03 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bark, be careful of what you wish for, beyond comprehension, beyond expectation, boggles our imagination, by horsemen, by horses, by my spirit, by osmosis, bypass the Spirit's guiding, Canada Day, celebrations, communicating with the Father, creativity, diligent study, electrify me, escape, friend of Jesus, gently whisper, Glory be, go astray, God's unreal power, Godhead, grow in faith, happen overnight, heat-wave, heavenly Father, hide, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, Hosea, huffing and puffing, hurry, indwells us, invade, know the word, lead and guide, lends a hand, listen carefully, LOVE, loving-kindness, magnificent power, manmade inplements, mature in the faith, mercy, mystique, nor by battle, nor by power, nor by sword, not by bow, not by might, on our lonesome, One Year Book of Bible promises, pay attention to, penetrate every fibre, permeate me, praise, praise the performance, precious people, reality of work, revere, reward me, right from wrong, righteousness, run, Ruth Harms Calkin, searing heat, serve, share jesus' love, shout, sincere determination, startles me, summer weather, the beloved of God, the House of Judah, the intentions of God, the Task, the very thought of it, the Worker Bee, Tuesday Mantra, utterly impossible, will save them, wisdom, wonder of wonders, worry, worship, Zechariah
Zechariah 4:6b. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
‘Heat wave! It’s a heat wave! Yes a heat wave!’ Ah friends, the summer heat wave continues on this Tuesday morning after our hearty Canada Day celebrations, and the reality of work hits us once again. (smile) And I believe the searing heat might continue all week. As they say, be careful of what you wish for. We wished for summer weather, and we’re getting truly summer weather.
That brings me to a poem I want to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s called ‘The Task’, and it resembles our reality so much that I just had to share it. Please read with me: ‘Lord, You give me a task So utterly impossible So totally beyond comprehension – The very thought of it Startles me. I want to run hide escape Anything, Lord.
Then you electrify me You invade and permeate me You penetrate every fibre of me Until the task is accomplished By your own magnificent power. Then you praise the performance Your creativity achieved And you reward me beyond expectation – As though I had done it All by myself My Father.’
Oh precious people of God, isn’t that just how our wonderful heavenly Father behaves! He gives us something to do that seems impossible and we want to run and hide, escape somehow from doing it because it just boggles our imagination. But then, in His LOVING-kindness, our Father steps in and lends a hand, guides us, and sometimes does most of the hard work, until we accomplish the seemingly impossible task He assigned us.
And then, wonder of wonders, He gives us much praise and glory and reward, as though we had done it all on our lonesome! Wow! How wonderful is He eh!
Mankind always want to take the glory for what they do, but our heavenly Father shares it with us, so that we can be encouraged and grow in faith and LOVE, because in the natural, we can’t do very much on our own. That’s why He never gives us more than we can do, and when our tasks seem overwhelming, He steps in and helps us to accomplish them. Now that’s the kind of God I can LOVE and revere, and praise and give thanks to!
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today, the awesome verse from the prophet Zechariah: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’
Yes my faithful breddren, our omnipotent God from way back when, does most of His work quietly and efficiently through the third part of the Holy Trinity; the Holy Spirit that now indwells us. You won’t see a lot of huffing and puffing and exaggerated action, just a cool and powerful mystique as it were. That just shows the awesome power that resides in the Godhead that we serve and worship! And so it should be, otherwise there’s no reason to worship it.
Now hear this scripture from Hosea that emphasizes God’s unreal power. Per the unfaithful people of Judah, He promised: ‘But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.’ (Hos.1:7)
Glory be mih people! The Lord doesn’t have to use man, nor animals, nor manmade implements to fight and win battles for us! He simply uses His Holy Spirit; what I term the Worker Bee of the Holy Trinity, because He does ALL the work that’s necessary in the Father’s domain.
But unfortunately too many of us don’t pay sufficient attention to the Holy Spirit, even though He now dwells in us and is there to lead and guide us in righteousness. That’s why we so often go astray. The problem is that the Holy Spirit will not shout and bark at us, but will gently whisper to our spirit, letting us know what’s right from wrong. So if we don’t listen carefully, and don’t know the word, it’s easy to bypass the Spirit’s guiding.
That’s why it’s so essential my brethren to know God’s word and to pay attention to what His Spirit is saying and doing within us, because that’s how He generally communicates with us. It’s all through the Holy Spirit friends! So to grow and mature in the faith, we need to be more circumspect in listening to and learning of and from the hard working Spirit of God that lives in us and is continually sharing the Father’s intentions with us.
