17 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abolished death, almighty god, Arabia, blessing of grace, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, Bruh Paul's conversion, but are not able to kill the soul, called me by his grace, christianity, come boldly to the throne of grace, common sense, confidence, conversion to Christianity, courage, Creator of the universe, Damascus, eternal union with god, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, for by grace you have been saved, Galatians, Gentiles, Glory be, glory hallelujah, god, God's free gift of grace, grace, grace upon gace, guide and protector, halfway home, heathen, heavenly Faher, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, immortality, In god I have put my trust, In God will I praise his word, it is the gift of God, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, magnanimity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, nobody, not of yourselves, obtain mercy, of whom shall I be afraid, personal relationship, respect, resurrection, reverence, righteous lives, salvation, saved through faith, saviour jesus christ, testimony of our Lord, thank God, the breath of life, the curse of sin, the gospel, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, there's nothng to fear, to a glorious future with Jesus, topsy tury, Wailing Time, Wednesday Wail, What time I am afraid, when it pleased God, where our bread is buttered, whom shall I fear
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Oh Friends, welcome to a beautiful morning in this part of God’s great universe! And it’s Wednesday morning too, which means that it’s Wailing Time! Yes my people, it’s time to wail our Wednesday Wail. So let’s wail on them nuh, let’s wail down the place. (smile)
As one set of harmonic wailers, let’s wail: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of live 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!’
Ah mih breddren, it’s such a wonderful feeling to be alive, though our world is more than a bit topsy turvy! But when we have the Creator of the universe as our God and heavenly Father, our guide and protector, there’s absolutely nothing to fear! Glory be!
Remember these wonderful inspiring and uplifting words of Bruh David from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) And the answer to those questions is simply, NOBODY!
But then, just in case the situation does arise, Bruh David faithfully declares: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:3-4) Strong words of faith my people.
Then dwell on these reassuring words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) The death of the body is not the end of life, and the only person with power to destroy both body and soul my Friends is Almighty God!
So He is the ONLY Being we ought to fear. And if we have a personal relationship with Him, then our fear should not be as someone scared, for we can come to Him at any time with confidence and courage, but a respect and reverence for His awesome power and incredible magnanimity.
And that’s shown to full effect by the words of our Bit. ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:’
Oh my people, my people, I certainly don’t understand how anyone can turn away from such a wonderful Deity, for even a little common sense should tell us that’s where our bread is truly buttered, not with the untrustworthy things and evildoers of the world. Now let’s continue looking at scriptures that deal with the truly wonderful blessing of grace.
And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul’s words to the Galatians, when he explained how he came to be an apostle. ‘But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen (Gentiles); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.’ (Gal.1:15-17)
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:15-16. Since Paul’s conversion to Christianity was due to God and not man, and since he did not consult with men subsequent to his conversion, then the apostle could not have received the gospel from any but the Lord. To reveal his Son in (to) me: The divine disclosure to man of the person and work of Christ is the essence of the gospel.’
‘1:17. Following his Damascus road conversion Paul made no trip to Jerusalem, where the apostles were, but spent approximately three years in Arabia. It is implied that he conferred with God there. During these three years he was not taught by men.’
But by the grace of God, Friends! How else could he divine all the heavenly stuff that he divined eh? Our God works in so many different ways that it’s nothing but amazing!
And to Timothy, when exhorting him to endurance, Bruh Paul declares: ‘Be not thou 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 began (before time). 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 through the gospel.’ (2 Tim.1:8-10)
And the scholars’ tell us: ‘1:8-10. The testimony of our Lord refers to the gospel Paul preached. Me his prisoner indicates that although Paul is actually a prisoner in a dungeon cell in the city of Rome, he regards himself there in the directive will of God. Hence he is really God’s prisoner, and Rome is merely God’s agent to put him where God wants him.
Who hath saved us refers to the ultimate effect: our salvation. And called us with a holy calling looks at the means by which our salvation was effected. His own purpose and grace…was given us indicates that our salvation was totally unmerited.
Abolished death (“having rendered death ineffective”): By His vicarious death, Christ reversed the curse of sin and brought life (eternal union of the soul with God) and immortality (“incorruption”) which is guaranteed by His resurrection.’
Ah Friends, I know it does seem like a lot of heavy stuff, but we need to understand the Good Book as best we can, so that we can make worthwhile decisions and thus live righteous lives.
Now we’ll end today’s message with these well know words from Hebrews. ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:16)
Now those are definitely words of awesome heavenly wisdom, so please my people, let’s put them into action in our lives today, and every day that we draw the Lord’s breath of life. Much LOVE!
…this earthly Christian life is nothing but grace…God’s free gift of grace…grace upon grace…so that we can have a beautiful eternal relationship with Him…
03 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a spring chicken, abominable sins, and all these things shall be added unto you, and he shall bring it to pass, Anselm's Quote, Beelzebub, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, celebrity status, Christians, commit our lives to Jesus, Commit thy way to the Lord, committments, confuffle our minds, damnation, death, delight thyself in the Lord, dishonour, dog eat dog world, eternal separation from God, eternal soul, eternity, ever-faithful God, feed on his faithfulness, fold of Jesus Christ, glad to be alive, halfway home, hankering after, hellfire, honour, humble apologies, I'm not turning back, jehovah god, lack of committement, laziness, LOVE, Lucifer, magnanimous, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, omnipotent, power, Scrip-Bit Culture, selfish mode, sensible approach to life, staying loyal, the breath of life, the cross of Calvary, the desires of your heart, the things of the world, the will of God, there's no giving up in Christ, things of God, trust also in him, trust in the Lord and do good, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Psalm 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
‘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!’
Oh Friends, that’s something I’m calling our Wednesday Wail! (smile) I haven’t decided yet whether it will be a part of our Scrip-Bit Culture, like our Friday Chant and Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It’s just something I was led to pen before going to bed this morning.
And by the way, my humble apologies for this really late Bit. I had a busy day yesterday and didn’t get to bed till real late this morning, and since the ole body is no longer a spring chicken, (smile) it obviously needs more rest than before.
And truthfully, I don’t see much sense in forcing myself to get up if I am not going to be in good shape to write something sensible. Better it’s a little late and I’m truly refreshed in mind, body and spirit.
