11 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wise man, adrenaline, antidote, antipathy, aura of love, beauty, Behold, Big Island, blameless, brethren to dwell in unity, brotherly LOVE, changing our thoughts, Christ's Church, Christians, civil court, Colorado, come to Christ, confidence, disputing, disunity, entertain stranger, entertained angels, enthusiasm, feuds, figment of our imagination, friends, goes to the law, Great War, greed, grumbling, Hawaii, holy spirit, hostility, how good and pleasant, humble servants, innocent, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, life in london, litigation, living the good life, LOVE, mitigate, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, murmurings, natural disasters, peace, perverse nation, power hungry, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, running rampant, salvation, selfish desire, shame, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife, taunts, the life of the idle rich, truth, ungodly world, unity, volcano, West Indian colloquialism, wildfires, wiles, wisdom, wiser heads prevail
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Oh my, my, it’s Monday! And though I went to bed pretty late, around 3, I still can’t believe that I’m only now getting up, after nine. Brother, some of us are surely living a life in London yes! (smile) For those of you who don’t know that term, it’s a West Indian colloquialism for living the good life, the life of the idle rich.
But on a more serious note, let’s hope that the beauty of this June Monday caused many of you who were up early to go to work, to mitigate your hostility towards the day. Ahhh friends! Beauty has such a way of changing our thoughts and feelings towards things we otherwise don’t truly appreciate. (smile) In any case, let’s belt out our antidote for our antipathy towards Monday, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether now, in strong voice and sincere enthusiasm: ‘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!’
Yeh friends, hope the adrenaline has taken over and all our antipathy towards Monday has disappeared, evaporated like vapour. Miracles do happen. (smile) But yuh know what, our world still remains the same place it was yesterday, with senseless feuds between countries and leaders, cowardly terrorism killing innocent people for their own selfish motives, disunity between Christ’s church and natural disasters creating havoc in our daily lives.
It seems that the volcano on Big Island, Hawaii had a small explosion and rained ash all over the surrounding area, and the wildfire in Colorado is continuing its unruly, uncontrollable ways. Oh friends, I don’t think there has ever been a time when prayer and unity were ever more important in our world than today.
All the supposed Great Wars will seem rather insignificant to the next Great One, if and when it ever breaks out. Let’s hope and pray for our sakes, as well as those of our children and their children that cooler and wiser heads prevail, and the next Great War remains nothing but a figment of our imagination.
And though we’ve recently used this passage of scripture as our Bit, I believe our situation is so serious that we need to be reminded of it again. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’
Yes my people, Bruh David hit the nail on the head when he wrote those immortal words. But that doesn’t seem to be the way it is today, in our individual families, our churches, our nations and the world as a whole. Strife, greed, power hunger and selfish desire are instead running rampant all over.
Remember how Bruh Paul admonished the Corinthians. ‘I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? Now brother goeth to the law with brother, and that before unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault (an utter failure) among you, because ye go to the law one with another. Why do ye not rather take (accept) wrong? Why do ye not suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that (to) your brethren.’ (1 Cor.6:5-8)
Oh I know the church no longer holds such sway in justice matters, but nonetheless too many of us, Christian family members are ending up in litigation, in civil court over matters that could be worked out if we would only resurrect the true Christian Spirit and take the time to pray sincerely over them.
Remember too Bruh Paul’s words to the church at Philippi as he talks about them being shining as lights in the world: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to ) his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings:
That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights in the world.’ (Phil.2:13-15)
Oh my people, all of that basically means, if God is indeed guiding and leading us, then there should be no need for the strife and confusion amongst His people that exists today. And we have been placed IN the world, but not OF the world so that we can be bright and shining examples to the unbelievers.
We can only help the lost if we have some form of contact with them, letting our godly example override their ungodly one, so that they will eventually understand where their salvation truly lies and come to Christ. Otherwise, we are of no godly use in the world. Much LOVE!
…let brotherly LOVE continue…be nor forgetful to entertain strangers…for thereby some have entertained angels unawares… (Heb.13:1-2)
04 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adventurous, antidote, attributes of deaity, aura of love, better is the poor, Christians, confidence, dalliances, deceitful, disciples, distrust, doubt, effort, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, friends, fulfilling, glory to God, holy spirit, I am the way, image of Christ, inescapable, Jesus Christ, joy, led people astray, lies, light, LOVE, LOVE to hate, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious, no work no eat, peace, perverse, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rich, salt, salvation, same wavelength, seen the Father, show us the Father, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take my word, talk, taunts, the enemy's ranks, the Life, the message, the New testament, the Trinity, the Truth, time, Triune God, trust, truth, try it, unbelievers, unfaithful, ungodly world, untrustworthy, uprightness, walk, walks in integrity, wiles, wisdom, wishy-washy, working for Jesus
Proverbs 28:6. Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.
