The Amazing Feeling One gets from being in the Awesome Presence of God!

02 Nov 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 16:11b.       in thy presence is fullness of joy;

So we’ve finally come to our lazy-day Saturday, where we can loll around as much as we want with no activities to accomplish within a certain time period. And isn’t that a good feeling? It certainly is. But before we get started, I want to point out a couple of incidents that happened in the recent Halloween celebrations. First of all, two people were killed and six injured in a celebration in Orlando, Florida, while a razor blade was found in a chocolate bar in Cochrane, Ontario. 

And I’m sure those are not all the negative incidents that occurred because of the foolish celebration, but just those that reached the news media. What’s it going to take for us to cut out the pagan nonsense eh? What kind of evil society are we living in, if we can consciously put a razor blade in a chocolate bar that a child is going to eat. And I guess it won’t be banished until someone from the family of a high government official or one of the money men that profit from it suffers some negative repercussions from the unwise celebration. 

And now that I’ve had my say, (smile) let’s move on to the more pleasant aspects of the day, like offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. As one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And that’s a perfect prayer for a lazy-day Saturday, where we have the time to foment greater intimacy with our wonderful God. To simply bask in His awesome presence and listen to whatever He has to share with us. It’s a time to just run amok, as it were, in the awesome glory and presence of Almighty God! (smile) Yes friends, being in God’s presence is as good as it gets! And we ought to enjoy it while we have the opportunity. 

And I don’t mean we should use it as a time to complain and ask for stuff, but simply to enjoy being in God’s presence, like when you’re with a friend, whose company you enjoy, and you can just sit quietly and be happy, or do simple, joyful things together. The important aspect of it being the togetherness. That’s how we ought to spend this lazy time with our God…just being together with Him, and enjoying the joy that His presence brings. 

And there are numerous scriptures that talk about being in the Lord‘s presence and how good and joyful it can be. Like this verse from Psalm 16 – God Preserves His People. Bruh David ends it thus: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:11) 

Meanwhile the Sons of Korah put it like this in Psalm 84 – Rejoicing in God’s Tabernacle: ‘For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 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. 84:10-12) 

Then there’s Psalm 139, one of the grandest psalms in the psalter, where Bruh David recounts the omnipresence of our magnificent God. Now listen to these verses that speak of that presence. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell. Behold thou art there. 

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (is not dark to thee); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12) 

Wow! Our God is everywhere; be it day or night, be it in heaven or in hell; in the sea or on the earth! We simply cannot hide from His presence, although many of us still foolishly try to do it. And every time I read those verses or hear them read, I always remember the first time I heard them being acted out many years ago by Dr. Robert H Schuller in an ‘Hour of Power Sermon’ in the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. His actions and the words have stuck with me down through the years.  

And we have this faithful promise from God found in Hebrews: ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake tee.’ (Heb. 13:5) Then James exhorts us: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-8, 10)

Yes my fellow believers, God’s greatest desire is for His human creation to draw near to Him, not be far away, but the truth is that in these trying times we need to avidly seek His presence, not wait for Him to come to us. Anyway, He’s already done that through the earthly work of Jesus; now it’s our turn to sincerely seek Him. And we’ll close with this marvellous promise from Jesus: ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) 

Now we couldn’t want for a more faithful promise than that, especially since it’s been kept by the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, to remind us of all that Jesus is, and to guide us to where He desires us to go. So let’s spend some time today and just consider the awesome presence of God in our lives nuh. We can never go wrong doing that! Much LOVE!

…in God’s presence…there’s always joy…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit   1 February 2023 Luke 12:2.

01 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 12:2.       For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: neither hid, that shall not be known.

And what shall we say this cold and sunny Wednesday morning, the first day of February in this watershed year of 2023 eh? What else but ‘This is the day the Lord has made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Nothing else but thanks and glory to our heavenly Father will do, because He’s the One who created us and keeps us alive until He is ready to take us home. All we do and have flow from Him and His endless compassion, grace and mercy. 

Remember yesterday we saw where Cousin Sol reminded us that keeping God’s commandments is a big factor in our health, peace and longevity. (Prov. 3:2) And Moses warned the Israelites in the wilderness thus, re getting too big for their britches after becoming prosperous in the Promised Land. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 14:8) But we all know that the Israelites didn’t listen, for they were a stubborn, stiff-necked people, and they paid dearly for their rebellious ways. 