And it just doesn’t happen overnight, or by osmosis, (smile) but by diligent study and sincere determination. So true wisdom dictates that we start paying better and more serious attention to what the Holy Spirit is doing within us. End of sermon!
Now for those of us who are serious about communicating with the Father through His Spirit, let’s go home today declaring our Tuesday Mantra, boldly and confidently proclaiming to the world who and whose we are.
In one, strong and enthusiastic voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And as always, the corollary to that mantra is to go out and share the awesome LOVE and friendship of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as He so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…the Spirit of God works within us…to show us the intentions of God…
27 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a pilgrim, Advocate, all good things must end, blazed the trail, bloodshed, broken resolves, can't run nor hide from God, caught short, consistent, contradiction of sinners, control my impulses, covered, crucifixion, despising the shame, discouraged, emotions, endurance, endured the cross, excuses, failures, faint, finished the course, finisher, fix our eyes on Jesus, fixed on Jesus, flimsy excuses, foolish blunders, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, halfway home, hide form the sky, hope, hostility, I need your help Lord, invincible power, joy, keep our gaze, late appointments, laziness, life's race, looking forward, looking unto Jesus, my hands on the plough, nefarious motives, never quit, not looking back, originator, pay our sin debt, penetrating gaze, perfector of our faith, polished excuses, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificial death, self-educated, set down, shame, steadfast, striving against sin, summer weather, the author, the breath of life, the finish line, the Grand Canyon, the Lord's scrutiny, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the right hand of God, the supreme example of endurance, unreachable goals, valuable gems, wasted time, wearied, Wednesday Wail, wrong choices
Hebrews 12:2. Looking unto to (let us fix our eyes on) Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Well friends, as they say, all good things must end! And it looks like this delightful, unexpected party of summer weather is over as of today! Chuh! But we’ve certainly enjoyed it while it lasted.
As of tomorrow, we’re supposed to go to highs of around 19 Celsius, which is more like the normal temp for this time of year. So enjoy today’s twenty something high, cause it’s the last time we’ll see it for a long, long while. (smile)
And today, I have an interesting excerpt to share from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I can’t remember if I’ve ever shared it before, but it certainly applies to a lot of us believers. It’s simply titled ‘Excuses.’
Please read with me. ‘O God I’ve become a self-educated master Of a thousand polished excuses. Hoping to avoid your penetrating gaze I clutch them to me like valuable gems. When I think I have myself thoroughly covered I’m caught short with the realization That you can see right through me. My flimsy excuses are never really hidden.
I find an excuse for all my failures Wrong choices Late appointments Wasted time. I excuse my foolish blunders, my laziness My broken resolves, my unreachable goals. I need your help, Lord! To hide from You is as foolish As the Grand Canyon Attempting to hide from the sky.
O God, my only hope Lies in your invincible power To make me what I am not yet But what you know I can become. Strengthen my will, Lord. Make me firm, steadfast, consistent. Control my impulses, my emotions. May I keep pursuing and never quit.’
Ah mih people, I’m sure all of us, at some time or other have made various excuses to God why we didn’t or couldn’t do something He desired of us, but deep down we knew that those excuses were pretty flimsy and couldn’t hold up to the Lord’s scrutiny.
I don’t know why we insist on doing that foolishness nuh, when we very well know that the Lord can see right into our heart and detect the truth, including our nefarious motives. We all know that being a pilgrim here on earth is not easy, but we do have the wherewithal to handle whatever comes against us.
And if we truly feel unable or afraid to do something, it’s better to go to God with the truth, than with a flimsy, selfish excuse. Remember, we can’t ever run, nor hide from God! But some of us still insist on trying. (smile)
And the Bible verse for that poem, as well as today’s Bit, is one we all know. ‘Looking unto to (let us fix our eyes) on Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
Yeh friends, in rough and uncertain times we need to keep our gaze fixed completely on Jesus, seeing how He handled His hard times and trying to do likewise. Our Bit talks about the joy that was set before Jesus. Yuh think His physical ‘sufferation’ and unholy crucifixion were joyful?
Surely not! But the joy was the knowledge that His sacrificial death would set us free, pay our sin debt in full, and then elevate Him to the right hand of the Father, where He could still advocate on our behalf. That was the joy which Jesus beheld friends!
And the scholars tell us: ’12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus has already done it all, we don’t need to carve out a new trail, just follow the one He has blazed.
And I like the two verses after our Bit. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin.’ (Heb.12:3-4)
For sure friends, the majority of us have not, and will never come up against anything close to what Jesus endured on our behalf. So just remember when things get rough and tough, that Jesus is the supreme example of endurance, both physical and spiritual, andHe is the One we must always look to, as a mighty example, and for help in our own endurance.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, which shows that we are truly on the right path, the straight and narrow one. In strong voice, with true sincerity: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
How could it be anything other than that eh mih breddren? Much LOVE!
