31 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's life, aches and pains, afraid to pray, all decisions, an integral part, and not faint, answer prayer, apostles, behind the eight ball, bellyaching, cold weather, communicating with God, consulting the Father, Creator of the universe, curse God, deliberations, direct line of communication, disciples, discouraged, ear heard, eye hath not seen, eyes focused, eyes looking straight ahead, fed the five thousand, fit the direction, for those who love Him, give up on Him, gospel truths, grin and bear it, halfway home, hands securely on the plough, he chose twelve, important decisions, in constant contact, in His own time, in the morning, into a solitary place, Jesus, Jesus went out, made time, miracles, most important aspect, most powerful medium, not looking back, Oswald Chambers, other plans, our benefit, pray everywhere, pray for the wrong things, pray without ceasing, pray your way, prayer, prayer imparts, praying always, refuse to pray, rising before day, snowy day, thank God, the breath of life, the future promise, the heart of man, the power to walk, the things God hath prepared, the urge to do wrong, there prayed, to a glorious future with Christ, too busy, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.
Ah friends, it’s one of those days when you start out behind the eight ball. I went to bed fairly early, but `woke up late with my back aching like crazy. I don’t understand it nuh. The body calls for rest, but when I rest the body for any decent length of time, I wake up with more aches and pains than I went to bed with. Chuh! It’s just not right! (smile)
Then it looks like we’re going to have a bleak snowy day with temps in the minus something or other. Steups! And to make matters worse, I happened to glimpse the weather forecast for T&T and it was projected to be plus thirty. That’s where I ought to be!
And I’m not worried, because I know that I’ll be there at some stage of the game, but right now, the Lord in His awesome wisdom has other plans for my life in the cold weather, so I’ll just have to grin and bear it, while keeping my eyes focused on the future promise.
Enough of my bellyaching though, here are a couple of more important things for us to concentrate on. The first is a Daily Bread Thought for the day, which says: ‘Pray your way past the urge to do wrong.’ And the second comes from the great Christian writer, Oswald Chambers, who tells us that: ‘Prayer imparts the power to walk and not faint.’
Both those sayings are gospel truths my brethren and wisdom of enormous proportions. Why? Because prayer is the most powerful medium on God’s great earth! It’s the direct line of communication with the Creator of the universe! It couldn’t get any better than that.
Our problem is that we either refuse to pray, are afraid to pray, or pray for the wrong things, and when we don’t get them, we get discouraged and curse God and give up on Him. But remember God never promised to answer every prayer right away. He answers them in His own time and if they fit the direction He wants us to go.
Oh friends, prayer is possibly the most important aspect of a believer’s life. Because that’ how we communicate with Almighty God. Look at Jesus, who though He was God Himself, still chose to live His earthly life through strong and consistent communication with His heavenly Father.
As the Good Book says in our Bit: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ He never made important decisions without consulting the Father.
Apparently on that occasion He was considering whether to continue preaching the gospel as the focal point of His ministry, which wasn’t being received too well, or to focus on the miracles aspects, which the people were lapping up. But He never left the Father out of His deliberations. And most important He ALWAYS made time to do it.
We claim to be too busy to talk our Creator, which in reality friends is nonsense. We find or make time to do every other worldly thing that seems important to us though. Whether we make time or not, just goes to show how important we consider communicating with the Father is to us.
But friends, if we want to have good communication with God, we have to make time to talk to Him, regardless of what else is happening in our lives. Look at Jesus again. After He fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, (Matt.14:15-21), He sent the disciples away on a ship over the lake.
‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart (by himself) to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.’ (Matt.14:23) Yuh see friends, Jesus MADE TIME to be with God. Look at this other example of Jesus’ full prayer life. This happened just before He chose the 12 disciples.
‘And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles.’ (Luke 6:12-13) Another example of Jesus consulting His Father before making big decisions.
But friends, the Lord doesn’t only want us to communicate with Him on big decisions, but on ALL decisions, be they big or small. That means He desires to be an integral part of our everyday lives. Whatever we’re doing, He wants to be involved in it.
That’s why Bruh Paul in his writings talks about praying always, (Eph.6:18); praying without ceasing (1 Thess.5:17); and praying everywhere (1 Tim.2:8) The Lord wants to be in constant contact with us, and prayer is how He does it. So let’s be wise and MAKE TIME to communicate with Him nuh. It’s for our benefit, not His.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, a prayer that shows how connected we are with our God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In one strong and sincere voice now: ‘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!’
And yuh know what friends, our puny minds can’t even begin to comprehend the future that really awaits us. We know it’s going to be glorious, but just how glorious, we have no true idea. But hang in there, and we’ll find out eventually. Much LOVE!
…eye hath not seen…nor ear heard…neither have entered into the heart of man…the things which God hath prepared…for them that LOVE him… (1 Cor.2:9)
24 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant, actively involved, adversity, always before me, another one bites the dust, at thy right hand, attitude of the righteous man, back roads of Kingston, calamity, Christ has paved the way, Christian, confidence, conviction, corruption, crazy life, delight in God's people, destiny, dwindling of friends, earthly sorrow, Emmanuel Griffith, free to roam, friends, fullness of joy, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God will preserve him, God's goodness, God's gracious provisions, good memories, gratefulness, hands on the plough, he is at my right hand, hijinks, hindsight, I shall not be moved, idolatrous worship, in thy presence, inevitably crop up, joyful life, judge, lady friend, leave my soul in hell, lime, looking forward, loud, loved life, meet again, Mona campus, my flesh, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, naively, naively a lady friend, night excursions, not looking back, pain, party, path leading to life, Pentecost day, Peter, pleasures, pranks, Psalm 16, rejoices hopeful, revelations, set the Lord, shall rest in hope, suffer, surrender, talkative, that's life, the breath of life, the decay of death, the halls of heaven, the Lord's hand, the path of life, the righteous man, the wild blue yonder, thine Holy One, to a glorious future with Jesus, to see corruption, trust in God, truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, worthwhile
Psalm 16:8. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
And another one bites the dust! Yeh people, another of my associates from university days in Mona, Jamaica, has apparently gone home to the Father. Dr. Emmanuel Griffith M.D. passed away yesterday in a nursing home in South Trinidad. He’s been sick, partially paralyzed for a number of years, initially felled by a stroke, and another stroke carried him home.
