that sometime down the line you’ll suddenly realize what’s changed, what’s improved, and then you’ll want to give even more praise, thanks and glory to our heavenly Father for His extraordinary LOVING-kindness to His undeserving but oh so faithful children! Glory to God my brethren!
One of the problems we Christians suffer these days is that we’ve lost our passion for God, lost our zest for life, lost our faith in miracles. Chuh!
Even worse, we expect miracles to be always big and uproarious! But the truth is that the Lord doesn’t do that many big and uproarious miracles, but He does plenty small and seemingly insignificant ones, which we either don’t notice at all or simply ignore.
Ah friends, please remember that once we truly surrender our lives to Christ, He works continuously in them, and not everything is big and monumental.
So please, let’s start regaining our passion for Christ nuh, which brings with an increased zest for life in general, and let’s also begin looking for and appreciating the small but still important ways He works in our lives. We are missing out on a whole lot of wonderful stuff by only looking for big, eye-catching things. End of sermon! (smile)
Now don’t blame me, if we don’t have much space and time for our Bit, because that’s where the Lord led me. And being obedient, I had no choice. (smile)
And is it ever an encouraging and reassuring Bit. ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Yes friends, that’s the amazing opening advice from Bruh David from that amazing Psalm 37- The true state of the wicked.
And Bruh David certainly knew what he was talking about because he stuck with the Lord through thick and thin, and likewise, the Lord stuck with him. His life wasn’t easy, a lot of it because of his mistakes, but he never lost his passion for the Lord God of his fathers.
Now, as I’ve said above, lost passion for God is one of our major problems today, that’s why we’re so tossed and upset by the storms of life, by how the wicked seem to be increasing and the righteous decreasing.
Bruh David ran from his enemies, Saul and his son Absalom for many years, but the Lord always kept him safe and secure, then finally brought him to his divine destiny; the greatest king that Israel ever knew. That’s why he could confidently open the psalm with our Bit, and then continue with that same confidence.
‘For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 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 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.’ (Ps.37:2-5)
Oh friends, there’s no more encouraging scripture than those few words in the Good Book, and that from a man who truly lived them and thus knew exactly what he was talking about.
Today I implore us to take his words to heart and put them into practice, so that we too can be led to our divine destiny. Common sense and wisdom dictate it!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra with the passion and strong belief that it ought to engender in us. In one, strong and unified voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the best way to show that passion is to go out now and share the LOVE of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…a life lived without passion…is a wasted life…especially if you’re a follower of Jesus…
P.S. Yes, it’s late, but it’s very worthwhile. (smile)
26 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a safe haven, alivie and kicking, all things work together for good, as easy as pumpkin pie, begging bread, defeat you, deliverance, depart from evil, diligently, do good, established by the Lord, faith, faithful promises, fear, God wants to do through us, halfway home, hate evil, he delivers them, he preserves the souls of his saints, in God's hands, judgement, jump and sing, justice, mercifl, my conviction, My personal rainbow, Noah, obedient to God's will, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, one more blessed day, praise and thanks, predict the future, problems, righteous, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, stands firm, stay in faith, storm, stormy times, the breath of life, the darkest moments, the hand of the wicked, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the righteous forsaken, the steps of a good man, to them that love God, waves of agony, Wednesday Wail, who are called according to His purpose, with excellence, ye that love the Lord, You are my God
Psalm 97:10. Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Oh mih people, it’s Wednesday! So jump and sing and shout! Shout praise and thanks to Almighty God for giving us one more blessed day on His great planet earth! Wow! We’re alive and kicking for another big day! Isn’t our God wonderful? He surely is!
But don’t forget that we’ve been allowed to see today not only to enjoy it, but also to do whatever work or plan our heavenly Father has in mind for us, for there’s ALWAYS something our God wants to do through us.
So let’s find out today’s task, then do it diligently, and also with excellence, because that’s the hallmark of a true follower of Christ; diligent excellence! (smile)
Now here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it’s titled ‘My Personal Rainbow.’
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, right now I struggle with clutching fear. Waves of agony pour over me As I face the darkest moments In my life’s history. But my conviction still stands firm: You are my God!
And though I cannot predict my future Or even tomorrow I am sustained by the reminder That the longest storm the world has ever known… And the worst… Came to an end one clear-sky morning. It was true for Noah It will be true for me. Though as yet I see no deliverance I watch I wait I expect My personal rainbow.’
Yeh friends, each of us will have our own personal rainbow if we continue to have such strong and far-reaching faith!
I know that many of us are going through some very stormy times right now, but the answer to it all is to just put those problems in God’s hands, allow Him to be your pilot through the storm, and you will be guaranteed a safe haven eventually.
Now it won’t necessarily be easy, but with God as your pilot, NO ONE, or NOTHING can defeat you! We just have to stay in faith, standing strong and walking tall for Jesus! Remember all the other times that God has bailed us out of trouble and sincerely declare that if He could do it then, He can also do it now!
And very appropriately, the Bible promise for that poem is one we know and dearly LOVE, Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Roman church: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose. (Rom.8:28) Glory to God!
And if we believe that, then there should be no cause for worry. For concern, yes, but not worry, for everything is in the mighty hand of our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God! Glory Hallelujah! Give Him the praise and thanks that He so assuredly deserves my people!
Now let’s turn to our wonderful Bit for the last time; a Bit that also lifts us up and warms the cockles of our hearts because of our God’s great promises contained therein. ‘Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ And that’s the immortal truth my brethren!