…what a glorious example we have in Jesus…in how to live a pilgrim’s life…
26 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parable, A prayer of confidence, believers, believing, calmly, carry on, confidence, corporate matter, darkest just before the dawn, devastating times, difficult times, do the Lord's work, don't faint, don't forget, don't give up, dr robert h schuller, Ephesians, face challenges, faith, fall, forgiveness, gloomy weather, God will rescue me, God's armour, heat for so, hurry, in the rear end, indispensable, individual, Jesus Christ, lifeline, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, men ought always to pray, mercy, my conscience is clear, my friend Jesus, not afraid, not to faint, on our side, pain, past experience, perseverance, praise, prayer, praying, praying always, problems, raise our level of faith, saints, serenely, share His love, spirit of confidence, spiritual power, stress, suck it up, summer weather, supplication, surging in my eart, tailspin, Thank You God, thanks, the beloved of God, the importance of prayer, the Lord's goodness, the right decision, this is the day the Lord has made, to this end, trust, Tuesday Mantra, umbilical cord, vigilant, we will rejoice and be glad in it, winter, worry, worship
Luke 18:1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Behold friends, it’s another glorious Tuesday morning in my area! And as the old people would remark ‘heat for so!’ (smile)
Don’t know when they’re going to end. But like all things, this current beautiful summer weather will eventually morph into the cold and gloomy weather of fall and then winter.
It’s only a matter of time. So we had better enjoy it while it lasts. That’s why we can all shout, ‘this is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
Oh my people, I know that’s difficult for many of us to say and truly mean because we’re undergoing enormous stress and problems, but we just have to suck it up, raise our level of faith and carry on.
Even me, right now, I’m having some painful hip problems, and it’s indeed a pain in the rear end, both literally and figuratively, (smile) I can’t walk properly, or sleep properly, or do any kind of physical movement without some sudden, unexpected pain in some area.
Just coming down here to my basement office to write the Bit was a source of annoying pain. But I just have to do whatever it takes to keep on doing the Lord’s work. And from past experience, I know that He will enable me to do it, if I hang in there.
That’s what our faith is all about friends! Let’s not forget the Lord’s goodness and mercy in our past. Remembering what He has done in the past for us, ought to make us stronger and help us to stick with His word, to keep believing and keep praying.
And talking about praying, here is something I’ve shared before from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, but it’s one of those inspiring prayers that we need to share over and over. It’s titled ‘A Prayer For Confidence.’
Please pray with me: ‘It is flowing into me now, for my conscience is clear. I have made the right decision. I am not afraid of problems. I will face challenges calmly and serenely for God is behind me. He will help me. If I must go through difficult times, He will rescue me.
I feel His spirit of confidence surging in my heart now. With Him I cannot possibly fail. “If God is for me who can be against me?” I have a strong feeling that everything is going to work out just beautifully. Thank you, God. Amen!’
Ah mih people, what sincere words of reassurance! And I do hope that you feel the surging confidence, the ultimate and enormous power of our omnipotent and merciful God flowing through you right now! I do!
It’s that spiritual power inspired by prayer and praise, worship and thanks that gets us moving despite all the negative aspects of our lives. We can’t give up friends, especially in these rough and devastating times. As I keep saying, right now we need prayer and faith more than ever, for our world is definitely in a dangerous tailspin.
And there’s no better time than RIGHT NOW to invoke our Bit. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’
Remember that was Jesus’ advice to the throng that followed Him. And as faithful believers, we ought to take his advice seriously and do whatever He commands.
So, please, I urge us, implore us, to keep on praying, to not give up, to not faint, even though the future seems dark and dreary because it’s often darkest just before the dawn, and with our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, on our side, anything can happen at any time.
Now let’s look at a magnificent verse of scripture which totally shows us the importance of prayer. They are the awesome words of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians as he explains the putting on of God’s armour.
At the end, he specifies: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18)
And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is when Satan attacks.
In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means “being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both an individual and corporate matter.’
Oh friends, I do hope that shows us how important and indispensable prayer is in our lives. Now, having read and inwardly digested all that, let’s go home joyfully declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know in no uncertain terms, who and whose we are.
