01 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advance God's kingdom, All Fool's Day, almighty god, another week of work, April Fool's day, be content, be diligent, Caleb, christianity, church leaders, cleave unto the Lord, covetousness, dilly-dally, do not be dismayed, dread noth, exodus, faith, fear not, fellowship, foothold, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's work, gospel, gospel truth, heartache, I will not fear, in a cloud by day, in fire by night, Joshua, keeper, Let your conversation, libertine actions, LOVE, Love the Lord, lustful, mercies, miracles, one man shall chase a thousand, pain, profligate, Promised Land, promises, reassuring thoughts, refreshed, renewed, repetition, rest, saviour, sorrow, stubborn minds, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Lord goes before thee, The Lord is my helper, the Lord will not fail thee, the Lord will not forsake thee, the weekend, trust, wander in the wilderness, witness, worldly pleasures
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well mih people, it’s Friday…
And my people tossed the ball back into my court thus: ‘Yes mih brother we know that. That is why we’ve been singing and praising and glorifying the Father by declaring ’TGIF! Thank God is Friday. The only better day than Friday is Sunday, the Lord’s Day. And we declare again: TGIF! Thank You Lord that it’s Friday, work is done for a couple days, and the long awaited weekend is finally here!’
Ah friends, I know how some of us desperately look forward to weekend, for whatever reason, but please note that we need to use it wisely, not only in profligate and libertine actions. (smile) And to improve our perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant.
All together now: ‘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 my brethren, that is more like how we should use our weekends; to facilitate renewal of our walk with God, not run away from Him in lustful worldly pleasures. And I know that those pleasures may seem so wonderful at the start, but trust me, I’m talking from experience here, (smile) in the long run they only bring pain and sorrow and heartache.
And please remember that today is April 1st, All Fool’s or April Fool’s Day, so please be wary and don’t allow the wily devil and his evil associates to play any tricks on us. For you know they will use any occasion whatsoever to get a foothold in our lives.
Now here are a few words of inspiration from a Reggae song I heard last night by Ras Zacahrri, something called ‘Jah is my keeper. And the chorus goes thus: ‘Jah is my keeper; He will hear me when I call. Jah is my saviour, He will catch me when I fall.’
And isn’t that the God awesome truth my fellow believers in Christ! Almighty God is indeed our keeper and will hear us when we call. He is also our Saviour amongst many other things, and will certainly catch us when we fall. So this Friday morning, please let’s plant those reassuring thoughts deep in our souls to help us face the day with faith and trust as we go about God’s work.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh friends, the amount of times Israel’s leaders said these words to them, and yet they did not listen. And unfortunately the same thing is happening today; the leaders of our churches are crying out this ever-faithful promise to us, but we are also ignoring it. I don’t know how to get it through our thick and stubborn minds, except possibly by repetition. So let’s look at a few of the times it was said to the Israelites.
Listen to Moses as he reflects on the time when they sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and only Joshua and Caleb voted to go in and take it over. ‘Then said I unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bear (carried) thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you the way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.’ (Deut.1:29-33)
Yeh mih people, can you believe it? After all the miracles and mercies the Lord showed the Israelites in their Exodus out of Egypt, when they came to the Promised Land they were sore afraid to go in and fight for it. Steups! That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died.
Now hear Joshua, as he encourages the people to refrain from mixing with the remnants of the nations God had destroyed to give them the Promised Land. ‘But cleave (cling, hold fast) unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
For the Lord hath driven out from before you (dispossessed) great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before (against) you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed (be diligent) therefore unto yourselves, that ye LOVE the Lord your God.’ (Josh.23:8-11)
Oh my people, that promise stands ever so true even to this very day! But like the hard-hearted, stubborn and fearful Israelites, we too refuse to take the message to heart, and simply dilly-dally on the outskirts of true Christianity.
Consequently friends, because we don’t stand as strong as we should on God’s irrevocable and faithful promises, our lives don’t amount to as much as they should. And therefore too, our witness is not as forthright and palpable as it ought to be.
So the long and short of the story is that Christianity is not as strong and powerful as it should be. What a sad reckoning!
And we’ll close with these words from Hebrews, where Bruh Paul talks about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb.13:5-6)
And there we have it friends, the living truth of the gospel! Please, I implore us, let’s take it boldly and use it wisely to advance God’s kingdom as our bounden duty calls us to do! For that’s wisdom that cannot be bought or had anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God can only be truly attained…when the trust in God is truly overwhelming…
13 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mind of its own, almighty god, Bruh David, business acumen, chilly Tuesday morning, cold weather paraphernalia, divorce, Euripides, exhortation of obedience, faith, family feuds, family life, finicky behaviour, foolish, friends and neighbours, God is a refuge for us, God only is my rock and my salvation, God so near, hatred, hope, I hope in thy word, I shall not be moved, Internet conncetion, Israelites, jehovah god, judgements, live our faith, LOVE, Love our God, loving, Moses, my neck of the woods, no fan of computers, pour out your heart before God, Promised Land, reputation for wisdom, resentment, righteous, Selah, smile, Spread God's Word, statutes, success, surrender, tardiness, that state of affairs, the computer acted up, the law of the jungle, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the rock of my strength, the values of god, the values of the world, thou art my hiding place and my shield, true test of wisdom, trust, unwise, windchill factor, wisdom, wisdom and understanding
Psalm 119:114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
A good chilly Tuesday morning, Friends and neighbours! And believe me, it is a chilly morning out here in my neck of the woods, something like minus 19 Celsius! And that’s without the wind chill factor, which usually makes it seem a few degrees colder.
Ah Lord eh! And it’s not supposed to get much warmer during the day either. So if you have to go out at all today, please make sure that you are dressed very warm, with hat and gloves and scarf and all the other cold weather paraphernalia. (smile)
And let me apologize for the tardiness of the Bit. I was first tardy in getting up, just one of those days when the ole body would not respond to my wishes, it has a mind of its own you know. (smile) And then, for whatever reason the computer acted up.
