01 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a buckler to them that walk uprightly, a modicum of circumspection, a nacklace of jewels, a new flock of believers, a practical application of common sense, a shield to them that walk uprightly, a shield to those who walk with integrity, a treasure of common sense to the honest, a valuable asset, all the tools to do it, be infants in evil, be mature in your thinking, be not children in understanding, be ye therefore wise as serpents, beneficial aspects of wisdom, celebrations, Christian walk, christianity, Civic holiday, common sense, disastrous earthly affairs, discernement, discretion shall preserve thee, divine intervention, error of their ways, everyday situations, faith, Friday chant, get up off our fannies, godly decisions, guidance and protection, harmless as doves, He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous, holy spirit, I send you forth as sheep, in malice be children, in the midst of the wolves, in understanding be men, innocent as doves, Jesus Christ, knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, LOVE, mercy, navigating life's challenges, omnipotent help, our witness for christ, problems are escalating, purity, requiring little reflection, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, self-evident, shrewdness, Simcoe day, sound practical knowledge, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, trusting faith, truth, understanding shall keep thee, wake up and and smell the coffee, wisdom, wisdom enters the heart, wise action is stronger than talk
Matthew 10:16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of the wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.
Here it is friends, the first day of August, our last official month of summer. Let’s hope that it takes it time and doesn’t run away from us like the last two did. But remember, it’s also our responsibility to keep pace with it and not let it get away from us. And the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have been long and loud, for this our August long weekend, our Civic Holiday, Simcoe Day or whatever day we choose to call it. But the first Monday in August is always a holiday. That means the celebrations will also be loud and long, but as always, there’s this warning to be careful and exercise a modicum of circumspection, so that no untoward disasters will occur.
Yes, let’s use some common sense as we celebrate, although I know that common sense is not very prevalent in our society right now, (smile) but it will certainly do us a lot of good if we try to bring it back, to re-instill it in our irresponsible societal ways. And since we’re on the topic of common sense that seems to be absent from our society, I guess now would be the right time to talk about it. And what exactly is common sense?
This commentary explains it thus: ‘Common sense is the basic level of sound practical knowledge and judgment that most people possess and rely on in everyday situations. It’s often described as the knowledge that is shared by nearly all people and is considered self-evident or requiring little reflection.’ And that seems right, it’s a basic sense of good judgement that we all ought to share in our daily doings.
And don’t think it’s only a secular concept, of course not, for the Bible has a lot to say about common sense, even if it does not call it that. This commentary further explains that ‘God grants common sense to the upright, leading to understanding, protection, and success. The verses encourage seeking wisdom and discernment, suggesting that godly common sense is a valuable asset for navigating life’s challenges.’ And so it is my people.
So let’s look at a few scriptures that highlight common sense. And since the Proverbs of Cousin Sol is a Book of wisdom, many of them are found there, like this one from Proverbs 2: ‘He layeth up (stores up) sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler (shield) to them that walk uprightly.’ (Prov. 2:7) Or as this translation puts it: “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.” There we see, common sense being linked with integrity and honesty.
Then listen to this one: ‘When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul: Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.’ (Prov. 2:10-11) So, when you acquire wisdom and understanding, you will be better able to make good and godly decisions. Or, as one commentary says: ‘This passage highlights the protective and beneficial aspects of wisdom and understanding, which are closely related to common sense.’ And is it ever! For if the world had more godly wisdom and understanding, it would certainly not be in the disastrous and chaotic state it’s now in.
And what about these verses? ‘My son, let not them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace (favour) to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.’ (Prov. 3:21-23) Yes friends, common sense and discernment, are indeed riches, like jewels around our necks. They also provide favour, godly goodness to our souls, and they keep us safe in our Christian walk. They emphasize the value of common sense for guidance and protection.
But Cousin Sol is not the only one who emphasized the use of common sense in their writings. Hear this verse from Bruh Paul to the Corinthians. ‘Brethren, be not children in understanding; howbeit in malice be ye children (babes), but in understanding be ye men (mature).’ (1 Cor. 14:20) There, he’s admonishing them for being small minded and evil. Or as this translation puts it: “Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” This verse encourages believers to develop mature and discerning thinking, which is a component of common sense.’
And our last scripture on common sense is one from Jesus, when he sends out the disciples to witness to the children of Israel. He says to them: ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of the wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless (innocent) as doves.’ (Matt. 10:16) Jesus is sending the disciples out in dangerous territory, but he expects them to use the wisdom and understanding, He’s taught them, to develop common sense. And I like how this commentary explains it: ‘This verse, while not directly using the term “common sense,” calls for a balance of shrewdness (wisdom) and innocence (purity), which is a practical application of common sense.’
