08 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a good-looking day, a modicum of circumspection, acquainr thyself with God, be at peace, Beelzebub, better late than never, boundaries, call upon me, carousing, defense, disaster, drinking, earthquakes, eat drink and be merry, eating, Eliphaz, enthusiasm, exaltation, fires, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, gain a foothold, glorify, go overboard, good weather, he shall hear thee, heartbreaking situation, hurricane Irma, hurricanes, I will deliver thee, in Jesus' name, in the day of trouble, in thine heart, invitation, Jesus, Job, lay up his words, lift up thy face to God, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, man's best bet, men are cast down, natural disasters, omnipotent god, pay thy vows, pray, prayer, problems, pureness of hands, raveages, refreshed, relax, renewed, repented, return to the Almighty, save the humble, sensible solution, soul body and mind, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Caribbean, the Good Book, the innocent, The Israelites, the law, the light shall shine, the most powerful force, the weekend, the workingman, thou shalt glorify me, time of need, trouble, warnings, week of work, work, worry
Psalm 50:15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Oh friends, it’s shaping up to be a good-looking day in my neighbourhood, and the workingman was out early singing his song. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And soon, no more work! It’ll be a beautiful weekend, with all the good stuff happening; like eating and drinking and carousing, paying no mind to the problems that surround us.
God gave us the weekend so that we could relax and enjoy it, not to work or worry. So that’s exactly what we going to do. Eat, drink and be merry! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, a lot of what he says is true; God did give us the weekends to rest and relax, but not to go overboard. Remember, we need to have certain boundaries that we don’t cross and thus allow Beelzebub to gain a foothold in our lives. A much better incantation would be our Friday Chant, which contains those boundaries.
Let’s declare it now nuh, with the same enthusiasm that the workingman declared his song. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, we always have to be cognizant of what comes after the weekend. Otherwise, come Monday morning, when we have to go back to work, we’ll be too tired and wasted and of no use to either God’s kingdom or ourselves. That’s why ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is always necessary my brethren.
But unfortunately, today, many of our fellow men around the globe won’t have the luxury of enjoying good weather or the weekend, because of hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes or some such natural disaster.
Please, let’s remember to pray for them sincerely. We can’t help them all with money or other worldly stuff, but we CAN help them all with PRAYER, the most powerful force in the universe.
What a heartbreaking situation it is to see your fellow man suffering the ravages of disaster, like Hurricane Irma is causing down in the Caribbean, and you can’t do much to help them physically. But as true believers we can call on our great God to help them in their time of need.
Our God said it: ‘And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ Yeh friends, that’s the faithful invitation of our omnipotent God! And in these very trying end times, it’s the most sensible solution we can ever consider.
As we keep saying, who knows whether all the numerous disasters occurring around our planet right now are warnings from God? They might be, as well as they might not be. But the wisest path we can take is to consider them warnings as our sinful and ungodly world plunges down to hell with one unwise step after another.
Oh friends, please take note of the Israelites, who, when they found themselves in trouble for turning away from the God of their fathers, repented and turned back to Him, and he welcomed them back with opened arms. We desperately need to do the same.
Listen to this scripture where Job’s friend Eliphaz after accusing him of sin, implores him to repent. ‘Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law (instruction) from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles (tents). Then shalt thou lay up gold as (in the) dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense (gold), and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up (exaltation); and he shall save the humble person. He shall deliver the island of the innocent (the one who is not innocent): and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.’ (Job 22:21-30)
Oh my people, there it is, the solution for all our problems, written in the Good Book ages ago, and nothing about it has changed. So what are waiting for eh?
Come on Christians, we need to up the ante in these disastrous times and get Jesus’ LOVE Revolution running full steam ahead. That’s the ONE and ONLY answer to our lost and ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…in times of trouble…man’s best bet is to…PRAY…
P.S. Please accept my apologies for the lateness of the Bit. Though I went to bed early, by my standards, (smile) some new medication kept me bogged down for longer than I expected. But better late than never! Much LOVE!
06 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, a warning, a word of warning to the wise, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, according to my righteousness, adversity, Antigua, Bad News, Barbuda, chaos, children, chosen people, Christians, cleanness of my hands, darkness, David, demise, disciples, enemy, erring on the right side, evil, free fall, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, good, halfway home, hurricane Irma, Jesus, living for Christ, LOVE, loving arms, most powerful force, my hands are on the plough, natural disasters, North American mainland, not turning back, on which side his bread was buttered, posturing, prayer, raising Cain, recompensed me, repentance, rewarded, righteousness, Saul, share the Love of Jesus, standard of living, strife, the breath of life, the God of our forefathers, the Good Book, The Israelites, the longest journey begins with the first step, the Lord rewarded me, the Lord's generous hand, the one and only true living God, the order of the day, turning back to God, ungodliness, unrest, unrighteousness, warmongering, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 18:20. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Ah friends, not a day seems to pass without some sort of bad news in our world eh? The latest is the hurricane Irma, that’s begun raising Cain in the West Indies yesterday, blowing it’s powerful Category 5 self over Antigua and Barbuda and apparently heading for other islands in the northern end of the archipelago.
And if it doesn’t change its trajectory, it will most likely hit the eastern side of the North American mainland by the weekend. After the ravages of hurricane Harvey in the past couple of weeks, it would be total chaos if Irma were to hit the mainland.
This calls for very serious prayer my people, the most powerful force on the earth. It also calls for repentance and turning back to God. Who knows why all these natural disasters are occurring at this time eh? Maybe it’s a warning? God might just be trying to get our attention. But even if it is not, there’s no harm in erring on the right side of the equation?
