09 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier of Christ, a party animal, all ye that labour, arguments, Casting down imaginations, closer to home, come unto me, comfessesth, easy pickings, entangles himself, every high thing, exalteth itself, false arguments, false prophets, fill your mind, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, go overboard, God's Word, godly wisdom, heavy laden, I will give you rest, in Jesus name, is come in the flesh, Jesus Christ, lined up with, LOVE, mighty through God, monkey do, monkey see, not carnal, of the flesh, our mind is the battlefield, powers of darkness and evil, pulling down of strongholds, refreshed in soul body and mind, set boundaries, slave driver, spiritual world powers, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the affairs of this life, the knowledge of god, the Lord will meet all our needs, the spirit of the antichrist, the things of Christ, the truth of Jesus, the workingman's song, through His riches in glory, try the spirits, we do not war after the flesh, we walk in the flesh, weapons of our warfare, work is good, zest for life
2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh.
And then it was Friday…the one after the Caribana long weekend…and mucho prayers are being sent up to heaven giving thanks for making it through this rough and tiring though short workweek! So what else is new eh? Heaven is always bombarded with more prayers when things are rough with mankind. And I guess that’s how it was meant to be since Jesus invited us to: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt.11:28)
I don’t know if He meant tired from too much partying too, (smile) but I’m sure that whenever we call on Him, for whatever reason, He will NEVER turn us down, once our prayers are sincere. So please keep crying out to Him in sincerity, whatever your needs are, because Bruh Paul also promised that the Lord will meet all our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ. (Phil.4:19)
So now that we’ve straightened that out, (smile) let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself today. As always, he’s really enthused about the weekend. ‘TGIF! Thank God for Friday yes mih breddren because it’s the start of the weekend! Yeah! My time to do whatever, whenever and however I like! No slave driver in mih life for at least two big days! Wow! Thank the Lord for that yes! Work is good, but like too much of everything else, too much of it is no good!
Well…possibly except for partying…Oh yes, I am a party animal, but I try not to overdo it, try to set a half decent example for the children, because yuh know they quick to do what they see you do, rather than what you tell them. As the old saying goes, monkey see, monkey do. Anyway, enough philosophizing…is Friday…and we starting the party right here and now…regardless of what the slave master think or say! Lift them high friends…and thank God for Fridays and weekends!’
Ah mih people, you have to enjoy the workingman’s zest for life though he tends to go somewhat overboard. He’s not a bad philosopher either. (smile) But his limits are just too far out for those of us who sincerely believe in Jesus. We set boundaries a li’l closer to home than he does. So let’s hear what our weekend song, our Friday Chant sounds like nuh, as we proclaim it to all and sundry in full voice and sincere hearts.
‘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!’
Ah friends, as followers of, and true believers in Christ, we have to be somewhat more cognizant of the world around us and how the enemy is operating because we are in a big battle with the spiritual world powers of darkness and evil, so we can’t afford to be footloose and fancy free like the ordinary workingman. And that’s the gospel truth as Bruh Paul so wisely informs us:
‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having a readiness to revenge (punish) all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.’ (2. Cor.10:3-6)
Yes my fellow saints, I know that’s a mouthful and might be somewhat obscure and incomprehensible to some of us, (smile) but here’s what the scholars have to say about it, hope it will help you to better understand Bruh Paul’s teaching. ’10:3-5. Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments), such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’
And believe you me, in these troubled and insecure times, there are so many false arguments, theories and doctrines floating about from so many false teachers, that if you’re not careful, and are not solidly grounded in the Word you can easily fall for any and all of them. That’s why it’s so important for believers to read, know, meditate and understand God’s word, because it’s the truth, and nothing but the truth! Anything that varies from it is of the enemy!
As John says in his epistle: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:1-3)
Oh friends, the spirit of the antichrist is surely with us today. And though John gives us a rough benchmark to test the theories that come against us, whether they acknowledge that Jesus actually came to earth in the flesh or not, we still have to be very careful of what we let into out thinking, because the enemy is so deceitful and treacherous, he uses all and any method to deceive.
And remember too that it all begins in our minds, our thinking. He tries to disrupt our thoughts because our mind is the battlefield, and what sticks there, shows up in our behaviour and values. That’s why Bruh Paul emphasized ‘bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ Our thoughts have to be lined up with the truth of Jesus, else we’ll be easy pickings for the enemy.
That’s why Bruh Paul also encouraged Timothy thus: ‘Thou therefore endure harness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:3-4)
Likewise friends, we can’t afford to get entangled in the affairs of the flesh and this ungodly, evil world, we need to concentrate on the things of Christ, and suffer whatever is necessary for His sake, so we can be good soldiers in His LOVE Revolution! Much LOVE!
