08 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper relationship with God, a desire for the Holy Spirit to fulfill and transform the individual, a new covenant, a new heart will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, a reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel, a rushing mighty wind, a source of renewal, all filled with Holy Ghost, all shall know me, all with one accord in one place, as the spirit gave them utterance, be merciful to their unrighteousness, be to me a people, be to them a God, began to speak with other tongues, Breathe on me Breath of God, breathed into his nostrils, cause you to walk in my statutes, celebration of the church's baptism with the Holy Ghost, cloven tongues, commemorating the harvest harvest, do what you would do, Edwin Hatch, every man his brother, faith, fellowship, fill me with life anew, fill our spiritual tanks to overflowing, for mine own sake, from the least to the greatest, glows with fire divine, God breathing life into Adam, holy spirit, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, it filled all the house, it sat upon each of them, Jesus Christ, John baptized with water, keep my judgements and do them, know the Lord, life giving breath, like as of fire, live with you the perfect life, LOVE, love the way you love, man became a living soul, mercy, my will is one with yours, new life, obedient to Jesus, Pentecost Sunday, purity, put my laws into their mind, put my spirit within you, remain in Jerusalem, salvation, seeks the breath of God, shall shall not teach every man their neighbour, so shall I never die, suddenly there came a sound from heaven, suffer in hellfire for all eternity, sweet sacrifices of praise, take away the stony heart out of your flesh, that I may be free, the anniversary of the Ten Commandments, the biblical imagery, the breath of life, the breath of the Almighty gives me life, the day of Pentecost was fully come, the Feast of weeks, the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground, the Lord God, the Spirit of God has made me, there appeared unto them, till I am earthly thine, to do and to endure, to fulfill and transform the individual, truth, until my heart is pure, wait for the promise of the Father, will not remember thy sins, wisdom, write them in their hearts, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost
Acts 2:3. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And then it was Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the day the early church was baptized with the Holy Ghost! But, as this commentary tells us, ‘in the Old Testament, Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, was a celebration commemorating the harvest of wheat and barley, as well as the anniversary of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision and a reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel.’
And, as we all know, Jesus ascended back to heaven forty days after His resurrection. However, before He left, He commanded the disciples and the other followers to remain in Jerusalem and ‘wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4-5) So, being obedient to His desire, they stayed in Jerusalem. And this is the amazing and mind boggling scenario the Lord contrived, some two thousand years ago on the Pentecost Sunday, that fell ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven.
The Bible tells us: ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (the followers) were all with one accord (one purpose or mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (enabled them to do).’ (Acts. 2:1-4)
Yes friends, on that day the Christian church was officially born, with the Holy Spirit alighting on each of the believers, showing that the Spirit’s baptism included them all. This spiritual baptism also fulfilled the promise of a New Covenant between God and Israel, as prophesied by Ezekiel 36: 26-27: ‘A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them.’
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews records it thus: ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man their neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me. From the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities (lawless deed) will I remember no more.’ (Heb. 8:10-13)
And did He ever do all of that in a majestic and breath-taking manner! First, sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, then filling every believer after that with the promise of the Holy Spirit, as Guide, Comforter and Helper. And also fulfilling another Old Testament promise as prophesied by Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is. 43:25) Wow! What a great and faithful God we serve my brethren! Who calls things as though they were, (Rom. 4:17) then turns around and fulfills them.
Now, having opened up our spirits, hearts and minds with scripture and understanding of it, this warm, bright and sunny Pentecost Sunday, let’s raise the roof of the Lord’s sanctuary with sweet sacrifices of praise as we offer up a mid-tempo, soulful and scintillating version of a hymn that’s usually sung at this time. It’s aptly titled, ‘Breathe on Me , Breath of God, an English Christian Hymn, written by Edwin Hatch, a Church of England vicar and the Professor of Classics at the University of Trinity College in Canada. It was first published privately in 1878 and publicly published in 1886.
It’s a short and simple, but very meaningful hymn. One commentary says: ‘The hymn expresses a desire for the Holy Spirit to fill and transform the individual, bringing new life, purity, and a deeper relationship with God.’ While another describes it thus: ‘The author invokes the Holy Spirit to come into his life and transform it. Using the first-person perspective throughout the hymn adds to the hymn’s power as the singer seeks the breath of God (Genesis 2:7) as a source for renewal.’
But enough talk, let’s do exactly as those commentaries say; seeking a more meaningful and intimate relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit as we sing this marvellous hymn. But wait, before we begin, let’s note that one video version had this most appropriate scripture from Job 33:4, as a prologue, and I want it to be our prologue too. So let’s declare it: ‘The Spirit of God has made me, And the Breath of the Almighty gives me life.’ That’s the gospel truth friends!
