19 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversaries, air of sadness, almighty god, an abomination, arsenal, ask in prayer, aura of love, awesome power of prayer, believing, boldly, Christians, Confess your faults, confidence, conquer the world, die for us, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fervent prayer, for my love, friends, fun and frolic, glorious kingdom, God's creation, God's delight, grace, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I give myself, in Jesus' eyes, invincible, jaded, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, lift our spirits, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, most powerful tool, permeates our society, pray, pray without ceasing, prayer, prayer of the upright, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salt of the earth, salvation, Seasonal Affective disorder, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sufficient light, taunts, the angel of the Lord, the Good Book, the light of the world, the throne of grace, trespasses, trust, ungodly world, unto prayer, weekend, were yet sinners, wisdom, ye shall receive
Psalm 109:4. For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
So once again it is Monday friends; that day that so many of us dread without just cause. (smile) And no doubt, in these northern climes it’s also going to be another dreary and gloomy looking day, like the last few have been…Steups! No wonder an air of sadness permeates our society in the winter months, something which we’ve finally recognized to be a serious problem and now term ‘SAD -Seasonal Affective Disorder,’ or something to that effect. (smile)
And it happens a lot when the human animal is not getting sufficient light in their diet. And for sure we haven’t gotten enough in ours in the last little while! But the worse day for it to happen is on a Monday, when we’re already jaded and miserable over having to get up and go out to work after a weekend of fun and frolic.
But fear not my people, for we might not have the physical sun at our disposal today, but we have a bigger, better and even brighter light than that dwelling within us; that’s our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus…the LIGHT OF THE WORLD! His Holy Spirit is there to shed inner light on the darkness of our souls, which we are supposed to let shine on the outside to the rest of the world. For remember, we are the salt and light of the earth in Jesus’ eyes.
So what if we shaking it a tad rough this Monday morning eh? Please don’t let it get us down, instead, let’s join together in prayer, the most powerful tool in God’s creation, and allow it to lift our spirits, let them soar right up to the dark, dreary clouds above. (smile) So altogether now, with confidence, for remember we have to approach the throne of grace boldly but humbly.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yuh see friends, yuh see the awesome power of prayer? Yuh realize now that your mood has suddenly lifted and you are now rearing to get out into the evil world and give it all you’ve got for Jesus! Mama Yo! That’s why as believers we need to pray, we’ve been instructed do so, and to do it continually, without ceasing. (1 Thess.5:17)
And that’s why Bruh David wisely declared in our Bit: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.’ He realized that on his own, he had no sway, or hold over those who came against him, but through prayer, with His omnipotent God by his side, he could be a mighty conqueror. And the same thing applies to us my brethren, if we would only give prayer a chance.
Now let’s look at some instances in the Good Book where prayer was greatly utilized. But first, hear these immortal words of Jesus on the subject to the disciples. ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22) However, please note the most important word in that sentence is ‘believing.’ You have to believe; otherwise it’s a waste of time!
Now hear Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.’ (Prov.15:8) Yeh friends, our wonderful God takes great pleasure in hearing from those who believe in Him. So much so that James could confidently say: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:6)
Then He goes on to give the example of how Elijah, a man just like us, prayed earnestly that it shouldn’t rain and it didn’t rain for three and a half years. Then he prayed for rain…and wonder of wonders…rain came tumbling down! (smile)
And I like this particular occasion when prayer worked its wonders. That’s after Herod kills James and locks up Peter, intending to bring him out after the Passover and make a public spectacle of him. The Good Book says though: ‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’ (Acts 12:6) And that same night the angel of the Lord came and escorted him out of the prison without a soul being the wiser.
However, we also see here the problem of believing. For when Peter caught himself and realized what had happened, he made his way to the house of John Mark where people were praying for him. But when he knocked on the door and a lady who recognised his voice went and told the others that he was indeed free and outside, they foolishly claimed: ‘It is his angel.’ (Acts 12:15) So what’s the use of praying if you don’t believe that God can, and will answer your prayers eh? None whatsoever!
So friends, let’s ‘wisen’ up nuh, believe what our faith says, and above all, trust in the Lord God Almighty who LOVES us more than we can ever imagine, and who, while we were yet sinners, sent His One Son, Jesus Christ to die for us! Much LOVE!
…with LOVE and PRAYER in his arsenal…the believing Christian…can conquer the world…
P.S. And bringing it even closer to home. Yuh think I could write such wonderful Bits over such a long period of time without sincere prayer and belief? Not on yuh life! (smile) Much LOVE!
27 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bushel, a crazy ride, a tagline, all is well, ambassadors of Christ, ambassadorship, Anselm, aspires to inspire, best foot forward, cannot be hid, Christ-like, day of the week, diligence, enemy, enfolds me, eternal life, evil, evil cohorts, excellence, from glory to glory, glorify your Father, goat belly soup, gospel truth, implore, in heaven, Jesus Christ, let your light shine, life is complex, life is short, light, light a candle, light of the world, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, make it sweet, nothing's guaranteed, optimistic side of life, our Lord and Saviour, positive thinkng, protects me, qualifications, realistic, salt, salt of the earth, salvation, Saturday, see your good works, set on a hill, setting a good example, surrounds me, tasty flavour, the light of God, the LOVE of God, the power of God, the presence of God, trampled underfoot, under a basket, watches over me, worthwhile causes, worthy citizens
Matthew 5:13a & 14a. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…
So now it’s Saturday…. But don’t quote me on that nuh! (smile) Oh isn’t it nice when you don’t have to know what day of the week it really is, and they can just freely flow into each other, and all you’re concerned about is whether it’s night or day? I’m certainly enjoying it!