…fill your mind with God’s Word…then there won’t be any space for the enemy…what godly wisdom… (smile)
05 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a level playing field, a modicum of circumspection, coming in, except the Lord build the house, fail-safe guide, faith, fellowship, fraud, Friday chant, fun, Ghostbusters, godliness, going out, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, Jesus, just and true society, labour in vain, LOVE, my help comes from the Lord, partying hearty, preserve thee from evil, Protector, raining cats and dogs, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, repent, rest, riding shotgun, righteousness, safety, security, sleep, slumber, stability, steady drizzle, suffer thy foot to be moved, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord keep the city, the moon by night, the rains came, The sun shall not smite thee by day, the watchman stays awake in vain, Toronto, traffic situation, travelling companion, treachery, truth, underground parking, week of work, wisdom, wiser declaration
Psalm 127:1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.
And it was mid-afternoon…and the rains came… And then it was morning…and the rains are still coming…
Yes friends, showers of blessings have been inundating us for the last 15 or 16 hours! And they are still coming down…thankfully not the pouring down kind, but more a steady drizzle. Hn!
And as the Lord would have it, the ole fella has to go into Toronto for some tests today. Chuh! But I can’t afford to miss today’s appointment, because I postponed them over a month ago, on the day that our area had its last serious snowfall.
And just to make life even more difficult, the two main exit ramps to the city off the southern highway have been broken down to build something supposedly new and better. It was bad enough before, but now you can imagine the horrendous traffic situation to get into downtown Toronto.
And to add to the mix, the hospital I’m going to, have shut down at least a quarter of their underground parking spots for some repair work. The other day I had to drive around the area twice before I could find an empty spot.
But yuh know what, the ole fella will just leave a little earlier, and with Jesus as my travelling companion, and fail-safe guide, we’ll just mosey into T.O as calmly as ever. With Jesus riding shotgun in my chariot, I know we’ll get there safely, on time, and everything will be all right! Praise His Holy Name!
And along the way, we’ll certainly hear the workingman joyfully declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The weekend is ours to do as we please! And though it raining cats and dogs, that’s not going to stop us from partying hearty over the next couple of days! Yuh better believe we should all thank God for Fridays and the weekends!’
As usual, an interesting take on things, but not a very good one. Our Friday Chant makes a much wiser declaration, so let’s declare it now nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that makes much more sense, by giving us a modicum of circumspection and a level playing field to work with. And that brings us to today’s rather interesting and oh so appropriate Bit.
‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh (stays awake) but in vain.’
And I daresay that there’s a lot of truth in that statement, judging by the serious expanse of, and concern with security in our society during the last two decades, but nonetheless the massive explosion of all kinds of fraud and treachery. Who’s guarding the guard eh?
Ah mih people, I don’t know when we will wake up and fully and truly realize that only in godliness and righteousness will our society ever have some stability and safety. Only when the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our true protector will our way of life be stable and strong.
Now hear some scripture from Psalm 121 –God’s sustaining power, which tells it like it surely is. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from when cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps.121:1-8)
Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord does for those who are obedient to his law and live faithfully and righteously in His name!
As our Bit says, without Him working on our behalf, all our efforts are in vain. And until we sincerely realize that and repent and return to faithfully serving Almighty God as a just and true society, our lives will continue to be in everlasting turmoil.
Ah mih people, like the psalmist, when he looked up at his mountains and wondered where his help to fight them would come from, so can we look at the mountains in our lives, and confidently declare: ‘My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’
And that’s indisputable, gospel truth my brethren! So let’s stand strong and steadfast on it nuh, as wisdom and faith in God dictates. Much LOVE!
…to whom shall we cry out for help…not Ghostbusters…but to the Lord God Almighty…
16 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a battlefield, a God-pleasing life, a monumental task, a veritable war, balance, battle with sin, caompassionate, carnal nature, Christian, contrary to one another, desires, dissolute behaviour, do the things ye would, faithful, fellowship, forgiveness, foundation, frailties, fulfill the lust of the flesh, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, godly direction, godly success, gospel truth, grace, groundings, honesty, in Jesus' name, leggo beast, listening, living by the Spirit, meditating, mercy, patience, perseverance, praying, questioning, reading God's Word, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, renewed, rest, sacrificing, sin, sincerity, sinful desires, spiritual job, stand strong and steadfast, stop and listen, storing God's word in our hearts, template, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the flesh lusts against the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the law is good, the lust of the flesh, truth, two natures, understanding, walk in the Spirit, weaknesses, week of work, what I would that do I not, yield to the Spirit
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Aye mih people, another great day is ahead of us, courtesy of our wonderful God! So please, let’s use it wisely nuh, guided by the Holy Spirit of God that dwells within us.
It’s okay to shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here…’ and what we going to do from what we not going to do, but not if they simply relate to the lustful and dangerous pleasures of the world.
We desperately need to have better groundings, a better foundation for the way we spend our time off, if we are going to have any kind of godly success in this crazy world of ours. And our Friday Chant provides us with that solid footing, that godly balance that we need.
So let’s chant it nuh, with sincerity, honesty and truth, praying that it will help us do better than we’re accustomed doing. As one 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.’
Yeh friends, that’s a much better template for our weekends, than just wild and crazy, dissolute, leggo beast behaviour, which so many of us unfortunately indulge in when we have the couple of days off.
