08 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bestowed on us, blessings, calamity, Corinthians, creatures here below, death, donate, drink the sweet, drunk or sober mind your business, eat the fat, Ezra, from whom all blessings flow, glory, go in one ear, go your way, Granny's warning, grateful, holy spirit, indecision, is your strength, Israelites, joy, joy of the lord, joyful, joyful hearts, king, let every knee bow, Lord, LOVE, magnanimous and magnificent God, mirth, Moses, mourn not, natural disasters, need the help of others, Nehemiah, nor weep, nothing is prepared, our God saves, praise, praise God, prayers, problems, rejoicing, sacrificial death, saviour, send portions, Sunday, swallowed up, tears, thankful spirits, thankfulness, Thanks be to God, thanksgiving, the book of the law, the Lord's House, the Most High God, the spirit, this day is holydon't be sorry, Three in one, through our Lord Jesus christ, victory, welling up
Nehemiah 8:10. Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Well my people, it’s Sunday once again, the Lord’s Day! But today is a special Sunday; it’s Thanksgiving Sunday in our wonderful country of Canada! Yes friends, this our Thanksgiving weekend, so we will be even more joyful and grateful in the Lord’s house today, as we give Him all the praise and glory and thankfulness that our hearts can produce for the awesome blessings He has bestowed on us over the past year.
Oh, we’ve had our problems like everybody else, but I’m pretty sure that the blessings have outweighed the calamity. That’s why we have chosen to open with this old hymn of praise and thanks, ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow,’ written by Bishop Thomas Ken in 1674, with the additional chorus and words for verses 2 and 3 added by Michael Schroeder some years ago.
So with joyful hearts and thankful spirits, let’s raise our voices to heaven offering sacrifices of praise in thrilling song. Sing it my people! ‘Praise, God from whom all blessings flow, (James 1:17) Praise Him all creatures here below; (Psalm 145:21) Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; (Rev 5:11-14) Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matt 28:19) Praise to the Father praise to the Son Praise to the Spirit Three in One. (Matt 28:19, Deut 6:4) Praise to the most high God we sing. (Psalm 136:2) Praise to our Savior, Lord and King. (2 Peter 1:11, Psalm 74:12)
{Chorus: Praise Our God, praise His Name, (Psalm 96:2) Praise our God, for our God saves. (Psalm 68:20)} Let every mouth the Lord proclaim. (Psalm 145:21) Let earth and heaven sing His praise. (Psalm 96:11) Let every knee before Him bow, (Romans 14: 11) Great is our God, the Lord of all. (Acts 10:36) {Chorus: Praise Our God, praise His Name, Praise our God, for our God saves.} Praise, God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.’
Oh friends that was wonderful! You could see the tears welling up in the Father’s eyes, so touched was He by our thankfulness. And you’ll notice that in this version they gave us the scripture verses from whence the words came, and I chose to leave them in the first time around, for those of us might want to check them out.
And we all know that in times of indecision, so often our first choice is our best. And so it was with our Bit. It was my first choice… and then I had doubts, so I checked out several other scriptures. But the Holy Spirit brought me right back to this one, as being the best choice for today. ‘Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
These were the words of Nehemiah, the governor of Jerusalem, after they had finished repairing the walls and houses and Ezra the scribe had read from the Book of the Law written by Moses for the people in the public square. That generation of Israelites had never heard the Word before. And when they were done, ‘Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.’ (Neh.8:6)
Yes my fellow believers, that is the kind of response we ought to have on hearing the wonderful Word of our magnanimous and magnificent God read out loud, especially on a special day like today. Can you imagine how those people felt on hearing the Word for the first time? Hn! The elders had to tell them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.’(Neh.8:9b)
I just wish that many more of us could be so moved when we heard the Word, rather than letting it go in one ear and out the other, without much emotion. That leads me to a New Testament scripture, where Bruh Paul, is writing to the Corinthians, about Death being swallowed up in victory. Then a couple verses later he makes this awesome statement of truth. ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:57).
Oh friends, without the great and unconditional LOVE of God towards us, shown by the sacrificial death of His Son Jesus Christ for our sakes, we’d have very little, if anything to be thankful for today. So having had the Word of the Lord read to us, and the joy of His Spirit flowing through us, let’s go home and do as the Israelites did on that faithful and fateful day. ‘And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth (rejoicing), because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.’ (Neh. 8:12)
Yes my fellow believers, let’s eat and drink and be merry this Thanksgiving weekend because it is our just due from all our labour. But let’s remember two important things. First off, let’s not get too carried away in our celebrations, remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind your business.’ We don’t want to give the enemy any chance to invade our spirits.
And the next thing is to remember all those who are not as fortunate as we are, and like the Israelites did, send portions to those whom you can send to, for whatever the Lord has given us was meant to be shared. And for those far away, the many suffering from all the recent natural disasters, donate whatever you can to help, and also remember them in your prayers, for you never know when you might end up in their situation and need the help of others. Much LOVE!
