07 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hot iron, abstain from meat, antidote, apostasy, blasphemed, blasphemy, branded, conscience, depart from the faith, doctrines of devils, eccentricities, evil spoken of, false teaching, fellowship, first world countries, follow their pernicious ways, forbidding to marry, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, hypocrisy, hypocrites, in Jesus' name, latter times, licentiousness, lies, moral life, paltry pay, party, partying, Paul, poverty, prayer, predictions, profession of faith, refreshed, rejection of Christianity, relaxation, renewed, rest, robbery, sanctified by God, scarred, seared, seducing spirits, sense of purpose, sincerity, slave wages, snow, standard of living, sufferation, sweatshop work, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanksgiving, the spirit, the Truth, the way of truth, the weekend, the wind wailing, the Word of god, Timothy, week of work, wet and windy, white with snow, wonders of nature, working one job, workingman's enthusiasm
2 Peter 2:2. And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed).
Oh friends, we constantly talk about the many wonders of nature, but oftimes forget its eccentricities! And I have a perfect example of that.
Yesterday the rain fell around here all day, and not mere drizzles, but strong, steady showers. I even got caught in it going to and from the heart clinic in afternoon. It just went on and on, with the wind wailing and howling like crazy.
Now at minutes to three this morning, on my way to bed, I opened my front door and looked out to view the situation. It was extremely wet and incredibly windy! However, at minutes after eight, when I finally got up and looked outside…lo and behold, it was white with snow!
Mama Mia! I know I heard something on the T.V about wet snow in the evening, but apparently nothing happened until the early morning hours, and this was a little more than the wet kind. (smile)
But yuh know what? It didn’t kill the workingman’s enthusiasm for the upcoming weekend…not at all! He was still out there in the cold, enthusiastically declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here! At long last, our little break from sweatshop work and paltry pay!
A man can’t even afford to really party on the slave wages we make…Steups! But we’ll certainly do our best! And we going to have a rollicking good time in spite of it! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, paltry pay is certainly a major factor in our world’s abject poverty today. Even in the supposed first world countries, it’s difficult to have a decent standard of living just working one job, so can you imagine what’s happening in the third and fourth class countries? Hn! Absolute robbery and immense ‘sufferation!’
And the last thing we need is a whole lot of partying and licentiousness. Our focus should be instead on action like what our Friday Chant advises. So let’s chant it out nuh in true sincerity and a strong sense of purpose.
‘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, unless we renew and refresh ourselves over the weekend, we’ll be no good for the new week of work. That brings us to our Bit. ‘And many shall follow their pernicious (destructive) ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (blasphemed).’
Now all of us have encountered some of that false teaching and blasphemy at some stage of our lives, and I reiterate, the only way to counter it is by knowing the Word of God. And you can’t know the Word of God unless you are constantly and faithfully and deeply immersed in it.
Over the last couple of days, we saw what Peter had to say about the false teachers and prophets. Today we’ll get some insight into Bruh Paul’s predictions of apostasy, in his first letter to Timothy.
‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing (deceiving) spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats (food), which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified (consecrated) by the word of God and prayer.’ (1 Tim.4:1-5)
Yuh see friends, Bruh Paul also knew how evil we’d become in the last days. Now here are some explanations from the scholars.
‘4:1. Expressly means clearly. To depart means to apostatize. Apostasy is the deliberate and permanent rejection of Christianity after previous profession of faith in it. Doctrines of devils, that is doctrines taught by demons.’
‘4:2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy (or, “by the hypocrisy of liars”): The demons of verse 1 expound their doctrines, not directly, but indirectly through such human ministers. These are further described as having their conscience seared with a hot iron, that is branded (scarred) in their conscience.
Permanently defaced, the moral life of these hypocrites is scarred by sin as they carry around the awareness of their guilt, yet continue preaching to others.’
‘4:3. Two examples of demonic doctrines are cited here: (1) prohibition against marriage, and (2) abstaining from certain foods.’
‘4:4. Every creature of God is good (or, “Everything created by God is good”). This substantiates the remark in verse 3 that God created foods to be eaten, not abstained from.’
‘4:5. By divine statements (by the word of God) declaring all foods fit for man, and by the believer’s giving of thanks before meals (by…prayer), food is sanctified. This means food is set apart (reserved) for consumption by Christians.’
So friends, let’s remember today that there are numerous false teachers and doctrines in our world, trying to take us away from following the true Christ, and we need to be very diligent and careful in what and whom we listen to, else we can be very easily led astray. Much LOVE!