That’s why Bruh Paul spent so much time warning us against just such a thing, and gave us this godly direction in our Bit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’
Yes my believing brethren, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell within us so that we would follow it’s godly leading and direction, but first we have to stop and listen to it, otherwise we won’t know what it’s saying or where it wants to guide us.
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘5:16. Walk in the Spirit (i.e. “live by the Spirit”): Christians are to live with the Spirit’s help. How does one “live by the Spirit”? (1) The Christian must believe that the Spirit is with him, having been sent by God into his heart (4:6). (2) In every spiritual confrontation the believer must yield to the Spirit, that is, submit his own desires to those of the Spirit.
(3) One must depend on the Spirit for help, enabling him to lead a God-pleasing life (v.5). (4) The believer should anticipate the effects of the Spirit’s help in his daily life. The believer who “lives by the Spirit” will not fulfill (accomplish, carry out) the lust (strong desires) of the flesh (sinful desires).’
There you have it friends, a scholarly guide as to how the Holy Spirit should operate in our lives. Oh, we know it’s not easy living a godly and spiritual life; it takes patience, perseverance, listening, sacrificing, questioning and praying, but with God’s help we can do it all.
And why is it so difficult to lead that godly life we so ardently desire? Bruh Paul gives us some indication in the verse after our Bit. ‘For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things ye would.’ (Gal.5:17)
Ah mih people, it can be a monumental task, a veritable war, if we’re not strong, faithful and persevering.
Hear how the scholars tell it. ‘5:17. One’s sinful human nature (flesh) and the Holy Spirit lusteth against one another, that is, they have desires and yearnings that are contrary to one another. The Christian, then, is a battlefield, having desires to do good and evil. The outcome is that ye cannot do the things that ye would: the flesh seeks to thwart the Spirit, who, in turn, attempts to frustrate the flesh’s evil desires.’
Gospel truth that my people! As Bruh Paul told the Roman church in his missive to them, talking about the struggle of our two natures. ‘For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal (fleshly), sold under sin.
For that which I do I allow (understand) not: for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto (agree with) the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.’ (Rom.7:14-17)
What a battlefield of life my brethren! Now listen to this important explanation of the scholars. ‘7:14. The law is spiritual: The law has the characteristics of the Spirit and is consistent with the character of God. I am carnal: What follows is autobiographical and designed to reveal the real struggle the apostle experienced in the flesh. His experience is also exemplary, for it shows the problems all believers experience in their battle with sin.’
So friends, if you are experiencing problems in fighting your fleshly desires, don’t beat yourself up, for it’s just a natural part of this earthly life. We will always have problems trying to be godly, even Bruh Paul had a hard time doing what he wanted to do, as per living by the Spirit.
What we need to do is to be patient and persevering; keep on reading God’s word, studying it, meditating on it, storing it in our hearts for future use, praying, fellowshipping, and listening intently to what the Holy Spirit tells us.
And we won’t always be successful, but our compassionate and understanding God knows our weaknesses and frailties, and once He sees us sincerely trying, that our hearts and motives are right, He will be forgiving and compassionate. So please, let’s all stand strong and steadfast in His great LOVE, mercy, compassion and grace. Much LOVE!
…fighting our carnal nature…is a full time spiritual job…
29 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: assurance, confusion, defeat sin, descendants, died on the cross, difficult times, dissipation, evil cohorts, faith, fear not, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God champions, he shall stand at the last day, hear the birds singing, hell, hold thy right hand, holy spirit, I know that my Redeemer lives, I will help thee, in Jesus' name, Isaiah, Jesus Chirst, licentiousness, live and reign forever, live victoriously with Jesus, Lucifer, Old Testament, omnipotent god, orphans, our redeemer, out of the mouth of, promises of God, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, renewed, rest, restoration of Israel, set the tone, strangers, stress, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the cross at Calvary, the demands of our body, the end of the work week, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy One of Israel, the lake of fire, the Lamb that was slain, the mansions of heaven, the only true God, the weekend, the word of the Lord, week of work, widows, wisdom
Job 19:25. For I know that my Redeemer (lit. Kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.
Ah friends, yesterday was another busy and frustrating day, which eventually led to a rather late night, or should I say early morning to bed. I had to laugh when I heard the birds already singing their morning praises to our wonderful God as I got into bed.
Consequently, the tired old body refused to get up this morning until it was good and ready. Sometimes we just have to be wise and simply adhere to the demands of our body, because it knows best, what is good for it.
And as I got up, the raucous, joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here!’ reminded me that it was the day that so many of us look forward to, because it heralds the end of our work week and brings on the much needed weekend.
But don’t forget my brethren, that how we use our weekend is very important, since it sets the tone for the way our next week of work will unfurl. If we use it wisely, then our week will go much more smoothly than if we use it in total dissipation and licentiousness. Hn!
And by using it wisely, I mean along the lines of our Friday Chant, which we shall now declare. As one chanter: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, that is definitely the wisest way to use our weekend, especially in these trying and difficult times, times of great stress and confusion. We don’t need Lucifer and his evil cohorts to drag us further down into the mire of sin than we already are.