…Thanksgiving…a special time to give thanks…and show thankful LOVE…
18 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a no-brainer, affinity for Friday, affirmations, all my fears, another week of work, any good thing, ask a fish, ask and it shall be given to you, ask bread, believers in Christ, blessed is he who trusts in God, blessed is the man, boundaries, Controller, cross at Calvary, decorum, defeat, delivered me, delivers them, each step I take, encouraging words, fear the Lord, Friday chant, friends, frolic, fun, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, give him a serpent, give him a stone, go our own way, he heard me, heavenly Father, I sought the Lord, in Jesus' name, Jewish brethren, knock and it shall be opened, lack, leggo-beast, li'l pay, menial work, mind-boggling, no want, O taste and see, our benefit, our Creator, pain, praise and worship, Redeemer, refreshed, rejection, renewed, reverence, Sabbath, sacrificed His life, saints, saviour, seek and you shall find, sinful nature, sorrow, soul body and mind, suffer hunger, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the angel of the Lord, the great leveller, The Lord is good, the weekend is here, the young lions, those that fear him, time to party, wisdom
Psalm 34:4. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Oh friends, oh friends, it’s here; Friday, the great leveller! For no matter what your persuasion or position, Friday plays an important part in all our lives.
Whether you’re rich or poor, black, white, or any shade in between, we all have this affinity for Friday because it marks the start of the weekend, and the Jewish brethren consider it the start of their Sabbath. So Fridays are special in some form or the other.
That’s why the workingman, with a couple of days off from work, makes a big to-do about it, crying out to all and sundry: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! That means the weekend is here! Yes mih breddren, the weekend, the weekend!
That is we time to party and do what we want, with no massa constantly watching over we shoulder to see if we doing his hard, dirty, menial work for li’l pay. Party time people! Party time is here at last! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend oui!’
And you really can’t blame the ordinary working person for feeling that way, because life is indeed getting rougher and more impersonal, but that response is definitely overdoing it.
As believers in Christ, we can’t just let go like leggo-beast, although it’s very appealing. (smile) We must observe some sort of decorum, with definite boundaries to our behaviour. That’s why our Friday Chant is a much more fitting declaration for believers.
Please declare it with me now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, the weekend is indeed a time for some fun and frolic, but it also means resting, renewing and refreshing ourselves, with some praise and worship included, so that we can positively handle the upcoming week.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’ Ah mih people, that’s the glory and wisdom of believing in Almighty God! When we truly seek Him, He can do such wonderful and marvellous things in our lives.
Bruh David proudly and positively proclaims in the psalm: ‘The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ (Ps.34:7-10)
Oh friends, how good and how pleasant it is to seek the Lord and to trust totally in Him! There is no want or lack or fear to those who sincerely reverence Him! So why aren’t more people seeking and reverencing our Creator, Controller and heavenly Father eh?
It’s certainly mind-boggling to see us all trying to go our own way and do our own thing, following the foolish and unwise wisdom of the world and suffering defeat and rejection, sorrow and pain every time.
That unsuccessful, do-it-yourself, or as the world does attitude and belief is very heart-breaking, especially when we have true and faithful affirmations from God’s Son, our Saviour and Redeemer, who sacrificed His life for us on the cross at Calvary.
Listen to these true and encouraging words from the Master nuh, as He teaches about prayer. ‘And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:7-11)
Ah mih people, since Jesus is incapable of lying, why don’t more people believe and live for Him eh? That’s a billion dollar question which I can’t answer, but I know that me and mine are certainly going to do so.
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer.
Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
And that’s exactly how it should be with a Deity of such power and magnitude! Yeh friends, as Jesus so powerfully reasons; if we, with our natural sinful nature can give good gifts to our children, why wouldn’t our holy and sinless and magnanimous heavenly Father give us good gifts if we genuinely seek and reverence Him eh? No reason whatsoever!
So let’s ponder it all today nuh, and see the wisdom in Jesus’ words and put them into practice, for it is to OUR great benefit, no one else’s. Much LOVE!
…following Jesus…and sincerely seeking the Father…is a no-brainer for the wise amongst us…
14 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline rush, aura of love, breath is in his nostrils, Christian faith, Christians, confidence, confidence in princes, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, cursed be the man, disbelief, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, esteemed, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, glorious kingdom, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, holy spirit, hope, human, humble servants, I will sing praises unto my God, invincible, it is better to trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no better way, passion, passionate, peace, put confidence in man., rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, rest, righteousness., salvation, saviour, sincere, spiritual armour, spread the good news of Jesus, steadfast faith, the blessedness of trusting God, the Son of man, to be happy in Jesus, trust, trust and obey, truth, ungodly world, whose hearts departs from the Lord, wisdom
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Monday, oh Monday, How I LOVE thee! Let me count the ways! Oh boy, I can’t wait for you to roll around each week. I get so excited on Sunday, knowing that you’re just round the corner! And why is that you ask? It’s simple: so that I get back out into the evil, ungodly workday world and work hard to spread the good news of Jesus to all and sundry.
Yeh friends, please remember that bringing people to Jesus, or rather causing them to come to Jesus, through talking about Him and living a life that sincerely mirrors our talk is a major priority in our Christian faith. And we can only do a good job at that when we are sincere and enthusiastic, passionate and energized, truly believing what we preach.
That’s why proper preparation for Monday on the weekend is ever so important. But since we are all human, fragile, sinful and weak, we don’t always do the right thing. Consequently, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to jolt us out of Monday morning emotional dilemma. (smile) So let’s sing it now nuh, putting all the enthusiasm and passion we have into it.
As one 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!’