…the only antidote for false doctrine and teaching…thorough knowledge of God’s Word…
31 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversities, anger, authority, balanced weekend, beauty, bread, causes the grass to grow, cold and rainy, commit my spirit, confusion, darkness, depression, fellowship, focused on Jesus, Friday chant, fun, generous help, gladness, glorious kingdom, God's LOVE, good for nothing, herb, Jesus Christ, Jesus dwells withn us, joy, Lent, LOVE, loving-kindness, maketh glad the heart, man's heart, manhandling, mercy, oil, our Lord and Saviour, party to the max, power, Praise the Lord, precipitation, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, sincerity, snow, surety of Almighty God, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the enemy, the fruit of his works, the service of man, the weather, the workingman, this is the day the Lord has made, too much of anything, Top o' the morn, troubles, true belief, trust, vain idols, vegetation, waters the hills, we will rejoice and be glad in it, week of work, weekends, wine, wisdom
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Aye mih Scrip-Bit friends and family! Top O’ the morn to you! Despite it being a cold and rainy one. (smile) But the weather in these current times is really something else yes!
Yesterday afternoon I went to have a nap, and though it wasn’t bright and sunny, there wasn’t any hint of precipitation in the air. So you can imagine my surprise and consternation when I got up a couple of hours later and found the place all white with snow!
‘Snow!’ I righteously exclaimed. Snow was the furthest thing from my mind, and I was even less thrilled because I had to go out and run a few errands.
And by the time I was ready to go out, the precipitation had become a mixture of wet snow and rain, which can be more dangerous than either pure snow or pure rain. But them’s the breaks, we just have to live with whatever we receive.
And it’s certainly not bothering the ordinary workingman today, because he’s still out there singing: ‘Ole! Ole! Thank God is Friday! Thank God is the weekend! The time for partying is here! We going to party to the max! No stopping us…even though is Lent! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
And as I keep saying, the sentiments are understandable, but they are not wise, for as the ole people would say: too much of anything is good for nothing. And that’s no lie. But our Friday Chant provides a much better way to celebrate the weekend.
So let’s chant it now with sincerity and true belief 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.’
Yeh friends, we have to have a balanced weekend, if we’re to come up over the new week with authority and power, instead of it manhandling us. But while balancing our act, it’s also necessary to do as our Bit says: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yes my people, we’re back to that Bit. It just didn’t fit yesterday’s sermon (smile). Oh, is it ever necessary to enjoy, or appreciate every day that the Lord has granted us on this planet earth. That was His intention behind making the earth and making us to populate it.
Why yuh think He made the world so beautiful eh? So that His people could admire and enjoy it, and consequently praise Him for His LOVING-kindness. Our eyes need to see beautiful things and our hearts need LOVE to warm them.
And though beauty and LOVE are not prominent in our world, they are prominent in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord!
And that’s where we must keep our minds and hearts focused – EVERYDAY – if we’re to truly rejoice and be glad in it. For the world in its sad and rotten current state will only give us darkness and anger, depression and confusion, if we rely on it.
ONLY Jesus can give us joy and peace in the midst of our worldly storms! And until we realize that, we’ll always be lacking something important in our lives.
Now let’s hear a couple of scripture passages that back up our theory, beginning with the immortal words of Bruh David, from Psalm 31 – In thee O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. I have hated them that regard lying vanities (vain idols): but I trust in thee Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities (troubles). And hast not shut me up into the hand of (given me over to) the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.’ (Ps.31:5-8)
Yuh see friends, when your trust is centred in the unwavering surety of Almighty God, it is possible to rejoice and be glad even in the rough times. And we’ll close with these words from Psalm 104 –God’s preservation of nature.
‘He watereth the hills from his (upper) chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb (vegetation) for the service of man: that he may bring forth fruit out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man; and oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.’ (Ps.104:13-15)
Ah mih breddren, yuh see I wasn’t lying when I said that God made the earth and all therein for us to enjoy! (smile)
So let’s seriously contemplate those words nuh, and allow them to fill our hearts, minds, souls and bodies, with God’s LOVE and joy, for that is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…oh what joy and gladness fills our souls…when Jesus dwells intimately within us…
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…
24 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a worthwhile evening, adulterey, Bathsheba, believers, bitter fruit, blaspheme, Bodyguard, cleans us from all unrighteousness, confess, cupola, dancing, David, deterrent, disrepute, Ed Mirvish Theatre, entertainment capital, eternal life, favour, forgive our sins, forgiveness, frailties, frescoes, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, gracious, he is faithful and just, human, if we confess our sins, in Jesus' name, marble, merciful, murder, music, Nathan, rains, refreshed, renewed, righteous, singing, sins, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the enemies of the Lord, the gift of God, the seed of sin, the theatre, the time of my life, the wages of sin is death, the workingman, to die for, Toronto, Uriah, weekends, Whitney Houston, wisdom, worth her salt, Yonge Street
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 the rains, the early rains came to water the land to prepare it for the sowing of grain. Yeh friends, it’s not a bright sunshiny day like the last several, but cloudy and wet, however it’s also warmer. I think we’re actually in for a spring like weekend. Glory Be!
And something happened last night that has happened in years; the ole fella went to the theatre. Wow! I can’t tell when last I went to a place like that. (smile)
Anyhow I went down to the entertainment capital of the North, T.O. to the Ed Mirvish Theatre on the main drag, Yonge Street, to see the musical ‘Bodyguard,’ a take on the Whitney Houston movie of the same name.