And the same thing goes for us today; we’re stiff-necked and stubborn and are paying dearly for our rebellious ways with all the tragedy and disaster currently engulfing our world. It amazes me though, that we try every man-made solution to solve our problems without any success, but refuse to try the ONLY thing that will work for us, that’s a God-given solution. Just take a ‘Selah’ moment and think about it nuh. Our world is both literally and figuratively falling down around us, and we can’t seem to find a way to stop it. 

But yuh think anybody amongst the powers that be are really concerned about turning to God for a solution? No sir! They are all looking for manmade solutions, in other words,  tripping over each other looking for dictatorial powers. That’s the latest plum in the political sphere; to be a dictator and rule as you see fit. And one of those desires is to remove God from our society. Which is possibly the biggest pipe dream that mankind has ever had. 

Remember the tower of Babel? That’s where after the Flood, mankind decided to build a city and a tower reaching up to heaven, and to make a name for themselves. But the Lord nipped the idea in the bud, by coming down and confounding their language, which at that time was all one, so that they could no longer understand each other, then scattered them all over the earth. (Gen.11:1-9) So friends, whatever might happen in these upcoming dark and evil times, Almighty God WILL NEVER allow His Holy Name to be removed from the earth! Let’s all get that straight. 

And while we’re doing that, let’s remember the words of the prophet Daniel when the Lord revealed the secret of the Babylonian king’s vision. ‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-22) 

Oh my people, the Creator of this world is in total control of it all! Please believe that. He might allow all sorts of unfair and unjust stuff to happen but that’s all a part of His plan to bring the world to justice. So don’t for one moment think that the foolish men who are trying to seize power are really running things. The Lord’s just allowing them to flex their manly muscles until He is ready to raise them up or tear them down. 

And it’s strange that we talk so much about the omnipotence, omniscience and omni-presence of our great God, but it’s really only talk. We don’t truly believe it, otherwise we wouldn’t be still trying to hide and plot and do the evil things we do, foolishly believing that God doesn’t know or see all that we try to hide in the darkness. 

That reminds us of Bruh David’s famous words in Psalm 139: ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? or wither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover (fall on me); even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12) 

Yes friends, there is absolutely NOWHERE, we can run to or hide from the Lord, be it in the earth, the heavens, or the seas! So why don’t we just stop fooling ourselves eh and simply and wisely become obedient to His holy will? It’s really the easiest and simplest solution to all our worries and woes. And please remember also what Jesus said about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and the trying to hide stuff in dark places. He strongly warned: ‘Beware of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed: neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light: and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets (inner rooms) shall be proclaimed upon the house tops.’ (Luke 12:1b-3) 

And yuh know what my brethren, that doesn’t necessarily mean that our secrets and evil deeds will only be revealed in heaven, but a lot of them will also be brought to light right down here on earth. So, I really don’t know why we are still trying to do stuff in secret and hope that they won’t get out. Just look at the number of whistle-blowers we have nowadays, just letting out secrets, some of them hidden for a long time, but nonetheless, they are eventually seeing the light of day. But the Lord in His wisdom, gave us free will, (Hn!) so all I can ask of us is to use that freedom to be wise and sincerely make Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, for without Him, like the proverbial snowball in the fires of hell, we don’t stand a single, solitary chance of making it on our own. End of Sermon! 

Now for those of us who believe that, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 let’s not forget this li’l hidden gem. If we endure right down to the end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, let’s use that as fuel to raise our passion for Christ nuh! Much LOVE!

…in Christ alone…is there any worthwhile future…  

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 August 2021 Luke 24:29.

15 Aug 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 24:29.     But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

And then, once again, it is Sunday; the day we gather to worship our wonderful God, be it in physical or technological togetherness, the important thing being that we are in corporate worship in one form or another on the Lord’s Day. Now, the Lord is anxiously awaiting His praise and thanksgiving, so please let’s not tarry and open with a wonderful hymn written by the Anglican Scottish priest Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) some weeks before he died from tuberculosis. 