Awright mih breddren, I can see that brought on an adrenaline rush! Please don’t lose it, but allow it to catapult you into your day, as you walk with Jesus ever and always behind, beside and before you. Oh glory to God friends that we have such a wonderful Saviour!
And why do we do what we do? Because we have such an impeccable, unbreakable, heartwarming trust in Him! We fully and rightfully believe what our Bit says: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
Only a fool, or one wholly committed to evil would deny the awesome truth of those statements, which were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, who is incapable of lying. That means there can be no doubt as to their wisdom. And if you don’t believe me, then let’s see if these scripture passages can change your mind. (smile)
First up are exceedingly wise words from Psalm 146 – The blessedness of trusting God. The psalmist unhesitatingly proclaims: ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not you trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:’ (Ps.146:2-6)
Oh friends, please study those very convincing words very carefully, (smile) for they contain the utmost truth. Now listen to the prophet Isaiah, who corroborates the psalmist by simply saying: ‘Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of (why should he be esteemed)? (Is.2:22)
And why should man really be esteemed eh, especially above God, when he has nothing infinite to offer. The day he stops breathing his flesh dies and returns to the earth and he is no longer a viable entity. Meanwhile Almighty God was there even before the beginning, and will still be there after the end! He has power and might, trust and faithfulness, grace, mercy, LOVE, forgiveness, etc. etc! So wouldn’t it be wiser to put our absolute trust in Him rather than man?
And all God’s faithful saints declared a loud and sure: ‘Obviously!’
And we’ll end with these pointed words from the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man (strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness; in a salt land and not inhabited.’ (Jer.17:5-6)
Oh my people, I can’t say any more than that. Those are the words of our God, and we chose NOT to believe them at our peril. Please remember that our God does not make idle promises, so whatever He says He truly means. And if you fall on His negative side through your own fault or disbelief, then, crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no better way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
14 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a godly mother, a mother's work is never done, a new creation, a wounded heart, about my Father's business, anger, anorexia, befriends, birth, calm my anguish, care, child of the Creator, cleanses, comfort, discomfort, empathize, exemplary, faitfullness, friend, Gethsemane, God is ever-faithful, God's awesome footsteps, heals, heartache, holy fellowship, in the lurch, languish, Love of Jesus, malice, Mary, Mary kept all these things, mercy, mollycoddled, Mother's Day, motherhood, my need to know, nurture, once a mother always a mother, pain, pangs of birth, peace, piercing cries, pondered them in her heart, praise and worship, refelction of Jesus, rigors of motherhood, sacrificial lips, saves, saviour, searching my soul, solace, sympathize, the highest calling, the mother of Jesus, the only one, the quiet hand, time of need, tough love, ungodly children, wayward
Luke 2:19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there! And this comes to you, regardless of whether you are a good, bad or indifferent mother. Just the fact that you went through all the rigors of motherhood; the nine months of bearing another child of the Creator’s in your womb and then suffering the excruciating pain, and pangs of birth, we celebrate you this fateful day.
Motherhood is possibly the highest calling in God’s great earth, for you are following in God’s awesome footsteps; giving birth to a new creation, and then in most cases following that up with care and nurture for the rest of your life.
And even if you didn’t personally go through the bodily discomfort of motherhood and felt those pains of giving birth, but you nourished and cared for one of God’s little ones, you are still considered a Mother! And as they say, once a mother, always a mother! There’s no getting away from it.
And on this Mother’s Day Sunday, I went searching for an appropriate hymn to open our praise and worship session, and this one, ‘Where can I turn for Peace?’ seems to be a fan favourite. Apparently it was written by Emma Lou Thayne (1924-1973), a Mormon Poet and English teacher at the University of Utah, as she watched her daughter go through the agonizing throes of anorexia.
Just like a mother eh! So let’s sincerely offer up these words of heartache, of solace and praise through sacrificial lips as we gather in holy fellowship this fateful Sunday morning.
In full voice now: ‘Where can I turn for peace? Where is my solace When other sources cease to make me whole? When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice, I draw myself apart, Searching my soul? Where, when my aching grows, Where, when I languish, Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish? Who, who can understand? He, only One. He answers privately, Reaches my reaching In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend. Gentle the peace He finds for my beseeching. Constant He is and kind, LOVE without end.’
Oh friends, what a touching cry of anguish and grief, but one which ends as it should; with the faithful LOVE of Jesus producing solace and comfort in our time of need. As the song so rightfully says, He is the ONLY ONE; the ONLY ONE who hears our piercing cries and answers them, in private to boot!
No doubt our terrible anguish of soul reminds Him of His own anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He beseeched the Father for mercy, so He can sympathize, and also empathize with our pain.
Oh my brethren, do we realize that Jesus is like a mother to us? He cares for, cleanses, heals, nurtures, comforts, befriends, and saves us; all the things our earthly mothers do. So in other words, a godly mother is a true reflection of Jesus!
That reminds me of my biological mother, Molly, and also my five adopted mothers, yes friends, I had six mothers, Glory to God! Unfortunately all of them have gone to be with the Lord now, but their memories will forever be a part of me, because their LOVING-kindness, in my times of need, made me the man I am today.
The Lord worked His wonders through those strong, beautiful women to bring me to where I needed to be. And believe me, none of them took any nonsense from me; they told me what I needed to hear or do, regardless of what I thought, and Molls, bless her soul, did put the strap to me when she thought it necessary.