So, my fellow believers, we see that the scriptures are filled with verses on common sense. And as the commentary further explains: ‘These scriptures suggest that common sense is not merely a secular concept but a divinely given quality that helps individuals make wise decisions, navigate life’s challenges, and experience God’s blessings.’ And our first step of common sense in any situation is always to pray. So let’s do that right now nuh, by going to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant to ask for divine intervention in our disastrous earthly affairs.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to manage these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And friends, though we pray all day, every day, unless we improve our witness for Christ, divine intervention will not be forthcoming. Jesus has done His part, we now have to do ours. And we have all the tools to do it. So, all that’s necessary, is for us to get up off of our fannies and do it! Much LOVE!…talk can be strong…but wise action is always stronger…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper relationship with God, a desire for the Holy Spirit to fulfill and transform the individual, a new covenant, a new heart will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel, a rushing mighty wind, a source of renewal, all filled with Holy Ghost, all shall know me, all with one accord in one place, as the spirit gave them utterance, be merciful to their unrighteousness, be to me a people, be to them a God, began to speak with other tongues, Breathe on me Breath of God, breathed into his nostrils, cause you to walk in my statutes, celebration of the church's baptism with the Holy Ghost, cloven tongues, commemorating the harvest harvest, do what you would do, Edwin Hatch, every man his brother, faith, fellowship, fill me with life anew, fill our spiritual tanks to overflowing, for mine own sake, from the least to the greatest, glows with fire divine, God breathing life into Adam, holy spirit, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, it filled all the house, it sat upon each of them, Jesus Christ, John baptized with water, keep my judgements and do them, know the Lord, life giving breath, like as of fire, live with you the perfect life, LOVE, love the way you love, man became a living soul, mercy, my will is one with yours, new life, obedient to Jesus, Pentecost Sunday, purity, put my laws into their mind, put my spirit within you, remain in Jerusalem, salvation, seeks the breath of God, shall shall not teach every man their neighbour, so shall I never die, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, suffer in hellfire for all eternity, sweet sacrifices of praise, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, that I may be free, the anniversary of the Ten Commandments, the biblical imagery, the breath of life, the breath of the Almighty gives me life, the day of Pentecost was fully come, the Feast of weeks, the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, the Lord God, the Spirit of God has made me, there appeared unto them, till I am earthly thine, to do and to endure, to fulfill and transform the individual, truth, until my heart is pure, wait for the promise of the Father, will not remember thy sins, wisdom, write them in their hearts, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
Acts 2:3. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And then it was Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the day the early church was baptized with the Holy Ghost! But, as this commentary tells us, ‘in the Old Testament, Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, was a celebration commemorating the harvest of wheat and barley, as well as the anniversary of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision and a reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel.’
And, as we all know, Jesus ascended back to heaven forty days after His resurrection. However, before He left, He commanded the disciples and the other followers to remain in Jerusalem and ‘wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5) So, being obedient to His desire, they stayed in Jerusalem. And this is the amazing and mind boggling scenario the Lord contrived, some two thousand years ago on the Pentecost Sunday, that fell ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven.
The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (the followers) were all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (enabled them to do).’ (Acts. 2:1-4)
Yes friends, on that day the Christian church was officially born, with the Holy Spirit alighting on each of the believers, showing that the Spirit’s baptism included them all. This spiritual baptism also fulfilled the promise of a New Covenant between God and Israel, as prophesied by Ezekiel 36: 26-27: ‘A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them.’
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews records it thus: ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man their neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me. From the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities (lawless deed) will I remember no more.’ (Heb. 8:10-13)
And did He ever do all of that in a majestic and breath-taking manner! First, sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, then filling every believer after that with the promise of the Holy Spirit, as Guide, Comforter and Helper. And also fulfilling another Old Testament promise as prophesied by Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is. 43:25) Wow! What a great and faithful God we serve my brethren! Who calls things as though they were, (Rom. 4:17) then turns around and fulfills them.
Now, having opened up our spirits, hearts and minds with scripture and understanding of it, this warm, bright and sunny Pentecost Sunday, let’s raise the roof of the Lord’s sanctuary with sweet sacrifices of praise as we offer up a mid-tempo, soulful and scintillating version of a hymn that’s usually sung at this time. It’s aptly titled, ‘Breathe on Me , Breath of God, an English Christian Hymn, written by Edwin Hatch, a Church of England vicar and the Professor of Classics at the University of Trinity College in Canada. It was first published privately in 1878 and publicly published in 1886.