And then it was Monday – the day that we all LOVE so much! Hn, hn! I guess though that the reality is more like LOVE to hate because it breaks up our nice, comfortable weekend dalliances. But look at it this way friends; if there was no Monday and no work, then there would be no weekend dalliances.
So although we don’t like going out to work on Monday, it’s just the way things are, and we might as well get used to it and plan for it in our weekly schedule. ‘Sunday – church – fellowship- renew Spirit: Monday – Work – will not get upset, since if I don’t work I won’t eat.’
But thankfully, we have an antidote for those Monday Blues and non-work feelings. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and when we sing it out, it just resonates in every pore of our body and gets the adrenaline flowing like a mighty rushing river. (smile) So let’s belt it out now nuh with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren, can you feel that mighty rushing river of adrenaline flowing through you now? Yes! I know you can! Now let’s get ourselves together and get out there and do God’s work; spread His gospel like He wants us to, and live lives of salt and light so that others might see and want to become like us.
Remember, it’s not so much the message, but even more so the image of Christ that we portray which brings people to Him. We can’t talk one thing then do something completely contrary to our talk. Both our talk and walk have to be on the same wavelength. And that’s one of the major reasons why unbelievers are turned off of Christians. Who can blame them eh?
That’s why Cousin Sol warns us in our Bit: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse (deceitful, unfaithful) in his ways, though he be rich.’ And if we are true believers, we know that to be the awesome truth!
Integrity is ever so important in the life of a believer, because that’s what Jesus’ entire ministry is based on. He never led people astray, or told them one thing when it was another, and that’s what so badly needed in our Christian society today. One must be able to take whatever is said or done and be able to have faith and trust in it, otherwise all we’ll have is a wishy-washy, untrustworthy ministry like the world system.
And to show how easy it is for doubt and distrust to creep into our belief system, even for the disciples, who spent lots of time with Jesus personally. Hear their response to His telling them about going back to heaven to prepare a place for them
‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’ (John 14:4-10)
Yeh friends, it’s not easy for many to accept, but once we’ve experienced Jesus, we have indeed experienced the Father. And the scholars have this interesting explanation of verse 9.
‘14:9. Seen me…seen the Father: There are no attributes of deity that the Son does not possess. This statement is most powerful. Everything that is true of God the Father is also true of the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament may be inscrutable (mysterious, hard to understand), but it is also inescapable.’
That means if you want to be a believer, you must deal with and eventually believe the doctrine of the Triune God, because it is just a basic foundation of the faith.
Ah friends, living and working for Jesus is not easy on any level, but when we put in the time and effort it takes, it can be such a wonderful, adventurous and fulfilling life. Don’t take my word for it, try it nuh. Much LOVE!
…once we have Jesus…we don’t need anything or anyone else…Glory to God…
28 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a long wait, a smile on my face, Alberto, asks for money, aura of love, best part of the story, beyond our understanding, blood tests, brething through my mouth, change our circumstances, declare God's greatness, glorious kingdom, God's awesome acts, great is the Lord, greatly to be praised, hard luck stories, healing progress, high noon, his greatness is unsearchable, humble servants, I can do all things, Jesus Christ, joy, joy in my heart, lies, LOVE, Lucky, Memorial Day, mental problems, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, more than I can bear, parched mouth. Milk of Magnesia taste, prayed the Lord's Prayer, raised both arms and face to heaven, reciting affirmations, regressed, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, shaking it rough, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, storms of life, the Lord won't give me, through Christ who strengthens me, tottered through the parking lot, tropical storm, truth, ungodly world, unpredictable God, wisdom, you need prayer
Psalm 145:3. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable (beyond our understanding).
Sorry friends that the Bit’s this late, but the ole fella’s been shaking it rough. How so you ask? Well to start off, It seems like I’ve regressed some with my healing progress, because my nostrils are all blocked up again and I’m back to breathing through my mouth.
And believe me, that is not a very comfortable or inviting proposition, especially during the night when sleep is calling. That means I’m constantly up trying to unstick my dry and parched mouth so I can get some liquid in there to moisten it. Something preferably sweet, tasty and cold to cover up the chalky, Milk of Magnesia taste that currently envelops my mouth. Plain water moistens it, but it doesn’t mitigate the awful taste. Chuh blast!
Well having gone through that most undesirable task last night, I had to get up early to go and get some blood tests done for a couple of doctors. And one test in particular specified around 8.am. Now the lab is about five minutes from me, but it’s always busy, and if you don’t get there early, you’re in for a long wait.
And today was a good example of that. I got there at 7:10, and was already the thirteenth person waiting in line outside the building, which doesn’t open until 7.30. Now the lab opens at 7.45, so there was another set of waiting, or rather standing in line inside the building. And these days the ole fella doesn’t do standing very well, having already sat down on the curb while waiting outside. (smile)
So see me there, leaning against the wall, taking an occasional sip from my bottle of water to moisten my mouth, moving from foot to foot, from one side of the aisle to the other, reciting affirmations, like ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – The Lord will not give me more than I can bear.’ And faithfully, He did not. But I did not get out of there until ten to nine.