I’ve never seen the movie, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be good show, with lots of nice rich music and dancing. I wasn’t sure whether the skits were meant to be serious or not, but the singing and dancing made up for whatever the acting lacked.
A British singer, Beverley Knight, played Whitney’s part. She was worth her salt, although some thought that the sister, played by Rachel John had a better voice. Anyway, it was a most worthwhile evening.
And the theatre itself was just to die for; all old world elegance; lots of marble, beautiful frescoes, chandeliers and a cupola over the auditorium featuring a splendid scene of what I can’t remember. (smile) But I know it was beautiful to the eyes. The Mirvish boys, Toronto’s current theatre impresarios did spend their money well to refurbish it.
But you know what? While I’m here regaling you with my evening’s activities at the theatre, the workingman, who couldn’t remotely afford the prices of the theatre, is outside having his simple, but heartfelt fun, declaring:
‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Spring is in the air! And who knows I’ll be where this weekend? But wherever that is, I’ll be drinking and eating and partying. Partying hearty for sure! Having the time of mih life! That’s why we have to thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
And we do have to thank Almighty God for Fridays and the weekends, but not to such extremes. Our Friday Chant provides a much more balanced and practical way to do it.
So let’s chant it now nuh, in close harmony nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren the Lord will prefer that attitude, and it will also be better for us, physically, emotionally and mentally. And tied up with all of that is our Bit. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Yeh friends, that ought to be a major part of our everyday life as sincere believers. Now yesterday we saw how the prophet Nathan draped up Bruh David for his hidden adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. Hear what happened after that.
‘And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.’ (2 Sam.12:13-14)
And the scholars offer these explanations of those verses. ’12:13. David genuinely grieved and repented (cf. Ps.32:5;51:3-4). However, the seed of sin was immediately to bear bitter fruit, for the child born of the adultery became grievously ill and died (vs.15-18).’
‘12:14. David’s sin had brought the name of God into disrepute. Such knowledge ought to serve as a deterrent to willful sin on the part of believers (cf. 1 Tim.5:14; 6:1).’
Yes my fellow believers, the disrepute that our sins cause to God’s name and the blasphemy it allows the enemy is what mars our godly walk, deeply stains our ministry.
Yuh see how quickly God put Bruh David in his place. And the sad part is that Bruh David was so righteous and walking so closely with Him. Just goes to show that we are all human and possess the innate frailties thereof.
The Lord knew that despite his terrible sins, Bruh David’s heart was all for Him, that’s why He did not take him home right away. But He could not afford to let such abominable sins be whitewashed, someone had to pay.
For as Bruh Paul so succinctly put it to the Romans: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23)
And as the scholars explain: 6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’
So Friends, having heard and read all of that, I implore us to be rather careful in how we walk this earthly life, trying to sin as little as possible.
And when we do, not if we do, to immediately turn to our merciful and gracious God, sincerely confess our iniquity and humbly ask for His forgiveness. That’s the only wise and sensible way to live this earthly life. Much LOVE!
…to sin is human…but to confess and ask for forgiveness…is heavenly wisdom…
08 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful word, a definite decision, a deliberate setting of our will, a fresh beginning, a miracle is performed, a new vitality, alive and kicking, benevolent Provider, beyond our highest expectations, Christians, concentrating on God, concentrating on hurts, contentment, Creator, crying out for rest, early morning foray, emotional high, eternal kingdom, even as Christ forgave you, exhilarated, father in heaven, focus on Almighty God, following Jesus, forbearing one another, forgive, forgiveness, forgiving one another, freedom, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's Word, gratitude, hands on the plough, harbouring unforgiveness, I am halfway home, if any man have a quarrel against any, Jesus Christ exalted, Jesus' philosophy, joyfully, LOVE, magic wand, makes the difference, miracle, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negative emotional aspects, not looking back at the past, open your heart to Him, our soul is washed clean, peace, pillar to post, praise, quarrel, refreshed, resentment, rest, Ruth Harms Calkin, simplify forgiveness, so also do ye, stand praying, tangled seaweed of resentment, tests, thank God, thanks, the breath of life, the gift of forgiveness, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the secret key to freedom, to a glorious future with Jesus, topsy-turvy, transformations, trespasses, unforgiveness, use freely, walk in dignity, Wednesday Wail
Colossians 3:13. Forbearing (bearing with) one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Well hello there mih lovelies! This is the ole fella, alive and kicking…decently! (smile) If I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be able to run from pillar to post to all these doctors for numerous tests. And they keep telling me that my heart is weak. Steups!
Anyway the lateness for the Bit was caused by one of those early morning forays into the big city for more tests, and by the time I got home it was early afternoon and the ole bod was crying out for rest.
But we’re up and about now, and we’ll begin the proceedings with this essay from our ‘One year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.’ It’s titled ‘Forgiveness,’ and I just could not pass up sharing it.
