03 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appearance as a man, aura of love, back to work, example in Jesus, forgiveness, glorious kingdom, gracious majesty, hands to heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, I must be dreaming, jobs, justice, lies, loving kindness, make a l'il bread, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedience, obedient unto death, real reality, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, spread a l'il LOVE, steadfast faith, sweet chanting, TGIM, Thank God is Monday., to the point of death, true test, weary souls, wicked taunts, wildest dreams, wiles, wings of the wind
Philippians 2:8. And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Oh Friends, I’m sorry to say, but it’s Monday once again…. And as I utter those words, an unbelievable sound reaches my ears and stops me dead in my tracks.
Borne on the wings of the wind, the chanting of this mantra completely engages me: ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday! Time to go back to work. Time to make a l’il bread. Time to spread a l’il LOVE!’
And as I stand up there, hearing this sweet chanting, I tell myself I must be dreaming, my ears must be deceiving me, because normally mankind wouldn’t be caught dead singing something like that on a Monday morning.
But as I listen closer, it echoes back to me again: ‘TGIM! Thank God is Monday! Time to go back to work! Time to make a l’il bread! Time to spread a l’il LOVE!’
Oh my brethren, can you ever imagine, even in your wildest dreams, that something like that would happen in real reality? No way José!
But when I heard it the third time, I couldn’t doubt my ears any longer. I had to believe that what they were hearing was really true. All I could do was sigh in true wonderment, then lift up my head, my eyes, my heart and my hands to heaven, and simply say in an amazed voice:
‘Thank You Lord! You certainly move in mysterious ways, your wonders to perform. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t heard it with my own two ears. No wonder we bow to You in all admiration, truly worshipping your gracious majesty, your justice, your LOVING-kindness, your mercy and forgiveness.
We LOVE You Lord, we praise your Holy Name, and pray that You’ll continue to bless us, your faithful children, who only desire to please You, to do your will, and thus walk worthy of You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.’
And now that we’re finished laughing Friends, let’s get to the real reality and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. That little bit of fantasy ought to have lightened our mood somewhat. So in great voice, 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!’
That wasn’t bad at all mih people, but now comes the true test, for us to go out there and do as Jesus did in our Bit: ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’
No, we’re not expected to suffer death on the cross, but we are expected to humble ourselves and be obedient, even to the point of death, if necessary.
Now don’t go getting yourselves all in a bother, because very few of us will ever face death because of our faith. But if that does happen, hopefully we’ll be strong enough to face it with sufficient aplomb to make Jesus proud.
However, our basic problem is not facing death, but just being obedient and humble in our everyday lives, especially since humility and obedience are not words favourably looked upon in our current society. But Friends, as followers of Jesus they are two attitudes, two characteristics that MUST be engrained in our souls.
And we have the perfect example to follow in Jesus. Listen to Him on the night before He was crucified. In the gathering gloom of Gethsemane He says to the inner circle of His disciples: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (wait, stay) here, and watch with me.
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt.26:38-39)
Yes Friends, Jesus indeed felt the human emotions of sorrow and anxiety as the time of His crucifixion drew near, but He remained steadfast in obedience to His Father’s wish, knowing the great purpose that hinged on it; our salvation.
And we’ll end with this scripture that encapsulates it all. ‘Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God as high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
Yes my brethren, obedience and humility are indeed two traits necessary to serve God. Jesus had them, and they didn’t happen overnight, He worked on them all through His life. Likewise, we won’t develop them all at once, but we have to constantly work on them if we want to have a positive and prosperous relationship with our wonderful God, and receive rewards like Jesus did.
