06 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ambition, aura of love, be rich in good works, Bruh Paul, caressed the air, complaining, compromise, confidence, Cousin Sol, coveted, destruction, eternal life, fall into temptations, friends, generous, glorious kingdom, glory to God, godly enthusiasm, godly purpose, guiding light, haughty, highminded, holy spirit, humble servants, hypocrites, idol, in great spirits, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, love for money, lusts, materialistic, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not on the things on the earth, on the ball, peace, pitfalls, praise and worship God, Praise the Lord, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., root of all evil, ruin, salvation, set your affection on things above, spiritual armour, spiritually concerned, steadfast faith, the goal of life, the house of God, the moral of the story, the Ten Commandments, the true light of the world, truth, ungodly world, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, working for the almighty dollar
Colossians 3:2. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, a fair number of hypocrites came to church yesterday, (smile) and did we ever sing and dance, praise and worship God, and enjoy each other’s company! Wow! So much so that we all left the house of God in great spirits, with our LOVE, peace and godly enthusiasm boosted sky high! Oh Glory to God, my people!
That’s why on this summer’s morn, this Monday morning, we are able to get up and get ourselves together to go out and labour without a lot of fuss and complaining. We set the tone for the rest of the week by affirming our convictions with Almighty God on the first day. And that’s why I keep advising us, that our Sundays set the tone and tempo for our Mondays.
Now for those of us whose spirits are still burdened and heavy laden, let’s get our act together by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. As one earthly, but angelic sounding choir, let’s sing.
‘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!’
Oh Friends, that was wonderful, marvellous! And most importantly, Jesus was thrilled. You could tell by the dazzling smile on His face as lost in the music, He swayed and wielded – no, not wielded, because that carries a sense of a crude, rough and heavy manner – but rather, as He gently, lightly, but firmly caressed the air with His conductor’s baton. (smile)
Yes my people, I don’t know what happened, but we are definitely on the ball this morning. As we sang, we must obviously have done what our Bit says. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’
Oh, if we could only do that in all the other areas of our lives, what a truly wonderful world this would be! But unfortunately that’s not the case; the things of the world still hold too much sway over us; we’re way too materialistic and not sufficiently spiritually concerned. And per the Good Book, my brethren, that is not a very good or wise way to be.
Cousin Sol puts it this way in Proverbs. ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov.23:4)
And why is that? As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have strayed from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah Friends, what absolute truth! When our main ambition is to be rich, to be materially wealthy, we lose sight of our godly purpose and fall into all sorts of compromises and wrong doing, just to make money. In other words we make money our idol, our god.
And that’s obviously not right. At least not in the eyes of our Creator and heavenly Father, who has faithfully promised that if we seek His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to be successful in this world. (Matt.6:33) Unfortunately, too many of us don’t seem to believe Him and thus kill ourselves working for the almighty dollar.
Now here is an important explanation from the scholars. ‘6:10. The root of all evil means a root or source of all kinds of evil. The LOVE for money is not the only source from which evil comes. Coveted after means that some have “striven after” money as the goal of life.’
Yes my brethren, money, in and of itself is not bad, and we definitely need it to live, but when we make amassing it our be all and end all, begin coveting it, that is when we lose our way. Remember the last of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not covet. (Ex.20:17) And that means anything that belongs to someone else. Any time you covet anything, it’s a sin. So the moral of the story is to not let material wealth be your guiding light, but rather Jesus, the true light of the world.
Now let’s conclude with some more wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19)
Oh Friends, what powerful and wise words! The scholars explain them thus: ‘6:17-18. Paul charges wealthy believers (1) not to be proud and look down on those who are not rich, (2) to confide in God, rather than in unstable riches, (3) to be rich in good works by generously sharing their surplus of financial resources with the needy. To be ready to distribute is to be generous in sharing. To be willing to communicate is to be liberal in giving.’
Now please notice as the scholars remind us: ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’
More words of wisdom Friends, so please let’s ponder on it all and then come to some right conclusions re our attitude towards money, for that will certainly make or break us. Much LOVE!
…money is good and necessary…but LOVING it…allowing it to rule your life…is fraught with many serious pitfalls…
30 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a two way street, a waste of time, abounding in mercy, and sin not, be ye angry, Beelzebub, blessed attributes of God, bounden duty, Christ's gospel, Christians, clay of human nature, communication, compassion, displeased, eternal life, evil ways, friends, God will work it all out for our good, God's domain, godly encouragement, good news, gospel truth, grace, gracious, gullible, infiltrate our lives, insecure, Jewish nationalism, Jonah, Joshua Loth Liebman, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, long-suffering, loving kindness, mercy, negatives messages of the world, neither give place to the devil, Niniveh, O Lord, peace of mind, plenteous in mercy, positive affirmation, positive declarations of Christ, ready to forgive, repented, ripple effect, salvation, Scrip-Bit, slow to anger, social media, summer solstice, Tarshish, the Great Commission, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the state of the universe, truth, turn people away from God, very angry, wisdom, words and actions
Psalm 103:8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).
Aye Friends, can you believe that it’s already the last day of June, and we haven’t seen a true summer’s day as yet! Hn! I don’t know if that augurs well for the supposed summer months, for since the summer solstice ten days ago we’ve had mostly cool, cloudy wet and windy days.
But as I keep saying, we can’t worry about the state of the universe because that’s God’s domain, and He does whatever He sees fit. We just have to believe that He won’t do anything to harm us, and will eventually work everything out for our good. (Rom.8:28)
But here is something that we can get our heads around; a quote by Joshua Loth Liebman (1907-1948), the American rabbi and best-selling author. Rabbi Liebman was best known for His book ‘Peace of Mind.’
And in this quote, he says: ‘Believe and remember this: every saint and every sinner affects those whom he will never see, because his words and deeds stamp themselves upon the soft clay of human nature everywhere.’
And that’s gospel truth friends, for when we consider the ripple effect of our words and actions, they can affect millions of people whom we’ll never know or see. That’s why we have to consider seriously and sincerely the words and actions that we say and do, for if they are negative, they can cause lots of negativity all down the line to those who hear and see them.
Unknown to us, our words and actions will cause a lot of grief and heartache if they are not of godly encouragement and positive affirmation. We might see the reaction in a few people close to us, but generally speaking, we’ll never know the multitude that are affected by our negativity or positivity, as one person, or one institution passes it on to another, until it becomes a widely accepted and /or recognized saying or action.