In unison now: I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory to God my faithful brethren! Now let’s go out and share the LOVE, mercy and forgiveness of our Saviour, as He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…prayer is the believer’s lifeline…his umbilical cord to God…
22 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afraid, annals of mankind, another one bites the dust, be not dismayed, be strong, believers in Christ, blessed is the people, blessings, bolstered, Book of the Law, calamity, celebrating, debilitated, depart out of thy mouth, devastation, disturbed, earthquake, eat drink and be merry, encouragement, enemy, even keel, evil, exalted, faith, fear, fear not, fellowship, fight the good fight of faith, followers of Jesus, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, God's sure promises to David, godlessness, godlier society, goes overboard, good success, hurricane, I am thy God, I am with thee, I will strengthen thee, in Jesus' name, in the light, Isaiah, Joshua, lagniappe, lead us astray, leeway, let the waters flow, make thy way prosperous, Maria, meditate, Mexico City, of a good courage, only time will tell, party hearty, Puerto Rico, rejoice, relaxation, repentant, retro, righteousness, rise from the ashes, seek God's kingdom, sinful nature, soldiers of Christ, summer weather, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Dominican Republic, the glory of their strength, the Holy One of Israel, the joyful sound, the Lord is our defense, the Lord thy God, the music blast out, the promise, the right hand of my righteousness, the weekend, the workingman, to give you the kingdom, uphold thee, we shall die, week of work, wiser, young folks, your Father's good pleasure
Luke 12:32. Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
And another one bites the dust…well possibly two! Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have recently felt the wicked lash of hurricane Maria, and who knows where it’s going to land next. Meanwhile, they are still trying to come to terms with the earthquake in Mexico City…
Ah mih people, these are certainly rough and tough, but also interesting times in the annals of mankind. How will we end up, what will our society look like after the devastation eh?
Will it be more of the same evil, godlessness, or will a wiser, repentant and godlier society rise from the ashes of our calamity? Only God knows. And only time will tell. For all our sakes though, let’s hope our future is based sincerely on the latter option.
But with all that misfortune going on, it still doesn’t stop the workingman from declaring his Friday anthem: ’TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is finally here! Regardless of what’s happening in the rest of the world, we going to party hearty…eat, drink and be merry!
For who knows, tomorrow, or even today we shall die! So bring on the good times, especially in this extra summer weather we getting here! Let the waters flow…the food pile up…and the music blast out! Thank God is Friday and we done work for another week!’
Oh friends, that is exactly the kind of attitude we’re trying to counteract. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the end of the workweek, but the limits to which we go is another story. The workingman’s definitely goes overboard. A more sober and constructive one would be like our Friday Chant.
So let’s chant it with nuff enthusiasm nuh! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih breddren, to many of the young folks that might sound too retro for them, but it’s the kind of thing that the Lord desires; we enjoy His blessings, but keep our feet on an even keel so the enemy doesn’t get any leeway into our lives.
And quite rightly, though we are all concerned about what’s happening worldwide, and also close to home, if we are living with and for Jesus then we should not be disturbed or blatantly afraid.
For as He said, if we seek God’s kingdom as our priority, the Lord will satisfy all our needs. And as a lagniappe, or extra encouragement, Jesus tells us in our Bit: ‘Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’
And if Jesus says it’s so, then it’s obviously so, for He has no reason whatsoever to lie or lead us astray. However, our natural sinful nature encourages fear much more than faith, so today we’re just going to concentrate on a few passages from God’s word on the subjects of fear and faith, beginning with this famous verse from Deuteronomy.
‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6) Oh my faithful followers of Jesus, our God can’t say it in any plainer language than that.
But in Isaiah, He unfailingly repeats the promise, the invitation to partner with Him. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10)
And friends, if we truly believe the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Creator and controller of the universe, then we should not have any problems believing His word. But my favourite verses on fear and faith come from God’s command to Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:8-9)
And if that doesn’t grab you right in your heart my people, then I don’t know what will. But we’ll end with these uplifting words from Ethan, the Ezrahite from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David.
‘Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn (strength) shall be exalted. For the Lord is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.’ (Ps.89:15-18)
That’s for certain sure my fellow believers in Christ. Now let’s stand strong as soldiers of Christ, and fight the good fight of faith, as He desires of us nuh! Much LOVE!