And we’ll finish this series of messages with some corroborating scripture on the last part of our Bit: ‘he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.’ Listen to Bruh David tell it like it is from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked.
‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
He is ever merciful (merciful all the day), and lendedth: and his seed (descendants) are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord LOVETH judgement (justice), and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.’ (Ps.37:23-28)
Ah friends, what powerful and faithful promises from our great God! And remember that Bruh David wasn’t talking from hearsay nuh, but from personal experience, which means that all he’s saying is also possible in our lives if we are obedient to God’s will.
And to add more wood to the already blazing fire, (smile) hear how he ends the psalm. ‘But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:38-40)
Yes mih breddren, more words of indisputable, gospel and immortal truth! And if you believe it, then please declare with me our Wednesday Wail which celebrates it all.
‘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!’
Now let’s keep our hands fixed on that plough, while looking straight ahead to that glorious future with Jesus! Much LOVE!
…faithfully LOVING and trusting God…should be as easy as pumpkin pie…given all His faithful promises…
08 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a choice, a noble life, adhere to God's law, adversity, an adventurous life, Anselm's quotes, attitudes, blessed individuals, complaining, cringing, desired heaven, distresses, do business, dwarfs the problem, essential nature of our lives, flipping channels on the remote, for his goodness, go down to the sea, gospel truth, habit, happy, He maketh the storm to calm, hidden opportunity, inebriated, into the sauce, Jesus as our captain, Lake Ontario, loving kindness, massive waves, men would praise the Lord, miserable, mount up to heaven, mutiny, opportunities for us to grow, our christian walk, pain, personal testimony, prayer, problems, remain calm in any storm, Rochester, run errands, Saturday, shivering of the timbers, sipping something cold and frosty, situations, sleeping in, snoozing on the couch, standing strong, tailor-make, the Edmund Fitzgerald, the grace of God, the stormy wind, the waves thereof are still, the works of the Lord, to the depths
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm to calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Well friends, it’s Saturday and there’s work to be done around the house, errands to run and shut in people to visit. Wow! For some of us it doesn’t seem like a day off at all, and we’re tempted to go to our place of employment, where we don’t work half as hard. (smile)
But for some blessed individuals, it’s a much easier go; just sleeping in late, snoozing on the couch, idly flipping the channels on the remote, watching golf and baseball, hockey and basketball, while sipping something cold and frothy and drowsily but sincerely saying, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Yes mih people, some do have it easier than others. But since it’s Saturday, we also have to check out some of our friend Anselm’s quotes for this week. And he does have some excellent ones this week.
Listen to this first one. ‘Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren! Problems are in fact opportunities for us to grow. Note that it’s only when we face adversity that we mature, especially in our Christian walk.
And this next quote follows on naturally. ‘We can’t escape pain; we can’t escape the essential nature of our lives. But we do have a choice. We can give in and relent, or we can fight, persevere, and create a life worth living, a noble life. Pain is a fact; our evaluation of it is a choice.’ There again friends, we can’t escape pain or problems, but we can choose how to handle them; either by cringing and complaining, or by standing strong and using the adversity to our benefit.
And this one also segues nicely to the one before. ‘You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.’ It’s all about attitudes my people; our attitudes to our problems can either make or break us. And this last quote just wraps it up nicely. ‘Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours.’
Oh is that ever so true my fellow believers! The choice is all ours. That means if we want to have a fairly happy and peaceful life we must choose attitudes that relate to happiness and peace. Remember with Jesus as our captain, we can remain calm in any storm.
Now listen to the psalmist as he tells his story. ‘They that go down to the sea in ships; that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm to calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then they are glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ (Ps.107:23-30)
Ah friends that reminds me of a personal testimony to that situation. One day, some thirty something years ago, I ended up on a boat with some friends and coworkers who were headed for Rochester on the American side of Lake Ontario. To cut a long story short, going across the day was sunny and beautiful and we finally got to the American side, but up to now we haven’t reached Rochester. (smile)
Through the obvious presence of the brown girl in the bottle and several strong imbibers, arguments broke out about continuing down the American coast to Rochester or returning to Toronto. The captain and owner of the boat eventually decided to come back to Toronto. This was about four o’clock in the afternoon.
But lo and behold, on our way back a serious storm rose up against us and we could barely make any headway against it. And yuh better believe that prayer, for the first time in many a day, was forthcoming from several of the inebriated imbibers. It’s a good thing I wasn’t into the sauce that day, so I was able to help the skipper, while the others were rolling around, hanging on, giving drunken orders and praying.
Now that day I learned a couple of lessons. The first one is that Lake Ontario can be very dangerous. I would be passing along the shore and see it kicking up and steups at it, saying it was nothing like the ocean I was accustomed to, and wondering how big ships like the Edmund Fitzgerald could sink and get lost in it.
But friends, that night I learned otherwise. For when the boat, I guess it was around fifteen feet long, mounted up the massive waves, I saw the good Lord in his heaven. (smile) And when it hit back down to the depths, between those waves, I felt the shivering of timbers! And that was the second lesson I learned; the actual feeling of shivering timbers. Before that night I had only read it from books.
And believe me there was even mutiny amongst the group. For when we finally reached land on the Ontario side, somewhere around Cobourg, still many miles from our starting point, we had to stop for gas. At that point, some of the more inebriated ones wanted to use their money to take a taxi home, instead of chip in for the gas.