And it’s exactly that far and wide kind of positive and godly ripple effect that I hope our Scrip-Bit has; where one person tells another about it and it keeps going until it is spread to all the nations of the world like Jesus commissioned His disciples to do. (Matt.28:19)
Yeh Friends, it’s ever so important that we watch what we say and do, especially in these times of instant communication, where some bit of information can go around the world almost instantaneously. And people are so insecure and gullible nowadays that they tend to believe almost anything they see on the social media.
That is helping in no uncertain terms to turn people, especially the young generation away from God. But fortunately my brethren, the social media can also be a two way street where we use it to bring people to God. There has never been another generation in man’s history where communication has been so quick and so accessible. Please let’s use it to benefit God’s work and not Lucifer’s.
That brings us to our wonderful and glorious Bit; a fact that we desperately need to communicate to people around the world. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).’
Oh Friends, I’m sure if more people knew about those most blessed attributes of our God, they would be more inclined to turn to Him and accept His free gift of grace and mercy that leads to salvation and eternal life.
The problem, to a certain extent, is that they are mostly hearing and seeing the negative messages of the world instead of the positive declarations of Christ.
And it’s our job, through the Great Commission to bring it to them, for they can’t believe and/or accept what they have not seen or heard. So please, let’s all do our best to spread the good news of Christ’s gospel, for it is our bounden duty.
Now let’s look at a couple passages of scripture which corroborate our Bit. And we’ll begin with this strange action of Jonah’s after he had preached to Nineveh and they had repented of their evil ways and the Lord had forgiven them.
The Good Book describes it thus: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was this not my saying (what I said), when I was yet in my country?
Therefore I fled before (previously) unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-kindness), and repentest thee of the evil (one who relents from doing harm). Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.’ (Jon.4:1-3)
Oh my brethren, it has always been difficult for me to understand Jonah’s anger at the Lord’s pardoning of Nineveh until now that I’ve read a plausible explanation from the scholars. ‘4:1-4. Displeased…exceedingly and very angry: Jonah maintains a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-Jews, especially Assyrians.’
Ah Friends, what a waste of time, energy and a good life eh! Unfortunately though, many of us supposed Christians still feel like Jonah these days; we feel and exhibit an anger that is not necessary and totally contrary to God’s will.
In a true believer, there should be no constant or consistent anger. For as Bruh Paul so wisely advised the Ephesians. ‘Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:26-27)
And that’s wisdom in spades my brethren! We ought not to go to bed angry because that negative atmosphere will persist in our sleep and cause us to wake up angry and most likely do more negative stuff. And right there we give great opportunity to Beelzebub to infiltrate our souls and spirits, which isn’t very wise.
And we’ll end with some more wise words, this time from our other marvellous brother, Bruh David, from Psalm 86 – Teach my thy way, O Lord. Here He unabashedly declares: ‘For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy (LOVING-kindness) unto all them that call upon thee…. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86:5,15)
Oh what words of absolute truth my people! Therefore, let’s take hold of them and run with them nuh, so that we too might be encouraged, uplifted and consequently, eagerly do the work that God has commissioned us to do, instead of having a forced or halfhearted attitude towards it. Friends, please remember that it’s all for our benefit, not for God’s! Much LOVE!
…living for God is easy…when we wisely recognize and accept …His plentiful mercy and grace…
24 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, and he shall strengthen thine heart, be of good courage, bind up the testimony, Christians, crook, deliverance, descent into Hades, exhort, expectant faith, follow God's guidance, glad to be alive, glorious appearing, Glory be, glory hallelujah, God is still on the throne, going to hell in a hand-basket, halfway home, hungry hope, I'm not turning back, immediacy, impatience, in God's capable hands, in our best interest, Jacob, judgements, looking back at the past, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, now for now, patience, place all our cares, rebuke, redeem us, salvation, seal the law., Second Coming of Christ, seek the Lord, sense of immediacy, the breath of life, the Christian life, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the love of our children, things of God, things of the world, Titus, to a glorious future with Jesus, wait I say on the Lord, wait in patient faith on the Lord, waiting patiently, Wednesday Wail, zealous of good works
Psalm 27:14. Wait (in patient faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in patient faith), I say, on the Lord.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella had a rough night. Mama yo!
I went to bed around twelve, much earlier than usual, but unfortunately the sleep wasn’t great, for I woke up twice during the night with cramps in both legs. Glory Be! (smile) What else can I say eh? Even now I can still feel the knot in my right calf.
But yuh know what my fellow believers? This is a brand new day, and we have to embrace it as such. The sun’s shining brightly, and the construction noise is starting up in my area. (smile)
So though this earthly life might be a bit rough at times, we desperately need to remember that our great God is still on His heavenly throne running things and consequently place all our cares in His most capable hands. I don’t understand why I’m having cramps when I believe I’m doing all the things I should do to prevent them.
But them’s the breaks, and as I keep preaching, I just have to grin and bear them, believing that God must have some higher purpose that my small, finite and fragile mind can’t comprehend.
And since today is Wednesday, let’s wail our most appropriate Wednesday Wail. ‘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!’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren! And our most encouraging and uplifting Bit demonstrates the point very nicely. ‘Wait (in patient faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in patient faith), I say, on the Lord.’
Oh my people, if only we were a society imbued with patience eh, what wonderful and marvellous things our God would do in our midst!
But sadly we are not. All our modern inventions have driven us down the road of impatience, because they are making things happen quicker and quicker. In some respects that’s good, but in others it’s not, because it only breeds a wrong sense of immediacy in everything.
And that’s the current state of our society, where we want everything now for now, if not yesterday. And unfortunately that now for now attitude is moving us even further away from the God of our fathers, who desires us to wait patiently in faith on Him. No wonder our world is so quickly going to hell in a hand basket.
As a result, we are in desperate need of Christians to delay, or rather to stop that descent into Hades. And how do we do that?
By turning sincerely and seriously back to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, once again honouring Him with our lives and waiting patiently with hungry hope and expectant faith for Him to guide us on the straight and narrow path that leads directly to Him.