But our God is so wonderful and unpredictable and great, as Bruh David declares so proudly and truthfully in our Bit: ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.’ And if you don’t believe Bruh David or me, when we say that, (smile) here comes the best part of the story to prove it.
As I came out of the building into the bright sunshine, who could I see standing at the side but Lucky – I’ve forgotten his right name – a strong, thirty something black man with mental problems who wanders around the neighbourhood. Whenever I see him, he usually asks for money, and I usually give him.
I hadn’t seen him for some time and when I saw him this morning, my first thought was ‘On no!’ I was in no mood for one of Lucky’s hard luck stories. (smile) But as I said, our God is great and wonderfully unpredictable. So as I tottered through the parking lot to my car, Lucky came up and said ‘You look sick. You need prayer.’
And much to my surprise, right in the middle of the parking lot, he raised both arms and his face to heaven and the rising sun and prayed the Lord’s Prayer over me in his harsh cigarette and weed encrusted voice. Obviously I was speechless, and could only tell him thanks as we went our separate ways, me with a smile on my face and a renewed joy in my heart at our unpredictable God. And he didn’t ask me for any money.
Oh! But the lab did ask for ninety dollars for one of the tests! Steups! After such an eventful period of time, I simply had to rest when I got home. And that’s why I’m here now finally writing at high noon. And though most of you who have to work are already at work, it’s never too late to prayer our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it causes our minds to concentrate on God, and the adrenaline to flow whenever we pray it.
So altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And some of the loudest voices were those from the U.S. who are today celebrating Memorial Day, a public holiday, in honour of their veterans. Sadly though, in the South East they are bundling up to receive Alberto, the first tropical storm of the season, who is trundling along at a mere ten miles per hour less than hurricane force. Let’s hope that it doesn’t get worse and doesn’t do too much damage, as well as keep them in our prayers.
Ah friends, as you can see from my experience, though our God might not change our circumstances or ease up our situations, He does provide sustenance in the storms of life, and productive, though sometimes very unpredictable ways to help us handle them. That’s why He is God! Never forget that! Much LOVE!
…and men shall speak of thy terrible (awesome) acts…and I will declare thy greatness… (Ps.145:6)
21 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abject fear, approach to God, assurance, aura of love, awe, boldness, casual, celebrating, Christians, confidence, dominant characteristic, dread of punishment, drunk or sober, enthusiasm, eternal rejection, evil, faith, fear, flippant, friends, God is LOVE, Granny's warning, herein is love, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, long weekend, LOVE, mind yuh business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no fear in love, not made perfect, on a tight reign, out of the loop, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, respect, rest, reverence, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, supremacy of love, taunts, the day of judgement, the greatest of these, the Spirit of the Son, torment, trust, truth, ungodly world, veneration, Victoria Day, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
1 John 4:18. There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.
And then it was Monday; Monday of a long weekend in the British Commonwealth of nations celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday! And to tell you how far I am out of the loop, I did not even realize that this was a long weekend until yesterday. Hn! Life surely passes you by when you’re having fun! (smile)
That means a lot of people around the world aren’t working today, but are at home or wherever celebrating, which means we also have to invoke Granny’s warning for all believers. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business. And don’t give the devil any chance at all to get into your life!’
And a lot of stuff is going to be happening in the North Country today, especially with the glorious sunshine out there. Let’s hope the Spirit of the SON keeps us on a tight rein. (smile)
But since in many parts of the universe life and work go on as normal this Monday morning, we need to encourage those who have to labour while we play. So let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help them gather themselves together.
In strong voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And as usual on a day like today, many of the voices that were the strongest were also harsh and out of sorts from the exuberance of the holiday weekend. (smile) But that’s just life; we’re always more enthusiastic when we don’t have to get involved in an unwanted task.
And today we want to look at an important verse of scripture from John’s first epistle: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’
Oh friends, those two words, ‘fear’ and ‘LOVE’ rule most of our lives. Earlier on John declares: ‘And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth (abides) in LOVE dwelleth (abides) in God, and God in him.’ (1 John 4:16)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘4:16. John, like Paul (1 Cor.13:13), stresses the supremacy of LOVE as a characteristic of God, and therefore as a dominant characteristic of the true believer.’ That means if true LOVE isn’t one of our dominant characteristics, then we’re not truly into God, and vice versa.
And John continues: ‘Herein is our LOVE made perfect (LOVE is made perfect among us), that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:17)
Now hear the scholars. ‘4:17. Herein points back to verse 16. By dwelling in LOVE, and thus having God dwelling in him, the believer gains the priceless assurance that he need not fear the coming judgement. This is our assurance, if we LOVE in this world as He does.’