But eventually cooler heads prevailed and we all came back together, arriving at our starting point around three o’clock in the morning, having left their around ten a.m. the previous day. And believe me, that was only a synopsis of the whole story. Like my family didn’t know where I was, hadn’t seen or heard from me for at least 20 hours, and the captain’s wife had the coast guard out looking for us.
Can’t say I haven’t led an adventurous life – but with the grace of God always surrounding me! That’s why I can totally agree with the psalmist when he declares: ‘Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), to the children of men!’ (Ps.107:31) Much LOVE my brethren!
…without God…where would men be eh…so let’s give Him lots of thanks and praise nuh…and faithfully adhere to His law…
28 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a loving god, Abraham Maslow, alive, appreciate, beautiful, beloved of God, confrontation with death, corruption, dead, enliven, finite life, first fruits, found, friend of Jesus, gladness, grace, here today gone tomorrow, Hierarchy of Needs Theory, human perversity, I shall not be moved, Jesus Christ, lost, LOVE, make merry, motivated, my heart is glad, nautral understanding, our Lord and Saviour, overwhelming, persistence, precious, precious gift, problems, rejoicing, sacred, share His love, show appreciation, sincerity of heart, spirit, the fatted calf, the Holy One, this is the day the Lord has made, vapour, walking faithfully with Jesus, we will be glad and rejoice in it
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Aye mih people, it seems we’ve been granted life on God’s great earth, for at least one more day so we can enjoy the new blessings and mercies prepared especially for this day!
What a privilege! Glory to God! Bless His holy name! He’s so wonderful to us that we don’t have words of sufficient strength and gratitude to truly thank Him. The words, ‘Thank You Lord,’ seem so measly and insufficient, but He will accept them if they come sincerely from our hearts.
And today we’ll share a quote from one Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), an American psychologist famous for his ‘Hierarchy of Needs Theory,’ where people are motivated to achieve certain needs. When one need is fulfilled, they proceed to fulfill the next. And
Abraham’s quote says: ‘The confrontation with death… makes everything look so precious, so sacred so beautiful, that I feel more strongly than ever the impulse to live it, and to let myself be overwhelmed by it.’
Ah friends, that’s so true, it’s not funny. Most of us who have had a brush with possible death, seem to come to appreciate this finite life more than those who have not.
As my One Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness writes: ‘Problems which once seemed overwhelming, diminish in size. The trees are greener; the sky is bluer. People are kinder and more sharing than before.’
The stuff we’ve previously taken for granted, now becomes so much more important as we endeavour to enjoy as much as possible, this precious gift called ‘LIFE,’ which can disappear so quickly and unexpectedly, like a vapour of smoke or breath that’s simply consumed by the atmosphere.
As we say: ‘here today, gone tomorrow.’ But it can also be ‘here today, gone today!’ That’s how quickly our breath of life can expire, and why we need to enjoy today as much as possible under God’s canopy of LOVE, compassion, understanding and mercy.
That’s why our Bit is also so important in our everyday lives. ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’
Oh friends, it’s ever so important to enjoy each day of our lives. It’s not always possible to laugh and shout and jump for joy, but we can certainly appreciate the things and people around us who make our lives better by their presence, whether physically, spiritually or emotionally.
Life is too short for us to waste it in complaining and moaning and groaning and finding fault. It’s not going to ever run smoothly for long, but even in the rough times we need to find things and people who enliven us and bring gladness to our hearts.
And we all know the Number ONE person in that regard is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! For even when no mortal or inanimate object can bring gladness to out hearts, Jesus can. And He will, if we turn to him with sincerity of heart and spirit.
Now let’s look at a few scriptures which encourage gladness and rejoicing. Hear Moses as he tells the people what to do after bringing their first fruits to the Lord. ‘And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.’ (Deut.26:11)
Yeh friends, rejoicing is necessary to show appreciation for the good things the Lord has both granted us and done for us. Now listen to Bruh David as he seeks preservation and blessing from Psalm 16.
‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; 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)
Ah my fellow believers, walking faithfully with the Most High God Jehovah brings joy and gladness that we can find nowhere else in this universe!
And what better way to end than with words of Jesus Himself from the parable of ‘the Prodigal Son.’ When the elder son complains about the joyful welcome home of his licentious younger brother, and the killing of the fatted calf, while he’s been ever-faithful, and never had even a young goat to share with his friends, the father affectionately replies.
‘Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet (right) that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.’ (Luke 15:31-32)
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation. ‘15:32. The whole story is a moving portrayal of a LOVING God’s persistence in seeking out the lost – and of human perversity in resisting such grace, which exceeds our natural understanding.’
Oh friends, let’s not be foolish and ignorant, but rejoice and be glad whenever a sinner comes home. Now let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm, sincerity and assurance that it brings to our spirits.
‘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!’
Now let’s go out in God’s strength and power and share Jesus’ LOVE with the rest of the world. Much LOVE!
…to live faithfully for Jesus…that is incomparable…heavenly wisdom…
P.S. Ah Lord eh! The enemy always tries to interrupt God’s work. Just as I was about to send out the Bit, there was a complete blackout for a couple of seconds, and I had to wait for the computer to reboot and all that good stuff. Much LOVE!