It’s a short and simple, but very meaningful hymn. One commentary says: ‘The hymn expresses a desire for the Holy Spirit to fill and transform the individual, bringing new life, purity, and a deeper relationship with God.’ While another describes it thus: ‘The author invokes the Holy Spirit to come into his life and transform it. Using the first-person perspective throughout the hymn adds to the hymn’s power as the singer seeks the breath of God (Genesis 2:7) as a source for renewal.’
But enough talk, let’s do exactly as those commentaries say; seeking a more meaningful and intimate relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit as we sing this marvellous hymn. But wait, before we begin, let’s note that one video version had this most appropriate scripture from Job 33:4, as a prologue, and I want it to be our prologue too. So let’s declare it: ‘The Spirit of God has made me, And the Breath of the Almighty gives me life.’ That’s the gospel truth friends!
So, finally singing: ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may LOVE the way you LOVE, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, Breath of God Till I am earthly thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with thy fire divine. Breathe on me, Breath of God, So that I may be free, so shall I never die, but live with you the perfect life for all eternity. Ohh Lord… breathe on me! Yes Lord…breathe your ever-LOVING, life giving breath on me…’
Oh my people, what an outstanding rendition! All heaven was moved by our heartfelt, soulful sacrifices of praise! And as this commentary expresses: ‘The hymn’s request to “breathe on me” directly relates to the biblical imagery of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7 and Jesus breathing on the apostles in John 20:22. Both passages emphasize God’s active role in imparting life and the Holy Spirit.’
Now, nuff said, let’s go home, with hearts rejoicing after much praise and thanksgiving in the Lord’s house, hopefully, with all of our spiritual tanks refilled to overflowing with God’s Holy Spirit, this Pentecost Day of 2025. Much LOVE!
… And the Lord God…formed man of the of the dust of the ground…and breathed into his nostrils…the breath of life…and man became a living soul… (Gen. 2:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
18 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the saints adore thee, all thy works, before the glassy sea, blessed Trinity, by your will, casting down their golden crowns, cathedral, cherubim, confidence, direct my prayer, doctrine of the Trinity, early in the morning, exaltation, extol God's character, extol God's creative powers, faith, First council of Nicaea, for thy pleasure, four and twenty elders, God in three persons, God is the king, greetings, holy holy holy, honour, hovel, I am in the midst, in my name, Jesus Christ, John Bacchus Dykes, LOVE, merciful, mighty, O Lord, of all the earth, oue Lord and Saviour, our song shall rise to thee, peace, perfect in power, power, praise, purity, Reginald heber, seraphim, shall praise thy name, sing praises to God, stand us in good stead, tey are and were created, the angels, the church, the elders, the eye of sinful man, the Lord of hosts, the Lord's Day, they exist, thou art worthy, thou hast created all things, to receive glory, where two or three are gathered, will look up, zest
Revelation 4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.
Oh my fellow believers, I bring you warm and plentiful greetings of peace and LOVE this Sunday morning from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Remember it’s the Lord’s Day; the day He rested after creating our universe, and He expects us to get in some rest today too, but also to join together with other believers in sincere fellowship in His sanctuary. And believe me, He doesn’t care whether our meeting place is a splendiferous cathedral, or merely a poor, broken down hovel.
Remember what Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) Yes friends, our great and merciful God simply wants us to gather together to worship and praise Him and hear His Word so that we can be encouraged, our faith strengthened to go out and face the enemy with zest and confidence during this upcoming week. So today, please let’s make it a point to gather with believers of like faith and raise our hearts and voices to heaven in praise and exaltation.
And as always, we begin our proceedings with song, today’s being one supposedly chosen in a poll by the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada, as being the greatest Christian hymn ever. We call it’ Holy, Holy, Holy.’ Some might not call it the greatest, but it surely is amongst the greatest! It was written by the Anglican pastor Reginald Heber (1783-1826), apparently for use on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, a feast day in honour of the Holy Trinity.
As you can see it speaks specifically of the Holy Trinity with several references to passages of scripture in the Good Book. The claim has also been made that John Bacchus Dykes composed a tune for this hymn in 1861 and titled it ‘Nicaea’ as a tribute to the First Council of Nicaea, which formalized the doctrine of the Trinity in 325.
