24 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abednego, abide in me and I in you, affections, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxiety, basking in hot temperatures, bring forth fruit, Bruh Paul, bundling up in winter coats, circumspection, cling to Jesus, come unto me, crucified the flesh, Daniel, deceitful, difficult and distressing times, envying one another, faithfulness, fear, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, generous help, get relief from your pain, God is a good god, God is ever-faithful, God won't burden us with more than we can bear, goodness, gospel truth, grace, help, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the vine, I can do all things through Christ, I will give you rest, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the answer, joy, kindness, lay them at the feet of Jesus, learn from me, like super glue, live in the Spirit, long-sufferng, LOVE, lusts, meekness, men plan while God laughs, Meshach, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, no threat of snow, our sufficency is of God, passions, peace, positive action, provoking one another, rejoice, relaxation, rest, running around half naked, self-control, sensible thing, shadrach, succour, sufficent of ourselves, summer accoutrements, take my yoke upon you, temperance, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the best laid plans of men and mice, the fruit of the spirit, the great invitation, the lion's den., times of need, truth, vain glory, walk in the Spirit, what a bam bam, which strengtheneth me, wisdom, wise, wishful thinking, without me you can do nothing, worry, ye are the branches, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Philippians 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Aye Friends, as the old people would say, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, and also, men plan while God laughs. I wanted to get up early, write the Bit and do some other stuff before the morning was finished. Hn! But obviously that was only wishful thinking. (smile)
And remember too, how a couple weeks ago when we were basking in temperatures in the upper teens and low twenties, when people were running around half naked, and all the summer accoutrements were being rolled out to enjoy it? Well that has all been reversed, without any warning either.
We’re lucky if we can get up into the high single digits now in the day time, and we’re back to bundling up in our winter coats. What a bam bam eh?
But Friends, let’s at least be thankful for one mercy; the sun is shining brightly this Friday morning and there’s no threat of snow in the offing.
So let’s rejoice, as we are wont to do, by declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes! The weekend’s here and labouring soon finish for another week! Our God is a good God, and He won’t give us more than we can handle! Let’s say it again: Thank God it’s Friday yes!’
Oh Friends, our God is indeed a wonderful Deity and He won’t burden us with more than we can bear, for that just doesn’t make any sense. Instead He helps us to bear our heavy loads, and invites us in His Great Invitation to come to Him for help and succour in times of need.
‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh my people, what a magnificent offer and invitation! And since we know that God is ever-faithful, and keeps all His promises, this morning I implore all who are bearing heavy burdens, to come and lay them at the feet of Jesus and get relief from your pain, your worry, your fear and your anxiety.
That’s the wise and sensible thing to do, especially in these difficult and distressing times. No one else can even promise such things, much less keep the promise: ONLY JESUS CAN!
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant to get us in the right mood, the right perspective to handle the short but oh so volatile weekend. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, we do have to handle the weekend with some circumspection, else we’ll be no good to God, or ourselves come Monday morning. And it all begins and ends with the faithful promise of our Bit. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’
Glory be, my people! With God’s help we can walk through fire like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and come out without even smelling of smoke. (Dan.3:20-30) And like Daniel, we can rest in the lion’s den without even one hair being plucked from our heads. (Dan. 6:14-23)
No wonder Bruh Paul made this bold and factual statement to the Corinthians in his second missive to them. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor.3:5) And that is the gospel, gospel truth my brethren!
Now hear Jesus tell it to the disciples, and ultimately to us. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
And that Friends, is the indisputable truth! Without Christ we can do little or nothing at all! That’s why it is ever so important for us to believe in Him and cleave, cling to Him like super glue (smile) if we want to do good and useful stuff in this godless and evil world.
And we’ll end today with a reminder of the kinds of stuff Jesus is talking about when He refers to us bearing fruit. Listen to Bruh Paul expatiate on the subject to the Galatians. (smile)
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (its passions).
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (be deceitful), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:22-26)
Oh Friends, what a wonderful way to end today’s message! Please, let’s take it all to heart and go out and put it into positive action, in Jesus’ name.
And all God’s people declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Much LOVE my brethren!
…remember …for whatever ails us…whatever we need…whatever we desire…whatever the problem…Jesus IS the indisputable answer…
30 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, bated breath, blessedness of forgiveness, blessings, cleansing, cleansing blood of Jesus, complaining, confess, daily grind and common task, deceit, divine instruction, energy, eternal life, evil, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, guile, gusto, happiness, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, if we confess our sins, iniquity, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving god, loving kindness, moaning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Palm Sunday, personal witness, prayer, psycholigical effects, rejuvenation of spirit, righteousness., salvation, sin, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, succour, summer drought, the fool says there is no god, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, transgression, trust, ungodly world, vitality, wisdom
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.
Well my people, unfortunately the weekend is now over. Chuh! Hope you had a good, godly and restful one, and that you joyfully participated in the Palm Sunday celebrations of your church. Now though, it’s time to get back to the daily grind and common task that that wonderful day called Monday brings. (smile)
Ah well, we don’t have much choice but to go out and labour if we want to make a living, so why make it even more difficult by moaning and complaining when we don’t have much choice in the matter eh? It makes no sense at all. So the sooner we come to terms with it, the better it will be for all of us.