Please read with me. ‘Forgiveness. What does it do for us? In an amazing way it creates a fresh beginning. It lifts us out of the tangled seaweed of resentment. A miracle is performed! It may not happen in a moment or a day. We may have to forgive at six o’clock on Monday and start over again at two o’clock on Tuesday.
There is no magic wand to simplify forgiveness. Forgiveness is a deliberate setting of our will, often with no emotional high whatsoever. But once having genuinely forgiven, our soul is washed clean. We walk in dignity again. We sense a new vitality. We’re no longer concentrating on hurts; we’re concentrating on God.
If we would only forgive, our lives would undergo transformations beyond our highest expectations. Above all, Jesus Christ would be exalted, for it is His forgiveness that makes the difference.
Forgiveness is a beautiful word. It is God’s word passed to us to use freely, joyfully. When we ask for the gift of forgiveness, God always says yes. He gave His Son to make us free, and forgiveness is the secret key to freedom.’
Oh friends, isn’t that beautiful? It surely is! It’s one of, if not the best writing I’ve ever heard on forgiveness! And would you believe, I don’t remember ever seeing it before in the two or three years that we’ve been using this devotional.
Hopefully it’s just my mind is a tad foggy, and I’ve shared it before. It’s too beautiful not to be shared again and again. And what I like about it, is how it covers every aspect of forgiveness; from what it does for us, to how we came by it; through God and His Son Jesus.
So much of it is true: ‘there is no magic wand to it.’ It’s a definite decision we have to make to forgive, and then work painfully through it. ‘But once we have genuinely forgiven, our soul is washed clean.’
Oh how precious that feeling of being washed clean is, my precious people! It’s like when you take a shower after rolling around in the mud. You just feel refreshed and exhilarated; like a new you has been born.
And believe me when you truly forgive, a new you is really born, because then you stop focusing on yourself and begin to focus on Almighty God, your Creator and benevolent Provider!
And if we would only concentrate on forgiving, rather that holding anger and resentment in our hearts, our lives would truly undergo such beautiful transformations, transformations beyond all that we can ask or imagine.
But instead too many of us, (Christians included) choose to foolishly hold on the negative emotional aspects of life, that’s why our lives are so topsy-turvy and we have so little peace and contentment.
And certainly, our constant use of forgiveness exalts and glorifies our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because that’s one of His foundation themes. As He says plainly in Mark. ‘And when you stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought (anything) against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.’ (Mark 11:25-35)
Oh friends, it couldn’t get any simpler or more straightforward than that! Forgive, and you will be forgiven! Don’t forgive, and you won’t be forgiven!
However, many of us go to God crying out for forgiveness, but are still harbouring unforgiveness in our hearts towards others. God won’t answer those prayers. God forgave us our sins against Him, by sacrificing His Son Jesus for us, therefore He expects us to forgive others of their wrongs against us. There are no ifs ands and buts about it!
And before I forget, (smile) let’s check out the promise for that writing, and also our Bit for today. ‘Forbearing (bearing with) one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.’
Yeh mih people, forgiveness is one of the foundation blocks of Jesus’ philosophy and eternal kingdom! If you don’t practice it, then it won’t be practiced on you. Now let’s go home, energized and refreshed, burning inside with forgiveness, (smile) and gratitude and thanks and praise, as we declare our Wednesday Wail.
In all sincerity and truth 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 my fellow believers, I can’t find appropriate words, words that truly reflect the wonder and glory of sincerely following Jesus nuh! You won’t believe it, until you experience it! Why don’t you open your heart to Him today, and see the wonderful difference He’ll make in your life. Much LOVE!
…forgiveness is the secret key to FREEDOM…
03 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a powerful opponent., a waste of time, admonishment, anxiety, carnality, Christians, contradicts our faith, dance, doubts, Ephesians, evil hordes, evil schemes, faith, fellowship, fight for Jesus, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, gospel, holy character, in Jesus' name, like no tomorrow, LOVE, Lucifer, moral conduct, party, peace, pounce on, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, Roman soldier, Satan, sincerity, sing, song of freedom, spiritual armour, stand, stand against the wiles of the devil, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the prince of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the weekend, the wicked one, the Word of god, the working people, truth, week of work, your feet shod, your loins girt about, your waisted girded
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Well friends, it’s Friday! That means another weekend is upon us, and the working people are delighted and shouting out their song of freedom: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the wonderful weekend is here. No punching a time clock!
Wow! It’s time to sing and dance and party like there’s no tomorrow…for who knows if we’ll ever see tomorrow eh? But this day we’ll always remember…or maybe not! Hn! Thank God though for Fridays and the weekend!’
Ah mih people, nothing’s wrong with the general idea of enjoying oneself during our days off, but as usual it’s the extreme length to which the world desires to carry it that contradicts our faith. So let’s hear what our faith says to counter that extreme position.
Let’s chant our Friday Chant with truth and sincerity. ‘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 sounds like a much more sensible way of handling our short time off, so please let’s follow it, and not overdo the partying, the carnality aspect of the situation.