One thing’s for sure; Emmanuel Griffith, better known as ‘Griff,’ a Trini South Boy, LOVED life. Tall, dark and full-bodied, with his thick black frame glasses, he was loud and talkative, but friendly, and was always ready for a party or a lime. He was good people. Once he became your friend, he’d do anything for you. Some of you who read the Bit knew Griff, possibly even participated in some of his hijinks, because he also liked his pranks.
But that’s why it is important to make good memories in your young days. And Griff mih brother, we certainly made some good ones back in those youthful times. I can look back now and chuckle at the many nights you had me walking the dark, back roads of Kingston, after the busses had stopped running, trying to get back to the Mona campus, because I had naively allowed you to talk me into accompanying you to see a lady friend.
But in hindsight now, it seems that even back then, the Lord’s hand was actively involved in my life, because it’s on one of those night excursions that I initially got involved with the lady who would eventually become my wife. Brother! I can’t believe I’m talking about 50 years, a half century ago.
I know we lost touch once I left the Mona campus and returned to T&T, and by the time you came back to T&T, I had migrated to Canada. But over the years through a mutual friend, I’d occasionally hear revelations of your still crazy life. But who am I to judge you eh brother? I haven’t been the greatest either.
And now your body will be returned to the dust from whence it came, free of all the pain and earthly sorrow, but thankfully your spirit will be free to roam the halls of heaven. I know that you will enjoy that! Happy roaming my friend! My condolences go out to your family and friends, left behind to mourn and celebrate your life.
Yeh people, it’s a fact that as you get older you find your friends slowly dwindling. Over the last few years I can count at least six of my friends going home to be with the Lord. And just this past week an older friend and I were discussing the situation, because he had just come from the funeral of one of his already few friends.
But that’s life! We’re only here for a short time, and hopefully we’ll all meet up again in the wild blue yonder when Jesus comes back for us. But until then, we just have to grin and bear what ever befalls us on this evil earth.
And the wisest way to do that is by leaning on Jesus, as Bruh David says so eloquently in our Bit, while seeking preservation and blessing. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ And that my friends is not only the absolute truth, but also indisputable wisdom! Glory to God!
Whenever we sincerely look to, partner with Almighty God, we place ourselves in the very best position to have an abundant and joyful life, despite the adversity and calamity that will inevitably crop up on occasion. Nobody faced more adversity than Bruh David, but when he placed his sincere trust in God, after our Bit, he was able to say with great conviction:
‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One (Jesus Christ) to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps.16:9-11)
What absolute confidence and trust in Almighty God, Bruh David shows there my fellow believers! That’s the kind of trust and surrender and confidence each and every Christian ought to have. And I think I’ll just order the reading of Palm 16, as today’s homework, (smile) so you can understand the scholar’s explanations thereof.
‘Psalm 16. The attitude of the righteous man is described in life (vs.1-8) and death (vs.9-11). In life, his attitude is one of trust (v.1), gratefulness for God’s goodness (v.2), delight in God’s people, (v.3), separation from idolatrous worship (v.4; cf. Ex.23:13; Deut. 12:3), satisfaction in God’s gracious provisions (vs.5-6), praise for the Lord’s counsel (v.7), and steadfastness in spiritual devotion (v.8).
In facing death, the righteous man rejoices and is hopeful (v.9). He is confident that God will preserve him from the decay of death and that death will not result in his corruption (v.10). Rather, he will travel down the path of life, that is, the path leading to life, which will terminate in God’s joyful presence (v.11). David’s confidence in his ultimate destiny is valid for him (and for all believers) only because Christ has travelled down that path and paved the way for all who believe in him (Acts 2:25-28).’
Oh friends, it could not be said any better. So if we’re wise, we’ll try and live that lifestyle, as it’s the optimum one available here on earth. And by the way, Acts 2:25-28 is only Peter’s paraphrasing of vs.9-11 in his big sermon on Pentecost day. Now let’s go home declaring our stellar position with Christ Jesus.
In all sincerity and truth now: ‘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!’
And if we truly believe, then we know that there is indeed a glorious future ahead with Jesus Christ for all those who believe in and obey Him! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
P.S. Yeh, it’s long and late, but nonetheless very worthwhile! (smile)
17 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, all the days of my life, beauty, blessings, Christ is beautiful, Christ is invited, complain abut the weather, constant attention, delightfulness, do His will, do our best, dr robert h schuller, dwell in the house of the Lord, earthly fathers, filling the world with beauty, forgiveness, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, heartfelt desire, Hour of Power Devotional, I desired of the Lord, I had fainted, I will seek after, imbued with Christ, in Jesus' name, inquire in his temple, intimacy with god, LOVE, loving-kindness, my life beautiful, not looking back, of children, of christ, old people, one thing, righteous believers, righteous fellowship, sinners, stay on their good side, surrendered, take time to know God, Thank you Father, the beauty of love, the breath of life, the clay, the goodness of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, the land of the living, the potter, the righteousness of Christ, tme is of the essence, to behold the beauty of the Lord, Tobago, transforms us, trusted the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 27:4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Ah mih people, a friend who reads the Bit told me yesterday that everyday I complain about the weather. Well, today, I’m just going to say that it’s sunny and cold. (smile) And oh… that it’s better in Tobago. It certainly is!