And to help us do just that, let’s voice our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and tremendous energy…. Hn, hn! Awright, I know that many of you can’t get up to that kind of speed yet, so don’t worry, just give it your best shot.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t too bad at all Friends! It wasn’t spectacular, and didn’t draw any encores from heaven, but it was better than I expected. (smile) So now that the adrenalin is fuelling us, let’s get up to true speed by doing what our Bit advises, so that we can clear our souls, make them right with the Father, and thus be truly empowered to go out and do a wonderful job for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, namely living a life that will encourage others to want to know Him.
‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Oh Friends, those are such mighty words of truth that they leave no room for any doubt whatsoever! That is exactly why we have been exploring our souls during this Lenten season, trying to clean them up, and why we’re waiting with bated breath for the duration of this Holy Week, when Jesus sacrificed His sinless life so that if wanted, our souls would be washed clean of sin and we’d have a chance to be reconciled to our heavenly Father.
That’s what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are all about my people; the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins and live eternally with our LOVING God!
But please note my brethren, we have to want that cleansing badly enough to first believe in Jesus, and then embrace that opportunity with serious action. It doesn’t just fall in our laps. We have to play a wise and sensible part in the partnership. God has done His part; providing salvation, it’s now up to us to accept or reject it.
And believe me Friends, there is no greater joy to be had on this earth than forgiveness of sins. Listen to Bruh David tell it from Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (my vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.’ (Ps.32:1-6)
Oh my people, my people, what joyful words! And the scholars explain them better than I can. ‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vv.1-2), the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vv.3-4), and the simple remedy of confession to obtain God’s forgiveness (v.5).
On this basis David can experience prayer (vv.6-7), divine instruction (vv.8-9) and personal witness (vv.10-11).’
Now if that was good for Bruh David, why wouldn’t be good for us eh Friends? In fact it should be even better for us since we now have the overwhelming sacrifice and cleansing of Jesus’ precious blood. So please my brethren, let’s wisely look to Jesus for succour and salvation nuh. It’s the only way to get to heaven and enjoy eternal life! Much LOVE!
…the fool hath said in his heart…there is no God…and that’s exactly why he is a fool…
27 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a rough day, all praise to the lamb that was slain for us, almighty god, Amen, and he heard my voice, Anselm's Quote, anxious, approach God's holy throne, Asa, ask, ask and it shall be given to you, ask for Your help, attitude of positive expectation, Azariah, believers in Jesus Christ, Bruh David, burdens, Calvary, Creator, cup of java, enjoy God's goodness, ever-generous God, expectant faith, fallen world, fearful, freedom, friends, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's goodness, God's Holy Will, good things of God, grace, he will be found of you, he will forsake you, Healer, heavenly Father, heavenly wisdom.the giver of success, hot cup of coffee, hungry hope, I cried unto the Lord, I will not be afraid, if ye forsake him, if ye seek him, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, it's up to us to look for God, joint heirs with Christ, knock and it shall be opened, lead and guide us, lighten our load, look forward to a brighter day, loving kindness, mercy, naysayers, needful times, new blessings, new mercies, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, option, our be all and end all, out of his holy hill, petitions, precious blood, provider, reaching out to God, reconciled, safely, saved children, seek and you shall find, smile, strength to bear our load, succour, superior personality, Thank you Father, thanks and praise, the Father's good graces, the Lord is with you, the Lord sustained me, the Spirit of God, the undeserving children of men, time of need, Tuesday, warning, we love and adore you, while ye be with him, wisely
Psalm 3:4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
Oh Friends, yesterday was indeed a rough day! I haven’t had one like that for a long while, and in truth, I don’t want to have another one for an even longer while! (smile) I guess though, that I was due for one of those rough and miserable days.
But the reality Friends, is that today is Tuesday; a brand new day, and I’m certainly looking forward to the brand new mercies and new blessings which the Lord prepares for us every day!
I’m still tired and a tad woozy (smile) but I am feeling better, although I could not get up to write an early Bit. However, I am waiting with hungry hope and expectant faith for all the good things that the Lord has in store for me today, and I would strongly advise that you do the same thing too.
And believe me, that first cup of java, tinged with some cough syrup, is certainly going down warm and soothing on the chest! (smile) Let the naysayers say what they want, but you can’t beat a hot cup of coffee on any morning, especially a cold one, and it is cold an snowy by me.
But enough of my woes, you have your own to contend with, and the only thing that’s going to help either of us, is reaching out to our Creator, our Healer, our Heavenly Father and generous Provider; the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
So let’s do that nuh. Please pray with me. ‘Heavenly Father, our be all and end all, Your grateful children come to you this morning bearing heavy burdens that we cannot carry. We sincerely ask for Your help, either for strength to bear them, or for Your LOVING-kindness to lessen and lighten our load.
We’re doing our best, but You know we can’t do much in our own strength, that’s why we’re looking to You this morning for grace, mercy and succour in our time of need.
We LOVE and adore You, and give You thanks and praise in our own simple way, and ask that You lead and guide us safely and wisely on this blessed day, as we make our way through this fallen world, trying to do Your holy will.
This we pray, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose precious blood that was shed at Calvary, enables us to confidently come to You with our petitions. Thank You father. Amen.’
And you know what my people? If you sincerely prayed that prayer, I truly believe that our gracious Father in heaven heard it, and is right now getting ready to act on it on all our behalves! So let’s all look forward to a brighter day! Glory to God for His goodness to the undeserving children of men!