So when they approach us with sinful actions that seem so innocent and pleasant, but are in fact devious and dangerous, just tell them to go back to hell where they belong! (smile)
Because, as Job so boldly proclaims in our Bit: ‘For I know that my Redeemer (lit. Kinsman) liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter (last) day upon the earth.’
Ah mih breddren, that is such a powerful statement of faith, especially under the disastrous circumstances that Job declared it.
And today we know for a fact that our Redeemer Jesus Christ lives, since He died on the cross and rose again to defeat sin, death and the grave, so that we could all live victoriously ever after with Him in the mansions of heaven!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘All praise, power and glory to the Lamb that was slain for us on the cross at Calvary! May he live and reign forever!’
And believe me friends, He WILL indeed live and reign forever!
And with that sure assurance (smile), let’s continue looking at some scriptures from the Old Testament that testified to the truth of our having a redeemer, beginning with these welcome and encouraging words from Isaiah as he prophesies about the final restoration of Israel.
‘For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.’ (Is.41:13-14)
Yes friends, how could they ever beat the strong and ever faithful promises of our magnificent, majestic and omnipotent God eh? NEVER!
And Isaiah seems to have been well attuned to his Redeemer as he mentions it several times in his writings. Listen to him once more, re the folly of idolatry. ‘Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it (can proclaim it), and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.’ (Is.44:6-7)
Ah mih people, there’s no one who can do and say the things our God can, because He is indeed the first and last, and the ONLY true God that exists!
Now hear what Cousin Sol has to say about the Redeemer. ‘Remove not the old landmark (boundary); and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with (against) thee.’ (Prov.23:11)
And that’s for certain sure my fellow believers! We all know how our God champions the widows and orphans and strangers, so we had better make sure we don’t run afoul of them, because the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will fight tooth and nail on their behalf.
And we’ll end with some more Isaiah, as he declares that deliverance will be from the Lord. ‘And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.’ (Is.59:20-21)
Oh friends, there’s no better way to end than with that reminder about the Lord’s Spirit which indwells us and the necessity for us to keep the Word of the Lord constantly in our hearts, minds, souls, bodies and proceeding from our mouths, and those of our descendants.
So today, let’s ponder both our individual and family situation on that matter nuh, then ask the Lord to bring us and our family up to scratch on it. For that is indeed wisdom at its fullest! Much LOVE!
…without Jesus…our wonderful Redeemer…we’d all be heading for hell and the lake of fire with Lucifer…
22 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a perfect heart, a prowling lion, abominations, Achilles heel, Beelzebub, Bruh David, cast thee off for ever, celebration, Christ-like life, Christians, Cousin Sol, destroy, distress, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, fellowship, fleshly lusts, forgive their sin, forsake, Friday, Friday chant, friends, fun, glorious kingdom, Granny's advice, greedy, heal their land, heathen, hellfire, I will hear from heaven, idolatry, imaginations, in Jesus' name, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, lose sight of our purpose, LOVE, Lucifer, Memorial Day, Memorial Day weekend, merciful, mire of sin, Moses, my people which are called by my name, negative, practice what you preach, pray, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, rest, seek my face, seek the Lord thy God, shall humble themselves, spread the gospel, step up our efforts, sware unto thy fathers, the Lord searcheth all hearts, the weekend, times of celebration, tribulation, turn away from their wicked ways, turn to the Lord thy God, warlike, willing mind, win souls for Christ, words of wisdom
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Well a fine Friday morning to you my brethren, my fellow believers in Christ! And the workers declare: ‘It is indeed a fine Friday! The weekend is here! Thank God for that yes! We going to wail down the place!’
And the ones shouting the loudest are those in the U.S. where they celebrate their Memorial Day weekend with joyous gatherings and memorials for those fallen in combat and struggle over the years. But as we keep reminding Friends, don’t leave home without Granny’s advice: ‘drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
Yes my people, especially in these times of great celebration, it’s very easy to lose sight of our purpose and get involved in things we shouldn’t, and thus give Lucifer an opening to our soul. Remember he’s always prowling around like a hungry lion, just waiting to pounce on someone who’s gone even slightly astray. (1 Pet. 5:8)
Please let that not be us this Memorial Day weekend. And as always, to help us stay on the right track, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincerity and purpose. As one 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.’
Yeh Friends, let’s not forget our earthly purpose; that of spreading the gospel of Jesus to all and sundry, to the entire earth. And it’s indeed a most worthy purpose, though I don’t believe we are doing it as seriously and diligently as we ought to.
Our world is definitely too negative and warlike, and greedy and full of fleshly lusts and abominations for us to be doing a great job. If we were, our world would never be as disgusting and ungodly. But that’s where our Bit comes in.
‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
What a great joy that would be my people! But unfortunately it doesn’t seem as though it’s going to happen anytime soon, for sadly we appear to be losing more people to Beelzebub than we’re bringing to Christ. That means we obviously have to step up our efforts to win souls for Christ.
And we can’t do that unless we are living a Christ-like life, which will draw unbelievers to Jesus. Right now, too many supposed Christians are living too much of a worldly life, not practicing what we preach, thus the heathen are not paying any attention to us. And that my Friends, will continue to be our Achilles heel until we come to terms with our Bit.