So my mea culpas. (smile) It was just one of those days, which do happen occasionally, and might just happen more often as the summer weather picks up. Don’t worry though, the Bit will always be there.
Now here’s an interesting and very relevant quote from our Friend Anselm, whose avowed purpose is to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And it says: ‘Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it in has left you.’
And that is gospel truth my people! It’s what we ought to do, especially as Christians. However in this golden age of dishonour and lack of commitment, that statement doesn’t factor into the thoughts of the majority of the society. It’s truly become a dog-eat-dog world, where we’re only interested in ourselves and what we can do for us.
And we live in such a feel-good society that we make promises and commitments on the spur of the moment, without thinking things through, then later realize that we can’t keep our promises and just ignore them. Whatever happened to the days of honour eh? When a man’s word or handshake was a certain commitment?
Hn! Sorry Friends, those days seem to be long gone. Now we’re simply into selfish mode, where ‘I, me, myself and I’ are the all-encompassing factors of today. But my people, as true followers of Jesus Christ we are expected to be different, different from the world in which we live.
Bruh David wisely informs us in our Bit. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ Ah Friends, if more of us would adopt that bit of wisdom, our world would be such a wonderful place!
But we can’t give up on it, because there’s no giving up in Christ. We have to keep on dreaming the dreams of improvement and working diligently with Jesus to bring them to pass. That’s the only way things will ever get better.
And if we listen to what Bruh David said just before our Bit, we’ll realize the immense wisdom in his theory. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.’ (Ps.37:3-5)
Oh mih people, mih people, why aren’t more of us adopting that most wise and sensible approach to life here on this much traumatized earth eh? My only answer is that we are still allowing the things of the world; the material possessions with their bright and shiny facades, the hankering after power and celebrity status to ‘confuffle’ our minds and souls.
Consequently, though we may not want to, in these tough times, we continue putting the flimsy and non-lasting things of the world before the eternal and oh so important things of God.
Unfortunately, Beelzebub still has too many of us eating out of his lying and deceitful hand. It’s time we stop that my brethren, and instead look to our Creator and faithful Provider, Jehovah God. For when our days on earth are up, we won’t carry any of the things of Beelzebub with us, but if we look to God, we will have rewards stored up in heaven for the hereafter.
The only things Beelzebub has to offer are death, damnation, hell-fire and eternal separation from God. I doubt that we really want to experience any of those things, but it’s what is going to happen if we refuse to seriously and sincerely commit our lives to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, the One who sacrificed His life on the cross of Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and redeem and reconcile us to our heavenly Father.
Oh Friends, so many of us today, especially our young people, are leaving the straight and narrow pathways of God for the wide and destructive highways of Lucifer that it’s heartbreaking. Lucifer will not keep the promises he makes, because he is a liar and deceiver, but our omnipotent, magnanimous and ever-faithful God will, because that’s just the kind of Deity that He is.
Oh my people, the Bit’s already pretty late, so I won’t prolong it, I’ll just end with these faithful and wise words of Jesus, which we all know, but find it difficult to put into action. ‘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 continue seeking the will of God, then all the worldly things we need will be granted to us. And the beauty of getting the worldly things we need from God and not Lucifer, is that when we get them from God, they last and we prosper, unlike those things gained from the evil one.
So please people, let’s wake up and smell whatever it is we need to smell and/or see, and quickly get ourselves back into the wonderful fold of Jesus Christ nuh, for that is everlasting wisdom. Much LOVE!
…when we walk with Lucifer…we stand to lose everything…including our eternal soul…but when we walk with Christ…oh such a beautiful eternity stretches out before us…
P.S. Sorry for not changing the date on the second heading of the Bit yesterday, but that’s what comes from laziness, just copying and pasting. Not that too many of you noticed. (smile) Much LOVE!
02 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all generations shall call me blessed, almighty god, awesome truth, blessed is the man that trusts in God, carried to the fountain, earthly pilgrimage, empty pitcher, excitedly, faithfulness, fall, fatted calves, Fill Me, filled the hungry with good things, filled with love and truth, for he satisfieth the longing soul, friends and neighbours, God is ever-faithful, godly purpose, grace, Gramps Schuller, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, healing in his wings, help, Hour of Power Devotional, hungering, hungrily, in the reverence of God, jehovah god, life force, Lord God of Abraham, LOVE, loving kindness, magnanimous, man-made idol, Mary, mother of Jesus, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoiced in God, no good thing will he withold, no need to worry, O taste and see that the Lord is good, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, praise the Lord for His goodness, promises, righteous right hand, righteousness., robert h schuller, sincerity, sons of Korah, soul, stumble, sun, thank you, the breath of life, the children of men, the fear of the Lord, the growing flower, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and jacob, the Lord will uphold them, the Magnificat, the mountain springs, the Sun of righteousness, the thirsty deer, them that walk uprightly, there is no want to them that fear God, thirstily, thirsting, this time of prayer, turns hungrily to the satisfying sun, undivided attention, unreliable, untrustworthy, wisdom, wonderful works
Psalm 107:9. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Welcome Friends and neighbours to another terrific Tuesday! The breath of life is still flowing through our bodies, which means there is still a godly purpose for our being. Let’s diligently search out that purpose, then seriously put it into action.
On that note, the day didn’t begin too well for me, because when I came down here to write, my trusty desktop computer began giving problems, wouldn’t allow me to go to Outlook, for whatever reason, thus I had to resort to my laptop. That meant I lost valuable time fooling with it. But the Lord in His absolute wisdom knows what’s happening and is on the problem, (smile) so I have no need to worry.
Consequently, let’s turn to Him with this soulful prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional titled ‘FILL ME.’ I believe we’ve shared it before, but it’s definitely worth sharing again.
Please pray with me: ‘O Lord, like the thirsty deer which goes to drink from the mountain springs; like the growing flower which turns hungrily to the satisfying sun; like the empty pitcher which is carried to the fountain to be filled; so I come, O God, knowing that in this time of prayer my soul will be filled with your LOVE and truth. Thank you! Amen.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my people? It surely is! Whenever we turn to the Lord in sincerity and faithfulness, we are filled with His wonderful LOVE and truth. So please this morning, let’s seek him hungrily, thirstily and excitedly like the deer going to drink from the mountain springs and the flower that’s turning with so much joy to the sun to boost its life force.