Ah mih people, it’s a sad commentary on our lives, but way too many of us supposed believers are still too hooked on the flashy, but flimsy things of the world, and are not sufficiently focused on the everlasting things of God. And until we change that, things will never get better. It certainly is sad, but it’s oh so true!
Now let’s look at some scripture that support our Bit. And we’ll begin way back in olden times, when Jacob in his last days was blessing his sons. After blessing Dan, Jacob faithfully declares: ‘I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.’ (Gen.49:18)
And knowing the ole crook that Jacob had been earlier in life, and how he ended up, gives us a positive outlook, that we too can turn our lives around if we so desire, and if we partner sincerely with Jacob’s God.
Now listen to Isaiah as he foreshadows Israel’s deliverance. ‘Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.’ (Is.8:16-17) Yeh Friends, deliverance is in the offing, but one needs to wait for it, to seek the Lord with all thine heart, body and soul!
And again in a hymn of praise, Isaiah unconditionally declares: ‘The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh (make level) the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgements, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.’ (Is.26:7-9)
Oh Friends, what wonderful sentiments! But it’s obvious that the Lord’s judgements aren’t yet in this world, for we surely have not learned righteousness.
And we’ll close with these words of Bruh Paul on the Christian life to Titus. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (age);
Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing (Second Coming) of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar (His own special) people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.’ (Titus 211-15)
Oh my brethren, those words of heavenly wisdom also apply to us today. As we look with expectant hope and faith for the Second Coming of Jesus, let us make sure that we do the best we can in all aspects of our lives. We know exactly what is required of us, so please, let’s do it nuh. It’s all in our best interest. Much LOVE!
…if for nothing else but the LOVE of our children…Christians would be well advised…be wise…to follow God’s guidance…
18 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comprehensive guide, Be exalted, blessed, bounden duty, circumcised, circumcision, delight, encouraging, estranged from Christ, faith, fallen from grace, favour, for by grace you have been saved, free from sin, gift of grace, glory, glory hallelujah, God will never leave nor forsake us, God's love is everlasting, God's planet earth, godly life, grace, greatest gift ever bestowed on man, grow in grace, hope, it is the gift of God, justification, justified by the law, living by faith, LOVE, my past is forgiven, not of yourselves, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, peaks of delight, perseverance, Rare Moments of Delight, righteousness., Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, saved through faith, Scrip-Bit land, showing respect to our Creator, sojourn on earth, thanks and praise, the BIBLE, the ecstasy of feeling, the Holy Spirit, the sure knowledge of God, this is the day the Lord has made, truth, uncircumcised, under the protective umrbrella of Christ, uplifting, we shall win, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, words of thanks, You will guide me
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Well hello there all you beautiful people out there in Scrip-Bit Land! Welcome to a terrific Thursday morning on God’s planet Earth! The sun’s shining, the birds are singing and all nature is showing respect to our Creator. So, as God’s most important creation, it is only meet and right that we too should offer a few words of thanks.
Please say with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Yes Friends, we don’t know how long our sojourn will be on this earth, so it is in our best interest to enjoy it as much as possible, and that can only be done successfully if we’re walking under the protective umbrella of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
And all God’s children said ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks and praise be to our wonderful God!’
Now hear these words from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Rare Moments of Delight.’ ‘
Because You are God and Your Word is unquestionable There are things I assuredly know Even when my heart is a brambled desert And every ounce of emotion is drained: I know Your LOVE is everlasting I know You will never forsake me Nor will you leave me comfortless I know I may come to you boldly I know you will teach and instruct me
You will guide me with Your eye I know my past is forgiven And my future is secure. But oh, dear God How I praise You for the marvel Of those rare, mysterious moments When suddenly, without a flash or a sound You add to my knowing The ecstasy of feeling And I am lifted to peaks of delight!’
Oh my people, aren’t those beautiful sentiments? They surely are! For when you have your sure knowledge of God enlightened even more by ‘the ecstasy of feeling,’ then you have the ultimate experience of godly life! And that can only work to our benefit.
And the Bible verse associated with that poem are words of Bruh David from Psalm 108 – Israel looks to God for help. ’Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.’ (Ps.108:5)
And that my Friends, is something we need to work very diligently at having come to pass. For it’s not going to happen on its own, especially in such a godless world as we currently have.
We believers have to make up our minds and then get out there and with patience and perseverance, make sure that our great and wonderful God is exalted over all the earth. That is our bounden duty, so please let’s not abdicate it.
Now let’s turn to our ever uplifting and encouraging Bit of so many previous days. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Oh my people, what words of heartwarming and absolute truth! I refuse to even think of what our lives would have been like without that awesome and free gift of grace from our ever-LOVING God! It would not only have been hell on earth, but also hell in hell too! (smile)
And all God’s people cried out with true and heart-felt gratitude: ‘Oh thank You heavenly Father for Your awesome gift of grace that set me free from sin and the damnation of hell, through the sacrificial shedding of the precious blood of your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary!’
Yes my brethren, that is the greatest gift that mankind has ever received! But unfortunately most of mankind has chosen to reject it. What stupidity! Now the unenviable task of making them see sense and reason has been giving to us the comparative handful of believers.
But you know what my people? We shall persevere, and with the Lord’s help, we shall WIN in the end! Please have no doubts about that. For the Lord won’t give us a task to perform that He knows we are unable to complete.
Now let’s look at some scripture passages in this the last message on this Bit about God’s awesome grace. And I hear a lot of ‘Thank the Lord!’ emanating from the supposed true believers. (smile) But seriously Friends, if we truly desire to learn God’s Word, we just can’t expect to deal with a different subject every day.
The Bible is a comprehensive guide to earthly living and to know and follow it, one has to delve deep, get deeply involved in it, not just simply a page, or a topic a day, but oftimes repeating the same page and topic for several days, until we fully understand it.
Now listen to Bruh Paul as he talks to the Galatians about living by faith. ‘Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do (obligated to keep) the whole law.
Christ is become of no effect unto you (You have become estranged from Christ), whosoever of you are justified (attempt to be justified) by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit (eagerly) wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by LOVE.’ (Gal.5:2-6)
And the scholars offer us these explanations on those verses. ‘5:2. If ye be circumcised: Circumcision was the external ritual symbolizing acceptance of the law (v.3). In such a case, one depended on legal works rather than on God’s grace as the means of salvation. Christ, then, shall profit you nothing.’
