06 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all is not lost, almighty god, an intense longing for god, anxiety, baby-sitting, believers in Jesus Christ, but god is the strength of my heart, challenge, Christ-like, complaining, confusion, conveniences, economic outlook, forgiveness, grace, grocery shopping, hallmark of a true believer, housework, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jeremiah, Lamentations, lord of hosts, LOVE, low wages, mercy, modern inventions, my flesh and my heart faileth, my portion forever, my soul thirsteth for god, not being afraid, on a challenge, pain, part-time jobs, recreation time, relaxation, rest, Saturday, Selah, sins, soul strengthening, step up to the plate, stress, stressful, tension, the courts of the Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the living God, the Lord is my portion, the Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb, the things of the world, therefore will I hope in him, thriving, to hunger and thirst for God, traffic jams, uplifting, whining, winning and losing, wisdom, worry
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.
And then it was Saturday; hopefully a day of rest and relaxation after a long week of commuting and traffic jams, morning and evening. Hn! But unfortunately, for a lot of us, it is a time to catch up on the housework and grocery shopping that we could not do during the week.
Ah Lord eh! Whoever talked about the lots of recreation time we would have with all the modern inventions and conveniences were sadly wrong, because this modern world is far busier, more intense and stressful that that of our parents. Now they didn’t have the conveniences that we have, but neither did they have to rush around and do all the stuff that we need to do today.
With most mothers working today, baby-sitting has become a major part of the problem, and it still takes time to load and unload the dishwasher, the clothes washer and dryer and clean the house. Then the current economic outlook is not the greatest, and consequently many people are losing their jobs, which creates even more stress and confusion.
Not only that, but the relatively few jobs that are available are mostly part-time, or contractual, with low wages and little or no security. And to make matters worse, the prices of everything, including rent and other accommodation keep going up, while wages are not keeping in step. So we are constantly falling behind in our buying power. No wonder the anxiety, worry, tension and stress in this most advanced and modern society.
What a mess we have made of God’s wonderful world my people! But all is not yet lost Friends. As believers in Jesus Christ we always have hope. As Jeremiah says in his Lamentations: ‘The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.’ (Lam.3:24)
That brings me to an interesting point of view I recently received from my good buddy Anselm, who is always trying to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And he says: ‘To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It’s about embracing the pain that you’ll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenge.’
And there is a lot of truth in that point of view, especially in these trying times when the world isn’t looking so rosy. And remember too Friends, that is how our Lord and Saviour Jesus operated: He worked hard every day, thriving on the challenge of getting others to believe that He was the promised Messiah.
And though the going was often pretty rough, He wasn’t afraid, and never shirked from the challenge that the Father gave Him; to be the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world. That means if we want to be Christ-like, to be transformed into His image, then we too need to step up to the plate and do whatever God has planned for us, without too much whining and complaining.
And we have a wonderful Bit today that encourages us, that gives us the belly and backbone, the manly parts to stand strong and face the challenges of this earthly life. The Psalmist Asaph said it in no uncertain terms. ‘My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion forever.’
Oh what an uplifting and soul strengthening declaration that is my brethren! It’s also gospel truth, so it’s therefore something all believers should willingly and excitingly embrace. Ah mih people, we do need lots of gumption and strength to live in this current fallen world, and there’s no better place or way to get that than from Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.
And we’ll look at a few scriptures which echo the sentiments of our Bit. Let’s begin with Psalm 84, from the sons of Korah. They enthusiastically declare: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God… Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee. Selah.’ (Ps.84:1-2,4)
Oh Friends, is our flesh crying out for the living God? It ought to be, but I have a sad feeling that our flesh is crying out more for the things of the world which moth and rust can destroy. (smile)
Now listen to Bruh David’s take on the subject from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps.42:1-2)
Yes my people, the souls of believers ought to be seriously thirsting after Almighty God, who created us and still provides for us, each and every day! And please note that all the psalmists agree that our God is a LIVING GOD, not lifeless objects like other supposed deities.
And all God’s children joyfully and gratefully shouted out: ‘All praise, thanks and glory be to the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is the source of all our strength and our fountain of life!’ Words of wisdom and absolute truth my brethren!
And we shall end with the two verses after our Bit. ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed them all that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee). But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73: 27-28)
Ah Friends, what a wonderful way to end today’s Bit! So please go in the peace, LOVE, wisdom, grace, mercy and forgiveness of our omnipotent Living God! Much LOVE!
…to long for…to hunger and thirst for Almighty God…is the hallmark of a true believer…
12 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a lost art, a very present help in trouble, action, almighty god, arrogance, be not conformed to this world, be transformed, broken dreams, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, by the renewing of your mind, calm to my soul, Christians, communed with nature, communication with nature, current society, embellishments, ever-busy, evidence, exhortations, eye candy, followers of Jesus, foolish pride, foundation, friends, glory, God commanded, God is our refuge and strength, God's handiwork, God's supremacy, Gramps Schuller, happy, Hour of Power Devotional, humming on all cylinders, ifs ands and buts, impatient society, in the sight of nations, in the world, judgements, lack of admiration, let go and let God, LOVE, Moses, my Friend, my refuge is in God, now for now, obedience, of the world, peaceful, pour out your heart, prideful, prosperity, quiet of the night hours, return to worshipping Jehovah God, righteous, sage words, salvation, satisfied, Selah, serene, serenity, sinful, sinful nature, source of refuge, statutes, take to heart, the Creator of the universe, The Israelites, the Lord God of, the Promised Land, the rock of Christ, the rock of my strength, the things of God, the things of the world, the trees dance a slow waltz, the wicked ways of the world, times of need, to the music of the wind, true believers, trust in god at all times, truth, turn back, under the weather, understanding, warning, will of God, wisdom, wise, you never did let go
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, it’s one of those days when the ole fella is a tad under the weather. Nothing to really talk about, but just not humming on all cylinders yet. (smile)
But you know what, last night, or this morning, if you prefer, for the first time this year, I sat out on my porch around 1.30 and communed with nature and my Maker.
Oh Friends, it was so serene and peaceful that I didn’t want to come inside and go to bed. (smile) Just feeling the cool breeze wash over me in the quiet of the night hours, after the rain had washed everything clean, and watching the trees dance a slow waltz to the music of the wind… Ah, it brought such peace and calm to my soul!
You know, I believe one of our big problems in this current society is a lack of admiration and communication with nature in its natural state. Just sitting and admiring God’s handiwork seems to be a lost art these days.