So I wasn’t spoiled or mollycoddled because it was all TOUGH LOVE! Oh how I wish there was more tough LOVE in our world today! We wouldn’t have so many wayward and ungodly children. But I guess we’re just reaping what we’ve sown in the last generation.
That finally brings us to our Bit: ‘But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.’ It tells us about the foremost mother of our world, Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Can we ever imagine the life she experienced? I don’t think so. Her first child being miraculously conceived, being the Son of God, with so many people saying so many extraordinary things about Him. First of all, the angels telling the shepherds about His birth, His Messianic destiny, and they checking out the story and finding Him in the manger, then going and spread the news. Leaving poor Mary, possibly still a teenager, to sit and ponder all that was happening.
Then shortly thereafter, when they took Jesus to the synagogue to be presented, and heard the praises and marvellous things said about Him by Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38) Can you imagine how speechless and bewildered Mary must have been?
And then that time when Jesus was about twelve and they took Him to Jerusalem and lost Him on the journey back home to Nazareth, then three days later they found Him in serious conversation with the learned men in the temple. But when they questioned Him as to why He had abandoned them, ‘And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not (don’t you know) that I must be about my Father’s business?’ (Luke 2:49)
Hn! Yuh think I could have told my mother and father that around twelve years of age? Absolutely not! Most of us would have been checking our teeth to see if they were still all there. (smile)
‘And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.’ (Luke 2:50-51)
Ah friends, Mary’s motherhood wasn’t easy, but she stood up strong under it, knowing that the God who had chosen her to be the mother of His Son, was ever-faithful and would not fail her.
Likewise, all you mothers out there today, who might be finding motherhood somewhat difficult, please allow Mary to be you example, and believe too, that the Lord who had entrusted your children to you, will not leave you in the lurch, because His faithfulness is exemplary. Much LOVE!
…a mother’s work is never done…
19 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sacrifice of praise, adhered to my hands, any blot, atone, awesome, celebrations, cleft for me, count all my steps, death, deceit, downfall, exalt, eyes, faith, falsehood, fleeting breath, from thy wounded side, glorify, glory hallelujah, grace, gratefulness, guidance, helpless, if there be any wicked way in me, innocence, integrity, judgement, jump, know my heart, know my thoughts, labour of my hands, lead me in the way everlasting, let me hide my self in thee, loving, magnificent and magnanimous God, make me pure, mercy, my heart walked after my eyes, naked, passes all understanding, peace, praise, prayed for his friends, refill our souls with His Holy Spirit, rock of ages, sacrifice, save from wrath, saviour, search me O God, shout for joy, sin, soar, sovereign sway, sow, strengthen our faith, Sunday, tears forever flow, the double cure, the Good Book, the greatest, the Lamb that was slain, the Lord's Day, the water and the blood, throne, thy laws demands, to the cross I cling, to the fountain fly, trusted implicitly, try me, twice as much, undeserving grace, vanity, wash me, weigh in an even balance, worlds unknown, worship, zeal
Psalm 139:23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
It ‘s Sunday friends, what we consider the Lord’s Day! That means it’s time to get ready and join other believers in the sanctuary to praise and worship, glorify and exalt our magnificent and magnanimous God!
Wow! How excellent it is to have the chance every week to offer up our thanks and praise, our gratefulness for His awesome and undeserving grace and mercy, and have Him strengthen our faith and refill, renew our souls with His Holy Spirit, so that we have the wherewithal to face another trying but joy-filled week!
And to begin the celebrations, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise with our lips, through the singing of this old but wonderful hymn – Rock of Ages.
In full voice and sincerity of heart, let’s sing: ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labor of my hands, Can fulfill Thy law’s demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.’
Oh my precious people of God, there’s no better place to run for help and succour than to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He has already paid the exceedingly great price for our sins by His selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary! Glory to God! And by His stripes we are healed!
So if we don’t run to Him, and cling to Him, and find security and comfort, rest and LOVE with Him, then His most awesome sacrifice would have been a complete waste of time. Remember He offered up His Holy and precious life so that we could be saved from sin, be made righteous in the eyes of our heavenly father and receive eternal life.
Ah friends, every time I think about how great Jesus is, I just want to jump and shout for joy – Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory to the Lamb that was slain for us! He is indeed the Greatest!’
But let me curb my enthusiasm a tad and get to our Bit, (smile) otherwise I can take up all the time and space by just adding adoration upon adoration. That’s the kind of space I’m in right now. Not that that’s wrong, but it’s not our avowed purpose at the present time.
So hear these heartfelt words of Bruh David to his God. ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’
Yes my fellow believers, I’ve expanded the Bit today, because the first part just didn’t seem right without the second. For why are we asking the Lord to search our hearts, but to see if there’s anything wrong or wicked therein, and then to correct it through His LOVING and merciful guidance?
Now let’s put some flesh on the bones of our Bit with other scripture that corroborate it. Listen to Job, when he speaks to his supposed friends of his integrity. ‘Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity (falsehood), or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed (let him weigh me) in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.
If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved (any spot adheres) to mine hands: Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring (harvest) be rooted out (uprooted). (Job 31:4-8)
Ah friends, Job knew that he had not committed any great sin or sins, which had caused his sudden, dramatic downfall. Now a lot of us end up being blamed for things we haven’t done, and nothing we can say to our accusers will change their minds. But once we are sure of our innocence, let us take heart that our Lord, the righteous judge, will in His time recompense us for all that we’ve lost and suffered.