And it’s no secret that our society is as sinful and ungodly as it’s ever been, and in a serious negative free fall, what with all the strife and unrest between the powerful nations of the world. We can certainly use some respite from all the posturing and warmongering…and only sincere prayer and repentance can bring that about.
It won’t, and it can’t happen overnight, but we’ve got to make a start. As the Chinese proverb says: ‘The longest journey begins with the first step.’
My people, it’s time we took that first step in returning to worshipping the God of our forefathers, bringing God back into our homes, schools, public places and all areas of our society, because that is the only way that we will survive.
The Good Book shows where the Lord brought serious adversity on His chosen people, Israel, when they were disobedient and turned to idol worship. But when they repented and turned back to Him, He took them back with LOVING arms, because that’s the kind of God He is; the God of second chances.
So if the Israelites were smart enough to realize their error, why can’t we be too eh? We’re supposed to be so much wiser and more educated and affluent and have a higher standard of living. But that’s possibly the problem right there; we think we know too much, and in reality we don’t know anything.
Anyway, a word of warning to the wise; let’s pray, let’s sincerely repent and get back to worshipping the One and Only True Living God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That’s the wisest thing we can do right now.
And our Bit certainly points us in that direction. ‘The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.’
Yeh mih people, it’s no secret, the Lord rewards us when we do right, when we live righteously. And by no stretch of the imagination can we say that our world is in a righteous mode right now. In fact unrighteousness is the order of the day!
Bruh David was a man like all of us, he did his fair share of wrong and suffered his fair share of adversity too, but he knew where his strength came from, on which side his bread was buttered, so he stuck with the Lord God of Israel, who wrought mighty deeds through him.
Just check out this example. When Bruh David had a chance to kill his archenemy Saul in the wilderness, he refused to do it, because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. (1 Sam.24:1-15) And after Bruh David talked to Saul about the situation, the ole reprobate Saul, said, ‘Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast showed this day how thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away (get away safely)? Wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.’ (1 Sam.24:16-19)
Yeh friends, even the evil Saul knew that the Lord rewards righteousness, so why aren’t we seeking more rewards through our righteousness eh? Our world currently seems to be fixated on the things of evil, of darkness of ungodliness, which can only work to our eventual demise my brethren.
Our job as Christians is to try and prevent that by living for Christ and showing others the way to Him. What say we that we begin doing that seriously now eh, if we want our world to not only survive, but also prosper under the Lord’s generous hand? Our children, and our children’s children are depending on us my brethren. Let’s not fail them.
And if our hearts are right, then we can sincerely declare our Wednesday Wail. ‘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, let’s go out and help others to sincerely declare that nuh, for it is the heartfelt desire of Jesus. Much LOVE!
…as disciples of Jesus…we are to share His LOVE with others…not keep it to ourselves…
20 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, an easy row to hoe, antidote, aura of love, Christ is Lord indeed, complaints, confidence, contention, cry out to thee of violence, dangerous, disease, enthusiasm, every foe is vanquished, first day of spring, glorious kingdom, habakkuk, how long shall I cry, humble servants, hunger, iniquity, injustice, Jesus' face, Jesus' Second Coming, jobs, judgement, justice, keeping families together, let not your heats be trouble, lies, LOVE, mansions, Monday blues, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my Father's house, plundering, poverty, Praise the Lord, rain, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, replica, salvation, spiritual armour, stand up for Jesus, steadfast faith, strife, surrender, surround, taunts, the Babylonian Empire, the dust of the earth, the Great War, The Israelites, the Rapture, the righteous, the trumpet call obey, thou wilt not hear, thou wilt not save, trust, truth, undeserving children of men, unfair, ungodly world, useful purpose, violence, wickedness, wiles, wisdom, woes
Habakkuk 1:2. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Oh friends, welcome to this the first day of spring in the northern climes!
Now isn’t that something wonderful for sore ears to hear on this crisp Monday morning? It surely is! But spring weather is not guaranteed friends; according to the weather forecasters, we should have a high of about 2 degrees Celsius and possibly a drizzle of rain in the morning hours.
However, just like we’ve had much spring time weather in winter, the tables can, and most likely will be turned somewhat. But there’s nothing to worry about, for we have you covered with our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, the antidote for all your Monday morning blues and woes and complaints.
So let’s sing it like we truly mean it nuh; in strong voice and with lots of enthusiasm so that a big beautiful smile will have no alternative but to blossom on our choirmaster, Jesus’ face.
Altogether 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!’
Wow friends! That was indeed wonderful! And a bright smile did blossom on Jesus’ face! Glory Be! I don’t know if it was the thought of spring being in the air or what, but we did make an impact on heaven this Monday morning. Praise the Lord! So let’s see if we can’t take that same adrenaline fuelled attitude out with us now and do some mighty deeds in Jesus’ name, as He desires and expects of us.
But the reality of the situation my brethren is that it’s not an easy row to hoe. We might have all the good intentions in the world, but the evil enemy will not let us go forward without a fight. And as I was seeking a Bit this morning, I was drawn to the cry of the prophet Habakkuk back when Israel was in a most ungodly and evil state. ‘O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!’
Oh my people, tell me if Habakkuk’s description of Israel doesn’t very closely resemble that of our current world, as he continues his cry to the Lord? ‘Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance (trouble or toil)? for spoiling (plundering) and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife (there is strife) and contention. Therefore the law is slacked (powerless), and judgement (justice) doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about (surround) the righteous; therefore wrong (perverse) judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab.1:3-4)
Yes friends, our world is indeed a perfect replica of Israel back then! The violence and strife and endless toil for insufficient pay, the plundering, the wickedness, the slackness of the law which inevitably leads to injustice, the widespread hunger, poverty, sickness and disease are all very prevalent in our time too; a time that’s been the most progressive since the Lord made man from the dust of the earth and breathed His breath of life into him. Steups!