So, finally singing: ‘Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may LOVE the way you LOVE, and do what you would do. Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until my will is one with yours, to do and to endure. Breathe on me, Breath of God Till I am earthly thine Until this earthly part of me, Glows with thy fire divine. Breathe on me, Breath of God, So that I may be free, so shall I never die, but live with you the perfect life for all eternity. Ohh Lord… breathe on me! Yes Lord…breathe your ever-LOVING, life giving breath on me…’
Oh my people, what an outstanding rendition! All heaven was moved by our heartfelt, soulful sacrifices of praise! And as this commentary expresses: ‘The hymn’s request to “breathe on me” directly relates to the biblical imagery of God breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7 and Jesus breathing on the apostles in John 20:22. Both passages emphasize God’s active role in imparting life and the Holy Spirit.’
Now, nuff said, let’s go home, with hearts rejoicing after much praise and thanksgiving in the Lord’s house, hopefully, with all of our spiritual tanks refilled to overflowing with God’s Holy Spirit, this Pentecost Day of 2025. Much LOVE!
… And the Lord God…formed man of the of the dust of the ground…and breathed into his nostrils…the breath of life…and man became a living soul… (Gen. 2:7)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
11 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of love and compassion, a nature that is peace, a pipeline that connects us with His nature, abundance, abundant in goodness and truth, all my days, all my life you have been faithful, an uprightness of heart and life, care for others with a pure spirit, from the moment that I wake up, God's promises, goodness is action, guidance and protection, how great is thy goodness, I had fainted, I love you Lord, i love your voice, I will sing of the goodness of God, I've been held in your hand, in my darkest night, Jenn Johnson, know how to give good gifts, longsuffering, merciful and gracious, oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, Praise the Lord, the goodness of God, the Lord God, the week has come full circle, to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, unless I had believed, until I lay my head down, victory, wait in faith on the Lord, we expereince the goodness of God through His word, we partake of His nature, what a joy to know you God, with every breath that I am able, you have led me through the fire, you lead in glory by your Spirit, you were close like no other, you're everything to me, your goodness is running after me, your mercy never fails me
Psalm 27:13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
And the week has come full circle; it’s Sunday again, that beautiful day when Christ’s church gathers to give Him much thanks, praise, worship, glory and exaltation! And all Christ’s people said a loud and grateful ‘Praise the Lord!’ And to open today’s proceedings, we’ll blast off with the great favourite of Contemporary Christian Music, ‘The Goodness of God.’
It touched me when I heard it earlier in the week and immediately decided that we would sing it this Sunday. There’s something about it that just touches you. It’s a song of praise to our good and faithful Lord, written by Jenn Johnson, who sings it with the Bethel Church group.
And what is the spiritual meaning of goodness you ask? This commentary tells us: ‘Goodness is action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, “agathosune,” means “an uprightness of heart and life”
And how do we experience the goodness of God? This other commentary explains it thus: ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature—a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious (2 Peter 1:3-4).’
But enough talk, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in scintillating riddim and glorious voices, in an up-tempo rendition of the song. Singing: ‘I LOVE You Lord Oh Your mercy never fails me And all my days I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up Until I lay my head down, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.)
I LOVE your voice. You have led me through the fire. In my darkest night, you were close like no other. I’ve known you as a Father, I’ve known you as a friend, Oh I have lived, in the goodness of God. (Chorus: Yeahhh! And all my life You have been faithful…I will sing of the goodness of God) Yeah, yeah, it’s so good! Your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now, I give you everything, cause your goodness is running after, It’s running after me.
Oh cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. And All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able, Oh I’m going to sing, Oh I’m going to sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good.
Oh you lead me in glory…ever-faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves… you are my provider…Oh yeah…and you lead me in glory by your spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh, the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
Mama oh Mama! What heart-felt words and glorious sentiments! No wonder we want to sing of the goodness of our marvellous God! And the Lord Himself informed of His goodness when He descended in the cloud and stood with Moses on the mountain top, the second time He wrote the Ten Commandments. The Bible tells us: ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex. 34:6)
Yes friends, the Lord described Himself to a T. All He said there is the gospel truth, and as such we need to follow His example if we’re to be His true followers. And how do we do that, how do we Christians show the goodness of God? Listen to this commentary: ‘We Choose Kindness. It means to show kindness and goodness to everyone you meet. It means Jesus recognized what we needed before we did. It also means that He wants us to be compassionate and understanding; to care for others with a pure spirit; and to realize that true life only comes through Christ.’