‘5:4. This verse could be translated: “You will be severed from Christ, if you try to be justified by law; you will forfeit the favour in God’s eyes which Christ won for you.” This does not teach the loss of salvation which one earlier possessed. Rather it means that if the readers truly renounces grace through faith alone as the way of salvation, if they depend on legalism to secure divine favour, then they show that they never really knew God’s grace in the first place.’
‘5:5. Through the Spirit means that by the Holy Spirit’s help, which is obtained by faith, believers wait for the hope of righteousness, that is, live the Christian life awaiting the consummation of their salvation.’
‘5:6. For justifies the importance given faith in verse 5. In Christianity one does not profit spiritually either by being circumcised or uncircumcised. Faith which worketh by LOVE means “faith that is produced by LOVE.” Faith is man’s response to God who LOVES him, and this divine LOVE that produces human faith results in his justification.’
Oh Friends, I do hope that these explanations help us understand God’s Word more fully, for that’s my intention of including them in the Bit. But you have to take them seriously and let them seep into, then steep in your souls, so that you can get the maximum benefit from them.
Now let’s end this series of messages on grace, with a final word from the Rock, Peter. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.’ (2 Pet.3:18)
Oh my people, I could not have put it any better! So please let’s go out and do what Peter advises nuh, for that’s indeed heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…oh what joy it is…to be blessed with the grace of God…there’s absolutely nothing in this world to compare…
P.S. Yes Friends, it’s long and late, but it is ever so uplifting and encouraging that you can’t help but longingly delve into it. (smile) Much LOVE!
17 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abolished death, almighty god, Arabia, blessing of grace, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, Bruh Paul's conversion, but are not able to kill the soul, called me by his grace, christianity, come boldly to the throne of grace, common sense, confidence, conversion to Christianity, courage, Creator of the universe, Damascus, eternal union with god, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, for by grace you have been saved, Galatians, Gentiles, Glory be, glory hallelujah, god, God's free gift of grace, grace, grace upon gace, guide and protector, halfway home, heathen, heavenly Faher, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, immortality, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, it is the gift of God, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, magnanimity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, nobody, not of yourselves, obtain mercy, of whom shall I be afraid, personal relationship, respect, resurrection, reverence, righteous lives, salvation, saved through faith, saviour jesus christ, testimony of our Lord, thank God, the breath of life, the curse of sin, the gospel, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, there's nothng to fear, to a glorious future with Jesus, topsy tury, Wailing Time, Wednesday Wail, What time I am afraid, when it pleased God, where our bread is buttered, whom shall I fear
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Oh Friends, welcome to a beautiful morning in this part of God’s great universe! And it’s Wednesday morning too, which means that it’s Wailing Time! Yes my people, it’s time to wail our Wednesday Wail. So let’s wail on them nuh, let’s wail down the place. (smile)
As one set of harmonic wailers, let’s wail: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of live 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!’
Ah mih breddren, it’s such a wonderful feeling to be alive, though our world is more than a bit topsy turvy! But when we have the Creator of the universe as our God and heavenly Father, our guide and protector, there’s absolutely nothing to fear! Glory be!
Remember these wonderful inspiring and uplifting words of Bruh David from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) And the answer to those questions is simply, NOBODY!
But then, just in case the situation does arise, Bruh David faithfully declares: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:3-4) Strong words of faith my people.
Then dwell on these reassuring words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) The death of the body is not the end of life, and the only person with power to destroy both body and soul my Friends is Almighty God!
So He is the ONLY Being we ought to fear. And if we have a personal relationship with Him, then our fear should not be as someone scared, for we can come to Him at any time with confidence and courage, but a respect and reverence for His awesome power and incredible magnanimity.
And that’s shown to full effect by the words of our Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Oh my people, my people, I certainly don’t understand how anyone can turn away from such a wonderful Deity, for even a little common sense should tell us that’s where our bread is truly buttered, not with the untrustworthy things and evildoers of the world. Now let’s continue looking at scriptures that deal with the truly wonderful blessing of grace.
And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul’s words to the Galatians, when he explained how he came to be an apostle. ‘But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen (Gentiles); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.’ (Gal.1:15-17)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:15-16. Since Paul’s conversion to Christianity was due to God and not man, and since he did not consult with men subsequent to his conversion, then the apostle could not have received the gospel from any but the Lord. To reveal his Son in (to) me: The divine disclosure to man of the person and work of Christ is the essence of the gospel.’
‘1:17. Following his Damascus road conversion Paul made no trip to Jerusalem, where the apostles were, but spent approximately three years in Arabia. It is implied that he conferred with God there. During these three years he was not taught by men.’
But by the grace of God, Friends! How else could he divine all the heavenly stuff that he divined eh? Our God works in so many different ways that it’s nothing but amazing!
And to Timothy, when exhorting him to endurance, Bruh Paul declares: ‘Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me in the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God;
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (before time). But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.’ (2 Tim.1:8-10)
And the scholars’ tell us: ‘1:8-10. The testimony of our Lord refers to the gospel Paul preached. Me his prisoner indicates that although Paul is actually a prisoner in a dungeon cell in the city of Rome, he regards himself there in the directive will of God. Hence he is really God’s prisoner, and Rome is merely God’s agent to put him where God wants him.
Who hath saved us refers to the ultimate effect: our salvation. And called us with a holy calling looks at the means by which our salvation was effected. His own purpose and grace…was given us indicates that our salvation was totally unmerited.
Abolished death (“having rendered death ineffective”): By His vicarious death, Christ reversed the curse of sin and brought life (eternal union of the soul with God) and immortality (“incorruption”) which is guaranteed by His resurrection.’
Ah Friends, I know it does seem like a lot of heavy stuff, but we need to understand the Good Book as best we can, so that we can make worthwhile decisions and thus live righteous lives.
Now we’ll end today’s message with these well know words from Hebrews. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16)
Now those are definitely words of awesome heavenly wisdom, so please my people, let’s put them into action in our lives today, and every day that we draw the Lord’s breath of life. Much LOVE!