And I finally got home from Kingston around 8.pm last night, after a long and unsatisfying four hour bus ride. The youngster driving figured he was handling a toy bus, just twirling away round the corners. However, on arrival in Mo Bay, some good goat belly soup at a family member’s yard, revived my sagging energy and spirit, (smile) then I came home and just rested quietly.
But on a more serious note, here is a prayer that I found in my mother’s Bible after she died, and I’ve shared it before, but I’ve been moved to share it again today. It’s simple but all-encompassing, and it has become one of my favourites over the last few years. Please pray with me: ‘The light of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The power of God protects me. The presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am, God is… And ALL is WELL!’
Oh friends, if all those things are true, then ALL must be WELL with us! And if you’re a true believer in Christ, then all those things ARE true, so you can draw the logical conclusion. But since it’s Saturday, we need to turn to some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Hear this first one: ‘Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.’ And is that ever true! Only you, and you alone can truly make your life sweet…Sorry, I forgot to say in conjunction with Jesus, because if He is not in your life, then try as you want, your life will NEVER be truly sweet. Jesus is the key, the honey that sweetens life!
And this next quote complements that last one. ‘The truth is you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.’ No my brethren, we certainly don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, and though life’s not always a crazy ride, for sure nothing is guaranteed, except salvation and eternal life if Jesus dwells sincerely in your soul.
Then there’s: ‘I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.’ Oh isn’t life truly complex! But the best way to live it is with an optimistic outlook. As they say, hope for the best, but come what may. That’s all we can do, though with Jesus as the guiding light of our life lots of sunshine will surely filter in to it.
And this next quote tells us: ‘Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best.’ Gospel truth my fellow believers! Our Lord and Saviour knows that we are not perfect specimens, and knows our weaknesses better than us, so He doesn’t expect perfection, just that we try to be diligent and excellent representatives of His, by always putting our best foot forward.
And finally the last quote: ‘Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.’ And that’s more gospel truth friends! Positive, Christ-like thinking is the best way to live this earthly life. And when you do so, obviously some of your good attitude will rub off on others.
That’s what Jesus is all about. That’s why He highlighted our Bit in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…’ Yes my fellow believers, when we behave like salt and light, then we exude the properties of Jesus. And we can’t hope to be Christ-like, raised from glory to glory, unless we give off the same properties.
We need to be worthy citizens of our society, involved in worthwhile causes, setting a good example, shining our lights, so that others can see the true way, that hard to find hidden path that leads through Jesus to the Father. But unfortunately I don’t think that we’re really doing our best in that respect, else the world would not have been overtaken by the evil enemy and his evil cohorts.
If we were showing up our salty flavour and shining our bright light in the darkness of this evil world, Jesus’ LOVE Revolution would have had the upper hand on the world stage by now! But since we apparently have lost our salty, tasty flavour, we don’t seem to be good for anything now, and are just being trampled underfoot.
It’s the same thing with our light. It seems like we’re hiding it under a bushel or basket, and no light’s getting out to those around us. Remember what Jesus said: ‘A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:14b-15)
Oh friends, I know some of us are tired of hearing this sermon, but we need to hear it until we get it right! The evil enemy is running away with the world, and we are the only ones who can take it back. So let’s get serious and become true ambassadors of Christ nuh, and truly exemplify the diligence and excellence He expects of us, by making His wish come true. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16)
That, in a nutshell is our earthly job my people. Please, I implore us, let’s go out and do it nuh, so that Jesus and the Father can be glorified. Much LOVE!
…salt and light…the major qualifications for a Jesus ambassadorship…
07 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, actions, Anselm's quotes, around the house, before men, born again, bounden duty, Christian way of life, christianity, communicate, couch potato, get serious, get with the programme, give light to others, gives light, glorify your father in heaven, glory to God, glow yourself, God rested, good for nothing, happiness, help, hindrance, knocking down the door, laze around, lead weary travellers, let your light so shine, lift our spirits, light a candle, light of the world, lighthouses, look for rainbows, look for stars, Lord and Saviour, natural beauty, naysayers, one fell swoop, oodles of things, pull up our socks, ready made, reaping the rewards, receive Jesus, reflecting, renew the saltiness, replenish the soul, salt of the earth, see your good works, sentinels, share, surround yourself, the extra mile, the help of God, the kingdom of heaven, the light and love of Jesus, the light that's Jesus, through thick and thin, traitors, trod under foot, turning away, under a bushel, willing to go
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Well a good morning to all my couch potato Scrip-Bit friends! (smile) Oh I know many of us cannot afford that luxury because there are oodles of things to be done around the house; stuff that we couldn’t or can’t do during the workweek.
But please find some time to just laze around and do absolutely nothing but laze around, it does help to replenish the soul. We cannot be busy every second of every day. For even God rested after every day when He was creating the world. He could have done it all in one fell swoop, but He chose to take His time and do it right, and so should we.
And since it’s Saturday, we ought also to consider some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And here is the first one: ‘When it rains, look for rainbows. When it’s dark, look for stars.’
I guess that makes sense since oftimes rainbows and stars are used by God to communicate with us, and even if there is no serious communication involved, they still lift our spirits by their natural beauty.
And then there is: ‘Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.’ And that’s basically true, because regardless of how good or bad your situation or circumstances are, ONLY you can make yourself happy. If you don’t want to be happy, no one can do so, and likewise, if you truly want to be happy, no one or nothing can stop you.
