15 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hard row to hoe, accusation, among the lost, an attitude of prayer, anxiety, blameless, bounden duty, Christian witness, communicating with God, complaining, crooked, defeated, difficulties, disputing, dissatisfied, do all things, dread, earthly pilgrimage, energized, equipped, everlasting covenant, evil, follow instructions, friend of Jesus, furnished, glorify Jesus, glory for ever and ever, God's Word, good works, guiding, harmless, heavenly Father, Hebrews, influence, inhospitable, innocent, intolerant, Jesus Christ, lack nothing, leading, lights in the world, lose, LOVE, make you perfect, morally pure, murmurings, negative things, obey the commands, One Year Book of Bible promises, our prayer life, perfect, persecutions, perverse nation, Philippians, positive power of God, pray so little, prayer, prohibited, protest, quarrelling, restless, Ruth Harms Calkin, Scrip-Bit family, share His love, shine, spiritual damage, susceptible, temptation, testimony, the beloved of God, the BIBLE, the blood, the God of peace, the gospel, the Holy Spirit, the man of God, the reason, the sense of God''s shining presence, the shepherd of the sheep, Tuesday Mantra, undisciplined, ungodly world, violently, weak, well-pleasing, without rebuke, witness, working in you
2 Timothy 3:17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.
Oh friends, I’d like to open this Tuesday morning with a call to prayer for Scotty Richards, one of our staunchest Scrip-Bit family members.Every time he sees me, he asks me something about the Bit.
Scotty, one of my church Wardens, is presently in the hospital and I ask us all to kindly remember him in our prayers. Let’s pray that the Lord will heal him of all that’s causing him to be hospitalized right now, and that he will soon return to his normal life.
Scotty, mih brother, we still need you here with us. So please hurry up and get well. Amen.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled; ‘The Reason’ and I daresay that it applies to many of us.
It says: ‘God, why am I so often defeated? Why am I so full of dread and anxiety? Why am I so lamentably weak – So perilously susceptible to temptation? Why am I often inhospitable So intolerant of the needs of others?
Why am I so undisciplined So restless and dissatisfied? Why do I protest so violently? Above all God Why do I so frequently lose The sense of Your shining Presence? God, why? Why?’
And God’s answer; short and to the point: ‘Because you pray so little.’
Yes friends, that could be the reason why so many negative things keep on assaulting us; our prayer life is just not full enough. We don’t spend enough time communicating with our heavenly Father.
Remember, we can’t fight off evil or negative situations unless we have the positive power of God working with and for us. And we can only get that power by constant communication with our Creator. As the promise for that poem so rightly tells us: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess. 5:17)
Oh my brethren, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should always have an attitude of prayer, though we might not be praying audibly, which will allow the Holy Spirit that indwells each believer, to do a better job of leading and guiding us.
And today will probably the last day for this renowned Bit. (smile) ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’
Yes my people, our wise and wonderful God has provided a guidebook for us, in the Bible, and also provided the Holy Spirit to help us walk this earthly pilgrimage. We have been given EVERYTHING we need to be successful in this life. All we have to do now is faithfully follow the instructions and directions.
Now let’s look at a scripture that corroborates the words of our Bit. The author of Hebrews declares unto us: ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ’ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Heb.13:20-21)
Ah my fellow believers in Christ, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! In His supreme wisdom, He’s provided for all our needs. We lack for nothing, but through His Word and the Holy Spirit we are energized to do all that we need to do.
Now listen to these words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according to) his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings (grumbling) and disputings.
That ye may be blameless and harmless (innocent), the sons (children) of God, without rebuke (fault), in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), among whom ye shine as lights of the world.’ (Phil.2:13-15)
And the scholars give us some explanation re those verses. ‘2:14. Since God is producing in the Philippians the willing and doing of His good and perfect will (v.13), there can be no legitimate reason for murmurings and disputings.
Not only are they forbidden to complain about the difficulties and persecutions that will befall them in carrying out God’s good pleasure, but quarrelling among themselves is also prohibited.’
The same things apply to us in these modern times my friends. We have no good reason to murmur or complain, because God has already provided all we need to do His good work.
‘2:15. If the readers obey the commands of verses 12-14, they will be (become) blameless [i.e., no finger of accusation can justly be pointed at them] and harmless (i.e.’ morally pure). Due to party strife and bickering, this is not true of them.
As the sons of God…in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (generation), they are to be without rebuke – without incurring spiritual damage. The proper place for God’s people is among the lost. For only in such a position can true Christian witness be borne and influence for the gospel be effectively exerted.
Yet believers must remain “without rebuke” in that they suffer no moral damage by contact with the unsaved. Then among unbelievers they will shine as lights in the world. As stars are readily noticeable in a dark sky, so healthy Christian lives stand out in testimony among the lost and give credence to one’s witness.’
Yes my people, I know it’s seems like a hard row to hoe, but please remember that we have already been granted all we need to succeed in God’s work. Now let’s go home loudly and sincerely declaring our Tuesday mantra.