Now without further ado, let’s get to our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’
Ah mih breddren, those words are ever so important in these very evil times! We’ve just got to be always prepared, for as we saw yesterday, the prince of darkness is always on the look out for Christians he can pounce upon.
Now, hitherto, we’ve been talking about the armour of God and what it does, today, let’s look at what it actually is. So let’s continue with Bruh Paul’s admonishment to the Ephesians.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’ (Eph.6:14-17)
There you have it my people, the basic breakdown of God’s powerful and protective spiritual armour! And the scholars have some good explanations of what they are and what they mean.
‘6:14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf.4:21). The ancient soldier’s loins (“waist”) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place.
Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture.
(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (“righteousness”).
(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v.15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or “willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
Such eagerness to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.
(4) The shield of [which is] faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan.
(5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes this helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is, the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos’, referring to the whole Word of God, but ‘rhema’, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’
There it is friends, the basic explanations concerning the ‘whole armour of God.’ I do hope it helps us to better understand the Word. Those are the things with which we need to be equipped, if we want to fight a serious and victorious battle against Lucifer and his evil hordes.
Like any good soldier, we cannot go into battle unprepared, and the first thing we need is physical protection. But since our battle is spiritual, we need spiritual protection, which our God gives us totally. It is now up to us to accept it and put it to good use.
Please my fellow believers, let’s ramp up our fight for Jesus nuh, otherwise our talk and our supposed faith are all a waste of time! Much LOVE!
…a Christian…who isn’t fighting a serious battle for Jesus…is no Christian at all…
30 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions, alcohol, alcoholic beverages, as wise, attitudes, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, Beelzebub, being a witness, character, Christians, disaster, dissipation, drinking champagne, drunk, drunk or sober, everybody black up, exposing sins, fellowship, filled by the Spirit, Friday chant, frivolities, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, giving thanks, gospel truth, Granny's advice, high class ones, hymns, I made it through, in Jesus' name, intoxicated, Jesus Christ, licentious celebrations, Lucifer, making melody, making the most of every opportunity, mind yuh business, New Year's Eve, not as fools, one drumbeat, one leader, partying, perilous morally, ps and qs, psalms, redeeming the time, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, sinful times, singing, smiling from ear to ear, snow, spiritual songs, submitting yourselves, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the fear of God, the Holy Spirit, the lost, the Most High God jehovah, the will of the Lord, thoughts, under the influence, virtues, walk circumspectly, waters flowing, wherein is excess, wisdom, your generous help
Ephesians 5:18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation): but be filled with the Spirit.
Aw shucks friends, is it Friday already? It surely is. But that’s what happens when you only work three days of the week, you don’t realize that time is flying by. And please be careful out on the roads this morning because some snow fell again last night. Steups! Like it’s becoming a regular habit now! A li’l bit every night now.
But that doesn’t stop the Friday workers posse from enthusiastically declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday…And New Year’s Eve Friday too! So you can imagine the partying! Brother! Waters flowing for so…an’ everybody black up! With the high class ones and them drinking champagne to ring in the New Year!
But regardless of what yuh drinking, you have plenty time to drink it, because is another long weekend. No work till Tuesday! Mama Yo! Thank the Lord for Fridays and long weekends yes!’
And all of that is gospel truth my people. There will be more drinking this New Year’s weekend than at any other time of the year. And we certainly need to remember Granny’s wise advice: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
Yes friends, because at this time of year, Lucifer is smiling from ear to ear, knowing that the probability of getting into our lives is much higher than normal with all the licentious celebrations planned for it.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a different and better perspective on how to use our weekends. 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.’
It’s three days this weekend, but that scenario does make more sense, and is a better-balanced way of life, which we need if we’re going to succeed in this crazy, ungodly world.
That brings us to our rather appropriate and explicit Bit. (smile) ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation): but be filled with the Spirit.’ Ah friends, it couldn’t be any more explicit than that!
But before we get into our Bit, let’s look at a few verses before it. Bruh Paul told the Ephesians quite openly. ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’ (Eph.5:15-17)
Yes my fellow believers, we have to be very careful how we live in these wicked and sinful times. Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘5:16. Redeeming the time (or “making the most of every opportunity”).
Contextually, the specific opportunity in view is that of exposing the sins of the lost and being a witness to them. Because the days are evil assigns a reason to seize each opportunity. It is because the sins being committed during these days are so evil.’ And are they ever!
‘5:17. Wherefore looks back to the evil days of verse 16. Since the current age is so perilous morally, Christians must clearly understand what the will of the Lord is.’
Then Bruh Paul got into our Bit. And the scholars provide an interesting explanation of it.
‘5:18. This verse gives an example of what is and what is not the Lord’s will (v.17). Believers are not allowed to be intoxicated with alcoholic beverages; the reason for this prohibition is wherein is excess; that is drunkenness leads to moral intemperance.
This is clearly contrary to God’s will. His will is that Christians be filled with (by) the Spirit; that is, they are to allow Him to fill them with God’s own life, character and virtues.