Although I had perfect Internet connection and it was doing some background backup, I still had a hard time opening the browser and getting to the net itself. Steups! That’s why I’m no fan of computers!
Don’t get me wrong, they are useful in their own way, but they are too finicky, like ….! No, I’m not going to say it (smile), and our world is so dependent on them now that when they fail or choose to act up, a whole lot of heartache follows. Remember though that they are man made, and thus not perfect.
Anyway, there’s not a whole lot I can do about it, so I’ll just have to learn to live with the finicky behaviour, as I’ve learned to live with that of you know whom. (smile)
Now here is an interesting quote attributed to Euripides (480-406 B.C) the ancient Greek dramatist born in the Athens area. It simply says: ‘Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.’
And in today’s world, that is very true. We all consider successful people – as the world defines it – as persons endowed with wisdom. But the reality is that’s not always true, especially when defined by the values of God.
However Friends, that’s where the true test of wisdom is to be found – in the values of God, not in those of the evil and lustful world!
Just look at the track record of some of the world’s supposed successful people, and you’ll find that their personal lives are, or have been a complete mess. But their business acumen and their worldly success have them at the top of the list of wise people.
Their own lives though are filled with bitter family feuds, nasty divorces, lots of hatred and resentment; all of the things that are not considered wise under the values of Almighty God.
Consequently, the opposite is also true; the failed and unsuccessful business person, looked at by the world as foolish and unwise, might have a very LOVING and godly family life and relationships, which makes him wise using God’s values.
So, technically speaking, like a lot of other things, our take on success and wisdom depends on what values we base them on; the world’s, or the Lord’s. Let’s hope that we all use the values of the latter in ALL of our doings, for that’s where TRUE success and wisdom are to be found!
That brings us to our Bit, the same wise and encouraging words as yesterday. ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.’
And right there my brethren, is where true wisdom lies! There is indeed no greater wisdom in all the earth than faith, hope, surrender and trust in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Now let’s look at a couple more scripture passages that cry out to us in that regard. And we’ll begin with words from Moses’ exhortation of obedience to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land.
‘Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgements, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
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 upon 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.4:5-8)
Wonderful questions my brethren? And the correct answer is none? Even to this day, there is no greater nation on earth than one that espouses the law of Jehovah God!
But it’s also very sad that those nations which have hitherto espoused God’s law, are now moving away from it to the law of the jungle that’s the world. Hopefully though, with our sincere and diligent efforts on God’s behalf, that state of affairs will change soon.
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense: I shall not be moved (shaken).
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times: ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8)
Oh my people, truer words were never spoken! God is indeed our be all and end all! And thus there’s no better note to end on than that one. Yeh Friends, if God is our Creator and Provider, then it only stands to reason that He is the One we should be in tune with ALL THE TIME! That’s true wisdom!
Now let’s go out and practice it nuh, and show the evil and ungodly world a thing or two about our Mighty God! Much LOVE!
…our bounden duty is to…truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and diligently SPREAD His holy Word…
10 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Anakim, assurance of victory, before thy face, believe, believers in Jesus Christ, bondage, brings joy to our souls, comfort, consuming fire, destroy them, Deuteronomy, disobedient, Egypt, exodus, faith, faithfulness, fellowship with other believers, fenced up to heaven, first day of the week, fulfill His promise to Abraham, glorify, God's wisdom, goodness, he shall thrust out the enemy, help, holy spirit, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful praise and worship, lack of true faith, LOVE, magnify, miracles of God, Moses, one word from the Bible, pass over Jordan, possess the land, praise, prayer, Promised Land, protective and comforting wings, puts a positive spin on our doings, raises our spirits, readies us for Monday, refuge, righteousness., saviour jesus christ, sing, stiff-necked people, stubborn, succour, Sunday, surrender, the Bible is God's word to us, the eternal God is our refuge, the good news of Jesus, the Lord's Day, trust, truths, underneath are the everlasting arms, uprightness, wander in the wilderness, wickedness, wisdom, wonders, worship, worshipping, worth more than all man's wisdom
Deuteronomy 33:27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and he shall say, Destroy them.
Aye mih people, fellow believers in Jesus Christ, once again the week has come full circle – Sunday to Sunday. Yeh, it’s time to begin another new week on the Lord’s Day.
And I was guided by the person of the Holy Spirit to remind us of two unassailable, irreversible truths. The first is that the Bible is God’s Word to us, and remains fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom embedded in its pages.
And the second truth is that ONE truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man.
Oh Friends, please let’s spend a quiet moment and contemplate on those two statements, while writing them indelibly in our hearts and souls, for they will certainly help to guide us along the straight and narrow path that we need to adhere to, to successfully follow our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And now having reminded us of those two glorious truths, (smile) let’s also remind us that the Lord’s Day is the day we generally get together with other believers in His sanctuary to sing and praise, worship, glorify and magnify our heavenly Father, Jehovah God! So please, let’s get ourselves together and find ourselves in a place of worship sometime today.
And the great thing about getting together to worship, is not only that it magnifies and glorifies God, but it also raises our spirits, puts a positive spin on our doings, brings joy to our souls and readies us for the coming Monday, the first day of the work week!
Yes Friends, having participated in joyful praise and worship on Sunday, undoubtedly enables us to face the daunting Monday without fear. In fact we are enabled to face it with complete assurance, joy and the oodles of positive opportunities that will be available to help us spread the good news of Jesus and His wonderful doings! In other words, to face Monday fearlessly and positively, we have to start getting ready on Sunday by worshipping.
And today we’ll continue with the message of our Bit from yesterday. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
Yes Friends, that’s our great God! We have already seen how He is the safest and most wonderful refuge we can ever have, how He gathers us under His protective and comforting wings like the hens gather their chickens under their wings, and how He provides awesome comfort to all who believe and come to Him for succour.