23 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good man, a righteous man, abhor sin, angry, battle the enemy, Beelzebub, believers, brotherly, Christ died for us, Christians, clear consciences, complacent, corrupt, crime riddled, cutthroat, discouraging things, egotistic, enamoured, encourage, erotic, eternal life, evil world, expectant faith, faithful, false emotion, fighting, fighting the good fight, for God so loved the world, friendship, galvanize, gladness, God's Word, Hades, haranguing, hate-filled, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, heaven, horrendous death, hungry hope, in due time, ingrates, just, justification, justified by hs blood, kindness, LOVE, loyalty, mano a mano, messenger, negative connotations, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, perish, plausible solution, positive things, power in the Word, problems, reality, resentful, reverential fear, revolutionary, righteous, Romans, sacrifice, salvation, saved, selfish, serious action, shallow, sin, stand up strong, substitutionary, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the bondage of sin, the drop of a hat, the heathen, the Holy Trinity, the LOVE of Jesus christ, the most lethal weapon, the things of God, the things of the world, the ungodly, the wisest thing, Thursday Blessings, trust, ungrateful sinners, warmongering, warnings, withouth strength, wrath, yet sinners
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Well a bright and blessed Thursday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends, family and neighbours!
And I do hope that the day finds you filled with ‘expectant faith and hungry hope’ in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that is the wisest thing any of us can do in this crazy and evil world.
Every day we hear and see more discouraging things and events in our hate-filled, angry, resentful, corrupt and crime riddled societies. Steups! Almost everything these days has negative connotations!
Whatever happened to the positive things like LOVE, friendship, kindness, loyalty and trust eh? We spout a whole lot about LOVE, but it’s not the real thing, just a selfish, egotistic, shallow and oftimes false emotion.
And the supposed LOVE that exits today can change at the drop of a hat, if the person who claims to be expressing it doesn’t get their way, whether it be the erotic or brotherly kind. And the sad part of that situation is that it’s getting worse and not better.
What’s it going to take to change it eh friends, so that our children’s children don’t have to live in this warmongering, cutthroat society?
Only one thing; the LOVE of Jesus Christ as exhibited by us Christians!
If we don’t stand up strong and faithful and battle the enemy with the most lethal weapon in the universe – LOVE- then we’ll be wasting the tremendous sacrifice that our heavenly father and His sinless Son made on our behalf.
Yuh think the Lord really wanted to send His Son to die for a bunch of ungrateful sinners? Or that Jesus wanted to give up His life by going through such a horrendous death?
No way Jose! But they LOVED us so much and that was the only plausible solution, if the Father was to remain righteous and just and abhor sin!
Just listen to our Bit nuh: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Now that might not strike the heathen as being revolutionary, but it ought to strike reverential fear and gladness into EVERY ONE who claims to be a Christian, right down in their very hearts and souls!
Why? Because that’s the only reason we have the option to bypass Hades and Beelzebub and look forward to salvation, heaven and eternal life with the Holy Trinity!
Now how could that not move us eh, if we are true believers? That ought to galvanize us into serious action; into standing strong and fighting mano-a- mano against the enemies of LOVE!
But sadly, too many of us so-called believers have become complacent and enamoured of the things of the world, to the detriment of the things of God.
Ah friends, I’m just the messenger, and all I can do is to point out what I see as the problems and try and encourage us to do better. Every one of us will have to answer to the Lord at some stage of the game, so please take these warnings seriously and let’s put aside whatever is keeping us back from fighting the good fight for Jesus.
Now enough of my haranguing, (smile) let me tell you what God’s Word says. Hear Bruh Paul to the Romans, as he talks about the results of justification.
‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth (demonstrates) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having being) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’ (Rom.5:6-9)
What more can I say to get us sincerely stirred up eh mih breddren? I really don’t know. If that doesn’t stir us up, then we’re just a bunch of ungodly ingrates.
Anyway, listen to what the scholars have to say about this verse. ‘5:8. Christ died for us: His death was vicarious. That is, He did not die merely for our benefit but in our place. His was a substitutionary sacrifice.’
Yes friends, Jesus died so that we didn’t have to die, so that we could be set free from the bondage of sin through His death!
Hope that makes a big enough impact on us, disturbs our consciences sufficiently to wake us up to reality. And if it does, then we can go home with clear consciences declaring our Thursday Blessings. And remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
There is power in the Word my brethren, so let’s declare it now in perfect harmony: ‘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!’
Yes my beautiful and precious people of God, let’s take all those blessings now and go out and share them with others, as our Lord and Saviour Christ desires. Much LOVE!
…only real LOVE…will ever stop the world from going in its current zig-zag direction…
14 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God-given morn, a wave of joy, aches, beloved of God, bless your Holy Name, but as thou wilt, Christian living, crucifixion, cruelty, desires, discernment, disgrace, do the will of him that sent me, doing God's will, dr robert h schuller, faith, fear of death, feels great to be alive, fell on his face, finish his work, focus, friend of Jesus, glory hallelujah, healing on the Sabbath, I the name of Christ, if it be possible, in my heart, in my life, in my mind, insistent, inspiring spirit, Jacob's Well, joy, led astray, let this cup pass from me, longings, LOVE, moment of prayer, my meat, my soul id exceeding sorrowful, not as I will, o my father, obits, of mine own self I can do nothing, on the right path, our heavenly Father, pains, persistent, problems, Samaritan woman, seeing Jesus face to face, share with others, Something Beautiful, tarry, Thank You Lord, the eternal God, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Holy Spirit, the Son's relationship with the Father, the straight and narrow path, the wiles of the enemy, trust, Tuesday Mantra, unfortunate circumstances, waking up in heaven, walk in your will, watch with me, world-changing event
Matthew 26:39. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And then it was Tuesday – a semi-cloudy, chilly day in my area, but it sure feels great to be alive!