We’re too busy to just sit and enjoy and admire the things God made for us to just sit and admire and get His peace and serenity in our souls. What a waste that is my people!
But here is a poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power devotional, which I shared last year, and feel the need to share again this year, that addresses that problem; our basic busyness and impatience. It’s titled: ‘Let Go and Let God.’
And it says: ‘As children bring their toys with tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God, because He was my Friend. But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.
At last I snatched them back and cried, “How can You be so slow?” “My child,” He said, “what could I do? You never did let go.”
And that, my people, is exactly how we operate with God. We come to Him in prayer, but then don’t give Him the chance to do it in His own time and pace, because we are programmed by this ever-busy, impatient society, to want things now for now.
But that’s not how our God works, my brethren. And until we realize that, and give Him the time and space to work on our problems, we’ll never be happy or satisfied with Him.
Please remember though, the wise and sage words of our Bit. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in time of trouble.’
Yes Friends, Almighty God, the Creator of the universe and all therein is our source of refuge and strength in times of need! It seems only logical to seek the help and advice of the One who created us, and all else that there is!
But we, through foolish pride and sinful arrogance simply refuse to bow to God’s supremacy, instead choosing the evil and wicked ways of the world to base our lives upon. Friends, the Bible calls that a fool’s wisdom.
Please remember Moses’ exhortation to obedience to the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land: ‘Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgements, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
For what nation is there so great, who hath (a) God so nigh (near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgements so righteous as all this law, which I have set before you this day?’ (Deut.4:5-8)
Yes my people, great nations follow the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That is how they become great. But once they get too big for their britches, and start moving away from God, then a time of hardship and decline is ushered in, because of their folly.
You see it in the history of the Israelites and many other powerful nations of the world, and of course in our current society, where we became great because our society was built on the foundation of the rock of Christ.
But as all the others, once we got powerful, we foolishly thought that it was our strength that got us there, and now we’re trying move God out, and our problems are quickly multiplying, while our prosperity is declining with each new day.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, unless we turn back to sincerely worshipping and serving the Most High God Jehovah, our society will end up in ruins. There are no ifs, ands and buts about that! So please, let’s wake up and be wise nuh.
Let’s accept the truth of Bruh David’s words from Psalm 62. ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:7-8)
Oh my people, that is such obvious truth, that I can’t understand how we don’t see it, especially with all the supporting evidence to prove it. But I guess that stems from our natural prideful and sinful nature, in conjunction with all the embellishments and eye-candy that’s constantly been bombarded on us by the evil society in which we live.
However Friends, as true believers in, and sincere followers of Jesus, we’re not supposed to embrace the things of the world, but the things of God.
And we’ll end with this most appropriate warning from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Words of absolute wisdom my brethren! Please, I implore us to take them to heart, and put them into serious action, if we desire our society to be prosperous and powerful. Much LOVE!
…Christians should be IN the world…but not OF it…
07 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dinner of herbs, almighty god, beloved, Burt Bacharach, but for everyone, Christians, Cousin Sol, Deuteronomy 6:5, Dionne Warwick, disastrous state, down on its knees, earthly pilgrimage, esteem, everyone that loveth, faltering, fatted calf, fellow believers, fighting for its very life, friends, godly emotion, gospel truth, hang all the law, hatred, hatred stirs up strife, holocaust, in Jesus' name, instinctively, is born of god, it's the only thing there's just too little of, Jackie DeShannon, knoweth god, LOVE, Love covers all sins, Love does no harm, LOVE is of God, love is the fulfilling of the law, LOVE one another, Love thy neighbour as thyself, love worketh no ill to his neighbour, necessary, negative things, negativity, not just for osme, on the brink of destruction, our world, prayer, raise the level of love, relevant, resentment, respect, sadly lacking, Selah, selfishness, strife-riddled, teach us to love, testimony, the first and great commandment, the Holy Spirit, the power of the Spirit, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, turn things around, vengeance, walking in LOVE, we confess, we do not always respond, what a crying shame, what the world needs now is love sweet love, wild animals, with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, witness
Matthew 22:37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Aye Friends, the word for this terrific looking Thursday morning is LOVE! Selah.
Yes my people, please thing about that marvellous word for a few moments nuh…
And when you do, you’ll quickly realize that our world is surely and sadly lacking in that wonderful, godly emotion termed LOVE! And because of that sad and severe lack, our world is faltering on the brink of destruction; it’s down on its knees, fighting for its very life.
Oh Friends and neighbours, our world is definitely enveloped in too much negativity. That’s why I’ve brought this simple prayer on the subject from the back pages of my departed mother’s Bible to share with us. I’ve shared it before, but like so many other things in our lives, apparently it needs sharing again.
Please pray with me: ‘Father, we confess that we do not always respond to your LOVE as we should. By the power of your Spirit living in us, teach us to LOVE you as we ought. In Jesus name. Amen.’
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the basis of that prayer is ever so true! We, and I’m talking about supposed Christians here, don’t LOVE the Lord our God, and therefore ourselves and others, as we should. And you just have to look at the way a lot of us behave, spewing hatred, vengeance, resentment, selfishness, etc. etc; all the negative things that the world now favours.
Oh my brethren, in light of all that negativity, we do badly need the Holy Spirit to come amongst us and raise the level of LOVE in our souls, both for God and ourselves. For if we don’t have a high level of LOVE, respect and esteem for God and ourselves, then we’re much worse than the wild animals of the earth, who do have no thinking powers, and thus simply do things instinctively.
What a crying shame my people! It’s obvious that we’re not paying sufficient, if any heed, to Jesus’ reiteration of Deuteronomy 6:5, which constitutes our Bit for today. ‘ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’
Yes Friends: ‘This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt.22:37-40)
Oh my Christian brethren, that’s gospel truth, because Jesus spoke it!. But we are obviously not doing it to the best of our ability, otherwise our world would not be in such a disastrous state. For as Cousin Sol tells us in Proverbs 10: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth all sins.’ (Prov.10:12)
That simply means Friends, that if there was more LOVE in our world, there would not be as much strife. And believe me, I don’t know if at any other time in man’s history, that the world has been strife-riddled and ridden as it currently is.