More gospel truth there my faithful brethren: true life only comes through Christ! If you don’t have Him leading and guiding you then you will never ever attain that wonderful feeling of true living. And all through the Good Library, especially in the Psalms, you can find oodles of references to the goodness of our great God. So let’s check out a few for our enlightenment. (smile) Listen to these words from Psalm 107: ‘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.’ (Ps. 107:8-9)
Then there’s this from Psalm 31, some verses aptly titled ‘God’s Goodness.’ ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear (reverence) thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.’ (Ps. 31:19-21)
Now what can be better than that eh my people? Only perhaps these words of Bruh David from Psalm 27. ‘I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart, (wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27: 13-14)
Ah friends, life would certainly be even more difficult than it already is, if we hadn’t planned on seeing the goodness of God down here. And we’ll end with some words of Jesus on the subject, when He made those famous statements about asking and receiving, (Matt:7:7-12) amongst them this one: ‘If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt. 7:11) Now that’s a question on which we need to spend some pondering time today, so that we can get it right. Much LOVE!
…God’s goodness stems from…His great LOVE for us…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
27 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant in goodness and truth, all my days, all my life, believed to see the goodness of God, close like no other, every good and perfect gift is from above, from the moment that I wake up, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, goodness is action, held in your hand, his mercy endureth for ever, I lay my head down, I love you Lord, i love your voice, I will sing, I've surrendered now, in my darkest night, in the land of the living, Jenn Johnson, known you as a father, known you as a freind, led me through the fire, LOVE, merciful gracious and long-suffering, none good but one, shepherd of my soul, so good, the goodness of God, the jou of knowing you God, the Lord God, true life only comes through Christ, with every breath that I am able, with my life laid down, you have been faithful, your goodness is running after me, your mercy never fails me
Exodus 34:6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Sunday, oh Sunday! Time for God’s people to gather in praise and worship, to honour His day with thanksgiving for all that He’s done, is currently doing, and has promised to do for us! And all, with one accord said: ‘Praise the Lord for His goodness to the children of men.’
And that segues us right into our song of worship today, titled ‘The Goodness of God.’ It’s a song of praise to our good and faithful God, written by Jenn Johnson, one half of the worship duo Brian and Jenn Johnson. She claims that ‘the song was inspired by the process of adopting her fourth child, as she had been singing impromptu into her phone while driving on a long country road about the faithfulness and kindness of God. The song was then developed from the impromptu recording.’
Now there have been many renditions of the song down through the years, most of them slow and soulful, but today we’re going to do a soulful but lively version a la Jenn Johnson and the Bethel Church, with plenty sincere exuberance and enthusiasm, as if we truly mean what we’re singing. So, lets’ get with the sacrificial praise to high heaven.
‘I love You Lord Oh Your mercy never fails me And all my days I’ve been held in Your hands From the moment that I wake up Until I lay my head down, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God (Chorus: All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, Oh I will sing of the goodness of God.) I LOVE your voice. You have led me through the fire. In my darkest night, you were close like no other. I’ve known you as a Father, I’ve known you as a friend, Oh I have lived, in the goodness of God.
(Chorus: Yeahhh! And all my life You have been faithful…I will sing of the goodness of God) Yeah, yeah, it’s so good! Your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now, I give you everything, cause your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Oh cause Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now, I give you everything, cause your goodness is running after, It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after, it keeps running after me.
And All my life You have been faithful And All my life You have been so, so good With every breath that I am able, Oh I’m going to sing, Oh I’m going to sing of the goodness of God. For all my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so good. Oh you lead me in glory…ever-faithful, you are my anchor in the wind and the waves… you are my provider…Oh yeah…and you lead me in glory by your spirit…you are my joy…my joy…every day…Oh shepherd of my soul…what a joy to know you…Oh, the joy of knowing you God…you’re everything to me…so wonderful…so wonderful in all your ways…in all your ways. That’s why I will always sing of your goodness Lord…always sing of your goodness Lord.’
And that’s exactly the way it ought to be my faithful brethren; be grateful for God’s amazing goodness, and continually let Him know it! And what’s this goodness, what’s it’s spiritual meaning? They say that ‘Goodness is action; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous. When we strive to be “good” only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. In Greek, the word goodness, “agathosune,” means “an uprightness of heart and life” And that’s the gospel truth! Jesus desires us to show goodness, or kindness to all we meet, ‘to be compassionate, understanding; to care for others with a pure spirit; and to realize that true life only comes through Christ.’