Anyway, let’s continue disecting our Bit, finding scriptures that pertain to each of the four things we need to do for God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. And oh Friends, does our land ever need healing, in a bad, bad way! Today we’ll deal with ‘and seek my face.’
Oh my people, there are so many instances of that admonition in the Bible that I spent the last half an hour researching them. Conseqeuntly we can only get in a few in the time and space allotted. And we’ll start with Moses warning the Israelites about being taken in the throes of idolatry.
‘But if from then 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 (distress), 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 thy voice;
(For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.’ (Deut.4:29-31)
Now Friends, that is exactly the position in which we find ourselves today; our world is in a serious time of tribulation and distress. But are we turning to God, to our merciful God to help right it? Not really. We seem to be more intent on following Beelzebub further down into the mire of sin and hellfire.
Then we have these beautful words of wisdom from Bruh David to Cousin Sol, re building God’s temple. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9)
And the scholars have an interesting take on the verse. ‘Although David’s charge to Solomon was directed primarily at his son, his point was doubtless not lost on the assembled congregation (cf. 29:9).’
That’s where the people rejoiced as they gave willingly, with a loyal heart, to the building of the temple. So Friends, I hope that Bruh David’s words will also resonate amongst us, so that we can seek God and give willingly to His cause.
And we’ll end with this famous discourse by Jeremiah. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity) to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:11-13)
Ah mih people, what more do we need to make us turn back to the God of our fathers eh? Do we need our world to be actually going up in smoke, when we’re on our last breath, before we run to Him for help, as so many of us do these days?
That’s not true wisdom Friends. We have the opportunity and the faithful promise of a wonderful Deity, so please, let’s take in front, before in front takes us nuh. Much LOVE!
…fools wait until the very last minute to seek succour…but as followers of Jesus…we should not embrace foolish ways…
13 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chosen generation, a holy nation, a holy priesthood, a Master Craftsman, a precious stone, a rock of offence, a royal priesthood, a spiritual house, a stone of stumbling, acceptable to God, an intelligent plan, Anansi stories, be obedient to god's will, be thankful, benefits, birthright of every Christian, Black Friday, chosen by God, confounded, darkness, diligence, elect, explanations, fellowship, for other foundation can no man lay, founded on Jesus, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, friends, fun, generous help, giving of our substance, glorious kingdom, God's own special people, gripe, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, in Jesus' name, integration, into the body of Christ, is made the head of the corner, Israel, Jesus Christ, lead praiseworthy lives, live to see Friday, LOVE, loving, marvellous light, massa work, mercy, New Testament church, nutshell, Old Testament, old wives tales, praying for each other, precious, priesthood, privileged, prospers, put to shame, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejected of men, relaxation, respect, responsibility, rest, reverence, saviour jesus christ, show forth the praises, spiritual sacrifices, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the cross at Calvary, the living stone, the people of god, the power of our Lord and Saviour, the rock of all ages, the stone which the builders refused, the wheel of life, truth, unalterable truth, unique, utter nonsense, which is Jesus Christ, wisdom
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Well Friends, the wheel of life has spun again and ended up on Friday. And obviously the workers of the world are going to greet it with opened arms and glorious shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the wonderful weekend is upon us! Oh thank our great God that at last it’s Friday and massa work soon done for a couple days!’
Yeh mih people, I know that many of us just live to see Friday come around to get out of work, but that’s not the right way to live this earthly and potentially wonderful life.
And today some of you are concerned because it’s Friday the 13th, which is recognized in some circles as a Black Friday. Steups! But that’s utter nonsense my brethren, so please pay no attention to it!
Nothing untoward is going to happen just because a Friday falls on the thirteenth of the month. And even if there were some truth to it, the mighty power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ would be more than sufficient to blast it away.
So let’s just put all those Anansi stories and old wives tales out of our minds and chant our Friday Chant to give us the right perspective on the situation.
As one glorious chanter 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 Friends, that’s more like how we ought to view this Friday and the weekend that follows; with God and rest as our priorities. And today is definitely the last day for this Bit. (smile) ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
Words of unalterable truth my people! For everything in this world is based and built on Jesus, the rock of all ages! And nothing prospers for long unless it is founded on Him!
So let’s listen to Peter as he talks about Christ, the living stone. ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (rejected) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are (being) built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect (chosen), precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded (put to shame).
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed (rejected), the same is made the head of the corner (the chief corner stone).
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at word being disobedient (being disobedient to the word): whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people): that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet.2:4-10)
Oh Friends, what a wonderful thing Jesus did by sacrificing His sinless life for us on the cross at Calvary! Look at the number of benefits that have come forth from it nuh! How can we not be thankful and lead praiseworthy, obedient and thankful lives eh!
Now here are some valuable explanations from the scholars. ‘2:4-8. Are built up is the main verb in this section. The choice of the word shows that the building is not haphazard, but is according to an intelligent plan brought to reality by a Master Craftsman, which sets forth the fact of our integration into the body of Christ (v5).