As one 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 with all of that sizzling in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, let’s go out and shine like stars in the darkness of this evil and ungodly world nuh, and thus glorify our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…to shine…to shine…to shine in the darkness…that’s a believer’s bounden duty…
08 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool is considered wise, a little memebr, a man of understanding, a saved soul, a world of iniquity, ancient seals, anger inflames talk, batting our gums, believers in Jesus Christ, boasteth great things, born again, bridle, bridleth not his tongue, chains break, control, deceiveth his own heart, distracts, dr robert h schuller, draw near to hear, edifying, eventful day, evil, experience joy, faith, fool, footsteps of Jesus, heartache, hell, hold my peace, Hour of Power, ideals, iniquity, joy, keep thy foot, keeps silent, learn to know God, level of faith, listening to God, living a godly life, LOVE, my friend Jesus, of hell, on God's great earth, our worst enemy, Paradise, patience, pep in our steps, perfecting of the saints, Praise the Lord, principles, righteous, Satan, set on fire, share His love, shut my lips, silence is golden, silence., slow to speak, slow to wrath, spiritual and emotional walls, strife, swift to hear, talk inflames anger, the beloved of God, the body of Christ, the course of nature, the house of God, the righteousness of God, the sacrifice of fools, the tongue, the work of the ministry, the wrath of man, this man's religion is vain, trials, tripp off our tongues, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, unworthy children of men, useless, walk prudently, war
Ecclesiastes 5:1. Keep thy foot (walk prudently) when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear (draw near to hear, rather) than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
All hail, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! It’s a glorious Tuesday morning…Praise the Lord!
Yes friends, we’ve been granted another eventful day on God’s great earth! Wow! Isn’t He wonderful to us unworthy children of men? He surely is! That’s why we ought to give Him a lot of thanks and praise throughout the day.
And to do that, some of us might just need these words of encouragement from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. It’s titled ‘Learn to Know God.’
Please pray with me: ‘ Dear Jesus, I’ve got to know You better. Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy old door whose ancient seals have just begun to break.
I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You, Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen!’
Ah my people, when Jesus is walking in our lives there’s such joy in our souls, and such pep in our steps! For remember, ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
And to further raise the joy in our souls, the level of our faith and the pep in our steps this Tuesday morning, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the utmost sincerity and belief.
As one 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!’
Yes mih breddren, it’s certainly a wonderful God we believe in and great Friend and Saviour we have in Jesus! Nothing in this world can beat it!
We just have to remember whose we are, and behave in a fashion suitable to their ideals and principles; basically living a godly life and sharing the LOVE of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And the awesome advice in our Bit will surely help us to do that. ‘Keep thy foot (walk prudently) when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear (draw near to hear, rather) than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.’
Yeh friends, we’re still on that Bit because it covers such a wide area, especially where our mouths and our promises are concerned. We can either be righteous or evil with those two things. And James deals with them very nicely, obviously pointing us towards the righteous aspect.
Listen to him: ‘Wherefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not (does not produce) the righteousness of God.’ (James 1:19-20)
And the scholars add this info to those verses. ‘1:19. This is a key verse because it expresses three topics that James develops later: hearing, verses 19-27; speaking, 3:1-12; and wrath, 4:1-12.’
‘1:20. Trials require silence and patience because talk inflames anger, and anger inflames talk. Anger also distracts from listening to God.’ So true friends, so true!
And later on in that same passage, James tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he is) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (useless).’ (James 1:26)
What indisputable truth! We can’t claim to be truly religious if we don’t know how, what and when to speak. The old adage that says ‘silence is golden,’ is very true on a lot of occasions.
We’d be better served by remaining silent than by batting our gums, for as Cousin Sol reminds us: ‘Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted wise (is considered wise): and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov.17:28)
And I pray: ‘O Lord please help me to hold my peace, to shut my lips, so that I will be considered a man of understanding, even though I’m a fool!’ (smile)
Ah friends, sometimes our mouths are our worst enemy, our tongues cost us more heartache than anything else. As James says: ‘Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire).
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue (the tongues is so set) among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:5-6)
And the scholars explain: ‘3:6. The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf.3:15).’
Yes precious people of God, the tongue is one of the smallest parts of our bodies, but it has unnatural control of the entire body. Since the beginning of time, our tongues have caused more war and strife than anything else, but we still can’t, or refuse to bridle them.
Thus our lives are oftimes turned topsy-turvy by the words that trip off of our tongues. But today, I implore us to take good care, to ask the Holy Spirit to help us keep silent and think before we talk, and then to only talk that which is: ‘For the perfecting (equipping) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.’ (Eph.4:12)
If we successfully do that, then our lives and our world will surely become more a representation of paradise, than one of hell, as it currently is. Much LOVE!
…many of us would be better off…if we had no tongues…harsh…but true…
01 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy calling, a mere mortal, a sound mind, abolished death, afflictions, apostle, ashamed, baptizing, before the world began, bounden duty, bountiful blessing, christ jesus, Christians, climate confusion, comprehend, confident certainty, divine destiny, enjoy the day, eternal life, eternity, fathom, for the which cause, forever linked, Gentiles, glorious day, God has chosen me, God has not given us a spirit of fear, grace, he is able to keep, I also suffer these things, I am not ashamed, I am persuaded, I am with you always, I belong to the God of the universe, I do know, in the name of the Father, in the palms of his hands, indescribable universe, inscribed me, Jesus Christ, lavish love, LOVE, loving family of God, made manifest, mercy, mine, neck of the woods, One Year Book of Bible promises, overwhelmed, partaker of the afflictions, power, prisoner, purpose, realtionship with God, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, share His love, spread the good news, sure confidence, talk the talk, teach all the nations, teacher, testimony, Thanks be to God, that which I have committed, the beloved of God, the end of the world, the friend of Jesus, the gospel, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the power of God, the power of the Holy spirit, the SON, thoughts of kindness, Timothy, trust, Tuesday Mantra, until that day, vast, walk the walk, whom I have believed, works
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Oh my people, another glorious day is blossoming in our earthly lives! Thanks be to God!
And would you believe that in my neck of the woods, on the first day of November the temperature is supposed to rise up into the high teens? Wow! Talk about climate confusion!
Anyway, whatever the state of the weather in our particular area, please, lets enjoy the day, because that’s why the Lord made us to see and experience it.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘I Do Know’. When I read it recently it reminded me so much of our Tuesday Mantra that I had to share it with you.