And Job is also a very good example of that, as the Good Book informs us. ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.’ (Job 42:10)
Please note a couple of things here though my people. The Lord restored Job’s wealth and family and friends, after he prayed for his friends. And as the scholars explain: ‘The point to be garnered from the book is not that God intends to deal with every servant as abundantly as He did with Job; rather that God holds sovereign and LOVING sway over every human life. Therefore, He can be trusted implicitly in all things (cf. Rom.8:28).’
Yes friends, if our God is as great and good as we claim, the Creator of the universe and all therein, then we have to acknowledge His sovereignty and trust Him to do the best on our behalf, otherwise our claims are spurious and useless.
Unfortunately time and space have run out, so until tomorrow, the Lord in favour, please sincerely ponder all that we’ve talked about. And may He bless and keep us safe, shine His regal presence upon us and give us His peace which passes all understanding. Much LOVE!
…if we can’t trust our Maker…then whom can we trust eh…
01 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advance God's kingdom, All Fool's Day, almighty god, another week of work, April Fool's day, be content, be diligent, Caleb, christianity, church leaders, cleave unto the Lord, covetousness, dilly-dally, do not be dismayed, dread noth, exodus, faith, fear not, fellowship, foothold, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's work, gospel, gospel truth, heartache, I will not fear, in a cloud by day, in fire by night, Joshua, keeper, Let your conversation, libertine actions, LOVE, Love the Lord, lustful, mercies, miracles, one man shall chase a thousand, pain, profligate, Promised Land, promises, reassuring thoughts, refreshed, renewed, repetition, rest, saviour, sorrow, stubborn minds, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Lord goes before thee, The Lord is my helper, the Lord will not fail thee, the Lord will not forsake thee, the weekend, trust, wander in the wilderness, witness, worldly pleasures
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well mih people, it’s Friday…
And my people tossed the ball back into my court thus: ‘Yes mih brother we know that. That is why we’ve been singing and praising and glorifying the Father by declaring ’TGIF! Thank God is Friday. The only better day than Friday is Sunday, the Lord’s Day. And we declare again: TGIF! Thank You Lord that it’s Friday, work is done for a couple days, and the long awaited weekend is finally here!’
Ah friends, I know how some of us desperately look forward to weekend, for whatever reason, but please note that we need to use it wisely, not only in profligate and libertine actions. (smile) And to improve our perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant.
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 my brethren, that is more like how we should use our weekends; to facilitate renewal of our walk with God, not run away from Him in lustful worldly pleasures. And I know that those pleasures may seem so wonderful at the start, but trust me, I’m talking from experience here, (smile) in the long run they only bring pain and sorrow and heartache.
And please remember that today is April 1st, All Fool’s or April Fool’s Day, so please be wary and don’t allow the wily devil and his evil associates to play any tricks on us. For you know they will use any occasion whatsoever to get a foothold in our lives.
Now here are a few words of inspiration from a Reggae song I heard last night by Ras Zacahrri, something called ‘Jah is my keeper. And the chorus goes thus: ‘Jah is my keeper; He will hear me when I call. Jah is my saviour, He will catch me when I fall.’
And isn’t that the God awesome truth my fellow believers in Christ! Almighty God is indeed our keeper and will hear us when we call. He is also our Saviour amongst many other things, and will certainly catch us when we fall. So this Friday morning, please let’s plant those reassuring thoughts deep in our souls to help us face the day with faith and trust as we go about God’s work.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh friends, the amount of times Israel’s leaders said these words to them, and yet they did not listen. And unfortunately the same thing is happening today; the leaders of our churches are crying out this ever-faithful promise to us, but we are also ignoring it. I don’t know how to get it through our thick and stubborn minds, except possibly by repetition. So let’s look at a few of the times it was said to the Israelites.
Listen to Moses as he reflects on the time when they sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and only Joshua and Caleb voted to go in and take it over. ‘Then said I unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bear (carried) thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you the way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.’ (Deut.1:29-33)
Yeh mih people, can you believe it? After all the miracles and mercies the Lord showed the Israelites in their Exodus out of Egypt, when they came to the Promised Land they were sore afraid to go in and fight for it. Steups! That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died.
Now hear Joshua, as he encourages the people to refrain from mixing with the remnants of the nations God had destroyed to give them the Promised Land. ‘But cleave (cling, hold fast) unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
For the Lord hath driven out from before you (dispossessed) great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before (against) you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed (be diligent) therefore unto yourselves, that ye LOVE the Lord your God.’ (Josh.23:8-11)
Oh my people, that promise stands ever so true even to this very day! But like the hard-hearted, stubborn and fearful Israelites, we too refuse to take the message to heart, and simply dilly-dally on the outskirts of true Christianity.
Consequently friends, because we don’t stand as strong as we should on God’s irrevocable and faithful promises, our lives don’t amount to as much as they should. And therefore too, our witness is not as forthright and palpable as it ought to be.
So the long and short of the story is that Christianity is not as strong and powerful as it should be. What a sad reckoning!