And now that we have all that knowledge of the tune’s origins, let’s sing it in loud, harmonious voice nuh, making heaven sit up and take notice. All together now: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy. sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man, Thy glory may not see: Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power in LOVE, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, Holy, Holy! merciful and mighty, God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, Holy, Holy! merciful and mighty, God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!’
Oh my people, I’m sure that all three personages of our Trinity were touched by that soulful and harmonious rendition! You know our God likes His praise. (smile) As the sons of Korah sang: ‘Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:6-7)
But the words themselves are ever so relevant to the believer’s life. Just listen to these sentiments nuh. ‘Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.’ And so should it my faithful brethren. Bruh David enshrined it in Psalm 5 when he declared: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’ (Ps.5:3) And our God sure is ’Merciful and Mighty! No doubt about that whatsoever.
As Isiah said when the Lord commissioned him, and he saw the wonder of the Lord on His throne with the seraphim all around Him. ‘And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.’ (Is.6:3) And so it is indeed my people!
Then in the second verse of the hymn, we have the vision of John per the activities in heaven: ‘And round about the throne were four and twenty seats (thrones): and upon the seats (thrones) I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment (robes), and they had on their heads crowns of gold…. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts (living creatures) full of eyes (symbolizing wisdom) before and behind.
And the first beast was like a lion (representing strength), and the second beast like a calf (representing service), and the third beast had a face as a man (representing intelligence), and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle (representing swiftness). And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him (depicting movement); and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
And when those beasts (living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.’ (Rev.4:4, 6-11))
And that says it all friends! The scholars though expand on it some: ‘4:9-11. All of heaven worship the Father. The angels extol His character, and the elders (church) extol His creative powers. God has the right to rule and the sovereign authority to judge the earth, because He is both holy and the Creator of all.’ Please let’s remember that and live accordingly my fellow believers in Christ, for it will stand us in good stead down the road. Much LOVE!
…our Godhead…perfect in power…in LOVE…and in purity…
03 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Aaron, blessed Trinity, call upon his name, cherubim, darkness, eocnomic misery, evil, evil deeds, exalt ye the Lord, exaltation, faithful brethren, fellow believers, fellowshipping, forgave, gather in God's sanctuary, get thee behind me Satan, God in three persons, good, hatred, he is holy, heresy, holiness, holy, holy holy holy, homelessness, hope, hope toward God, hunger, lift our voices in song, light, LOVE, merciful mighty, Moses, offense toward God, ordinance, perfect, poverty, power, praise and worship, purity, resurrection of the dead, saints, Samuel, seraphim, sickness, sin, sinful man, special time, spiritual nourishment, statute, strife, Sunday, testimonies, the cloudy pillar, the Lord's Day, the Lord's Word, vengeance, war, worship, worship at his footstool
Psalm 99:5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
Well my faithful brethren in Christ, that wonderful time has come around again; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when we get to gather in His sanctuary and praise and worship Him while fellowshipping with our fellow believers. That’s such a special time in our faith my people, when we lift up our voices in song and prayer and listen to the Lord’s Word that provides us with spiritual nourishment and strength to keep on keeping on. So let’s begin the proceedings with this old hymn of immense exaltation, ‘Holy, holy, holy.’
With voices sweet, harmonious and loud, let’s sincerely offer up the sacrifice of praise with our lips. ‘Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee, Perfect in pow’r, in LOVE, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!’
Oh friends, what wonderful sentiments that hymn displays! Our God; holy, merciful, mighty! He is so powerful that it takes three persons, a Trinity to make One of Him! Perfect in power, LOVE, and purity! The whole earth, His awesome creation, shall offer up plenty heart-felt praises to Him! What a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship my people!
I do hope that we fully understand and deeply appreciate not only His power, and His awesome generosity, but even more so His holiness and righteousness! As our Bit so gloriously proclaims to all and sundry: ‘Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.’ Words of indisputable truth my brethren as our hymn so deftly shows.
And that’s why He cannot condone or magnify sin; it just goes against His very holiness. Sin and holiness just don’t mix! It’s like good and evil; darkness and light, total opposites. That’s also why He had to find a way to sanctify us, set us apart and make us holy too, otherwise we couldn’t dwell with Him. And to keep that aura of holiness around us, we have to continually follow the command of our Bit, sincerely exalt and worship the Lord our God.
Jesus said it in no uncertain terms when Satan tried to tempt Him into devil worship. ‘Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’ (Luke 4:8) Jesus was there echoing the words of Moses to the children of Israel long before that. (Deut.6:13)
And Bruh Paul, when carried before the governor Felix by the Jewish council on charges of heresy, solemnly declared. ‘But this I confess unto thee, that after the way (according to the way) which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets.