And Cousin Sol holds LOVE in such high esteem, that later on he declares: ‘Better is a dinner of herbs (vegetables) where LOVE is, than a stalled ox (fatted calf) and hatred therewith.’ (Prov.15:17)
And Bruh Paul chimes in with his two cents worth to the Romans about walking in LOVE. ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour; therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’(Roms. 13:10)
Yes Friends, if we walk in LOVE, as Bruh Paul advises, then we will fulfill the two great commandments as laid down by Jesus. And that fact alone would change the entire look and demeanour of our world. Oh my people, what a glorious place our world would be if we would just choose to actively live and walk in LOVE!
Oh Friends, oh Friends, we are so lacking in true LOVE, that I thought I’d refresh our memory with this most appropriate song, with lyrics by the renowned composer and lyricist, Burt Bacharach. Please listen to it my people, hear it in our mind’s eye being sung by somebody like Jackie DeShannon or Dionne Warwick, or whoever you want, and let it refresh our hearts, souls and minds.
‘What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE, No, not just for some, but for everyone. Lord, we don’t need another mountain, There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb. There are oceans and rivers enough to cross, Enough to last, till the end of time.
What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE, No, not just for some, but for everyone. Lord, we don’t need another meadow, There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow. There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine.
O listen, Lord, if you want to know. What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE, No, not just for some, but for everyone. No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone.’
Ah Friends, if that doesn’t touch a sad note in our souls, then we’re not true Christians. It was written some fifty odd years ago, and has been recorded by numerous artists, and gotten oodles of airplay, but unfortunately it’s just as relevant and necessary today, as it was back then, possibly even more so now, with our world fast heading to some type of serious, irreversible holocaust, if we don’t turn things around very very soon.
So my fellow believers, let’s allow that song to seep into our consciousness, sub-consciousness nuh, or wherever it will bear the best witness and testimony for Almighty God, as we go out to do His bidding today, and every single day of our earthly pilgrimage. That’s wisdom at its highest and its best. Much LOVE!
…beloved…let us LOVE one another…for LOVE is of God…and everyone that LOVETH…is born of God…and knoweth God… (1 John 4:7)
31 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new life, a house divided cannot stand, a natural way of life, abominable transgressions, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, all is well, atonement, be led by the Spirit, best rememdy for whatever ails us, blaspheme against god, blasphemy, brand new creation in Christ, chilly Tuesday morning, chronic illness, come to the throne of grace, confession of our sins, convict of sin, covered all sin, cut him some slack, despising, doddering, due diligence, Ed Howes, Edgar Watson Howe, empathizes, encouraging, enlightening, filled with the Spirit, forgiven, forgiveness, fulfill God's plan for my life, glory to God, God does not lie, God faithfully keeps all of His promises, God is in control, God is something else, God's promised never to leave nor forsake us, gospel truth, grace, grieving, guilty, have a heart, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad, he that is not with me is against me, Holy Ghost, holy spirit, Holy Week, homework, if we confess our sins, illuminated, iniquity, inwardly digesting, Jesus Christ, laugh at trouble, laughter, lead in, living, loving, lying, mercy, miracles, mired in the quicksand that's life, new values, new ways of thinking, pondering, Praise the Lord, preamble, putting christ first, quenching, reading, rejection of Christ, repent, resisting, restore fellowship with God, sacrificing His Son Jesus, salvation, Selah, serious study, serving God, show a li'l love, sin, sins against the Holy Spirit, slow, striving, tempting, the heart of man, the Holy Spirit, the Lord will keep me going, the Lord's Word, the offer of salvation, the Son of man, the ultimate sin, the wisdom of heaven, times of trouble, to act presumptuously, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, transgressions, unpardonable sin, vexing, winter years
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ah Friends, the ole fella is somewhat slow and doddering this chilly Tuesday morning in Holy Week. So please cut him some slack, have a heart, show him a li’l LOVE nuh. (smile) But the caffeine is hot and strong and sweet, and our great God is still in control, which means that all is well. Praise the Lord!
And when I say that our God is something else it’s true, for He just provided me with a lead in to what I want to preamble about today; laughter; laughter in times of trouble. I was just outside putting out the garbage and chuckling at my slow doddering steps. Hn, Hn!
Ah mih people, it’s not easy, but please remember that our GOD IS GOOD; He will provide for us in each and every circumstance. He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us, and He faithfully keeps all of His promises.
Now listen to this quote attributed to Ed Howe, and though I found several Ed Howes in my research, I do believe the one we’re looking for is Edgar Watson Howe (1853-1937), an American novelist, magazine and newspaper editor. Howe is quoted as saying ‘That if you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you grow old.’
Ah mih breddren, that is so true that it’s not funny. If we don’t learn to laugh at some of our problems, especially when we encounter a chronic illness, we will be continually miserable and have nothing to laugh at in our winter years.
Thankfully, I learned that truth at a fairly early age, possibly because of the early onset of some back and knee problems, and over the years have developed that attitude. So when the aches and pains set in, though they can be very trying, I still manage to chuckle at them, while asking the Lord what’s next?
I don’t usually get an answer, but I know that He empathizes with my condition, and He is definitely the One who has kept me going all these years, and will keep me going for as long as it takes to fulfill His plan for my life. Glory to God!
So my brethren, I’d advise us to develop that attribute of laughter, for it’s often the best remedy for whatever ails us, and it’s certainly free and readily available at all times.
Now here’s another remedy that’s also readily available, this time for our biggest problems, our sins. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Wow! What a promise my people! And it’s the gospel truth, since our God does not lie, and has put the necessary systems in motion by sacrificing His Son Jesus as atonement for our abominable transgressions.
What more can we ask eh? Nothing really my fellow believers! Everything’s set in place, we just have to come to the throne of grace and ask for mercy and forgiveness and it will be granted. But foolishly, too many of us refuse to do that, that’s why we’re still tied up, mired in the quicksand that’s life.
Oh Friends, the only way out of that mire is by accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of your life, both physically and spiritually. With that acceptance comes a brand new life, you’re become a new creation in Christ; (2 Cor.5:17; Gal.6:15) with new values, new ways of thinking, accomplished by putting Christ first and foremost in all your doings.
Anyway, I want to close off these messages on the confession of our sins with a dramatic rendering of Jesus on the subject. This occurs when He talks about a house divided cannot stand.
‘He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world (age), neither in the world to come.’ (Matt.12:30-32)
Oh Friends, strong words indeed from our Saviour!
And we’ll let the scholars explain that for us. ‘12:31-38. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is deliberate rejection of Christ, His Spirit wrought miracles and His salvation. It is the ultimate sin that by its very nature puts a man beyond the opportunity of salvation.