So let’s go out there today and fight a good fight, with humble passion and eager obedience in our hearts. For that my people, is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…only in true humility and abiding obedience…can we ever hope to please God…
14 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome advice, best friend, blame someone else, broken, busyness of the world, cares of the world, cast your cares on God, christianity, comfort, computer problems, faithful proclamation, glorious morn, grace, grateful acknowledgement, humble, humility, impatience, jehovah god, let go and let God, LOVE, patiently waiting, psalm 138, resist the devil, salvation, sick, suffering, the Magnificat, theology, unconditional LOVE, undeniable truth
Psalm 138:6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Oh Friends, what a glorious morn is breaking out there this Tuesday in mid May! Are we so excited to greet this new day that we can’t bear the excitement? (smile) Though the cares of the world beset us before and behind, we should always have a decent amount of excitement and expectation going as each new day dawns. And now these last two and most important questions. Have we told Jehovah God that we LOVE Him, and thanked Him for bringing us safely through the dark night, then awakening us with strength to face the day, to do His will? And also, have we sincerely asked Him to guide us through the day, then believe that He will? Now if the answers to all those questions are in the affirmative, then we’re ready to begin the day on the right foot. But here’s what happens to us a lot of time in our communication with our heavenly Father. It’s stated in a poem taken from the Hour of Power Devotional by Dr. Robert H. Schuller. The title is ‘Let go and Let God.’ Awesome advice Friends! The poem says: ‘As children bring their toys with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God, because He was my best Friend. But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own. At last I snatched them back and cried; “How can you be so slow? “My child,” He said, “what could I do? You never did let go.’ What undeniable truth my brethren! And we don’t only do that with God, but with most of our earthly acquaintances too. We’re always so busy and in such a rush in this modern life that we need stuff done yesterday. We’re always looking over the shoulders of those doing stuff for us because we’re so impatient. Waiting, or rather patiently waiting is definitely not a trait of this society. The problem though, is that we never see ourselves as the problem. It’s always someone else’s fault, as we saw in the poem. But if we follow the busyness of the world and don’t wisely develop that wonderful trait termed patience, then we’ll just have to pay whatever price is demanded for our impatience. And many of us do just that. But please remember that too many cooks spoil the broth, and besides the Lord’s not there to simply run and jump at our beck and call. Anyway, let’s turn to our Bit: ‘Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto (He regards) the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.’ Hopefully today will be the last day for this one. I never expected it to run for so long, but every day the Spirit guided me to include something else. So we’ll continue looking at some scripture that talks about God choosing the humble and lowly to do His great work. And one of the most significant of His choices is Mary, the Mother of His incarnate Son Jesus. Listen, as she gratefully acknowledges and faithfully proclaims the Lord’s goodness in her song of praise, the Magnificat. ‘My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maidservant): for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things: and holy is his name.’ (Luke 1:46-49) Right there Friends, you can see the contrariness of our God! Instead of having His only Son Jesus born in a wealthy, high-bred, blueblood family, like we would expect, seeing that He was God and all that, the Father chose a lowly carpenter and his fiancé from the backwater town of Nazareth. There again ‘confuffling’ the wisdom of man. And James weighs in with his two cents worth, when talking about worldliness and pride. ‘But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you…. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:6-7,10) Words of indelible truth my people! Peter then strengthens James’ argument, and tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:5-7) Oh Friends, there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t been said already. I can only warn us again not to get too proud and high and mighty over our earthly status or achievements, and don’t despair if you’re poor, lost and lowly, because those are the people God has at the forefront of His to do list. God is very much interested in helping those who can’t help themselves. So please don’t give up, regardless of your circumstances. Remember your Creator LOVES you unconditionally, so in whatever state of disrepair you find yourself today, just call out to Him in sincerity and truth, and He will gladly help you. That’s His promise, so test Him today, right now, and prove His awesome faithfulness. You’ll never be the same. I can guarantee you that from personal experience. Much LOVE!…are you broken, sick, suffering, lost…then turn to God today… for He will never turn away those in need of…mending, healing, comfort, salvation…and LOVE… P.S. I apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but the computer problems I experienced earlier on, just put a spoke in my wheel. But that’s what we get from putting too much reliance on manmade machines and the software it takes to run them. Our brave new world! Much LOVE!
07 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: beauty of holiness, christianity, eternal life, faithful, fear God, god the father, god the holy spirit, God the son, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrifice, joy, joy of the lord, majesty, negativity of the world, omnipotent Trinity, praise and thanksgiving, religion, salvation, sincere belief, son jesus christ, sour perspective, surrender, talk and no action, the happiest people, the Holy Spirit, true believers, true faith, true trust, wisdom, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s here to make a major pronouncement this morning. Now this shouldn’t even have to be stated, because it’s something all believers should already know, be thoroughly convinced of and diligently practicing. But unfortunately, too many of us don’t even act like we know it, much less seem convinced of it. And the pronouncement is that Christians ought to be the happiest and most joyful people on planet earth! Why is that, you naively ask? Well because we have the five best things in life going for us; namely God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, our personal Helper and Comforter. And when you add to that omnipotent Trinity, the free gift through grace and Jesus’ sacrifice of salvation and eternal life, you have the most awesome and explosive combination