Now let’s move on to something more worthwhile than the weather. It’s a poem titled ‘Beauty’ by Gramps Schuler (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from His hour of Power Devotional. I’m sure I’ve shared it before, but as they say, when it’s nice you’ve got to share it at least thrice. (smile)
Please pray with me. ‘Thank you, Father, for filling the world with beauty. I thank you for the beauty of life, the beauty of LOVE, the beauty of children, and the beauty of old people. I thank you for the beauty of Christ and for the beauty of any life where Christ is invited through the Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father, that you have made my life beautiful too. Amen.’
Isn’t that special friends? It surely is! And you young people will notice that there’s also beauty in old people. (smile) When we’re imbued with Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can see beauty in almost any and everything! That’s because Christ Himself is beautiful and He opens our eyes to the beauty of the things around us.
If we don’t have Christ in us, then our eyes are clouded and nothing looks beautiful. And how does this all happen eh? The Daily Bread tells us that ‘The Holy Spirit transforms us through His LOVE and by His grace.’ What powerful tools my people; LOVE and grace, through which despicable sinners like you and me can be transformed into righteous believers, to be called the righteousness of Christ!
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for filling us with your grace and LOVE and bringing us into righteous fellowship with You, through Your Son Jesus Christ. We LOVE and adore You and will continue to do our best to live the way You want us to. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!’
That brings us to the heartfelt desire of Bruh David in our Bit. ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.’
Oh friends, when we take time to really know our God, we’ll find that He is truly delightful. But we can only discover that wonderful aspect of His character by taking time to spend with Him and getting to know Him intimately. Many of us claim we know God, but as soon as something negative happens and He doesn’t fix it immediately, we turn on Him.
But we have to remember that God is the potter and we are the clay, and we have to abide by His decisions, be they convenient and/or comfortable for us. And when we abide by His decisions, without a whole lot of complaining, however they may affect us, that’s when we come into true intimacy with Him and He shows us His true delightful self by blessing us with His LOVE and mercy.
It’s just like being with our earthly fathers. Unless we spend sufficient time with them, (pay attention children) we won’t know their true ways. But when we do, and learn their likes and dislikes, and generally stay on their good side, we see the delightfulness of our fathers and are usually showered with LOVE and blessings. Our God is no different; He wants our constant attention and expects us to do His will.
What did Bruh David say in our Bit? ‘…that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life…’ Oh my brethren, do we feel that way; like we want to dwell with the Lord for our entire lives? If we’ve truly surrendered our lives to Him, then we ought to.
And if we haven’t surrendered our lives to Him, then we ought to right now, today, because time is of the essence; Jesus is coming back soon, and once He returns there will be no more chance for surrender.
And we all know that although Bruh David wasn’t perfect, made mistakes for which he paid dearly, he faithfully trusted the Lord in all aspects of his life, and was quick to ask for forgiveness, thus the Lord’s LOVING-kindness towards him. We can have the same kind of life friends, if we do our best to walk in step with God.
Hear how Bruh David ends Psalm 27. ‘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, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Words of everlasting wisdom my people! Words that we ought to follow in our own lives, if we sincerely want to experience the goodness of God. Nuff said!
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful relationship with the Lord. In all sincerity and truth now: ‘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!’
And we all know that it will be indeed a glorious future, so let’s do our best to encourage others to join us in looking forward to it nuh. Much LOVE!
…the more time we spend with God…the more intimate we’ll get with Him…
10 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, accept it, angels, at my worst, awesome fact, be reminded, bedrock, California, christ jesus, Christians, death, distress, don't give up, downhill snowball, dr robert h schuller, ear hath not heard, earthquake, everlasting, exciting thought, eye hath not seen, eyes straight ahead, famine, fantastic lesson, fools, for thy sake, foundation, from the love of Christ, glory hallelujah, God first loved us, God LOVES me, good news, gospel truth, graceful truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, happy report, help, him that loved us, holy sentence, Honduras, Hour of Power Devotional, ideal time, inalterable, incomprehensible, Jesus died for us, keep keeping on, killed all day long, Lamb's book of life, life, LOVE, more than conquerors, mudslides, my faith is dim, nakedness, natural disaters, not looking back, nothing, our consciousness, peril, persecution, persuaded, powers, prayers, principalities, refuse God's love, sealed until eternity, setbacks, sheep for the slaughter, sincerity, still sinners, surety, sword, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the heart of man, the things God hath prepared, things present, things to come, time waits for no one, tribulation, truth, Wednesday Wail, who shall separate us, wildfires, written in stone
Acts 8:35. Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
And the week and the year are rolling along like a downhill snowball. It’s already Wednesday, and we’re also into the tenth day of the new year. Time certainly is waiting for no one.
And neither are the natural disasters, as they continue to roll along. Check out the 7.6 earthquake in Honduras a couple of days ago, and the mudslides that have killed some thirteen people in California after wicked rainstorms hit the scenic area that had already been ravaged by recent wildfires.
Ah Lord eh! We can’t give up though friends, we have to keep keeping on despite those setbacks. But we do have to help however we can, especially with prayers. And in the face of these disasters, I believe it’s the ideal time be reminded of one of the most important facts in this world, and to acknowledge it with sure certainty. (smile)
And that fact is: ‘GOD LOVES ME!’ It’s gospel truth my brethren, and cannot be altered. Please pray this prayer with me from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional that bears the above title.
‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. God LOVES me! Even when I’m at my worst – God LOVES me. Even when my faith is dim – God LOVES me anyway! It’s incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen.’