That’s His basic agenda. And how do we experience the goodness of God? One commentary says: ‘It’s through the promises of God’s Word that we partake of His nature—a nature that is peace, abundance, healing, victory, guidance and protection. His promises are a pipeline that connects us with His nature. And His promises are exceedingly great and precious’
And that commentator referenced (2 Peter 1:3-4), which tells us: ‘According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ Yes friends, we experience God’s goodness through the many wonderful promises found in His Word.
And James further tells us that ‘Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) Oh my people, ALL the good things we have in this life comes from and unchanging and ever-generous God! I like How Bruh David says it in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13) Can you imagine the terrible state we’d be in if the goodness of God wasn’t available in these turbulent and dangerous times? Hn! I don’t even want to think about it.
That’s why the psalmist so avidly declares (yesss!!!) in Psalm 107: ‘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.’ (Ps. 107:8-9) And the Lord Himself spoke of His goodness when Moses went back up Mt. Sinai the second time to receive the Ten Commandants. He descended in a cloud and passed before Moses and proclaimed: ‘The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’ (Ex, 34:6)
And we know our God does not lie, neither does Jesus Christ, thus His reply to the rich, young ruler who called Him ‘Good Master (Teacher)’ when enquiring how to obtain eternal life. Jesus said to him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.’ (Mark 10:18) Now that’s something for us to chew on, to ponder this Sunday as we sincerely contemplate our relationship to our good God. Much LOVE!
…oh…give thanks unto the Lord…for he is good…for his mercy endureth for ever… (1 Chr. 16:34)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
30 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: (He walks with Me.", and he talks with me, blessed is he who fears the Lord, children of light, darkness, falling on my ear, guilt, happiness, has ever known, his voice is so sweet, immorality, In the Garden, is a sun and shield, Jesus, joyous companionship, light, Mary Magdalene, misery, moral purity, none other, resurrection morn, righteousness, see that the Lord is good, still on the roses, taste, tells me I am His own, the birds hush their singing, the dew, the fruit of the spirit, the joy we share, the Lord God, the Lord will give grace and glory, the voice I hear, the voice of woe, truth
Psalm 84:11-12. 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.
And the days of the week pass quickly by…Monday…Tuesday…Then all of a sudden it’s Sunday again! The Lord’s Day, the day to head for His sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, to worship, praise, glorify, exalt, hear His Word and receive strength and confidence to go out and bravely face the upcoming week in this evil and ungodly world!
And with the beautiful summer weather we’ve recently been having, there’s no excuse to not go to church. ‘Oh, we’re going to the cottage for the weekend,’ and other self-serving excuses just don’t cut it. There must be a church up in cottage country that you can go to especially on this long weekend when we’re celebrating Canada Day, the joyful birthday of our country!
That’s something precious and important to give thanks for in concert with other believers. So please hie thee hither to some gathering of believers somewhere today and give thanks for our wonderful country and all the blessings that the Lord has poured down on us; most of which we don’t truly deserve, but in His awesome and amazing grace and mercy He’s chosen to bless us anyway.
So let’s get the ball rolling by singing this wonderful song of praise and joy titled’ In the Garden (He walks with me).’The website, God Tube claims that: ‘Inspired by the gospel of John, chapter 20, this hymn celebrates the joyous companionship its author, C. Austin Miles, experiences with Jesus as he walks through the garden.’
So let’s sing this beautiful song that we all know and LOVE, in strong voice and sweet harmony. ‘I come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses, And the voice I hear falling on my ear, The Son of God discloses… And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other, has ever, known!
He speaks and the sound of His voice, Is so sweet the birds hush their singing, And the melody that he gave to me, Within my heart is ringing . . . And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other, has ever, known!
I’d stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling. And He bids me go through the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling… And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other, has ever, known!’ (Repeat)
Oh my people, that was just wonderful! And Jesus was certainly touched by our rendition. You can see Him choked up with true emotion, and wiping away the tears of joy that are seeping out of His eyes. But the words and sentiments conveyed in the song are so awesomely true that they can’t help but produce choked up emotions and tears of joy. Walking with Jesus at any time is amazing, but in the quiet of the morning in a beautiful garden, just the two of you alone…
Wow! That companionship would undoubtedly be terrific! Just think about it nuh… As Jesus walks and talks with you, in the peace and quiet of the garden and tells you that you are His own. That must stir up something unbelievable deep inside! A joy so amazing, that you believe nobody else has ever experienced it to that level!
And I just LOVE the next verse: ‘He speaks and the sound of His voice, Is so sweet the birds hush their singing, and the melody that he gave me, Within my heart is ringing…’ How touching! And if it’s true that John 20 inspired the hymn, then it must be the section that describes a weeping and sorrowful Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus on the Resurrection Morn but doesn’t recognize Him.