Now hear this next quote: ‘Surround yourself with people who get you.’ And I take it that he means people who understand you and what you plan to do. Yes friends, it’s of the utmost importance that we surround ourselves with people who think like us and are willing to go the extra mile to help us get where we want to be.
We can’t afford traitors or naysayers, else our projects won’t flourish. And please, don’t forget when you are reaping the rewards to share them with those who’ve stood by you through thick and thin. A lot of us tend to take all the glory for ourselves and forget those who helped us get to the top.
And the last quote says: ‘If you want to give light to others, you have to glow yourself.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren! You can’t give away something that you don’t have. So if you want to show someone the way, you must have a light yourself to lead them, otherwise it will be just the blind leading the blind.
That brings us to our Bit; the awesome proclamation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Oh glory to God my people! That is what we were created to do; glorify God, and we can only do that by being true to our Christian way of life. And Jesus based that on two basic tenets, namely: being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And what does He mean by that?
Well, salt is possibly the most useful item in all of our society. It gives food flavour, acts as a preservative, melts coldness and heals wounds. Thus it is a good description of a Christian’s relationship to the world around him. And when you are born again, receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, all those elements are expected to play a major part in your life.
However as Jesus says earlier on: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Yeh friends, if we are supposedly born again and are not behaving like salt, then we are of no use to the kingdom of heaven; more of a hindrance than a help. And sadly, that’s how a lot of us believers are looking and living today; salt less. That’s why so many others are turning away from Christianity. Our brand of Christianity has lost its flavour and purpose.
The same goes for being the light of the world. Jesus proudly declared of His believers and followers: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket, but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:7)
Ah my fellow believers, sadly, today our faith seems to have lost it’s light, or we are hiding it under a bushel, because too many people are holding, viewing Christianity in a rather hypocritical manner. Our lives are not reflecting the light and LOVE of Jesus as they should. Our heavenly Father is certainly not being glorified the way He ought to be.
And it’s all our fault. God has given us all the tools to do the job, but we, for whatever reason, simply aren’t doing it properly. There’s no rush of people flocking to Jesus, while many are walking away. We’ve got to stop that out flow and begin having the unbelievers knocking down the door of Jesus to get in close to Him, just dying to have what we have.
And that can only be done if we believers pull up our socks, get serious about our faith, renew the saltiness of our spirits and remove the basket that’s hiding our wonderful light, the light of Jesus from the world. And with the help of Almighty God, we can certainly do it.
So today, I’m imploring us to get with the programme, and get on the good foot, so that we can do our bounden duty; glorify our great God. Much LOVE!
…true believers ought to be like lighthouses…standing sentinel in the dark…to lead weary travellers to the light that’s Jesus…
23 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candlestick, absence of light, children of men, Christian's character, condition, darkness, essential to the world, flavour, freedom, Friday chant, further God's glorious kingdom, glorify your Father, good for nothing, human depravity, let your light shine, light, Lucifer, mission, preservative, salt, salt of the earth, see your good works, Sermon on the Mount, stars are aligned, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the light of Jesus, trodden underfoot, under a bushel, work week, workingman
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Once again it’s Friday, and the children of men are suddenly enthused and invigorated because a spot of freedom looms large on the horizon before them. (smile) And there’s none more enthused and invigorated than the ordinary workingman as he proudly proclaims:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday… And all the stars are aligned in my favour! The weekend is finally here…seems like it’s been taking forever…but now the party can begin. Wine, woman and song is the motto for this weekend. And who doh like it, tough tits, they know what they can do. Hn, hn!
I slave whole week for a brutal, greedy man, and now yuh want to tell me I can’t enjoy mihself however I want to…Steups! Foolishness yes man! Just be thankful to God that we have a li’l break from new-fangled slavery come Fridays and the weekend yes!’
Ah Lord eh friends! The working world can certainly be rough, and I know that some of us believers would certainly like to join in the workingman’s party (smile) but out Leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has a different idea for our supposed freedom.
He doesn’t support the leggo beast theory, but prefers to keep it orderly with the boundaries philosophy. That’s why our Friday Chant is so different to the workingman’s song. Let’s chant it now nuh, so that we can uplift ourselves and also be reminded of what’s expected of us on the weekend.
Altogether 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, we have to rest and rejuvenate ourselves, so that come Monday we can get back out there and fight the good fight of faith in Jesus’ name, otherwise the enemy will just keep making inroads into our ranks, which we simply can’t afford to let happen.
That’s why we need to be ever cautious about how we behave and talk, for negative words and inappropriate behaviour can turn people away from Christ, and what we so desperately desire to do is bring them to Him, not turn them away.
That’s why Jesus commanded us in the Sermon from the Mount in today’s Bit: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Yes my fellow believers, we ought to be a shining beacon for Christ in this world of almost total darkness, like the lighthouses of old, guided ships away from rocks and shoals, to safe harbours.
As Jesus prefaced our Bit: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (a lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:13-15)
That means we are to be essential to the world, like salt is, and allow the light of Jesus that dwells within us, to shine brightly forth, not hide it. Now listen to the scholars. ‘5:13. Jesus describes the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light.
“Ye are” indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity.
He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is, a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.’
There you have it friends; our condition; to help alleviate the world’s problems, and our mission; to shine our lights brightly forth in the overwhelming darkness that envelops it. The question now is, are we doing that to the best of our ability? And if we’re truthful, we will all say that we’re not. That’s why Lucifer and his dark, evil empire still has such a prominent hold on the world.