Ah Lord eh! What’s to become of our society eh friends? Let’s hope it’s not like what befell the Israelites, where God used the Babylonian Empire to teach them a lesson; destroy them and take them away captive. Let’s hope the Rapture, Jesus’ Second Coming, occurs before World War III breaks out, because at the rate we’re currently going, that last Great War seems unavoidable.
But be not afraid my precious people of God, remember our Lord and Saviour’s promise. ‘Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Wow mih brethren! What a wonderful promise! And we all know that Jesus never reneges on any of His promises, so once we consistently abide in Him, and He in us, we’re set for eternity!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the undeserving children of men. Bless His Holy Name!’
Now friends, let’s go out and do His work without fear of the evil enemy, blessed by the confidence and assurance His word inspires in us. That’s what true followers and believers do. Much LOVE!
…stand up…stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…
07 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier, actions glorify God, adore, bear up, before all nations, believers, beloved of God, bride, bridegroom, constant strain, contented, despair, doubt, drawback, ever-faithful promises, experience it personally, fail, faith, falter, foolish, friend of Jesus, friends, God is always good, God is always in control, God is victorious, God is watching, God's promise, good tidings, grace, grateful, hanging in, hardship, Holy Name, I will joy in the God of my salvation, I will not fear, I will rejoice in the Lord, Isaiah, Jesus, jewels, joy, joyful in my god, judge our sincerity, lack of sleep, LOVE, loving-kindness, magnanimous god, medical problems, medication, mercy, mind-blowing, motives of our hearts, ornaments, praise, reassuring words, rejoice, righteousness, rough times, salvation, share, side effects, sincerity, spirits lifted high, suffering, tear to our eyes, tears of joy, Thank You Lord, the garments of salvation, The Israelites, the robe of righteousness, the source of their joy, to spring forth, truth, Tuesday Mantra, words of our mouths
Habakkuk 3:18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Well my people, it’s another brand new day, filled with grace and mercy from our magnanimous God!
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for your undeserving grace and mercy towards us! We LOVE You and adore and praise Your Holy Name!’
Yes friends, we’d be very foolish if we did not sincerely mean those words, because the Lord looks at the motives of our hearts, not the words of our mouths to judge our sincerity.
To tell the truth friends, the ole fella is not in the greatest shape this morning; tired from too much running around and lack of sleep, with my back aching. I even had to go and dig out my old back brace.
Chuh! It’s so annoying when you’re given medication to solve one problem but it also causes another. It doesn’t seem as if there is any medication around these days without numerous side effects.
But I’m hanging in, fighting like a good soldier, (smile) holding on tightly to ‘God’s Promise’ in this prayer. I don’t remember where I got it from, and most likely have shared it with you before, but it’s powerful and assuring enough to be shared again and again.
Please pray with me: ‘I will not fear; God is always with me. I will not doubt; God is always in control. I will not despair; God is always good. I will not falter; God is always watching. I will not fail; God is always victorious! Amen!’
Yes mih breddren, let’s hang on to those reassuring words of faith and add them to the awesome words of our Bit, so that our spirits can be lifted high, and our deeds and actions glorify our wonderful God.
‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’
Oh my fellow believers, our LOVING heavenly Father has provided us with such amazing, such beautiful stuff, that seldom should a doubt come to our hearts, or a tear to our eyes. And even when tears do come, they should mostly be tears of joy for His LOVING-kindness towards us.
Oh, we all go through hardship and suffering, but in those times we desperately need to hang on to the ever-faithful promises, like in the prayer above, of our mighty God!
Unfortunately though, a lot of us talk it but don’t feel it when the times get rough. That’s because we don’t sincerely believe them in our hearts. I can tell you from personal experience that if we do believe God’s promises, we’ll bear the rough times a lot easier than if we don’t.
As some of you know, I’m going through a pretty rough time right now with several medical problems, whose outcomes are still up in the air, and it’s only by hanging on to the promises of God that I’m able to bear up successfully under the constant strain.
It’s the Lord’s mercy and grace that are carrying me to the numerous doctors and tests which seem to take up a lot of my time. No, it’s not easy, but if we sincerely ask the Lord for help, He will give it to us. The only drawback to all this, is that you must experience it personally to truly believe it. (smile)
But enough about me, let’s get to some scripture that enhances our Bit. Listen to Isaiah as he delivers to the Israelites, the Good tidings of salvation to Zion.
After assuring them of the Lord’s good intentions towards them (v.1-9), he heartily declares: ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.’ (Is.61:10-11)
What an awesome promise my people! Only our omnipotent and ever-faithful God can make such outstanding promises and then fulfill them.
And He certainly has begun to fulfill that one with the amazing coming of Jesus, and all the mind-blowing benefits that He brought to the table. So how can we not rejoice and be glad in the salvation of our awesome God eh?
If we are sincere believers, then we ought also to be joyful and grateful followers. The one, by just its very nature, demands the other. Now let’s go home raising even higher, the bar of our joy and contentment by declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yes friends, let’s believe that deep down in our hearts and souls, because it’s the awesome truth, then let’s go out and share the bountiful and undying LOVE of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with the rest of the world as He instructed us to do. Much LOVE!