He enquires of her: ‘Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ And she, thinking He’s the gardener, asks if He knows where they had taken her Lord’s body. And it’s only when Jesus calls her by name ‘Mary,’ she realizes that it was Him, and responds with a shocked ‘Rabboni! (Master)’ (John 20:11-18)
And yuh know what friends? If we walk sincerely with God, we will also experience that simple, but energizing mind-blowing experience in our own lives. How do I know that? Because the psalmist said so! ‘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.’
And we all know that our God is a faithful keeper of His promises. That means if we walk closely with Him we will experience all of His goodness and mercy and faithfulness throughout our lives. And Bruh David endorsed that sentiment in spades in 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 (reverence) the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear (reverence) him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want (lack) any good thing.’ I couldn’t have said it better myself! (smile)
And consequently Bruh Paul admonished the Ephesians: ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.)’ (Eph.5:8-9) And yes my fellow believers, Bruh Paul is also talking to us today!
As the scholars say: ‘5:8. Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now to be religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness.’
Oh my people, do we really want to walk in darkness like so much of the world is doing? I sincerely doubt it, otherwise we would not have come to Jesus. But once you’re walking with Him, you need to be steadfast, to be committed to His way of life and thinking, to be obedient, which means living by the tenets of goodness, righteousness and truth. So let’s be wise and get with programme nuh! Remember, it’s all for our benefit eh! Much LOVE!
…you can’t bear fruit of the Spirit…unless you’re walking in the light…
11 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 99th anniversary, a better tomorrow, abuse trust, aggressive, Alexis Helmer, almighty god, an eraser, angry, Anselm, any good thing, anything is possible, Armistice Day, be wise, blessed, break faith, chances, chastened, confess, contrite hearts, cover ups, crosses, disobedience, failing hands, fallen dead, fallen world, fear the Lord, felt dawn, First world war, forgive, forgiven, forsake, glory, glory to God, grace, hold it high, honesty, honour, In Flanders Fields, inpsire us, Jesus Christ, John McCrae, lack, larks, leave, life's too short, limitations, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loved, making mistakes, mankind's fall, modus operandi, no good thing, no want, onipotent god, overlays, peace, penitent, poppies, poppies grow, quarrel, ravages of war, refusal, Remembrance Day, repent, restore, row on row, saints, saw sunset glow, Second world war, see, seek the Lord, shield, smaller, success, suffer hunger, sun, takes control, taste, the dead, the foe, the Great War, the Lord God, the Lord hears the righteous, The Lord is good, the torch, think big, trust, Veterans Day, walk uprightly, war, war-like, warmongering nature, waste of human life, we shall not sleep, wisdom, withhold, young lions
Psalm 84:11. 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.
HAPPY ARMISTICE, REMEMBRANCE, VETERAN’S DAY!
Yeh friends, it’s the 99th anniversary of the Great War; the First World War; the war that was supposed to end ALL WAR! Hn! But they didn’t count on the Second World War less than 30 years later.
And I seriously doubt that war will ever disappear from man’s agenda until our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ returns in all His splendiferous glory and takes control, for mankind from his fall, has been an angry, war-like animal. Peace and LOVE are only overlays, cover ups for his naturally aggressive and warmongering nature.
In the United Kingdom they call it Armistice Day, in Canada Remembrance Day and in the U. S of A, Veteran’s Day. And we honour our fallen dead by wearing poppies on our clothes during this sad time of remembrance and awful waste of human life.
And all over the world, this most famous war memorial poem, In Flanders’ Fields, is read on this day. It was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in May 1915, on the battlefields of Belgium, after the death and burial of one of his friends, Alexis Helmer by a German shell.
Please remember with me: ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead: Short days ago, We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, LOVED and were LOVED: and now we lie In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe To you, from failing hands, we throw The torch: be yours to hold it high If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.’
Ah mih people, sadly, there are even more quarrels and foes than when this poem was written. Man has not learned anything from the ravages of war. But we won’t linger on the topic of war, instead we’ll turn to a more uplifting subject, quotes from our friend Anselm, who sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Here is the first one: ‘I Am Thankful For All Of Those Who Said, “No” To Me. It’s Because Of Them I’m Doing It Myself.’ And in some respects I can attest to that, because some of the things I am doing for myself now are because others didn’t want to do them for me. Refusal often leads to your getting up and doing stuff yourself.
But in saying that, we have to realize that ‘Success Does Not Consist In Never Making Mistakes, But In Never Making The Same One A Second Time.’ We all make mistakes, but when we keep making the same one(s) over and over, then something’s definitely wrong with our modus operandi.