And rather appropriately, here is my friend Anselm’s quote from yesterday that inspires for a better tomorrow. ‘An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of a superior personality.’
And that’s no lie, my brethren, for all successful achievers have a positive attitude and outlook on life! Our Bit today is also rather appropriate. It comes from Psalm 3, Bruh David’s prayer of confidence in God. ‘I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.’
And that’s exactly what we did earlier on my people; we cried out to our ever-generous God for help and succour in these very trying and needful times.
We have that option because we are believers in Jesus Christ, which has made us new creations, with the freedom to approach God’s holy throne of grace, since we are now reconciled to Him once more. We are now His saved children, joint heirs with Christ in the kingdom.
And all God’s children declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise to the Lamb that was slain for us, so that we could get back into the Father’s good graces!’
By the way, the second cup of caffeine is going down just as good as the first! (smile)
Now let’s look at a couple of scriptures that reinforce our Bit. And we’ll begin with the verses right after it. ‘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 Friends, I do hope that we can all say those things in sincerity, because until we can, we will always be fearful and anxious about our lives.
And from way back when, comes this warning of the prophet Azariah. ‘And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet (before) Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.’ (2 Chr.15:1-2)
Now my brethren, the matter couldn’t be stated any simpler or more straightforward than that! It’s up to us to look for God.
And we’ll end with these famous words of Christ that convey the same basic message. ‘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 be opened.’ (Luke 11:9-10)
Yes Friends, it’s time we start seeking, asking, and knocking, if we want to enjoy God’s goodness! That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to be successful…one must seek the Giver of success…Almighty God…
P.S. Please be forewarned that tomorrow’s Bit may be even later than today’s because I have some stuff to do out of town that will push my whole schedule back. But please wait with baited breath, because it will be good – as always. (smile) 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…
14 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, asaph, Beelzebub, computers, cry out to God, dash thy foot against a stone, encouraging words, faith, fall down in our faith, fandangles, Father, friends, go to God with everything, God is a refuge and fortress, halfway point of the week, he hath set his love upon me, he shall give his angels charge over thee, help, hope, I hope in thy word, in the arms of Almighty God, in times of trouble, it's toast, Jehovah, Lord God in heaven, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, mercies, mighty God we serve and worship, Mountain Mover's Prayer, poison my mind, Possibility Thinker's Creed, protection, proud, redeemed thy people, refuge, refuse to heed God's call, remember the works of God, Selah, show him my salvation, smile, stand strong, stubborn, success, succour, the dragon shalt thou trample, the Most High, thou art my hiding place and my shield, to our detriment, trying my spirit, Wednesday, who is so great a God as our God, wisdom, with long life will I satisfy him, words of faith
Psalm 119:114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Well Friends, it’s another chilly but fine day in my area! And it’s Wednesday to boot! That means we’re already at the halfway point of the workweek, so there’s no turning back now, just all engines open full throttle and straight ahead to week’s end. (smile)
Now I don’t know if it’s me or the computers I have, but for some reason they both began acting up this morning. I have a desktop where I usually write the Bit, but that’s running a back-up program that’s sorely trying my spirit.
For the last two days we’ve been trying to get it to back up my files, but it seems to be taking forever. I think I’m giving it enough time, the time it says it needs, but my tech seems to think otherwise.
Now this morning I come downstairs to write the Bit, I’m already late as it is, then it won’t allow me to do my business, taking ages to make stuff happen, but all the while it still seems to be transferring files to the back-up drive.
But I have news for it. Today is the last day for this nonsense! Regardless of what anyone says, if it doesn’t finish backing-up today, then it’s toast. I’ve been getting along fine for years now without it, don’t need that hassle now in my old age. (smile) And then when I got my laptop, that took ages to boot up doing all sorts of fandangles’ re updates etc.
Awright, so that’s my vent and part of my excuse for the Bit being so late today. So to give us some sort of boost and encouragement to face the day and the year ahead, let’s recite together the Possibility Thinkers Creed or Mountain Mover’s Prayer as written by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller).
As one now: ‘Lord, when I face a mountain, do not let me quit. Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, give me the patience to stay and the perception to see the possibilities of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen.’
Ah Friends, that’s exactly what I need this morning to face the pressure these computers are putting on me! (smile) But seriously though, those are strong, encouraging and faith-filled words that we ought to take to heart and put into diligent practice.
And that’s a direct companion to the saying that our task is to take hold of God’s grace to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary. Knowing that in time, our great and wonderful God will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us. We must wait on the Lord and be of good courage.
Oh Friends, this morning I really do need all of those encouraging words to stand strong and do what I need to do. And I know that I will be encouraged shortly, that I will make peace with my man-made computers who are trying to drive me into the arms of the lying and deceitful Beelzebub. (smile)
Anyway, let’s turn to our Bit, more encouraging and resourceful words of faith. ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.’
Yeh my brethren, there’s no place of help, hope, refuge, protection and succor like in the arms of Almighty God! From day one, He’s been telling us to come to Him for whatever we need, but like the proud, stubborn animals that we are, we consistently refuse to heed His call, to our detriment of course.
When are we going to learn to go to God with EVERYTHING eh my people? From the smallest problem, to the largest one, God has the answer and He is also the answer!