Yes friends, there’s nothing to beat waking up to a new God-given morn, regardless of all the problems you know await you, once you set your feet on the ground. I guess the only thing better would be waking up in heaven and seeing Jesus face to face! Wow!
But we’re not ready for that just yet, (smile) and I don’t think He’s quite ready for us yet either, otherwise we we’d be reading our names in the obits this morning.
So let’s give Him a great big shout of praise in a ‘Thank You Lord! We LOVE You and bless Your Holy Name, and will do our very best to walk in Your will this Tuesday morning! Amen!’
In addition to that, let me share a li’l prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I believe I’ve shared it before, but like so many other prayers – it’s like forgiveness – (smile) one worthy of being shared again and again.
Please pray with me. ‘Father, I turn these minutes over to you. Do something beautiful in my mind, in my heart, and in my life today. So I will look back and say: “I was caught up by an inspiring spirit of the eternal God in this moment of prayer.” In the name of Christ I pray. Amen.’
Oh friends, it’s so beautiful when the Holy Spirit inspires us! A wave of joy just spreads through our entire being, because we know that our heavenly Father has just communicated with us, and we are definitely on the right path, the straight and narrow one. Glory Hallelujah!
I don’t know about you all nuh people, but my problem is not so much doing God’s will, but knowing what is His will? That’s why I ask for discernment and focus every day in my prayers. Once I know the path He wants me to tread, then I can usually set my mind to it.
Too often I’ve thought that I knew His will, only to discover that it really wasn’t His will, but my own, which led to unfortunate circumstances. And the way the world is so flashy and insistent and persistent today, it’s very easy to get thoughts into our heads that seem to be God’s, when in actual fact they are our own longings and desires.
So we have to be very careful in our discernment, otherwise we can be very easily led astray by the wiles and deceptions of the enemy. And my fellow believers, knowing the will of God, and pursuing it is one of the most important aspects of our faith.
And we can see how important it was to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so it had to be even more important to us. At the time of His greatest anxiety, the night before His crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, what was His prayer eh?
After telling Peter, James and John, the three disciples that were with Him: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (stay, wait) ye here, and watch with me.
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’
Ah mih breddren, Jesus was every bit as human as us, with all the aches and pains and fear of death. Now wouldn’t you be afraid if you not only knew the time of your death, but also the unimaginable cruelty and disgrace involved.
However, Jesus knew that He was also born for that momentous, world-changing event, and as always put the Father’s will before everything else. So too should we my believing brethren. Listen to a couple of Jesus’ pronouncements on doing the Father’s will.
After the episode of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, (John 4), the disciples pleaded with Jesus to eat. ‘Jesus saith unto them, My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
Yuh see friends, He’s more interested in doing the Father’s will, than in physical food, which He needed to keep His body strong and healthy. How many of us are willing to make such a serious statement eh?
Not too many. But that is exactly the kind of statement we Christians ought to be able to make, if we are to be successful in Jesus’ work here on earth.
Now hear Jesus’ statement when the Jews tried to persecute Him after healing a lame man on the Sabbath. Here He is talking about the Son’s relationship with the Father.
‘I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just (righteous); because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.’ (John 6:30)
So friends, just like Jesus, let’s seek to do the Lord’s will at all times nuh, because that is the secret of true Christian living. Now let’s go home loudly and proudly declaring our Tuesday Mantra as one body secure in Christ.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am thebeloved 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!’
Oh Glory Hallelujah my people! Let’s go out now, fully clothed in the LOVE of God, and share it with all we come into contact with nuh, for that is the stated desire of our friend Jesus! Much LOVE!
…the Lord gives us LOVE…not only for ourselves…but also to share with others…
19 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a fallen world, a glorious success, a longing for God, a sense of purpose, a tree of life, a tree planted by the waters, according to thy word, advice, Anselm, anxiety, anxious, be ashamed of my hope, bee, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, blossom, Calvin Coolidge, careful, cast down, catalyst, channel our hope, come alive, depresses, DETERMINATION, disquieted, drought, educated derelicts, education, effort, emotions, faith, faithful, fear, fire, flourish, friends, genius will not, gianst, gospel truth, grin and bear it, happiness, hope, hope deferred makes the heart sick, hope thou in God, hopeless failure, inspiring, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, listless, makes honey without flowers, Mother winter, o my soul, off guard, omnipotent, persistence, preserves, press on, problems, proverb, revitalizes, self-pity, something to do, something to hope for, something to love, soup, spiritual temperature, stronghold; prisoners of hope, talent will not, the desire comes, the human race, Tobago, unrewarded genius, wallow, whose hope the Lord is, wimps
Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Ah friends, after much unseasonable temperatures and many bright, sun shiny days, we might finally be getting our first taste of Mother Winter this weekend. The temperature is supposed to dip to just above zero on Sunday, and possibly provide flurries on that day and Monday. I sure am not looking forward to it. Wish I could be in sweet Tobago, going up Calder Hall to get some of Brother Kirby’s fine tasting and nutritious soup this Saturday morning. (smile)
But you know the human animal is a strange being; we know that the winter weather will soon be here, and we’re supposed to be preparing for it, but when it does come, it seems to take us by surprise and throw us off guard, especially after such beautiful fall weather. Anyway there’s not much we can do, but just grin and bear it as best we can.
But with that in mind let’s turn to our friend Anselm’s quotes, aimed at inspiring us for a better tomorrow. And today we have three, because they are all short. The first says: ‘A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.’ And that’s glorious advice!