Like those other aspects of God’s creation, we too need to seek His face so that our souls, our life force can be renewed and strengthened, especially in these rough and trying times. And all of this hungering and thirsting after righteousness (smile) complements our Bit quite nicely.
The psalmist quite rightly declares: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’
Wow Friends! What absolute and indisputable truth that is! Our God is a real, living, feeling, hearing and seeing Deity, magnanimous in His grace and mercy, and ever-faithful to His promises! And those who sincerely seek him, WILL receive His undivided attention and His awesome help to fix whatever is wrong in their lives.
And before we go further, let’s make one thing very clear: there is none other than Him who can meet our needs, all our needs that is. So please don’t go looking to man to help, for man is unreliable, untrustworthy and cannot guarantee any support they may offer. But he Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can, because He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent!
And now that we understand that Almighty God is the first and last place we must seek help in our earthly pilgrimage, regardless of the matter, big or small, important or unimportant, let’s look at some scriptures that support the truth of our Bit.
First off, the Sons of Korah, in Psalm 84, faithfully proclaim: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12)
Oh my people, we cannot find more truth than that anywhere in this universe! The Lord WILL NEVER turn away those who seek Him sincerely and diligently! Please remember that, and let it permeate all your doings.
Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.’ (Ps.34:8-11)
Oh Friends, there’s not much more to say. Bruh David has said it all in so few words. However, until we learn the fear, the true reverence of God, in worship, in praise, in humility and faithfulness, we will not be able to access those wonderful attributes of His.
Meanwhile the prophet Malachi confidently proclaims: ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (fatted calves).’ (Mal.4:2)
Yes my brethren, our wonderful God has made provision for all those who turn to Him in sincerity and truth! And that particular promise has already been fulfilled with the coming of Jesus.
Now hear these words from Mary, the mother of Jesus, when she visited with her cousin, Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and they discovered that both were pregnant through exceptional, God induced circumstances. Elisabeth had been barren and was now well advanced in age, somewhat late to become a mother, if we reason without God’s awesome input.
From this meeting came Mary’s glorious response, known as the Magnificat, in which she praises the Lord. ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (servant): for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the lowly).
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Oh what beautiful sentiments and praise my people! And that from a teenaged girl from a backwater town. I never intended to include the whole thing, but after reading it, I just couldn’t help myself, (smile) it was so beautiful.
Anyway, we’ll conclude for today with the time honoured advice that it is much more beneficial to stay tuned to Almighty God, than any man-made idol. Much LOVE!
…he or she who walks faithfully with Jehovah God may stumble…but will NEVER fall…for the Lord will uphold them with His righteous right hand…that’s His faithful promise…
18 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, christianity, Christians, commandments, confidence, conquerors, Cousin Sol, covenant, crapaud smoke we pipe, depravity, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, economic situation, enthusiasm, evil, evil deeds, evil powers, forgive thier sin, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, glory, godly day, heal their land, hear from heaven, hope, humble servants, humble themselves, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, my ears attentive, my eyes shall be open, O Lord God Almighty, people which are called by my name, plentiful in goods, power, pray, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, repentance, repentant people, seek my face, serve a useful purpose, sin, sinfulness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, Thank God is Monday., the ball is in our court, the blessings of obedience, the breath of life, the fruit of our loins, the fruit of thy body, Top o' the morn, turn from their wicked ways, ungodly world, walk in God's ways, wicked aspirations, wisdom
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Top o’ this Monday morn to you my brethren! And I hear the negative comments from some, but also cries of glee: ‘Thank God is Monday, Victoria Monday holiday yes, and we don’t have to go out and labour today. Thank God for the holiday!’
Yes Friends, some of us are lucky to be off this lovely spring morning, so let’s be truly thankful for it, because many of our fellow workers are not so fortunate. They have to go out and labour regardless, so please let our prayers go with them, prayers that they will have a safe, productive and godly day. Now let’s reinforce that by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with them.
As one choir in Christ now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all mih people, but I strongly suspect that the loudest voices were those who did not have to go to work. They could afford to be exuberant because they know that a whole day of partying and/ or simply lazing around is in the offing. But as usual friends, in these times of celebration, please remember Granny’s admonition: “Sonny boy, don’t forget, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
Now Friends, that piece of advice is of the utmost priority in this evil and ungodly world that we’re currently living in. But unfortunately, as a body of people, as a society, we have already allowed the negative and wicked aspirations to gain control of the power and glory that lie within it.
However my people, there is still hope for us, as there always is, once we’re filled with the breath of life. And our Bit tells us exactly how we can turn this travesty around. Hear the words of our God in the covenant He made with Cousin Sol, after the temple was built.
‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
And the scholars explain: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4-8-10)’
And the Lord continues after our Bit: ‘Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent (attentive) unto the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified (set apart) this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes (my attention) and mine heart (my concern) shall be there perpetually.’ (2 Chr.7:15-16)
Yuh see Friends, how our good and wonderful God has made provision for us even in our times of depravity and sinfulness! He knew what a frail and feeble creation we were, and would no doubt stray from His fold, so He made provision, right from the beginning, for us to return. What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity He is!
So yuh know what? We have no excuses for not getting back into His favour. But to do that my brethren, as our Bit says, there are four things we need to put into serious action. We need to humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn away from our wicked ways. Yes Friends, those four requirements are absolutely necessary for us to get back into God’s good graces, first as individuals, then as a society, as a people.
But unfortunately we are not seeing that reaction as strongly as we need to. It seems that as some individuals turn to God, a fairly similar amount turn away from Him, and since the evil powers rule the land, we’re definitely not seeing the repentance and other requirements being implemented as a society. In fact we’re losing more of the God- based institutions and rights every day.
So Friends, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the disastrous and ridiculous state of our current society. The ball is now in our court, for the Lord has already done his part by making provision for us to come back to Him – if we so desire. I don’t think we have much choice though my people, because we are called by the Lord’s name; Christians. That means we have to repent and turn back to Him, otherwise, in all seriousness, crapaud smoke we pipe!