Now listen to these brave and bold words of Asaph, the psalmist, from Psalm 77 – Who is so great a God as our God? In his infirmity and times of trouble, Asaph remembers and faithfully declares, rightly so too: ‘I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.’ (Ps.77:11-15)
Oh my people, that is one of the ways in which we fall down in our faith; we forget what the Lord has done for us before, not believing or even thinking that if He’s helped us before in times of trouble, there’s no reason why He won’t do it again. That’s where and how our faith is built; by remembering all that God has done for us.
In this new year of 2015, please let’s remember all the wonderful things and times that God has intervened successfully on our behalf, because doing so directly boosts our faith.
By the way Friends, I just checked on the desktop computer and I got the big word that we’ve been waiting for all along; SUCCESS! My tech will be happy. I’m going to call him right now with the good news!
And that’s just what we’re talking about. I know that God has come through for me before in all sorts of situations, but yet still I allowed the computer difficulties to poison my mind. And the fact is that it’s so easy to forget our past mercies when times of trouble arise.
Now let’s close with these powerful faith building words of Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and fortress. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him:
I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:9-16)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, what magnificent and magnanimous promises God makes in that scripture for all those who turn to Him, for all those who know His name and cry out to Him for whatever reason; Lord God in heaven, Jehovah, Father, Almighty God!
Yes my brethren, it is indeed a most wonderful and mighty God we serve and worship! Please let’s never forget that and thus cry out to Him at all times, be they good or bad. That’s wisdom at its highest level! Much LOVE!
…who is a God so great as our God eh…NONE WHATSOEVER…!
31 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, an outward indication of an inner condition, Anne Daily Goodwin, as ye see the day approaching, attitudes, believers need to change, Christ-like, church meetings, circumstances, come up higher, comforting conclusions, congregations, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, encourage, encouragement, entire worship of christ, exhorting one another, faithfulness, faithfulness to God will grow, father in heaven, fellowship, foundations of our Christian faith, friends and neighbours, God doesn't change, God's faithfulness, godless deeds, good deeds, good works, gospel truth, Granny's warning, grow, grow closer to Jesus, Happy New Year, hatred, He is faithful that promised, hearts of hope, hold fast the profession of our faith, Jesus Christ, last day of 2014, let us consider one another, LOVE, make Jesus our number one priority, mature, mindsets, New Year's Eve, New Year's resolution, number one promise for 2015, peace, peace floats like music, peace shimmers like water, positive connotation, promote, relationship, room for improvement, spiritual food, stand strong and steadfast, start off on the right foot, stir up, strengthening, succour, sustenance, the assembling of ourselves together, the church is an interacting body, the nature and character of Jesus Christ, to provoke unto love and to good works, warm and welcoming homes, wavering, we thank you for your faithfulness, Wednesday, weighted on one side, win-win relationship, wisdom at its zenith, wishy-washy, worship
Hebrews 10:24. And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up, encourage) unto LOVE and to good works.
Oh Friends and neighbours, what can I say to us this fateful Wednesday morning eh, the last day of the very troubled and tumultuous year that was 2014?
As we said a few days ago, circumstances don’t really change much from one day to the next, but our attitudes and mindsets can. And it’s in that vein I want to address us today.
First of all, I want to remind us of a very salient and most important fact, through a prayer from the back of my late mother’s Bible. It says: ‘Father in heaven, we thank You for Your faithfulness during the past year. Help us to remember that Your faithfulness will go with us into the New Year. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.’
Yes my people, we need to remember that God’s faithfulness will not change, and hopefully, neither will ours. In fact, it’s a sincere wish that our faithfulness to Almighty God will grow with each passing day, so that we can have a win-win relationship with our Creator and Provider.
For no relationship can progress, or even last for any length of time if it is constantly weighted on one side, like our faithfulness to God can often be. We must keep being aware that God doesn’t change. He has no need to.
But we, His followers can change, and do need to in many respects. We definitely need to come up higher, to grow and mature in the nature and character of Jesus Christ.
That’s why we resolved to have only ONE overriding resolution this past year; to grow closer to Jesus each and every day, in some form and fashion. And we’ll continue to let that be our Number ONE promise to ourselves and each other for the coming year of 2015.
Oh my people, I know that all of us grew some this past year, some more than others. But the good news is that if we were truly concentrating on Christ in 2014, we would definitely have improved our relationship with Him. How much, only you and God can tell.
By the same token, we all have room for improvement, for growth. So let’s continue to stay the course, difficult though it may sometimes be, remembering that our faithful God has promised to be with us wherever we go, and to bring us out safely, more Christ-like, from whatever situations we’re forced to endure.
That brings us to some rather appropriate scripture verses that includes out Bit. The author of Hebrews, whom I sincerely believe is Bruh Paul, timely reminds us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up, encourage) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb.10:23-25)
Yes my brethren, if we want to see the full effect of God’s faithfulness, we do have to stand strong and steadfast in our faith, without wavering, without being wishy-washy.
But then we also have to stir up, to encourage our fellow believers, promoting LOVE and good works, which are the foundations of our Christian faith! We need to do this through constant assembling, regular fellowship, not a once in awhile attendance at church meetings.
Now hear some important explanations from the scholars on those verses above. ’10:24. The word translated provoke (Gr. paroxysmos) usually has a negative sense, as is witnessed by its only other New Testament usage (Acts 15:39).
The positive connotation which the word has in the present text means to stir up. It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it takes much more to stir up another to LOVE and good works.’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my people! It’s ever so much easier for us to do evil and ungodly deeds than to do godly and good ones!