It says: ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I am a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny.
I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that his thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that he has inscribed me in the palms of his hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Ah friends, isn’t that a beautiful description of our relationship with Jehovah God? It certainly is!
And if you don’t believe it reminds you of our Tuesday Mantra, then, let’s declare it right now with all the enthusiasm and sure belief that it deserves.
As one beautiful 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!’
Mama Mia! Oh what a bountiful blessing to be the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! It definitely couldn’t get any better than that!
And the writing above just expands on our Mantra; giving more detail of the awesome relationship we have with the Creator and Controller of the universe. Between them both, we ought surely to confidently know and understand who and whose we are – the blessed and LOVING family of Almighty God!
Now here is the promise of scripture for that writing above, it is also our Bit for today. ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’
Oh glory be my precious people! Bruh Paul is confidently proclaiming his trust and sure confidence in the Lord his God to his protégé Timothy. And we should also be able to proclaim it, if we truly believe what we say we believe.
In the verses before our Bit, Bruh Paul lays out his reasoning for his certainty in Christ. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions (share with me in the sufferings) of the gospel according to the power of God;
Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world (time) began.
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light though the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.’ (2 Tim.1:7-11)
What a moving passage of scripture friends! Bruh Paul lays out why he believes what he believes. And the same should apply to all who consider themselves Christians!
Jesus was victorious over hell, death and the grave so that we could have eternal life and light, and it’s our bounden duty as His followers to spread that good news to all and sundry, in each and every part of the world.
So my brethren, if we are assured of salvation through Christ Jesus, then we need to behave like it, and speak it boldly, not be ashamed of our faith, as so many of us tend to be when in the company of unbelievers.
Remember Jesus’ last directive to His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Yes precious people of God, that is our Great Commission, which we are able to do because our wonderful God hasn’t ‘given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’
So please let’s manifest those things in our walk of faith today, let’s boldly and gladly, share the LOVE of Jesus with the rest of the world, because only then, can we be considered true believers. Much LOVE!
…true Christians not only talk the talk…but also walk the walk…
P.S. Just one of those late nights and thus late mornings. (smile) Much LOVE!
25 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a purpose, a two way street, alive and kicking, almighty god, assurance, born of God, bounden duty, character, confess, conquerors, defeat, dominate, dreams come true, enjoy the fruits of our labour, enthusiasm, faith, fall into our laps, friend of Jesus, God is LOVE, God's character, God's flock, God's people, harm, heavenly Father, hope, hurry, hypocrites, impart the will, in all these things, Jesus is the Son of God, John the apostle, joyful, judgement, LOVE, LOVE is of God, love is perfected, LOVE one another, nay, need not fear, no man hath seen God, obituaries, one more day, P.S. I Love You, partnership, perfected, Pharisees, pseudo-religious, rest on our fannies, share His love, song of thanks, testify, thankful words, thankfulness, the beloved of God, the capacity to love, the greatest of these is love, the Saviour of the world, the Spirit of God, the supremacy of love, this is the day the Lord has made, through him that loved us, triumphant blessing, trust in Christ, trust Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, we are more than conquerors, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what a joy, work while they dream, worry
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
One more day; one more day to be alive and kicking and enjoy God’s expansive favour! Oh what a joy that ought to be my people! Just to know that our names will not be read in today’s obituaries should bring forth a glorious song of thanks and praise to our heavenly Father.
Consequently, our mouths should be uttering joyful and thankful words like the psalmist did: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, the Lord has kept us alive for a purpose; to continue the good work He has planned for our lives, and also to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Now here’s a wise li’l secret from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster: ‘Dreams come true for those who work while they dream.’
Yes my brethren, in this life we ought not to just sit and wait for things to happen, for God to just bring them to pass, but we must also do our part in the wonderful partnership we share with Almighty God.
Remember it’s a two way street; we do what we can, and wait patiently, enthusiastically and expectantly for God to do His part. We don’t just rest on our fannies and expect it to fall into our laps.
Now let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with sincere enthusiasm and thankfulness because the reality of the situation is exactly what it deserves.
As one 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!’
Oh my people, my people, what a glorious truth! We aren’t what the world says or thinks about us, but we are God’s beloved, and Jesus’ friend! Wow! That means the world cannot beat or defeat or do us any real harm, because we are God’s people!
Oh what a triumphant blessing! But please remember the last part of that declaration; we need to share the LOVE of Jesus with the rest of the world. That’s our bounden duty.
And it all rolls right into sync with our wonderful Bit: ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’
Ah friends, how much more favoured can we be eh? Not much more really. We are God’s flock, and He LOVED us so much that He sent His only son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary so that we could be reconciled unto Him. How wonderful is that eh!
And today we’re going to continue looking at the portion of our Bit that deals with LOVE. And John the apostle deals with it wonderfully in His first epistle. Let’s listen some to him.
‘No man hath seen God at any time. If we LOVE one another, God dwelleth in us, and his LOVE is perfected in us. Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.’ (1 John 4:12-15)
Now here are some thoughts from the scholars. ‘4:11-13. God’s character, through His Spirit, is to shape and progressively dominate the character of the believer. The Spirit of God imparts the will to LOVE.’
Yuh see that friends? If we don’t have the Spirit of God within us, then we won’t have the capacity to truly embrace the emotion of LOVE.
‘4:15. This helps provide the context for rightly understanding verse 7. Trust in Christ as the incarnate Son of God makes genuine, God-wrought LOVE possible.’
And if we don’t remember what verse 7 says, let’s refresh our memories. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’ (1 John 4:7)
That means friends, that only those who truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, can possess the LOVE of God. Now let’s continue with John’s theorizing.