The Holy Spirit brings the offer of salvation to the heart of man. To reject Him is to act “presumptuously” and thus to “blaspheme” God. Those who reject His offer of salvation are in reality blaspheming the very nature of God Himself and the genuineness of His grace.’
Heavy stuff Friends!
And the scholars continue further with some basic Sins against the Holy Spirit. ’12:31-32. All sin is serious, and to some degree challenges and attacks the character and authority of God. But six sins are specifically identified as sins against the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is a person, He may be sinned against. Since He is also God, it is an extremely serious matter to be guilty of sinning against Him.
These six sins are blaspheming (vv.31-32; Luke 12:10), lying or tempting (Acts 5:4,9), despising (Heb.10:29), resisting or striving with (Gen.6:3; Acts 7:51), vexing or grieving (Is,63:10; Eph.4:30), and quenching (1 Thess.5:19) the Holy Spirit.
Illustration: Because of the severity with which Jesus describes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, some people unnecessarily fear that they may have committed the unpardonable sin. One of the characteristics of such sin is that the Holy Spirit ceases to convict of sin in one’s life – so the fact that someone may be concerned about a particular sin indicates he is not beyond grace. He should immediately repent of that sin to restore fellowship with God.
Application: The keys to not sinning against the Holy Spirit are to: (1) be led by the Spirit, (2) be filled with the Spirit, and (3) be illuminated by the Spirit. (First Reference, Gen.6:3; Primary Reference, John 16:13).’
Oh Friends, that is wonderful information, please accept it and follow it up by reading those Bible references, I just did, and they’re very enlightening and encouraging. That’s your homework for today. (smile)
Seriously though my people, if you want to truly understand the Lord’s Word you have to spend time in it; reading, pondering, questioning, and inwardly digesting it, so that it can become a natural way of life for you. A lot of us just pay minimal attention to the Word, but expect to be illuminated and enlightened, but that only comes with serious study.
So let’s decide to do that due diligence nuh my people, so that the Word can guide us through the Holy Spirit to the land of the truly living and LOVING and serving God. That is the wisdom of heaven for all ages! Much LOVE!
…Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people…thou hast covered all their sin…Selah… (Ps.85:2)
18 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a call to praise God, a great King above all Gods, a lose-lose situation, a psalm of praise, appreciate each day, appreciative, bless His name, blessings to brighten our way, build up thy throne to all generations, burst out in song, come before his presence with thanksgiving, covenant, Each day is a gift from God, Ethan the Ezrahite, faith, faithfulness, flowers, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, Friday, fulfilled, glorify His holy name, god's great mercies and loving-kindness, gospel truth, green beer, hands of our dear ones, his mercy is everlasting, his truth endureth to all generations, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, it is meet and right, jehovah god, joyfully singing, laughter to share, lighten our hearts, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, make a joyful noise, mercy, natural reaction, O come let us sing unto the lord, passed down, praise, prayer, preamble, promises, Psalm 100, Psalm 95, rainbows, rightful due of thanks and praise, Selah, serve the Lord with gladness, shortchange ourselves and God, shout joyfully, singing, song, spirits and souls, St. Paddy's Day, sworn unto David, take for granted, thankful, thanksgiving, the beauty of nature, the blessings of God, the gift of another new day, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the joy of God, the Lord he is God, the Lord is a great God, The Lord is good, the middle day of the workweek, the Most High God, the rock of our salvation, the sheep of his pasture, the weekend, thy seed will I establish for ever, to all generations, troubled, troublesome hour, true believer, trust, we are his people, Wednesday, wisdom, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, wreak havoc
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Oh Friends, please sing this ode to Wednesday with me. ‘Wednesday, oh Wednesday, the middle day of the workweek. Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you make me forget Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you show me that there’s no going backward, only forward. Wednesday, oh Wednesday, you bring me ever closer to Friday and the weekend. Oh how I LOVE you Wednesday!’
Yes mih people, just a little fun to stir up our souls on this chilly Wednesday winter’s morn, after a hectic St. Paddy’s Day. Hope the green beer and other strange coloured beverages didn’t or don’t wreak too much havoc on you all. (smile) Thankfully I stayed away from it all, but not from the late night, hence my late awakening.
Now what shall we preamble about today eh? And I just saw the perfect preamble for today! It’s a poem on a birthday card I received last year. It was just sitting at the edge of my desk, and I was wondering why it was there. But after reading the words that covered the outside, I realized why.
Listen to these beautiful words and sentiments. I don’t know if I’ve shared them before, but I must have, because they’re so beautiful and appropriate for our time. But like most beautiful words and sentiments, they are definitely worth sharing again. The poem’s titled: ‘Each Day Is a Gift from God.’
Please say with me: ‘He has given us morning, brightness, and sun, Laughter to share, and work to be done. He has given us rainbows, flowers, and song, And the hands of our dear ones to help us along. He has given us prayer, with its wonderful power To lighten our hearts in a troublesome hour. He has given us blessings to brighten our way, And always – the gift of another new day.’
Wow mih people! It’s all so wonderful and true! But do we really appreciate it all? I don’t think so nuh, otherwise our spirits and souls would not be as troubled as they are. And many of us unfortunately just take the beautiful things of nature and blessings of God for granted.
However Friends, we shouldn’t be doing that, because then we foolishly shortchange ourselves of the joy of God, and also shortchange the Lord in giving Him His rightful due of thanks and praise, so it just turns into a lose – lose situation.
Instead, we ought to be doing as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’
What wisdom Friends! And why should we do that? Ethan the Ezrahite, author of the psalm tells us why, as he continues: ‘For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.’ (Ps.89:2-4)
Yes my people, for all those wonderful promises, which have been fulfilled and passed down to us, we too should be joyfully singing of God’s great mercies and LOVING-kindness!
Now let’s check out a couple of other scriptures that encourage us to sing praises and thanks unto the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
In Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God – the psalmist joyfully proclaims: ‘O come let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all Gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3)
Oh Friends, there’s nothing but gospel truth in those statements, statements to which we should all be adhering to!
Then in Psalm 100 – A call to praise God – the psalmist also proclaims with great wisdom: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (the entire earth). Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:1-5)
Oh my people, with all the good things we have coming from our magnificent and magnanimous God, how can we not be thankful and appreciative eh, and make us just want to burst out in song, to sing His wonderful praises, and glorify His holy name!
It ought to be the natural reaction of a true believer, one who has put their sincere faith and trust in Jehovah God, and is enjoying His blessings, mercies, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness!