Please my fellow believers, I’m imploring us today to put some much need flavour back into our salt, or just get some new salt, (smile) and let’s take the coverings off of our lights so that the light of Jesus that indwells us can shine forth and make a major difference in this dark and evil world. With the Lord’s help we can certainly do it. Much LOVE!
…oh…how the world is dying…to taste the Christian’s salt…and to see his bright light shining forth into its darkness…
10 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anger, awesome, balance, beloved of God, bitterness, blessed, Christian mission, comforting place, darkness, dr robert h schuller, exciting thought, faith, fantastic lesson, friend of Jesus, glorification of God, glorify your heavenly Father, glory hallelujah, God LOVES me, good news, good works, graceful truth, happy report, human depravity, Jesus Christ, lay down their burdens, let your light so shine, light, light of the world, LOVE, omnipotent god, peaceful, plans of mice and men, salt, salt of the earth, set on a hill, share His love, shine, strife, the absence of light, Tuesday Mantra, under a bushel, work it out for good
Matthew 5:13-14. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…
Ah friends, it’s a snowy Tuesday afternoon in my neighbourhood, and I so wanted to get the Bit our earlier, but as they say the best laid plans of mice and men usually go astray.
I’m still trying to find a new balance in this era of heart problems and it’s not proving to be very easy. But fear not, our wonderful and omnipotent God is in full command and in His time, all will work it self out for good.
And to help us come to terms with whatever problem(s) we are facing today, here is this li’l reminder from our Hour of Power Devotional by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H Schuller) that’s simply titled ‘GOD LOVES ME!’
Please pray with me: ‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. God LOVES me! Even when I’m at my worst – God LOVES me. Even when my faith is dim – God LOVES me anyway! It’s incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen.’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth friends? Our wonderful, amazing, awesome and incomprehensible heavenly Father LOVES us in what ever state we may be in; good, bad or indifferent! And that will NEVER change! Glory Hallelujah! We are so blessed and don’t truly realize it nuh.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s how our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ desires us to be in this lost and fallen world – salt and light!
Yesterday we looked at the salt aspect, today, let’s look at the light portion. Jesus puts it thus: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket),
But on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:14-16)
Ah mih people, our Saviour wants us to shine, and shine so brightly that we light up this entire world of darkness!
Hear how the scholars explain those verses. ‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity.
He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness alone cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.’
Always remember that please friends; the smallest light can displace great darkness! Once there is light, the darkness will flee! That’s why we need to shine, regardless of the intensity, for any bit of light is better than darkness.
And as always, the bottom line of our earthly behaviour is to glorify our heavenly Father! That’s our number one reason for being! I wonder how many of us though, even consider the effect our actions have on the glorification of our great God?
And I think that’s where a lot of us err; we don’t think enough, or sincerely about the effect our actions have on the glory of God.
Oh, I know it’s not possible to consider the effect of every action, but overall I believe we can do a better job in that department, because that’s where people are either drawn to Christ or are turned away from Him.
And I do believe that too many people are being turned away from Him these days by our less than stellar salt and light actions. But friends, it is of the utmost importance in these days of worldwide strife, anger and bitterness, we followers of Jesus give the world a peaceful and comforting place to come and lay down all their burdens.
It’s becoming more essential everyday that we be true salt and light in this wicked world. So let’s try and up the ante nuh, so that others can find a true place of rest in Jesus. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra with a positive outlook and sense of purpose.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ Much LOVE!
…shine on…shine on…you believers…shine on…shine on for Jesus…
09 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 2017, a commercial message, anger, aura of love, born again, carnality, cast out, christianity, Christians, comforting, confidence, consoling, enthusiasm, evil, flavouring, friends, glorious kingdom, good cheer, good for nothing, guiding, hard-hearted, heals wounds, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, light of the world, lost its savour, LOVE, LOVE Walk, melts coldness, misnomer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, preservative, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resolution, rest, salt, salt of the earth, shining stars, spiritual armour, strife, the Beatitudes, the birth of Jesus, trodden underfoot, trust, ungodly world, walk closely with Jesus, wisdom, witness
Matthew 5:13-14. Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…
Ah mih people, the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations finally over! Is back to serious work this Monday morning. No more three and four day weekends for a while again. Hn, Hn!
But please, please, I’m pleading with us, let’s not go back to the savage sort of life we were living before the Holiday season began nuh. Let’s keep at least some of the LOVE and good cheer we’ve been meeting out in that blessed period, otherwise the birth of Jesus would be no more than a commercial message.
Friends, it’s up to us Christian folks to make that a reality. The world with its rampant carnality doesn’t care about that sort of thing, and remember, we have resolved in our ONE resolution, to walk ever more closely with Jesus this provocative year of 2017.
So let’s stop disappointing Him with our hitherto frail and feeble LOVE walk nuh, and let’s open the year instead bright and beautiful, like the shining stars He desires us to be. Nuff said!
And with that burst of glory (smile) let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we truly mean it.
In unison now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah friends, that was good, and Jesus was pleased but He‘d much rather we keep up a constant battle as per our Bit. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth…Ye are the light of the world…’
That’s what Christians are supposed to represent in this evil world; salt and light. I’ll let Jesus tell us. ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Unfortunately, a lot, too many of us fit that description; good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden underfoot! And the scholars supply this explanation: ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light.