…true believers are happy, contented people…who desire greatly… to share the source of their joy…Jesus…with others…
05 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bind, ambassadors, better you should not vow, bind his soul with a bond, binding agreement, blemish, defer not to pay it, destroy the work of thine hands, favour, fear thou God, fellowship, forsake me never, futility, glory to God, God be angry at thy voice, God hath no pleasure in fools, God's looking at our hearts, grace, great privilege, he shall not break his word, hearsay, His godly character, his helping hand, I'll lean upon, I'll talk with god, I'll walk with God., let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, many words, may the Lord be ever with me, medical problems, mercy, Moses, my faith is strong, my humble pleas, my prayer, pain, pay that which thou hast vowed, pay thee my vows, personal testimony, promised to work everything out for my good, renege on our promise, sacrifices of praise, Selah, Sunday, swear an oath, than vow and not pay, The Israelites, the Lord's time, the multitude of dreams, there is no death, though eyes grow dim, uncertainty, vowest a vow unto God, walking with God, will not fail me, wisdom, worship God in all truth
Ecclesiastes 5:4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Oh friends, we’ve been granted the great privilege of seeing another of the first and best days of the week- Sunday! Glory to God! So let’s gather in sincere fellowship and worship Him in all truth, as we are supposed to on this special day nuh. And we’ll begin the celebrations, the sacrifices of praise by singing this popular Christian song, ‘I’ll Walk with God.’
Now let’s belt it out like we truly mean and believe it my people, because God is looking at our hearts to see if what comes out of mouths is truly what’s buried there. Now with a great outpouring of LOVE, let’s raise the roof of heaven.
‘I’ll Walk with God from this day on. His helping hand I’ll lean upon. This is my prayer, my humble plea, May the Lord be ever with me. There is no death, tho’ eyes grow dim. There is no fear when I’m near to Him. I’ll lean on Him forever And He’ll forsake me never. He will not fail me As long as my faith is strong, Whatever road I may walk along.
I’ll Walk with God, I’ll take His hand. I’ll talk with God, He’ll understand. I’ll pray to Him, each day to Him And He’ll hear the words that I say. His hand will guide my throne and rod And I’ll never walk alone While I walk with God.’
Oh my fellow believers, that was magnificent! And God heard it in His high heaven and was immensely thrilled!
However, let me remind us of what we just did there: we just made a promise, or rather several promises to Almighty God – to walk and talk with Him and hold His hand. So that means we cannot renege on those promises, for as the Preacher tells us in our Bit from Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’
And we have good authority for that from way back when in Numbers, when Moses gave the Israelites the law concerning vows. ‘If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond (binding himself by some agreement); he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.’ (Num.30:2)
The same applied to women too, unless her father or husband heard her sware the vow and squashed it right then and there. (Num.30:3-8) Meanwhile, the same went of widows and divorcees, unless their vows were made when they were still with their husbands and they said nothing to the contrary. (Num.30.9-15)
So you see friends, vows were taken rather seriously back in those days, and even until recently, with our sudden explosion of irresponsibility and fraudulent behaviour. Therefore it’s not only to God that we shouldn’t make vows and not keep them, but to ALL people. It should be a general way of life amongst believers.
And the keeping of vows was, and still is, so important that the writer of Ecclesiastes solemnly advised us. ‘Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not (do not let) thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel (messenger, priest), that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice (excuse), and destroy the work of thine hands.’ (Eccl.5:5-6)
So friends, that just puts us in a beautiful bind; we just have to keep those promises now, and sincerely walk with the Lord. (smile) Believe me though friends, walking with God is not always easy, but the rewards are worth every ounce of pain and/or disappointment. And I am not talking from hearsay, but from personal testimony.
Ah mih breddren, in the last little while I’ve been going through a whole set of medical problems, and though at times I was tired of the pain and uncertainty, I could always see the Lord’s grace and mercy and favour riding along with me. And even though I’m feeling somewhat better now, the fact is that none of my medical problems have been solved or corrected. But at least we know about them and are in the process of doing something about them.
But even then, making things right will still take time, the Lord’s time, so all I can do is stay faithful and walk with God, because He has promised to work everything out for my eventual good. And I know from past experiences that He is ever faithful to His vows. He NEVER reneges on any of them. How yuh think I can write the Bit every day, despite my unfortunate circumstances eh? So why should I get all worried and anxious eh? That’s not going to solve the problem(s), only make me feel worse.
Now listen to the psalmist talk about vows, as he extols the great works of God in Psalm 66. ‘I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows (promised deeds), which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams: I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.’ (Ps.66:13-15)
Yuh see friends, that is how we must behave as true believers in Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord and Saviour! Anything else will just place a serious blemish on His godly character. Remember we are His ambassadors down here on earth, and all that we do reflects on Him, for either good or bad.
And we’ll close with another pearl of wisdom from the Preacher. ‘For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds): but fear thou God.’ (Eccl.5:7)
That’s indeed the long and short of the story my people, so let’s pursue it diligently and sincerely nuh. Much LOVE!
…walking with God…is the ONLY path of wisdom in this crazy world…
12 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, aura of love, baubles and bangles, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, best foot forward, boast, brave, Christ's expense, Christians, confidence, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, drive like fools, dry pavement, enthusiasm, eternal life, everlasting life, evil, faith, fearless, for God so loved the world, friends, fun, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God gave His only begotten son, God's generous grace, God's riches, grace, he who has ears to hear, heaven, heavenly places, hell, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, inclement weather, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joshua, joy, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither be thou dismayed, not of works, persecutor, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, serve God, should not perish, sit togther, snowstorm, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, that whosoever believes in him, the Damascus road, the gift of God, The Israelites, the Lord thy God is with thee, truth, umbrage, ungodly world, useful purpose, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, works
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ah mih friends, the first big snowstorm of the season is upon this Monday morning! Steups!