Oh my fellow believers, please, oh please, let’s try and rectify that situation nuh, by increasing our appreciation of God’s goodness, and thus being ever more willing to break out in song, giving thanks and praises to the Most High God, for all He’s done, is doing, and has promised to do for us.
That is certainly the wisdom of the truly wise! Much LOVE!
…it is meet and right…for followers of Jesus…to break out in praiseful song…every time they consider His goodness…
27 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adaptable human body, advertising entities, almighty god, another week of work, backsliding children, basement office, baubles and bangles, beautiful scenery, begging for money, bills, blessings, Bruh David, charities, chilly weather, City of Toronto, clamour, confidence, daily activites, daily grind and common task, desk top, fairy tale, fallible, fellowship, flowers, Friday chant, friends, fundraisers, generous help, give and you will receive, glorious kingdom, glory, glory hallelujah, God is a refuge, gospel truth, green trees, gullible, heavenly Father, holy spirit, In God is my salvation and my glory, in times of trouble, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, live for Jesus, Lord have mercy, LOVE, Lucifer, lusts of the world, my refuge is in God, new fangled ways, North country, pleas for assistance, psychological tools, refuge, rest, rocked my soul, rose to high heaven, salvation, secular, Selah, shock to the system, siphoned off, sky blue seas, snow, strength, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the children of Israel, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the real thing, the rock of my strength, the salvation of Israel, the weekend, there's no place like home, truth, weeping and gnashing of teeth, wisdom, working people
Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Well…and like it was suddenly Friday! And the clamour from working people all around the world rose up to high heaven. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes, and we have the weekend to look forward to; to play and party and do whatever we want!’
But Friends, that’s not quite true. Regardless of time, place and opportunity, we still have to put our Creator and Provider, Almighty God FIRST! And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant.
All together now, with true sincerity. ‘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.’
Now that’s a little more like it ought to be. So let’s hope it alters our perception in a suitable manner. (smile) And Friends, you know there’s truly no place like home!
I got back to the cold North Country around 7 p.m last night and looking out over the city of Toronto from the plane, all I could see was white. Hn! And when I came out of the airport and the first blast of the chilly weather hit me, it sorta rocked my soul.
After a month of constant high twenties and low thirty degrees weather, the body was a bit shocked by the minus 17 degrees chill. Lord have mercy! But the human being is such a wonderfully made and adaptable body, that by the time I got home and settled in, it was just like I’d never been away.
And here I am once again down in my basement office tapping away at my old desk top listening to the furnace next door, instead of being on my verandah in Lowlands, on my laptop, looking out at the beautiful scenery of flowers, green trees and sky blue seas. Ah Chuh!
And this morning when I got up and looked out my bedroom window, all I could see was white…snow everywhere. It was a shock to the system. But life goes on, and I have to get on with the real thing, not the fairy tale one. So it’s back to the daily grind and common task.
I have a whole set of mail sitting on my desk to go through eventually, and I’m sure it’s a combination of mostly bills and charities begging for money. What a blessing that I haven’t had to deal with that for a whole month! Glory Hallelujah!
But I’m truly tired of these supposed charities begging all the time. And the worst mistake you can make is to give them one time, for after that they constantly bombard you with pleas for assistance.
And the sad part is that a lot of the funds received don’t get to where they are supposed to, they are siphoned off to pay the fundraisers, which is now a huge business, and for administrative purposes.
But the Lord says to give and you will receive, so we have to give some, just be careful of whom we are giving to and how much. End of sermon! (smile)
Now turning to our Bit, which again comes from Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and salvation. Bruh David proclaims it without any doubt or hesitation whatsoever. ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’
And that my people is indisputable, irrevocable, gospel and all other kinds of truth!
The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is indeed our salvation as He has proven through the sacrificial death of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He’s also our glory, our strength and refuge! The One to whom we look to for things mighty and majestic, for help in ALL our daily activities, be they big or small.
And He certainly is the One we run to when we can’t handle the trials and tribulations of this ungodly world, and where we certainly receive help and succour without any untoward questions asked! What a mighty and wonderful God is our heavenly Father! He is the ONLY ONE who can help and save us in times of trouble!
That’s why Bruh David wisely advises us in the next verse: ‘Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:8) More wonderful words of heavenly wisdom and truth my brethren!
And the prophet Jeremiah said it this way: ‘A voice was heard upon the high places (bare heights), weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.’ (Jer.3:21-23).
Oh Friends, it’s uncanny how those same words are so pertinent to our situation in today’s world! For just like Israel back then, we in this current age have indeed forsaken the God of our fathers. That’s why there is so much weeping and gnashing of teeth all over the world.
When man turns away in droves from Jehovah God to foolishly follow the lusts of the world, what else can we expect eh? Granted that it is difficult to reject the worldly baubles and bangles and bright shining things of the world when they are constantly pounded in our ears, eyes and minds by the secular advertising entities, using all the psychological tools at their disposal.
That’s why my fellow believers it is of the utmost importance that we are very careful in whom and what we watch, read and listen to, for our weak and frail minds are very fallible and gullible to those new fangled ways of Lucifer.
And we’ll end with another true and wonderful and confidence building insight on the subject from Bruh David, from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ (Ps.3:8)
Oh Friends, please let’s remember those insightful words, and all the others that we’ve spoken about today, as we journey forth into the evil, disgusting world to live for Jesus, for that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…let’s remember that our duty is to…LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…
22 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fight to the death, a fresh cold, a high priest, after the order of Melchizedek, an intense longing for god, ascended into heaven, atone for our sins, breakthrough, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, cast not away your confidence, courage, cure a simple cold, disregard the darkness, don't give up, done the will of god, endurance, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, feel miserable, feeling, fight against them that fight against me, fighting tooth and nail, future, God's plans for us are all for good, God's promises, God's promises stand firm, God's ways are higher than ours, going down to the wire, gospel truth, hang in there, hope, hope thou in God, I am thy salvation, I shall yet praise him, jehovah god, Jesus is the answer, joy, keep hoping in God, lie down and rest, lost, malaise in my spirit, Mars, negative circumstances, obedience, omnipotence, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, perseverance, Plead my cause, put a man on the moon, receive the promise, recompense of reward, rely on God's immutable Word, reward, run its course, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, salvation comes from God, Selah, selfless acts, shed blood, sinful souls, stand in faith, stand up for mine help, stop those who pursue me, Thank you Jesus, the author of eternal salvation, the darkest hour is the one before the dawn, the help of his countenance, the right medication, the sons of Korah, them's the breaks, thursday morning, thy blessing is upon thy people, times of questioning, trial, trust, trust God, ungodly world, unsaved, Venus, Why art thou cast down o my soul, why art thou disquieted within me
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Aye mih people, is Thursday morning, another chilly one, and the ole fella fighting this cold tooth and nail! (smile) We going down to the wire with it, we not giving up! It’s a fight to the death!