Ye are the salt of the earth: Again the phrase “ye are” indicates that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
Oh my fellow believers, as we look at our Christian walk in action, can we truly say that we are salt? Do we add a rich and spicy flavour to our surroundings and those therein? Are we being preservative; keeping people strong, alive and vibrant with whatever we bring to the table?
And do we melt coldness? Oh friends, that’s possibly one of the most important of our duties, because there are so many cold and hard-hearted hearts and souls out there in this modern world, and it is our job to soften, to warm them up with the wonder of Jesus.
And last, but by no means least, do we heal wounds? Are we comforting and consoling and guiding and bringing peace and LOVE to situations rather than anger and strife? I surely hope so my brethren, otherwise our witness if of no use, and calling ourselves Christians is a clearly a misnomer!
Well that’s enough tough talk for today. (smile) But please, let’s be serious and check out our lives along those paths nuh, and see where we are lacking and ask the Good Lord to help us improve our LOVE walk in His name. Much LOVE!
…it’s time the world sees what true Christians are like…in fact…it’s long overdue…
29 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive difference, Amen, an empty church, and glorify your Father in heaven, bounden duty, carried to the fountain, christian conduct, embrace, esteem, evildoers, exalt, faith, faithful service, fear, fellowship with God, fellowshipping, Fill Me, fleshly lusts, foolsih men, glorify, God's children, God's LOVE, God's sanctuary, good works, honour, Hour of Power Devotional, I come O God, intimacy with god, invoke the Spirit of Christ, Jesus' Love Revolution, led by, let your light shine, light of the world, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lusts, more room for God, movers and shakers, my soul will be filled, personal testimonies, praise, put to silence, rejuvenating our spirits, reverence, Robert H Sculler, salt of the earth, spheres of influence, spread the good news, Sunday, teach all nations, thank you, the day of visitation, the empty pitcher, the gospel, the Great Commission, the growing flower, the Holy Spirit, the ignorance, the living Christ, the Lord's Day, the mountain spring, the satisfying sun, the thirsty deer, this time of prayer, truth, turns hungrily, wherever two or three are gathered, worship, worshipping praising
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Well my people, a new week has begun! Yes it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the day for worshipping and praising and fellowshipping and rejuvenating our spirits at God’s sanctuary, or wherever two or three of God’s children choose to gather!
That’s the beauty of our faith; we don’t have to meet in a physical building, although that’s nice, but we can meet anywhere at all, under any conditions, and still invoke the Spirit of Christ to lead us in praise and worship.
Neither do we have to always meet in great numbers, although that too would be desirable, but we can have church with only two or three believers. I remember doing that some years ago. On a particularly cold winter’s morn, just the priest, Rev. Anne, the lay reader and I showed up for the 8.30 service. So they called me up to the altar, and we had church.
And you know there’s something about having church with only a few people that I like. I don’t know if it’s because there seems to be more intimacy with God and with each other. As the saying goes, there’s more room for God in an empty church. (smile)
Anyway, enough of my rambling, let’s move along, because we have plenty stuff to share this last Sunday morning in May of 2016. And we are going to begin with this prayerful poem of Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. It’s called ‘Fill Me!’ And it was so fine, I had to play it one more time. (smile)
Please pray with me. ‘O Lord, like the thirsty deer which goes to drink from the mountain spring; like the growing flower which turns hungrily to the satisfying sun; like the empty pitcher which is carried to the fountain to be filled; so I come, O God, knowing that in this time of prayer my soul will be filled with your LOVE and your truth. Thank you! Amen.’
Yes Friends, we definitely need our souls to be filled with God’s LOVE and truth so that we can sincerely and successfully perform what Jesus asks of us in our Bit. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
Remember yesterday we spoke about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world; our condition and our mission? Well that salt and light ought to morph into good works which will glorify, exalt, and raise the esteem of our heavenly Father. The unbeliever will see our faithful service and thus come to embrace the living Christ as their Lord and Saviour too.
Now Jesus, as is His wont, is putting it nicely to us here my fellow believers, but He didn’t have to, because that’s our bounden duty, it’s our main purpose here on earth, why we were created in the first place; to have fellowship with God, to glorify and exalt Him with our truly Christian conduct and consequently lead others to Him.
And I hope that we sincerely pondered our individual situations on the subject as I asked, and then prayed to God for help to rectify and/or improve our personal testimonies of being salt and light in a dark, bland and evil world.
Oh my people, it’s ever so important that we let our lights shine brilliantly wherever we are so that Jesus’ LOVE Revolution can grow, and we can spread the good news of His gospel to the entire world as He commanded in the Great Commission.
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Yes friends, all of that is included in being salt and light on God’s great earth!
Now hear how Peter puts it when he talks about living as servants of God. ‘Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation (conduct) honest (honourable) among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance (institution) of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors; as unto them sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness (evil), but as the servants of God. Honour all men, LOVE the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.’ (1 Pet.2:11-17)
Yes my brethren, that’s basically how we as Christians, followers of Christ, ought to live! Submit to authority, have a kind heart to everyone, especially to fellow believers, and above all, honour, reverence, fear, glorify and exalt Almighty God, our Creator and Provider!
Now, as we all know, it’s not easy living sincerely and successfully for Christ in this evil world, filled with numerous lusts and temptations, but if we walk and talk and be led by the Holy Spirit of God that dwells within us, we can make a positive difference in the world.
And yuh know friends, that’s all Jesus really desires of us; to make a positive difference in our earthly sojourn, no matter how small and seemingly negligible it might be. We can’t all be worldly movers and shakers, but we can ALL be effective believers and doers of the Word in our small spheres of influence. So let’s do it nuh. Much LOVE!