It reminds us of a quote from Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the U.S, which declares: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Yes friends, persistence is the number one attribute that will help us when all else fails. Then Anselm tells us: ‘Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.’ More wonderful advice! Because we need to be active, to hold something dear and have something to look forward to that will make it all worthwhile. Those are the things that make us come alive and cause us to keep on keeping on.
My favourite quote today though, is this last one: ‘Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.’ And that’s gospel truth friends! For with hope one can imagine anything and do anything. With it, we can be giants in a fallen world, but without it, we become wimps and wallow in self-pity.
Consequently, our Bit for today deals with hope; Cousin Sol’s wise words on the subject. ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. Hope deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
Ah mih people, hope is the emotion that galvanizes us into action! All the other emotions are wonderful, but if they are not accompanied by hope, then they will most likely not be acted upon. For without hope, we become listless and without a sense of purpose, just sort of drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweed, wherever the wind might blow it.
However my brethren, it’s also very important where and in what direction we focus our hope. And we have a good example of what Cousin Sol is talking about in Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. The sons of Korah write: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
Yes friends, when there is no hope in our souls, our fire goes out, and the best place to channel our hope is in Almighty God! There is no doubt about that!
Listen to Jeremiah. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer.17:7-8)
Aye mih breddren, yuh see what happens when we channel our hope in the Lord God Jehovah? No fear, no anxiety, just prosperity regardless of the circumstances! Now why would I want to place my hope in anything or anyone else eh? No way, Jose!
And I just LOVE this verse of scripture from Zechariah. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) That phrase ‘prisoners of hope,’ just raises my spiritual temperature! (smile) Oh friends, how I wish that we could all be ‘prisoners of hope,’ so that we could be more active and successful in Christ’s work.
This verse from Psalm 119 is also a moving scripture. The psalmist petitions the Lord: ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.’ (Ps.119:116) Oh precious people, our wonderful God will NEVER let us be ashamed of the hope we place in Him! Please, let’s write that indelibly in our hearts, minds and souls.
And we’ll end with these brave and wise words of Bruh David from Psalm 31 – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. He solemnly and confidently declares: ‘O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’ (Ps.31:23-24)
So my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, I implore us to take that wonderful advice of Bruh David to heart today and put it into immediate action, so that our faith in the Lord God Jehovah will flourish and blossom like the bees make honey with the flowers. (smile)
And let’s remember to keep our friend Scotty in our prayers, be prisoners of hope, that the Lord will restore him to full health, that he can continue doing good work in Jesus’ name. Much LOVE!
…hope is the catalyst that drives all other emotions…
21 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a present help in trouble, a shield around me, a sincere heart, all or nothing at all, all them that love him, an integral part, balance, bet yuh bottom dollar, Bless His Holy Name, burn out, Creator, despair, direction, disgrace, fellowship, Friday chant, from one extreme, fulfill the desire, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, give God the glory, glory hallelujah, God is our refuge and strength, help, illness, in black and white, in Jesus' name, in truth, Israel, judgements, live it up, LOVE, Moses, never to leave nor forsake us, no help in God, obedience, praise God, problems, provider, refreshed, refuge, relaxation, renewed, rest, righteous, Selah, shame, statutes, strength, stress, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the affairs of men, the Lord sustained me, the right mix, the weekend, the workweek, trouble
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.
So how do we begin this morning eh friends? I don’t have a clue as to how to engage your attention on this cloudy Friday morning in the fall of 2016, except to say: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the workweek is almost done! The weekend is here…
Give God the glory for that, because if the slave master had his way, we’d work seven days a week. Steups! The greedy fool! But thanks be to God for the weekend where we can do as we please… And am I going to live it up? You could bet yuh bottom dollar on that! Just watch me!’
Ah mih people, just like us eh? We go from one extreme to the other, from working too hard to partying too hard. But that only causes undue stress, burn out and eventually illness. What we need is some kind of balance in our lives, and our Friday Chant gives us direction on that.
So let’s chant it nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, rest, relaxation, fellowship and play are all necessary for us to live full and godly lives, but we need to mix them in the right proportion, don’t over do any of them. And if we find it difficult to get the right mix, the right balance, there is always our great God to turn to for advice and help.
What does our Bit say: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.’ And that’s the living truth in a nutshell!
Our Creator and Provider is always there for us. In times of trouble we only need to call upon Him with a sincere heart and He will guide us to victory. Remember, He promises never to leave nor forsake us, and He stands by His promises.
And my brethren, we all have problems that we can’t solve, or handle, so there is no shame or disgrace in turning to the Lord for help. In fact, that’s what He wants us to do; come to Him for every purpose in life, be they big or small. The Lord wants to be an integral part of our lives, involved in EVERYTHING that we do.
But foolishly, we only want to allow Him to become involved in certain things, the others we want to deal with ourselves. Unfortunately though precious people, the Lord doesn’t work like that. He wants to be involved in ALL or NOTHING AT ALL!
So please, let’s check our lives and see if there are any areas that we are keeping God out of nuh, and then wisely invite Him to be a part of those areas. Yuh know that might be a part of our problem, why our lives aren’t going right at the moment; God isn’t totally involved in them.
Now let’s check out some scripture which reinforces our Bit. Hear Moses as he exhorts Israel to obedience. ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh (a God so near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call him for?