Oh my people, God’s great LOVE for us might be incomprehensible, but we don’t have to understand it, just accept it for the great truth that it is! So even if we don’t remember or learn anything else today, let’s solidify that truth in our hearts and souls today nuh, because that’s where everything begins.
God first LOVED us, and to such a degree, that even when we were still sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. That ought to say a lot to Christians, for no other faith has anything even close to resembling that awesome fact. And the added fact that God LOVES us in any state, wherever we are, should indeed raise our reverence and LOVE for Him.
And as a direct consequence of that awesome LOVE, Bruh Paul is able to ask this enormous question in our Bit. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’
What a striking question my people! And hear how Bruh Paul answers it nuh. ‘As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Acts 8:36-39)
Mama Mia! What surety emanates from Bruh Paul on the subject my friends! He is certain sure that NOTHING whatsoever can separate us from the LOVE of God which flows down to us through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And he’s quite right!
But friends, are we each individually sure of that? I don’t know. But I do know that until that idea is written in stone in our consciousness, our faith will never be as great as it should be, because that’s the foundation stone of our faith: God’s LOVE is inalterable and everlasting. Once you receive it, it can never be taken away from you.
That’s why they say that once you receive the faith of Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, you are sealed until eternity. Glory to God! Once your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, it shall not be removed, unless you turn away from God and become the devil’s advocate instead.
So friends, today, let’s be wise and build our faith on that solid bedrock, that solid foundation that’s Christ nuh, for it is eternal wisdom. And having taking in all of that, let’s go home now declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know about our amazing position with Jesus.
In all sincerity and truth now: ‘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!’
And it will indeed be a glorious future my brethren, for as the Good Book says: ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’ (! Cor.2:9) Much LOVE!
…only fools…will deign to refuse…God’s great and unconditional LOVE…
03 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abject fear, as for me and my house, as he is, assurance, awe-inspiring love, believe on His son, bless the Lord, blessings, boldness, casts out fear, Christians, comforts of home, confess, convinces, don't need to fear, dread, dwelling in love, eternal, fatherly care, fear, fear hath torment, focusing on what's before me, forgiveness, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, God's promises, halfway home, hands on the plough, herein is our love, hypocrisy, hypocrites, if we love, Jesus Christ, Joshua, just as we are, kindness, leggo beasts, LOVE, made perfect, mercy, miraculous situation, new every morning, no questions asked, not looking back, perfect love, punishment, reassures, reconciliation, rejection, reverence, sacrifice, saving grace, serve him, sinful children of men, sins, so are we, the breath of life, the children of God, the clay of the ground, the coming judgement, the day of judgement, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the one true living God, the Year of Love, to know Jesus, treasure trove, truth, unconditional, undeserving men, violate God's trust, washes away, way of life, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, wholesome heart, wisdom
1 John 4:17. Herein is our LOVE made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, for His bountiful kindness to the sinful children of men! Bless Him for the indescribable mercy that’s new every morning to undeserving men! Bless the Lord, O my soul, for the saving grace, the reconciliation He has provided for us through the awesome sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, so that we can believe on His Son and be called the children of God!
Oh bless His holy name people, for the breath of life that He breathed into us when He so tenderly formed us from the clay of the ground! That was His awe-inspiring LOVE that He placed in us. And even though we’ve turned away from Him, He has not turned away from us, because that LOVE is unconditional and eternal, needing nothing from us, but to come to Him, just as we are, in whatever shape we’re in, and we’ll receive, with no questions asked, His fatherly care and all the comforts of home.
And finally, bless the Lord, O my soul, for that amazing thing called forgiveness! That miraculous situation where the Lord forgives and washes away my awful sins numerous times per day, once I sincerely confess them and try not to repeat them. Oh bless the Lord, O my soul for the wonderful God we serve! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! The God who made heaven and earth, and all therein! Bless His holy name, and serve Him with a wholesome heart, for therein lies true and eternal wisdom!
Ah friends, whether you like it or not, that is how I was guided to open today’s Bit. (smile) And it’s all true! No other faith has anything that comes even close to our Christian way of life. And if you add them all up, you’ll see what a treasure trove of blessings we enjoy, even though we don’t deserve them. So for the life of me, I can’t see why we so steadfastly refuse to faithfully serve and worship the ONE true and living God of this universe!
But friends, all I can do is give you the truth, we each have to make up our individual minds on the path we’re going to follow. Let’s hope that like Joshua, we all sincerely declare: ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15)
And our Bit for today just reassures and convinces us that when we follow the Lord we don’t need to fear anything. ‘Herein is our LOVE made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’
And the scholars tell us: ‘4:17. Herein points back to verse 16 (dwelling in LOVE). 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.’
Please notice that big ‘IF’ there mih people! At some stage of the life hereafter we WILL be judged, whether we believe it or like it. However, ‘IF’ we live in LOVE in this world, we won’t have to fear that judgement. And John explains further. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Yeh friends, if we sincerely live in LOVE, then there’s no need to be afraid, because there’s NO fear whatsoever in LOVE. Listen to the scholars: ‘4:18. Fear hath torment: abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete.
Fear is still part of the Christian walk, in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us. (See Acts 10:35; 13:26; 2 Cor.7:1; Eph.5:21; Phil.2:12; 1 Pet.1:17). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’ Please read the references, I just did, and they are interesting. (smile)
Yes my faithful breddren, not because we don’t have to be afraid of God’s judgement, means we have to live like leggo-beasts. We still need to reverence Him, give Him the honour and glory He deserves. For as John tells us: ‘We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us.