Yes my people, we need God’s LOVE dwelling in us, if we are to walk this earth reassured and without fear of the days to come. And why is that? Because as our Bit says: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear.’ So if you have LOVE, you won’t fear, and if you have fear, you can’t have LOVE. As simple as that!
And the scholars explain: ‘4:18. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us (see Acts 10:35; 13:26; 2 Cor.7:1; Eph.5:21; Phil,2:12; 1 Pet.1:17). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’
Ah mih people, I think we should all take a few minutes and look at those scriptures, I just did, as they all drive home the point that though we should not fear God in the sense of having personal courage to come to Him with confidence, we definitely need to show Him deserved reverence, honour and admiration.
And as the definition of reverence declares: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe and veneration. Yeh friends, that’s how our God must be to us. Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)
14 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, abomination to God, adrenaline, asaph, aura of love, cease from anger, choose none of his ways, commit thy way, confidence, conquerors, continually be reminded of, delight thyself in the Lord, desires of your heart, do good, earthly riches, enthusiasm, envious, envious at the foolish, envy not, eternal life, evil doers, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, God is good, gospel truth, heavenly glory, holy spirit, humble servants, I almost stumbled, inherit the earth, invincible, Jesus, jobs. wiles, joy, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, perverse person, plan your weekends, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, sinful souls, sold their souls, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the Good Book, the oppressor, the prosperity of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, ungodly world, wait on the Lord, warned against, wisdom, wither as the green herb
Proverbs 3:31. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Well friends, it’s such a glorious Monday morning that we should have no problem getting up and going out to meet the new work week. Hn! And I hear some of you sourly say, ‘Yeh, no problem eh? Well talk for yourself yes, but I have a problem every week getting up on a Monday morning.’ And I’ll reply ‘that’s because you don’t plan your weekends properly.’
Anyhow, for whatever ails us this Monday morning, we have the sure antidote for it; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so let’s sing it with much gusto nuh, so that it can uplift our souls and spirits.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And now that the adrenaline is coursing through our veins, we should be able to ramp up our efforts on behalf of Jesus without a problem. (smile) And today we have an interesting Bit from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.’
Yeh friends, it’s something we’ve been continually warned against throughout the Good Book, but also something we need to be continually reminded of, because the pull of the oppressor and his wicked ways are so strong on our naturally sinful souls.
And for our benefit, Cousin Sol continues: ‘For the forward (perverse person) is abomination to the Lord: but his secret (secret council) is with the righteous.’ (Prov.3:32) And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers! And if you think Cousin Sol’s words are not strong enough for you, then listen to Bruh David’s on the subject; words that we know and quote, and yet still don’t follow enough.
‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps.37:1) How often have those words been preached to us eh friends, yet we keep on doing exactly what they warn us not to do.
Oh, I know the world and its evil doings are powerful, and though the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is stronger than the world, it’s not going to override our desires. It’s our job to heed the guidance of the Lord’s Spirit if we want to do His will.
That’s why Bruh David advises: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
And friends, if Bruh David’s words don’t grab you, then listen to these of Asaph, the psalmist, who almost fell into the trap. ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Ah mih people, we all know it’s hard to see the wicked prosper and some of the righteous suffer unfairly. But please, please, I implore us not to fall for the lies of the world, because as the Good Book says, the wicked will eventually be destroyed and the righteous shall take over their wealth.
So in closing, let’s be further reminded by the encouraging words of Bruh David. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:7-9)
Please, let’s bury those words in our hearts and souls, so that we can remember them and put them into action when the evil one comes against us. Much LOVE!
…the wicked have sold their souls for earthly riches…the righteous have sold theirs for heavenly glory…
07 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adversity, against the covenant, another glorious day, apostasy, aura of love, birth of Christ, blasphemous, boasters, confidence, corrupt, corruption, covetous, Daniel, disobedient to parents, do exploits, do wickedly, encouragement, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, face the world, false accusers, falsehood, flatteries, fleshly lusts, future times, glory to God, God pleasers, haughty, Hawaii, help, high-minded, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kings of the north and south, lies, LOVE, lovers of self, men pleasers, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, money lovers, perilous times, pleasures, polluted, prayers, proud, regeneration of nature, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, shall be strong, slanderers, spirits rising, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take action, take the fight, taunts, the grass growing green. buds blossoming, the last days, the SON, the Sun, those who know their God, to do God's work, to the enemy, traitors, trust, truth, ungodly world, unholy, vision, volcanic eruption, wiles, wisdom, without self control
Daniel 11:32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).
Ah friends, another glorious day is in the offing in my neighbourhood! You know it couldn’t get any better when both the Sun and the SON are in most brilliant mode, with the grass growing green and lush and the buds blossoming on the trees. Wow friends! That means the yearly regeneration of nature is on its way! We couldn’t ask for better encouragement to get out and face today. Glory to our great God!