It’s been going since yesterday and will certainly provide many problems as we go out to work, but please leave home a little earlier and take your time. Look out for the other driver, because in spite of the nasty weather, a lot of us still drive like fools, behaving as though we are on dry pavement.
And what amazes me about the snow storms, is that so many of them seem to occur on a Monday morning when we are not at our best – although we should be – and don’t need the hassle and danger of driving on snow and ice covered roads. However my faithful friends and believers this morning we certainly have to do like God commanded Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites.
‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9)
Yes my people, let us be brave and fearless as we face the inclement weather and poor driving conditions this morning. And to further raise our courage and faith, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with strong conviction and perfect harmony.
As one 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!’
Ah mih breddren, that rendition lacked something. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t thrill our choirmaster Jesus. And you know that’s always the aim of our singing. But Jesus is so wonderful, He didn’t take umbrage, (smile) because He knows our fears and weaknesses.
But since that shot of adrenaline we got from singing is now coursing through our veins, let’s go out bravely and do our best for Jesus nuh, for that’s all He asks of us. And logically speaking, if we consider all that He’s done for us, we should have no problem in putting our best foot forward on His behalf.
Just listen to our Bit and see the magnanimous and selfless sacrifice both the Father and Son made on our behalf. And I hope it pricks our cold hearts into doing better. (smile)
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Now wasn’t that a most wonderful gesture? It certainly was! That’s why I can’t understand how we can just throw Jesus and the Father by the wayside in favour of the worthless baubles and bangles of this evil world! Chuh man people! That’s ungratefulness at its highest!
And I want to pile it on here, so please listen attentively to Bruh Paul’s discourse on the subject to the Ephesians. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:4-10)
Yuh see friends, it’s all about God’s sincere and unconditional LOVE for us! Our good works CANNOT give us salvation, but when we are spiritually born again, we ought to have such a LOVE for Jesus, that we naturally do good works. Now there are so many explanations that I would like to share, but we don’t have time nor space. But I’ll share this very important one though, re the Grace of God.
‘2:8. The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving. Grace means unmerited favour, and can be expressed by the acrostic “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This grace is the basis of our salvation (1:7; 2:8)
Illustration: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God’s grace. Every conversion in Scripture is an example of God’s grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church’s chief preachers.
Application: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God – by His grace. (First Ref. Gen.6:8; Primary Ref. Eph. 2:8; cf. Ps.139:1).’
Ah friends, all I can say now is, he who has ears to hear, let him hear, otherwise crapaud smoke ‘im pipe! Much LOVE!
…why foolishly accept hell eh…when one can easily get heaven…through God’s generous grace…
25 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comapssionate heart, a death trheat, a merciful God, a positive outlook, a warning, abundance, an air of foreboding, an ultimatum, anger, be obedient, before it's too late, bless, blessed, bottomless abyss, broken right now, Canadian National Exhibition, CNE, conviction, courage, creativity, curse, dangerous times, destroy thee, divine protection, energy, everything I put my hands to, evil times, falling apart, favour, forget the covenant, forget who brought them to the dance, forsake thee, fulfillment, God's punishment, God's supernatural wisdom, godless, good friends, good health, graven images, great family, greed, hate, help of the Lord, idolatry, imbroglio, in the name of Jesus, Jay Douglas, jealousy, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Luciano, mire, my dancing partner, my trusty cane, negative options, negative word, No night in Zion, no time for God, obey, peace, physically challenged, pray, promotion, prosper, prosperity, receive clear direction, reggae artists, repent, repentance, resentment, rid our society of God, seek God with all thy heart, seek the Lord thy God, self-control, self-discipline, strong self-will, success, supernatural strength, talent, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, The Israelites, the occult, the Promised Land, the sword of Damocles, thou shalt find him, Thursday Blessings, tribulation, turn to the Lord thy God, under the weather, vim and vigour, with all thy soul, worshipping idols
Deuteronomy 4:29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Oh friends, you’ve got to bear with the ole fella this Thursday morning yes, because he’s somewhat under the weather. (smile) Not through illness, but physical tiredness. I was running around doing stuff in the hot sun yesterday, then in the evening I went down to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition), the big country fair we have every year down on the Lakeshore in Toronto.
Now I didn’t go to see the fair itself, but local reggae artist Jay Douglas and internationally acclaimed reggae singer Luciano. And the walk from the train stop down to the Bandshell where the concert was held is a good one, especially for physically challenged people like my self. But with the obvious help of the Good Lord and my trusty cane, I made it both ways without too many problems.
And my cane, my dancing partner, and I partied heartily throughout the concert. (smile) Jay Douglas was excellent as usual, although he didn’t sing any of his original material, but ole time reggae songs. But for some reason when Luciano came on the mix of the music just didn’t sound right. The bottom end was just too loud and had the music sounding dead and dirty and muffled. But the crowd enjoyed it nonetheless, and so did I really.
If it’s one thing Luciano has is energy. Brother! From the time he came on stage, around 8.50, dressed in his beigeish suit, till the time he ended some 75 minutes later, he was prancing and dancing around the stage. Never even took of the suit jacket. He even did a flip during one of the songs.
I was somewhat disappointed though that my favourite Luciano songs, except the opening one – No night in Zion – didn’t sound as they ought to. All like the one we sang the other day – As long as He is my friend… Chuh! They just spoiled it. Anyway, he ended nicely with an encore medley of old songs – Old Time Religion, When the Saints go marching in, Amen, Hallelujah etc.