If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:19-21)
And the scholars declare: ‘4:19-21. Our LOVE, if it exists and mirrors God’s LOVE at all, is not our own, but God’s doing. The epitome of hypocrisy is the claim to LOVE God while withholding LOVE from others. For Jesus Himself commanded that he who LOVES God is to demonstrate this through LOVING others.’
Unfortunately though friends, that hypocrisy is very rampant throughout Christ’s church. We talk the LOVE but don’t walk it. That’s why so many unbelievers just look at Christians, shake their heads, laugh and declare ‘Hypocrites!’ But this year we going to change that my fellow believers, because 2018 is the year of real and true godly LOVE!
And to cement that promise, let’s go home by letting the world know our sincere and secure position in Christ, as we declare our Wednesday Wail with strong conviction, in loud voice. All together now: ‘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!’ And since all God’s promises are true, we know that the future with Jesus will indeed be glorious! Much LOVE!
…to truly know Jesus…is to certainly LOVE Him…
27 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful evergreen, A Christmas Prayer, a good time, a sinful sea of muck and evil, a solution to our sin, Abba, adopted sons of God, all things were made by him, as a young man, beneficial, born of a woman, bright light, by a long shot, carved from a tree, celebrating the birth of christ, Christmas music, created the world, dead tired, divine, dr robert h schuller, dwelt among us, Father, flashes his bullwhip, from your cross, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, go back to work, God will stop at noting, good cheer, gospel truth, grace, hanging on a tree, heir with Jesus, Hour of Power Devotional, human flesh, human soul, in a manger, in him was life, in the beginning, Jesus Christ, life-giving, long Christmas weekend is over, LOVE, merciful love, my life, not turning back, peace, perfect fellowship, pointing, reaching, road-weary, rooted in God's love, sea of darkness, sharing, solid, sparkling, strong and kind branches of a tree, sturdy, taking in the whole world, tall and upright, the breath of life, the darkness comprehend it not, the fullness of time, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the massa, the only begotten of the Father, the spoken word, the straight and narrow path, the Word was God, the word was made flesh, the Word was with God, thoughts of God, through Jesus' birth, to save my soul. celebrate God's love, to touch hearts that hurt, travel-worn wayfares, truth, twinkling Christmas tree, under the law, walking with Jesus, was the Word, we beheld his glory, Wednesday Wail, with hands that reach out, with outstretched arms, your caring
John 1:14. And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And then it was Wednesday! Yeh friends, that means the long Christmas weekend is over and most of us have to go back to work now. Hn, hn! Most of us will be dead tired and won’t get much done this upcoming week, even though the massa constantly flashes his bullwhip at us.
That’s because we had such a good time celebrating the birth of Christ. And though they’ve stopped playing, or rather inundating us with Christmas music, and we have to go back to work, the season is not over yet. Not by a long shot! (smile)
And we’ll continue the peace, LOVE and good cheer for a li’l longer with ‘A Christmas Prayer,’ from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. It’s too nice to pass up, just because we’re two days removed from Christmas Day.
Please pray with me. ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree, I pray, my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen forever. Amen.’
And all of that is gospel truth my brethren! Without God’s great and merciful LOVE, we’d be nowhere, still swimming in a sinful sea of muck and evil. But through Jesus’ amazing birth, God has given us a solution to our sin problem…’Just believe in Him, ‘ He says…’Only believe…’ And your sins will be forgiven and your souls washed white as snow! What an awesome promise my people! One that we’d be very foolish to pass up.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘And the Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ What a revelation!
As John says at the start of His gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.’(John 1:1-5)
Yeh friends, Jesus was with the Father from the beginning of time, there was a perfect fellowship between them. Jesus was distinctly divine and created the world through the spoken word. That’s why our words have such power today my people.
But then Jesus put on the human flesh and came to live with us, but we didn’t understand or appreciate Him. How sad! He came to lift us out of the sinful sea of darkness and evil on which were then travelling and bring us into His bright light; the light that leads us on the straight and narrow path.
As Bruh Paul declares in Galatians: ‘But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.’ (Gal.4:4)
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘4:4. The fullness of time corresponds to “the time appointed of (by) the Father in 4:2. Made of a woman (or, born of a woman”). This stresses Jesus’ humiliation at leaving His preexistent glory and becoming man; without having done so He could not have died for our sins. Made under the law (or, “born subject to the law”); He was born a Jew under the law in order to free those under the curse of the law. (4:5).’
And verse 5 and onward says: ‘To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ (Gal.4:5-7)
What a beautiful scene friends! If we believe in Jesus and try to walk in His ways, we are adopted by God and thus become a Son of God too like Jesus, and an heir with Him! Wow! How can anything be better than that eh? So as we go home today, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know just how tight we are with Jesus nuh. (smile)
As one huge chorus now: ‘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!’
And what a glorious future that will be, precious people of God! Much LOVE!
…walking with Jesus isn’t always easy…but it’s ALWAYS beneficial…to the human soul…
13 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city set on a hill, a glorious future with Jesus, advertise, benefits, cannot be hid, Christian, christianity, christmas day, come to know Jesus, commotion, compromise, contentment, decorations, disunity, divisions, environment, factions, faith, family interacts, fear of man, flavour, gentleness, gives light to all, glorify your father in heaven, glory, glory hallelujah, god the father, godly manner, good for nothing, good works, halfway home, hands on the plough, He was in the house, healthy, Jesus Christ was born, joy, kindness, laughter, laziness, learn of your presence, let your light so shine, light of holiness, looking forward, lost his savour, LOVE, men light a candle, miracle, negative aspects of life, neighbours know it, never a secret, not looking back, on a candlestick, One Year Book of Bible promises, outward atmosphere, praise, prayer, presents, problems, radians, righteous body, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, sinful men, sinful world, sloth, Spirit of Christ, spiritual accent, strangers, strife-filled environment, thanks, the breath of life, the Great First, the light of the world, the salt of the earth, thrown out, trod underfoot, under a bushel, unified, way of life, Wednesday Wail, You cannot be hid, you live in a home
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Oh friends, the time is drawing ever nearer to that most significant day – Christmas Day – when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born! Glory Hallelujah! Give God the Father all thanks, praise and glory for the awesome miracle that He wrought in the lives of, and on behalf of sinful men that day some two thousand years ago!