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:7-8)
And the answer to both questions friends is NONE! Truly, there is no other God who is so involved, who takes such great interest in the affairs of men! And that’s the way it ought to be. We don’t need a God who is far off, unconcerned about our trials and tribulations, but one who is around when we need help.
Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – as he cries out in despair. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah. I laid down and slept; I awaked: for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:2-6)
Oh what a glorious God we serve my people! That’s the kind of confidence He instills in us when we walk obedient to His will! So I really can’t understand why we refuse to walk steadfastly with Him. There is so much to be derived from a genuine walk with Christ, that it would take me a whole day to list them. (smile)
Now let’s go home with these wonderful words of Bruh David echoing in our minds, souls, bodies and hearts. From Psalm 145 – the Lord is gracious – he faithfully proclaims. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy (gracious) in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them. The Lord preserveth all them that LOVE him: but all the wicked will he destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.’ (Ps.145:17-21)
Wow! Oh my fellow believers right there we have the gospel truth in black and white! Please, please, I implore us, let’s take it heart nuh, so that our lives can be fulfilled! Let’s continually praise our wonderful God and bless His holy name at all times, for that is wisdom at its highest level! Much LOVE!
…praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
01 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a job, a sheep before her shearers, actions speak louder than words, afflicted, amenities, Anselm, as a lamb to the slaughter, aspires to inspire, benefits, blasphemous, blasphemy, chew, Christian faith, coming in the clouds, complacent, complain, contribute, despising the shame, destroy the temple, dumb, endured the cross, fall on deaf ears, false witnesses, fertile soil, followers of Jesus christ, food, giving thanks and praise, glorifies God, gospel truth, groan, healthy, help others, high priest, holy spirit, hypocrites, I am blessed, ignore your example, interrogation, Isaiah's prophecy, Jesus held his peace, Jesus Love Revolution, laughed to scorn, laughingstock, listen to your advice, mirror image, moan, Most High God Jehovah, necessities, on a silver platter, on the cross, opened not his mouth, oppressed, Pilate, pilgrimage, ponder, practice what we preach, problems, rejection, remained silent, resist the temptation, roof over our heads, silence is golden, sin, spoiled, stoic, take for granted, the Pharisees, the right hand of power, the Son of man
Isaiah 53:7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
‘Oh friends, I, I am blessed, Yes, I want to tell the world that I, I am blessed!’ Sing it with me: ‘Oh we. We are blessed! Let’s tell the world, that we, we are blessed!’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! For as children of the Most High God Jehovah, followers of Jesus Christ, and fertile soil in which the Holy Spirit dwells, then we must be blessed! Only thing is that a lot of the time, many of us don’t behave as though we are blessed. Instead, we moan and groan and complain about insignificant stuff.
And yuh know what friends, a lot of the things we consider problems, are things that most of the world would only be too glad to have, along with the many benefits that we take for granted.
We are just too spoiled and complacent, expecting everything to be handed to us on a silver platter. But that’s not real life friends, for in this world serious problems abound, many of which fortunately don’t touch or concern us.
Most of us have a job, a roof over our heads, food on table and we are reasonably healthy, and if not, we have the opportunity to go to a doctor. Meanwhile, billions of people around the world have none of those amenities, or rather necessities. But yet, we complain about petty stuff.
Anyway, it’s Saturday, so let’s check out a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this week’s quotes are both short and to the point. The first says: ‘Don’t expect people to listen to your advice and ignore your example.’
And that’s one of the biggest problems in our Christian faith! We talk a good talk, but don’t walk the necessary walk. Consequently we acquire a reputation as hypocrites, like the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.
Oh mih people, that hypocritical aspect of our earthly pilgrimage is hurting our cause so badly that Jesus’ church has now become something of a laughingstock among unbelievers. Sad but true. And it’s our own fault too.
My fellow believers, we badly need to clean up our act on that front, otherwise all our efforts to mobilize the heathen to join Jesus’ LOVE Revolution will fall on deaf ears, and we’ll be laughed to scorn.
Now is that the result we desire for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? NO WAY! So let’s get serious and start practicing what we preach nuh, if we truly want to represent Jesus in the best manner possible. Remember, actions work more forcibly on the mind than precepts, mere words.
And the second of Anselm’s quotes declares: ‘Instead of complaining–contribute.’ Now that’s what we were talking about earlier on. We are a society that complains way too much about petty stuff, when we should be contributing to the solutions of the numerous problems we have.
And yuh know mih people, complaining is a sin! Too much complaining doesn’t sit right with our heavenly Father. He wants us to be giving thanks and praise, regardless of our difficult situations.
Just look at Jesus, whom we are supposed to be the mirror image of. He had real serious problems down here on earth. But He never complained. The Good Book tells us in our Bit: ‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought (was led) as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.’
And in yesterday’s Bit, we saw where it said that Jesus ‘endured the cross, despising the shame….’ He certainly put up with a lot of affliction and rejection for our sakes without a whole lot of complaining. Now I know that we all can’t be as stoic and uncomplaining as Jesus, but we can surely do much better than we’re currently doing.
And when we have problems, the best way to resist the temptation to complain and carry on is to help others with their problems. It works wonders friends! It not only takes our minds off of our own troubles, but it also pleases and glorifies our heavenly Father!