…even the smallest good deed in Christ’s name…will be well rewarded by our heavenly Father…
30 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candlestick, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a splendid torch, a torch of hope, aches and pains, and glorify your Father in heaven, arthritic aches and pains, batons, be found wanting, born again, Christians, compassion, cortisone, darkened world, darkness, essential mission, faithful followers of Jesus, forgiveness, foundational characteristic, generosity, Geroge Bernard Shaw, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's favour, gospel truth, grace, grateful, handing it on to future generations, heals wounds, human depravity, if the salt has lost it s flavour, indisputable truth, judgement day, just up and fly away, Let your light so shine before men, life is not a breif candle, light can dispel darkness, light of the world, London School of Economics, LOVE, meet the needs of the world, melts coldness, mercy, My Fair Lady, neither do men light a candle, Nobel Peace Prize, passion, passion for Christ, passionate speech, preservative, put it under a bushel, relay races, relief, salt of the earth, satisfies our longing souls, summer ditties, thankful, thanks and glory to God, that they may see your good works, the absence of light, the good news, the light of Jesus, the sun and the Son are shining brightly, this is the day the Lord has made, trodden underfoot, truth, unconditional LOVE, understanding, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, with the Lord's help, Ye are the light of the world
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Oh Friends, I’ve run out of well known summer ditties to greet you with. (smile) But believe me, another beautiful summer’s day is in the offing on this terrific day called Thursday! Wow! The Lord in His ultimate wisdom, grace and mercy has prepared it especially for us to enjoy, and to do His wonderful bidding.
So let’s say it with joy and heartfelt gratefulness nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL and SHALL rejoice and be glad it in! Glory Hallelujah!’
Glory to the great and mighty King that sits upon His throne in the high heavens and satisfies our longing souls with His tender mercies, grace, forgiveness, compassion, understanding and unconditional LOVE! Mama Mia!
Oh Friends, there ought to be nobody happier than us Christians, we faithful followers of Jesus in this beautiful world that the Lord in His wisdom and generosity has created. And the good news is that it does not seem like it’s going to be a scorcher, at least not yet, because a nice cool and gentle breeze is blowing out there, and both the sun and the Son are shining incredibly brightly in their respective elements. Oh Glory to God!
Ah mih people, please excuse the ole fella for his extra passion and passionate speech this morning. I guess it’s because I woke up feeling the best I’ve felt in ages! Glory to God again! The old aches and pains weren’t as bad as usual. I feel light and feathery, like I can just up and fly away! (smile)
It’s possibly due some to a shot of cortisone I got injected into my right shoulder yesterday, ostensibly to ease the agonizing arthritic pain in my right shoulder, but it seems to be helping everything, obviously with a touch of God’s favour and enormous grace.
Oh, I know the basic aches and pains most likely won’t go away, but I am enormously thankful and grateful for any bit of relief I can get. More thanks and glory to God! He’s so wonderful!
Now here is this most important, outstanding and truth bearing quote from George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the well known Irish born playwright and co-founder of the famous and prestigious London School of Economics, writer of plays like ‘My Fair Lady,’ and winner of the Nobel Peace prize for Literature in 1925.
George is reputed to have said that,’Life is not a “brief candle.” It is a splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.’ And we know that he did just that with all his world-renowned achievements!
Now it’s our turn my brethren to do the same. You’ll notice how we pass on torches at our big games to try and keep the flame going, the passion, the memories alive for those who come after us. That’s the only way later generations will know and understand where they are coming from, just like we learned it from those who went before us.
And note too, the batons we pass on during our relay races, which is symbolic of how we ought work together and pass on stuff to others in our everyday lives. And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, which is where I found George’s quote, adds an interesting statement to the situation.
‘If we assume that each one of our “small candles” represents another of our strengths, we can blend them together to form a torch of hope.’
I just LOVE that idea Friends! ‘A torch of Hope! Wow! I believe that is exactly what Jesus is looking for from us when He declares in our Bit: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ Oh isn’t that the gospel truth!
Then Jesus goes on to elucidate after our Bit. ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp) and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:15-16)
Yes Friends, being a light unto this darkened world is one of the two things Jesus desires of us down here. The other is to be the salt of the earth, as He says before our Bit.
‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Isn’t it interesting how Jesus used two basic, simple things like salt and light to spell out the way He wants his followers to be different from the rest of the world. It’s all a part of His simple, but wise and knowledgeable philosophy.
Now here is some stuff the scholars have to say on those topics. ‘5:13. The Beatitudes are followed by a summary statement of the basic character of the Christian’s life as salt and light. Ye are the salt of the earth: Again the phrase “ye are” indicate that only the genuinely born-again person is salt and can help meet the needs of the world.
Salt adds flavouring, acts as a preservative, melts coldness, and heals wounds. Thus it is a very appropriate description of the believer in his relationship to the world in which he lives.’
And that’s exactly why Jesus chose it as a foundational characteristic of His followers!
‘5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world. He is the condition (salt) to meet the world’s needs and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light is to clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity.
He is to set his light upon a candlestick, not hide it under a bushel, that is, a basket. Darkness is the absence of light; and darkness cannot dispel the light, but the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness’
Oh mih people, what more can I say to all of that indisputable truth eh? Not much, except to encourage us to raise the level of our passion for Christ and His work, so that we won’t be found wanting when the day of Judgement arrives and the Lord asks us: ‘What did your salt flavour, and where did your light shine?’ As believers, that is the ultimate in wisdom! Much LOVE!