The overall design is a spiritual house, which describes the nature of the body of Christ, that is, a house in which God dwells. The material used to build the house is figuratively presented as lively (living) stones.
Christ is also described as a living stone (lit. “a worked stone” or “a precious stone that is living”). Disallowed by Israel but acceptable (Gr. eklekton entimon, lit, “elect and precious”) to God.’
‘2:9-10. The priesthood of the believer and his unique relationship to God are described by the terms a chosen generation… a royal priesthood… a holy nation. Thus, the New Testament church stands in a unique relationship to God as did Old Testament Israel.’
Oh Friends what a unique and privileged set of people we are, with direct access to God, but also a responsibility to be obedient to His Will. That’s the birthright of every Christian! So please, I implore us to use those tools of our birthright with proper reverence, diligence and respect.
Let’s praise His Holy Name, do His earthly work by helping, LOVING and giving of our substance to others and praying for each other. That in a nutshell is what Jesus calls us to do my people. So let’s get out there and do it nuh, wisely and diligently! Much LOVE!
…to be a part of Jesus’ body…His church…is the greatest thing that can happen to a human being…
P.S. Ah Friends, you definitely can’t gripe today about the Bit being long. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a future and a hope, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, advice, all the right places, anxiety, ask and it shall be given to you, ask for help, ask god for help, believers, blessings, bread, calamity, come up over our problems, confidence, deflate like a balloon, evil, faith, faithfully, fellowship, fervent prayer, fish, frenzy, frequent prayer, fret, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Glory Halleujah, God's plan for our lives, hello there mih lovelies, hope, hot air, if any of you lack wisdom, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, Jesus, knock and it shall be opened, LOVE, nature of the human animal, no excuse for failure, not an easy task, peace, perseverance, political outlook, poor economic situation, prayer, pressure, problems, promise of Almighty God, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejuvenate ourselves, relaxation, renewed, sanctified, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, serpent, serve and worship God sincerely, spiritual success, standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, stone, strain, stress, stressful and anxious society, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, Thank God the weekend is here, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the Lord of the universe, the weekend, things of the world, thoughts of peace, troubled times, trust, truth, wisdom, without reproach, worry, zenith
James 1:5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.
Well hello there mih lovelies! The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived… it’s Friday!
And I hear all sorts of ‘Glory Hallelujahs; TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Don’t know what I’d do if I had to work another day nuh! Thank God the weekend is finally here and I can get some rest!’
Ah Friends, it’s certainly amusing, and somewhat instructive, how we suddenly deflate like a balloon come Friday. All the hot air, stress, strain and anxiety seem to just suddenly dwindle at the thought of a couple days off.
But I guess that’s the nature of the human animal in conjunction with the stressful and anxious society in which we now live. Confidence also seems to be at an all time low, with people worried about jobs, families and their livelihoods in general, due to the poor economic and political outlook today.
But my people please remember that as believers, we’ve been sanctified, made a people apart, where we don’t have to fret and worry because Jesus, the Lord of the universe is looking out for us. So let’s show our great faith and trust in Him by standing steadfast and strong nuh, despite the frenzy that’s surrounding us.
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with feeling, so that we’ll be enabled to come up over our problems this weekend. 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.’
Yeh mih breddren, in these crazy and troubled times we need to rejuvenate ourselves frequently so that we can handle the enormous pressure that is coming at us each and every day.
It’s definitely not an easy task, but as I said above, as believers, we have Jesus, the Lord of the universe leading and guiding our every step, and when problems arise we ought to have the confidence to go to him in prayer and ask for help.
As our Bit rightly and wisely tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.’
That’s indisputable truth, my Friends! That’s the beauty of being seriously involved with Jesus, making Him your Lord and Saviour, of surrendering your very life to Him and letting Him put in place the wonderful plan He has for your life.
Remember what He says, the promise He makes in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer.29:11)
Yes my people, our wonderful God only has wonderful thoughts and plans towards us! Why else would He shower us with new mercies and blessings everyday eh? But having said that, it is now our responsibility to live up to our promise, to serve and worship Him faithfully, so that we can acquire all that He has in store for us.
Our Bit instructs us to ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach. And that’s wonderful advice my Friends. Jesus also instructed us to do the same thing when He lived here on earth with us.
‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:7-11)
Oh mih people, mih people, how can we refute or ignore such wisdom eh? We’d be very foolish to do so! Unfortunately however, a lot of us still do that foolishness, lured by the glimmer and glamour of the things of the world. But as we keep saying my brethren, that’s a fool’s wisdom!
Now check out this info from the scholars: ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer.
Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (v.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
What more can I say eh Friends? Not a whole lot, because we have already been given everything we need to succeed in this world, we just have reach out with faith and prayer and take hold of it.