Now let’s look at the second half of the Bit: ‘…and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
And my brethren, that is exactly what the Lord said to the Israelites through Moses, at the beginning of their Exodus from bondage in Egypt. Listen to what Moses told them way back in chapter 9 of Deuteronomy.
‘Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go into possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced (fortified) up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the children of Anak!
Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For (because of) my righteousness the Lord hath brought me to possess this land: but for (because) the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform (fulfill) the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ (Deut.9:1-5)
Yes Friends, the Lord made it abundantly clear that they would inherit the Promised Land, not because of their righteousness, since they were already a stubborn, disobedient and stiff-necked people, but because of His will and the wickedness of the people then inhabiting the Land. Above all, it would fulfill His promise to their fathers to give the land to their descendants.
But even with God’s assurance of victory, the Israelites were afraid, and showed that fear and stubbornness by refusing to cross over the Jordan and take the land. And it’s not like they hadn’t experienced the wonders, goodness and miracles of God during their exodus from Egypt.
That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty more years, until all the people who had come out of Egypt had died. It simply showed a lack of true faith and trust in the God of their fathers, in spite of all He had done for them. That, to the Lord was definitely not acceptable.
Ah mih people, how many of us today behave the same way eh? How many of us have God assuring us of victory in some area(s) of our lives, but because of fear or some other negative emotion, we refuse to take the next step, that leap of faith that will solidify our trust in His LOVE and faithfulness? How many of us have missed out, or are missing out on God’s blessings like the stubborn and fearful Israelites eh?
Oh Friends, that is not the way Jesus expects His followers to live. We can’t say we trust and believe and surrender, then don’t do what He asks or guides us to do! That just makes our faith a total lie!
So please, for today’s ‘ponderation’ (smile), let’s take serious stock of our actual level of faith nuh, not the one we believe we have, but the real nitty gritty one, and see where we are falling down in the things that Jesus asks and expects of us, and then, with sincere prayer, ask Him to help us improve.
Now that is what is termed absolute wisdom! For He WILL NEVER refuse our requests in that area. Much LOVE!
…if God has been faithful to us in the past…why would we ever doubt Him in the present and the future…
24 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, adrenalin pumping, arguments, aura of love, battlefield of the world, be wise, blessed, Christians, comfort of the scriptures, complaining, correction, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, Creator of the universe, crisis mode, day star arises in your hearts, disobedience, doing good, end times are nigh, enemy's wicked taunts, ensconced in Jesus' fold, enthusiasm, evil, evildoing, faith, fellowship, fence sitting, further your glorious kingdom, godliness, grounded in truth, heart and soul, heavenly wisdom, helping others, holy men of God, Holy Name, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, inspiration, inspiration of God, instruction, invincible, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jesus' return, jobs, keeping families together, lead and guide, left out in utter darkness, light, LOVE, make Jesus proud, man's basic nature, miracle, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, moved by the Holy Ghost, Oh Lord God Almighty, pagan deity, patience, perseverance, pertinent plea, plague, profitable for doctrine, Promised Land, rebellions, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reproof, righteousness., rise and shine, sally forth with confidence, salt, scripture, sinful, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife, take heed, the light of Christ, the prophetic word, the will of man, true followers, ungodly world, unity in Christ, useful purpose, warnings, weary souls, whining, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
2 Timothy 3:16. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Well well mih lovelies, it’s Monday once again! What a way the weekend flies by! Unfortunately it’s time to rise and shine and get out into the world and spread our highly flavoured and tasty salt, and our bright and shining lights, as Jesus asked and expects of us, His true followers. (Matt.5:13-16)
It’s no use whining and complaining that we’re tired and feeling low down, because we spent the weekend partying and overdoing it, instead of resting and getting ready for the new work week. Being negative will only make matters worse, so let’s just get a move on with the help of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Please put some real heart and soul in it now. (smile)
‘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!’
Yes Friends, yuh feel the miracle that worked in your spirit! That’s what sincere prayer does! And now that we’ve got the adrenalin pumping, let’s go out there on the battlefield of the world and do our thing nuh, make Jesus proud of us, by helping others and doing good, just like He did when He was here on earth. (Acts 10:38)
And if we believe that, then we also ought to believe what our Bit says: ‘All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’
Ah mih people, so many arguments, and so much strife has occurred down through the ages over the veracity of the Bible, that it’s best we either believe it in its entirety, or don’t believe it at all. On this matter there can be no fence sitting.
Now let’s talk a little about the last part of our Bit, which declares that the scriptures weren’t only written through God’s inspiration but also ‘is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’
First up is Bruh Paul speaking to the Roman church, re Unity in Christ, and how we ought to help, please and edify each other more than ourselves, for even Christ didn’t please Himself. (Rom.15:1-3) ‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime (beforehand) were written for our learning, that we through patience (perseverance) and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Rom.15:4)
So true, my fellow believers, so true! The scriptures surely provide us with the strength to persevere, be comforted, and have hope, without which, we’d never be able to function properly as Christians.
And here’s Bruh Paul again, this time talking to the Corinthians, re early Israel’ being a warning example, when enroute to the Promised Land, twenty something thousand of them died of the plague in one day, because they had turned from the God of their fathers to worship the pagan deity Baal-peor. (Num. 25)
‘Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come.’ (1 Cor.10:11)
Yes Friends, God knew that the Corinthians and many other societies would follow the disobedience of Israel, and end up in crisis mode with Him. And that’s why He had all those examples recorded for the benefit of those to come, since mankind’s basic nature would still be sinful and prone to disobedience and rebellion.
So please, let’s pay serious attention to the warnings contained in the scriptures, especially as we are now at a very high state of evildoing, and a rather low one of godliness, and there are several signs that the end times are nigh. And unfortunately Friends, once that happens, once Jesus returns, if you’re not safely and securely ensconced in His chosen fold, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe, you’ll be left out in utter darkness, looking in on those who believed, enjoying the light of Christ.