…one can only stand strong…if one is bolstered by faith…and not debilitated by fear…
01 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: another great day in paradise, apply it to my life, autumn season, bounden duty, but my words shall not pass away, contemplate, day after day, fear ye not, feel the Spirit of Jesus, first day of October 2015, forgiveness, gentleness, God is our god for ever, God your word is so demanding, God's faithfulness, God's goodness, grab a bite of it, great stretches of my time, heaven and earth shall pass away, intrusive, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus our High Priest, joy, LOVE, meditate on God's Word, my salvation from generation to generation, obedience, One Year Book of Bible promises, oodles of joy, our guide even unto death, physical warmth, ponder, rejoicing of my heart, righteousness., Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, small potatoes, So demanding, spiritual well-being, summer weather, tell it to the generation following, the foundation of the earth, the moth shall eat them up, the peace that passes all understanding, the reproach of men, the sons of Korah, the sun and Son are shining, the worm shall eat them like wool, thou art the same, transforms me, welcome
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Welcome, welcome! Welcome one and all to another great day on God’s earthly paradise! It promises to be a terrific Thursday, this first day of October 2015!
Thankfully both the Sun and the Son are shining brightly; the first giving out physical warmth and the second spiritual well-being. I believe though that the physical warmth part will now be much less pronounced in the northern climes as the fall weather seems to be setting in in earnest now.
It’s somewhat cool and the leaves are turning brown and falling. The ‘summerish’ weather we’ve been having for the past couple weeks had to end some time. But we’re still very thankful for it. So welcome also to a glorious autumn season full of wonderful colours!
And I also have to be thankful that my mouth isn’t hurting as badly as it was yesterday – Glory to God! My jaw is still tender though and I still can’t eat properly on the tooth, but that’s small potatoes compared to the pain that I was previously experiencing.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I wasn’t planning to use anything from it today, but after reading this poem yesterday, I couldn’t help but share it, since it’s so reminiscent of our behaviour.
It’s called ‘So Demanding,’ and it says: ‘God, Your Word is so demanding. It demands great stretches of my time – Not just occasionally But day after day, year after year. I can’t just grab a bite of it With one hand in the dishwasher Or on the steering wheel While I’m backing out of the garage.
Your Word insists that I ponder That I contemplate and meditate That I seriously apply it to my life. It insists on obedience and forgiveness On gentleness and LOVE. Its claim upon me is absolute. Only as I obey Can I know the peace That passes all understanding.
But God Its very insistence transforms me For it proclaims Your faithfulness In superlative terms. As I give it my fixed, steady attention my composure increases My anxiety decreases And I am supported on every side.
Jeremiah said, “…your word was unto me The joy and rejoicing of my heart.” And in the margin of my Bible Next to the words of the prophet There is my own personal notation. “My heart too!’
Oh Friends, isn’t that poem just filled with truth? It certainly is! Because that’s the way many of us behave. At first we find God’s word so demanding of, and intrusive in our lives, and we aren’t thrilled at all to give up so much time and authority to Him.
But oh what a day, when we truly feel the Spirit of Jesus moving within us …there are oodles of joy and much rejoicing in our hearts!
And what made me share this even more is the fact that the promise attached to it was also our Bit from yesterday. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’
I thought I was done with it, but apparently not. So I’m asking the good Lord to lead and guide me to other scriptures that corroborate the words of Jesus. So soon come…
Yeah mih breddren, I’m back some ten minutes later with scriptures a plenty! (smile) Isn’t our God great? He surely is! First off, listen to that mighty prophet, Isaiah as he declares the Word of the Lord.
‘Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.’ (Is.51:7-8)
Yes Friends, the things and people of this world will surely pass away, but the righteousness of our God and His Word will never end!
Now hear the author of Hebrews, as he talks about the priesthood of Jesus. ‘But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.’ (Heb.7:24) Oh my people, that’s our High Priest, Jesus, who ever liveth to make intercession for us. (Heb.7:25) Glory Hallelujah!
And listen as the author of Hebrew reprises the words of Psalm 102:25-27. ‘And, thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou remainest: and they shall wax (grow) old as doth a garment. And as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.’ (Heb.1:10-12)
And we’ll end with these oh so truthful words from the sons of Korah in Psalm 48 – God is our God. ‘According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgements.
Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell (count) the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.’ (Ps.48:10-14)
Yes Friends, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is OUR God, and He will be thus from now until eternity. Please let’s do as the psalmist declares, tell it to the generation that follows us, for it is our bounden duty, and because of God’s goodness to us, we should be ever so proud and glad to acclaim and declare it to all and sundry, from every tree and rooftop. Much LOVE!
…if God’s Word doesn’t endure forever…then what will eh…and what hope have we…if that’s not the case…
P.S. Please ignore the lateness Friends, I just had a rather early morning bed time, which necessitated a rather late morning rising. (smile) And besides, God’s Word is good whenever it’s heard or read. Much LOVE!