And even more importantly, please, we need to see that thanks and glory reflected in our homes as the poem ‘You Cannot Be Hid,’ from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin so avidly describes.
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I’ve discovered it’s never a secret When You live in a home For You simply cannot be hid. The neighbours soon know You are there Even strangers learn of Your presence. When You are the Great First in a home
There is a radiance that speaks of joy There is gentleness, kindness Laughter and LOVE. There is commotion mixed with contentment There are problems mixed with prayer. Lord, Your own word says it so vividly: “It was known that He was in the house.”
Yes my people, anytime the Lord God Almighty is the ‘Great First’ in our homes, that most excellent and welcome fact cannot be hid, because it shows in the way the family interacts with each other and with those who come around them!
Wow! What a joyful home that becomes! That doesn’t mean that problems and other negative aspects of life don’t exist in the homes where God is FIRST. It just means that they are dealt with in a healthy, godly manner, and a continual strife-filled environment doesn’t exist there.
Oh how I wish many many more of our homes, especially the Christian ones, were truly like that. Yeh friends, we all know that a lot of homes that seem Christian on the outside don’t really behave in good Christian fashion on the inside.
So please, for this Christmas season, in these ongoing strife-filled and negative times, let’s try and bring a true Christian feeling, a true Christian environment to our homes nuh. Let our neighbours and the stranger just passing through see it written loud and clear in the way we interact, so that they can appreciate our way of life and come to know Jesus too.
Remember, it’s not just the presents, the food, decorations and outward atmosphere that are important at Christmas time, but also the internal, the spiritual accent, for they bring the true Spirit of Christ to the situation. And the Bible promise for that poem is also our Bit, the well-known words of Jesus to His disciples and also to us. ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’
Oh my people, that is exactly what Jesus expects from us; to be a blazing light of holiness and righteousness to the evil and sinful world that surrounds us! Then He continues with an addendum: ‘Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:15)
Yeh friends, Jesus expects us to show our Christianity to the whole world, so that they can see and believe the awesome benefits inherent in becoming His follower.
And furthermore, in the verse before our Bit, He declares another truth that He expects from His followers: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour (flavour), wherewith (by what) shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot by men.’ (Matt.5:13)
Oh friends, yuh better believe that Christians, as a unified and righteous body have lost their salt and their light is not shining as brightly as it ought to! Who knows exactly why?
But there are some reasons that definitely contribute to the unfortunate situation; reasons like fear of what man can do to us, disunity between Christians, too many factions and divisions of Christians, unnecessary compromise with the world, and simple sloth and laziness, with the avowed intention to just enjoy the things of the world and the things of God be put on the back burner.
But friends, our avowed intention ought to be what Jesus demanded of us: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.5:16) That’s the crux of the matter right there my believing brethren! We simply need to come up higher in our Christian living.
And this Christmas season is the best time to do it. So please, let’s all promise our God, and ourselves, that this Christmas, Christ will truly be in our houses and our lives, and be clearly visible to all and sundry. And having made that promise, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our position in Christ.
In truth and sincerity now: ‘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!’
And what a truly glorious future that will be my people! And it all began with Christ’s birth at Christmas! Much LOVE!
…if Christians don’t advertise their wonderful faith…then who will eh…
06 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child's dream, a glorious future with Jesus, a miracle, affliction, avowed intention, billows, broken, cast out, Christmas time, Dag Hammarskjold, deceitful, disobeyed, first place in our hearts, floods, forgiveness, glory hallelujah, glory to God, goodwill, halfway home, hands on the plough, Happy New Year, holiness, holy temple, humility, I called upon the Lord, in distress, in honour of christ's birth, Jesus is the reason for the season, Jonah, joy, joyful occasion, laughter, looking to the future, lost faith, LOVE, loving-kindness, lying lips, lying vanities, made clean, made whole, Merry Christmas, morose, my soul fainted, negative, Nineveh, noise, not turning back, peace, precious people of God, remembered the Lord, remove Jesus, righteousness, Secretary General, secular world, selfish, set me in a large place, sincere belief, sinful nature, soiled, strife filled, surrounded me, talkative times, the answer, the belly of hell, the belly of the fish, the breath of life, the coming of Jesus, the Lord answered me, times of trouble, United Nations, vomited out, waves, Wednesday Wail, worthless idols
Psalm 118:5. I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.
Oh precious people of God, it is Christmas time; the season of peace, LOVE and goodwill to all men, in honour of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And what a magnificent time it can be, if we don’t forget that Jesus is the reason for the season and keep Him first place in our hearts as we busily rush around making preparations for this joyful occasion.
Yes friends, we need to keep ourselves reminded of that all-important fact, otherwise the incredible noise and the hullabaloo of the secular world and their avowed intention to remove Jesus from our society, will drown it out of our hearts, minds and souls.
And today I want to share a quote that resounds with the atmosphere of the season. It’s attributed to Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961), Swedish, diplomat, economist and author, who served as the second Secretary General of the United Nations, and was killed in a plane crash in Zambia, while on his way to investigate some irregularities.
He reputedly said that: ‘Forgiveness is the answer to the child’s dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is again made clean.’