And we’ll end this series of messages on the inspiration of God on the scriptures with a very pertinent plea from Peter, where’s he’s referring to the scriptures as being all grounded in truth. ‘We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet.1:19-21)
Oh Friends, we couldn’t end on a better passage of scripture than that, because it’s the truth of all truths! So please, I’m pleading with all my heart, please don’t let that happen to you. Please be wise and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, RIGHT NOW, for that’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus comes again…and that could be any time…it will be too late to whimper…if only I had believed…
28 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, Adam, almighty god, antidote, Boxing Day, calamitious state, celebrations, Christian music, Christmas, circumcision, consideration, covenant, destroy, disastrous mess, disobedience, doer, evil, exalted, foreskin, generation, God's Word, good, Holy Trinity, house of god, ice, inspiration, Isaiah, Israelites, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, joyous spirit, judge, king, Law, lawgiver, LOVE, Love the Lord, love thy neighbour, Lucifer, mind games, mountain of the Lord, negativity, ploughshares, Promised Land, pruninghooks, rebellious, rebuke, reproach, restore, righteousness., salvation, saviour, scriptures, sinful nature, snow, spears, spiritual armour, swords, Ten Commandments, the day of the Lord, the last days, tree of knowledge, unfavourable weather, uplift, wake up call, war, word of the Lord
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.
Ah Friends, it’s Saturday and the ole fella is tired. I don’t know why, because I didn’t do much over the Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations. I didn’t over eat or over drink. In fact I rested quite a lot; perhaps too much. (smile). Where was I to go though, with all the ice and snow and unfavourable weather?
I guess the tricky Lucifer must be playing some mind games with me. But I have the perfect antidote for that, my spiritual armour. Yes my people, I’m going to put it on right now, and I know that as soon as I do, then begin writing about God’s Word, His joyous Spirit will pick me up and restore a bright and sparkling outlook to my weary spirit. Yes Friends, one of the great things our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ does for us is to uplift and restore our tired and sagging spirits.
And contrary to my hope yesterday, I didn’t finish sharing all the scripture on the ‘lawgiver’ aspect of our Bit, so today we’ll forgo a lot of preamble and get right to it. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he shall save us.’
And I’m chuckling here Friends, because I’m listening to the radio while writing, which I don’t usually do because it tends to distract me. But for some reason I tuned into Radio Trinidad, 730 AM, where they’re playing some nice Christian music and the writing just seemed to flow. So who am I to deny God’s inspiration eh? (smile)
Anyway, turning to the ‘lawgiver’ aspect of our Bit, let’s continue with some appropriate scriptures. Isaiah, that faithful and much inspired prophet, boldly proclaims, re the day of the Lord: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ (Is.2:2-4)
Oh, what a beautiful day that will be, my brethren! But long before that the Lord was handing down laws to His chosen creation. The first basic law was given to our forefather Adam. ‘And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest eat freely: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ (Gen.2:16-17)
But as we all know, Adam didn’t obey, and thus we’ve all been possessed of a sinful, rebellious nature since then. Then the Lord made circumcision the law for those of Abraham’s lineage, who wanted to covenant with him. ‘This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child (male) among you shall be circumcised.
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token (sign) of the covenant betwixt me and thou. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.’ (Gen.17:10-12)
And we can’t talk about laws without talking about the Big Ten, the Lord gave to the Israelites on leaving Egypt bound for the Promised Land, (Ex.20: 1-17) with the biggest being the first: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3)
Unfortunately though, neither the Israelites, nor many of us who came after them, have sufficiently heeded those Ten Commandments. And that foolish action, that disobedience sadly bears a direct link to why our world is in such a calamitous state today. And if you don’t believe me, then read those Ten Commandments and take out all the negativity that disobeying each one brings to our world, and see how beautiful the remnant is!
Now let’s turn to Isaiah again with some more interesting words from our Maker. ‘Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.’ (Is.51:7-8)
Then Jesus came and broke it all down to just two laws. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt.22:37-40)
But you think we could even keep those two? Obviously not! Therefore we’re surrounded by a negativity filled world!
And we’ll end with some provocative words from James on that last commandment; consideration for a brother. ‘Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:11-12)
And that Friends, say it all! Until we stop judging and truly start LOVING, our lives and our world will continue to be one, big, disastrous mess. Let this be a wake up call for us nuh. Much LOVE!
…there is only ONE Lawgiver…ONE Judge…ONE King…ONE able to save us…Almighty God…the Holy Trinity…
18 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 20-20 vision, Abimelech, backbone, bail out, belly, bless, blessing of God, caressing, charles stanley, come to light, commandments, consequences, darkness, deceit, deceive, deception, deeds, destructive, differences, different circumstances, divorces, doomed from the beginning, Egypt, engagement ring, failings of our society, fainthearted, fairy tale, famine, faults, foibles, for better or worse, forbidden, friends, Gerar, hardships, hindsight, hundredfold, Isaac, land of the Philistines, laws, like father like son, living happily ever after, LOVE, makes rich, marriage, marriage primer, myth, no sorrow, obeyed, peaches and cream, persecution, persevere, practicalities, Promised Land, promised seed, proper advice, prospering, reaped, Rebekah, Red Letter Day, revealed, separations, sojourn, sowed, sporting, statutes, suffering, takes two to tango, the Good Book, three-ring circus, till death do us part, topsy-turvy, trust, useful purpose, weave, webs, wedding, wedding anniversary, wisdom
Proverbs 10:22. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, today’s another red-letter day in the ole fella’s life; my 42nd wedding anniversary! Wow!
Who would ever have thought that we’d last so long eh, especially with all the topsy-turvy stuff that went on in the earlier days, most of it my fault? And though there have been a couple of short separations, it’s obvious that the Good Lord had other plans for us.
Now it wasn’t always easy, always peaches and cream, but you can bet your bottom dollar that it was interesting! More interesting now with 20-20-vision hindsight, than it felt during the actual moments. (smile)
That brings me to what I consider one of the many failings of our society. We impress upon our young people the fairy tale about LOVE, marriage and living happily ever after. But Friends, as most of us have seen and and sadly discovered, that’s just a myth!