And we’ll close with these words from Hebrews, where Bruh Paul talks about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb.13:5-6)
And there we have it friends, the living truth of the gospel! Please, I implore us, let’s take it boldly and use it wisely to advance God’s kingdom as our bounden duty calls us to do! For that’s wisdom that cannot be bought or had anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God can only be truly attained…when the trust in God is truly overwhelming…
16 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a solitary note, Advocate, appreciation, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, bicker, breathtaking knowledge, brother, chimes, Christian, complain, declarations, defer not to pay, difference, diligent, dissipation, enthusiasm, eternity, excess, exhort, faithfulness, friend, get on track, give ear, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God has no pleasure in fools, God's work, grateful, hear, heaven, hymns, I am halfway home, I will sing praise, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in God's sight, in the fear of God, instruct, It's Good, Jesus, life symphony, life-giving love, LOVE, magnify, mercies, Messiah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, o ye kings, o ye princes, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise the name of god, psalms, responsibility, Ruth Harms Calkin, saviour, serve, sing praise to the Lord God of Israel, sing praises to God, spiritual songs, steadfast, thankful, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the obits, to all generations, to be loved by God, tremulous heart, truth, unsettled questions, used for good, vow unto God, walk like the children of God, Wednesday Wail, with my mouth, worship Christ
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Oh my people, another beautiful day has dawned on God’s great earth, and along with it our responsibility to walk like the children of God that we are! Glory Hallelujah!
And our God is so great that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work. Glory to God!
So let’s not bicker and complain this glorious Wednesday morn. Instead, let’s raise our voices and wail our Wednesday Wail with joyful enthusiasm and grateful appreciation.
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!’
Yes precious people, that’s what we ought to be doing and feeling; be grateful that we’re still alive, for a lot of others names are in the obits today, but not ours. For that we ought to be rather thankful.
Then we have to be serious about doing God’s work; being diligent and steadfast about it, while believing and looking forward to a wonderful future with Jesus, both down here on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity.
And all Jesus’ followers declared loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Thank You Lord for giving us Jesus as our Messiah, Advocate, Saviour, Brother and Friend! We faithfully promise to do His work, serve, worship and LOVE Him for evermore! Amen.’
Now please remember what Cousin Sol says about promises in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Yes friends, that puts us on the spot, for we have just promised to serve and worship Jesus Christ for ever. So please, let’s not break that vow, let’s keep paying it each and every day, so that we don’t end up as fools in God’s sight.
And today I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘It’s Good.’
Please pray with me. ‘God, it’s good to be LOVED by You! The breathtaking knowledge Of Your life-giving LOVE Rings chimes in my tremulous heart. It fashions eternal declarations Out of unsettled questions. It creates a majestic life symphony from a solitary note. God, it’s good to be LOVED by You!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my brethren! It’s so wonderful to be LOVED by a God as powerful and merciful and forgiving and understanding as ours! Give Him the thanks and praise He rightfully deserves my people!
And the biblical promise for that prayer comes from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. Ethan the Ezrahite opens it thus: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1)
And does that ever fit right in with our Bit, our continuing desire to sing praises to our great God. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t think that we do that as much as we should. We don’t seem to have time, or make time to do as Bruh Paul directed the Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to conduct our lives as true believing Christians! Unfortunately though, not enough of us are doing it to the extent that we should, and that’s why we are not making as powerful a difference in this evil world as we should.
And we’ll close today with some valuable info from the scholars on those verses. ‘5:19-21. There are four results of being Spirit filled (v.18): (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other;
(2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good;
(4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’
And there we have it my brethren; the way we ought to conduct ourselves as true believers in Christ. I therefore implore us, starting today, right now, to get on track and give thanks and sing praises to our wonderful God, the way we ought to, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…I will praise the name of God with a song…and will magnify him with thanksgiving… (Ps.69:30)
20 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sinful nature, all bets off the table, an integral part of our lives, as for me and mine, brother, do the work of Jesus, dreary winter mornings, eternal death, everlasting life, evil deeds, follow Jesus, for God so loved the world, friend, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God in His wisdom, Hades, halfway home, hands fixed on the plough, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, he that believes is not condemned, he that does not believe is condemned, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, light, Lord, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Lucifer, men loved darkness, momentous decision, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not looking back at the past, not turning back, one of those days, provider, rebellious nature, Redeemer, rest, saviour, should not perish, spending time, strong and steadfast, the breath of life, the good shepherd, the individual's responsibility, the light is come into the world, the only begotten Son of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, to condemn the world, to save the world, truth, uplift the spirits, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, whosoever believeth on Jesus, wrought in God
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Oh Friends, oh friends, it’s just one of those days! Hn! I got up at a much earlier hour, but found that it was too early, so I went back to bed. Unfortunately, it was two hours later that I finally arose. I guess the body was crying out for more rest, and the Lord in His wisdom obliged. At least that’s my take on the subject. (smile)
And even though it was minutes to nine when I got up, outside still looked damp and bleak, no sunshine or nothing to uplift the spirits. What a good thing it is that we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the bright sunshine of our spiritual lives to look forward to yes! Otherwise facing these cold and dreary winter mornings and days would be even harder to bear.
And all God’s people said a thankful ‘Glory to God!’
Yes my people He definitely deserves all the honour and glory! So let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with much sincerity, enthusiasm and gratitude nuh.
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!’