Now here are a couple of situations where Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus not speaking came to pass. First up is His interrogation before the high priest, where two false witnesses stated. ‘This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness (testify) against thee? But Jesus held his peace (remained silent). (Matt.26:61-63a)
However, shortly after, when the high priest said unto Jesus, ‘I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said (it is as you said): nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ (Matt. 26:63b-64)
Possibly Jesus should have kept quiet then too because that only caused the high priest to throw a tantrum, rent his clothes and declare that Jesus’ statement was blasphemous for which the council found Him guilty and began to abuse him, physically and emotionally. (Matt.26:65-68)
But I guess Jesus had to say something like that, otherwise they would not have had a case against Him, because it’s that charge of blasphemy for which they finally brought Him before the Roman authorities, seeking His death.
That brings us to the other time when Jesus remained silent. He was before Pilate the Roman governor. ‘And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness (testify) against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.’ (Matt.27:12-14)
Oh friends, I know it’s difficult, but sometimes it’s best for us too to keep quiet when we are being wrongfully accused. It throws off our accusers, gives us time to think and also time for God to act on our behalf.
Well enough for us to chew on today. Please take your time, chew slowly, and ponder while you chew. (smile) Much LOVE!
…silence is usually golden in most situations…
20 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life of sin, a Prayer fo Confidence, almighty god, blessed, bountiful, calmly, Christ-like behaviour, Christian character, common sense, confidence, conversion, crucified the flesh, difficult times, dr robert h schuller, earthly pilgrimage, face problems, faithful walk with God, fears, forget who brought us to the dance, friend of Jesus, frustrations, fulfill the lust of the flesh, glad, God is behind me, God will help me, God will rescue me, gospel truth, Hour of Power Devotional, if god is for me, leading, live by the Spirit, mu conscience is clear, new life, not afraid of problems, passions, problems, promptings, rejoice, renounced, self-assurance, serenely, share His love, share it twice, spirit of confidence, sunshiny morn, surging in my heart, Thank You God, the beloved of God, the right decision, the Son shining, this is the day the Lord has made, trip us up, trust, Tuesday Mantra, uncertainty, vices, virtues, walk in the Spirit, walk of faith, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who can be against me
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Oh my beautiful Scrip-Bit friends and families, how goes it this bright and sunshiny morn eh? We’ve gotten through Monday, despite our fears and frustrations, and Tuesday has dawned blessed and bountiful, with both the sun and the Son shining out in all their wonderful splendour!
It’s a new day, so let’s treat it like such nuh, and deliriously declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) Yes friends, it’s the only sensible way to face each and every new day that we’re blessed to see!
But we can’t do that successfully without the supreme trust and confidence in Almighty God, so here is something that will help us build that confidence. Quite appropriately it’s called ‘A Prayer for Confidence,’ and it comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, we can share it twice, and even thrice. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘It is flowing into me now, for my conscience is clear: I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me.
I feel His spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. “If God is for me who can be against me?” I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank you, God. Amen.’
Ah mih people, I do hope that prayer of confidence truly brought a surge of confidence into our hearts, bodies, souls and minds this Tuesday morning, and will enable us to go out and do a fine job for Jesus today, because it’s usually self-assurance and uncertainty that trip us up in our walk of faith.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’
Oh I know some of you might be tired of it, but it’s one of those scriptures that are rather essential to our successful and faithful walk with God. We can’t do it without the successful guidance of the Holy Spirit that’s sent to dwell within us for that specific purpose, so please open your hearts wisely to it.
Now we’ve already seen what the lusts of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit are, today we’ll check out the last part of Bruh Paul’s exhortation on the subject. Yes, today’s the last day for this Bit. (smile)
After detailing the fruit of the Spirit, Bruh Paul continues thus: ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:24-26)
Yes mih breddren, that’s how we ought to live if we’re a new creation in Christ!
Now listen to some explanations from the scholars. ‘5:24. At conversion every believer crucified the flesh, that is, in repentance he turned from and renounced his life of sin and all its wicked passions. This verse then implies that the virtues of verses of 22-23, rather than the vices of verses 19-21, should characterize them that are Christ’s.’ And that’s gospel truth!
‘5:25. This verse means “Since we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” That is, since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ Now that’s simple common sense my people; we shouldn’t forget who brought us to the dance.
Oh, I’ve just noticed another scholarly exposition on the Fruit of the Spirit, which I don’t want to deprive you of, so here it is. ‘5:22-23. In contrast to the works (plural) of the flesh, which any individual is capable of performing, the fruit (singular) of the Holy Spirit can be produced only by God. Christian character thus results from “Christ living in me (2:20). For this fruit to develop, all nine aspects of the fruit of the spirit must mature.
Illustration: The character of Christ is the fullest manifestation of this fruit in the New Testament. Though Jesus did not recognize the traditions of men, His enemies were unable to prove any charge against Him.
Application: So today, Christians should allow the Holy Spirit to develop this character within them, so they might be blameless before others and not hinder the testimony of Christ. (First Ref. Ex.35:31; 36:2; Primary Ref. Gal.5:22-23; cf. Phil.1:6).’
Now I won’t spoon feed you all today, (smile) so please look up those reference scriptures, they are very interesting and will help you better understand the topic.
And my people, having been through all the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit; a Christian’s character traits, over the last few days, let’s hope that it refreshes and renews our inner man, and brings out more Christ-like behaviour in us as we walk this earthly life, because this is the undoubted will of our heavenly Father.
Now let’s go home with great confidence and trust, loudly and soulfully declaring our Tuesday Mantra. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s indeed who we are! Let’s never forget it! Much LOVE!
…as a true believer…our earthly pilgrimage …should constantly exude Christ-like traits…fruit of the Spirit…
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