19 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lost art, Aaron's beard, Abraham, anger, Anselm, be careful what you ask for, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, biological, blessings, blood is thcker than water, blood ties, bonds of unity, breakdown of the family, Bruh David, Christian faith, church, deterioration of our society, disunity, encourage, evil minions, faith, families, food, for brethren to dwell together in unity, friends, give thanks for your life and strength, gospel, greed, herdsmen, hospitable, hospitality, how good and how pleasant it is, indomitable resolve, infighting, kind, let brotherly love continue, life for ever more, live in unity with each other, Lot, loving, Lucifer, man was made before machines, morning light, obedient to God's will, patience, perseverance, praise and worship Almighty God, precious oil, preciousness of family unity, raise the level of our faith, resentment, selfishness, some have entertained angels unawares, strengthen our backbones, strife, summer weather, teachings of Christ, the breath of life, the dew of Hermon, the joy of living, the mountains of Zion, the vagaries of modern machines, ungodly world, unity, we are brethren
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Ah Friends, our God is surely something else yes! Remember yesterday I talked about not having much real summer weather although we were in the middle of July. Well what do you think His response was to my statement? Yesterday showed up with a temperature of 28 C, and today and tomorrow are forecasted to have temps of 30 degrees on both days.
Hn, hn! It just goes to show that you must be very careful with your words, and also in what you ask for, because you are very liable to get more than you bargained for.
Oh by the way, please accept my apologies for that messy looking Bit yesterday. I had some problems with the computer not doing what it usually does. And even after I separated the paragraphs in the second Bit, it still jumbled them together.
Ah Lord the vagaries of modern machines eh! They oftimes do their own thing, regardless of our directions. (smile) But please remember that man was made before machines and we must not allow them to lead us, or direct our lives in ways we should not go.
Now here is an interesting quote from our Friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. He says to ‘Live your life so that the fear of death can never enter your heart. When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light. Give thanks for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. And if perchance you see no reason for giving thanks, rest assured the fault is in yourself.’
And that’s gospel my brethren. If we can’t find anything to give thanks for, then it’s our fault, because there are so many things in this life to be thankful for, especially the breath of life that’s flowing through our body.
And don’t forget that today is Sunday, so we are expected to gather together with other believers and praise and worship Almighty God, giving thanks for all the wonderful blessings He’s bestowed on us. And in the process have Him raise the level of our faith, strengthen our backbones with patience, perseverance and the indomitable resolve to be obedient to His holy will in the upcoming week.
Yes Friends, we gather every week so that we can encourage and be encouraged in our Christian faith. And all of that just fits in nicely, segues smoothly in to our Bit; Bruh David’s famous words on the joy of brotherhood. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’
Yes my people, there’s no better way to live, both in our biological and our church families than in unity with each other. As Bruh David explains it. ‘It is like the precious ointment (oil) upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts (edge) of his garments. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for ever more.’ (Ps.133:2-3)
The psalm’s short, only three verses, but sweet Friends. And the scholars have this to say about it. ‘Psalm 133. This psalm is all about the preciousness of family unity. Its blessedness is exclaimed (v.1) and explained (vv.2-3). It sanctifies (v.2) and solidifies (v.3).’
Ah mih breddren, if only we could regain the unity we once had in families, both biological and church that we once had! What a blessed world this would be! But unfortunately we have allowed Lucifer, his evil minions and an ungodly world to remove that unity, only to be replaced by disunity, infighting, greed, selfishness, resentment and anger to those closest to us.
Biological families are no longer guided by their blood ties, nor the church by the true teachings of Christ, but by whomever or whatever is most convenient and beneficial at the time. The old people once claimed that blood was thicker than water, and back then it was certainly true. Families stuck up for each other and stuck together regardless of the circumstances.
But sadly that doesn’t seem to be the case any longer, for blood ties are no longer held as sacred bonds of unity, and in the church, the overwhelming presence of Christ, has been certainly lessened. All of this simply leads to a breakdown of the family, and eventually the church and our society. And that’s exactly what we are currently seeing; the deterioration of all that we once held sacred.
And the sacrosanct idea of unity is well borne out in Abraham’s words to Lot when their herdsmen were engaged in strife over the feeding grounds of their cattle. ‘And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.’ (Gen13:8)
Yes Friends, those last four words said it all: ‘for we be brethren.’ And brethren are not supposed to be fighting amongst themselves. But how many of us nowadays would even say that, or even think that way eh? Not too many. For it seems as though there’s more infighting between brethren these days than fighting with outsiders.
And we’ll end with a couple of well-known verses from Hebrews, re service well pleasing to God. ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb.13:1-2)
Ah mih people, what wise words indeed! The author is there talking about the people who visited Abraham (Gen.1-3) and Lot (Gen.19:1-2) That means we’re to be LOVING, kind and hospitable to whoever shows up at our door, for we never know whom our visitors will truly be.