That leads us to this next quote: ‘Your Life Only Gets Better When You Get Better.’ Truth in a nutshell people! Then there is this one: ‘Think Big And Don’t Listen To People Who Tell You It Can’t Be Done. Life’s Too Short To Think Small.’
Now there is much to be said for that, but to a certain extent we also have to recognize our limitations, although with our awesome and omnipotent God, anything at all is possible. Glory to God!
And I like this last quote: ‘Trust is like an eraser, it gets smaller and smaller after every mistake.’ Now isn’t that the gospel truth! Every time we abuse the trust others have in us, the supply gets lower, until it just plain runs out, and they don’t trust us anymore, regardless of what we say or do.
In fact, we’re lucky to get more than one chance at that state of trust. The only place where second, third, fourth and even fifth chances are possible without condemnation and disgrace is with the Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven, earth and all therein.
As our Bit tells us: ‘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.’
But even then, in general, He expects us to walk in His will, not in disobedience all of the time. But you do have chances to repent and confess and be forgiven. And though His trust in you won’t diminish, you will feel the consequences of disobedience, you will be chastened in some form and fashion.
But He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you! You have His ever-faithful promise on that. As Bruh David so rightly declares in 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.’ (Ps.34:8-10)
Oh friends, it couldn’t be put any simpler than that. So today, as we remember the fallen, and ponder the unfortunate ravages of war, let’s be wise nuh, try and walk uprightly, and reach out to our God with penitent and contrite hearts; seek Him in all honesty, so that He can bless and forgive and restore our fallen world. That is heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…seek…knock…ask…and you will be answered…
10 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a foothold, a heritage of the Lord, a sun and shield, Abrahamic Covenant, Abram, another week of work, ashes, boundaries, brutal winds, calves of the stall, children, Christians, cold of the morning, common sense, confidence, covenant, exceeding great reward, exuberance, faith, faithful to deliver, fellowship, Friday chant, fruit of the womb, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, get in trouble, glory, go overboard, grace, grow fat, healing, help, in his wings, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, judgements, kill we with work, leggo beast, let it all hang out, Lord and Saviour, Malachi, mama yo, no good thing, parameters, party fuh so, precipitation of snow, promises, rain, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, restrictions, reward, riotous goings ons, slave driver, Sodom, soul body mind, statutes, tendencies, TGIF!, Thank the Lord Friday come, the enemy, the law of Moses, the Lord God, the soles of your feet, the Sun of righteousness, the white stuff, the workingman, them that walk uprightly, thy shield, trample down the wicked, weekend anthem, what a time it going to be, will God withhold
Psalm 84:11. 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.
Ah friends, thankfully my area did not get the heavy precipitation of snow that some other areas apparently received overnight. There is a smattering of the white stuff here and there in disparate patches on the ground, but nothing to be concerned about.
We did get lots of rain and brutal winds though. You could hear the wind howling outside and rattling stuff. Hopefully it didn’t do any serious damage to any buildings.
The cold of morning, which seems bright and quiet enough, obviously did not stop the workingman from getting out on the street and lustily declaring his weekend anthem. ‘TGIF! Thank the Lord Friday come! The weekend finally here! What a time it going to be, with all sorts of riotous goings ons.
Mama Yo! Is party fuh so! Party and more party! As the song says: ‘Party, party, party!’ Yeh mih breddren, we have to thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends oui, otherwise the slave driver would kill we with work everyday!’
And as always, there is some truth to the workingman’s song. It’s just that he is carried away by his exuberance. (smile) No doubt many of us Christians might feel the same way, but we know that we can’t just let it all hang, out otherwise we’re going to get in trouble with the enemy.
That’s why our Friday Chant differs from that of the ordinary workingman. We set some boundaries and restrictions to our leggo beast tendencies, (smile) so that the evil, always lurking enemy cannot get a foothold in our business. And believe me, it’s very easy to go overboard and allow him in, when you are tired after a difficult week of work.
So let’s declare our anthem with as much gusto and purpose as the workingman declared his nuh. As one now: ‘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.’
Ah mih fellow saints of Jesus, that’s how we operate! We try to stay within the lanes of common sense as the values and directives of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ dictates. And when we call upon our great God for help, He helps us to stay within those parameters which are dear to His will.
As our Bit so explicitly and graciously declares: ‘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.’
Now yesterday we saw what Isaiah and Revelations had to say about the Lord being our sun. Hear now how Malachi puts it as he talks about the coming day of the Lord. ‘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 (grow fat like stall fed calves)
And ye shall tread (trample) down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgements.’ (Mal.4:2-4)
Yeh friends, another great promise of our awesome God, but we also need to remember to live by His statutes and His law. It’s not going to happen regardless of our behaviour.