And doesn’t that perfectly fit this Christmas season, when Christ came as a child, the miracle that was to fix our broken and fallen sinful nature, offering forgiveness, while eventually washing us white as snow, and thus making us clean again, so that we could communicate in holiness and righteousness with our heavenly Father? It sure does to me!
And I guess that’s why Christmas is such a time of forgiveness, where joy and laughter, peace and goodwill triumph over the usually selfish, morose and negative rest of the year. The wonderful Spirit of Jesus is in the air my brethren! Glory to God for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men! Let’s keep His wonderful Spirit alive as we keep shouting, ‘Merry Christmas to All…and to All a Happy New Year!’
That brings us to our Bit: ‘I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large (broad) place.’
Ah friends, isn’t it wonderful to have the Lord to cry out to in times of trouble? It surely is! No other faith has that divine promise of hearing and responding in positive fashion to our requests. And we see it in so many places in the Good Book. Yesterday we saw Bruh David crying out for help, and receiving it.
Now let’s look at a couple of other situations where heartfelt pleas were made to the Father, and He responded positively. The psalmist in Psalm 120 – Prayer for deliverance from lying lips – begins by declaring: ‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.’ (Ps.120:1-2)
Oh my fellow believers, in these deceitful, strife filled and ultra-talkative times, many of us need to cry out to the Lord for help in that area, for truth is sadly lacking in our society. And one of the best examples of our Bit is Jonah’s cry from the belly of the fish after he had disobeyed the Lord’s directive to go and preach to the people of Nineveh.
‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine (because of my) affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst (the heart) of the seas; and the floods compassed me about (surrounded me): all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then said I, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.’ (Jon.2:1-4)
Yeh friends, I am sure being in that fish’s belly for three days and nights was certainly hell for Jonah. But please note that though he was disobedient and being punished for it, he never lost faith in the LOVING-kindness and forgiveness of his God.
Later on in the chapter he declares: ‘When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto (went up to) thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-kindness). But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ (Jon.2:7-9)
Oh my people, yuh see even when we are in the most desperate and distraught situations, it is never too late to call on our wonderful God. Jonah did it, as it were from the very depths of hell. And what was the response? ‘And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.’ (Jon.2:10)
Even so will the Lord cause us to be released from our misery if we call upon Him in humility and sincere belief, because that’s what He is all about; LOVING-kindness, mercy and forgiveness. Friends, oh friends, please remember that and NEVER lose faith in Him, regardless of the circumstances!
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, boldly letting the world know of our faith and our wonderful position in Jesus Christ. As one strong and solid voice now. ‘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!’
And what a glorious future that will be my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…Christmas…the time of joy and LOVE…celebrating the miracle of the coming of Jesus…
29 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a sigh of relief, Advocate, all fullness dwell, atonement, author, believe on Jesus, blessed position, blood, Christian faith, Colossians, created by him, death of Jesus, disobedience, dominions, enormous price, eternal salvation, eternity, exalted, express image, first-born, forever, forgiveness of sins, foundation, friend, glory hallelujah, glory to God, halfway home, hands on the plough, He has loved us, heaven, heavy food, Hebrews, high priest, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, king, King of Kings, Lamb's book of life, looking at the past, looking forward to, Lord, Lord of Lords, LOVE, lover, meat and potatoes, middle day, Mighty fortress, milk, mortal lives, Mover, of his person, of the majesty, on high, on the right hand, paved the way, pre-eminent Christ, principalities, purged our sins, Redeemer, redemption, ruler of all he surveys, rulers, sacrifice, sat down, send us to sleep, Shaker, sinful ways, sinless sacrifice, sins, thank God, thanks and praise, the beginning of time, the breath of life, the brightness of his glory, the creation, the invisible God, the power of Jesus, the word of his power, thrones, to all the world, upholding all things, visible, Wednesday, Wednesday Wail, whatever works for you, workweek
Hebrews 1:3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
And moving right along, we run smack dab into Wednesday, the middle day of our workweek! And some of us heave a sigh of relief, knowing that two’s down, and only two more to go. But that’s okay friends, whatever works for you, to get you through the week is fine, once it has the power of Jesus involved in, or behind it.
Glory to our great Redeemer, my brethren, who through the sinless sacrifice of His holy life, paved the way for our eternal salvation! We must always remember to give Him much thanks and praise each and every day of our mortal lives…and even when we get to heaven too, to spend eternity there with Him!
Oh glory to God the Father for the LOVE with which He has LOVED us right down through the ages, despite our sinful ways and willful, protracted disobedience!
That’s why we are in our current blessed position, and why all those who believe on the name of Jesus, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, and who diligently follow His will, will be enshrined in His Lamb’s Book of Life FOR EVER! Oh give God the glory of which He is so worthy my people!
And as usual friends, some days I just have to chuckle at what the Holy Spirit leads me to write! None of the above was in my mind previous to writing it, but as I wrote, it just kept flowing, and my fingers couldn’t hit the keys fast enough. Obviously some of what I had planned for today can no longer be included, but that’s okay, because I believe this is a much better intro to our wonderful, uplifting Bit.
‘Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged (cleansed) our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.’
Oh what a Friend, and Advocate, LOVER and Redeemer, High Priest and Lord, King and mighty Fortress is our Jesus! He did it all for us! That’s why the Father exalted Him so highly! He is indeed the mighty Mover and Shaker of this world that He helped to create in the beginning of time!
And if you don’t believe what the author of Hebrews says, who by the way I believe is Bruh Paul, because the writing is way too similar, then listen as Bruh Paul disserts on the pre-eminent Christ to the Colossians.