Unfortunately though, not all neighbourhoods are experiencing such regeneration, some like ones in Hawaii are instead experiencing degeneration and disaster due to the recent eruption of the Kilauea volcano and all the ensuing adversity such activity brings. And it seems to be still in active mode, which could mean anything. So let’s remember those people in our prayers and offer whatever help we can.
Now it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to raise up our spirits and acknowledge the Lord God Jehovah as our Creator and Guiding Light.
In full voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yeh friends, if we were sincere there, then the Lord will not turn down our requests, we will feel the adrenaline coursing swiftly through our bodies and our spirits rising, heavenly enthused (smile) to do God’s work. That’s the awesome power of sincere prayer!
And today we’ll look at a scripture that many of us don’t even know, but which is an important part of the prophecy for our world. It comes from Daniel, when the Lord revealed the vision of future times to him. This piece deals with the kings of the north and south roaming through the earth to cause havoc.
It says in our Bit: ‘And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’
And my people, if ever there was a time for that scripture to be invoked, is right now, what with the corruption and evil and falsehood that is currently being perpetrated in our world! It’s a time when we have become men pleasers rather than God pleasers, and only want to hear what’s good to satisfy our fleshly lusts.
Bruh Paul says it best when talking to Timothy about the coming apostasy (renunciation of one’s religion). ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal) despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (mere religion without power or spiritual life) from such turn away.’ (2 Tim.3:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s as though Bruh Paul is living in today’s world, he’s got the picture of it so right! All that he says is happening, in these what we consider the last times. And the scholars explain: ‘3:1-4. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’
But with all that being acknowledged, you know what friends? As Daniel says in our Bit, ‘but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’ And that’s where we, the people of God come in. It behooves us now to stand strong and do exploits in the Lord’s name! It’s time to take the fight to the enemy, rather than sitting and waiting for him to come to us.
Oh my fellow believers, we’re so blessed, with sins forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, with salvation and eternal life faithfully promised, let’s not waste all that Jesus went through nuh, let’s be up and doing, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…if the supposed people of God don’t stand strong…and fight the enemy…then who will eh…
02 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, Adam, advanced civilization, adversity, all voices cry Lord, asap, be ye holy, blessed, boost his ego, by one man's disobedience, by the obedience of one, celebration for mMay, conforming to former lusts, dance the maypole, devoured with the sword, disobedience, drowning in, eat the good of the land, eternal life, example of obedience, found in appearance, Garden of Gethsemane, God is awesome, gospel truth, grace, greed, halfway home, hodgepodge, hope to the end, humbled himself, I am holy, Israelites, keep his word, looking straight ahead, many shall be made righteous, many were made sinners, Matt Chandler, midway point, mire, my hands are on the plough, not my will, obedience, obedient, obedient children, obedient unto death, pestilence, poor relationships, poverty, prepare your mind for action, quicksand, rebel, refuse, salvation, sickness, sin flooded the world, sky high, smarten up, sober, suffering, the bondage of sin, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the death of Jesus, the fat of rams, the Garden of Eden, the highest position, the mouth of the Lord, the revelation of Jesus, to hearken, to obey is better than sacrifice, to whom all knees will bow, too macho, total obedience, trials, Village chruch, Wednesday Wail, willing
Isaiah 1:19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.
And then it was Wednesday; the midway point of the work week… And we’re getting a li’l bit earlier everyday with the Bit. (smile) Hope within the next few days we’ll be back to an early morning Bit. And when are we going to dance the Maypole eh people? Wonder if some of the young people even know what that is.
It’s a celebration for the month of May. You have a tall decorated flagpole with long ribbon streamers attached at the top, and then everybody takes a ribbon and dances around it to form an intricate pattern all the way down the pole. I remember going to May fairs as a boy in High School, but usually thinking myself too macho to dance the maypole. That was something for girls.
Now here is a li’l something from Matt Chandler, lead Pastor of the Village Church, a Southern Baptist Church in Texas. He tells us that ‘God is awesome. He doesn’t need us to be awesome. He needs us to be obedient.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth friends?
All our magnanimous and magnificent God really wants from us is obedience to His law. If we’d only practice greater obedience, we’d be surprised at how blessed we’d truly be. But we insist on choosing our own areas of obedience. However my brethren, our God wants total obedience from His people. Not some obedience here, and some obedience there, like a hodgepodge of obedience and disobedience.
And friends, the Lord made His intentions clear a long time ago to the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah in our Bit. ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.’ That’s fairly simple and straightforward eh my fellow believers.
And the corollary to that is the next verse: ‘But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:20) And it’s not like the Israelites, who were found to be disobedient several times did not suffer by the sword and all kinds of pestilence.
I don’t know why we think that the Lord isn’t going to keep His word. He kept it with the Israelites and He’s going to keep it with us too, as our disobedience level is riding sky high. Can’t we see all the unusual things that are happening in our society? And even though we’re the most advanced civilization ever, we’re still flailing along in a mire of poverty, sickness, greed and poor relationships.