Then ‘10:25. Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is an outward indication of an inner condition.
The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col.3:12-16).
It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor.12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’
Oh Friends, unfortunately that is often what we refuse to see. The church is supposed to be a totality of all things that pertain to Christ, and consequently to life itself. It’s where believers ought to go for succour and sustenance in whatever circumstance that afflicts us.
Anyway, I know you all are busy making your New Year’s preparations, so I won’t keep you any longer. (smile) We’ll end with this rather appropriate poem, an excerpt from an editorial by Ann Daily Goodwin published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on December 31 1986.
‘Peace rises like dawn in the hearts of hope…. Peace reaches from warm and welcoming houses when workers go home. Peace wraps congregations as worship comes to comforting conclusions…. Peace floats like music through cabin windows to porch-sitters outside. Peace shimmers like lake water on star-dashed extravagant nights….
Peace blesses the day’s end, in the Dylan Thomas way: “I turned the gas down. I got into bed. I said some words into the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.” And so the last page turns to the new page, and we wish the world a happy new year. In peace.’
Oh my beautiful Friends and Scrip-Bit family members, let’s hope and pray that 2015 is not such a tumultuous year as 2014 was! Let’s hope that it is filled with much more peace and LOVE and good deeds!
And we can start it off on the right foot by not overdoing it later tonight, by paying serious attention to Granny’s warning: drunk or sober, mind yuh business. That’s truly wisdom at its zenith! Have a happy New Year’s Eve my brethren in Christ. Much much much LOVE!
…if we make following Jesus our number ONE priority…then everything else in our lives will fall into place…
P.S. Please don’t expect the Bit too early tomorrow morning. For though my celebrations may be somewhat muted, compared to yours, they will continue late into the night, or early in the morning; your choice. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of joy, a very present help in trouble, anger, be not dismayed, be not far from me, be not wise in thine own eyes, believers, blessed be the Lord, blessings, bolster our faith in God, Bruh David, Canadian Thanksgiving, come up over a problem, courage, depart from evil, encouragement, faith, faithfulness, faithlessness, fear the Lord, fellowship, first day of the week, for there is none to help, for trouble is near, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, forgiveness, friendship, glory hallelujah, God is our refuge and strength, grace, guidance, health to thy navel, help, Hosea, I am in the midst of them, I am thy God, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness, in me is thine help, Israel, Jesus Christ, joy, like a bird from a snare, marrow to thy bones, mercies, our help is in the name of the Lord, our soul is escaped, praise for deliverance, praise the Lord for His goodness, promises, prosperity, protection, psalm 46, Sabbath Day, Selah, strength, succour, Sunday, thanksgiving, the Lord God Jehovah, the LOVE of Jesus christ, Togetherness, truth, wanton, we will not fear, words of wisdom, worldly, worship
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Well hello there Friends and Neighbours, another Sunday has rolled around! As the song says: ‘We’re right back where we started from;’ Sunday, the first day of the week.
And that means fellowship, worship, a gathering of faithful believers to give thanks and praise and receive blessings, encouragement, friendship, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and all the wonderful things our great God so generously bestows on us, His marvellous children! (smile)
And all God’s children declared a loud and ecstatic’ Praise the Lord for His goodness to us, undeserving though we may be!’
Yes Friends, our great God is indeed worthy of much praise, especially on this weekend when we choose to celebrate the feast of Thanksgiving here in Canada. That means all the sanctuaries should be filled to overflowing with believers, whether there are thousands in a big, new, pretty building, or a handful under a mango or apple tree. (smile)
Remember what Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) So the surroundings aren’t all that important, just the people and what’s in their hearts – the LOVE of Jesus! Consequently, ALL believers ought to find some means of joining with others to celebrate the Sabbath Day in the Lord’s Name!
And remember too Friends, that when we treat the Sabbath Day, the first day of the week, as it ought to be treated; with worship, praise and togetherness, then the rest of the week will unfurl so much better than if we are wanton and worldly. It’s always better to come up over a situation or a problem, than to have the situation or problem come up over you.
And the only way we can do that on a fairly consistent basis is by turning to the Lord God Jehovah for help at ALL TIMES! Why? Because as our Bit so wisely and truthfully declares: ‘Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’ And truer words were never spoken my brethren!
So let’s continue with some scripture passages that prove our point and bolster our faith in Almighty God. And we’ll begin with these poignant words from Psalm 46 – God is our refuge and strength, from the sons of Korah. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (heart) of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:1-3)
Yeh Friends, take a moment to ponder those statements nuh! What words of wisdom, truth, courage, strength and faithfulness!
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 124 – Praise for deliverance from enemies. ‘Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of a snare of the fowlers (bird trappers): the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.124:6-8)
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people? It certainly is!
But just in case you don’t believe the psalmists, then hear the words of God Himself, as spoken through the prophet Isaiah, re the final restoration of Israel. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10)
Oh my fellow believers, what could be more uplifting and encouraging than that eh? Nothing! When our powerful and faithful God promises something, we know for a fact that it will come to pass, for He cannot lie, and thus ALWAYS does as He says! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s why I can’t understand how, in this modern day and age, when everything is going haywire and things are topsy-turvy, we are turning away from God in anger and faithlessness, rather than running full speed into His ever-LOVING arms for protection, strength, LOVE, succour and guidance.