And we’ll close with this poignant promise of Almighty God, through Jeremiah, on the topic of coming to Him in sincere prayer. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:12-13)
Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that! So today, let’s take that promise of our most faithful God to heart and diligently seek Him, truly search for Him with all our hearts, so that we may be comforted, consoled, lead and guided successfully in all our endeavours. Now that’s indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the only way to truly find God…is to keep looking for Him…in all the right places…
07 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appropriate scripture, Babylon, bad choices, blind lead the blind, burned with fire, cause them to err, consequeneces, consider, contemptible, corruption, covenant, critical position, death, decision making, destroyed, disasters, disobedience, disregard, enormous ramifications, equal rights, evil cohorts, evil path, famine, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, frivolity, fun, further your glorious kingdom, gay abandon, generous help, glorious kingdom, go with the flow, God's Law, God's principles, God's Word, gospel truth, greed, heartfelt rendition, heartrending, heavenly wisdom, hedonistic, hold my head and bawl, holiness, holy spirit, horrific price, in Jesus' name, ineptitude, insightful words, Isaiah, Israel, Jesus Christ, joy of the lord, justice, knowledge, Leaders, leading people astray, led of them, life, LOVE, Lucifer, man-made idols, messenger of God, mourning, natural laws, no place like Home, one day, one true God, partiality, peace, plagues, pleasure driven lifestyle, ponder, poor decisons, prophecies, proven fact, rat-race, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repent, rest, retribution, Revelation, right perspective, righteousness., routine, rude awakening, seek the Lord, strong is the Lord, stumble, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the head and tail, the Lord's anger, the priest's lips, the prophet Isaiah, think on, truth, turn back to God, understanding, ungodly society, virtual reality, warnings, welcome back, wisdom
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
‘Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back!’ Oh Friends, the snow and cold gave me a very warm welcome back last night. Wow! But in spite of the rude awakening, it’s good to be back, because there’s just no place like home!
And like I’ve fallen right back into the early morning routine. Chuh! How nice it was the past three weeks not to have a set routine and just go with the flow of life. But that was the virtual reality, the frivolity of the situation, this is the real reality, and the two are definitely much different.
So as most workers rejoice with shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Payday and time to party!’ let’s get the right perspective on the situation right away, with a soulful, heartfelt rendition of our Friday Chant.
As one chanter now. (smile) ‘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 people, the wise and sensible thing to do on the weekend is to make sure you get enough rest, relaxation and fellowship with other believers, so that come Monday you’ll get out there bright, spunky and full of the joy of the Lord! That’s the only way we can successfully handle this rat race we so nicely term life.
That my Friends, brings us to today’s Bit; a very interesting and rather appropriate verse of scripture, which has enormous ramifications for our present society and way of life. ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.’
And that’s gospel truth my people! This is the prophet Isaiah declaring the Lord’s anger against the Northern kingdom of Israel, for their overwhelming disobedience and turning away from Him to worship other supposed gods and man-made idols. But my fellow believers, we know that there is ONLY ONE TRUE GOD IN EXISTENCE, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And you don’t have to look very far or dig very deep to see the gross ineptitude, corruption, greed, poor choices and decision making of today’s leaders.
But listen to what Isaiah says before our Bit. ‘For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth (strikes) them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts.’ (Is.9:13)
That my Friends is so relevant to our current society, that it’s heart rending. A substantial part of our society has turned away from the ONE TRUE GOD, and refuses to repent and turn back to Him, despite the many warnings found in His Word, and the many unusual and severe disasters that are happening on a more frequent basis than that to which we are accustomed.
So what do you think will the consequences of this disobedience eh? ‘Isaiah details it: ‘Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch (palm branch) and rush (bulrush), in one day.’ (Is.9:14)
And if you don’t believe Isaiah, then listen to what Revelation says about the eventual fall of Babylon, the evil, ungodly society in which we’re presently living. ‘Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord who judgeth her.’ (Rev.18:8)
And we’ve seen all Gods’ prophecies come true, so why not that one eh? Yes my brethren, the Lord will eventually destroy our society, like He’s done to so many others before us, who proudly and foolishly refused to accept His warnings.
Then Isaiah further explains: ‘The ancient and honourable (elder) he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.’ (Is.9:15)
For as the prophet Malachi said way back when, and still applies today: ‘For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial (shown partiality) in the law.’ (Mal.2:7-9)
Again Friends and fellow believers, that is gospel truth, for the priesthood nowadays is definitely not up to the level or standard of righteousness and holiness that it ought to be, people no longer look up to them as they used to, and unfortunately they are leading a lot of people astray!
Ah Lord eh! Some of the things I see and hear about, regarding our leaders and priests, it just makes me want to hold my head and bawl!
Oh my brethren, it truly amazes me, that with so many societies, shown by history to have bitten the dust because of blatant disobedience to God’s holy law, we, supposedly the wisest and most knowledgeable of all humans, are still pursuing, unabashed and unashamed, in fact with total disregard and gay abandon, to flout the natural laws of justice, peace, LOVE and equal rights!
Now that’s a Bruh Paulian sentence! (smile) But it’s irrefutable truth!
Oh Friends, we desperately need a change of mind and heart, one filled with crucial but true understanding of God’s principles, so that we can turn back to Him, repent and diffuse His holy and just anger against us. And unless you are really foolish, you’ll realize that God is indeed very angry with us for our evil, hedonistic, material and pleasure driven lifestyle.