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow (accept), that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. And herein (this being so) do I exercise myself (I myself strive), to always have a conscience void (without) offense toward God, and toward men.’ (Acts 24:14-16)
It’s all about God friends, not about us. And Bruh Paul in his great knowledge of the scriptures would know that was indeed the right thing to do. For example, he must have known the words of the psalmist after our Bit. ‘Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance (statute) that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions (on their evil deeds.)’ (Ps.99:6-8)
Ah people, it’s so simple; if we’d only follow God’s laws, everything would be right with us and with our world. There would not be this excessive amount of hatred, strife, war, hunger, sickness, poverty, homelessness, economic misery, etc. etc. that’s currently engulfing it.
In the long run friends, we only have one wise option, and that’s to do as the psalmist advises: ‘Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.’ (Ps.99:9) Nuff said this morning friends. Have a blessed Sunday. Much LOVE!
…the holiness of God…calls for nothing less than sincere exaltation…
26 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adore, assured, be glad in the Lord, blessed Trinity, cherubim, cleanse us, compassion, confess our sins, confident, darkness hide thee, deliverance, divine instruction, enthusiasm, evil world, exalt, exaltation, faithful and just, floods, forgive us our sins, forgiveness, glorify, God in three persons, Hades, heavenly Father, holy, human nature, humble ourselves, humility, iniquity, inspiring word, joy, LOVE, merciful, mighty, mind boggling option, my hiding place, perfect in power, personal witness, praise and worship, purity, reform ourselves, refreshed, rejoice, renewed, righteous, saints, Selah, seraphim, shout for joy, sincerity, sins, songs of deliverance, sorrows, Sunday, thanks, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest, the Lord's sanctuary, the wicked, transgressions, truth, unconfessed sin, unrighteousness, upright in heart
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then friends, it was the glorious day of praise and worship; Sunday! The day when we go into the Lord’s sanctuary and exalt and glorify Him as one body, His church, listen to His awesome and inspiring word and leave renewed and refreshed, assured and confident to face another week in this crazy and evil world.
And as always, we’ll begin with a wonderful rendition of one of our wonderful hymns, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ So let’s offer up the sacrifice of our lips to our heavenly Father with enthusiasm, sincerity and truth.
‘Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, who wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see, only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in LOVE, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity!’
Yeh mih people, there’s no other God like ours; merciful and mighty; perfect in power and LOVE, one God in three persons, blessed Trinity! That’s why He is the GREATEST! No wonder we need to offer up our praise and worship, our thanks and exaltation, for He rightly deserves it.
We also need to humble ourselves before Him because He is holy and does not like or overlook sin.
But in His awesome grace has provided us with an option to be cleansed of the natural evil of our human nature, as our Bit so joyfully tells us. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
We can’t ask much more than that nuh my fellow believers. He didn’t have to do it, but in His wonderful LOVE and compassion for us, He just couldn’t let us go down to the pit of Hades without giving us a chance to reform ourselves. So here we are with this amazing choice of being able to praise and worship Him and come to Him in humility and ask for forgiveness.
Wow! No other supposed god gives their worshippers such a mind boggling option! That’s why we’re foolish if we don’t accept it and live up to it. Now hear the words of Bruh David as he talks about the blessed of forgiveness from Psalm 32.
‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit). When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (my vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must he held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about (surround him). Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps. 32:1-11)
Oh friends, how wonderful it is to be touched by the power of the Lord’s forgiveness! And here is what the scholars have to say about that psalm.
‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vs.1-2); the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vs.3-4); and the simple remedy of confession to obtain God’s forgiveness (v.5). On this basis David can experience prayer (vs.6-7); divine instruction (vs.8-9); and personal witness (vs.10-11).’