And just to prove that our wonderful God is not a wishy-washy, unfaithful Deity, who just talks for talk sake, listen to the prophet Hosea, as he declares the Lord’s words, when foretelling the destruction of Israel.
‘O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.’ (Hos.13:9-11)
Yes Friends, through the source of His mighty power, the Lord gives…and He also takes! Which man or other supposed deity can say Him nay eh? NONE WHATSOEVER!
So my people, on this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, let’s all make it a time of joy nuh, of giving serious and sincere thanks, of being faithful, of getting together in worship, and above all, remembering that Jehovah God is the source from which all blessings, help, prosperity and all good things flow. Do have a happy Thanksgiving weekend. Much LOVE!
…be not wise in thine own eyes…fear the Lord…and depart from evil…it shall be health to thy navel (body)…and marrow (strength) to thy bones… (Prov.3:7-8)
09 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of choice, accepted Jesus, affection, battered, be wise, believe that Jesus is the Christ, blessed are those who have not seen me yet believed, bruised, clandestine visit, conversion, criticism, disrepair, Elijah, eternal life, evil doers, feed my sheep, God incarnate, God's plan, God's plan for our lives, God's word is truth, godless people, goodwill, gospel of John, Jesus keeps us afloat, lifeless, live our lives in union with God's plan, LOVE, man of God, meditate on God's Word, messenger of God, miracle, Nicodemus, Oh Jesus, only believe, options, pain, peace, Peter, prophet, Proverbs, read God's word, reception of god's message, revealed his glory, salvation, sanctification, sarcasm, seer, servant of the Lord, son of god, storms of life, strife, strong anchor, succour, the times of storm, the word of the Lord is truth, Thomas, thou art a man of god, thou knowest all things, Thursday, truly believe, truth, turning water into wine, unbelief, unbelievers, wedding of Cana in Galilee, wisdom of the world
1 Kings 17:24. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.
And then Friends, it was Thursday! The week’s moving right along as the Lord programmed it. Likewise, our lives are moving right along in union with God’s plan for them. The difference though between the days of the week and us, is that the former has no choice, so they have to move as He dictates.
But as God’s supposed greatest creation, we were given a state, an option of choice. We can choose to follow His plans for us or not. And unfortunately too many of us in the world are choosing not to follow God’s plan for their lives. That’s one of the major reasons why our world is in such a sad state of disrepair and strife.
Now my brethren, following our own plans, those of the world, or other people is definitely not a wise move on our part, because the best plan for each human life is the one that God has prepared for it from the beginning of time!
So please don’t allow the unbelievers, evildoers and other godless people to fool us into thinking otherwise, because in the long run, we are the ones who will suffer most for that mistake. When we live in union with God’s plan for our lives, they take on an entirely different character and quality; one of peace, LOVE and goodwill!
We have internal rest even when the storms of life are raging all around us. In other words, the strong anchor that is Jesus keeps us afloat and steady, whereas if we accept the foolish wisdom of the world, we’ll end up being thrown upon the rocks, battered and bruised, and even lifeless in the times of storm.
And the only way to know God’s plan for our lives is to talk to Him about it, read His Word and meditate on it. You will find succour for your pain and everything else that you need because His Word is TRUTH and nothing else!
As the widow in our Bit confirms to Elijah: ‘And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.’
And before we get into the scriptures for today, I want to share some interesting info from the scholars, re terms for those who do God’s work.
It’s a note for ‘1 Sam. 9:16-11. Three terms for prophet occur in these verses: Seer, which stresses the reception of God’s message; Prophet, which emphasizes that the messenger is truly called of God to pronounce His word to the people; and man of God, which underscores the messenger’s relationship to God. He is above all, God’s man.
Other terms include: “messenger of the Lord,” which reminds the prophet of his task of bearing God’s word and “servant of the Lord,” which underscores his task before God as called to serve.’
I do hope that makes our understanding of those terms a little clearer. Now what I want to do today is relate some scripture where people begin believing that Jesus was indeed Lord, and His words were absolute truth. I believe they all come from the gospel of John.
And we’ll begin at the beginning, which is usually the best place to start. (smile) That brings us to Jesus’ first miracle; turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. What a miraculous wine that must have been! I’d surely like to taste it! It must have gone down real smooth, as the governor of the feast remarked. (smile)
The Good Book informs us: ‘This beginning of miracles (signs) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth (revealed) his glory; and his disciples believed on him.’ (John 2:11)
And per the scholars: ‘2:11. Jesus’ miracles always had a purpose. This miracle resulted in the manifestation of his glory (cf.1:14), and in his disciples belief in Him (cf.20:31).’
Then we have the nocturnal, clandestine visit of Nicodemus, the Pharisee and Jewish leader. ‘The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him.’ (John 3:2)
Now the scholars surmise that Nicodemus came to Jesus: ‘3:2. By night: Probably he feared criticism. John refers several times to “fear of the Jews” (see 7:13; 9:22; 12:42-43; 19:38). Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a teacher and a rabbi from God who worked miracles, but Jesus was not impressed with the depth of Nicodemus’s belief or understanding. Many unbelievers still agree that Jesus was “a great man.”
Oh Jesus was indeed a great man, but even more than that, He was God incarnate!
Then we come to that time when Jesus spoke to the disciples saying: ‘These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs (figurative language): but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs (figurative language), but I shall show (tell) you plainly of the Father.