Now hear this most significant promise of the Lord to Abram. ‘After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and they exceeding great reward.’ (Gen.15:10 )
And the scholars have this to say re that verse. ‘15”1. Thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward: This chapter introduces the Abrahamic covenant by which God promises him an heir and eventual descendants who will one day possess the land of Canaan.
The word “shield” is translated in other passages as “believed.” Thus, God is the object of Abram’s faith and thereby the source of his confidence. The promise of reward is especially significant in view of the fact that Abram had just refused a reward from the king of Sodom (Gen.14:21-24). God Himself would be Abram’s true reward (cf. Ps.127:3).’
And we all know that God fulfilled that promise to Abram in magnificent and miraculous fashion! Just ponder it for a moment nuh; having a child around a hundred years old… That’s only possible with our omnipotent God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
So let’s cling with genuine faith to the many promises He’s made in His word, as we live in His will, for He who has promised is faithful to deliver. Much LOVE!
…Lo…children are a heritage of the Lord…and the fruit of the womb…is his reward… (Ps.127:3).
09 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comapssionate heart, a pillar of fire, a sun, abundance, bad, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, everlasting light, foolish drivers, give grace, give light, glory, glory of Zion, glory to God, glows in the darkness, godly light, good, goodwill to men, halls of heaven, heavenly Father, holy presence, ice, indisputable words, Isaiah, Job, John, led by your dreams, light by day, LOVE, magnanimous god, manifestations, monologue, Moses, negative word, no good thing will he withhold, no temple, no way Jose, out of the mouth of babes, peace on earth, perfected praise, prosper, pushed by your problems, reassurance, revelations, rush hour, saints in Christ, self-control, self-discipline, shekinah glory, shield, sleet, slush, snow, Spirit of the Lord, spiritual sun, spoken word, succeed, supernatural wisdom, talent, Ten Commandments, the Lamb, the light thereof, the Lord God, the moon, the Sun, thy god thy glory, troubled souls, unscathed, veil his face, walk uprightly, weather forecasters
Psalm 84:11. 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.
Ah friends, can you believe that this early in the game, the weather forecasters are calling for that beautiful, innocent-looking but oh so dangerous thing called snow? Steups!
Ah Lord eh! But that’s what you get for all the good weather we’ve enjoyed so far this late in the year. As Job, says, you can’t expect to always receive good and no bad.
Can you imagine the mess the place will be in this evening, especially if it begins during the rush hour? And the sad part is that you not only have to look out for yourself, but even more for the many foolish drivers on the road!
But yuh know what, I’ve promised myself that from hereon in, I’m not going out in no setta snow to go anywhere. If somebody wants to drive me, then I’ll consider it. But once I’ve got to drive myself, ‘NO WAY JOSE!’
I can handle the cold, but driving through the slush and sleet and snow and ice and otherwise… too much unnecessary pressure. I think I’ve had enough of that. I’ve come through the last forty something years of it fairly unscathed, no need to go and get my ole bod damaged at this stage of life. End of monologue! (smile)
That’s why I’m going to do as Pastor Bobby (Bobby Schuller – Hour of Power) says: ‘Do not be pushed by your problems, but be led by your dreams.’ Words of wisdom, even from one so young.
For as Jesus rebuked the Israelite leaders when the children praised Him in the temple, using some of Bruh David’s words from Ps.8:2. ‘Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (nursing infants) thou hast perfected praise?’ (Matt.21:16) Yeh friends, age doesn’t matter all that much if the Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
And our Bit explains why: ‘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.’
Ah precious people of God, what indisputable words of reassurance from our great God! He has not only set the sun in its physical place, but He also wants to be our spiritual SUN; the bright light that glows in the darkness of our troubled souls.
Hear how Isaiah puts it when he talks about the future glory of Zion. ‘The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.’ (Is.60:9)
Just imagine it nuh friends, at some stage of life, we won’t need the sun nor that moon to provide light for us, because we’ll be dwelling in the holy presence of our awesome God, who Himself will be our light, provide all the light we need.
‘And all God’s people declared a mighty shout: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to men!’ Oh my fellow saints in Christ, what a glorious day that will be, when we reside in the halls of heaven in the presence of our heavenly Father, who will be just exuding godly light!
Listen to how John describes it in his Revelations. ‘And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten (illuminate) it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.’ (Rev. 21:22-23)
Wow! I can’t get my head around not needing a sun or moon to see around me. But the Lord has promised it, therefore it will be so.