Let’s remember the words of Moses, re the blessings of obedience. ‘The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all the people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods (grant you plenty of goods), in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware (promised) unto thy fathers to give thee.’ (Deut.28:9-11)
Look around my people; nobody’s afraid of us, our economic situation is worsening every day, the fruit of our loins has diminished, and whatever we have has turned to evil deeds not God, so what does that say to us eh? It’s time to turn back Friends, time to repent, and like the prodigal son, return to the safety and prosperity of our Father’s house. That is the wisdom of all wisdom! Much LOVE!
…when things aren’t going right…the wise will figure out why…and make the necessary changes…
28 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, a high priest, a wasted effort, Abraham, after the order of Melchizedek, anchor of the soul, blessing, blessings, caused me to trust, Christ-like, Christians, cities of refuge, compassion, confirmation, coursing through our bodies, crapaud smoke we pipe, difficulties, do God's bidding, empowered, evil minions, face all negativity with a smile, fled for refuge, forerunner, forgiveness, God's magnanimous offerings, God's unchanging word, grace, gratefully, he that took me out of the womb, Hebrews, hope, Hope in Jesus, I will render double, immutability, impossible for God to lie, intercede for the people, Joyce Meyer, joyously receive, Lucifer, mercies, Most High God Jehovah, mutiplying, negative position, negativity, oath, obtained the promise, our avowed purpose, patiently endured, prisoners of hope, promise, rough times, shortsighted approach, Sister Joyce, steadfast, steadfast faith, strong, strong consolation, struggles, terrific Tuesday, the breath of life, the heirs of promise, the Lord's doing, the Old Testament, the sanctuary of heaven, the security of being in Christ, thou didst make me hope, trials, tribulations, turn you to the stronghold, understanding of god's Word, versatile, walk with Jesus Christ, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, when I was upon my mother's breast, within the veil, Zechariah
Psalm 22:9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.
Aye Friends, welcome to a terrific Tuesday! And some of you grouchily ask, what’s so terrific about it eh? We still have the same trials and tribulations to endure? But Friends, that’s a shortsighted approach to the situation from a negative position.
Think about it this way nuh. The breath of life is still coursing purposely through our finite bodies. That means the Lord still has use for us down here on earth.
And then think about all the new blessings, mercies, forgiveness, compassion and grace that He’s earmarked specially for today, to bountifully shower down on us, so that we can do His bidding successfully. Now if that doesn’t make it a terrific Tuesday, then I don’t know what does! (smile)
Oh my people, we all know that life was never meant to be a bed of roses, there will be struggles and serious difficulties, but remember when we walk sincerely with Jesus Christ, we will be empowered to face all the negativity with a smile and steadfast faith, and also come through it with glowing report cards, much more Christ-like than when it all began. Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren!
Oh Friends, the Lord has done His part, providing all that wonderful stuff for us. The problem though is that we now need to do our part, which is to gratefully and joyously receive His magnanimous offerings. We can be given lots of stuff, but until we accept and receive them, it’s all a wasted effort.
So today, please let’s look on the bright side of life and accept and receive with thanksgiving all that the Lord has offered us. That will certainly make it a terrific Tuesday!
And it also brings us to our Bit. ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (caused me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breast.’
Oh Friends, what an encouraging scripture verse! From our very first breath, our Creator placed a little thing, sorry, a mighty emotion called HOPE in our souls. Yes my brethren, from the very beginning, God made sure that we had something strong and versatile to carry us through the rough times that we would most certainly endure in this earthly life.
So much so, that as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, we’ve become ‘prisoners of HOPE’! And that’s a rather apt description of Christians, for if we don’t hold on tightly to HOPE in Jesus, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
The term itself comes from Zechariah, when he talks about Zion’s future king: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of HOPE: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12)
Yes my fellow believers, each and every day we need to turn to the stronghold of the Most High God, Jehovah, to replenish the HOPE in our souls! For without that HOPE, we don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell, against Lucifer and his evil minions.
Now Friends, here is some scripture that corroborates all that we’ve been saying. I never planned to include it all, but realized that just pulling a couple verses out of context would not be really helpful. So here goes.
The author of Hebrews is here talking about an anchor of the soul. ‘For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could sware by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily sware by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife (dispute). Wherein God, willing more abundantly (determining) to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
That by two immutable (unchangeable) things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us: which HOPE we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil (the Presence behind the veil).
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made (having become) a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.’ (Heb.6:13-20)
Oh my people, I know that’s a somewhat convoluted and thus difficult section of scripture to understand, so here is some info from the scholars to help us do so. ‘6:13-18. God’s covenant with Abraham, which involves salvation (Gal.3:15-25), is secure, being based on two immutable things, that is, elements that cannot change.
First, God’s promise is based on His own unchanging Word. He cannot lie, nor will He allow His Word to fail (Matt.5:18; John 10:35; 17:17). Further, His Word was confirmed by an oath. And since He can swear by none greater, He swears by Himself. He rests His Word on His holy character.’
And the scholars continue to explain: ‘6:19-20. Starting at the end of verse 18, the author uses three pictures to demonstrate the security of being in Christ. First, it is described as a safe retreat for the believer, as were the six cities of refuge in the Old Testament to those allowed their protection. (Num.35:6-32).
Second, our HOPE is sure and steadfast as is a well-placed, unbending anchor. Our anchor is not located in the deepest sea but in the highest heaven. The third figure is that of a forerunner. Though the figure changes, the location does not. Our forerunner is likewise positioned in the sanctuary of heaven.
As our forerunner, Jesus is far different from the Old Testament priests. In the sanctuary they could intercede for the people, but they could not lead the people in themselves. As our forerunner, Jesus has opened the way before us, that eventually (and certainly) we might enter in with Him.’
Oh Friends, I know that’s a lot to digest, but I do hope that we take it seriously, and that it brings us all to a greater understanding of God’s Word, for that’s our avowed purpose. Please stay strong and steadfast in Christ; continue to be a prisoner of HOPE. Much LOVE!