The important thing is that the large crowd appreciated him very much, and all in all it was a good evening outing. I didn’t get home until midnight, and by the time I did my own thing, you know it was pretty late. But nevertheless, here we are this bright and sunny Thursday morning, not necessarily full of vim and vigour, but still holding the world by its tail. (smile)
So let’s increase the level of our faith and fortune by declaring our Thursday Blessings nuh. With all sincerity and truth now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my people, where our words are so powerful that we can even bless ourselves! But please remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared over someone. So today and every day let’s consistently bless our family, friends and ourselves that we may have God’s blessing constantly in our lives.
And I’m chuckling here friends, because we don’t seem to have much time for our Bit. ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ Words of ultimate and absolute truth my people! In fact we should take it as an ultimatum for our current society!
Moses was here reminding the Israelites about falling into idolatry after they came into the Promised Land and had enjoyed its prosperity for a while and forgot about who brought them there, who brought them to the dance, engineered their prosperity in the first place.
He continues: ‘When thou art in tribulation, and all these things (God’s punishment) are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God:) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.’ (Deut.4:30-31)
Oh my people that passage resoundingly resonates with a warning for us in these godless and evil times. Our current society fits all the particulars of the old Israelite society. We’re worshipping idols and graven images, the occult is very prominent, while we have little or no time for God, in fact are trying to rid our society of Him completely.
Peace and LOVE no longer exist as a righteously held standard, but have been sadly preempted by negative options like hate, anger, greed, jealousy and resentment. And then we wonder why our world.is falling apart so rapidly, descending into the mire, the bottomless abyss of fear and despair so quickly.
Oh friends, the ONLY thing that can save us is a return to the God of our forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! We have to sincerely, and as quickly as possible, embrace the LOVE Revolution of Jesus, if we want to have any hope of surviving this imbroglio, this confusion and negative situation that’s currently hanging over our heads like the sword of Damocles.
Yes my brethren, there’s an air of foreboding, of a death threat, hovering our society. Please, let’s take it very seriously and also take some time to ponder it today, and pray, pray sincerely to Almighty God that He will hear the prayers of the few and cause the majority to come to conviction and repentance. That’s our ONLY Hope in these difficult and oh so dangerous times! Much LOVE!
…let’s seek God…repent and obey…before its’ too late…
17 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gem from Anselm, about trees in winter, angel food, asaph, at letting things go, baggage, church bells ringing, complaining, craving, disasters, disbelief, dwellings, experts, fallible, feathered fowls, food, forgat his works, forgetfulness, futility, go naked in the world, going our own way, going to hell in a hand-basket, habitations, hard-headed, he who doesn't hear will feel, his wonders that he had showed them, human, invitation, keep God first place, like the sand of the sea, lustful, lusts of our flesh, manna, murmuring, politically correct, progress, quails, race of life, reminisce, satiation, selfish, skylarking, smote, stay alive, staying alive, stubborn, Sunday, survival, the better days of old, the corn of heaven, The Israelites, the wrath of God, there's something incredibly honest, they sinned still, time for church, to fight another day, to gather at the Lord's house, unfaithfulness, ungrateful, vanity, water in the wilderness
Psalm 78:11. And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.
Oh friends, as I listen to the church bells peal in my mind this frosty Sunday morning, I am reminded of my youth, when the church bells actually did peal on a Sunday morning with a glorious invitation to gather at the Lord’s house to praise and worship Him, to give thanks for the past week, and pray for a safe and secure journey in the upcoming one.
How sad that church bells no longer ring out on a Sunday morning eh? But I guess in our foolish, politically correct society that would disturb and encroach upon the rights of others. Ah Lord eh! And we wonder why our society is going to hell in a hand basket?
But I’ll dwell, reminisce on the better days of old, when the church bells were a staple in our society and people were glad to hear them ring because it woke them up and reminded them that it was time for church. (smile)
Now at one stage I lived fairly close to the church, so like most young people, I never hustled until I heard the last bell ringing, because it only took me a couple minutes to get there. And I’d get there just in time for the proceedings to begin. No waiting around, sitting on the hard pew benches, fidgeting and talking with your friends, only to be told to shut up by your elders.
Hn! You couldn’t try that with the young people nowadays, instead they’d tell you to shut up. Steups! But I guess that’s what we call progress nuh.
Anyway, on a brighter note, here is a gem from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. ‘I realize there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go.’
And isn’t that a fact my people! The trees know that winter is coming and they don’t stand a chance of staying alive in the cold, mucky season if they want to keep all their greenery. So it’s all a matter of simple survival. Shed your leaves and go naked in the world for a few months if you want to stay alive, to fight another day.
The same thing goes for us my brethren. If we want to run our race of life as smoothly as possible, then we have to give up, get rid of the baggage that’s dragging us down; be it friends, family, business associates or some activity, and keep God first place in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
We definitely cannot afford to do like the Israelites in our Bit did. ‘And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.’
But before we get into our Bit, I wonder how many of you noticed the mighty and wonderful work I did yesterday eh? In the middle of the Bit, I took the Israelites out of Israel instead of out of Egypt. Hn, Hn! What a mighty work! And I read the Bit at least three times before publishing it yes. Just goes to show that the ole fella is human after all and thus fallible.
Anyway, let’s get to the story of the Israelites, their forgetfulness and unfaithfulness. Now yesterday we ended with them wondering if God, who had provided water for them in the wilderness could also provide food. (Ps.78:20)
What a bunch of selfish, lustful, ungrateful people! ‘Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth (furious): so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn (bread) of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full (food to satiation). He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of the camp, round about their habitations (dwellings). So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire.’ (Ps.78:21-29)
Oh my people, our God is truly something else yes! Remember how the Israelites were murmuring and complaining in the wilderness about food, and the Lord sent them manna. But that didn’t satisfy them, they wanted meat, flesh. So the Lord rained down a torrent of quails upon them, so they ate until they were satiated. (Ex.16)
I guess it’s like we do with our children sometimes: when they want some kind of food so badly, we give it to them until they are stuffed and uncomfortable and possibly get sick. That usually cures them of the greed and lust for that particular food. But the manna and quails did not satisfy the Israelites.