…this earthly Christian life is nothing but grace…God’s free gift of grace…grace upon grace…so that we can have a beautiful eternal relationship with Him…
16 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a miracle is happening, almighty god, bare witness, blessings, blessings of grace, christ jesus, Christian advancement, come short of God's glory, compassion, die on the cross, faith in his blood, for all have sinned, for by grace you have been saved, friends, friends and neighbours, glory to God, God meets all our needs, God's grace, God-filled life, grace, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, grace for grace, Gramps Schuller, gratitude, he that cometh after me, heartfelt prayer, heartwarming, Hour of Power Devotional, I thank and praise you, I want to improve, I'm not perfecct, it is the gift of God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, justified, LOVE, maturity, mercy seat, miracle, motives of our hearts, not of yourselves, obedient to God's will, of his fullness, preferred before me, propitiation, ransom, redemption, remission of sins, righteous life, righteousness., salvation, serve you faithfully, sinners, Thank You Lord, the brilliant light, the forbearance of God, the Holy Spirit, the law was given by Moses, the SON, through faith, truth, understanding, unmerited favour, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Morning Friends and neighbours! Welcome to a rainy Tuesday morning in my area, although the weather office says it’s supposed to be 25 and sunny.
Hn! Hopefully that will happen later in the day, but in the meanwhile let’s enjoy the brilliant light and blessings provided by the Son, Jesus Christ, for we know that regardless of the weather His Son is always shining. Glory to God!
And this morning we are going to start the proceedings with a simple but heartfelt prayer from the Hour of Power Devotional. This one Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) calls ‘I Want to Improve,’ something that I know we all want to do, since it’s an essential part of our ongoing Christian advancement and maturity.
Please pray with me. ‘O God, how thankful I am that you have come into my life through the Holy Spirit. I’m willing to say: “I’m not perfect, Lord! I want to improve. Show me where I can.” So, Father, I sense that a miracle is happening in my life right now. You are doing something beautiful in my heart this very moment. I thank and praise you! Amen.’
And if you sincerely prayed that prayer my people, I’m sure that the Lord is doing exactly that; making the moves necessary, setting the scene that you can improve.
I can’t resist saying it Friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship!’ If we are obedient to His will, He meets all our needs. How much more than that can we ask eh? Nothing really.
Now let’s turn to our ever intriguing and most heartwarming Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
And there is no more gospel truth that that Friends, for it is only through God’s LOVING-kindness are we able to avoid eternal separation from Him, and death and damnation with Lucifer.
And all God’s children cried out in sincere gratitude: ‘Oh thank You Lord for sending Jesus to die on the cross for us! Thank You for Your grace and mercy which we don’t deserve, but which You nonetheless bless us with! We praise and glorify Your Holy Name this morning, and pledge to serve You faithfully all the days of our lives! Amen.’
And we had better take all those prayers we’re praying this morning very seriously my brethren, for remember that God doesn’t only listen to the words of our mouth, but even more importantly, checks out the motives of our hearts. So please don’t be found wanting when He checks our motives.
Now let’s hear some scriptures that deal with grace. Oh Friends, there are so many that we can only share a few, and I believe that we might have at least one more day with this Bit. Let’s begin with this declaration of John’s.
‘John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me (ranks higher than I): for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.’ (John 1:15-17)
Words of immortal and everlasting truth my brethren!
And here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:15. After me: Jesus came into this world about six months after John (for human chronology, see Luke 1:56-57). He was before me: Jesus existed in eternity, so had precedence over John in authority.’
‘1:16-17. Fullness. (cf. Col.1:19): Here the fullness looks back to verse 14, “full of grace and truth.” Grace for grace means “grace heaped on grace.” Grace is evident in the Old Testament (cf. Gen.6:8; Ex.34:6) but not in the fullness now experienced in Jesus Christ. Grace is God’s unmerited favour toward sinners for their salvation (cf. Eph.2:8-9).’
Oh Friends, can you imagine the sad and sorry state we’d be in if Almighty God, our Creator and Provider had not seen fit to bestow us with His blessings of grace. Mama Mia!
Listen to Bruh Paul explain it to the Roman church nuh: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.’ (Rom.3:23-25)
Now listen to these important explanations from the scholars. ‘3:23. For all have sinned: The human need and the divine provision are alike applied universally. Come short of the glory of God: Man can exceed his own standards but never, left to himself, can he attain to God’s standard of righteousness.’
‘3:24. Being justified (Gr. dikaioumenoi) indicates being declared righteous. It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God. Freely: There is no just cause in man to warrant justification. By his grace: Unmerited favour is bestowed through the redemption (release on payment of ransom). Christ’s death is the ransom. The sinner is released on the basis of the ransom having been paid.’
‘3:25. Through faith: Christ’s death satisfies the Father’s righteous demands. Its benefits are appropriated only through faith in His finished work. In his blood: The emphasis is not on the blood as it coursed through Christ’s veins, but as it was shed for our sins. This is how the propitiation was accomplished.’
Ah mih breddren, I do hope that those explanations of the scholars helped us achieve a better understanding of God’s grace and all that it stands for, because it is ever so necessary if we truly want to live a God-filled and righteous life.
And we’ll end there for today. I know there’s a lot of heavy stuff involved and I surely don’t want to burden us with too much stuff to read, mark and inwardly digest at once. (smile)
Now may the Lord go with us and grant us His peace, mercy, grace, compassion, wisdom and understanding, as we go out to do His work today. Much LOVE!
…who but our great and wonderful God…would heap grace and more grace…on undeserving sinners eh…
14 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: believing in jesus, Bruh Paul, by grace are ye saved, christ jesus, Christians, dead to sin, doctrine, encouragement to sin, Ephesians, eternal life, explanations, first day of the week, free from sin, free gift of grace, freedom from sin, God be thanked, God forbid, God's great love, God's kindness, God's ultimate purpose, godly wisdom, gospel truth, grace may abound, in my name, intimate relationship, inwardly digest, it is the gift of God, Jesus is ever-faithful, mark, misunderstanding, morally dead in sins, not of yourselves, number one priority, obedience unto righteousness, perish the thought, praise and worship God, qucikened us together with Christ, raised us together, read, rich in mercy, righteousness., salvation, saved through faith, servants, servants of righteousness, sin unto death, sinful ways, sit together in heavenly places, slaves, spiritual life, submission, the attributes of faith and grace, the character of God, the grave of their old life, the Lord's will, the riches of God's grace, the Spirit's law, there I am in the midst of them, true freedom, we were dead in sins, where two or three are gathered together
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Well Friends, it’s Sunday. What are your plans for this first day of the week? Whatever they are, I hope it includes going to the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship Him with other believers, for that’s the Lord’s will for us.