‘In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born (first in rank) of (over) every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in (on) earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities (rulers), or powers (authorities): all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by (in) him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;’ (Col.1:14-19)
Oh friends, that is indeed a mouthful, but it is the very basis, the foundation for and of our Christian faith! Without that sound and solid reasoning there would be no substance to our faith. The long and short of the story is that it all exists through, and hinges solely on Christ, the first-born, who Bruh Paul declares existed even before the Creation, and who created all that exists, thus He has the right to be pre-eminent, ruler of all that He surveys.
Ah mih breddren, there are so many explanations provided by the scholars on these meat and potatoes scriptures (time we stopped drinking solely milk){smile), but we don’t have space to list them all, so I’ll just do what we can today, then tomorrow do the rest.
And the scholars declare: ‘1:14. Blood reminds the Colossians of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure their redemption. Redemption, then, is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death. See Ephesians 1:7 for “redemption.’
And yes my fellow believers, that same blood paid for our redemption too! Let’s never forget it! And you ask, how could we ever, since it’s the whole basis of our forgiveness and the atonement for our abominable sins? I don’t know, but some of us very conveniently do.
Anyway, enough for today, don’t want to give us more than we can handle in one sitting; too much heavy food would just send us to sleep. (smile) So let’s end then with our Wednesday Wail, which authoritatively declares where we’re at in our spiritual journey with Jesus Christ, our eternal Lord and Saviour!
In strong voice and true sincerity now: ‘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!’
And what a glorious future that will indeed be my people! Now let’s go out and tell it to all the world, as our Jesus desires! Much LOVE!
…without Jesus…I shudder to think what our lives would be like…both now and in eternity…
15 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a garment, a glorious future with Jesus, a powerful tool, a seriouswarning, abundance, accoutrements, anger, asaph, be not envious, betrayed, bitterness, blameless, Christiannegative, corrupt, desire to be with evil men, desires of our hearts, destruction, direct his way, do god's work, draw you away from God, envious of evil men, envy, eternity, evil men, evil way of living, expectations perish, faith, faithful, fatness, fear, fixed straight ahead, focus on fear, forgive, glory hallelujah, grace, halfway home, harbour hate, hate, heartache reign, hope, hopeless, humble child, ignored, in an excellent manner, June Hunte, life looks hopeless, live with your hope, LOVE, lust, mire of despair, mischief, move forward with faith, naughtiness, necklace, netherworld, not looking back, occult, on the upswing, oppression, peace, poignant, pray with your heart, pride, prosperity of the wicked, redundant, rejected, rejection, righteousness, scorned, securely on the plough, selling their souls, stumbled, the breath of life, the dark, transgressors, trouble, unproductive, upliftment, violence, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.
Well a fine Wednesday morning or afternoon to all you my faithful Scrip-Bit readers! Here is hoping that the Lord is blessing and keeping you safe and sound and giving you the necessary accoutrements to do His work in an excellent manner….
Oh that last statement is redundant, because the Lord ALWAYS gives us the wherewithal to do His work in an excellent manner. (smile)
Anyway, today I want to share an interesting poem titled ‘Rejection,’ written by a lady named June Hunte. And is it ever so poignant and applicable to all believers! Some of you might know it, but it’s one of those pieces that never get old or stale.
Please pray with me. ‘My Lord Jesus, I will live with your hope, even when life looks hopeless. I will not harbour hate, even when I’m ignored. I will live with your peace, even when I’m rejected. I will live with your LOVE, even when I’m scorned.
I will pray with your heart, even for those who hurt me. I will forgive with your grace, even when I’m betrayed. I won’t focus on fear, for I know You are faithful. I won’t let heartache reign, I will move forward with faith. I pray this as your humble child.’
Yes friends, that’s our Christian faith explained right there! But how many of us are living up to it eh? Definitely not as many as should! We allow the enemy to fill our spirits with too much negative and unproductive stuff when we don’t get the desires of our hearts. But that does no good my people. It only drags us even further down in to the mire of despair, bitterness, fear and hate, when what we desperately need is upliftment and strong faith.
That brings us to our Bit, which is also a serious drag on our faith. ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.’ Why? ‘For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble) (Prov.24:2)
Oh my brethren, is that ever a serious warning from Cousin Sol! And it’s probably even more necessary in these ridiculously evil times than when he first wrote it. The times are so evil that people are selling their souls for next to nothing.
The dark, the occult, the netherworld are all on the upswing now, but the worse thing we can ever do is to be envious of evil men, and then allow that envy to lead us into their evil way of living. And believe you me, the evil in the world is a powerful tool that draws you away from God without you even really realizing it.
Even the psalmist Asaph almost fell for it, way back when. Hear him from Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness: ‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (had almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful) when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covers them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt (scoff), and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily (proudly). They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.’ (Ps.73:2-9)
Ah friends, nothing has changed since the days of Asaph so long ago, except that the wicked has gotten even more wicked and more prosperous, and their lure even more desirous and deceitful. It’s not easy to see them prospering and turn away from their evil deeds, but as Christians we should, and can do it with the Lord’s help.
And remember what Cousin Sol says earlier on in Proverbs 11: ‘The righteousness of the perfect (blameless) shall direct his way (make his way smooth or straight): but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness (lust).
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth. The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead (trouble comes to the wicked instead).’ (Prov.11:5-8)
Yuh see people, the wicked might have the upper hand in this world in regards to power and worldly wealth, but it will profit them nothing in the long run, because they, and all that they have will be destroyed, for there is nothing that the Lord God Almighty despises like evil and evil doers.
So let’s try and we wise nuh, and not be numbered amongst that lot. And we can begin by declaring our Wednesday Wail, which describes our position in the realm of God. ‘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!’
Now let’s stand steadfast and strong in that belief, for it’s wisdom at it’s zenith! Much LOVE!
…wickedness may prosper for a season…but righteousness will prosper for eternity…
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 