We should be telling them more about the practicalities, the three-ring circus that’s truly marriage; the engagement ring, the wedding and then the suffering.
It’s no joke Friends, because living in such close proximity to another person, seeing their faults and foibles, many of which you never knew about before, and waking up everyday on the other side of the bed with that person for numerous years is not an easy task, certainly not one for the fainthearted. But if you’re in the marriage for more than just the good times, you will persevere and make it work.
And remember too, that it takes two to tango, so unless both parties are willing to work at it, then it will never last. But now, unfortunately, we’ve raised a generation of children who can’t handle hardships or differences, because even in our own marriages, we’ve gone out of our way to hide the unpleasant parts from the children.
Consequently, there are more divorces and separations than ever today, simply because the young generation lack the proper advice on the subject, as well as the necessary backbone and belly to see it through. So as soon as something goes wrong, everybody wants to bail out of the marriage.
But please remember the words that most of us said in our wedding vows; for better or worse, until death do us part. However we never seem to remember those words when things get rough, and very few of us really live them.
Unfortunately too, there is no marriage primer available that will work for all marriages, because we are all different and live under different circumstances. The only constant Friends, is that both people need to work at it sincerely, otherwise it’s doomed from the beginning.
Ah mih people, as usual I have to chuckle, because our God is truly something else yes! I wasn’t even planning to mention my wedding anniversary, but obviously He had other plans, and when I got to writing, that’s what flowed from my pen.
But if it will help some other couple to understand what marriage is all about; give and take and hard work, and cause them to stand strong and work out their problems together, then it will indeed have served some useful purpose.
That’s why our Bit is powerful and true. ‘The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.’
It would certainly be great if the Lord could use my words to bless some couple having problems with their marriage, which brings us to the Old Testament marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.
One time when there was famine in their land, Isaac thought of going down to Egypt to survive it, but the Lord told him to stay put in Gerar, in the land of the Philistines.
‘Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father…. Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.’ (Gen.26:3,5)
And Isaac obeyed, but like Abraham did with Sarah, he told the Philistines that Rebekah was his sister, because she was beautiful, and like his father before him, thought that they would kill him and take her away. Hn! Like father, like son!
Ah Friends, the webs we weave, when we intend to deceive! But unfortunately those webs of deceit don’t last forever, and our deeds done in darkness, usually come to light at some stage. And the longer they stay hidden, usually the more destructive they are when revealed in the light.
And that’s exactly what happened to Isaac. The Good Book puts it thus: ‘And it came to pass, when he (Isaac) had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with (caressing) Rebekah his wife.’ (Gen.26:9)
Obviously it caused a furor in the Philistine camp. The king called Isaac and blasted him, and instructed his people not to dally with Rebekah. (Gen.26:9-11) But in spite of his deception my brethren, listen to the next words of the Good Book.
‘Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received (reaped) in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed (grew) great, and went forward (continued prospering until) he became very great.’ (Gen.26:12-13)
That was the blessing of the Lord upon him for obeying his directive to not go down to Egypt, despite his deception with the Philistines.
Now Friends, that doesn’t mean we can all be deceitful and still receive wonderful blessings, for even Isaac with all his material blessings still found it hard to live in Gerar because of disputes over wells with the Philistines, and eventually had to move away because he had gotten too big and powerful for their liking. (Gen.26:14-25)
And we’ll end with these thoughts from the scholars, which should make some things clearer. ’26:1-16. A famine in the land: There had been a famine in Abraham’s day (12:10). He had not been forbidden to go down to Egypt as Isaac was now being directed by God in verse 2.
God forced Isaac to trust in His ability to provide, and not do the natural thing that everybody else would be doing (42:5). Besides, this was God’s promised land for Abraham and his descendants (vv 3-4). She is my sister is the very same expression Abraham had used, 12:13 and 20:12-13.
Abimelech was evidently a Philistine dynastic title. This was not the same Abimelech that Abraham had encountered some 97 years earlier. Isaac sowed in the land and received an hundredfold in spite of the famine and persecution because he obeyed God and was the promised seed.’
Awright Friends, that’s more than enough for us to ponder on today. But please remember that Isaac was only blessed because He obeyed God, and he still had his problems otherwise. So even when we’re blessed, everything is not always peaches and cream. (smile) Much LOVE!
…the best wisdom for all time…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles – Charles Stanley)
29 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all thy heart, all thy soul, be obedient to God's voice, calamity, catastrophe, celebrate God's Holy Name, destinty, destroy thee, disaster, disobedience, eternal life, ever-LOVING God, evil world, faithful keeper of promises, fellow believers, fellowship, find God, forget the covenant of thy father, forgiving Deity, forsake thee, God is LOVE, God Jehovah, graven images, heathen, hope, hymn of praise, idol worship, idolatrous things of the world, idolatry, idols, Israelites, Jesus Christ, latter days, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving embrace, loving god, merciful God, Moses, mover and shaker, plague, praise and worship, praise God, precious souls, Promised Land, prosperous, provoke God to anger, rat-race, reassurance, repentance, repented, replenish our souls, righteous life, righteousness., rocket scientist, Sabbath Day, salvation, sane, seek the Lord, sensible, serve gods, silver and gold, siren call, strength, successful, thanks and praise, the Lord God Almighty, the work of men's hands, time today, tribulation, turn to God, ungodly things, unlock the door, warnings, wise, wonderful god, wood and stone, worship
Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
Oh Friends, on this glorious, but a tad chilly morn, the last Sunday in September 2013, I think we should begin our message with a hymn of praise to our wonderful God, Jehovah. So please sing this old, but ever timely hymn with me.
‘Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat). LOVE Him, LOVE Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat). Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children, God is LOVE, God is LOVE; (repeat)
Oh yes my people, there’s no better way to start our day than with some thanks and praise to our ever-LOVING God! Now let’s hope that all of us who are able to, will get out some time today and fellowship with other believers, for we need that strength and reassurance that fellowshipping brings.