Oh my people, I don’t know what else to say to get us to understand the critical position we’re currently in nuh. We’re behaving just like Israel did long ago, not heeding God’s warnings. And they paid a horrific price for their disobedience. And the same will eventually happen to us, if we keep going down the evil path we’re being led down by Lucifer and his evil cohorts, many of them our elders, teachers and prophets.
And we’ll end with some interesting, but oh so true words of Jesus on the topic. ‘And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?’ (Luke 6:39)
Oh Friends, please, let’s ponder, seriously think on and consider those very insightful words of our Lord, Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ. Then with God’s help, let’s try to make any necessary corrections in our own lives. Now that’s undoubtedly heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…disobedience to God’s holy law…will always bring painful retribution…and that’s a proven fact throughout history…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness Friends, for although I got up fairly early, I had lot of other important stuff to first rectify, and then a sudden bout of tiredness hit me and slowed me down. But it’s still an excellent Bit. (smile) Much LOVE!
26 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be glad in the Lord, bless the Lord, blessed are the righteous, bright eyed, bushy tailed, chomping at the bit, Christ's Church, Christ's gospel, consume sinners, conviction, deliverance, end of the wicked, excellence, eyes of faith, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, Friday, Friday chant, fruitful and prosperous, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good things of God, Jesus, jesus name, lies, LOVING actions, meditation of God, passion, peace, plight of the wicked, psalm 104, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, repentance, salvation of the righteous, second chances, sing praise to God, sing unto God, spreading the good news, surrender, testify in Jesus' Name, thank God, the ungodly shall perish, the weekend, time of trouble, transgressors, trust, vigour, vim, wickedness in the world, wiles of Lucifer
Psalm 104:35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.
Well Friends, our favourite day, Friday, is here at last! And the people declared a loud ‘Thank you God for that yes! It’s been a rotten week, we’re tired and just want to go home and sleep for the next two days!’
Ah mih breddren, I know how it is. I too have had a tiring week, though I can’t understand why, since I didn’t work exceptionally hard. But that doesn’t mean we should just go home and sleep away the weekend. Of course some rest is essential, but we’ve got to pack more than that into our two days off.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant that’s a useful catalyst to show us the right way to use our much deserved time off. As one 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 Friends, that’s how we ought to use the weekend, with some fun, fellowship and relaxation, so that come Monday morning we’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed, just chomping at the Bit to get back to work and let our lives testify in Jesus’ Name.
No my people, I’m not off my rocker, or not as yet anyway. (smile) But that’s the way Jesus wants His followers to operate; full of vim and vigour, passion, excellence and all the other things He brings to those who LOVE and revere Him.
That’s why the psalmist confidently declares in the two verses before our Bit: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.’ (Ps.104:33-34)
Yes my people, that’s how we believers in Christ ought to behave!
Then the Psalmist declares in our Bit, his wishes for those who follow the evil Lucifer. ‘Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.’
Please note that though the psalmist’s request calls for getting rid of evildoers, he still ends with blessing and praise to Almighty God. That’s because the Psalm is basically one of praise, and God is indeed worthy of our praise. And today we’ll continue looking at some scripture that deals with plight of the wicked and ungodly.
In Psalm 1, Blessed are the righteous, we’re treated right off the bat to the difference between the godly, who don’t associate with evildoers, who delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it constantly. Thus, they will be fruitful and prosperous. (Ps.1:1-3)
The evildoer though is a completely different kettle of fish. ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:4-6)
Now Friends that’s some of the best advice we can ever get! But do you think we take it? Not a chance! We still fall so easily for the lies and wiles of Lucifer, and prostrate ourselves to the things of the world, instead of before God.
And if you don’t believe the psalmist there, then listen to Bruh David from Psalm 37, as he tells us about the true state of the wicked, versus that of the righteous. ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:37-40)
Oh Friends, why do we choose not to believe the good things of God, as easily as we do those of Lucifer eh? Is it because it takes eyes of faith, trust, and complete surrender to behold the things of God, whereas the things of the world are readily and physically apparent?
I know it’s often hard to rely on faith, but that’s the beauty of believing in Jesus. Look at all He’s done for us, selflessly and sacrificially! It should therefore be a no-brainer to trust and believe in Him, since we’ve seen graphic and physical evidence of His faithfulness.
And I’ll leave us with one last thought on our Bit. Now if the Lord truly wanted to get rid of all the evil and wickedness in the world, with His might and power, don’t you think He could do it just by speaking the necessary words, as He did to create the universe and all therein? But it’s obvious that right now He has another plan in mind; that being the believers of Christ’s church bringing them to conviction and repentance.
Remember our God is known as the God of second chances, and right now He’s giving everybody a fair chance to hear the message and accept it. Consequently, that means we have to do a better job of spreading the good news of Christ’s gospel, than we’re currently doing. Selah.
Yes Friends, chew on that for a spell, and see if it doesn’t make sense. Much LOVE!
…there’s no need to weigh the merits of good versus evil…for good has already prevailed…it has triumphed through the LOVING actions of Jesus…
SCRIP-BITS 