For as Asaph continues: ‘They were not estranged from (deprived of) their lust (craving): but while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest (stoutest) of them, and smote down the chosen (choice) men of Israel.’ (Ps.78: 30-31)
Yeh friends, our God is not a skylarking God, but a serious deity. Yuh see before they could even finish eating the flesh of the quail, He struck down some of the mightiest men, because of their disbelief and unfaithfulness. (Num.11:33)
But in spite of all that, Asaph declares: ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity (futility), and their years in trouble.’ (Ps.78:32-33)
Oh what a foolish, stubborn and hard-headed people! But please don’t laugh and try to put them down, because we are doing the very same thing now. God is trying to talk to us, but we’re not listening. We’re just interested in going our own way. He’s showing us signs and wonders, natural and man-made disasters, warning us of things to come if we deviate from His path. But we’re not paying any attention, because we’re too wrapped up in the lusts of our flesh.
Oh friends, if God’s chosen people paid a most serious price for their disobedience, why do you think we won’t for ours eh? And I’ll leave us to ponder on that most vital question today. Much LOVE!
…he who doesn’t hear…will certainly feel…rest assured of that…
16 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: asaph, Christians, covenant, Egypt, faith, forgat his works, forget what the Lord did for us in the past, furnish a table, future generations, his wonders that he had showed them, in the sight of their fathers, in the wilderness, in times of trouble, interesting, kept not the covenant of God, led by the Spirit, LOVE, loving kindness, marching as to war, marvellous things, meat for their lust, mercy, Onward Christian soldiers, Pharaoh, plagues, prince of darkness, problems, provide flesh for his people, provoking the Most High, refused to walk in his law, Saturday morning, slavery, smote the rock, stranglehold, stupidity, Thank the Lord, the depths of winter, the godless path, the Holy Spirit, The Israelites, the Lord's goodness, the Red Sea, the waters gushed out, they sinned yet more, they spake against God, they tempted God, versed in the Word, Western Societies, wine and roses, wisdom, with the cross of jesus going on before
Psalm 78:11. And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.
Well my fellow believers, it’s Saturday morning in the depths of winter, though it’s been raining instead of snowing, (thank the Lord!) and the ole fella doesn’t have a clue as to what to write about. (smile)
But I’m not worried, because I know the Good Lord in His tender mercy and LOVING-kindness will eventually look down on me and bless me with whatever subject(s) He desires me to write on today.
This is the ninth year that He’s been doing it, so why should He stop now eh? Brother, I really can’t believe that I’ve been writing the Bit for so long. It seems like just yesterday (2007) that the Lord broached the idea, and like Sara, I laughed and declared I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t sufficiently versed in His Word and my lifestyle, though not terrible, did not suit such undertaking.
Hn, hn! But little did I know that Lord very seldom, if ever, takes no for an answer. And tenaciously, He kept coming back with the same idea, until I finally gave in. And what a ride, what a journey it has been my people! It hasn’t been all wine and roses, but it has certainly been very interesting!
I remember the first Bits in early 2007 being simply a verse or two from the Bible. But as time went on, and I got more confident and knowledgeable, and felt the leading of the Holy Spirit more, I began to add some words and explanations of my own. Until now, many of you think I write too much. (smile) But I simply write what and how much I believe I’m led by the Spirit to write.
Now look at that eh! A few minutes ago I didn’t know what to write, but through the Lord’s mysterious workings, I’ve written something, and an idea is forming in my mind.
All of that leads me to point out one of the major problems many of us Christians have today; in times of trouble, we simply forget, or choose not to remember what the Lord did for us in the past. Now that doesn’t make any sense friends. If the Lord helped us out before, especially when our faith wasn’t as strong as it is now, why would He not continue helping us eh?
And the best example of that is the Israelites, when the Lord brought them out of Egypt. Back in Egypt, when Pharaoh refused to let them go, the Lord brought several plagues upon the Egyptians. (Ex. Chaps.7-10) Finally Pharaoh agreed to let them go and they left with much wealth. (Ex. 11-12) Then He parted the Red Sea so they could walk over dry land, and afterwards consumed the Egyptian army by drowning them.
Let’s listen though to the voice of Asaph the psalmist as he describes their foolhardiness in Psalm 78 – A reminder of God’s goodness to Israel. ‘The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had showed them.’ (Ps.78:9-11)
Oh friends, our Bit says it all. I believe that many of us behave like those Israelites; we forget all the good things that the Lord has done for us in the past, and consequently our faith suffers, it doesn’t grow as it should. When times get hard and problems abound, the first thing we need to do is remember how the Lord helped us in the past.
Hear the sad story as Asaph continues: ‘Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as a heap. In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
He clave (split) the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.’ (Ps.78:12-16)
Now after 400 hundred years of slavery and hard labour in Egypt, one would think that any sensible people would recognize the Lord’s goodness and power and thus obey His commands. But unfortunately, not so the Israelites.
‘And they sinned yet more against him by provoking (rebelling against) the Most High in the wilderness. And they tempted (tested) God in their heart by asking meat for their lust (for food according to their desires). Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish (prepare) a table in the wilderness? Behold he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? Can he provide flesh for his people?’ (Ps.78:17-20)
Can you believe it my brethren? After all the Lord had done for them, they still doubted His power and His LOVING-kindness to them. Chuh!