A lot of our trouble stems from our disobedience. The Lord is not going to allow us to continue the way we’re currently going forever, so we need to smarten up as soon as possible, if we want to get out of the quicksand that we’re slowly drowning in.
Now let’s look at some important scriptures that tell us about obedience. And we’ll begin at the beginning, with the words of Bruh Paul to the Roman church. ‘For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’ (Rom.5:19).
Yeh friends, by Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, sin flooded the world, likewise by the sacrificial death of Jesus, on the cross at Calvary, grace, salvation, and eternal life were provided by our Lord to overcome the bondage of sin.
And more words from Bruh Paul, this time to the Philippian church, pertaining to Jesus. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil.2:9)
Oh my people, there’s no better example of obedience than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Though He was God Himself, once He took the form of man, He didn’t try to boost His ego or importance here on earth, but gave total obedience to His heavenly father. Even when He tried to get out of going to the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane, He finally gave in and said, ‘not my will, but thine,’ acknowledging the Father’s supremacy.
As Hebrews tells us: ‘Though he (Jesus) were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of salvation unto all them that obey him.’ (Heb.5:8-10) Yeh people, Jesus learned obedience just like all of us do, through suffering, through adversity and trials. That’s the only way to learn it. And that’s why the Father elevated him to the highest position there is; the one to whom all knees will bow, and all voices will cry Lord to the glory of the Father.
Now listen to this last scripture from Peter in his call to Christian dedication. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace (rest your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct). Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.’’ (1 Pet.2:13-16)
I can’t say anything more friends, except to lead us in our declaration of our Wednesday Wail, which tells the world our strong and obedient position in Christ.
As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we can’t even imagine how glorious that future will be, because our minds are too small and finite! Much LOVE!
…to obey is better than sacrifice…and to hearken than the fat of rams… (1 Sam.15:22b)
27 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new normal, be not afraid, be strong, be thou dismayed, be with him in trouble, bear thee up, bombard heaven with prayers, boundaries, commanded thee, deliver him, desires of my heart, drugs, dwelling place, enjoy ourselves, enthusiasm, exalt, extremes, fellow believers, fellowship, fortress, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, give his angeles charge, glorify the Lord, God is wise, God's continual presence, guide the hands and hearts, Joshua, known my name, lean not unto thine own understanding, let out hair down, long life, LOVE, loving-kindness, medical team. the workingman's song, of a good courage, ours for the taking, Pituitary gland, prayers, promises, proper standards, refeshed, refuge, relaxation, renewed, rest, rock and roll, salvation, set him on high, set his love upon me, sex, St. Michael's Hospital, strike thy foot, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the BIBLE, the Big Day, the joy of the Lord, the Lord is my light, the Lord n favour, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord willing, tread upon the lion and adder, trust the Lord, tumour, weekends, wherever you go, whom shall I fear
Joshua 1:9. Have not I commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Well a good morning to you my friends and Scrip-Bit family! Today is the Big Day! Yes, today the ole fella is going down to St. Michael’s Hospital, in Toronto, at long last, to have the tumour growing on his Pituitary Gland removed. Glory Be! And that’s why the Bit is so early.
The tumour’s been hanging around for so long now that I’ve become accustomed to it, and after it’s removed, I’ll have to adjust to a new normal. But I can handle that. (smile) So all I’m asking is for you faithful fellow believers to bombard heaven with prayers for the success of the operation. (smile) Ask the Lord to guide the hands and hearts and heads of the medical team to do their best work, and to keep me strong and faithful.
Now today is also Friday, so we have to consider the workingman’s song of freedom from unfair labour. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Our best friend, the weekend is here again! Time to let our hair down again and enjoy ourselves as much as we can, with whatever the crazy world has to offer; say, sex, drugs and rock and roll! Whatever is out there is ours for the taking. And yuh better believe we going to take it in these two short days off. Thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Ah mih people, the workingman surely goes out on a limb, but we believers in Jesus Christ can’t afford to do the same. We’re not allowed to be that lustful and licentious because our Lord and Saviour has set up boundaries of proper standards for us to adhere to. That’s why our Friday Chant is so much different from the ordinary workingman’s song.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm as the workingman sang his song 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!’
Yeh friends, our song is much more reserved, excluding the extremes that the workingman seems to favour. And as we come to our Bit, I have to chuckle because I came down here just now wondering what I was going to write about, but the Lord beat me to it. I usually put some bookmarks in my Bible between the pages of scripture I’m interested in using that day.
Now apparently when I used something from the first chapter of Joshua recently, I left a bookmark there, so the Bible naturally opened there this morning, and the first words to greet my eyes were those of our Bit. ‘Have not I commanded thee? be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’
Obviously the Lord was telling me that was my duty for today; to stand up strong and courageous, don’t be afraid of what I was about to go through. In other words reassuring me of His continual presence and His LOVING-kindness, and His promise to bring me through all adversity in better shape than before.