…let’s all put our small individual lights together…and form a torch…a torch of hope…that we can blaze across this world of inordinate darkness…and thus bring light…the light of Jesus to a needy, depraved and fallen world…
P.S. Oh Friends, I know it’s long and late, but is it ever so true and heartwarming! (smile) Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it – obviously with the Lord’s help and guidance. Much LOVE!
19 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon, a feeling of peace, a relationship with Christ, almighty god, Anselm, background noise, behave godly, bounden duty, called by God's name, celebration, Christ-lie, Christians, come up higher, communing with nature, desires, disastrous state of our world, downfalls, duty, eternal life, evil, evil cohorts, fear not, forgive their sin, free gift of grace, friends, gentle breezes, give men for thee, God's chosen people, God's people, gospel truth, grace, guide others to Christ, heal their land, honoured, humble themselves, I am the Lord thy God, I will be with thee, individual hurts, ingrained in our nature, insincere pleas, Inspire us for a better tomorrow, irresponsibly, Isaiah's declaration, Israelites, Jesus Christ, light of the world, LOVE, low over me, Lucifer, mesh with God's will, more beautiful than silence, Moses, motives, my neck of the woods, negative actions, negativity, night insects, peace, people for thy life, people which are called by my name, ponder, pray, precious in my sight, Queen Victoria, quick communication, quiet of the morning, ransom, refresh our memories, rejuvenating the spirits, responsibility, responsible society, right conclusion, rocket science, rustle the leaves of the trees, sacrificing, salt of the earth, salvation, scans our hearts, seek God, seek my face, silence is golden, silence., sinful nature, sing songs of praise, social media, sounds of the highway, spread Christ's gospel, strife, talking nonsense, the blessings of obedience, the children of Israel, the flame scorch thee, the heathen, the Holy One of Israel, the lust of the flesh, the only redeemer, the rivers shall not overflow thee, the things of the world, the unbeliever, think before we talk, thou shalt not be burned, trillion dollar question, turn away from their wicked ways, turn back to God, ungodly society, when thou passest through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, will I hear from heaven
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.
Aye Friends, please blame the lateness of this Tuesday morning Bit at the feet of Queen Victoria, as I was up till late last night, early this morning, celebrating her day. (smile) But not to worry, it was celebration of the good kind.
And then, before I went to bed, I obviously had to spend some time sitting out on my front porch enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning, communing with nature and my most wonderful God.
Oh my people, you wouldn’t understand how peaceful and quiet it is in my neck of the woods at that time! I sit out there and just let the gentle breezes blow over me, as they rustle the leaves of the trees, and the night insects sing their songs of praise to their Creator, with the sounds of the highway acting as background noise in the distance.
Such a feeling of peace washes over me, that this morning I had to force myself to get up and go to bed, the atmosphere was so amenable to sitting out there for much longer. (smile)
Ah Friends, what’s the point of God giving us these natural amenities for rejuvenating our spirits, if we don’t make use of them eh? None whatsoever!
Anyway, here’s an interesting piece of advice from my Friend Anselm, as he attempts to inspire us for a better tomorrow. He says: ‘Open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than silence.’
What a wonderful bit of advice that is my brethren! It brings to mind the saying that ‘silence is golden.’ And it surely is, especially when what we’re planning to say is just going to provoke strife and negativity.
Oh, the many negative actions we can avoid if we’ll only think before we talk! But that seems to be one of our big downfalls, especially in this age of quick communication and social media.
Instead of cutting back on our talking, we seem to be talking even more than usual, and consequently talking more nonsense than usual too. The amount of confusion this social media is causing it’s not funny, yet we still insist on using it irresponsibly.
Ah mih people, until we put the words of our Bit into serious action, we’ll never become a responsible society. ‘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.’
As we said yesterday, there are four areas we need to deal with if we are called by God’s name, and we are, as Christians. The first is to humble ourselves before Almighty God, then pray to Him, sincerely seeking His face, while turning away from our evil ways.
Oh Friends, it’s right there in black and white! And it’s not rocket science either. But the evil is so ingrained in our nature, and the lust of the flesh and our LOVE for the things of the world are so great that we don’t seem to want to turn back to God, or we find it difficult to do so.
But Friends, please be assured of one thing; if we truly want to seek God, we’ll find Him, because the Lord will certainly enable us to do it. The problem is that when He scans our hearts, He discovers that our motives and desires are wrong, they do not mesh with His will and desire, so He ignores our insincere pleas.
Now I had planned to share some scriptures that deal with the four areas in which we need to come up higher, so that God can hear us and heal our individual hurts, as well as our ungodly society. But before we can do that, we need to refresh our memories that we are indeed God’s people, called by His name.
Yesterday we saw one example of that through Moses laying out the blessings of obedience to the Israelites. Now listen to Isaiah’s declaration to the children of Israel, as he details to them the gospel truth that God is the only redeemer of mankind.
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel. Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Sheba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is.43:1-4)
Yes my brethren, the bunch of modern day people called Christians, belong to the Lord! We are called by His name, He has saved and redeemed us through the sacrificing of His Son Jesus Christ!
That means we have a responsibility, a serious duty to behave and act according to His desires and commands. But obviously we’re not doing that on a wide or strong enough scale, which results in our even more sinful nature and the disastrous state of our world.