Oh I know that it has to run its course, but while it’s doing its thing, I’m also doing my own, trying not to let it make me feel too terrible, because you know that nothing in this world makes you feel as miserable as a simple fresh cold.
Ah Lord eh! We can put man on the moon and voyage out to Venus and Mars, but we can’t cure a simple cold! Steups! But I guess them’s the breaks! And believe me, it was difficult to get up this morning, although I wasn’t sleeping. But a certain malaise in my spirit just said lie down and rest. (smile)
And I did for a short while. But knowing that the Bit had to go out, I eventually forced myself out of the bed. And I believe I have the right medication for whatever is ailing us this morning, in the words of The One Year Book of Promises, with writings from Ruth Harms Calkin.
This passage is titled ‘God’s Promises,’ and it says: ‘With increasing joy I am discovering that God’s promises do not suddenly disappear when our courage fails and our fears become overwhelming. Feeling or no feeling, when God gives a promise that speaks directly to our need, it stands firm regardless of negative circumstances.
There may be times of questioning, and we may not understand God’s timing, but His promise remains certain during our deepest trial. If we consistently rely on His immutable Word, we can disregard the darkness.
Oswald Chambers says, “Are you in the dark right now regarding your circumstances? Then listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you are in the light.” God waits for us to trust Him when trusting seems the most difficult thing to do.’
Ah Friends, the cruel, evil and ungodly world that we’re currently living in, is certainly making it hard for us to trust God and rely on His promises. But if we want to succeed, we have to truly stand in faith on His word, even though we may seem completely surrounded by darkness.
And as the Bible promise for that passage so truthfully declares: ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes mih breddren, the one thing we CAN’T DO, is GIVE UP! And it’s when life seems the darkest that we need to hold on to God’s promises the strongest. For as the saying goes; the darkest hour is the one just before the dawn. And that’s no lie! We experience the roughest times just before we experience our breakthrough.
So please, let’s hang in there with Jehovah God, for He knows what He’s doing. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours that we don’t, and can’t always understand what He’s about. In His omnipotence He created us, and still controls the universe, and sincerely promised that all His plans for us were all for good, for peace, with hope for a bright future. (Jer.29:11)
And as our Bit so wisely and rightly declares: ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ And of that my people, there is absolutely no doubt! That’s why so many people of great faith in the Bible declared it.
Now let’s look at a few more of those scripture passages that declare salvation comes from God, as we’ve been doing for the last few days. And we’ll begin with words of Bruh David, who called out to God so often and so seriously in his writings. Listen to how he begins Psalm 35 – A prayer for rescue from enemies.
‘Plead my cause (contend for me), O Lord, with them that strive (contend) with me: fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler (a small shield), and stand up for mine help.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me (stop those who pursue me): say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.’ (Ps.35:1-3)
And we all know the turbulent and tumultuous life that Bruh David lived, but he never forgot or gave up on the God of his fathers, who faithfully saved him from his enemies whenever he cried out for help.
Now hear the author of Hebrews, whom I can’t help but think is Bruh Paul, with all the similarities of speech and mannerisms.
‘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 eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.5:8-10)
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends! Jesus died, rose from the grave and ascended into heaven so that we could have eternal salvation! Without those wonderful, selfless acts of His, there would be no general salvation. Many of us would stay lost and unsaved.
So let’s give Him a big shout of praise and thanks for saving our sinful souls from eternal separation from Almighty God, the worst fate that can befall a human being.
And all God’s people declared a loud and heartfelt: ‘Thank You Jesus! Thank You ever so much for sacrificing Your holy, sinless life on the cross, so that Your shed blood, precious as it was, could pay for, atone for our abominable sins. We praise You, bless and glorify Your holy name! Amen.’
And now Friends, we’ll end with this well known verse from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God – a contemplation from the sons of Korah.
And it simply says: ‘Why art thou cast (bowed) down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance (presence).’ (Ps.42:5)
Yes my people, I implore us to keep hoping in God, though our souls might not feel like doing it, for regardless of what anyone else says, only from Him is true salvation and eternal life possible. Much LOVE!
…to EVERY problem in our lives…Jesus IS the answer…
21 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son of Abraham, almighty god, another chilly morning, awesome Deity, be saved, become more important than God's work, Bruh David, come to seek and save, encouraging, enthusiastic, eternity, fit for the kingdom of god, friends, God's direction, God's work, gospel truth, Gramps Schuller, halfway home, he is become my salvation, Hour of Power, human frailty, I am Eager, I will exalt him, idols, Jesus, Jonah, Living Deity, looking back, lost, loving kindness, make the most of today, make the most of yourself, mercy, Moses, move forward, my father's God, neck of the woods, no turning back, omnipotent, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, peace, pledged to change his evil ways, Possibility Thinking, protective wings, put His hand to the plough, repented, restful. rejuvenating weekend, sacrifice, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, salvation is of the Lord, Selah, stand strong and steadfast, that which is lost, the giver of salvation, the good shepherd, the lesser things of life, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is my strength and song, the Lord is the strength of my life, the Lord spake unto the fish, the Most High, the Son of man, the voice of thanksgiving, there will never be another now, thy blessing is upon thy people, turn to Jesus, under the weather, vanities, wandering, Wednesday, whom shall I fear, Zaccheus
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Well Friends, it’s another chilly morning (-12 C) in my neck of the woods. It’s also Wednesday, which means we are halfway home to the restful and rejuvenating weekend, so please hang in there, stand strong and steadfast in faith, for there’s no turning back.
As Jesus stated so straightforwardly: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 9:22) So we’ve got to move forward, not allow the lesser things of life to become more important than God’s work.
And I am a perfect example of that right now, because this morning I’m somewhat under the weather, I seem to be getting a cold. I’m surprised that it’s taken this long to affect me, for the duchess has had it badly for the past week, and I’ve also been around a few other people who are fighting it.
And believe me, there’s nothing I would like better than to have remained in my nice warm bed and sleep it off. But the Bit, God’s work, has to take priority over my runny nose, my sneezing, my aching body and my general human frailty. (smile)
And to help us get going this Wednesday morning, here’s a poem from my favourite Devotional, the Hour of Power by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller). I just LOVE the way he writes, with such a positive, enthusiastic and encouraging spin. This one’s titled: ‘I AM EAGER.’