Unfortunately though, in these modern times hospitality is a lost art, but as Christians, we are advised to be hospitable, to all and sundry too, because that is what Jesus desires and expects of us. So my brethren, let’s sincerely and diligently try to regain that sense of family nuh, of unity, and of hospitality, for it will only serve us wonderfully in the long run. Much LOVE!
…how wonderful Christ must feel…when His people dwell in true unity…LOVE and hospitality…
08 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affliction, anything is possible, appreciation, bail out, bears all things, beautiful summer, behave like leggo-beasts, believes all things, Bruh Paul, Christian faith, Christian walk, christianity, Church of Christ, complain, conquer, cooped up, cross, discouraged, do good, dreadful winter months, dreary nights, endurance, endurance is a must, endure, endure to conquer, endure to the end, endures all things, ensnares us, enthusiasm, expectant faith, express need, faint not, faith, fear of winter, Galatians, gladness, go crazy, hallmark, Hebrews, hopes in all things, hostility, household of faith, hungry hope, in due season, indisputable truth, Jesus, joy, laughter, lay aside every weight, light, lightheartedness, long-suffering, looking unto Jesus, lose heart, LOVE, LOVE is of God, muggy, no root, offended, opportunity, optimism, parable of the sower, paramount, passion, patience, persecution, perseverance, persist, pilgrimage, power, practice what you preach, praise and honour God's glorious name, prevailing circumstances, reap, run with patience, shall be saved, shame, sin, souls, sprout forth, steadfast, steadfastness, stir crazy, stony ground, stumble, summer, summer weather, Thank You Lord, the race, the word's sake, thrilling rays of the sun, trials, tribulation, true believer, truth, venerable emotion, weary, welldoing, Winston Churchill, wisdom, witnesses, year round treat
Matthew 24:13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Summer, oh beautiful summer! What would we do without you eh? Hn! Possibly go more than stir crazy from being cooped up inside for so long. And I hear a lot of laughter coming from down south.
Yes you southerners, you can laugh because summer is a year round treat for you all. But we northerners do appreciate our summer, after those long, cold, winter days and nights cosseted in close quarters.
That’s why we go crazy, behave like leggo-beasts, when the summer time comes around and we experience the thrilling rays of a sun that shines not only bright, but also hot and heavy, and we can get outside in the heat, half naked – sometimes totally naked – (smile) and let loose all the passion and enthusiasm we’ve stored up during the dreadful winter months.
And so far we’ve had beautiful summer weather; not too hot, but hot enough, with decent winds to keep us comfortable, so that the days and nights aren’t too muggy and sweaty.
And all God’s people declared a loud and hearty cheer of ‘Thank you Lord for this delightful summer weather! We hope that it continues like this all summer long! And in grateful appreciation, we praise and honour your glorious name! Amen!’
But Friends, please remember that the summer has just begun, so everything and anything is still possible. But we’ve just got to hold on to our optimism with hungry hope and expectant faith, without thinking about what lies ahead after summer – winter, with its cold, lonely days and dark, dreary nights.
And now that I’ve put the fear of winter into us, (smile) let’s turn to the word from our almanac today that shouts at us: ‘ENDURE!’
Yes Friends, we need to endure those long, dark, lonely days and nights of winter, be they physical or emotional, so that we can eventually come into the light and lightheartedness of summer. Whatever we’re going through my people, whenever we go though it, ENDURANCE is a MUST!
For as the ensuing quote from the war days British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill (1874-1965) declares: ‘Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer.’
And that’s indisputable truth my brethren! You may not always conquer when you endure, but you’ll NEVER CONQUER, UNLESS YOU ENDURE!
And that goes for our Christian faith more than anything else in this whole wide world! Jesus clearly states the need for endurance in our Bit: ‘But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.’
Oh Friends, there are so many Scripture passages that call for the express need of endurance on our earthly pilgrimage, that I’m just going to quote a few of them. Let’s begin with something from the gospel of Mark, where Jesus is relating the parable of the sower.
‘And these (seeds) are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in them selves; and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction (tribulation) or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended (caused to stumble).’ (Mark 4:16-17)
Yes my people, in God’s great universe, even seeds need to endure in the darkness of the earth for a time, until they are ready to sprout forth. And unfortunately, too many of us today are like those seeds that are sown on stony ground. As soon as any difficulties arise, we are quick to complain and bail out.