‘And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God IS LOVE; and he that dwelleth (abides) in LOVE dwelleth (abides) in God, and God in him.’ (1 John 4:16)
And hear the scholars explain that. ‘4:16. John, like Paul (1 Cor.13:13), stresses the supremacy of LOVE as a characteristic of God and therefore as a dominant characteristic of the true believer.’
Is LOVE a dominant characteristic of our lives my people? I surely do hope so, otherwise we’re just being hypocrites like the pseudo-religious Pharisees of old.
And we’ll end with this very important verse. ‘Herein is our LOVE made perfect (LOVE made perfect among us), that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:17)
Yes friends, when true LOVE exists among us, then our confidence rises to its zenith!
The scholars explain that verse thus. ‘4:17. Herein points back to verse 16. By dwelling in LOVE, and thus having God dwelling in him, the believer gains the priceless assurance that he need not fear the coming judgement. This is our assurance, if we LOVE in this world as He does.’
Oh friends, the importance of LOVE, within each individual believer, and consequently between all believers can never be overstated, for it’s the supreme characteristic by which the true believers in Almighty God and true followers of Christ are known.
Please, let’s critically examine ourselves today, and see how our own characteristic of LOVE shapes up, and then, ask God to help us do better, for we can all do better. Much LOVE!
…and now abideth…faith, hope, LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)
18 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new present, a new road, a new wave, a wily God, ambassadors, armory, Babylon, be patient, desires of our hearts, did it with all his heart, diligently work at God's plans, dr robert h schuller, egotism, eunuchs, every work, foundational principle, frustrations, get you out of a rut, give God time, God is good to us, God's timing, gold, gospel truth, he prospered, Hezekiah, idiosyncrasies, impassable, in the commandments, in the law, in the service of God, Isaiah, lonely hearts, LOVE, man-made stuff, mature properly, miracles, misguided world, new love, ointment, over the mountain, personal possessions, precious things, pride, resentments, rush God, scars on sand, share His love, skulduggery, sons, spices, strangers, the beloved of God, the king of Babylon, the powers that be, the truth of God, the word of the Lord, to seek God, treasures, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, use it wisely, vanity, waiting on god, wash away hurts, wisdom
2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Well brethren, Monday has gone bye bye; lost forever in the past, so please forget it. But the good news is that we’ve got a new present to replace it from our heavenly Father; Tuesday! Wow! Isn’t God good to us? He surely is!
So what are we going to do with this wonderful present that God has given us eh? I do hope that we will use it wisely; to sincerely seek Him, and to diligently work at the plans He has for our lives; the awesome desires of our hearts that He has implanted there.
Yeh friends, seeking Almighty God and working His plans are the only things that really make sense in this crazy, convoluted and misguided world. That’s what true wisdom is based on, not the trifling man-made stuff that keeps on changing according to the idiosyncrasies of the powers that be.
True wisdom is based on the truth of God, which never changes, for if its true, why should it change eh? Now here is an offshoot of that wisdom as given to us by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional.
He says: ‘Don’t try to rush God. Mountains don’t move overnight. Give God time to work His miracles. I have seen God dissolve resentments, resolve frustrations, fill lonely hearts with new LOVE, and wash away hurts like a new wave washes away scars on sand scratched by children’s sticks.
God can get you out of a rut, onto a new road, and over the mountain that seemed impassable, if you will be patient.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends!
But waiting on God’s timing is also the hardest part of anything we wish to successfully accomplish. However, if we truly want to walk with Him, we have to learn to wait on His impeccable timing. He’s never late; we’re just too impatient! (smile) And we’ll never mature properly until we develop that basic foundational principle of waiting on God.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is very interesting as well as educational. ‘And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.’
Yesterday we saw how king Hezekiah early on, worked God’s plan for his life and was prosperous. However, later on, the Good Book gives us this insight into the machinations of our God.
‘Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try (to test) him, that he might know all that was in his heart.’ (2 Chr.32:31)
Ah mih people, our God is indeed a wily God! He doesn’t just accept our outward actions as gospel, but digs deep into our hearts and souls to discover the true us. And pertaining to the ambassadors above, the Good Book informs us thus.
‘At that time Merodach-baladan (or Barodach-baladan), king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things (treasures), the silver and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour (his armory), and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not.
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? And from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Then said he (Isaiah), What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah answered, All that in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not showed them.
Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah. Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord.
And of thy sons that shall issue (descend) from thee, which thou shall beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good (Just) is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For (at least) there shall be peace and truth in my days.’ (Is.39:1-8) (2 Kin. 12-19)
Ah friends, does that little story where Isaiah foretells the Babylon captivity, speak to us? I surely hope it does, because Hezekiah’s actions re the Babylonian ambassadors, reeks of pride and egotism.
It’s the same way a lot of us behave when virtual strangers come to our houses, not knowing them or their intentions, we take them around showing off our personal possessions. That’s not wise my people, especially in this age of skulduggery, even amongst friends and neighbours.
And the scholars tell us: ‘There is no doubt that all this was done in vanity and pride, which the king would live to regret. Thus Isaiah predicts that all these royal treasures shall be carried to Babylon in the future, because news of these great treasures would spread throughout Babylon, provoking the Babylonians to come and take them away.’
Now friends, yuh see why God left Hezekiah alone to deal with the Babylonian ambassadors? He knew that his heart wasn’t quite right, and his prideful actions proved it, and possibly laid the groundwork for Babylon’s later invasion of Israel.
So a word to wise here; please don’t show ALL your treasures to anyone, for you never know what that might lead to.
Now, having learned that most important lesson, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra with heartfelt sincerity and truth.
‘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 if we believe it, let’s go out and put it into action. Much LOVE!