Ah mih breddren, how good it is to be alive, despite the gloomy weather and all the other negatives in our lives! And is it ever so wonderful that we can look forward to a glorious future with our Friend, Brother, Lord, Saviour, Provider and Redeemer Jesus Christ! What a magnificent Being He is, playing so many different parts in our lives!
But please remember that we have to do our part too to make that wonderful future come true; we have to stay strong and steadfast, with our hands fixed securely on the plough, looking straight ahead, not backward, so that we can plough straight furrows, and thus do the work that Jesus desires of us.
And here is the most wonderful news of all, as stated by our Bit: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
What a blessed day that was my people! And it’s so sad that so many people don’t know about Him, or His purpose for coming. And even sadder, that so many who do know about Jesus, don’t seriously consider Him or make Him an integral part of their lives.
That’s not wisdom at all friends, especially when this is what God’s plan and purpose states. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17)
Oh what a most remarkable plan and purpose my brethren! But are we making use of that wonderful opportunity so graciously and mercifully laid out for us? No! Definitely not as much as we ought to!
And why not eh? Possibly because of our natural rebellious and sinful nature, plus the hold that the lust for the things of the world has on us.
And it’s such an easy method to accept Christ. The Good Book tells us: ‘He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:18)
And the scholars have an interesting take on this verse. ‘3:18. This verse answers the question, “Why do people go to hell?” It is because they do not believe in Jesus.’
Ah mih people, it’s so simple, plain and straightforward; believe in Jesus and you’ll be saved, spend eternity with Him. The other side of the coin is if you don’t believe, you’ll die an eternal death, spending time with Lucifer in Hades.
Now which is the better choice eh? From all I’ve seen, read and heard, the first option appears to be the much better one, and that is why like Joshua, I’m proud to say, that as for me and mine, we will serve the Lord God Jehovah! Glory Hallelujah my people!
There is absolutely no better purpose on this great earth that our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God has created! All I can do though is present the facts as they are, each individual then has the responsibility as to whom or what they will follow.
But please, please don’t wait too long to make that momentous decision, because Jesus has promised to come back at some time, any time in the future, and when He does, all bets will be off the table.
So please grab a whole of Him and His purpose as soon as possible, preferably RIGHT NOW, since one never knows, He can even return today or tomorrow.
And we’ll end with these self-explanatory verses from the Bible. ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21)
Oh friends, I implore us to seriously and sincerely ponder those verses and make the wise decision to follow Jesus TODAY!
Much LOVE!…I will follow Jesus…wherever He may lead…for He is indeed the Good Shepherd…
26 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: come to destroy, come to save, condemn, condemnation, discipline, don't let go, everlasting life, fire and brimstone, fit for the kingdom of god, for God so loved the world, guidel leader, halfway home, hold on, in need of help, it's darkest just before the dawn, Jesus Christ, Jews, loggerheads, Lord, Lot's wife, Luke, no man that looks back, only begotten Son, pillar of salt, put your best foot forward, put your nose to the gridnstone, putting their hand to the plough, rash judgements, rejection, retaliation, salvation, Samaritans, saviour, seek and save that which is lost, self-control, shake off the very dust from your feet, Sodom, son of Abraham, stick-to-itive-ness, testimony, the praise of God, the praise of men, the Son of man, turn to Jesus, Zaccheus
Luke 9:56. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Aye Friends, it’s Wednesday morning! That means we’re halfway home to two big days of freedom! And this is the most important part of the week, the time when we need to show strong discipline and self-control, or as the old folks would say, ‘stick-to-itive-ness.’ (smile) That’s hanging in there, not giving up, even though it’s so easy to let go and quit.
This is the time when it often seems so dark and dreary and impossible. But as we all know, it’s darkest just before the dawn, just before daylight, before the sun appears over the horizon. It’s only a couple more days to freedom my brethren, so please hold on and don’t let go, don’t dare to look back and sigh and wonder what if.
Remember what happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back as they were fleeing the fire and brimstone that was engulfing Sodom? Despite warnings, she looked back and immediately turned into a pillar of salt. (Gen.19:26)
Remember too, Jesus’ words to the man who wanted to go and bid his family farewell before following Him. ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:62)
Yes Friends, no one who gives things of little importance higher priority than God’s work is of much use to Him. So just hang on in there this Wednesday morning, put your best foot forward, your nose to the grindstone and move forward with Jesus ever by your side, as Guide and Leader, Lord and Saviour.
This brings us to some fateful words of Jesus, including our Bit. ‘But he turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.’ (Luke 9:55-56)
This happened when Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to fulfill His purpose in coming to earth. He sent some messengers into a Samaritan village to make ready, to make preparations for the large group that was travelling with Him.
As befitted His status, Jesus had a fairly large entourage by the standards of those days. However, they weren’t well received in that village because it looked like they were only being used as a stop-gap measure, as Jerusalem seemed to be their final destination. (Luke 9:52-53)
And since the Jews and Samaritans were always at loggerheads, it’s only logical to expect the latter not to welcome or favourably receive those bound for Jerusalem.
And it’s certainly amazing to hear the disciples’ response to their lack of welcome. ‘And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elijah did?’ (Luke 9:54) James and John were certainly hot to trot!
And as the scholars tell us: ‘9:54. See 2 Kings 1:10-12 (for Elijah’s story). Peter is not the only disciple to make rash judgements. Retaliation in the face of rejection goes far beyond Jesus’ order in 9:5.’