The analogy between these two moral states is this: a person filled with wine is under its influence; similarly, a Christian is filled with the Spirit when He (the Holy Spirit) controls his thoughts, attitudes, and actions.’
And it all makes a whole lotta sense, for who wants to be controlled by alcohol eh, when the Holy Spirit of the Most High God Jehovah can successfully control us!
Okay, so a small portion likes the control of the alcohol, but that’s not wisdom my brethren, because then you have no idea of what you’re doing, and it will eventually lead to some serious disaster. That’s definitely not the will of the Lord for His people.
Now let’s continue with Bruh Paul’s spiel to the Ephesians, re what they should be doing. ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:19-21)
Yes precious people of God, those are the kinds of things expected of us! It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, but we need to have our p’s and q’s about us if we don’t want to succumb to Beelzebub’s evil and sinful frivolities.
So please let’s think sensibly about what kind of New Year’s Eve we are going to have nuh…whether we will bow to Lucifer or to Jesus Christ. I’m depending on us to make the right decision. Much LOVE!
…a man can only march to one drumbeat at a time…likewise…he can only have one Leader at a time…
23 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: back on his feet, birth of Jesus Christ, blessed, boggles my imagination, Boxing Day, call me blessed, catch us offside, Christian perspective, Christmas, drinking, drinks flowing like water, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, eating, Elisabeth, exalt, exalted the lowly, faith, fellowship, fervent, filled the hungry, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, gift giving, Granny's advice, handmaiden, heartrending prayer, hunting spree, imagery, in God my Saviour, it's Christ's birthday, looking over we shoulder, LOVE, magnitude of Mary's faith, Mary, massa, memorable day, mercy, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit hath rejoiced, Old Statesman, party everlasting, partying, praising the Lord, put donw the mighty, reason for the season, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, scattered the proud, secular time, shopping, song of praise, spiritual time, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the evil one, the food, the Holy Ghost, the imagination of their hearts, the light shining in the dark, the low estate, the Magnificat, the prominent figure, the rich sent away empty, the sun rises, the wisdom of God, them that fear him, weekend, wrapping gifts
Luke 1:46. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord.
Well friends, all the excitement of the Christmas season is finally coming to a head. Soon the shopping and the wrapping of gifts will end and the partying will start in earnest. Hn! That is if it hasn’t begun already.
And you know Sunday is the worst day that Christmas can fall on in terms partying, because a lot of people will be off from Friday to Wednesday, so that they can have the Christmas and Boxing Day Holidays to which they are entitled.
However, let’s hope that the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ shines through it all, and we don’t simply make this most memorable day merely a secular time of eating, drinking and gift giving. Now those things are an important part of it, but not the MOST important. We have to get in some spiritual time in there too.
But no doubt by the time the sun rises in the east this morning, we’re going to hear the myriad voices declaring ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And Christmas Friday to boot! We have almost a whole week to do what we want! No massa looking over we shoulder and giving us a setta chupid orders!
The drinks will be flowing like water, and the Christmas food… Oh Lord! Look how it spread out and looking pretty nuh! Oh thank you Lord for this Friday that falls in the Christmas weekend! Is party everlasting!’
Ah mih people, let’s hope that’s not how most of us see it. Jesus has to be light shining in the dark, the prominent figure, because it’s His birthday.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which is not devoid of good times, but has a more moderate and Christian perspective. In unison 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.’
Ah mih breddren, this weekend we have more than two short days off yes, so please let’s use them wisely and remember Granny’s saying: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
Because for certain sure the evil one will be out on a serious hunting spree this long weekend, especially since we celebrating Christ’s birth. He won’t desire anything better than to catch a few of us offside. So please be careful.
Now we come to a piece of news that’s not so great. I’m hearing this kind of thing too often these days yes. I just heard today that another of our Scrip-Bit family, Keith Noel, had a massive stroke in Jamaica some three weeks ago.
Apparently his brother had died a few days earlier and he took it so hard that it brought on the stroke. So he couldn’t go to his brother’s funeral. Ah Lord eh! But the good news is that he was allowed out for two hours to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary. Glory be!
Oh friends, please let’s send up some fervent heartrending prayers for our family member Keith, hoping that he will soon be back on his feet, praising the Lord for His goodness. It’s the least we can do.
Finally, let’s turn to our Bit for today, the faithful and amazing words of the teenaged girl Mary, so rightly chosen it seems to be Christ’s mother. I guess the Lord would not have made a mistake there at all. (smile)
‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord.’
Yuh know people, every time I consider the magnitude of Mary’s faith at so tender an age, in those dark and difficult times, it just boggles my imagination. But listen to her song of praise after she joyfully accepts her upcoming role with all the enormous problems it entailed.
She begins with our Bit, then gladly declares: ‘And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maid servant): for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 1:47-55)
Oh friends, can you imagine a young girl speaking such enlightened words. The Holy Ghost must surely have been upon her to bring out that kind of reaction. And what we just read is known as ‘the Magnificat.’