…HOPE…it is the heavenly anchor of our souls…and that’s the Lord’s intentional doing…
18 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, acknowledge God in all thy ways, and lean not unto thine own understanding, as for me and mine, at odds with God's direction, be not wise in thine own eyes, blueprint for living a godly life, calamity, cast into the lake of fire, comfort, common sense, compassion, cry out to God for help, depart from evil, disobedience, ever-faithful God, fear the Lord, friends, give generously, glory hallelujah, glory to God, goals, God's plan for our lives, Hades, he shall direct thy paths, health, health to thy navel, honour the Lord with thy substance, how to live to purpose, humble yourself before God, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, joy, living God, LOVE, Lucifer, made in the image of God, magnificent and magnanimous God, marrow to thy bones, masterpiece of man, miracle, no way Jose, our heavenly Father, pay a price for disobedience, personal experience, possessions, praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, prince of darkness, rule the roost, sinful desires, sinful souls, singing praises to God, sufferation, the breath of life, the first fruits, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy presses burst out with new wine, top dog, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, truth, understanding, usurp God's kingdom, wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell the roses, we move and have our being, we will follow the Lord, wealth, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Well Friends, yesterday was another beautiful day in my area; lots of sunshine and blue skies, with unseasonably warm temperatures, and above everything else, a most magnificent and magnanimous God, controlling it all!
Oh, Glory to God! What more can I say eh? Not a whole lot, because my vocabulary is limited when coming to singing the praises of God. And in any case, ‘Glory to God’ says it all.
Yes my people, He is indeed the God in whom we move and have our being. The very breath of life that percolates through our frail and finite bodies comes from Him, and to top it off, we’re also made in His likeness, His wonderful image. What a miracle!
And all God’s faithful people declared a loud, proud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord! He is indeed a great God! The One who gives us everything we need to live this earthly life; health, wealth, comfort and joy, LOVE and compassion, wisdom and understanding. Glory Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name!’
Oh Friends, our heavenly Father is indeed a most wonderful God! In fact, He is the ONLY true and living God in existence! All other supposed deities are dead, but He is most certainly alive and kicking, and running the marvellous universe He created, the way He desires, with no one to tell Him yay or nay! (smile)
And one of His most important rules is that we, His most important creation, live and LOVE the way He does. But unfortunately too many of us refuse to do so. We’re more interested in living and LOVING the way our naturally sinful souls desire, which is most often at odds with God’s direction.
And if we don’t look sharp, we’ll pay all sorts of harsh and hefty prices for our disobedience.
Anyway, here is an interesting quote that addresses the matter somewhat. It’s attributed to Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), one of the significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He reputedly declared: ‘The great and glorious masterpiece of man, is to know how to live to purpose.’
And there’s a lot of truth to that statement my brethren. To live a successful life we must set proper goals and also take good care of ourselves, all in accordance with God’s plan for our lives. However many of us in today’s sinful, ungodly world don’t care about God’s plan for our lives, so we do our own thing. Then when the ‘sufferation’ comes, we quick to run to God and cry out for help!
But life doesn’t work that way my people. God’s Word wisely tells us in our Bit: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.’
That my Friends, is one of the most significant and important passages of the whole Bible! If you follow that and nothing else, you will never go wrong, for it encompasses everything. In this chapter of Proverbs, Cousin Sol is exhorting us to obedience to God, because our God takes it very seriously.
Now hear how he continues after our Bit. ‘In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.
Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:6-10)
Oh my people, my people, those 6 verses (5-10) are the everlasting blueprint for living a godly life! Humble yourself before God, don’t be too proud, let Him guide you, and then give generously of your possessions to His cause. Oh Friends, it’s so simple that we think it couldn’t be true. But believe me, it is true, and I’m talking here from personal experience.
Instead, we foolishly follow the worldly lusts and dictates of Lucifer. But my brethren, if Lucifer was so smart, he would not have tried to usurp God’s kingdom, and he’d still be top dog, the number one angel in heaven. But no, he wanted to be king and rule the roost, so he rebelled against the Father, the same senseless thing that so many of us are doing in this current age.
But how can the created ever overthrow the creator eh? Not in this life, or any other! Granted, Lucifer is now the top dog, but in the darkness of Hades and in this sinful world which will eventually be destroyed and he and his minions cast into the lake of fire.
So Friends, if that is where you want to end up, you just have to keep on following the sinful desires of our nature and the lusts of this evil world, ruled over by the prince of darkness. But that’s not wisdom, common sense or the plan that God has in mind for any of us.
Remember the words He spoke through Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
Now my brethren, after hearing that wonderful promise from our ever-faithful God, how can we ever go and get seriously involved with Lucifer eh? Steups! No way Jose!
But everybody has to make their own decision, and I guess, though we may all speak the same language, we don’t necessarily have to think alike. Just look at the wicked, evil, war-like, greedy, ungodly, vengeful state of our world nuh. How could you ever want to be involved with those who are running it eh?
Oh my people, let’s smarten up nuh. Let’s ask God for the wisdom to make right and good choices, and stop depending on our sinful nature and limited mentality, for as James says, He gives it liberally to all who ask and without reproach too. (James.1:5)
So Friends, let’s wake up and smell the roses, the coffee, or whatever it takes to follow the Lord God Jehovah nuh, for that is the essence of wisdom and common sense. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will follow the Lord till our dying day…
30 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 3 Canal, a brand new day, a fool's wisdom, a positive sign, Achilles heel, almighty god, appreciate the blessing, bland, blessed, blessings, blood, Bruh David, buckler, Calvary, common sense, counsels of old, dangers, deliverance, disappointments, disastrous mess, disobedient, distance ourselves from God, doing God's work, dull, end of sermon, enemies, enjoy the goodness of God, enjoy this earthly life, enriched, faithfulness and truth, feckless, fellow believers, fickle, flowing through our mortal bodies, foolish, forgiveness, friends, further from the truth, glorifying God, glorifying man, Glory Halleujah, God's direction, gospel truth, have heaven right here on earth, have life more abundantly, high tower, horn of my salvation, I will call upon the Lord, I will exalt thee, I will praise thee, Isaiah, Jesus, joy, living beggarly, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, magnify God, mercies, minding other people's business, miserable, Moses, my brethren, my father's God, obedience, obedient servant, obnoxious, our Lord and Saviour, peace of mind, pedestal, praise, psalm 118, put it into practice, redeemed, redeemed people, remove god from our society, shield, simpleton, sinful, singing praises, smile, spewing forth, standing steadfast and strong, talkative age, thanks and praise, thanskgiving, the blessings of God, the breath of life, the cross, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is my fortress, The Lord is my rock, the Lord is my strength and song, the Lord is worthy to be praised, the Lord's salvation, the loving-kindness of God, the One and Only Living God, the spilled blood of christ, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art my God, tragedy, troubles, truth, ungrateful, untrustworthy, up heifer dust creek, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, worldly foolishness, worthless, writer's block, wrong
Psalm 118:28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Oh Friends, it’s a brand new day! Glory Hallelujah! A brand new day filled with new mercies, new blessings, and new forgiveness! Wow! And to make matters even better, we’re alive to enjoy it all! What a most wonderful Deity we serve and worship my people: the ONE and ONLY TRUE LIVING God!