Ah Friends, we are God’s chosen people, let’s behave like it nuh, and not like Lucifer’s evil cohorts. Our bounden duty is to behave godly, and spread Christ’s gospel, so that the heathen, the unbeliever, will have a chance to turn to God, to accept His free gift of grace that leads to salvation and eternal life.
Now, if we, God’s people, called by His name, don’t do it, then please tell me who will eh?
And we’ll end with that trillion dollar question. Friends, please, let’s seriously and sincerely ponder it today nuh, and with God’s help, come to the right conclusion. Much LOVE!
…Christians are meant to be Christ-like…the salt of the earth…and the light of the world…a beacon to guide others to a wonderful relationship with Christ…
26 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accept good, Amen, appreciate life, attribute of love, blessed be God, calamity, celebration, clap your hands, confidence, Emeritus Professor, encouragement, enjoy life, enthusiasm, exalt God, face life head on, Father, fellowship, friendship, get up get out get lost, God blesses us so that we can bless others, God of Abraham, God reigns over the heathen, gospel truth, heartwarming emotion of Love, Holy Ghost, I am with you always, I choose to be enthusiastic about my life, in Jesus' name, Job, Juergen Moltman, king of glory, life is a combination of joy and sorrow, life was made for living, light of the world, live life on its terms, LOVE, love and life, love life, one true living God, pain and hurt, passion, passionately, peace, praise and worship, Praise the Lord, real-life drama. live the drama, salt of the earth, shout unto God, Son, Sunday, teach all nations, Thank You Lord, the end of the world, the god of Abraham, the Great Commission, the hand of God, the joy of life, the joy of living fully, the Lord is a great king over all the earth, the Lord most high is awesome, the voice of triumph, theology of hope, true believers
Psalm 47:1-2. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. for the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.
It’s Sunday Friends, Sunday…the day of ‘gatheration!’ (smile) It’s that first day of the week when we gather to praise and worship our most wonderful God and fellowship with each other, offering encouragement, friendship, peace and LOVE!
Wow! What a great time will be had by all! Why is that you ask? Chuh! Because there’s nothing, no celebration in this world that compares to true believers getting together to sing and praise and worship the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD of the Universe!
And that’s because the occasion is filled with that wonderful, adorable and heartwarming emotion of LOVE, which stems directly from Almighty God, and in turn, is His most marvellous and important attribute!
And all God’s children boldly proclaimed: ‘Thank You Lord for Your LOVE! Without it we couldn’t even begin to function in this ungodly and troubled world! Please keep on LOVING us, and help us to LOVE You too, as we ought to. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen!’
That brings me to an interesting quote I want to share again, on the subject of LOVE and LIFE. This comes from Jürgen Moltman, a German Theologian and Emeritus Professor, born in 1926, and noted as a proponent of his ‘Theology of Hope.’
And Jürgen wisely tells us that: ‘The more passionately we LOVE Life, the more intensely we experience the joy of Life!’
What wisdom my people! And to explain that, the One More Day Devotional for those with Chronic Illness says: ‘We can’t hide from the real-life drama around us, though we’d like to sometimes. We need to live the drama, LOVE it, cry with it, and at times even hate it. Choosing to live life on its terms brings enthusiasm and passion into our experience.’
And that’s no lie my Friends! For trying to avoid, to run from the pain and hurt inherent in life, only ‘blinds us to the joys and wonderment of living fully!’
Truer words were never spoken my people! That’s why the most joyful people are the ones who face life head on, who deal with the situations as they come up, without trying to avoid everything that’s painful, because life at its best is a combination of joy and sorrow.
Job recognized that most salient fact when he admonished his wife. ‘What? shall we receive (accept) good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (accept calamity)?’ (Job 2:10)
Likewise Friends, until we also realize and accept that most salient fact, and stop trying to have no painful moments, we’ll never fully understand, appreciate and enjoy life! That’s why I want us to proclaim and acclaim today: ‘I choose to be enthusiastic about my life!’
Yes Friends, life was made for living, and you can’t live life fully unless you’re enthusiastic about it. And the psalmist, writing Psalm 47, from which our Bit is taken, understood this principle.
Though life is sometimes difficult, he still oh so wisely advises: ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.’
And make no mistake my brethren, that is indeed gospel truth!
And as the psalmist continues later on in full confidence: ‘God reigneth over the heathen (nations, Gentiles): God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shield of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.’ (Ps.47:8-9)
And that my fellow believers is exactly what we need to do today and every day; exalt our great God, because He reigns supreme, as King of Glory!
Yes my people, as we come together to praise and worship the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, let’s remember these true and moving words of Bruh David from Psalm 68, superscripted – God has gone before His people.
‘Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible (awesome) out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.’ (Ps.68:34-35)
And most important of all my brethren, let’s remember that when we leave God’s sanctuary today, be it a multi-million dollar building, or under a mango tree, we need to take the joy, the glory, the enthusiasm, encouragement, fellowship and LOVE that we receive there, out into the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us and share it with others who unfortunately don’t know Jesus.
Don’t hoard it, don’t try to save it all for yourself, because God blesses us so that we can also bless others. Jesus expects nothing less from us, that’s why He gave us the Great Commission before He ascended back to heaven.
‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
And all God’s children declared a loud, grateful and enthusiastic: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Now Friends, let’s go out and do as Jesus asks, or as our Bishop recently quoted another clergy member: ‘Get up; get out, and get lost!’ That means, take our Christianity into the world and let it shine, with Jesus as our guide, mentor, Lord and Saviour. Much LOVE!
…to be really true believers…we must be truly seen…as the salt of the earth…and the light of the world…
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