That’s why the Lord gave us ONE day each week, regardless of which one you choose, to get together and worship and celebrate His Holy Name. That’s a chance to get away from the evil world and all the ungodly things it has to offer and filter some godly stuff into our precious souls with praise and worship. And all of that fits in very nicely with our Bit: ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
Ah mih Friends, during our work week, we’re constantly bombarded by all the idolatrous things the world has to offer, so we’ve got to make the most use of the opportunity on Sundays, or whenever you celebrate the Sabbath, to put replenish our souls by reasserting that the Lord God Almighty is the ultimate mover and shaker in our lives.
Now for the last two days, we’ve been looking at scripture that supports our Bit, and today we’ll continue to do the same. There’s plenty scripture on idolatry my Friends, and we need to get it all into us, so that we can resist the attractive siren call of the idols of the world.
And we’ll begin with Moses’ warning the Israelites. In Deuteronomy Chap. 4, from verses 15-27, he warns them about turning to the worship of idols when they go into the Promised Land and become prosperous and successful. Letting them know that it would provoke God to anger, and He would then scatter them amongst the heathen.
‘And there shall ye serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy father which he sware unto them.’ (Deut.4:28-31)
And Friends, we all know that the Israelites did not heed Moses’ warning and eventually turned to idol worship, not once, but several times. And God, being the faithful keeper of His promises, dutifully scattered them amongst the heathen. But by the same token, each time they woke up from their stupidity and repented, He was also faithful and merciful to restore them to their land and prosperity.
Oh my people, please remember that our God doesn’t change, and like the Israelites, we have a covenant with Him, through Christ Jesus to stay away from idols and graven images. However, like the Israelites again, we’re not fulfilling our part of the contract, but instead are heavily into worshipping the things of the world. No wonder so much calamity and disaster are currently plaguing our world.
So it’s obvious that if we want to eliminate the catastrophe in our world, then WE have to change. We have to get out of the worldly rat race, CUT OUT the pre-eminence of worldly things in our lives. We can see from the Israelites’ example that all is not lost, that while there’s life, there’s always hope, for our God is a most merciful and forgiving Deity.
Thus, if we sincerely repent and turn from our evil ways, He will once again, enfold us in His LOVING embrace, but it all depends on us my people. We hold the key to both our earthly and eternal destiny, and His name is Jesus!
So let’s use it to unlock the door to righteousness, salvation and eternal life, like we’ve been taught nuh. It’s the only wise, sane and sensible thing to do, provided we want to save and improve our world. You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure that our Friends.
So, though I have more stuff to share, taking into consideration our busy schedules and already overworked mental systems, (smile) I’ll leave us to ponder on those things that make for a godly and righteous life. Much LOVE!
…God’s world doesn’t change…He who is disobedient….will ALWAYS pay a stiff price for their disobedience…
15 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: action, altar of stones, Amen, Ark of the Covenant, blessngs, Book of the Law, burnt offering, children of Israel, christianity, city of Ai, commonsense, cursing, dangers, darkness, death, destruction, education, faithfulness, father in heaven, fear, fellowship, good success, jehovah god, jesus name, Joshua, judges, knowledge, Law of Moses, levites, living our faith, logic, LOVE, loving god, make thy way prosperous, meditate on God's Word, meditation, Moses, Mt. Ebal, obedience, partnership, peace offering, physical numbers, plague, power, practice what you preach, presence, priests, Promised Land, prosperity, sacrifice, serve, sincere faith, spiritual strength, spreading God's Word, strangers, success, sunshine, thanks and praise, trust, wisdom, wise advice, wonderful god, worship
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh mih people, on this bright and beautiful, though somewhat chilly Sunday morning, let’s give our wonderful God a shout of thanks and praise nuh!
Please pray with me. ‘Dear Father in heaven, as we get ourselves together this first day of the week to go and fellowship with other believers, we give You plenty thanks and praise for bringing us safely through the lurking dangers and dangerous darkness of the night just past, into the illuminating sunshine of another blessed day.
Thanks for having Your far-reaching presence constantly watching over us, and Your awesome power always protecting us. For without You as our champion, we’re helpless and destitute. Please enable us to continue worshipping and serving You in sincere faith and trust, so that we can count on Your everlasting faithfulness to lead and guide us on our earthly pilgrimage. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!’
Yes Friends, in these desperate, frantic and troubled times, we need God’s goodness and protection more than ever before. But as in most things, we also have to do our part in making the partnership work, which is to faithfully serve and worship Him. Not just talk it, as we’re so good at doing, but more importantly put it into practice. And I guess it’s time to remind us that CHRISTIANITY IS AN ACTION WORD!
And one of the ways we can accomplish that action is by consciously and seriously following the wise advice contained in our Bit. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
Again, it’s simple logic and commonsense mih breddren! If our boss tells us to do something legitimate, don’t we do it? Of course! Often without even asking why, for fear of getting fired. So why when our God, who is the boss of all bosses, tells us to do something that will obviously benefit us, we hem and haw, complain and too often ignore Him eh?
Oh Friends, no matter what our endeavour, we can’t do it properly unless we learn about it, study it well, know all the nuances, the little ins and outs that causes it to be the unique and exceptional thing it is. None of us acquire education and knowledge without going to school, or putting in a fair amount of time learning stuff, so why should God’s Word be any different eh?
Some of us have several degrees and diplomas, go to school for umpteen years, even make a career out of going to school, spend a lot of time in man-made study, but find it difficult to spend a few minutes each day reading and meditating on God’s Word, the MOST IMPORTANT BOOK IN THE WORLD! And yet, we still expect to reap worldly benefits from Him. What ‘boldfaceness’ mih breddren!
Now that certainly doesn’t make sense, especially when the Lord’s been telling us for ages, that the ONLY WAY to have TRUE prosperity and success here on planet earth is by reading and studying His Word, His wise guidelines!