Glory to our great and wonderful God my brethren! How can I not trust and be faithful to Him under those conditions eh? And in all my messages, that’s all I’m trying to get through to us: if you trust the Lord He will be faithful to you. As Bruh David so stoutly and proudly declares in the opening verse of 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.37:1)
Ah my people, when you have the Lord as your ally, you need to fear no one or nothing at all, for He is always with you, wherever you go, looking out for you in all situations. And this is most appropriately set out in Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and fortress. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra); the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet’ (Ps.91:9-13)
Oh friends, what glorious promises! And that’s not all. Hear the Lord’s declaration: ‘Because he has set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:14-16)
Wow people, wow! I don’t remember if I featured this scripture in my recent messages on the promises of God, but if I didn’t, it certainly deserved to be amongst them. And if I did, we can certainly be reminded of it, so that we can stay faithful and courageous in the strength and joy of our God.
Now I don’t know what shape I will be in tomorrow, so I can’t say exactly when the Bit will come out, but the Lord willing, it WILL come out at some time. So please remember me in your prayers, and talk to you some time tomorrow, the Lord in favour.
And I don’t see why the Lord won’t be in favour, since I haven’t really accomplished the desires He’s put in my heart to exalt and glorify Him. So if He took me home now, then He’d be wasting all those desires. And if there’s one thing I know, our God is wise, He doesn’t waste his desires. (smile) Much LOVE!
…trust in the Lord with all your heart…and lean not unto thine own understanding… (Prov.3:5)
26 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gift from God, a servant of Christ, abundance, bad luck, be multiplied to you, be obedient, belief in Jesus christ, charles stanley, Commit thy way to the Lord, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself in the Lord, divine power, do goo, dwell in the land, escaped the corruption, eternal life, evil world, expect something for nothing, faith, faithfulness, fruit of the Spirit, given to us, given us all things, glory, God's unmerited favour, godliness, good examples, grace, great and precious promises, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, is in the world, judgement, justice, licentious behaviour, light, lustful, mercy, negative situations, negative word, noonday, partakers of the divine nature, peace, personally testify, Peter, precious faith, promises, prosper, prosperous life, reward, righteousness, salt, salutation, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share God's blessings, Standing on the promises of God, succeed, talent, testify, that pertain unto life, the desires of thine heart, the gift of God, the knowledge of god, the Lord's faithfulness, the wages of sin is death, third person, thou shalt be fed, through lust, Thursday Blessings, trust in the Lord, virtue, wisdom, you reap what you sow
2 Peter 1:4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Oh friends, this salutation seemed like the best way to begin today’s message, as it runs with our Bit. And if it was good enough for Peter, it’s good enough for me. (smile) Randy O’Brien, ‘a servant of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like (the same kind of) precious faith with us through the righteousness of (our) God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Peter 1:1-4)
Oh my fellow believers, you all hear that? Through our belief in Jesus Christ, we’ve been given ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, accompanied by ‘great and precious promises’ which help us get away, and stay away from the lustful and licentious behaviour of this evil world. Wow! What could be better than that eh friends? NOTHING REALLY!
The Lord has implanted His Holy Spirit to dwell in ALL believers, and the power of the third person of the Holy Trinity provides ALL that we need, or will ever need to be successful in this life. Please remember that, and seriously take hold of it nuh.
The fruit of the Spirit has already been planted in us, all we have to do now is ask the Lord to help us water and nurture them so that they can grow and show up in our lives, so that we can be good examples to the world, salt and light, and glorify and exalt His most precious and Holy Name! Glory be my brethren!
And we going to continue looking at some of God’s promises today. And this is one of my favourite, because I am currently living it. The immortal and oh so true words of Bruh David. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
Oh friends, if it’s one thing I can testify to is the Lord’s faithfulness. Although I’ve been going through a rough time medically this past year and a half, with no real relief in sight, you wouldn’t believe how the Lord has been blessing me during this time, surprisingly making some of the desires of my heart come to pass. Brother! Is he ever a wonderful God!
The problem with most of us is that we expect something for nothing – both from man and God. But that’s not real life my people! Generally speaking, you get back when and what you give. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say; ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ That’s just a fact of nature!
That brings us to this awesome but also frightening promise: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23) Yeh mih breddren, if you insist on following the sinful, lustful world, death will be your eventual reward.
However, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and do your best to be obedient to His rules and principles, then you will receive the most wonderful gift there is; that of salvation and everlasting life with Christ. As the scholars tell us: ‘6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’
Yuh see the difference friends? One is what you deserve; the other is mercy, giving you something good that you don’t deserve. And please remember that salvation is indeed a gift from God, we can’t do anything to deserve it. All the good works we do mean nothing unless we believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour, for that’s the way the Lord set it up, so that none of us could boast about our good works.