So let’s give Him some thanks and praise, as we loudly and boldly proclaim these wise words of the psalmist in thanksgiving for the Lord’s salvation. Please declare with me: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes my people, let’s enjoy the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God today and everyday, as long as the breath of life is flowing through our mortal bodies. That is simply wisdom and common sense, for if He grants us all those things, we’d indeed be foolish not to enjoy them.
And believe me, for whatever reason(s), some of us are indeed foolish enough not to enjoy the blessings of God, thinking it wrong and sinful to enjoy what the Lord has provided. Nothing could be further from the truth my people!
Why would the Lord provide all that wonderful stuff if He didn’t intend for us to enjoy it eh? And why would Jesus, our great Lord and Saviour declare that He had come to earth, so that we could have life, and have it more abundantly eh, if He didn’t mean for us to be joyful, even in the rough times? (John 10:10)
So Friends, I implore us to stop having these foolish ideas and thoughts about enjoying life nuh. We’re supposed to have heaven right here on earth; standing steadfast and strong while doing God’s work – and enjoying it too, not living beggarly and miserable.
And believe me again, if we are truly doing God’s work, with the peace of mind that He provides, then we will truly enjoy this earthly life, regardless of the many dangers, disappointments and troubles with which it is fraught. End of sermon! (smile)
Ah mih breddren, it never ceases to amaze and amuse me how the Holy Spirit will give me a starting idea, then let me run with it, or rather, help to let it flow smoothly! I would therefore be wrong, foolish and disobedient, if I didn’t enjoy and appreciate that blessing.
And you know there’s no greater tragedy for a writer than writer’s block! Thankfully, the Lord doesn’t allow me to suffer from it too often and for too long. Then I’d really be up heifer dust creek. (smile)
And Friends, our Bit this morning comes from that same Psalm 118, where the psalmist is giving thanks for the Lord’s salvation. And it’s a rather appropriate Bit too; highlighting what our behaviour ought to be, as it boldly and rightly declares: ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.’
Oh Friends, what words of joy, LOVE, obedience and truth! If we do that sincerely, on a continuous basis, then our lives will be forever enriched and blessed!
And it’s mostly because we’re not fully and sincerely embracing that bit of gospel truth that our lives and our world are in such a disastrous mess. We are trying desperately to remove God from all aspects of our society, but that’s a fool’s wisdom my people.
We claim to have been redeemed by the spilled blood of Christ, through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, so why aren’t we more thankful and moving closer to Him eh, instead of being obnoxious, ungrateful and trying to distance ourselves from Him?
If we truly believe that we are indisputably redeemed, then we ought to be singing praises like redeemed people; praises like Isaiah’s declaration: ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is.25:1)
Yes Friends, those are the kinds of words that ought to be emanating from our hearts, souls and mouths. Not the simpleton, worldly foolishness that we’re now spewing forth in this oh so talkative age, when we really have nothing much to talk about because our lives are dull, bland and miserable.
As 3 Canal would say, we have no real business, so we keep on minding the business of others, glorifying man with his Achilles heel, putting him on a flimsy pedestal instead of Almighty God. Oh my brethren, it’s high time we got some business of our own, by turning to our mighty God for help, and start glorifying Him, rather than mortal, worthless, fickle, feckless, untrustworthy man!
We should be singing the Lord’s praises like His obedient servant Moses did: ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise Him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2)
And we’ll end with more worthy words of praise, this time from Bruh David, another of God’s obedient servants. And just as I was about to write those last few words in my rough draft, the lights flickered out for a couple seconds.
Chuh! It’s a good thing I wasn’t on the computer, then I might have lost some stuff and be sorely disappointed. Consequently, I’ll take it as a positive sign, (smile) and continue in God’s direction. Therefore, please declare with me, my Friends and fellow believers, these words of thanksgiving for deliverance, as Bruh David saw it.
‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (lit. my rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3)
Now that’s wisdom from on high, my brethren! So let’s go out today and put it into practice, put it to the test nuh; praise and magnify our most worthy God, and see if our lives don’t improve substantially. Much LOVE!
…a believer’s faith is only as strong as…the sincere thanksgiving in his heart…
25 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grand Saturday, a voice of triumph, affliction, all is well with the world, All praise honour and glory to Jesus, Artaxerxes, Babylon, belief and trust in Jesus Christ, bring presents unto god, can't have faith without hope, clap your hands, commandments, covenant, covenant relationship, distraught, eternal flame, everlasting fire, faith, fasting, Glory Halleujah, God is king of all the earth, God is on His heavenly throne, Gramps Schuller, hope, hope brings us back to life, hope is a phenomenon, hope leads to faith, hope makes faith in Jesus possible, hope renews our spirit, hoyl, I can do all things through Christ, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, living truth, LOVE, merciful, mercy, Nehemiah, omnipotent, our Lord and Saviour, our mortal beings, prayer, reproach, righteous, shout unto God, sing praises to God, thanksgiving, the birth of hope, the breath of life, the Lord is a benevolent monarch, the Lord is a great king over all the earth, the Lord most high is awesome, the Spirit of God, toral renewal, understanding, what a joy it is to have hope, while there's life there's hope, wisdom, with hope anything is possible
Psalm 47:1-2. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.
Aye Friends, what a grand old Saturday it is! God’s on His heavenly throne, and all is well with the world! (smile)
But yuh know what mih people, though the world might not be such a great place to be these days, because of the breath of life, the Spirit of our holy and righteous God that’s flowing through our mortal beings, we have that eternal flame, that everlasting fire called HOPE to sustain us!
Yes Friends, as they say, while there is life, there is HOPE; and taken to the limit, while there is HOPE, anything is possible!
And Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) in His Hour of Power Devotional declares that ‘HOPE is a phenomenon! We don’t know what triggers the birth of HOPE, or where it comes from. But when a person finds HOPE, there is total renewal.’
And that’s the living truth, my brethren! For HOPE just brings us back to life, renews our spirit and makes us truly feel that anything is possible! Therefore, what a joy it is to have HOPE in our lives! And HOPE leads to faith.
Remember too, that we can’t have faith without HOPE, for it is that deep down feeling of HOPE that makes faith, or belief in anything at all possible.
So the long and short of the story is, that because we have life, we therefore have HOPE, and HOPE makes faith in Jesus Christ possible, and with faith in Jesus Christ comes the certainty that with Him involved in our lives, ANY and EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!
And all God’s children declared in a loud and lusty voice: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise, and honour, and glory be to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour!’
And that leads us nicely into our Bit: ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.’
Yes Friends, our God is a great ruler over all the earth; a most LOVING and benevolent monarch to boot! Therefore we should indeed clap our hands and triumphantly shout for joy over His goodness and LOVING-kindness towards us, since not many earthly monarchs are thus disposed to their subjects as God is to true believers!
Now let’s look at some scripture passages which describe our mighty and wonderful God as such. We’ll start with Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon, after he found out the terrible state that Jerusalem was in; ‘in great affliction (distress) and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.’ (Neh.1:3)
That made Nehemiah so distraught that he set about fasting and praying to God for direction. ‘And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible (awesome) God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that LOVE him (you) and observe (keep) his (your) commandments:’ (Neh.1:5)
Yes my people, Nehemiah knew of God’s awesome power, as well as His strong faithfulness to His covenants. And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:5. That keepeth covenant and mercy is a refrain from Deuteronomy 7:9 and is related to Exodus 20:6 and 34:6-7. God keeps His “covenant-LOVE” with those who LOVE Him, those in a covenant relationship with Him.’
Please check out those scripture references Friends, they are certainly interesting, and will also definitely add to your scriptural knowledge. And remember that we too are in a covenant relationship with Almighty God because of our belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
So we too can come to Him in earnest prayer and be assured that He will hear us, and answer in whatever form and fashion He deems necessary and/or adequate. For that reason, we can confidently clap out hands and shout triumphantly about our omnipotent and merciful God!
Meanwhile, in Psalm 76 – Asaph ends his song to the victorious God thus: ‘Vow and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. He shall cut off the spirit of princes; he is terrible (awesome) to the kings of the earth.’ (Ps.76:11-12)
And we’ll close today with these outstanding and encouraging verses of indisputable truth from Psalm 47, from which our Bit is taken. ‘God is gone up (ascended) with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:5-7)
Oh my people, there is no greater wisdom than that in all the universe, in all of heaven and earth! So please, let’s be wise and put it into practice today nuh, knowing that with HOPE and FAITH in Jesus Christ, through prayer and thanksgiving ALL things are indeed possible! Much LOVE!
…I can do ALL things through Christ…who strengthens me… (Phil.4:13)
P.S. My oh my, what a short Bit this is today! Can’t remember when last I’ve written such a short one. There obviously can be no complaints today about its length! (smile) Much LOVE!
16 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a godless world, all things are possible to him that believes, awesome words, be it unto you as you desire, be made right with God, belief nurturing, believe, believing, blessing, bow our heads in prayer, burdens of sin, Calvary, Canaan, cast it to the dogs, consistent communication with God, daily tasks, devil-possessed, doubt not, earthly pilgrimage, evil company of Lucifer, faith, faith building, faithful, fall from the masters' table, father in heaven, forgiveness, full of belief, full of faith, function righteously, Gentiles, give you thanks, gone astray, grace, great faith, great is thy faith, have faith, have mercy on me, Holy Name of Jesus, if thou canst believe, inhabitants of heaven, insults, it is not right to take the children's bread, jehovah god, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus must be our number one priority, Jews, keep god first in all we do, lead and guide, live our faith, Lord help me, lost, LOVE, love God as we ought, mercy, Messiah, miraculous healing, no confusion, no reason to lie, our Lord and Saviour, peace, pilgrims, positive difference, praise Your Holy Name, promises, pronouncements, rewarded, righteousness., scavenging beasts, Scrip-Bit family, selflessly sacrificed, Sidon, sinless life, Son of David, spilled His blood, Spread God's Word, test our faith, the breath of life, the dogs eat the crumbs, the Good Book, the house of Israel, the lost sheep, the wide path that leads to death and destruction, Top o' the morn, truth, Tyre, understanding, vexed with a devil, what ever ye ask in prayer, what's the action for today, wisdom of the ages, worshipped, ye shall receive
Mark 9:23. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit Family! Top o’ this Thursday autumn morn to you! What’s the action for today eh? Whatever it is, I do hope that it includes Jesus… in fact has Him at the top of our to do list!
Yes Friends, Jesus has to be our Number ONE priority in this sinful, godless world, otherwise we’ll certainly go astray, down that wide path that leads to death and destruction and the evil company of Lucifer. Now that is definitely not an acceptable option!
So let’s bow our heads in prayer for a moment, because it is only through consistent communication with our great and wonderful God, that we can find the peace, LOVE, mercy, grace, forgiveness and understanding necessary to endure this earthly pilgrimage.
Please pray with me: ‘Oh Father in heaven, today we praise your holy name and give you much sincere thanks for the breath of life that is within us. We know that that is definitely a blessing from you, for without you, there is no life at all.
We humbly ask that you lead and guide us today, as we go about our daily tasks, and help us to keep you first in all that we do, because you are the most important person in our lives. Blessed Father, please enable us to function righteously in a godless world, this current world that has unfortunately gone astray from you.
Help us to LOVE you as we ought, to SPREAD your Word, and to LIVE out the Faith we find there, in positive, difference making action. This we pray in the holy name of Jesus, your faithful Son, and our Lord and Saviour, who so selflessly sacrificed Himself, spilled His blood at Calvary, so that we could be made right with you. Amen!’
Yes mih people, without Jehovah God, we are nothing, since all that we are comes directly from Him! We therefore need to trust in Him, to have secure and sincere faith in His promises and pronouncements, otherwise we’ll be completely lost.