Yeh friends, what a great way to end this series of messages on confession of sin and the Lord’s faithfulness to forgive and cleanse us! So please, let’s not forget the wonderful avenues that are open to us when we sincerely serve and worship the Lord God Almighty, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Let’s not be foolish and ignore all that He’s provided for us in His grace and tender mercies. Then we can rejoice and shout with joy! So let’s be wise and acknowledge Him nuh, lean on Him and make our way through Him, for that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…to forgive is wonderful…but to receive forgiveness is even better…
21 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a virgin, and bring forth a son, anxious, backwater town, betrothed, blessed art thou among women, bring forth a son, call his name Jesus, calm response, celebrations, Christ's mother, Christmas Season, conceive, consternation, courage, day of Christ's birth, Elisabeth, engagement, espousal, exalt, faith, fear not, found favour with God, full marks, Galilee, glory hallelujah, go overboard, good health, grateful, hail, highly favoured, his father David, House of David, I am a virgin, I am halfway home, I know no man, I'm not turning back, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Joseph, joyful spirit, looking straight ahead, LOVE, manner of greeting, Mary, my hands are on the plough, Nazareth, old age, our Lord and Saviour, outlandish approach, Praise the Lord, purity, recognition, reign, rejoice, role players, saga, salutation, star of the show, strict Jewish community, that holy thing, the angel Gabriel, the breath of life, the glorious future with Jesus, the Holy Ghost, the house of jacob, the Lord is with thee, the power of the Highest., the Son of God, the Son of the Highest, the throne, thou shalt conceive, throw a tantrum, to know Jesus, troubled, under heavy manners, Wednesday Wail, womb, Zechariah
Luke 1:31. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Well, a good Wednesday morning, four days before Christmas, my fellow believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! (smile)
Let’s hope that this message reaches you all in good health and joyful spirit as we plan the celebrations for this Christmas season, where we remember and give thanks for the birth of Christ.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Yes friends, that day of Christ’s birth will soon be upon us, and we all know that Jesus is the star of the show, but today I want to talk about one of the lesser, but still very important role players in the story, Christ’s mother, Mary.
Now over the last few years, after getting more familiar with her part, I’ve come to believe that she doesn’t get the recognition she truly deserves. Remember it all begins with her.
‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (betrothed, engaged) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.’ (Luke 1:26-27)
Yuh see friends, right there Mary’s importance in the proceedings is established. An angel of God, come to earth to talk to this young, engaged Jewish girl in a backwater town of Nazareth.
Before we go further though, let’s check out a couple of the scholars’ explanations. ‘1:26. This was the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy.’ Elisabeth was Mary’s cousin, at first barren, but then pregnant with John the Baptist.
‘1:27. Espousal (similar to our engagement period) was, under Jewish law, as binding as marriage. It lasted about a year, during which time the woman’s purity was maintained.’ So we see right there, Mary was already under heavy manners, because of her betrothal.
‘And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind (considered) what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:28-29)
Ah friends, can you imagine being a teenaged girl, engaged to be married in a strict Jewish community, sitting quietly in your parents house and this angel comes up to you and begins to exalt you. Obviously you’d be somewhat anxious and wonder what it was all about.
‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ (Luke 1:30-31)
Ah Lord eh! Can you imagine Mary’s consternation? She’s already been betrothed, and the rules are so strict, now this angel is coming to tell her that she will get pregnant and bring forth a son, who’s name shall be Jesus!
To make matters worse, she’s little more than a girl with no life experience in a tightly controlled Jewish society. Personally, I would not have wanted to be in her situation. But give Mary full marks for courage. She doesn’t go overboard, jump and holler, or any negative actions. She just listens quietly as the angel Gabriel continues:
‘He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:32-33)
Yes mih breddren, even in these enlightened times, such an outlandish approach would be a cause of consternation and anxiety in any experienced female. So can you imagine poor Mary’s thoughts?
She was engaged, and wasn’t supposed to have sex before marriage, but to have a child one must know a man first (at least in those days). So what was this angel trying to do to her life eh? But apparently she didn’t make a fuss, throw a tantrum over Gabriel words, but simply continued with her own question
‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know no man, (I am a virgin)? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall over-shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God.
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:34-37)
Mamacita! What a situation to put a young girl in! But you know what endears Mary to me? Her calm response in the face of all that the situation would entail for her.
‘And Mary said, Behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
And the scholars tell us to consider and contrast Mary’s response with that of Zechariah (v.18) who didn’t believe when he was told that his barren wife would bear a son, and was made dumb until the birth of John the Baptist.
Yeh friends, Mary’s faith seems to have been well developed at a pretty young age. And we all know what she eventually went through, so please don’t dismiss her as just another bit player in the saga of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now let’s go home, suitably challenged, (smile) declaring our Wednesday Wail with sincere passion and truth. In unison now: ‘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!’