…it never hurts to be careful in our doings…in fact it’s very wise…
11 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bonanza, a Christian life, a golden platter, abominable sins, all praise be to, an integral part of our lives, antidote, anxious, are ashamed of, be careful fro nothing, belief, blessings, busying ourselves, call upon his name, children of God, common task, convicts, cower, enthusiasm, eternal life, favour, first fruits, give thanks, Glory be, god the father, godly faith, good report, graciousness, guard your hearts and minds, harvest, honest, hurry, Jesus, King of Kings, life, Lord of Lords, LOVE, make known his deeds, meditate, moderation, motto for Christian success, noble, occupying our minds, passeth all understanding, Philippians, praise, prayer, pure, reconciliation with the Father, refuse to acknowledge Jesus, rejoice, Rejoice in the Lord always, responsibility, salvation, sense of purpose, share His love, shirk our responsibility, smorgasbord, supplication, thanksgiving, the Alpha, the beginning, the beloved of God, the daily grind, the end, the good news, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the Lamb, the Lord is at hand, the Messiah, the Omega, the peace of God, the Prince of Peace, the right activities, the SON, the Son of God, them's the breaks, think, through Christ, tranquility of mind, true, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto the Lord, virtue, work, worry
Psalm 105:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Aye friends, it’s Tuesday; Thanksgiving weekend finish now, which means you have to get up and go back to the daily grind and common task; something called work. Hn!
And I know that many of us are feeling like we usually do on a Monday morning, possibly worse, because of all the Thanksgiving celebrations, but as the man says, them’s the breaks! As the Good Book says, if you want to eat, you have to work. (2 Thess.3:10)
But don’t worry my fellow believers, just as we have an antidote for Monday’s problems, we also have one for Tuesday’s. So without further ado, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm, belief and sense of purpose that it deserves.
As one 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 be, my people! What a bonanza of godly faith, favour and blessings! Just imagine nuh, we are beloved children of Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of this great and magnificent universe! Mama Mia!
You’d think it couldn’t get any better than that. But it does get better. We are also not defined by what the evil, ungodly world says and/or thinks of us.
And now here’s the crowning glory: we are friends of the ONE and ONLY Son of God; Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End!
And that’s not all: He’a also the Lamb that was led to the slaughter for our abominable sins, who once and for all paid the sin debt in full for all those who believe in Him, thus making reconciliation with our heavenly Father possible!
Now when we put all of that together, there’s indeed nothing better on the face of God’s great planet earth!
And all of God’s people loudly, proudly and gratefully declared: ‘All praise be to the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; the Holy Trinity, who blesses and looks after us with everlasting care, compassion and LOVE!’
Yes my faithful brethren, we are indeed the cat’s pajamas! (smile) But we also need to remember that there are two parts to everything; the blessing and then the responsibility. We have already received the blessing; God’s favour and grace, now we need to accept the responsibility which those awesome blessings bring.
And what’s that responsibility you ask? It’s simple, just like our Messiah, our Friend Jesus; go out and share His LOVE with the rest of humankind. Tell others about Him, the good news of salvation and eternal life that He has bought for us with His sinless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
Now that’s certainly not too much to ask eh, after all that He has done for us? So why then do so many of us cower, are ashamed of and refuse to acknowledge our Friend and Saviour Jesus before the heathen eh?
I don’t know all the reasons why, but I do know that we’re not keeping our part of the bargain, shirking our responsibility, when we don’t spread the wonderful news of Jesus’ gospel.
And I do hope that the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, convicts us each and every time we shirk that responsibility, until we are mature and faithful enough to stand strong and steadfast, proud and true in the name of Jesus.
Now here is how the psalmist quotes that responsibility in our Bit. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.’
Yes friends, it’s all one big smorgasbord that’s termed life; giving thanks for our blessings, calling upon Him for faith and favour in a wonderful relationship, and letting others know about His mighty deeds down throughout the ages!
Ah mih people, as we said yesterday, thanksgiving is not a one time thing; simply the act of bringing the first fruits of our harvest to God on a particular day, but something that should be an integral part of our lives, each and every day.
And I don’t think anyone puts it better than Bruh Paul in his missive to the Philippians. He declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (His return is imminent).
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God (the tranquility of mind) which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ.
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), what soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil.4:4-8)
Oh my fellow believers, Bruh Paul has laid it all out on a golden platter for us! It’s not always easy to live a Christian life, but we can certainly try by occupying our minds with the right things and busying ourselves with the right activities. That’s the motto for Christian success. Much LOVE!
…if we truly want to know and LOVE Jesus…then we first have to get to know Him…by studying and meditating on His Word…
04 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, all the earth, chew slowly, china, Christians, cloth napkins, comfort, Daily Menu, eat desert, economic prosperity, enjoy life, enthusiasm, everyday miracle, faith, fresh flowers, fresh herbs, give thanks, glorious, good manners, good news of Jesus, goodness, great conversation, have Jesus in our lives, heads hung down, in the last days, invite someone, Jerusalem, joy, judge, learn war no more, Leila's, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, living in LOVE, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, make a joyful noise unto God, make his praise glorious, make love not war, martyrs, morose existence, mysterious ways, negative sentiments, out of Zion, Papa Joe's, plowshares, prepare every meal with love, pruninghooks, roti, savour every morsel, Selah, set a table, share His love, shoulders drooped, shout joyfully, silverware, sincerity, sing forth, sing to thy name, sing unto thee, spears, swords, the beloved of God, the bright light of Jesus, the day of the Lord, the friend of Jesus, the god of Jacob, the happiest people in the world, the honour of his name, the house of God, the law, the millennial age, the word of the Lord, tools of peace, Tuesday Mantra, war, wash your hands, weapons of war, worship
Psalm 66:4. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
Welcome to a glorious Tuesday morning friends! Oh I know it’s still dark outside as I write this, but I’m also sure that the bright light of Jesus is shining through the darkness, both physical and spiritual, bringing light and comfort to our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! What a wonderful Lord and Saviour we have my people. And there’s truly NONE like Him!