This leads to the awesome words of our Bit. ‘Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’
Ah Friends, that word ‘believe,’ it’s a helluva word yes! (smile) It just encompasses so much stuff, that it can literally take you hours, perhaps even days, to sit down and ponder what it’s all about.
But for us, true believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, there’s no confusion whatsoever about belief in Him, for he has already proven that He’s faithful in ALL aspects of His Word and promises, plus He sacrificed His sinless life for our sinful ones.
ALL the burdens of our sins were placed on Him, and we received His righteousness instead. What could produce more awesome faith building and belief nurturing than that eh mih breddren? Nothing really!
And we’ll continue looking at episodes of great faith in the Good Book, turning to one that again greatly impresses Jesus. Listen to the Good Book tell it: ‘Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts (region) of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts (region), and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil (demon-possessed).
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought (urged) him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said, It is not meet (good, right) to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt (you desire). And her daughter was made whole (well) from that very hour.’ (Matt.15:21-28)
Yes my brethren, even though Jesus told her what amounted to insults, she still remained full of belief, full of faith!
The scholars explain it thus: ’15:26-28. By children the Lord means Jews, and by dogs, Gentiles. His attitude was intended to test the woman’s faith, which was rewarded by a miraculous healing. The term used for dogs (Gr. kuhariois) means little dogs (pets), not wild, scavenging beasts.
She replied that such dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables. She knew what could be hers, even as a Gentile, and thus became an illustration of millions of Gentiles who would later be blessed by Israel’s Messiah. Great is thy faith: Jesus again commends Gentile belief (cf.8:10).’
Oh Friends, if we all had such simple, but sure faith, what a wonderful place our world would be!
And we’ll end with one more pronouncement on the subject from Jesus, after He cursed the fig tree and it quickly withered away. ‘And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:20-22)
And Friends, if Jesus says it’s so, then it must be so, since He has no reason to lie!
Consequently, my fellow believers, that means we need to go out today, and everyday, boosted with faith in Jesus, so that we can do what is required of us, both as pilgrims in this world and future inhabitants of heaven. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…there’s no wise reason not to believe in Jesus… therefore there’s no reason whatsoever…not to keep on believing in Him…
22 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burning desire in our souls, a fountain of life, a new song in my mouth, a place of refuge, a sense of purpose, a shout of praise, adrenalin, aura of love, come up over our problems, complaints, confidence, confidence in man, confidence in princes, Creator of the universe, destiny, disappointed, enthusiasm, faithful help of Jesus, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, glory, God endures from generation to generation, grace, groans, here today gone tomorrow, holy spirit, humble servants, ignite our spirits, in good hands, in the fear of the Lord, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, keeping lives and families together, kindle a fire, lies, light up the universe with song, lord of hosts, LOVE, loving god, lustful appetites, moans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal man, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent god, proud, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the breath of life, the duty of man, the first, the last, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the snares of death, them that walk uprightly, trust, truth, ungodly world, vim and vigour, weary souls, whimper, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wise decisions, zenith
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Oh Friends, that day that many of us have been dreading, and a few of us longing for, is finally here! Yes, it’s Monday! Give the Lord a shout of praise for that nuh!
And you better believe that the shout was a mere whimper in comparison to the moans and groans and complaints. (smile) That means that many of us still did not prepare properly yesterday for today, consequently the whining is plentiful this Monday morning.
But my people we have no choice, if we want to eat and have a roof over our heads, then we must work. So let’s be up and at ‘em nuh. Let’s have the sense of purpose that Jesus had, and desires all His followers to also have, whereby we come up over our problems with His faithful help, rather than endlessly whine and complain.
And to assist us in doing that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much vim and vigour. Let’s kindle a fire, a burning desire in our souls to get out there and do His bidding. As one harmonious body now, let’s light up the universe with song:
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Not bad at all Friends, not bad at all! Sufficient to ignite our spirits and cause the adrenalin to bubble up and flow like a lively stream just skipping along delightedly over its bed unconcerned, not worrying where it was going, or how and when it would get there, because it knew that it was in in good hands, the hands of its Creator. So too should we be my people.
And with that we’ll segue into our Bit. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
Yes my brethren, confidence is a helluva thing, and it’s oh so important where we put it, and where we get it from! And the psalmist is definitely right when he declares that the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider, is the most appropriate personage in whom to place our trust and confidence, rather than in mortal man, be they lowly or powerful.
And it’s a very logical conclusion since mortal man does not control the universe, has no effective control even over his own destiny. He’s here today and gone tomorrow, blown away in the wind and forgotten, like the dust from which he was formed. He has no control over the breath of life in his finite body, which was breathed into him by the infinite Jehovah God, His Maker.
So why should we put our confidence and trust in such a flimsy and unsure body eh? Meanwhile, as the scriptures tell us, the Lord, our omnipotent God, endures from generation to generation. He was the FIRST, and He will be the LAST! No doubt about that my fellow believers!
Now let’s check out some scriptures that wisely advise us to put our trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And we’ll get the ball rolling with some wise words from Cousin Sol. ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart (turn one away) from the snares of death.’ (Prov.14:26-27)
And in my humble existence Friends, I can find nothing to dispute the truth of those words.
Meanwhile, the sons of Korah staunchly declare in Psalm 84: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12)
Oh my brethren, in my three score and odd years, I’ve found no reason to doubt those words either.
Now listen to Bruh David expound on God’s goodness and power from Psalm 40 – praise for answered prayer. ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee (recounted): if I would declare them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps.40:3-5)
Now Friends, if we have a powerful and trustworthy Deity like that looking after our affairs, then why should we trust relatively powerless and unwise mortal man eh? No reason whatsoever my people.
But unfortunately, a lot of us can’t believe what we don’t see and/or feel, and are also greatly influenced by the lustful appetites of the world. Therefore we still put our sincere trust and confidence in wicked mortal man, though we are disappointed by him most of the time.
Oh Friends, if we ever hope to turn this evil and ungodly world around, then we have to start making wise decisions. And the first and wisest of them all is to stop trusting in untrustworthy man and begin trusting in a faithful and LOVING God. That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…to trust…to trust…and yet to trust in Almighty God…that is the duty of man…
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