03 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abomination, be of good courage, blessed day, branch of God's planting, buckle down, burdens, confess our sins, Creator, crying, curse, days of mourning, death, defile, destruction, devastation, encourage, endure afflictions with patience, establish, everlasting light, expectant faith, eyes of faith, faithful, fire in your hearts, forgive and forget, former things are passed away, friends, gates, glorified, glorious day, glory, glory and honour, glory hallelujah, glory of God, good tidings, gospel truth, heavenly guidance, hungry hope, inherit the land, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John, joy, keep us focused on god, kings of the earth, Lamb's book of life, light, live our faith, Lord and Saviour, lord god almighty, LOVE, Love our God, magnanimous, manifestations, mettle, moon, motivate, New Jerusalem, nightmares, obedient to God's will, Oh Happy Day, pain, passages through fire, patience, perseverance, praise, Praise the Lord, promise, provider, pull up our britches, repentance, Revelation, rewarded by god, righteous, salvation, serve and worship, settle, Shekinah, sinned and fallen short of God's glory, sins, smile, sorrow, spread His Word, steadfast and strong, strengthen, sun, take hold of God's grace, tears, temple, tests, thank the Lord for small mercies, that God might be glorified, the garment of praise, the Lamb, the oil of joy for mourning, the planting of the Lord, the spirit of heaviness, the throne of God, to console them that mourn, to give them beauty for ashes, trees of righteousness, trials, tribulations, ups and downs, violence, walk and talk with Jesus, when Jesus washed my sins away, wisdom, without growing weary, work of god's hands, yokes, Zion
Isaiah 61:3. To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
Oh Friends, it’s a nice cool Thursday morning in early summer! And what does the ole fella have to say for himself? Not a whole lot nuh. I went to bed late, reading a novel, then had a rough night, turning and tossing, dreaming all sorts of stuff. But luckily though, it was all pleasant stuff, no nightmares, nothing scary… Thank the Lord for small mercies!
And now I’m here to write the Bit, seeking heavenly guidance to write something sensible that will help us all; that will motivate, encourage and keep our focus steadily on Almighty God, our LOVING Creator and generous Provider.
And in keeping with that task, I’ll just remind us that our task on this great earth is to take hold of God’s grace, to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary, knowing that in His own good time, our heavenly Father will perform, establish, strengthen and settle us.
We must be of good courage and wait with patience and perseverance, hungry hope and expectant faith on our wonderful and most faithful God. And all God’s people said a delightful ‘Praise the Lord! Amen.’
Yes Friends, we ought to, because that is all simply gospel truth! And why is that so? Because every worthy name named in the Good Book, had their trials and tribulations, their ups and downs, their tests and passages through the fire to check their true mettle.
And those who stood steadfast and strong, who passed the tests – obviously with God’s help – were subsequently rewarded By the Most High God Jehovah.
Oh my people, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and expectations. However, when we do acknowledge our shortcomings, confess our sins and return to being obedient to His will, He is most magnanimous to forgive and forget.
Oh what a great God we serve and worship! He delights so much in our repentance, that He’s promised there would be future glory in Zion, with good tidings of salvation:
‘To appoint unto (console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’
And was His great and holy name ever glorified when His Son Jesus fulfilled the first part of His everlasting promise!
We’re just waiting now, with patience and perseverance, hungry hope and expectant faith – yes, I do like those terms – for that fateful day when, as Isaiah promised in the Lord’s name: ‘Violence shall no more (longer) be heard in thy land, wasting (devastation) nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. The sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw it self: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Thy people shall also be righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his (its) time.’ (Is.60:18-22)
Oh Friends, what a glorious day that will be eh!
And if you don’t believe Isaiah, then listen to those same promises reiterated by our faithful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to John in His Revelations: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4)
Oh Glory Hallelujah! I can’t wait for that day my brethren! No more aches and pains – Wow!
And furthermore, hear this on the New Jerusalem: ‘And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev.21:22-23)
Oh happy dayyyy! When Jesus washed… When Jesus washed… ALL my sins away…!
As the scholars explain: ’21:22-23. There is no temple in the city, since both the Father and the Son will be present in their fullest manifestations. Its light will be provided by the Shekinah glory of God and of Christ (cf. Ex.3:3-4; 24:15-17; 33:14-16; Luke 2:9; 9:29; Heb.1:3).’
Plenty of scripture references tocheck out Friends. (smile)Now that’s not all: ‘And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh (causes an) abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.’ (Rev.21:24-27)
Mama Mia! Oh my brethren, the imagined sight of that, through the eyes of faith is just working on me, stirring me up! (smile)
And there’s more: ‘And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in (on) their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle (lamp), neither light of the sun; for the Lord giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.’ (Rev.22:3-5)
Oh my people, that is what awaits us at the end of the day, if we bear our burdens and yokes, already much lightened by our Saviour Jesus Christ, with patience and perseverance, hungry hope and expectant faith! There’s absolutely nothing better than what He’s promised!
So please, let’s get serious nuh, let’s buckle down, pull up our britches, pull up our socks, and whatever other cliché there is concerning improving our behaviour, and just live for Jesus, as He desires us to do. That’s wisdom of untold benefit! Much LOVE!
…Let’s LOVE our God…LIVE our Faith…and SPREAD His Word…that’s all He asks of us…
P.S. Oh my Friends and fellow believers, I do hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. There was a smile on my face and joy in my heart from soon after I began writing it, and saw where it was headed. Hope it brings a smile to your faces too and produces a fire in your hearts for Jesus! Please have a most blessed day walking safely and talking intimately with Jesus! Much LOVE!