But my brethren, the hallmark of a true believer in Christ is in our strong power of endurance, our perseverance and steadfastness, regardless of our prevailing circumstances! That’s why Jesus also told the disciples: ‘In your patience (perseverance, long-suffering) possess ye your souls.’ (Luke 21:19)
Patience and perseverance are paramount in Christianity my people!
Meanwhile, in Bruh Paul’s famous chapter on LOVE, he boldly declares of that most venerable emotion: ‘(LOVE) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’ (1 Cor.13:7)
Yeh Friends, true LOVE is of God, and it endures everything that’s thrown against it, and in doing so, also lasts forever!
We also know Bruh Paul’s memorable words to the Galatians on the subject: ‘And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (do not lose heart). As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ (Gal.6:9-10)
And we’ll end with some more memorable words from Hebrews, re running our earthly race. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance, perseverance) the race that is set before us.
Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls).’ (Heb.12:1-3)
Ah mih people, standing strong and steadfast in faith, with patience, perseverance and endurance is of the utmost importance in our Christian walk!
So let’s take all we’ve heard this morning to heart and let it re-energize us nuh, help us to stand strong, bear all things, in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and thus persist, endure, and see our race of life through to the very end. That’s wisdom of and for the ages! Much LOVE!
…only as believers steadfastly endure their trials and tribulations…will the church of Christ grow…and more importantly…endure…
P.S. Oh Friends, the ole fella’s shaking it somewhat rough this morning, due to a pretty late night and the untimely acting up of my allergies. But I’m practicing what I preach…I’m enduring. (smile) Much LOVE!
13 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, awesome truth, burden, celebrations, Christ crucified, christianity, confidence, downtrodden, enthusiasm, foolishness of God, forgiveness, glorious kingdom, grace, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, invincible, jobs, lies, loving god, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, oppressed, power of God, renewed vitality, scorn, sincere heart, steadfast faith, summer weather, sure conquerors, the Lord respects the lowly, the weak and pitiful, though the Lord be high, totem pole, true repentance, useful purpose, weakness of God, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wisdom of God, yoke
Psalm 138:6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
Ah Friends, unfortunately it’s Monday once again, and the Mother’s Day celebrations are over for another year. Sadly, they were marred somewhat in my area by cloud, rain and strong winds. I understand that we had hailstones too, and some places further north even had snow. So much for the blossoming summer weather. Chuh! Hopefully though, not too many of us are suffering this morning from the aftermath of those celebrations, (smile) and won’t get up feeling worse than is customary on a Monday morning. I know celebrations are wonderful, but when we overdo it, the price we pay later on is simply not worth it. Anyway, life goes on, whether we’re feeling up to it or not. The good thing though is that we worship a healing, caring and LOVING God, who’s only too willing to fix us when we’re hurting and/or broken. And one way He does that is by hearing our cries for help, our prayers, and granting them. So on this rough Monday morning, let’s cry out to Him for help and sustenance by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Now, in whatever voice you can manage, croaking or otherwise (smile) but with a sincere and true heart, let’s sing. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Oh Friends, that wasn’t very powerful. Truthfully, it might be better termed pitiful. But that’s the whole idea about crying out for help. If you’re strong and able, then you don’t need help. And if it’s one thing our God LOVES to do, is to help the weak and pitiful. Our Bit declares that quite plainly. ‘Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto (He regards) the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.’ Yes my brethren, it’s the same Bit from two days ago. I wasn’t finished with it, but Mother’s Day forced me to put it aside till today. And if you remember, we ended that day with Jesus quoting Hosea 6:6, to the hypocrite Pharisees, re the Lord desiring mercy, faithfulness and not sacrifice from His followers, when they complained to the disciples about His eating with sinners and tax collectors. And as Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ”For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than man.’ (1 Cor.1:22-25) Words of awesome truth my people! Remember too, that Jesus Himself dealt more with the sick and suffering, the outcasts and those from the lower rungs of society. As He said: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And unfortunately, those at the bottom of society’s totem pole, are usually the lost ones, who need healing and saving more than those higher up. However we put it though Friends, our God is undoubtedly a champion of the small, oppressed man. Cousin Sol wisely tells us: ‘Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly (weak, humble) (Prov.3:34) And Isaiah solemnly declares, re condemnation of Israel’s idolatry: ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is.57:15) Yes my people, it is always the Lord’s will to help those who are downtrodden, oppressed, fallen on hard times and any other negative situations that may affect their lives! But we have to call on Him in humility and true repentance. That’s the key to His mercy and forgiveness. Please, let’s remember that and act accordingly today. Our lives will be all the better for it. Much LOVE!…come unto me…all ye that labour and heavy laden…and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy…and my burden is light… (Matt.11:28, 30)
SCRIP-BITS 