Oh, and what mysterious and fabulous ways He operates! Check out this small, everyday miracle that happened to me yesterday. I was down the street going to get a roti from the recent hot roti shop, Leila’s. But when I got to the little plaza where it’s situated, I discovered that Leila’s was closed on Mondays.
However, just across the plaza I saw a place called Papa Joe’s, with roti also on its menu. So I decided to check it out. When I entered, Papa Joe was attending to another customer, so I walked around looking at the décor.
And lo and behold on the wall I saw this black, marble like plaque with white italic writing on it, surrounded by a fancy white border, with a place setting of a fork on the left side and a knife and spoon on the right.
Obviously it piqued my interest and I went over to read it. And though I had the Duchess take a picture of it with her phone, I still felt the need to write it down. But now I’ve discovered that my description won’t do it justice, so I’m going to try and send an attachment.
And this is what I read: ‘Daily MENU Give thanks Fill a vase with fresh flowers Set a beautiful table Use fresh simple ingredients Use your best china and silverware Prepare every meal with LOVE Use fresh herbs Invite someone Practice good manners Wash your hands Use cloth napkins Chew slowly. Savour every morsel Have great conversation Eat desert Wash your own dishes’
Oh friends, isn’t that just beautiful! I certainly find so. And I believe the Lord meant me to see it so that I could share it with you today. It’s just a nice, easy, but wonderful way to live our lives!
However, we can’t do that if we don’t have Jesus in our lives, for it is only through Him that we can rise to such simple, but glorious heights. I hope the attachment came out properly and you shared my enthusiasm for it. (smile)
Now let’s do what we do every Tuesday; declare our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity, faith and mucho enthusiasm.
All together 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 be, my people! NOTHING can beat being a beloved child of God and a trusted friend of Jesus! Wow!
Now with all of that goodness and LOVING-kindness, why aren’t’ we Christians the happiest people in the world eh? I certainly don’t know. But we ought to be.
Sadly though, too many of us walk around with our heads hung down, shoulders drooped, with guilt and whatever in our spirits, behaving like martyrs, believing that we should not be happy, enthusiastic and enjoy life.
But that’s totally wrong my brethren, for Jesus said that He came so that we could have life and have it in abundance! (John 10:10)
That means we don’t need to go around sad and miserable to be considered a true Christian. In fact, as true believers, we should be doing what our Bit says: ‘All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.’
Now that’s how real Christians should behave. And the psalmist was even more specific and enthusiastic before our Bit.
He begins the psalm thus: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto God, all ye lands. Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible (awesome) art thou in thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.’ (Ps.66:1-3)
Yeh friends, that ought to be the everyday behaviour of the true and devout believer, not a sad and morose existence. Now listen to how Isaiah characterizes the day of the Lord.
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ (Is.2:2-4)
What a blessed day that will be my people! And the scholars tell us: ‘The setting is the millennial age, when the nations of the world will come to the Holy City (Jerusalem) to learn the ways of God.
Christ Himself is pictured as the Judge who will direct the affairs of the nations during His millennial kingdom. Thus the weapons of war will be turned into tools of peace and economic productivity.’
Oh friends, how I look forward to that day; that day when war shall be no more! But why do we have to wait till then eh? We can start right now by pursuing peace, by spreading the good news of Jesus and living in LOVE with God and each other!
So I implore us today, to begin turning our weapons of war, our negative sentiments into tools of peace, LOVE, joy and economic prosperity, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the motto of the true believer…make LOVE…not war…
P.S. Sorry friends, but I could not put the attachment in the Blog, so you will just have to rely on my description. (smile) Much LOVE!
27 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bold, children, choose the best, Christians, commitment to excellence, confident, deliverance, disappointments, energy, enthusiasm, excellence, faith, faithful and true, fortress, foundation, friend of Jesus, give his angels charge over thee, gladness, God's ever-faithful promises, godly intentions, habitation, harm, heavenly intercessor, honour, I will say of the Lord, if God is for us who can be against us, in him will I trust, Jehovah, joy, kingdom living, long life, LOVE, mediocrity, misfortunes, Mover, never leave nor forsake ua, no evil befall thee, out of step, out of sync, pitfalls, plague, Praise the Lord, presumptuous, price tag, ramps up our faith, reassuring, refuge, rejoicing, salvation, Satan, security, set him on high, set his love upon me, Shaker, share His love, shrivelling up enthusiasm, shun mediocrity, source of energy, spoon feed, steadfast, strike they foot, strong, test me, the beloved of God, the goodness of God, the Most High God, the will of God, this is the day the Lord has made, trample under feet, tread upon the lion, trust, try me, Tuesday Mantra, unconditional LOVE, we will rejoice and be glad in it
Psalm 91:2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Ahoy there me ole shipmates! (smile) Monday’s in the books…Glory be! So let’s begin Tuesday on the right foot nuh by declaring our wise and godly intentions. ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, that’s the only sensible way to greet this new day of life that we’ve been granted; in joy and gladness! All other ways are filled with numerous pitfalls and disappointments.
At least when we are rejoicing in the goodness of our God, we can be strong and steadfast in times of misfortunes, standing on His ever-faithful promise to never leave nor forsake us.
Now let’s bolster all of that by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with supreme belief and overwhelming faith and trust. As one 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!’ Ah mih people, what a beautiful and reassuring declaration!
Wow! Knowing that I am the beloved of God and a true friend pf Jesus is just the ‘mostest’! (smile) There isn’t even a real word to truly convey the importance and satisfaction of those situations.