of Beings and circumstances possible. Now all that should produce unbeatable joy in believers, as Jesus says: ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ (John 15:11) But judging from the sad and sour perspective of many believers that just isn’t so. And why isn’t that eh? Does it show a lack of true faith, a lack of sincere belief, a lack of true trust and surrender, that all we have is lots of talk and no real action to back it up? I don’t know nuh. But I do know that as a group, Christians don’t show the true, heartfelt happiness and joy that we ought to, what with all the great things we have going for us. I guess that we don’t truly have a mind focused on heaven, but allow the negativity of the world to encroach, to invade the confines of our souls, and thus effectively reduce our joy in our wonderful God and all that He’s offered and done for us. Oh my brethren, please, please remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh. 8:10) which means that if we’re not joyful in Him, then we won’t be, or rather, can’t be strong. I’m therefore pleading with us today, let’s up the ante in the joy and strength of our lives nuh. We desperately need them to fight against the powerful enemies of this wicked world. And that joy begins, and stays with us, when we do as our Bit so wisely advises. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him, all the earth.’ Yes Friends, when we have a healthy respect for our God, knowing that He’s all powerful and can get angry at us for continual disobedience, but that His true nature is one of LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, we can relax and continually worship Him, as Bruh David says, in the ‘beauty of holiness.’ We acknowledge the beauty, the majesty inherent in His Holy nature, and since it’s totally above and beyond our sinful ways, we consequently desire to come before Him in much praise and thanksgiving. And it seems that the phrase, ‘beauty of holiness’ was a favourite of Bruh David’s, for he uses it on several occasions. In Psalm 29 – The voice of the Lord in the storm – he declares: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty (majesty) of holiness.’ (Ps.29:2) Then in 1 Chronicles 15, in his psalm of thanksgiving, he strongly advocates: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’ (1 Chr.16:29) And yet again, in Psalm 110 – The Lord gives dominion to the king – he proclaims: ‘Thy people shall be willing (volunteers) in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.’ (Ps.110:3) But it’s not only Bruh David who talks about the beauty, the majesty of our God. Listen to Moses, in his only Psalm, Psalm 90, and therefore the oldest in the Psalter. It’s titled -From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. He ends it thus: ‘And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.’ (Ps.90:17) And if we go to 2 Chronicles 20, when the armies of Moab, the children of Ammon and those of mount Seir banded together to invade Judah, King Hezekiah, on the advice of Jahaziel, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Chr.20:13-17) had the whole nation bow before the Lord their God and ask for His strength and faith. Then, on the appointed morning, they rose up early and went out to battle against the combined army. ‘And when he (Hezekiah) had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah and they were smitten (defeated).’ (2 Chr.20:21-22) The Israelites didn’t even have to lift a hand in battle, they just sang and praised the Lord, who then made the invading armies to quarrel and fight amongst themselves. The Israelites then gained an enormous spoil from the battle without lifting a hand, just their voices to heaven, Oh mih Friends, yuh see what praise and worship and thanksgiving to our great and powerful God can do! My people, let us therefore, from today, and henceforth, raise the level of our praise and thanksgiving to our mighty and merciful God nuh, so that we may prosper and be strong in the land which He has given to us. That is indeed the wisdom of the wise and faithful. Much LOVE!… oh what infinite joy, peace and prosperity… comes from sincerely worshipping and praising Almighty God….
06 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, beauty of holiness, christianity, comatose attitudes, concrete jungles, desires, endless praise, eternal life, fear the Lord, fearful, good cheer, high on life, holy spirit, humble servants, idols, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, Love of Jesus, mirror images of Jesus, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, noble sentiments, overcome the world, peace, raise voices to heaven, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, sally forth with confidence, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, suburbia, sure conquerors, sweet praises, tragic minded, tribulation, wicked taunts, wilting spirits, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and I know that you all are rather anxious and excited to get out into the evil, ungodly world and fight for Jesus! You all just can’t wait to exit suburbia, the only place you can barely afford to live, get into your cheaply made but expensive cars and crawl along the highways into the concrete jungles, endure hassles over parking, then hustle into the ugly glass and steel towers, making sure you’re not late, and battle Beelzebub mano-a- mano! No Friends, I’m not high on anything but life and the LOVE of Jesus! And I sure wish many more supposed Christians could have some joy and fun in their spirits, rather than the dead, comatose attitudes some of us display. Jesus didn’t die for us to be fearful and tragic minded. As He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That means we can all afford to lighten up and enjoy life. It’s not always a bed of roses, but knowing that our salvation and everlasting life are guaranteed, that should certainly enable us to have a better attitude towards this earthly life. Anyway, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with mucho gusto and perk up our wilting spirits. In harmony then, let’s raise our heads, hearts, hands, eyes and voices to heaven. ‘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!’ Bravo, my people, Bravo! That was good! And I just heard a song on WACK 90.1 F.M in T&T that’s admirably suited to lift our spirits this bluesy Monday morning. The male vocalist is joyfully declaring: ‘O Jesus, I want to commune with You. Take my heart, take my soul. I give it all to You. My desire is to worship and exalt You, and testify about the greatness of Your Name. For You delight in the praises of your people. So hear my voice, hear my cry, hear my heart. I want to be one with You.’ Oh my brethren, what noble sentiments and desires! Sentiments and desires that all true Christians should have deeply embedded in our DNA! And in the Lord’s mysterious and wonderful way, the song also reflects the sentiments of our Bit. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth.’ Yes my people, it’s a universal call to praise God, for the whole earth to submit to His sovereignty, His glorious majesty, His kingship. And why is that eh? Why does the Lord deserve these accolades? The psalmist kindly enlightens us. ‘For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:4-6) Oh Friends, those are most excellent reasons to praise our great God! And when you add His care and LOVING-kindness towards His mortal creations, that includes sacrificing the life of His sinless Son Jesus so we could be redeemed and be reconciled to Him, I don’t know how you can do anything else but give Him endless praise and bow down and worship Him in all reverence and truth. As the psalmist continues, we ought to: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established (is firmly established) that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:7-10) So my fellow believers, let’s all go out today and be veritable mirror images of Christ nuh; going about doing good, spreading the good news of the gospel, and singing sweet praises to Almighty God. That’s why we were created. Much LOVE!…oh what sweet songs of praise…the name of Jesus…brings to my voice and my soul…
28 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: boasting, charisma, choose Jesus, crazy days of summer, death, dissension, eternal separation from God, glorying is not good, God's greatest invention, God's wrath, hazy crazy days, human mind, hunger for summer, just dessert, leaven, rigid conditions, salvation, spirituality, stubborn rebellion, the first commandment, turmoil, undeniable truth, unhealthy lethargy, wages of sin, worthless sinner, yeast
1 Corinthians 5:6. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Oh Friends, the human mind is really something else yes! It’s possibly God’s greatest invention, and something I doubt man will ever be able to fully replicate, like he does other body parts. Anyway, I’m mentioning this because I just remembered looking through my bedroom window a few days ago and seeing the bright sunshine, and my mind, on its own accord, just began singing that old Nat Cole song: ‘Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those days of soda and pretzels and beer. Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. You wish that summer could always be here.’ And that’s a fact Friends! The four seasons can be interesting, but they can also be very tiresome and breed unhealthy lethargy in all aspects of our lives. And though I don’t particularly like any of the above named foods, I guess my spirit was just announcing its hunger for summer, after a long, tiring, inconsistent autumn, winter and spring. No doubt a lot of people who live under those four seasons feel the same way, for although we can adapt to whatever we have to, mankind definitely wasn’t made to live under such harsh and rigid conditions. The only solution to that though, is to move to somewhere that summer exists year round, which again is easier said than done. Therefore, I’ll just shut up, grin and bear it, till whenever summer chooses to arrive. (smile) And on that note of realism, let’s get into our Bit: ‘Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?’ Both statements are truth in spades, my people! We saw that in the first part; ‘Your glorying is not good.’ when we looked at it yesterday and discovered that glorying in man, and not God, is possibly the worst mistake we can ever make, since it implies that God is of little or no authority or consequence in our lives. When we make sinful, unworthy men and dead, unable to do anything idols our priorities, then we’re breaking the first commandment. ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:3) That will surely draw the Lord’s wrath! Today we’ll see the same undeniable truth that lies within the second half of our Bit; ‘Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?’ And all that’s saying in simple, everyday terms is that one bad apple can spoil an entire barrel. Or as the scholars put it: ‘Even a little sin has a corrupting influence in the life of the saved or the lost.’ In today’s language, ‘leaven’ would most likely be translated as yeast. And we all know from hard experience that if the yeast has any impurities or imperfections, it can cause the bread or whatever we’re baking, to not rise properly or not turn out to our satisfaction. The same thing goes for sin, my people. A little of it can spoil all the good things or persons it comes into contact with. Remember the saying, show me your friends and I’ll tell you, who or what you are? That’s because those you hang out with usually behave like you, and furthermore can easily influence your behaviour. That reminds me of one person whom my mother did not want me to associate with, because they tended to lead me astray. And I’m sure most of us can identify with that scenario. The truth though, is that usually the more we’re told not to associate with certain people, the more we gravitate towards them, whether it’s just through stubborn rebellion to our parent’s wishes, or the person just has a natural charisma that draws us to them. Oh Friends, that bad peer influence is rife amongst today’s youth, what with the great peer pressure that’s currently in vogue, and the lack of a strong godly influence, strong morals and self confidence in our young people. It’s much more prevalent than in our time. Bruh Paul also reminded the Galatians of sin’s corrupting influence. ‘A little leaven (false doctrine) leaveneth (permeates, corrupts) the whole lump (church).’ (Gal.5:9) That’s also happening much more than is necessary in today’s churches too my brethren, with busy-body individuals or little cliques creating turmoil and dissension in Christ’s body. My fellow believers, there’s only one piece of scripture that I can quote as an antidote, or preferably as a preventative measure to all that. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) Yes my brethren, death is what we deserve for our sinful behaviour, but instead, through God’s great mercy and unmerited favour, we are offered salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ. Please, I’m imploring us today, right now, to get wise, since time’s running out, and choose the latter option, for the former is truly terrible, with eternal separation from Almighty God as its just dessert. So please let wisdom abound in our lives today nuh. Much LOVE!…I choose Jesus…I choose Jesus…because His selfless sacrifice on the cross…provided salvation and eternal life…for a worthless sinner like me…
26 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: absolute truth, abundance, attitudes, body, christianity, comfortable, commandments, fellowship, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God's Law, God's Word, goodness, infallible truth, inferior life, judgements, loving god, mind, my cry, prayer of supplication, precepts, reactions to our workweek, rest, righteousness., salvation, soul, statutes, sufficent fun, testimonies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, understanding, weary traveller, wondrous works
Psalm 119:169. Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.