And it doesn’t matter whether the sanctuary is a large church, a small hovel, or as our service will be today, outside under a large spreading tree, next to a river in a Provincial Park, surrounded by the beauty of nature. That’s all dependent on the weather though, because some rain has been forecasted for sometime during the night.
So Friends, it doesn’t really matter where, or how many people are there to worship. What did Jesus say on the subject? ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name; there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren, for Jesus is ever-faithful, He keeps ALL His promises. So getting together and fellowshipping with other believers is our number ONE PRIORITY for today. Please, let’s make sure we fulfill it.
Now let’s get right into our Bit, because we have a lot of scripture and scholars’ explanations to get through today. (smile) ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Yes my people, it is only because of God’s great LOVE for us that we’re not heading to hell and damnation, but to salvation and eternal life in heaven. Let’s make sure we understand very clearly; salvation and eternal life with Christ has nothing to do with our personal efforts, because there is nothing we can ever do to deserve salvation. It’s all about God granting us His free gift of grace.
And now that we’ve understood that, let’s check out some scriptures on the intricate and intriguing attribute of grace. (smile) And we’ll start with Bruh Paul’s words which lead up to our Bit. He’s trying to explain to the Ephesians the attributes of faith and grace.
‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7) What a magnificent God we serve and worship my brethren!
Now hear these explanations from the scholars. ‘2:4-6. But begins to disclose God’s response to man’s sin of verses 1-3. This divine response is expressed in three main verbs: (1) God…hath quickened us. Because they were morally dead in sins, the Lord gave them spiritual life; (2) and hath raised us up together, that is, God has not allowed these Christians to remain in the grave of their old life with its sinful ways and habits, but He brought them into a new life and demonstration of it; and (3) God made us sit together in heavenly places, that is, He has brought us into His presence and into an intimate relationship with Himself.’
‘2:7. That…he might show (or, demonstrate): This denotes the ultimate purpose for all that God did for the Ephesians in verses 4-6. It is that throughout eternity He might make us understand more and more His goodness to us.’
Ah mih people, that’s some relatively heavy stuff, but we need to take our time and read, mark and inwardly digest it, because it’s all for our benefit.
And we’ll turn now to Romans 6, where Bruh Paul is talking about freedom from sin’s power. He opens the chapter thus: ‘What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid (certainly not). How shall we that are dead (who died) to sin, live any longer therein?’ (Rom.6:1-2)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘6:1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? If sin generates grace, should we encourage sin in order to cause more grace to be granted?’
‘6:2. God forbid (Gr. me genoito): Perish the thought; may it never be; don’t even think that way. This expression of unthinkable horror occurs in Paul’s epistles more than 60 times. He uses it whenever the thought suggested is too repugnant to entertain. Sin is singular in this verse and throughout this chapter. It refers to the sin nature.’
Now later on in the same chapter, where He’s trying to make them understand that Christians are under grace, the Spirit’s law, he declares. ‘For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the (religious) law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid (certainly not). Know ye not that to whom ye yield (present) yourselves servants to obey, his servants (slaves) ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that (though) ye were the servants (slaves) of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered (entrusted to) you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.’ (Rom.6:14-18)
Some more heavy stuff Friends, but it’s time we stop drinking only milk and eat some solid food. (smile)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘6:15. Shall we sin? Paul now asks a slightly different question than he did previously. In 6:1 he sought to correct any misunderstanding as to the relationship of the believer to grace. Now he wishes to correct any misunderstanding that might arise as to the believer’s relation to the law. Neither the submission to the former, nor release from the latter, is to be construed as an encouragement to sin.’
I hope we all got that my people? Neither submission to grace or release from the law is to be construed as encouragement to sin! Right ho!
‘6:17. That form of doctrine (lit. “pattern of teaching”) which resulted in their conversion. Doctrine profoundly affects one’s life. The life tells the type of doctrine that has shaped it.’
‘6:18. The believer is not free to do whatever he wants. He is free only to do that which is consistent with the character of God. True freedom is freedom from sin.’
And please remember that my Friends. Now let’s seriously ponder the grace-filled stuff that we’ve read today, then try to put it into action with God’s help nuh, so that we can attain to godly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…only by believing in Jesus…and walking sincerely and consistently with His Spirit…can one be freed from sin…
13 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, Bruh Paul, charles stanley, Christ-like example, concern, Dr, Ephesians, for by grace you have been saved, forgiveness, free gift of grace, full of grace and truth, glory hallelujah, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's Riches at Christ's Expense, good works, grace, guidance, Hades, heaven, hell, his own received him not, holy spirit, in the eyes of the Lord, In Touch, it is a gift of God, lest any man should boast, LOVE, Lucifer, mercy, my name's written in the Book of life, Noah found grace, not od works, not of yourselves, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, righteousness., salvation, Saul, saved through faith, spiritual birth, strength, thanks and praise, the Damascus road, the power to become the sons of God, the world knew him not, them that believe on His name, thw will of the flesh, unmerited favour, wisdom
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Aye Friends, in some parts of our world night is swiftly falling, while in others, day is slowly dawning, but be it known that the controlling factor in both circumstances is the hand of Almighty God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
So while some on the other side of the world are praying, asking for a restful and refreshing night of sleep, we on this side of the pond are giving thanks for being able to see the Son’s glorious light for another wonderful day.
And we’re also asking for strength, guidance and wisdom to do God’s Will as we go about our day, hopefully doing good like our Lord and Saviour Jesus did while He sojourned here on earth. Later on tonight, the situations will be reversed, but in His absolute wisdom, that’s just the way God planned it.
Now this past week on In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, I heard a male quartet open the proceedings with a beautiful spiritual song that touched my heart mightily. (smile) Some of you who watch Uncle Charles might have also heard it. I don’t remember the verses of the song, but the chorus was so memorable that it stuck in my mind.
Please sing it with me. ‘Saved by grace. I have been saved by grace. My name’s written in the Book of Life. And my sins are washed away. Saved by grace. I have been saved by grace. It’s not what I deserve. But I have been saved by grace.’