And that, I think, brings us to the end of these messages on the promises of God. I implore us to study them and take them to heart, because as Peter says, they’ve been given to us so that we can lead a good and prosperous life here on earth. Please don’t let them go to waste, and then complain about your bad luck and other negative situations. Then you only have yourself to blame.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings which have been showered down on us because we have tried to be obedient to God’s law and have taken up and held on to His many generous promises. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life!
I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And one of God’s most important laws is for us to now go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate! Much LOVE!
…promises…promises…I’m standing on the promises of Christ my God…
25 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as eagles, believe in thine heart, believing, bless the Lord, colour in spring, communicate with heaven, confess with thy mouth, confessing, confession is made unto salvation, divine edict, enabling Spirit, eternal destination, ever-faithful promises of God, faint and be weary, faints not, forget not ll his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, glorious future with Jesus, God raised him from the dead, God's thoughts, gospel truth, greatest privilege, halfway home, heals thy diseases, hell fire, highest responsibility, human edict, importance of prayer, Isaiah, live for Christ, looking straight ahead, LOVE, loving-kindness, Lucifer, man believes unto righteousness, meat of the message, mount up with wings, neither grows weary, outburst of nature, power to the faint, prayer, put to shame, redeems thy soul, renew their strength, renowned Chinese preacher, rich unto all, run and not be wery, salvation, sampling of soul food, searching of his understanding, season of winter, soothes the soul, the breath of life, the Creator, the ends of the earth, the farmer's seed, the grace of God, the greatest mystery, the Lord Jesus, the most wonderful act, the mouth testifies, the spiritual realm, the spring rains, the youts, they that wait upon the Lord, thou shalt be saved, too good to be true, true receptacle of our faith, walk and not faint, Watchman Nee, Wednesday Wail, whet our appetites, who call upon Him, with the heart, with the mouth
Romans 10:9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
And thankfully the spring rains are falling gently on the land, caressing it, making it ready for the farmer’s seed and the riotous outburst of nature that comes after a cold and dark season of winter. Glory to our great God my people, for arranging the seasons the way He has, bringing us out of winter’s darkness with a sudden burst of light and colour in spring!
And before we get into the meat of the message here are some hors d’oeuvres to whet our appetites. (smile) The first one tells us that ‘Prayer is our greatest privilege and our highest responsibility.’ And that’s gospel truth! I just wish more of us would realize the incredible importance of prayer in our own lives, as well as that of Christ’s body, the church, for that is the way we communicate with the Spirits of heaven.
And the next sampling of soul food (smile) comes from Watchman Nee (1903-1972) a renowned Chinese preacher, who was locked up for his faith in 1952 and died in prison in 1972. He says: ‘Prayer is the most wonderful act in the spiritual realm, as well as the greatest mystery in the spiritual realm.’
More gospel truth my people! There is nothing like prayer in either realm; it both soothes the soul and allows us to communicate with our heavenly Father. Glory to God!
Now let’s continue with the series of messages on the great and wonderful, ever-faithful promises of our unbelievable God, beginning with this heart-warming and reassuring scripture in our Bit. ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’
Oh friends, what a glorious promise, the most important and extravagant of them all. Salvation is so easy; believing and confessing, that I can’t understand why everybody isn’t clamouring for it. I guess many of us are following the human edict, that if it’s too easy, it’s too good to be true.
But friends this is not a human, but a divine edict from high heaven, so it doesn’t necessarily follow the laws and rules of man. Remember our God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. So please, please believe and accept it nuh, because our eternal destination – inside with Christ, or outside in hell fire with Lucifer – depends solely on our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Saviour or not.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (put to shame). For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile): for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.’ (Rom.10:10-12)
Oh my brethren, it’s the same God that rules over ALL, and is generous to ALL who call upon Him! And the scholars explain: ‘10:10-11. Confession is made unto salvation: One is not saved by his mouth’s confession, but rather, the mouth testifies readily of the grace of God in Christ which has been received by faith.’ So the mouth is basically just a reflection of what’s in the heart! The heart is the true receptacle of our faith.
Now let’s turn to this monster promise of God, that we all know and like to quote, but oftimes ignore it. Listen to Isaiah as he declares of the Lord: ‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:28-31)
Oh brother, oh brother; what a promise! And we’ve seen it kept right throughout the scriptures, from Abraham to Bruh Paul! All the men of faith were able to withstand much pressure and continue God’s work because of His enabling Spirit.
And Bruh David weighs in with his two cents worth (smile): ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:2-5)
Mamacita! What else can we ask for eh? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! For the Lord provides everything we need…and in abundance too, for He’s a most generous and magnanimous God! So there are the facts friends. I can only tell you about them, I can’t make you accept them, but the wise will.
And for those of us who have shown our wisdom by accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour, let’s declare to the unbelieving world, our present situation in Christ through our Wednesday Wail. In loud voice and strong sense of purpose now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And that future with Christ is truly mind boggling! Much LOVE!
…to live with…and for Christ…is the most awesome and amazing life possible…
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 