And the crier, cried: ‘Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s Fridayyyy! Labour soon done! The weekend’s here!’ And all God’s children gave a joyful shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Glory Hallelujah! Ah can’t wait to enjoy the weekend!’ Yuh know Friends, it’s amusing to see the very different responses brought about by Fridays and Mondays in our crazy world. The first brings joy because work will cease for a couple of days, while the second gets us all upset, sad and blue because we have to go to work. What does that say about the attitudes of our society eh? That we’re lazy, don’t like work, gotten too comfortable, even though work is what keeps a roof over our heads and food on our tables? I really don’t know, but the important thing is that we find a better balance between our reactions for the end and beginning of the workweek, or else we’ll be forever miserable; too high on Fridays, and too low on Mondays. And the only way to do that is to get in agreement with our God, do as our Bit says: ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.’ Yes Friends, without true understanding, as it pertains to God’s Word, which according to the scholars, here means ‘an all embracing term for God’s revelation in any form,’ we are truly lost, like a weary traveller in the wilderness with no food, water, or sense of direction. That’s because God’s Word gives us spiritual food, which includes direction and meaning to live this earthly life successfully. As the psalmist continues in this section – I have longed for thy salvation – ‘Let my (prayer of) supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgements help me.’ (Ps.119:170-175) Oh my people, it’s all about God’s Word! We need to delve into it; read, mark and inwardly digest it, so that we can lead the life Jesus desires of us. But the catch 22 is that we can only do it with God’s help, through His Holy Spirit. Now for us to better understand what the psalmist is talking about, here is a glossary of some of the terms he uses. ‘Law (torah) comes from a verb meaning “to teach,” and thus came to be applied to a wide range of revelation, from an individual directive, to the entire Pentateuch. -5 Books of Moses. It emphasizes that God has taught us in His Word what he requires of us. Testimonies (‘edot) emphasizes the content of the Word as that which God has testified of Himself and His will. Precepts (piqudim) refers to instructions from a superior regarding the duties of those under him, in this case from God to man. Statutes (huqim) is related to a verb meaning “to engrave” and thus implies permanent and unchangeable regulations. Commandments (mitswot) is a word assuming the authority of the commander and the inherent necessity of obeying the content of the charge. Judgements (mispatim) or ordinances refer to decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behaviour conform to His heavenly standard.’ Hope that helps us to better understand the Word. (smile) I hem and hawed about including the meanings of the terms, but common sense won out in the long run, since we can’t understand stuff when we don’t know their meanings in the context of what we’re reading. Yes my brethren, understanding is the key! No wonder the psalmist declares early on in the Psalm: ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of (meditate on) thy wondrous works.’ (Ps.119:27) And again in verse 144, he states: ‘The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.’ (Ps.119:144) And using the definition of testimonies above, that means that whatever God has testified of Himself and His will is absolute truth, and will not change, just like He doesn’t change! Oh Friends, the simple truth of the matter is that life won’t have much meaning until we really understand what our great and LOVING God is all about. That’s why Bruh David could boldly proclaim in Psalm 145, his song of praise – The Lord is gracious – ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding). One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of (meditate on) the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.’ (Ps.145:3-7) Words of infallible truth my brethren! And now, let’s end as Bruh David declared, and sing of the Lord’s righteousness and goodness by chanting our Friday Chant. No I didn’t forget it. (smile) All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes Friends, let’s enjoy the weekend in the right perspective! Much LOVE!…without a true understanding of God’s Word…mankind is doomed to an inferior life… P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but the hemming and hawing about including the meanings of the words above, took up more time than I had bargained for. But I definitely think it was worth it. Much LOVE!
24 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: back-breaking labour, christianity, exalt the Lord, exaltation, glory, God's favour, grace, heart's desire, honour, in prayer, joy in the Lord's strength, joyful noise, joyfulness, LOVE, loving kindness, majesty, omnipotent god, power, praise, Praise the Lord, psalmist asaph, raise a song, refreshing, renewing, request of his lips, rest and sleep, salvation, Selah, shower the world, sing of His mercy, sing of the Lord's power, sing praises, surrender, unshakeable faith, victory
Psalm 21:13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.