The scholars tell us that it’s ‘based on the first word of the Latin translation (the Vulgate). It is rich in Old Testament imagery: Jesus’ coming was the fulfillment of Old Testament promises.’ And indeed it was my fellow believers!
After Mary’s declaration, the Good Book tells us: ‘And Mary abode with her (Elisabeth) about three months, and returned to her own house.’ (Luke 1:56)
Yuh see the wisdom of our God at work! He left Mary to bond with Elisabeth, to give her the required strength and whatever else she may have needed to perform the task He had set before her. And He does the same thing up to this day my people. He never gives us a task to do without giving us the wherewithal to do it.
So please, let’s learn from Mary, and instead of complaining and carrying on about our God-given tasks, let’s rejoice and give Him praise instead nuh, especially in this wonderful Christmas Season. Much LOVE!
…there is no other God besides ours…great, faithful, LOVING and true…
18 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a goodly heritage, Aaron, adore Him, altar service, asaph, believers, Bethlehem, blessing, born this happy morning, celebrating the Sabbath Day, celebration, Christ the Lord, Christian life, Christmas, confidence, crawl, draw near to God, enthusiasm, faithful voices, fellowship, firstfruits, gifts, go a whoring from thee, God is the strenght of my heart, help, I am thy part, I hope in him, I would keep thy words, ice, in flesh appearing, inheritance, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ's birth, joyful, Lamentations, Levi, LOVE, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion for ever, O come all ye faithful, O come let us adore Him, passion, payment, perfect harmony, portion, praise, preaching of the word, preservation, prosperous, put my trust in the Lord God, rain, refreshed, rejuvenated, Rock, Sabbath Day, sacrifices, snow, spiritual awareness, thanks, the children of Israel, the Lord God Jehovah, The Lord is good, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's sanctuary, the priests, the salvation of the Lord, the service of the tabernacle, the tenth in Israel, thou art my portion, tithe, tithing, to them that wait on him, triumphant, unfaithful, wait, walk, wickedness, wisdom, word of the Father, worship
Psalm 119:57. Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.
And then it was rain, mixing up with the snow, and with the lower night time temps, more likely than not turning to ice. Yes friends, that’s what we’re looking forward to this Sunday before Christmas 2016; an icy world.
But yuh know what? That’s not going to stop us from going to the Lord’s sanctuary and celebrating His Sabbath Day. We going to get there, even if we have to walk and/or crawl. (smile)
And when we get there we’re going to have glorious fellowship, with plenty thanks and praise and worship and preaching of the Word, so that we can leave feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, strong and full of confidence to go out and live a good and true Christian life in the upcoming week.
Now let’s begin the praise and worship with this beautiful hymn, ‘O Come All ye Faithful.’ Yes my brethren, please let our faithful voices raise our praise and glory to high heaven in perfect harmony!
‘O Come All Ye Faithful Joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word. Give to our Father glory in the Highest; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning, O Jesus! For evermore be Thy name adored. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.’
Ah mih people, this is the season of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’s birth in the lowly stable in Bethlehem, and we ought to be celebrating it with lots of enthusiasm, passion and spiritual awareness. Remember, Christmas is the occasion that got the whole Christian thing; the ball of salvation, forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, justification and the promise of eternal life rolling.
And if we don’t fully appreciate it, we won’t be able to fully appreciate what it caused either. So please tone down the worldly activities, and instead raise the godly ones, for without Jesus there would be no Christmas, no gifts, no set of food, in fact no celebration at all at this time of year.
And now that I’ve said my piece, (smile) let’s turn to our Bit, a powerful acknowledgement of God’s place in the psalmist’s life. ‘Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.’ Yeh friends, the Lord ought to be our portion, and we ought to faithfully keep His words if we claim to be believers in His Son Jesus Christ.
Now today I want to look at some other scriptures that uphold, which corroborate the words of our Bit. Let’s begin with something from Numbers. ‘And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance (a possession), for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.’ (Num.18:20-21)
So Aaron and his descendants, the priests, would own no land in Israel. The scholars explain it thus: ‘18:8-20. In recognition of their altar service, the priests were to receive parts of the sacrifices, firstfruits of the harvest, and firstborn animals (cf. Lev.6:14-7:36; 27:26-33). The priests’ families could also eat from these offerings as long as they were “clean.” Their inheritance would be God Himself, who provided for their needs through His people’s gifts. (v.20)
‘18:21-24. Tithing was now provided for the tribe of Levi (Gen.14:20; 28:22: Lev.27:30-33). The tithe was a payment for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation (v.21; cf.31). It also compensated for their lack of an inheritance in land. Later they were given 48 villages which were scattered throughout the land (34:16-35:8).’
That means those in charge of running the tabernacle, had no other duties but looking after God’s house, and the Lord provided food for them from the gifts of the people. Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 16, where he seeks preservation and blessing.
‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest (upholds) my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places: yea, I have a goodly heritage (inheritance). I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins (heart) also instruct me in the night seasons.’ (Ps.16:5-7)
Meanwhile, Jeremiah in his Lamentations boldly declares: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:24-26) Wonderful advice my fellow believers!