And Luke 9:5 says: ‘And whosoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.’ And it’s useful to note here that Jesus meant rejection by whole cities, not merely isolated individuals.
Anyway, that’s when Jesus spoke the words of our Bit to the disciples. And several times during His earthly ministry He made that point; that He had come to save, not to destroy. Let’s look at a few of them.
The first one is when He had lunch with Zaccheus, the chief tax collector. And when Zaccheus pledged to refund his ill-gotten gains, (Luke 19:8) Jesus said to him. ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
There again my people, Jesus emphasizes His purpose as to seek and save the lost, not to destroy.
Then in John 3, Jesus delivers these beautiful, encouraging and uplifting words. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
And again Friends, Jesus places more emphasis on saving rather than condemnation.
And our final words from Jesus on the subject, takes place when some of the Jewish rulers believed in Him, but were afraid of making their feelings public because they feared the wrath of the Pharisees, of being kicked out of the synagogue. As the Good Book says: ‘For they LOVED the praise of men more than the praise of God.’ (John 12:43)
And that’s still ever so true of too many of us today my people! We prefer to offend God, rather than man.
Anyway, as part of Jesus reaction to those people, He said, ‘And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.’ (John 12:47-48)
Yes my brethren, our Lord and Saviour is not a destroyer like Lucifer, but a saviour as His title aptly proclaims.
So please let’s stop being afraid, stop being anxious and guilt stricken when we make mistakes, or come up less than we should, because that’s the kind of people Jesus came to save, not the perfect ones, but the sick and suffering, the lost and abandoned, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. Much LOVE!
…in need of help…then turn to the one who specializes in helping…Jesus Christ…
13 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appreciation, aura of love, be not far from me, blessed land, blessings, bounden duty, confidence, courage, diligently, do good, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, evil cohorts, faithfully, feed the fire that's burning for Jesus, fight the good fight, for there is none to help, for trouble is near, friends, from sea to shining sea, further God's glorious kingdom, generous, glory, grace, Granny's advice, guidance, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep, help, holy spirit, honour, humble servants, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, Jesus Christ, joyful celebration, keeping lives and families together, lies, Lord God of Abraham, Lord God of Abrahm Isaac and Jacob, LOVE, Lucifer, magnanimous god, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my help comes from the Lord, omnipotent, Praise the Lord, prosperity, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, saviour, serving, sincere thanks, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, taunte, thanks and praise, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord is thy keeper, true wisdom, trust, trust in the Lord, trustworthy source of help, truth, undying gratitude, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, worshipping
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
Well a Happy Thanksgiving Monday to all Canada! May we rejoice in the blessings of our omnipotent and magnanimous God, and celebrate this joyful day with much thanks and praise, seeing that He has been so generous to us over this past year!
Yes Friends, we are living in a very blessed land, and to continue to do so, we need to continue faithfully worshipping and diligently serving the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because it is He who provides the opportunities for our prosperity. Without His help and guidance, we are nothing! Let’s never forget that.
So today, let’s join together in joyful celebration, all over this glorious land, from sea to shining sea, raising our sincere thanks and undying gratitude to heaven, so that the Father can hear and see our true appreciation of all His mercy, grace and LOVE!
And my brethren, please remember the many in our society who don’t have as much as we do, and as the Good Book says: ‘send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.8:10)
Yes Friends, we need to remember those who don’t have, as well as those who have to go out and labour today, while we celebrate. That means they need the help of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to boost their confidence and courage, before they face the evil world that’s lying in wait for them.
Therefore, as one voice, let’s belt it out in sweet harmony and awesome power. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh Friends, that was a most beautiful rendition! However, I strongly suspect that the loudest and most harmonious voices belonged to those who don’t have to go to work today. (smile) And I really can’t give you wrong for being so elated. But please, please remember Granny’s sage advice: ‘Sonny boy… drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’
And that’s no joke my people, because it’s when we are celebrating that we are the most susceptible to the wiles and leis of Lucifer and his evil cohorts. And for those of you who have to go out and labour; may the Lord strengthen your spirits, raise up all that you need to fight the good fight in His Holy Name!
Now let’s turn to our Bit, for this last time in the series of messages on HELP. ‘Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’
And for the last few days we’ve been coming up with scripture passages which proclaim that the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY truly trustworthy source of HELP in this universe, for man’s help is often unreliable and deceitful. And we’re going to try and keep it short this morning … and a whole lot of ‘Thank You Lord!’ went flying up to heaven. (smile)
Oh Friends, it’s not that I like being long-winded, it just happens that way. There’s usually so much to write and when the passion grips me, I just can’t help myself! Anyway, as I was saying we’re going to keep it short by simply quoting Psalm 121 – God’s sustaining power, since it’s very appropriate.
Listen to these comforting and encouraging words of the psalmist: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hill (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more.’ (Ps.122:1-8)
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Yes my people, those are words of undisputable truth! So I implore us, that whatever we do today, to allow them to feed the fire that’s burning for Jesus in our souls, that we might further His oh so necessary LOVE Revolution, and bring even greater glory and honour to our heavenly Father, for that is our bounden duty, as well as true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…trust in the Lord and do good…so shalt thou dwell in the land…and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness)… (Ps.37:3)
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