And to be true followers of Jesus we must base our lives on what Jesus says about us, rather than how the world beholds us. That is ever so important to kingdom living my people!
And let’s not forget the last part of our Mantra: ‘share His LOVE with the world,’ for that’s one of our basic purposes on planet earth.
In Jesus’ world, we need to both believe and do, otherwise we’re out of sync, out of step with our Lord and Saviour. And that surely won’t do.
Now here’s a li’l something that ties in with our Leader’s expectations. I’m not sure where I got it from, or if I’ve ever shared it before, but it does hit the nail right on the head in today’s message.
It says: ‘Choose the best; shun mediocrity. Mediocrity has a way of shrivelling up enthusiasm. But commitment to excellence taps an incredible source of energy. Elect the best, no matter what the price tag!’
Oh friends, those are certainly words of truth for anyone to live by, but more so for Christians, because our heavenly intercessor, Jesus, expects us to live by a definite standard of excellence.
And though it’s not an easy motto to live by, we can successfully attempt it through our station as beloved children of the Most High God, Jehovah!
Especially when we have the faith to declare like the psalmist in our Bit. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’
What wonderful words for a believer to both hear and declare my brethren! It just ramps up our faith, encourages us to be bold and confident in all that we do, knowing that God is on our side. And as the scripture says: If God is for us, who can be against us eh? (Rom.8:31)
NOBODY my people, NOBODY! That’s because our God is the greatest Mover and Shaker in the entire universe!
And all God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name!’
And we have a great example of all that in the unique style of the psalm from which our Bit is taken. Yesterday we saw where the psalmist was declaring God’s wonderful attributes of strength and protection; today we’ll hear where God declares His side of the story.
Listen up: ‘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 the 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 will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.’ (Ps.91:9-16)
Oh friends, what glorious promises from the Creator of the universe for those who sincerely believe in Him and surrender their lives to Him with absolute trust and faith!
Listen though, to these words of caution from the scholars. Psalm 91: An important caution is necessary here. The great promises of verses 3-13 should not be taken in an absolute sense. One may not be presumptuous in applying them – Satan has already suggested that (Matt.4:6-7).
Rather, the believer must recall that deliverance still has to do with the will of God and that even if harm should come, he can still be secure (cf. Luke 21:16 with 21:18 and Rom.8:28 with 8:35).’
All the scholars are saying friends is that we don’t take everything literally. Harm can still come to us, but even then, we can still be secure in the Lord our God.
Please read those scriptures (that’s your homework) to get a better understanding of what the scholars are talking about. I can’t spoon-feed you all here, (smile) because it’s just too much, and we don’t have the time or space to do it.
Now let’s go home with a feeling of joy and gladness, based on the strong and true foundation of God’s word, filled with promises of security and deliverance and unconditional LOVE, for that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…try me…test me…says the Lord Jehovah to the unbeliever…and you’ll find me faithful and true…
20 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a life of sin, a Prayer fo Confidence, almighty god, blessed, bountiful, calmly, Christ-like behaviour, Christian character, common sense, confidence, conversion, crucified the flesh, difficult times, dr robert h schuller, earthly pilgrimage, face problems, faithful walk with God, fears, forget who brought us to the dance, friend of Jesus, frustrations, fulfill the lust of the flesh, glad, God is behind me, God will help me, God will rescue me, gospel truth, Hour of Power Devotional, if god is for me, leading, live by the Spirit, mu conscience is clear, new life, not afraid of problems, passions, problems, promptings, rejoice, renounced, self-assurance, serenely, share His love, share it twice, spirit of confidence, sunshiny morn, surging in my heart, Thank You God, the beloved of God, the right decision, the Son shining, this is the day the Lord has made, trip us up, trust, Tuesday Mantra, uncertainty, vices, virtues, walk in the Spirit, walk of faith, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who can be against me
Galatians 5:16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Oh my beautiful Scrip-Bit friends and families, how goes it this bright and sunshiny morn eh? We’ve gotten through Monday, despite our fears and frustrations, and Tuesday has dawned blessed and bountiful, with both the sun and the Son shining out in all their wonderful splendour!
It’s a new day, so let’s treat it like such nuh, and deliriously declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) Yes friends, it’s the only sensible way to face each and every new day that we’re blessed to see!
But we can’t do that successfully without the supreme trust and confidence in Almighty God, so here is something that will help us build that confidence. Quite appropriately it’s called ‘A Prayer for Confidence,’ and it comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, we can share it twice, and even thrice. (smile)
So 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, I do hope that prayer of confidence truly brought a surge of confidence into our hearts, bodies, souls and minds this Tuesday morning, and will enable us to go out and do a fine job for Jesus today, because it’s usually self-assurance and uncertainty that trip us up in our walk of faith.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’
Oh I know some of you might be tired of it, but it’s one of those scriptures that are rather essential to our successful and faithful walk with God. We can’t do it without the successful guidance of the Holy Spirit that’s sent to dwell within us for that specific purpose, so please open your hearts wisely to it.
Now we’ve already seen what the lusts of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit are, today we’ll check out the last part of Bruh Paul’s exhortation on the subject. Yes, today’s the last day for this Bit. (smile)
After detailing the fruit of the Spirit, Bruh Paul continues thus: ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:24-26)
Yes mih breddren, that’s how we ought to live if we’re a new creation in Christ!
Now listen to some explanations from the scholars. ‘5:24. At conversion every believer crucified the flesh, that is, in repentance he turned from and renounced his life of sin and all its wicked passions. This verse then implies that the virtues of verses of 22-23, rather than the vices of verses 19-21, should characterize them that are Christ’s.’ And that’s gospel truth!