And it’s not like we haven’t seen the Word in operation over the last how many centuries; that’s bringing success and prosperity to those who make it their duty to study it thoroughly and then practice what it preaches. We’ve also seen what happens to those who don’t obey God’s Word; death and destruction plague them, just like it’s plaguing us now.
Anyway, nuff said. Go to church if you want to hear a sermon. (smile) Now we going to get into some relevant scripture on the necessity of meditating on God’s Word, and the undeniable, indisputable wisdom inherent in doing it.
And what better place to start than with Joshua doing as Moses, the Law and God commanded. After entering the Promised Land and capturing the city of Ai, (Josh.8:1-29) Joshua built an altar of stones at Mt. Ebal and sacrificed peace and burnt offerings unto the Lord there.
‘And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. And all Israel, and their elders, and their officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side (either side) before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well as the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, (Ex.20:24-25; Deut.27:2-6) that they should bless the people of Israel.
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant (living) among them.’ (Josh.8:32-35)
Oh Friends, that is what you call obedience! Joshua did all that Moses and the law called for in the sight of Jehovah God, and therefore the people of Israel were blessed.
Now the same thing could happen today if the majority of us bowed in worship and sincere obedience to God’s will. And as believers in Jesus Christ, we are all anointed to bring unbelievers to Him, by truly LOVING our God, sincerely LIVING our Faith and diligently SPREADING His Word! So let’s get out there and do our job nuh Friends.
It would make such a wonderful difference to our bewildered, battered and bruised world if we could only bring more people to Christ. Much LOVE!
…if one simply teaches another…then the church of Christ would soon grow…both in physical numbers and spiritual strength…and our world would become a much better place to live…
P.S. Just some interesting info from the scholars which I thought I should share. ‘When Joshua read the blessings of the law, the people on Mount Gerizim responded with an “Amen”; when he read the curses of the law, the people on Mount Ebal responded with an “Amen.” Thus, Mount Ebal became known as the Mount of Cursing. The tops of the two mountains are about two miles distant from each other. Jebel Eslamiyeh is the modern name for Mount Ebal.’
For your information. Much LOVE!
28 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an adventure, assurances, attributes, awesome promise, backbone, be of good courage, believers in Jesus, belly, bountiful promises, choices, chronic illnesses, common sense, complaining, courage, covenant, daily devotions, definite promise of Almighty God, depressing, differing days, don't be afraid, don't be dismayed, enthusiasm, ever-faithful, ever-LOVING God, evil world, faith, faithful God, generous, God has faithfully promised, God will not fail you, God will not forsake you, God's Law, godly answer, good courage, good success, groaning, Hallelujah, have success, Herculean task, ingredients of a day, Israelites, Joshua, joy, life, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, meditate on God's law, mix and match, moaning, Moses, naysayers, negative day, never ending cycle, optimism, ordeal, patiently, personal example, positive energy, positive expectation, positive spin, praise, praise his holy name, problems, Promised Land, prosper, psalm 27, redemption, River Jordan, sacrificial act, sad, sincere communion with Jesus Christ, sincerity, sins, stand strong in the Lord, standing on God's promises, strength, strengthen your heart, survival, the cross at Calvary, the Lord, to the Lord in prayer, truth, unbelievers, ungodly world, wait in faith, wait on the Lord, walk in obedience to His will, we can do all things with Christ's help, wisdom
Psalm 27:14. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.
And here we stand once again Friends, in cold amongst the ingredients that it takes to make another day! Ingredients that according to their quantity, their mixing and matching, have the ability to produce anything along a continuum; from a very sad, depressing and negative day at one end, to one that’s full of joy, enthusiasm and positive energy at the other.
And the results we obtain, all depend on the amounts of each ingredient we use, and how we mix and match them. That’s why all of us have differing kinds of days.
Now here’s some sound advice on the subject, taken from the footnote of an old devotional, One More Day, Daily Devotions for People with Chronic Illnesses. And the advice is: ‘Life is an adventure of choices to be lived, not an ordeal to be survived. I choose optimism and joy.’
Yes my people, that’s the way it should be! Life was meant to be lived, not merely survived! So whatsoever ingredients we’re dealt today, let’s adjust the mix to bring us positive energy and joy in our spirits nuh. That’s only simple common sense.
Regardless of how difficult or hopeless things might seem, or even actually be, there’s always a way for us to put a positive spin on them. And that’s especially true for believers in Jesus Christ, seeing that we have all those beautiful and bountiful promises and assurances from our generous, ever-faithful and ever-LOVING God!
And when we add the greatest sacrificial act ever done in the history of this world, Christ’s redemption of our abominable sins by His death on the cross at Calvary, how can we not be joyful and full of positive energy eh?
And all God’s people gave out a deafening roar of ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name!’
Yes Friends, that’s the kind of response we need! So please, let’s not go about moaning and groaning and complaining today, though our entire world might seem to be crumbling around us. Let’s stand strong in the Lord, as He’s asked us to do.
Let’s show the unbelievers and naysayers, by personal example, why we’re true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Today, and everyday, we need to do as Bruh David so wisely advises in our Bit: ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’
Yes my brethren, after taking our problems to the Lord in prayer, we need to remain in patient and positive expectation for His godly answer. And I know that it oftimes takes a lot of courage, belly and backbone to do that sort of thing. But then again, as believers, we must remember that we can do all things through Christ’s help.
Yeh, it often feels like an ongoing, never ending cycle. We need courage and strength to deal with our problems. But that courage and strength can only come from close and sincere communion with Jesus Christ. And when we’re finally granted those attributes, we need to apply them to our problems. But having done that, the cycle begins again.
Ah Lord eh mih people! It might be rough, but there’s no need to be afraid, for our God has faithfully promised to look after us, once we walk obedient to His will. Now listen to this awesome promise God gave to the children of Israel, through Moses, when he anointed Joshua as his successor.
‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them (your enemies): for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6)
Oh Friends, what an amazing promise! And while the Israelites walked sincerely with God, that promise was never broken. But here, to my mind, is one of God’s greatest promise moments in all of the Good Book. It was when He personally anointed Joshua.
Now listen to our heavenly Father, as He reassures and energizes Joshua, to whom He’s given the unenviable and Herculean task of taking the Israelites over the River Jordan into the Promised Land.
‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance (you shall give as a possession) the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper (have success) withersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall constantly be in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:5-9)
And all God’s people declared in loud voice: ‘Wow! What a mighty and faithful God we serve and worship!’
Indeed we do Friends, because God kept His Word as long as Joshua held up his half of the bargain. The same applies to us today my people. Those very words have been spoken over us by Jesus Christ, which means we’re in covenant with Him, and once we do our part, He will definitely do His. But it all depends on us, being strong and courageous and keeping His laws.
So let’s get ourselves together nuh, let’s seriously meditate on His Word, be strong and take heart from it, so that we can be prosperous and successful in this evil, ungodly world. That’s not a remote possibility Friends, but a sure and definite promise of Almighty God to all who serve and worship Him in truth and sincerity.
Now my people, that’s what is termed awesome wisdom! Let’s grab hold of it and hang on tightly nuh! Much LOVE!
…standing…standing…standing on the promises of God my Saviour…standing…standing…I’m standing on the promises of God…
05 Jan 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blessed, choose life, commandments, contentment, curses and blessings, harmony, Jesus Christ, LOVE, lowly job, peace, praise and thanks, Promised Land, prosperity, sacrifical death, stromy passion, trust in the Lord, wonderful god, wonderful news
Deuteronomy 28:2. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
Oh Friends, I have some wonderful news to share with you this morning! I want to tell you that, ‘I, I am blessed. Yes, I’m saying that I, I am blessed. I want to tell the world, that I. I am blessed! Oh mih people, we out here in Western society are so blessed, we have so much to be thankful for, and yet we don’t appreciate it. We’re always complaining about what we don’t have and never seem to stop wanting more, even when we can’t use what we already have. But Friends, if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, food on your table, a job to go to, no matter how lowly and humble – remember Jesus was a lowly carpenter – and your children are healthy, then you can join me and sing: ‘I, I am blessed. Tell the world that I, I am blessed. Let’s tell the world, that we, we are blessed!’ Oh my brethren, the followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are the most blessed people in the whole wide world! Please let’s act like it nuh. What could be better than the sure promise of LOVE and peace, harmony and contentment, salvation, eternal life and joy in heaven, where there will be no more tears, no more pain and no more sorrow eh? My people, we have such a lot to be thankful for here on earth; 90 percent of the world has so much less than us. And we have so much to look forward to when Jesus comes again. Let us therefore give much praise and thanks and glory everlasting to our great and wonderful God, who LOVES us with such a stormy passion, that He even sent His One Son, Jesus, to die a horrible sacrificial death on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled, be reunited with Him. That’s the greatest blessing ever! So let’s sing again, and really mean it. ‘Oh we, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that believers, followers of Jesus are blessed.’ Oh Friends, I don’t even know who sings the song, but I’ve heard on the radio a few times. It’s a nice l’il reggae ditty that just resounds with so much truth, that I couldn’t help but sing the chorus. And today, the Lord just made it erupt in my soul and share it with you. So for whatever it’s worth, let’s sing again nuh, let’s give thanks and praise to the Most High, the Father of LOVE and all wonderful things: ‘Oh I, I am blessed. Yes we, we are blessed. Let’s tell the world that God’s children are blessed!’ And there’s absolutely no doubt about that my breddren, as is clearly stated in our Bit, which falls under the blessings of obedience. ‘And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ My fellow believers, from the very beginning, the Lord promised to bless us if we followed His dictates. That’s the just, kind, righteous and thoughtful God that He is. Hear how Moses put it to the Israelites at the outset of their journey through the wilderness, en route to the Promised Land. ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth.’ (Deut.28:1) Now here are some of the blessings the Lord promised for obedience to His Will. ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl). Blessed shall thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out.’ (Deut.28:3-6) Oh Friends, how could there be any better promise than that eh? No way! The scholars even say that those three verses contain six blessings that extend to every sphere of life. So why wouldn’t we follow the Lord’s Word eh, if such goodness and mercy is going to follow us when we’re obedient to it. And is not like we haven’t seen it in action. It worked for the Israelites and for numerous nations over the ages. But somehow or other when we get fat and prosperous by following the Lord, some weird thing creeps into our minds and souls that then tends to turn us away from Him. I believe we get a bit too big for our britches, thinking that all the prosperity was our doing, when in fact it had everything to do with God’s goodness to obedient followers. So what happens then? When we get too proud and arrogant for our own good, the Lord simply takes away His goodness and mercy and allows us to do it our way, which eventually ends up in a fiasco every time. Note our present situation. A couple decades aback, when we were obedient and prosperous the little gnat from Lucifer invaded our minds and told us that it was all our doing. And fools that we were, we believed him and removed Jehovah God from the prominent position He once held in our society to an also ran role. Now look at the sorry state we’re in. Ah mih people, I don’t know what to say or do to get us to see the light nuh. And what I find interesting is that in this chapter the section on blessings only runs from verses 1-14, but that on curses for disobedience runs from verses 15-68. Wow! Doesn’t that tell us something Friends? I’d strongly suggest that we read Deuteronomy Chapter 28 a few times, just to get it indelibly imprinted on our minds, that disobedience is both foolish and way way more disastrous than obedience to the Creator’s Will. In closing Friends, I ask that we listen to these oh so truthful words of the psalmist: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9) Now my people, please, please let’s write them in our hearts, minds and souls so that we can obey God and be blessed. That’s wisdom at its highest height! Much LOVE!…I have set before you…life and death…blessing and cursing…therefore choose life…that both thou and thy seed may live… (Deut.30:19)
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