One more time people, so that the truth of those statements can sink right down deep into our souls. ‘Saved by grace. I have been saved by grace. My name’s written in the Book of Life. And my sins are washed away. Saved by grace. I have been saved by grace. It’s not what I deserve. But I have been saved by grace.’
Yes Friends, it’s by God’s free gift of grace that we are saved, not by anything else! And yuh know what too? We absolutely don’t deserve it. But nonetheless, we have been saved by God’s grace.
‘And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Give the Lord much thanks and praise for His great LOVE and concern for us!’
Yuh better believe that too yes Friends, for without God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness we’d all be heading for Hades with Lucifer, with no chance for, or of redemption. Glory be for such a wonderful Deity!
Now let’s check out our Bit and delve a little more into the ramifications of the whole situation. (smile) ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’ That’s Bruh Paul telling it to the Ephesians plain and clear!
And the scholars offer this explanation re the Grace of God. ‘2:8. The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favour, and can be expressed by the acrostic “God’s riches At Christ’s Expense.” This grace is the basis of our salvation (1:7; 2:8).
Illustration: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God’s grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church’s chief preachers. Application: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God – by His grace. (First Ref. Gen.6:8; Primary Ref. Eph.2:8; cf. Ps.139:1).’
Yes my brethren, the whole shebang has nothing to do with us, but all with God. As Bruh Paul continues after our Bit. ‘Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:9-10)
Now listen to the scholars’ explanation of those two verses. ‘2:9. The reason, in part, that salvation is not achieved by good works is to prevent men from bragging of having earned a place in heaven by themselves.’ ‘2:10. For verifies the assertion of man’s good works having no part in obtaining salvation.
Workmanship refers not our original or physical birth, but our spiritual birth: what we are spiritually in the good sense is due to God, not ourselves. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works means “having been (morally) re-created by Christ Jesus for good works”; that is, Jesus remade our spiritual lives so that we could then do good works.
The apostle’s thinking is this: since the Christian has been given spiritual life for the purpose of doing good works, there could have been no good works by him prior to conversion that would merit salvation. Good works follow – do not precede – salvation.’
And there we have it my people, some basic facts about that most wonderful attribute of God, called grace! Unfortunately though, not a whole lot of us seem to appreciate it, because we don’t hold God in high esteem. Many of us refuse to even believe that there is a God. I’m sorry for that poor lot, but there’s not a whole lot that we can do except tell them about Christ and live the way He wants us to live. Hopefully our Christ-like example will make a bigger difference than our talking.
And we’ll end with these moving words of John. ‘He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:10-14)
Oh Friends, that puts it all into a nutshell, so that we can see it at one glance. Please ponder all that we’ve said to day, so that we can improve our faith, our Bible knowledge and our righteousness as befitting true believers. Much LOVE!
…but Noah found grace…in the eyes of the Lord… (Gen.6:8)
12 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bathsheba, beguiling, belief in Jesus christ, Bruh David, cast me not away from thy presence, count it all joy, create in me a clean hear, divers temptations, dominion, faith, Friday chant, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, Glory be, God's joy, holy spirit, honour, hypnotizing power, I am called by thy name, iniquities, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful presence of god, LOVE, Lucifer, lulled back to sleep, majesty, more precious than gold, my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, negative experiences, O Lord God of Hosts, ole crook, power, praise, prayer for cleansing, prophet Nathan, rejoicing to our hearts, rejuvenation of spirit, renew a right spirit within me, rest, salvation, sinners shall be converted, stand strong in Jesus' Name, steal our joy, temptations, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the appearing of Jesus Christ, the joy and rejoicing of my heart, the joy of Jesus, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the joy of thy salvation, the rhythm of the falling rain, the trial of your faith, the Word of god, transgressors, tried with fire, trust, truth, uphold me with thy free spirit, wisdom
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
‘Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain…pita pata, pita pata. Oh listen to the rhythm of the falling rain…’ Hn! And next thing I knew I was hypnotized, lulled back to sleep for a couple hours. Wow! That’s the hypnotizing, beguiling power of the falling rain!
Yeh Friends, I was up at six o’clock, but lay there listening to the beguiling sounds of the falling rain, and then it was suddenly after eight. And going to bed fairly late this morning didn’t help matters any. Well at least I got a couple more hours rest. Glory be!
Anyway, today is Friday…as if you all didn’t know, and consequently sang back to me, the Friday mantra. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend is finally here, and it’s going to be wonderful; lots of rest, relaxation, fun and fellowship. Thank God it’s Friday!’
Hn? What are you doing to me my people? Am I hearing right, or are you all just saying that to lull me into a false sense of believing that you are turning around your lives, giving up the things of the world for the things of Jesus? (smile) I really don’t know, but like Jesus, I’m going to have hope and faith and believe for the best; that you’re really changing.
Nonetheless, let’s chant our Friday Chant like we mean it nuh. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, without that revitalization of our spirits we won’t be able to do the job that Jesus desires of us. But even more importantly, we also need the groundings of our Bit to successfully do Jesus’ work. ‘…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
That’s for certain sure my people! Without the joy of God flowing through our souls, we won’t be able to do much of anything at all! That’s why, as I said yesterday, the ole crook Lucifer tries to steal our joy in God, since without it we are weak and powerless. We therefore need to maintain that joy of Jesus in our spirits ALL THE TIME, so that the enemy can’t get a successful shot at us!
And we’ll continue today looking at some scriptures which declare the importance of God’s joy in our lives. And there’s no better place to see the importance of God’s joy in our souls than in Psalm 51 – Bruh David’s prayer for cleansing, after Nathan had confronted him with his abominable sins re Bathsheba.
Bruh David cries out to God: ‘Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (Ps.51:9-13)
Yes Friends, Bruh David had gotten the evil desires of his heart, but he had lost the joy of his God. We need to be very careful about what we ask for or desire, because oftimes it can move us away from the redeeming and joyful presence of God and make us sorrowful.
Now listen to Jeremiah in his personal lament. ‘Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.’ (Jer.15:16) Oh my people, does the Word of God bring joy and rejoicing to our hearts? It certainly ought to.