Oh friends, it’s so wonderful to be associated with Jesus Christ, that words can’t describe it! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
17 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a godly manner, a positive idea, begun a good work, being confident, blessed Trinity, casting down, character, cherubim, Christian brethren, common sense, conduct, conform, desire, discernment, distort the message, early in the morning, earth, eternal security, eye made blind by sin, fellowship, financial support, forgiveness, fruit, glassy sea, glorify our heavenly Father, glorifying God, God in three persons, God is faithful, God's will, golden crowns, grace, guidance, holy holy holy, imprisonment, in the mind of a believer, joy, judgement, knowledge, LOVE, making request, mature, may abound, measuring up, merciful, mercy, mighty, moral life, My walk, of this very thing, our song shall rise to thee, perfect in power, Philippi, Philippians, powerful force, praise, prayer, purity, purpose, reinforcement, remembrance, righteous fruit, righteousness, robert h schuller, run, saving work, sea, seraphim, sky, spiritual strength, spreading the good news, standards, static, Sunday, thank God, thanksgiving, the darkness, the day of Jesus Christ, the finish line, the gospel, the Holy Spirit, the Lord's tutelage, the Sabbath of the Lord, the saints adore thee, thy works shall praise thy name, truth, walking in God's will, will perfor it, wisdom, worship, worthwhile things
Philippians 1:6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Ah friends, it’s the best day of the week – Sunday –the Sabbath of the Lord! That means it’s time for worship and praise and thanksgiving and fellowship, so that we can glorify our heavenly Father together and receive His endless LOVE, grace, mercy and forgiveness in a renewal of our spiritual strength and well-being! Wow!
And what better way to begin our day than with a song of praise. So please sing with me, this old but highly treasured hymn, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ Let’s raise the roof with our sincere and heartfelt praise, so that heaven stands up and takes notice.
‘Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, who wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see, only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity!’
Yes my brethren, a most appropriate way to get us clearly tuned into our God, with no static buzzing around to distort the message, ready to hear His word and consequently have His Holy Spirit move in a godly manner within us.
And from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional comes this prayer titled ‘MY WALK.’ I might have shared it before, but what’s to stop us from sharing it again eh? (smile)
Please pray with me. ‘O God, I’m inspired, for you have just impressed this truth into my mind. The most powerful force in the world is a positive idea in the mind of a believer who is walking in your will! I now reach forth my life and say, “God, put my life into the centre of your will.” Amen.’
Now I do hope we all mean that friends, because there’s really nothing as powerful as a positive idea in the mind of an obedient follower of Christ! And if we’re truly sincere, God will put just such an idea into our minds and cause us to successfully run with it, right to the finish line.
Now most likely whatever God puts in our minds to do won’t be easy, but we know that He will ALWAYS assist us in any task we undertake on His behalf!
No wonder Bruh Paul could write to the Philippians: ‘I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:3-6)
Yes my fellow believers, Bruh Paul is letting the Philippians know that he continually thanks God for their help in spreading the good news of Christ, even from the very first day that they heard it, right up until the time of his writing. He was also grateful for their prayers and financial support. The church at Philippi was a strong one early on in its formation. Thus Bruh Paul could write the words of our Bit, confident that they would grow and mature under the Lord’s tutelage and guidance.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:6. Will perform it is said “will finish it.” Paul is convinced that the work of grace that God began in the Philippians at conversion will be divinely continued until the day of Jesus Christ. That is, the Lord will keep working in these believers until Jesus returns to earth, at which point He will finish His work, bringing it to completion.
This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’
Now friends, doesn’t that just give us encouragement and reassurance, since it’s the same programme the Lord has in mind for each believer. His avowed desire and purpose is to conform us as closely as possible to His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and once He’s begun that process, He won’t stop until He takes us home or Christ returns to earth, whichever comes first.
Please remember my Christian brethren that God is ever-faithful, and once He takes you under His comforting wings, He’ll never let anything untoward happen to you. In other words, we are secure in His everlasting LOVE, care and concern.
And Bruh Paul ends this section with more reinforcement. ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and judgement (discernment): That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil.1:9-11)
Oh my people, the same expectations have been set in place for us in these modern times. Nothing has really changed. God’s plan is still the same for all of us.
And the scholars explain. 1:10. Things that are excellent means “things that really matter.” This refers to important issues. As the Philippians’ LOVE increases in knowledge and discernment (v.9), they will be able to accurately distinguish the vital and worthwhile things in life from those that are not.
Contextually, the readers’ LOVE for Paul vexes them as they are anxious over his imprisonment. He wants them to perceive his imprisonment as being among “those things that really matter” because of the good that God will bring out of it. The purpose for such discrimination is that ye may be sincere (or, morally pure) and without offense till the day of Christ.’
And re ‘1:11. This verse could be translated, “Filled with the fruit that is righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ for the purpose of glorifying and praising God.” The believer who is pure and without offense before God (v.10) has divinely developed in him a practical “righteousness” or daily moral life that measures up to God’s standards in character and conduct. The ultimate purpose for this “righteousness” is to glorify God.’