But we shouldn’t cry down the Israelites too much, because we are not very faithful either. Most of our Western Societies were built on the Christian belief and faith, and the Lord caused them to prosper. But look at us now nuh, we’re in the stranglehold of the prince of darkness because we have forgotten who brought us to the dance.
We definitely didn’t come by ourselves. It was the Lord God Almighty who caused us to prosper and to gain wealth because we were walking in His will. But once that prosperity set in, we conveniently ‘forgat his works and his wonders,’ just like the Israelites. And now we’re trying our best to remove Him completely from our society.
Oh my people, that is certainly not wisdom, that is stupidity in the highest! Do we want future generations to look upon us askance and shake their heads in pity, as we now do the Israelites? I doubt it very much, but if we continue the way we’re going, they will certainly have cause to do so.
More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, please let’s consider our society and the godless path it is following, and try to turn it around nuh. Now that is wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…onward Christian soldiers…marching as to war…with the cross of Jesus…going on before…
15 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: arrogant, awesome God, bless us, blessed shalt thou be in the city, blessings, Bruh Paul, cause His face to shine upon us, Christ is our mainstay, Christ-like, commandments, curses, destruction, false wisdom, flee before the seven ways, glory to God, God be merciful unto us, God will make a way of escape, hearken to God's voice, human nature, humble and repentant heart, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Jesus Christ, live for Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, mature, obedient to God's will, offspring, our anchor, our foundation, our rock of ages, Philippians, priestly blessing, proud, relationship with Jesus Christ, Selah, seven ways till Sunday, stimulus, the evil one, the fruit of thy body, The Israelites, the Lord be gracious unto thee, The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord give thee peace, The Lord lift up his countenanceupon thee, the Promised Land, trials and tribulations, walk in the Lord's ways, when thou comest in, when thou goest out
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.
Well Friends, how goes the battle this Saturday morning in the middle of August eh? I hope we are all winning, primarily because of our strong and wonderful relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is our mainstay, our anchor, our foundation, our rock of ages!
Without Him we can do very little, but as Bruh Paul confidently declares to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13)
Yes my brethren, when we live for Jesus, He enables us to adapt to our ever-changing circumstances. The Lord puts us through our paces, and He also gives us the wherewithal to handle them successfully.
So there’s no need to worry when various trials and tribulations come against us, for our wonderful God will either make a way for us to escape them, or help us to bear them and come out more mature and Christ-like on the other side. Oh glory to God!
Yes my fellow believers, we do worship a most amazing and awesome God! There is none like Him anywhere else in this whole wide universe. And how could there be eh, when He is the creator and controller of it all? That’s why it’s very unwise for us not to serve and worship Him faithfully, for He blesses those who are obedient to His will and brings the proud and arrogant to destruction.
Consequently the psalmist cries out in our Bit: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Selah.’ However, it only makes sense to do that if we’re coming to Him with a humble and repentant heart, for those are the only pleas He answers.
And for those of you who don’t know the origin of prayers like our Bit, but have only heard stuff like that intoned by a priest at the end of a service, here is a li’l history lesson. (smile) Not surprisingly, it all begins with our great God while the Israelites were travelling through the wilderness enroute to the Promised Land after their exodus from slavery in Egypt.
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, (the priests) saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put (invoke) my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.’ (Num.6:22-27)
Yes Friends, that’s the origin of the priestly blessing we hear our priests use at the end of a service, and which we also ought to use with our friends and families, because a blessing is not a blessing until it is declared, spoken out loud. And believe you me, we all need plenty, plenty blessings in these very turbulent and troubled times.
And talking about blessings mih people, the Lord left nothing to conjecture, He even spelled out the blessings obedience would bring. ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut.28:1-2)
Oh my people, my people, what is there not to understand about those statements eh? And since our God does not change, that means they are also applicable to us in these current times. And please note that the blessings will come upon us, will overtake us! That means we don’t have to go looking for them, but if we are obedient to the Lord’s statutes, they will run us down and overtake us. Glory to God! Now how can that not be something we take very seriously eh my people?
Then listen to some of the particular blessings that have been promised. ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shall thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl). Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shall thou be when thou goest out. (Deut.28:3-6)
Ah Friends, how much more can you get than that eh? Not much. But there are 8 more verses of general blessings, like victory over your enemies, who ‘shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.’ (Deut.28:7) I like that, for it shows how successful we’ll be against our enemies, scattering them seven ways till Sunday. (smile)
Everything we set our hand to will also prosper…we’ll be a holy people to the Lord, called by His name, and set fear in the hearts of the whole earth. But Friends, the great proviso is ‘if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.’ (Deut.28:9b) So no wonder our societies are all going downhill, because we are not obeying the commandments of our God, and instead are forcing Him out of our lives.
But you know what’s interesting and somewhat amusing about all the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience? The former takes up 14 verses of chapter 28, while the latter runs from verse 15 to 68. And I’d suggest that we all read them, for they are indeed frightful, and it might just give us a different outlook on the situation.
The scholars though have an interesting take on the great difference in space taken up by the curses. They say: ‘This is probably due to human nature. The threat of a severe judgement on the covenant-breaker seems to act as a stronger stimulus to correct behaviour than any promise of blessing.’
But clearly they did not take the very evil nature of this generation into consideration, for despite the many curses that are befalling us, we refuse to turn back to Almighty God, our Creator and provider, in humble repentance. We prefer to walk to the beat of our own false wisdom and the lies and deceit of the evil one, Lucifer. Therefore we shall pay the harsh price for disobedience my people. There are no ifs and s and buts about that! Much LOVE!
…if obedience brings blessings…and disobedience cursing…where is the wisdom in following the latter path…as we are currently doing eh…
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