Please pray it with me. ‘Lord, you’ve put the whole world together and you’ve put me in the middle of it because you want to say something to me and through me today. May your beautiful peace fall gently, softly, sweetly, and beautifully upon my mind –now.
I am ready to listen and eager to move ahead, today, with “Possibility Thinking.” Amen. There will never be another now – I’ll make the most of today. There will never be another me – I’ll make the most of myself.’
Oh Friends, I do hope that has brought some eagerness for life and God’s direction into our souls today! And as the last part so rightly declares, ‘there will never be another now.’ So please let’s make the most of today, for that’s all we have.
And now we’ll turn to our Bit, which has been running for a few days, but that’s because it’s a rather important and substantial part of our Christian faith. ‘Salvation belongeth to the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’
Ah mih people, those words just ring out loudly with gospel truth! For salvation comes from no other but Almighty God, who also blesses His people with all their earthly needs when they truly and sincerely seek Him. What an awesome Deity He is my brethren!
And here are a few scripture passages to prove the point. Listen to Moses, from the earliest times, declare it in his song. ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2)
Moses couldn’t put it any simpler and clearer than that Friends! And besides, who would know about God and His ways better than him, since he had so much dealings and experience with the Most High.
Now hear another man of great faith and experience with God, Bruh David, tell it like it is in this popular verse from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1)
And the answer to that my people, is NOBODY! For remember that our God is omnipotent and the only true and living Deity in the entire universe! So there’s no need to be afraid of anybody or anything, once we’re safely ensconced under His protective wings.
Meanwhile, Jonah, after coming to his senses in the belly of the fish, wisely declares: ‘They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness).
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon dry land.’ (Jon,28-10)
Yes Friends, salvation is truly from the Lord! Once Jonah acknowledged that, the Lord saved him out of the fish’s belly. And that’s basically what salvation is; saving us.
And we’ll close with these fateful words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to Zaccheus, after He had lunched at his place, and Zaccheus repented and pledged to change his evil ways.
‘And Jesus said unto 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 save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
Yes Friends, ONLY our great God can save, can grant salvation to the lost! And that’s exactly what our Saviour came to earth to do! Let’s sincerely hope that He has found and saved us all, so that we can spend eternity with Him, wherever He might be, for that’s truly the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…are you lost…are you wandering aimlessly through life…then turn to Jesus and be saved…for He is the Good Shepherd…the Saviour of the lost and aimlessly wandering…He is the giver of salvation…
20 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy and righteous God, a just God, a pattern of success, a prayer for God's help, a sinful creation, act of compassion, all the ends of the earth, almighty god, amazing, ancient time, anointed one, ascension of Jesus, atonement for our sins, awesome, awesome Deity, be obedient to god's will, be ye saved, benevolence, benevolent parent, blessed, Bruh David, communication with God, compassion, empowering Spirit, enabling, encouraging, fall from heavenly grace, Father, fatherly status, fellowship, finite minds, friend, friendship, generous, generously bestowed, god, God broke His own heart, grace, heartfelt prayer, heavenly Father, humble, I am God, in Jesus' name, inheritance, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, kind, living truth, LOVE, loving, man's history, mercy, Messiah, none but Almighty God, obedience, our Lord and Saviour, peace, prayer, precious blood of Jesus christ, promise, raise our heads to heaven, reconciliation, relationship, reproach, resurrection, sacrifice, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, Selah, shepherd, shout of thanks and praise, sinned, sinned and fallen short of God's glory, Spirit of God, take counsel together, thank you, thankful, thanks and praise, thanks in our hearts, the apple of His eye, the Lord is their strength, the saving strength, there is no God else beside me, thy blessing is upon thy people, truth, Tuesday, turn to me, unconditional LOVE, understanding, uplifting, walk the straight and narrow path, we serve and worship, wisdom, words of thanks
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Oh Friends, welcome to another one of Jehovah God’s beautiful days – this one called Tuesday!
And would you believe that he made it specially for us; that we could rejoice and be glad in it, while being obedient to His will and having brilliant communication with Him, as a Friend, a Father and our God?
Wow! What an awesome Deity we serve and worship my people!
And that’s not even the whole story; for when we had foolishly sinned, when our forefathers had fallen short of God’s glory, and thus instigated His reproach and our fall from heavenly grace, He did not reject us, but instead, through the wonderful and unconditional LOVE that He bears for us, His most brilliant and amazing creation, He sacrificed His only son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be once again welcomed into Friendship, Fellowship and Fatherly status with Him!
Oh Friends, Almighty God LOVED us so much that he broke His own heart so that reconciliation could be achieved between a sinful creation and a holy and righteous God!
Mama Mia! How truly awesome, amazing, LOVING, generous and kind is our heavenly Father!
And yet so many of us still doubt that He even exists, and that He does indeed LOVE and desire constant and consistent communication with us.
Chuh! If sacrificing the apple of His eye, His Son Jesus Christ doesn’t prove His all encompassing LOVE for us, His ungrateful and sinful children, then I don’t know what else will, for it is the greatest act of compassion, of mercy, and of grace that has ever been made in man’s history!
So my fellow believers and followers of Jesus Christ, let’s raise our heads, hands, hearts and eyes to heaven this chilly Tuesday morning and gratefully utter a few words of thanks to Almighty God.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly father, You are such an amazing and benevolent parent, that there are no words to truly describe Your LOVING- kindness to us. Our vocabulary is so small and narrow that the most our finite minds can come up with is Thank You! Thank You for being so wonderful to us, although we don’t truly deserve Your grace, mercy and forgiveness.
And above all, we most heartily thank You for sending Jesus to earth to be the atonement for our sins! That alone shows the great compassion and LOVE that You have for us!
And today, we ask that through Your enabling and empowering Spirit, You lead and guide us safely, enable us to do Your Holy Will, to live out the plan You have for our lives, so that we can maintain the wonderful relationship we have forged with You over time.
Please give us Your peace, wisdom and understanding so that we may not stray, but walk the straight and narrow path that leads directly to You. This we pray in the name of Your precious Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!’
Oh my brethren, I sincerely tried to keep it to a few words, but I just couldn’t cut it any shorter. (smile) And though the length of our prayers isn’t the important thing, sometimes we just have to let what truly is in our hearts just flow out until it comes to its own natural end. That’s what happened with me there just now.