‘5:25. This verse means “Since we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.” That is, since the Spirit gave us new life at conversion, we then should stay in step with His leading and promptings throughout life.’ Now that’s simple common sense my people; we shouldn’t forget who brought us to the dance.
Oh, I’ve just noticed another scholarly exposition on the Fruit of the Spirit, which I don’t want to deprive you of, so here it is. ‘5:22-23. In contrast to the works (plural) of the flesh, which any individual is capable of performing, the fruit (singular) of the Holy Spirit can be produced only by God. Christian character thus results from “Christ living in me (2:20). For this fruit to develop, all nine aspects of the fruit of the spirit must mature.
Illustration: The character of Christ is the fullest manifestation of this fruit in the New Testament. Though Jesus did not recognize the traditions of men, His enemies were unable to prove any charge against Him.
Application: So today, Christians should allow the Holy Spirit to develop this character within them, so they might be blameless before others and not hinder the testimony of Christ. (First Ref. Ex.35:31; 36:2; Primary Ref. Gal.5:22-23; cf. Phil.1:6).’
Now I won’t spoon feed you all today, (smile) so please look up those reference scriptures, they are very interesting and will help you better understand the topic.
And my people, having been through all the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit; a Christian’s character traits, over the last few days, let’s hope that it refreshes and renews our inner man, and brings out more Christ-like behaviour in us as we walk this earthly life, because this is the undoubted will of our heavenly Father.
Now let’s go home with great confidence and trust, loudly and soulfully declaring our Tuesday Mantra. ‘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!’
Yes friends, that’s indeed who we are! Let’s never forget it! Much LOVE!
…as a true believer…our earthly pilgrimage …should constantly exude Christ-like traits…fruit of the Spirit…
13 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good courage, be strong and of a good courage, believed to see, Bible promise, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, captivated by, Christians, competitive goals, confession, courage, defeated by, enthusiasm, erred, eternal life, faith, fight the good fight of faith, Financial Adviser, foolish, fountain, friend of Jesus, futile, goading competition, God's plan, godliness, greediness, he shall strengthen thine heart, I am the light of the world, I had fainted, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, joyful, keep up with the Joneses, life's goal, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE of God, LOVE of Money, lure of the world, lustful pleasures, material possessions, meekness, negatives, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, pierced themselves, positive spirit, rich, righteousness, rotting carcasses, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first, share His love, spiritual life, spiritual realm, strain, strayed from the faith, stress, the beloved of God, the goodness of the Lord, the lack of money, the light of life, the lure of money, the root of all evil, this is the day the Lord has made, trials, tribulations, true believers, truthful word of God, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers, wait on the Lord, walk in darkness, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Joshua 1:6a. Be strong and of a good courage…
Well friends, it’s Tuesday, the day after Monday. (smile) Hope you had a good Monday, but even if you didn’t, it’s time to let it go into the past where it belongs and greet today with new enthusiasm and faith, by declaring, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ Yes my people, it’s the only way to keep a joyful, positive spirit in these end times.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s ever so timely for many of us Christians, as well as unbelievers. It’s simply titled ‘Seek First.’
And it says: ‘O Lord How futile, how foolish To attempt to keep up with the Joneses On the gold-studded ladder of success. Even if we make it (Setting high, competitive goals) We awake one dismal morning To discover the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses So it starts again – the goading competition.
God, Your objective is far more rewarding. You want us to “keep up” with Your Plan For our individual lives. “Seek first the Kingdom of God” Is Your shining word to us. Forgive us for moments and days (Even months) When our LOVE of money Has exceeded our LOVE for You.
Please, God Be our Financial Advisor And deliver us from a thousand “if onlys.” May we never be defeated By the lack of money Or captivated by the lure of it.’
Oh my brethren, in this ever more greedy, selfish and competitive world, that is the path a lot of us are following; the lure of money and material possessions. But our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has in no uncertain terms told us: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes friends, if we first seek the spiritual realm, then the material will be forthcoming to us. And the Bible promise used for that poem is one we know all too well, but still neglect to follow properly. Listen up to these monumental words of Bruh Paul to Timothy.
‘And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:8-10)
Oh my people, the world is strewn with the rotting carcasses of so many of us who have made being rich in money and material things our life’s goal. It’s certainly not a goal that’s worth striving after because it causes too much stress and strain and invites too many negatives in our lives.
However, as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things: and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) with a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)
Yeh friends, as true believers in Christ, that is the path we ought to follow. But unfortunately, the lure of the world, its material possessions, and lustful pleasures are so strong that we can easily get caught up in them. That’s why our Bit is so important in these times of much agitation. ‘Be strong and of a good courage…’
It doesn’t have many words, but it says a whole lot in terms of our spiritual life. Without strength and courage we won’t be able to withstand the attacks of the evil one. And that spiritual strength and courage can only be gotten by having the truthful word of God dwelling securely in our souls.
As Jesus said: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Oh my people, are we walking in the light of Jesus or the darkness of the world? For all our sakes, I sincerely hope it’s the latter, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe (ours will be a very rough landing).
Now let’s look at a scripture that encourages us to seek the Lord’s strength. And nobody exemplified that more than Bruh David. Hear him: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Bruh David was anointed king of Israel in his teenaged years, but never got to sit upon the throne until many years later, after going through many trials and tribulations not of his own making. He only succeeded by staying strong in his faith in the God of his forefathers. And that’s the only way we will succeed too my friends.
Now let’s go home by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with lots of conviction and passion, because, without conviction and passion in our lives we are just like the living dead.
All together 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!’
So having said all of that, let’s now go out and behave like the beloved of God and share the LOVE of our friend Jesus with the rest of the world. That’s wisdom of untold dimensions! Much LOVE!
…the only fountain of true strength…is that which is found in Jesus…
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