Oh Friends, I thought rest and sleep were supposed to be so good for the body and soul, to be refreshing and renewing. So how come I went to bed early last night, but got up this morning sneezing and sniffling, with my back aching, as though I’d done some back-breaking labour to bring on those woes? Ah Lord eh! Who knows the way their days and nights will go? Sadly, none of us. Only the great God who created us, and whom we serve and worship, who controls our going out and coming in. But the good thing about that Friends, is that once we surrender our lives to Him, we don’t need to worry about anything, just take everything to Him in prayer. And that’s exactly what I did this morning. I didn’t bother asking why, because I knew that most likely I wouldn’t get an answer. So I just asked for help and relief, then put on my back brace and took a tablet for the allergies. (smile) And now I’m ready to rumble! Who says our God isn’t a good God eh! Consequently, He led me to this most appropriate Bit: ‘Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power.’ Yes my brethren, our Lord is so mighty in power, strength and LOVING-kindness, that it’s only appropriate for us to sing and praise His awesome majesty! Bruh David apparently wrote this psalm after a victory over his enemies, as it’s subtitled – Praise for victory. And I like how he begins it: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips. Selah.’ (Ps.21:1-2) Oh my people, that first verse, or something like it, should be on our lips every day – rejoicing in the strength, power and faithfulness of our omnipotent God, and the LOVING-kindness and mercy of His blessed salvation! And all God’s servants gave a joyful shout of, ‘Praise the Lord! Thank You Father for Your strength and glory in Jesus! Amen!’ And in Psalm 59 – A Prayer for deliverance – when Saul sent his henchmen to watch Bruh David’s house for an opportunity to kill him, he fervently declares: ‘Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat (food), and grudge (howl) if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.’ (Ps.59:13-17) Oh my people, do we have that solid faith and trust in the promises and faithfulness of our God? I surely hope so, because it’s only with that kind of unshakeable faith will we be able to handle the evil powers and people of this evil world. And that’s why Bruh David, despite all his problems and wrongdoings found such favour with God. He always looked to Him for support and guidance, revelled in His strength and LOVING-kindness. Listen to him as he continues in glorious adoration. ‘For thou preventest (meeteth) him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence). For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.21:3-7) Ah Friends, there’s no feeling in this world that compares to praising our most wonderful and adorable God! Now listen to how the psalmist Asaph follows in like manner, as he opens in Psalm 81 – God’s goodness and Israel’s waywardness. ‘Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise (shout) unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm (raise a song), and bring hither (strike) the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery (lute or lyre). Blow up the trumpet in (at the time of) the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.’ (Ps.81:1-4) Now, though according to the scholars, ‘The background of the psalm appears to be the Feast of the Tabernacles (Lev.23:34-44) which reminded the people of God’s law and also constituted the feast of ingathering (Ex.23:16)’ that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t sing and praise our most worthy God in full voice with instruments, each and every day, or whenever we feel like it. So my fellow believers, on this Wednesday morning, in the penultimate week of April, in the year 2013, I’m asking, or rather imploring us all to get ourselves together and shower the world with praise and glory, exaltation and joyfulness in the power and LOVE, mercy and forgiveness of our most amazing God! Please allow our joy to sing out over the land, let the heathen hear it, and see the wonders that He works in our lives, so that they too may come to learn about Him, then believe, LOVE, honour and glorify Him the way we do. That is my sincere prayer for all believers this chilly spring morning. In Jesus name. Amen. Much LOVE!…how can the unbeliever learn about God…unless the believer sings, shouts and lives a life…filled with His goodness, grace and mercy…
23 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversaries, afraid, anchor in the storm, anxiety, articles of faith, ashamed, be not far, christianity, confidence, cry out for help, defeating doubt, downward spiral, eternal life, evil, fear, God's faithfulness, gospel truth, great is thy faithfulness, Jesus, John Milton, make haste, maturity in Christ Jesus, mighty sword, morning by morning, new mercies, O God, optimum assurance, personal faith, positive assurance, praise, prime wisdom, reverence, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, spirituality, stand strong, strength of the Lord God, successful life, the Good Book, tools of truth, troubled world, true conquerors, ungodly world
Psalm 71:12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
Oh Friends, before we do anything else this Tuesday morning, let’s gratefully acknowledge the Lord’s goodness to us, the very undeserving children of men, by singing this old, but very true ditty: ‘Great is thy faithfulness O Lord. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All that I needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness Lord, unto me.’ And if that isn’t another gospel truth my people, then I don’t know what is! And talking about gospel truths, there are so many in our articles of faith, that we should never be without at least one, and often several, to hold on to, when our personal faith begins to weaken. In other words, with all the available truths from the Good Book and our own experiences to find strength from, there should never be any real cause for our faith to weaken when we’ve reached a certain level of maturity in Christ Jesus. However, with the crazy downward spiral of our currently confused and troubled world, that’s often easier said than done. But my Friends, today I’m advocating, reassuring, pleading with us to stand strong, to use all the tools of truth that our most excellent God has given or made available to us, so that we can remain steadfast in faith and do the job to which He’s called each and every one of His beautiful and much LOVED children, just like He called His first Son Jesus to sacrifice His sinless life for us. And just as Jesus was obedient to His calling, even unto death, I pray that we all will also be obedient to whatever we are called to do. Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name I pray this. And all God’s wonderful children said a loud and grateful, ‘Amen!’ Yeh mih people, this evil, ungodly world is indeed making it more difficult every day for us to truly embrace and live out our faith with joy and positive assurance. For as John Milton (1608-1671) the renowned English Poet is said to have declared: ‘To know that which lies before us in daily life, is the prime wisdom.’ Now that’s perfectly true, since we can only live one day at a time, and knowing where we’re headed each day is of the utmost importance, if we hope to lead a successful life. But by the same token friends, we can only do that successfully with the help of our heavenly Father. That’s exactly why we often need to do as the psalmist says in our Bit, cry out: ‘O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.’ Yes my fellow believers, be not ashamed, no, never be ashamed or afraid to cry out to our most LOVING, generous and omnipotent God when the pressures of life and this godless world seem to be wearing us down, for that’s what the Father wants and expects from us. Like the psalmist continues, let’s boldly and confidently, but with obvious reverence, entreat the Lord: ‘Let them be confounded (ashamed) and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.’ (Ps.71:13) Now it’s all well and good to cry out for help, but we must also play the part allotted to us. Again, as the psalmist declares: ‘But I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more. My mouth shall show forth (proclaim) thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers (limits) thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.’ (Ps.71:14-16) Ah mih breddren, it’s not easy in this life, and it’s daily getting harder too, but as believers in Christ Jesus, we have the optimum assurance possible that He will never leave or forsake us. He will always bring us through whatever trials He allows to come upon us, often stronger and better off than before. No weapon formed against us will ever prosper or cut us down, because we are true conquerors, especially when wearing His powerful spiritual armour, and wielding the mighty sword of His Word. Our God also promises to be our anchor in the time of storm. Though our ship be battered, our sails torn, our way blinded by darkness, He will be our helmsman and guide us to safety. And when we’re weary and tired of trudging through this life, like the compassionate Father that He is, the Lord will lift us on to His powerful, never weary, never tired shoulders and take us safely home. Oh my brethren, with all those faithful promises of our most wonderful God going for us, how can we not LOVE and worship Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits eh? And we haven’t even mentioned the two greatest promises; that of salvation and eternal life! So Friends, with such a barrage of promises and weapons available, it’s therefore unthinkable that a true believer should be ever defeated by this earthly life. And today I’m urging us to seriously ponder on all those wonderful promises our awesome God has made us, also on His faithfulness to keep them, and then bring them to work favourably in our lives, as He desires. In Jesus’ name we pray. And all God’s reverent children declared a loud, grateful and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Let’s stand strong for Jesus today my fellow believers! Much LOVE!…truly accepting God’s promises…means truly defeating doubt, fear and the anxieties of this world…
21 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: christianity, compare God to, everyday things of life, exodus, fellowship, futures, girded with strength, Hannah's song of praise, holiness, isaiah 40, jehovah god, likeness of God, miracles, Moses, Pharoah, plagues, praise, preamble, Red Sea, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, Sabbath, salvation, Sunday, wisdom, worship
Isaiah 40:18. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Oh Friends, it doesn’t seem as though the ole fella has a preamble for this supposed spring, but feeling more like winter Sunday morning in the last half of April. (smile) All I can say is that those of us, who celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays, ought to find ourselves, if at all possible, in church, to fellowship with other believers, praising and worshipping our most magnificent God. That’s because only in true fellowship can we get that rejuvenation of spirit, that hope and confidence and faith we so badly need to make it through the days ahead. So please, let’s get out there today and show the Lord that we truly care, by raising the level of LOVE in our hearts for Him and for each other, and also raising the roofs of the places we congregate, with much joy, song, praise and worship. Ah mih people, our God truly amazes me everyday, especially when I come to write the Bit. Just now I didn’t have a preamble, but by His awesome faithfulness and help, there’s one now! That’s why I keep stressing the importance of looking for God in the bland, banal, simple everyday things of life, for that’s where He’s most active. Let’s stop looking for the big miracles, because those are few and far between nowadays. Instead, let’s focus on the many small ones that He performs everyday. And enough now with the ‘preambling’, (smile) it’s time for our Bit: ‘To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?’ And as we said yesterday, will say again today, and everyday if necessary, there’s NOBODY or NOTHING to compare to our most wonderful Jehovah God!!! That statement definitely needs more than one exclamation mark. Now today I want to look at a few instances of God’s greatness as expressed by people of faith from the Old Testament. And we’ll start with the plagues, in particular that of the frogs, which the Lord caused to overrun Egypt when Pharaoh refused to allow the Israelites to go and sacrifice to the Lord as He requested. (Ex.8:1-7) Pharaoh then tells Moses to ask the Lord to first remove the frogs, and then he’ll let the people go. ‘And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he (Pharaoh) said, Tomorrow. And he (Moses) said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.’ (Ex.8:9-10) And it was done exactly as Moses promised. The Lord removed the frogs from everywhere except the river, when Moses cried out to Him. (Ex.8:11-13) Oh my fellow believers, is there any other supposed Deity who has ever done, or can do such a mighty deed? Absolutely not! Only the great God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has such omnipotence! Next we’ll turn to the song of Moses. And if anybody had good reason to verify and glorify the might, power and faithfulness of the Most High God of Israel, Moses was certainly the one. Listen to some of his praise in song. ‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods (mighty ones)? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.’ (Ex.15:11-13) Oh Friends, there’s never ever been another situation like the Israelite Exodus from Egypt; with plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the slaughter of Pharaoh’s army, and the trek through the wilderness with manna, clouds and pillars of fire as guides, where clothing and shoes did not wear out for forty years. Hn! And only the ONE TRUE DEITY, the Creator of the universe and all therein could have successfully accomplished such a feat…our God! Now listen to the opening of Hannah’s song of praise, after she’d prayed for a child and the Lord opened her barren womb and blessed her with the prophet Samuel. ‘And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn (strength) is exalted in the Lord; my mouth is enlarged over (smiles at) mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy (arrogance) come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.’ (1 Sam.2:1-4) So then my brethren, let’s put forth the Lord’s question again: ‘To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.’ (Is.40:25) And all God’s people proclaimed in a loud, strong, sure, and confident voice: ‘NOBODY or NOTHING!!!’ Yes Friends, only the Lord God Jehovah has the amazing and ultimate power to create and destroy as he desires or sees fit! So please, let’s all surrender our lives to Him, place our futures in His strong, capable, LOVING hands, so that we’ll live eternally with Him and not die, not perish in utter damnation with the evil Lucifer and his heathen hordes. Now that’s wisdom at its most excellent! Much LOVE!…in Him we live…we die…and are raised renewed…to fly on angel’s wings…till eternity…
18 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: action, appreciation, blind leading the blind, conviction, disbelievers, doubters, eternal life, forgiveness, foul weather, God is the greatest, grateful heart, Greeks, holy spirit, hypocrites, incredible relationship, Jesus' Second Coming, Jews, judgement, LOVE, mercy, Pharisees, relationship to God, reverence, Sadducees, salvation, selfless sacrifice, signs, spirituality, straight and narrow path, submit, surrender, tenderness, the BIBLE, the Good Book, tribulation, wisdom, worthless sinner