At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself LOVETH you, because ye have LOVED me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb (use no figures of speech). Now we are sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?’ (John 16:25-31)
I like the little touch of sarcasm in Jesus’ question: ‘So now you believe eh? What were you doing all along?’ (smile)
Next up is when Jesus got on Peter’s case about feeding His sheep. ‘He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, LOVEST thou me (do you have affection for me)? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time LOVEST thou me (do you have affection for me)? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I LOVE (have affection for) thee, Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.’ (John 21:17)
Peter admits that Jesus knows everything, including His LOVE for Him, so why the continued questioning?
And finally, we come to Thomas’ unbelief. Only when he saw the marks on Jesus body from the cruel wounds of His crucifixion, did Thomas believe. ‘Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through (in) his name.’ (John 20:29-31)
And the scholars explain: ’20:30-31. John tells us here he wrote this gospel for purposes of conversion, that ye might believe, and of sanctification, that ye might have life.’
Yes Friends, there is no mistaking that Jesus, was, is and will always be the Christ, the Son of God! And believing that will bring you salvation and eternal life, the greatest gifts ever bestowed on mankind! Wow! So please, let’s be wise and truly believe! Much LOVE!
…ONLY BELIEVE…and the rest will follow naturally…
10 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Anakim, assurance of victory, before thy face, believe, believers in Jesus Christ, bondage, brings joy to our souls, comfort, consuming fire, destroy them, Deuteronomy, disobedient, Egypt, exodus, faith, faithfulness, fellowship with other believers, fenced up to heaven, first day of the week, fulfill His promise to Abraham, glorify, God's wisdom, goodness, he shall thrust out the enemy, help, holy spirit, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful praise and worship, lack of true faith, LOVE, magnify, miracles of God, Moses, one word from the Bible, pass over Jordan, possess the land, praise, prayer, Promised Land, protective and comforting wings, puts a positive spin on our doings, raises our spirits, readies us for Monday, refuge, righteousness., saviour jesus christ, sing, stiff-necked people, stubborn, succour, Sunday, surrender, the Bible is God's word to us, the eternal God is our refuge, the good news of Jesus, the Lord's Day, trust, truths, underneath are the everlasting arms, uprightness, wander in the wilderness, wickedness, wisdom, wonders, worship, worshipping, worth more than all man's wisdom
Deuteronomy 33:27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and he shall say, Destroy them.
Aye mih people, fellow believers in Jesus Christ, once again the week has come full circle – Sunday to Sunday. Yeh, it’s time to begin another new week on the Lord’s Day.
And I was guided by the person of the Holy Spirit to remind us of two unassailable, irreversible truths. The first is that the Bible is God’s Word to us, and remains fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom embedded in its pages.
And the second truth is that ONE truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man.
Oh Friends, please let’s spend a quiet moment and contemplate on those two statements, while writing them indelibly in our hearts and souls, for they will certainly help to guide us along the straight and narrow path that we need to adhere to, to successfully follow our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And now having reminded us of those two glorious truths, (smile) let’s also remind us that the Lord’s Day is the day we generally get together with other believers in His sanctuary to sing and praise, worship, glorify and magnify our heavenly Father, Jehovah God! So please, let’s get ourselves together and find ourselves in a place of worship sometime today.
And the great thing about getting together to worship, is not only that it magnifies and glorifies God, but it also raises our spirits, puts a positive spin on our doings, brings joy to our souls and readies us for the coming Monday, the first day of the work week!
Yes Friends, having participated in joyful praise and worship on Sunday, undoubtedly enables us to face the daunting Monday without fear. In fact we are enabled to face it with complete assurance, joy and the oodles of positive opportunities that will be available to help us spread the good news of Jesus and His wonderful doings! In other words, to face Monday fearlessly and positively, we have to start getting ready on Sunday by worshipping.
And today we’ll continue with the message of our Bit from yesterday. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
Yes Friends, that’s our great God! We have already seen how He is the safest and most wonderful refuge we can ever have, how He gathers us under His protective and comforting wings like the hens gather their chickens under their wings, and how He provides awesome comfort to all who believe and come to Him for succour.
Now let’s look at the second half of the Bit: ‘…and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
And my brethren, that is exactly what the Lord said to the Israelites through Moses, at the beginning of their Exodus from bondage in Egypt. Listen to what Moses told them way back in chapter 9 of Deuteronomy.
‘Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go into possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced (fortified) up to heaven, A people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the children of Anak!
Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.
Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For (because of) my righteousness the Lord hath brought me to possess this land: but for (because) the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform (fulfill) the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ (Deut.9:1-5)
Yes Friends, the Lord made it abundantly clear that they would inherit the Promised Land, not because of their righteousness, since they were already a stubborn, disobedient and stiff-necked people, but because of His will and the wickedness of the people then inhabiting the Land. Above all, it would fulfill His promise to their fathers to give the land to their descendants.
But even with God’s assurance of victory, the Israelites were afraid, and showed that fear and stubbornness by refusing to cross over the Jordan and take the land. And it’s not like they hadn’t experienced the wonders, goodness and miracles of God during their exodus from Egypt.
That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty more years, until all the people who had come out of Egypt had died. It simply showed a lack of true faith and trust in the God of their fathers, in spite of all He had done for them. That, to the Lord was definitely not acceptable.