11 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bite to eat, abhor justice, abuse, abuse God's generous gifts, all is well, ashamed, astonished, bare hills, beauty, bloodshed, bribe, brought to justice, cause people to err, cleanliness, confounded, cover their lips, darkness, decent night's sleep, divine for money, diviners, efficiently designed, embarrassed, essence, euphoric, finely tuned machine, full of garbage, full of power, God's creation, God's people, God's unchanging nature and law, God's Word, God's wrath, grin and bear it, hot ginger tea, humankind, iniquity, Israel, Jacob, Jerusalem, judge for reward, judgement, just a matter of time, justice, Leaders, lean upon the Lord, like going to church, magical, magnificent, majesty, nature, negative and sinful acts and emotions, new snowfall, no answer from god, no divination, no harm can come upon us, no vision, one of those days, oppression, outdoors, peace, people are destroyed, perfect truth, pervert equity, presence of god, priests, prophet Micah, prophets, re-acclimatize to the cold, refreshing, respectful, ruins, rulers, searching and hushing experience, seers, shame, Skip Whitcomb, smile, something beautiful to admire, special attraction, sublime, take heart, teach for hire, temple, Thanks be to God, the great mystery lies, the human body, the spirit of the Lord, transgression, ugly, unchalleneged, war, wickedness, with the Lord's help, Zion
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.
Ah mih people, at last the ole fella’s beginning to feel somewhat human again. (smile) I finally had a decent night’s rest. Thanks be to God! Oh, I was up early, but decided to go back to sleep, if I could. And you better believe I fell back to sleep with no problem whatsoever.
Ah Lord eh! I never expected it to be so hard to re-acclimatize to the cold, but that just shows what a finely tuned machine the human body is. Oh, and I haven’t felt so cold in a long, long time. Steups! But what to do eh? Just grin and bear it, and believe that with the Lord’s help you will make it through!
So what’s on today’s agenda eh? Oh I just discovered this interesting quote on a piece of paper here. I don’t remember where I got it from, or if I’ve ever shared it before, but if so, it’s definitely worth sharing again.
It’s attributed to the American artist, Skip Whitcomb. And it says: ‘Outdoors is where the great mystery lies, so going into nature should be a searching and hushing experience, like going to church.’
Oh Friends, that’s perfect truth! For God’s creation is so magical, magnificent and efficiently designed that when we venture into nature, we ought to be quietly astonished and respectful to the wonders we find there! And we’re not only referring to lush greenery and colourful flowers, but also to the desert areas, the watery spots and even the snow covered fields.
That’s because each type of territory has its own special attraction, as well as the essence and presence of God, so that wherever we are on God’s great earth, we will find something beautiful to admire and contemplate, and most importantly, feel His sublime but refreshing presence.
That’s why there’s such cleanliness, beauty and majesty in a new snowfall, as you look at it through a window, behind warm walls. (smile) And even when you go tramping through it, it feels somewhat euphoric. Hn, Hn! Don’t think I’m going to feel euphoric today though. (smile)
But then, once man has ventured into any natural areas, it becomes ugly and full of garbage, since we seem to always abuse God’s generous gifts.
Oh Friends, sorry for that short interruption, about ten minutes, I heard the garbage truck in the area and had to run to put out mine. Well not really run, since that word no longer seems to be applicable to my actions. (smile) Then I had to make a cup of hot ginger tea, which I’m now sipping as we speak, to replace the warmth I lost in the cold outside.
But getting back to our abuse of God’s generous gifts, it not only happens in nature, but even more so in humankind, as our Bit so rightly declares. ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.’
Oh my brethren, unfortunately, it also seems that wherever man and man congregate, abuse, oppression and all the other negative and sinful acts and emotions always abound!
But in this last message on this topic, I want us to pay particular attention to what God declared through the prophet Micah, because in God’s unchanging nature and law, it still stands, still holds true for our generation and all those to come. Here Micah talks about the judgement on the prophets.
‘Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth and cry, Peace (when there is a bite to eat, they cry, all is well); and he that putteth not (nothing) into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision (be without vision); and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine (be without divination); and the sun shall go down over (on) the prophets, and the day shall be dark over (for) them.
Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded (embarrassed): yea, they shall all cover their lips (mouths); for there is no answer of (from) God.’ (Mic.3:5-7)
Oh my fellow believers, that’s some of the kind of stuff that lies in wait for the leaders, false prophets and teachers who abuse and oppress God’s people!
And hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘3:5-8. Cover their lips: They will be put to shame and will show this shame openly by covering their lips, which was an oriental gesture to indicate shame and mourning.’
But that’s not all mih people. Micah continues: ‘But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgement (justice), and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the houses of Jacob, and princes (rulers) of the house of Israel, that abhor judgement (justice), and pervert all equity.
They build up Zion with blood (bloodshed), and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward (a bribe), and the priests thereof teach for hire (pay), and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say (saying), Is not the Lord among us? none evil (no harm) can come upon us.
Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps (heaps of ruins), and the mountain of the house (temple) as the high places (bare hills) of the forest.’ (Mic.3:8-12)
Oh my fellow believers, please rest assured that our God will not allow these evil leaders, prophets and priests who are currently abusing their power, to continue unchallenged in their evil ways, but they will eventually feel His wrath and be brought to justice.
So if you’re being abuse, oppressed or hurt in some form and fashion by the works and decrees of our evil leaders, please take heart, our God is still on His throne, still in control of His universe, and in His time, He will punish and destroy the evil doers. Much LOVE!
…believers are guaranteed…through God’s Word…that the wicked will pay for their wickedness…it’s just a matter of time…
P.S. Please excuse the Bit’s lateness, for as the song says, it’s just one of those days, just one of those days. (smile) Much LOVE!
SCRIP-BITS 