1 Corinthians 1:22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom.
Oh Friends, every time I rise and shine to greet a new day, the Holy Spirit convicts me with more conviction (smile) that our God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is indeed the greatest! And in true fact, there’s NO other like Him! When I consider His undying, unconditional LOVE, His tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, and grace, not to mention the selfless sacrifice of His only Son Jesus to save a worthless sinner like me, all I can say, with a heart brimming over with LOVE and appreciation, is a grateful, sincere, ‘Thank You Lord!’ The fact that He made us to fellowship with Him, and simply refuses to let us be separated from Him by our sins, only endears Him more to me. Oh Friends, please search your souls today, this wet, rainy spring morning and truthfully ask, judge, measure your relationship and reaction to Almighty God. And if your entire being isn’t flooded with joy, sincere reverence and LOVE for Him, then something’s definitely and drastically wrong somewhere, and I’d advise you to quickly seek Him and fix it asap. For without Him your life will be unfulfilled, aimless and meaningless. If He’s not solidly secreted in that compartment of your soul meant ONLY for Him, then you’re missing out on an incredible, as well as an incredulous relationship. And all God’s people declared a loud, heartfelt, ‘Amen!’ Now here’s our Bit: ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom.’ It’s the same as the last two days, because I want to touch on a couple more instances involving Jesus, where signs were spoken of. And this first one comes from Matthew 16, just before Jesus warns His disciples to beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Matt.16:6) Anyway, the Good Book describes the scene thus: ‘The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting (testing) desired (asked) him that he should show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, when it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring (threatening). O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. And he left them and departed.’ (Matt.16:1-4) Oh Friends, I have to laugh whenever I read how Jesus put those hypocrite Jewish leaders in their place, anytime they tried to catch Him off guard. And please note that His answer was the same as when they’d earlier asked for a sign, as we discussed yesterday, (Matt.12:38-42) only that of Jonah, which melded well with His own upcoming tribulation on the cross and in the grave, from which He’d triumphantly rise on Easter Sunday morning. But as usual, they didn’t, or refused to understand His message of salvation and eternal life, and unfortunately millions of doubters and disbelievers are still doing the same thing today. How sad, my people. As the saying goes, there’s none so blind as he who refuses to see. And as Jesus so cleverly says of the Pharisees: ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt.15:14) Gospel truth my Friends! And it’s still happening today; only with more blind leaders, leading many more blind followers, which makes the situation very scary. But it’s our job, my fellow believers, to try and open the eyes of those blind leaders and followers. We need to confront them and show them the error of their ways, through the Word and our generous, LOVING lifestyle in bristling, bustling action, so that they too can believe and successfully come to Jesus. And I just saw some scholarly info on the above scripture that I think is important to share. ‘The unbelieving leaders came seeking a sign from heaven, that is, an outward miraculous manifestation. Notice that miracles alone never save anyone. They serve only to authenticate and call attention to the message, which must be believed in order for salvation to be experienced in the soul. Instead of another miracle, Jesus points them to the signs of the times, eschatologically related (doctrine of death, judgement, heaven, hell) to the sky and His second coming. The sign of the prophet Jonah relates to His resurrection (see 12:38-40; John 2:18-22) This sign gives hope to the believer but is an indication of judgement for the unbeliever, who will be judged by the risen Christ at His second coming.’ Oh my people, that same blindness of the early Jewish leaders still applies to too many of us today. We can’t read the signs of the times, that they are drawing ever closer to Jesus’ second coming; the wars and rumours of wars and all the other signs Jesus gave to the disciples as the beginning of sorrows, until the gospel is preached to all the world. (Matt.24:6-14) Oh my people, that’s enough for us to ponder on today. We’ll continue this topic tomorrow, God in favour. Till then, please let’s get our act together as good and faithful Christians by seriously communicating with our God and Maker, genuinely submitting and surrendering our lives to Him, so that He can lead and guide us aright, down that straight and narrow path that leads to Him. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…the Bible is our guide for earthly living…unless we read and pay close attention to it…we’ll surely go astray…
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