Ah mih people, how many of us today behave the same way eh? How many of us have God assuring us of victory in some area(s) of our lives, but because of fear or some other negative emotion, we refuse to take the next step, that leap of faith that will solidify our trust in His LOVE and faithfulness? How many of us have missed out, or are missing out on God’s blessings like the stubborn and fearful Israelites eh?
Oh Friends, that is not the way Jesus expects His followers to live. We can’t say we trust and believe and surrender, then don’t do what He asks or guides us to do! That just makes our faith a total lie!
So please, for today’s ‘ponderation’ (smile), let’s take serious stock of our actual level of faith nuh, not the one we believe we have, but the real nitty gritty one, and see where we are falling down in the things that Jesus asks and expects of us, and then, with sincere prayer, ask Him to help us improve.
Now that is what is termed absolute wisdom! For He WILL NEVER refuse our requests in that area. Much LOVE!
…if God has been faithful to us in the past…why would we ever doubt Him in the present and the future…
09 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years in thy sight, a watch in the night, actions, assurance, caring, character, clothing, comfort, comforting God, count our blessings, destiny, dwelling place, evil, faithfully promised, favour, food, fortress, Friends and family, from everlasting to everlasting, God Jehovah, habitation, habits, hard-headed, health, heaven on earth, Israel, Joyce Meyer, loving god, Lucifer, magnaimous God, Moses, obey, omnipotent, problems, prosperity, protection, refuge, salvation, Scrip-Bit Friends, secret place of the Most High, shadow of the Almighty, shelter, Sister Joyce, stubborn, succour, summer's day, the eternal God is our refuge, the Promised Land, times of danger, tribulation, trouble, trust, underneath are the everlasting arms, watch your thoughts, watch your words, water, wealth
Deuteronomy 33:27. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
Well a good Saturday morning to you and yours, my Scrip-Bit Friends and family! Hope this message reaches you all in good health, wealth and prosperity. (smile) It’s supposed to be a glorious summer’s day in my neck of the woods, let’s hope it’s the same in yours.
But yuh know what, even if the weather’s not the greatest, neither is our health or finances, it’s imperative my people that we look on the positive side of the ledger. There are a whole lot of things that we need to be thankful for, especially Jesus, salvation and eternal life. Not to mention the daily blessings and mercies that our magnanimous God showers down on us.
So although things might appear to be somewhat on the rough side, the reality is that we, in this Western Society are living much better than 80 or 90 percent of the world. Most of us have food, water, clothing and shelter at our beck and call, not so many many of our fellow earthlings. So please let’s learn to count our blessings instead of our problems.
Our God Jehovah is a great God, and if we obediently and consistently hang out with Him, He will eventually alleviate our problems and bring us out in better shape on the other side, as He has so faithfully promised. (Rom.8:28)
Now listen to this interesting but supposed anonymous quote on habits, I heard Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) talk about recently. It says: ‘Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.’
And isn’t that the living truth my people, for everything we do has meaning and importance in our lives, sometimes good, sometimes bad! So if we want to have a good destiny, then we need to follow the path that brings goodness. Likewise, if we desire an evil outcome, then the wide and winding road will do that. All of that simply means we have to carefully watch what we think, say and do, since they will all eventually forge together and make us who we are.
Now let’s take a gender at our Bit; some of Moses’ last words, as he blessed the tribes of Israel. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’
And that is exactly what the Lord said to the Israelites when He told them to go in and capture the Promised Land. But they were afraid to cross over the Jordan and take what had been promised to them, thus they wandered for forty years in the desert, till all those who had come out of Egypt had died. That is what happens Friends, when we don’t obey the dictates of our God, especially when we’ve constantly been the recipients of His favour in past times.
Anyway, what I really want to talk about in this message is not Israel’s or our disobedience, but the fact that our God is indeed a refuge, and as His children, we abide under the safety of His outstretched everlasting arms.
Like chickens who flock under their mother’s wings for protection in times of danger, and also simply for LOVE, caring and comfort, so too we are called to flock under the mighty wings of our omnipotent and LOVING God for those same things. Yes my brethren, that’s how wonderful, fatherly and motherly God treats His children… those who wisely come to Him for succour.
Now let’s check out some scripture on the subject. And what better place to begin than with the only Psalm written by Moses and the oldest one in the Psalter. He begins it thus: ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed (gave birth to) the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’ (Ps.90:1-4)
Oh Friends, what a mighty but ever-LOVING, caring, considerate and comforting God we serve!
How did Bruh Paul refer to Him? ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4)
Oh my fellow believers what an assuring piece of scripture that is! God comforts us, so that we can comfort others. Wow! And people still find it hard to believe in Him. Ah Lord eh! How stubborn and hard-headed can we be to refuse God’s blessings and mercies?
Now listen to the psalmist as he unequivocally declares in Psalm 91: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ (Ps.91:1-2)
Then later on he continues: ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder (cobra); the young lion and the dragon (serpent) shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life (length of days) will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:9-16)
Oh Friends, that says it all! How much more do we expect from God eh? This not a mickey-mouse operation He’s running, but something very serious. So for all those who are quick to find fault, whine and complain, I say go ahead and deal with Lucifer and his evil minions, but as for me and mine, we shall follow the Lord! And that’s wisdom for all ages my brethren! Much LOVE!
…to dwell under God’s wings…is to dwell in a place of peace and LOVE…HEAVEN ON EARTH…
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