And we’ll end with some more wonderful advice, this time from the psalmist Asaph, from Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (that are unfaithful). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:26-28)
Oh friends, the Lord God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of the universe, ought to be a big part of our lives if we truly believe. Now let’s take some time today and consider how big a portion He is in our lives, and as always, ask Him to help us make it bigger. For that’s wisdom of enormous proportions! Much LOVE!
…the bigger the portion of God in us…the better…
16 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fine time, a modicum of circumspection, Absalom, another week of work, arrive late, buckler, Christ-like, Controller, crazies, Creator, cries, David, day of trouble, defense, deliverance, deliverer, encouragement, enemies, eternal life, fellowship, fortress, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, God's help, God's plan, headway, henchmen, high tower, honesty, hope of salvation, horn, I am helped, I will praise him, I will trust, in Jesus' name, let it snow, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, loving presence, mercy, moderation, my heart greatly rejoices, my heart trusted in him, my shield, naked trees, on which side his bread was buttered, our walk with Christ, party inside, passionate, physically, ponder, prayers, put our best foot forward, refreshed, refuge, relaxation, renewed, rest, Rock, salvation, Saul, saved from mine enemies, security, shield, sing of thy power, snow, spiritually, strong voice, stronghold, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanksgiving, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, The Lord is my strength, the northern climes, the protection of Almighty God, the weekend, the wind howling, times of trouble, Toronto, truth, warm nest, wisdom, with my song, worthy to be praised, zenith
Psalm 28:7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
And then it was Friday… And the snow not joking at all nuh friends; it had Toronto all snarled and tied up again yesterday evening and last night. Hn! It took one friend, several hours to get home in what would normally be a forty-five minute drive. But that’s the price you pay for living in the northern climes.
In my area though, the snow didn’t fall till later in the night, but the wind was a howling all day long! I wanted to go out the street, but when I heard the wind and saw what it was doing to the poor, naked trees, I decided to stay in my warm nest instead. What I wanted to do, could certainly wait for a better weather day. (smile)
And this Friday morning there are going to be more difficulties on the road again. So please my people, leave home early and take your time on the road. Watch out for the crazies! They say it’s better to arrive late, than not arrive at all.
And what amazes me, is that rain, shine or snow, nothing stops the weekenders from singing their li’l ditty. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday…and we have the weekend to we selves! As the song says, let it snow, let it snow, for all we care.
A fine time is going to be had by all! We can’t go outside, so we going to party inside! Thank God for weekends and Fridays yes!’
Ah mih people, the party life is nice for a little while, but it soon kills you, both spiritually and physically when you overdo it. What we need to do is to have a modicum of circumspection in our activities, like our Friday Chant says.
Let’s chant it now nuh, in strong voice, truly believing that what we’re declaring is the best way to handle the weekend. ‘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 indeed the best way to navigate our weekends; a little bit of everything, everything in moderation, because we need to be fresh, energetic and passionate come Monday morning. And how can we mange that eh?
Listen to our Bit from Psalm 28 – Bruh David’s prayer for God’s help. ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’
What a strong and unwavering declaration my fellow believers! Can we make such a declaration in all truth and honesty? We ought to, if we are true followers of Jesus Christ. Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered after doing so much running from his enemies, like Saul and his own son Absalom.
Yeh mih people, only because of his great faith and trust in the Lord God Almighty was he able to defeat or get away from his many foes. His cries and prayers in times of trouble had not gone unanswered; therefore he placed his ultimate hope of salvation in the hands of the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And so should we friends, because He is the ONLY ONE who can offer true salvation and a wonderful eternal life in His awesome and LOVING presence.
Now let’s check out some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning of course with Bruh David’s famous words from Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance.
‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps.18:2)
Oh friends, how good that makes a believer feel, knowing that the Lord God Jehovah is his strength and fortress, his shield and stronghold! Wow! It doesn’t get any better than that! How could it eh, when the Creator and Controller of the universe is your safe refuge and helps you fight your battles?
Now hear Bruh David again from Psalm 59, another prayer for deliverance, this time when Saul sent his henchmen to watch Bruh David’s house with the definite intent to kill him.
‘But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.’ (Ps.59:16-17)
More strong proclamation of God’s power and safe keeping my brethren! And you know, until we come to that point in our Christian walk, when we can sincerely declare those things, we’ll not be taking full advantage of all that God has provided for us.
Remember God’s basic plan for all of His people is to become as Christ-like as possible. Oh, He knows we’ll never attain to the level of Jesus, because He is God, but that doesn’t mean to say we can’t put our best foot forward and get as close as we humanly can.
And we’ll end with this verse of encouragement from Psalm 18: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:3)
Yes friends, that’s wisdom at its zenith! So please, let’s take some time to ponder our walk with Christ today nuh, see how far along we are, and if we are making good headway, and as always, ask for God’s help. You know He’ll never refuse it. Much LOVE!
…there’s no better feeling of security…than walking under the protection of Almighty God…
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