Ah friends, that says it all. So let’s ponder what we’ve said today and see if we’re measuring up to God’s standards, then sincerely ask Him to help us do better. That’s both common sense and eternal wisdom! Much LOVE!
…without exception…believers are expected to bear righteous fruit…for the purpose of glorifying Almighty God…
28 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advocates, aura of love, be holy, blessed, bounden duty, Christ's Resurrection, confidence, Easter celebration, enthusiasm, evil, fellowship, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, godly love, heavenly Father, holiness, holy spirit, honour, human frailties, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, living standards, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, negative side, Oh Lord God Almighty, our calling, perfect harmony, positive spin, praise, pure, purity, reach out to others, recociliation, reconciled to God, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., sacrificially, selflessly, separation, separation from sin, serve a useful purpose, sin, steadfast faith, thanks, the Lord your God is holy, trials, tribulations, true colours, truth, ungodly world, weaknesses, weary souls, Ye shall be holy
Leviticus 19:1-2. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
Oh Friends, that wonderful day called Monday has rolled around once again!
And all God’s people declared a loud, hearty and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ Wow! Are we changing or what! (smile)
But unlike last Monday, when many of us had the day off to celebrate Easter Monday, today we all have to go to work, so that we can earn money to buy bread to keep our physical bodies going.
And as I said sometime aback, we don’t have much choice, provided we want to eat and have a roof over our heads, so we might as well put a positive spin on it, rather than the negative, I’m tired, etc. etc. attitude that is so common today.
Ah mih people, most of the world’s population would kill to have the blessed life that many of us live in this Western Society. So please, let’s stop complaining about the few things which we don’t have, many of which are not essential, and enjoy and celebrate the many things we do have that give us the best living standard in the entire world.
And the best way to do all of that is by giving our wonderful God a whole lot of glory, praise, thanks and honour. So this Monday morning when we’re still celebrating Christ’s amazing and life-changing Resurrection, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto, remembering what Christ so selflessly and sacrificially accomplished for us two thousand years ago.
So mih breddren, let’s sing, loud and in perfect harmony: ‘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 mih people! That was wonderful! Jesus was pleased. It made Him feel that His sacrifice was worthwhile after all. Now we’ve got to go out and show the world our true colours in Jesus. And there’s no better way to do that than to personify the words of our Bit: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.’
Matter finish and done with Friends! Your God is holy, so if you want to truly worship Him, then you need to be holy too. No ifs, ands and buts about it!
And before we go any further, let’s hear what the scholars have to say about the Holiness of God. ’19:2. The Hebrew word translated “holiness” comes from a root meaning “to separate or cut off.”
The primary meaning of holiness implies God’s positive quality of self-affirming purity; the secondary meaning implies separation, particularly separation from sin. The holiness of God means He is absolutely pure and absolutely separate from (and above) all His creatures, and also separate from sin and evil.
Illustration: Because God is holy, all sin is offensive to Him. For this reason he had to break fellowship with His own Son when Jesus became our sin bearer (cf. Matt. 27:46) Only through the identification of Christ with our sin as our sacrifice can we be reconciled to God.
Application: When the Scriptures mention the holiness of God, they also stress the personal holiness of His people. (First Ref. Gen.1:4; Primary Ref. Lev.19:2; cf. John 14:6).’
What more can I add to that eh Friends? Not a whole lot; except to say that if we want to be God’s people, then like Jesus said in our Bit yesterday, we need to be perfect, complete, abounding in godly Love, and as today’s warns, we also need to be holy, like our heavenly Father.
Now please don’t go away with the idea that the Father needs us to be perfect, because He knows that we can never be, since He didn’t make us that way. But in spite of our human frailties and weaknesses, He does expect us to try and be excellent advocates and examples of His LOVE and Holiness, personified through Jesus.
And if we are sincere about wanting to follow Jesus, then He will help us to do so. Therefore, with all of that in mind, please, let’s get really serious about Jesus nuh!
And Friends, there’s no better time than right now to do so, in the midst of this Easter Season, when all the world’s eyes and minds are on Jesus and His great work of reconciliation. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to reach out to others and cause them to want to come to Him.
It’s also our calling and bounden duty as believers. So please let’s do as we ought nuh. Heavenly wisdom requires it. Much LOVE!
…to sincerely work for Jesus…we must be willing to sacrifice some…and to bear some trials and tribulations…like He did…
SCRIP-BITS 