Meanwhile Peter tells us this about being distressed when caught up in much temptations. ‘That the trial (genuineness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye LOVE; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ (1 Pet.1:7-8)
What powerful tools are faith and belief in Jesus Christ, my brethren! For though we’ve never seen Him face to face, yet we so strongly believe and trust in Him that even when we’re tried and tested, we still retain the unspeakable joy found in His Spirit.
And James puts it in simple straightforward terms. ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials).’ (James 1:2)
And the scholars explain that ‘These “negative” experiences are to be accepted with great joy, not for the sake of the trial itself but because of the positive work God can accomplish through the testing.’
Yes Friends, when we look at everything from the standpoint that it comes from God, who has promised to work everything out for our good, then we can accept whatever comes against with joy, knowing that we will come out better, more Christ-like in the end.
Then Jude tells us: ‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling (stumbling), and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (Jude 24-25)
Ah mih people, with those words of absolute truth and wisdom we’ll end today’s message. Now let’s ponder all that we’ve read and make the conscious decision to keep the joy of God always in our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can reject the advances of the enemy and stand strong in the name and faith of Jesus! For that is indeed the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…and my soul shall be joyful in the Lord…it shall rejoice in his salvation… (Ps. 35:9)
11 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ask and ye shall receive, at thy right hand, awesome Deity, backsliders, change the world, doubters, Elihu, eternal life, everything is possible, forgiveness, friends, glory, God is my salvation, God's unconditional LOVE, gospel truth, grace, guidance of the Holy spirit, in thy presence is fullness of joy, Jesus Christ, Job, joy, knowing christ, living lives honouring God, Lucifer, magnanimous hand of God, Margaret Mead, mercy, miracles, our leader, our Lord and Saviour, pleasures for evermore, power of Jesus, Praise the Lord, radical difference, repent, riding shotgun, righteousness., salvation, shout with joy, sing unto the Lord, small-minded, steal our joy, surrender, thanksgiving for god's mercies, the good news of the gospel, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy Spirit, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord Jehovah is my strength, the path of life, the wells of salvation, the wiles of the enemy, trust, unbelievers, walking with Christ, walking with Jesus, what the Lord has done for me, your joy may be full, your joy might be full, Zion
Nehemiah 8:10b. …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Oh Friends, I’ve got such a joy deep down in my soul this Thursday morning in June that I just can’t contain it! Wow! That joy just makes me feel like shouting out to the world what God has done for me! And I surely hope that you’re feeling the same way too, for that’s the beauty and benefit of being a true believer!
Oh my people, I’m talking about His unconditional LOVE, His constantly available grace and never-ending mercy, then the beautiful essence of forgiveness… and don’t even talk about salvation and eternal life! Oh my my! And what shall we say to the biggest blessing of all eh; His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, our Leader, Lord and Saviour!
Mama Mia! What an awesome Deity we serve and worship my brethren! So how can we ever doubt or believe that the great God who created us, doesn’t LOVE and care for us eh? Steups!
What more has He got to do my brethren before we can comfortably and assuredly put our entire trust in him, to completely surrender our souls, minds and bodies to His superior guidance through the work and presence of His Holy Spirit?
I really don’t know what it will realistically take for the numerous unbelievers and backsliders to truly understand what this life is all about nuh, one controlled by the mighty but magnanimous hand of Almighty God.
Ah Friends, we’re such small-minded doubters and disbelievers that it isn’t funny. So much so that even if God did miracles in our lives every day, we’d still have doubts and refuse to believe. But here’s the good news Friends, we, a relatively small band of true believers are here to change the world, we’re going to make a radical difference.
And the best way to do that is by living lives honouring God, giving Him all the glory. And don’t think that we can’t do it because we’re too few, for if we listen to this quote by Margaret Mead (1901-1978) the famous American cultural anthropologist, we’ll see that it’s very possible.
‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
Gospel truth that, my people! Whatever serious changes that’s ever been wrought in our world have always been by a relatively small group of its population, and with the awesome power of Jesus riding shotgun with us… Oh my Friends, all and everything is possible!
And believe you me, that’s exactly what Jesus is calling us to do; to bring some radical changes to this wicked and godless world by spreading the good news of His gospel that’s overflowing with the most important elements of PEACE and LOVE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, GRACE, SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE!
And all God’s people joyfully shouted out: ‘All praise, honour and glory be to the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God of heaven and earth, Creator and Controller of the universe and all therein!’
Now Friends, joy is something that’s always supposed to be in the spirit of the believer. As such, we therefore need to continually remember the words of our Bit: …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
Yes my people, without God’s joy coursing through our spirits, we are weaklings. That’s why Lucifer is always trying to steal our joy, because then he knows he can get his evil claws into us without too much effort.
And if you listen to Jesus when He was talking to the disciples about the vine and the branches, you’d hear Him say to them. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) It’s obvious my people that we do need the joy found in Jesus to be able to live this earthly life fully and to be obedient to His will.
Then later on He said to the disciples: ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:24) Yes my brethren, the joy of God is ever so important in a believer’s life. Without it, we’re powerless to resist the wiles of the enemy.
All through the Bible there are passages which proclaim the importance of godly joy in our lives. Let’s check out a couple of them. Listen to Elihu as he reasons with Job, re God’s calling on men to repent.
‘He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him (delight in him): and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto (restore to) man his righteousness.’ (Job 33:26) Joy in the Lord is ever so important my brethren.
Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 16, where he’s seeking preservation and blessing. He ends it thus: ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps.16:11) And isn’t that absolute truth? It surely is! For once the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us, there will be joy in our souls.
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in his thanksgiving for God’s mercies, puts it this way. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout (with joy), thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is.12:1-6)
Yes Friends, that’s how a nation, a people behaves when the joy of the Lord is amongst them. And we’ll end with a few words from John, from his first epistle. ‘And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.’ (1 John 1:4)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:4. The major purpose of 1 John is stated in 5:13 (please look it up), but another purpose is stated here: for the recipients, and no doubt John as well, to enjoy and share in the deep sense of satisfaction and purpose that knowing Christ and walking with Him brings.’
Oh my fellow believers, that is indeed the gospel truth! And we’ll leave us this morning to each ponder our walk with Jesus, to see exactly how it is proceeding, and to strengthen it when and where necessary, with God’s help. Much LOVE!
…one can never fully appreciate the joy of walking with Jesus…until one really and truly walks with Jesus…
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