And would you believe that the Spirit of God working in me, is now saying that our God is so great and wonderful that we ought to give Him another glorious shout of thanks and praise! So why don’t we eh? (smile)
‘Yes Lord, Your people are so blessed, so thankful for Your blessings and Your benevolence, that we just want to exclaim another big and loud, ‘THANK YOU! Thank You for all that You’ve done, are currently doing, and has promised to do in our lives!
We give You enormous praise, and promise to be as obedient to Your Will as we humanly can. We pledge this on the precious blood of our dear Jesus, who was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross for our misdemeanors, and because of that, we’re now back in Your fold again, made a new creation through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
We LOVE You Father, and will praise and glorify Your Holy Name as we lead our earthly lives today, and every day! Please accept our humble, heartfelt prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen!’
Oh mih people, I’m chuckling here, as it seems the Holy Spirit has just led us to a day of prayer. And it’s all consistent with the words of Bruh David proclaimed in our Bit. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’
Those are words of absolute truth Friends! Salvation is indeed of and from the Lord, His free gift of grace, and His many blessings are so generously bestowed upon His people.
And a mighty torrent of thanks and praise rose up from His grateful children. “Oh thank You, thank You Father! That’s the best that we can say, but You can read the true level of thanks in our hearts!’
Now let’s look at a couple of scripture passages that attest to the truth of our Bit and all that we’ve said today. Listen to Bruh David state the awesome and living truth again from Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help.
‘The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (Messiah, commissioned One). Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed (shepherd) them also, and lift them up for ever.’ (Ps.28:8-9)
No one else can do those things my brethren! None but Almighty God!
And we’ll close with God’s own words on the subject, spoken through His prophet Isaiah. ‘Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto (turn to) me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’ (Is.45:21-22)
Oh my brethren, I implore us to take those words of absolute truth and write them indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, so that we can use them to our benefit in these truly trying last days! That’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…the unconditional LOVE…the mercy…the grace…the forgiveness…and the blessings of God…are now flowing through me…in a wonderful pattern of success…
P.S. Friends, it’s late, but it’s wonderful; uplifting and encouraging! (smile) Hope it touches you as much as it touched me in writing it. Much LOVE!
19 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing O, Absalom, ask not what your country can do for you, assured of salvation, aura of love, Bruh David, childish behaviour, confidence, confidence in God, enthusiasm, eternal life, faithful walk with God, first day of the workweek, further God's glorious kingdom, give their eye teeth, gospel truth, grumbling, help, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy, keep a roof over their heads, learn to be content, LOVE, moaning and groaning, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, Oh Lord God Almighty, peace in our souls, perseverance, petty, promises, prosperity, salvation, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, Selah, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, strength, succour, surrender, the desires of your heart, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord sustained me, the world owes us a living, thy blessing is upon thy people, ungodly world, week of work, wisdom
Psalm 3:8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Well my dear Friends, the news is sad but very true: the weekend is over, it is now Monday morning, time to begin another wonderful week of work! (smile)
And I know that some of you are chuckling, while many are not too thrilled at either it being Monday, or me reminding you of that fact. But as I keep saying, we will never be contented, have a reasonable amount of peace in our souls, until we learn to accept and welcome Monday for what it is – the first day of the work week, a day to go out and labour.
Yuh know how many people around the world right now, many of them right in our own neighbourhoods, would give their eye teeth to have a job this Monday morning, any kind of job at all, once it will pay a few dollars so that they can keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families! But we, the lucky ones with jobs, carry on with such petty, childish behaviour, grumbling, moaning and groaning, as though we are entitled, as though the world owes us a living.
Well for your information my Friends, the world owes us nothing whatsoever! We possibly owe the world something; the constructive and diligent effort to make it a better place. As President Kennedy said many years back, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ And being a productive worker is one of the things you can do to help your country.
And furthermore, I’ll put it to us this way; if you don’t like your job, or don’t want to get up and go to it, then simply quit it. But please stop complaining about being tired and exploited and otherwise when a Monday morning rolls around. Just make up your mind, tell yourself that you don’t have a choice in the matter and like Bruh Paul, learn to be content in whatever state you are in. (Phil.4:11) That will save you oodles of heartaches, anxiety and worry.
But enough with the sermonizing now, (smile) instead, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with enthusiasm and sincerity. All together 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!’
Not bad, Friends, not bad at all! But not enough to make heaven rejoice and call out for a standing ‘O’, and that’s the standard we want to set. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which comes from Bruh David’s prayer of confidence in God, written when he fled from Absalom his son, who rebelled against him. Read the unfortunate story in 2 Samuel 15. ‘Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.’ And that’s a truth that’s not disputable my brethren!
And Bruh David was so confident of that fact that earlier on in the psalm he declares: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked: for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6) Oh my people, Bruh David could only utter those words of confidence because he had supreme trust and faith in the God of his fathers!
The abiding question today though, is do we have that same trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so that we can make that same declaration? For our sake, I surely do hope so, because that is the only way we will ever find some lasting semblance of peace, joy, strength, wisdom, perseverance and prosperity on this evil and ungodly planet earth.
Bruh David could make those statements above, because of this next verse. ‘Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten (struck) all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.’ (Ps.3:7)
Yes my fellow believers, during Bruh David’s long and faithful walk with God, his enemies had consistently fallen by the wayside through God’s mighty hand, thus when his son Absalom revolted, he was confident that the Lord would also provide relief from the usurper, ungrateful child of his very own loins.
Oh Friends, it’s the same way that the Lord will bless us with help and succour if we walk obediently in His will, for we know that He faithfully keeps His promises. And if He has helped us previously, there’s no reason for Him not to continue doing so.
That is one of the many mistakes we make; in times of trial, we forget that the Lord has brought us through other serious and troubled times and we become anxious and worried. But that`s exactly when we need to remember the Lord`s previous help, and be assured that it will be forthcoming on other occasions.
And we`ll close with this bold proclamation of God, made through His servant Isaiah: `I, even I, am the Lord: and beside me, there is no saviour.` (Is.43:11) And that`s gospel truth my people!
So please, let`s remember that in these turbulent and distressing times, hope, faith, trust and surrender to Almighty God is the ONLY wise and sensible way to go. Therefore, let`s embrace the Most High with all our hearts, minds and souls, so that we can be strengthened and assured of our salvation. Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!
…trust in the Lord…wait patiently on Him…and He will give you the desires of your heart…
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