Apparently in 1818, ‘he underwent a great spiritual change, which shaped and influenced the whole of his after life, the immediate cause being the illness and death of a brother clergyman. Lyte says of him:- “He died happy under the belief that though he had deeply erred, there was One whose death and sufferings would atone for his delinquencies, and be accepted for all that he had incurred”; and concerning himself he adds:- “I was greatly affected by the whole matter, and brought to look at life and its issue with a different eye than before; and I began to study my Bible, and preach in another manner than I had previously done”.’ 

It seems the dying priest ‘convinced Lyte that both had earlier been mistaken in not having taken the Epistles of St. Paul “in their plain and literal sense.” So, he began to preach ‘following the example of four or five local clergymen whom he had previously laughed at and considered “enthusiastic rhapsodists.’ Ah mih people, life certainly takes us through changes we never expect! And the accumulation of all that led to the writing of the marvellous hymn ‘Abide with Me.’ So let’s sing these powerful, encouraging and uplifting words in all sincerity and truth, in good soulful gospel fashion. (smile) 

‘Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see— O Thou who changest not, abide with me. I need Thy presence every passing hour; What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? 

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness; Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.’ 

Ah friends, if you have the thoughts expressed in that hymn, filling your hearts and souls, then you can’t go wrong in this life! The author just captures all that Jesus is: He is the light in the darkness; the helper who never leaves, when others do; the help of the helpless; the One that changes not; only through His grace can we foil Satan’s attacks; the guide and fortress of His people. And don’t forget that with faith in Him we fear no foe, troubles don’t bother us, and tears have no bitterness. Therefore the grave and death hold no power over us, for Christ has won the victory! And once He abides in us, and we in Him, life nor death can ever separate us! 

Wow my faithful brethren! The hymn is just a chronicle of the benefits we enjoy when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! So, who, knowing all that, would still refuse to enthusiastically answer His knock on the door of their hearts eh? Unfortunately, a lot of people foolishly do it. But we are not giving up on them, we will continue to preach His word and live the kind of life that He died for us to have; be good examples of His mercy and compassion. 

And isn’t it interesting to find that the verse of scripture which most likely influenced the title of the hymn is not one where Jesus is inviting someone to abide in or with Him, but rather the two travellers along the road to Emmaus inviting Jesus, not knowing who He was, to abide with them at the end of a day’s journey. The Good Book tells us that along the way: ‘And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he (Jesus) expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.’ (Luke 24:27) And the scholars explain that verse: ‘24:27. The entire Old Testament is indispensable for a grounded grasp of the identity and significance of Jesus.’ 

But getting back to the Good Book: ‘And they drew nigh (near) unto the village, whither they went: and he (Jesus) made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.’ (Luke 24:28-29) It’s interesting to wonder if Jesus would have kept on walking in the darkness of the unsafe Palestine road, if the two disciples had not insisted He tarried with them. 

Although it would not have really mattered, for as Bruh David declares in Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God. ‘Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (is not dark to thee); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:12) Yes friends, as far as God is concerned, everything is light, there is no darkness whatsoever, so walking in what we consider darkness would have been no problem to Jesus. 

And I want to end by just highlighting two other instances in the Good Book of insistence on tarrying, or abiding. The first is right at the beginning, where two angels visit Lot in Sodom, and ‘with his face bowed to the ground, he said, Behold, now my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night (spend the night) … And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street (open plaza) all night. And he pressed upon them greatly (urged them); and they turned in unto him, and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.’ (Gen. 19:1-3). 

I guess that instance and Abraham’s in Gen. 18:1-3, caused the author of Hebrews to pen this line: ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 12:2) Yes my brethren, we must always be courteous to strangers, for we know not what importance they might eventually have in our lives. 

And the second instance of insistent tarrying is found in Acts after the woman Lydia is baptized by Bruh Paul. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought (begged) us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.’ (Acts 16:15) 

We can then end with these words of Jesus on the subject of abiding. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you’ (John 15:7) That means, if my teaching abides in you, and controls your thoughts and movements, guides and inspires you, then your prayers will surely be answered. That goes for us in these modern times also my brethren. Much LOVE!

…abiding is extremely important…especially where Jesus is concerned…                                                                                                                    

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