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ’21:22-23. There is no temple in the city, since both the Father and the Son will be present in their fullest manifestations. Its light will be provided by the Shekinah glory of God and of Christ (cf. Ex.3:3-4; 24:15-17; 33:14-16; Luke 2:9; 9:29; Heb.1:3).’
The Shekinah glory of God is basically where He reveals the full majesty of His light and power. Like when He went before the Israelites in the wilderness in a cloud and a pillar of fire, when He passed before Moses, but only allowed him to see His backside, otherwise Moses would have been annihilated, even the radiant look on Moses face when He came down from the Mount after receiving the Ten Commandments and had to veil his face.
So just imagine the treat we’re in for my fellow believers, when we see God face to face, shining in all His might and glory! Now we haven’t come to that point as yet, but in the meanwhile our most magnanimous God has given us enough blessings here on earth to make our mark in His name. So let’s declare them nuh, since the power of our God lies in His spoken word.
Altogether 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!’
And having declared that with sincerity of heart and strength of purpose, let’s now go out and share those blessings with others, as Jesus requires of us. Much LOVE!
…a blessing isn’t really a true blessing…until it’s been shared…
16 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of hope, abundant in goodness and truth, alive with God's grace, avoid evil, beloved of God, better late than never, between friends, Bob Colaresi, clean out hearts, cleanse, concentrate on good, consequences, death and resurrection of Jesus, deceits, dying, forgiveness of sin, forgiving iniquity, freedom, friend of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God of hope, God's will, goodness, grace, gracious, hope, human drama, iniquity, Jesus Christ, junk, kindness, lies, long-suffering, merciful, mercy, Moses, new beginnings, new future, new possibilities, prince of darkness, raised us up, reflection, renewal, renewed life, rich in mercy, right relationship with God, rising, selfless sacrifice, shining brightly in our hearts, Society of the Little Flower, spring, spring thinking, St. Therese, the goodness of God, the gospel, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, transgressions, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Aye mih people, my sincerest apologies for the Bit’s tardiness today, (smile) but I had one of those real late early mornings, and the ole bod simply refused to get up when I asked it to. But as they say, better late than never.
And though a light drizzle is falling in my area, making it a somewhat grey morning, we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is shining brightly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Glory Hallelujah!
And today, I want to share with us some exciting and reassuring words from Father Bob Colaresi’s opening remarks in the Spring Edition of ‘Between Friends,’ the newsletter of the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower (St. Therese of Liseux).
He is talking about hope and renewal: ‘Spring is a time of HOPE. God is our God of HOPE. The Gospel is about HOPE – Renewed Life. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus speaks to the human drama of dying and rising – always rising to new possibilities, sometimes beyond our imagining.’
And isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow followers of Christ? It surely is! For it was HOPE that our glorious Lord and Saviour was born, died and rose from the grave for us to have; so that we can embrace a new future filled with good things.
And as the article in the Between Friends Newsletter also says: ‘Spring is a time to reflect on what we need to let go of so we can be alive with God’s grace, possibilities and freedom.’
Oh what a profound and true statement my brethren! Spring is not only the time to clean our homes and garages and get rid of unnecessary junk, but it’s also a time to clean our hearts, bodies and souls of the worthless stuff that’s gathered there, and is keeping us from having the true and right relationship with our heavenly Father that we so desperately need to have.
So I invite us to day to have what we shall call ‘spring thinking,’ where we endeavour to cleanse ourselves of anything that’s not moving us towards God’s will for our lives.
And one of the ways we can do that is simply by concentrating on the goodness of our God, as enshrined in our Bit. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Yeh friends, one of the easiest ways to avoid evil, is to concentrate on good; so that the mind has no place for the lies and deceits of the prince of darkness. But listen to what the Lord told Moses after our Bit.
‘Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:7)
Now the end of that statement sounds somewhat harsh, but with the coming of Jesus that was somewhat mitigated, for everybody now has to bear the consequences for their own transgressions.
But Glory to God, there’s still mercy and forgiveness of sin! And nowhere is God’s goodness spelled out more succinctly than in Bruh Paul’s words to the Ephesians on the terms of grace and faith.
‘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: That in the ages to come he might show his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7)
How magnanimous is that eh my precious people! Our wonderful God LOVED us so much, that even when we were dead in our transgressions, He gave us an option to be lifted out of the mire, to rise godly and righteous, through the selfless sacrifice of His most adorable Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Wow! I can’t help saying it friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s NONE else like Him in all the world! Praise and Bless His Holy Name!’
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, extolling who and whose we are. With strong conviction now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So if that’s what we are about my brethren, then let’s go out now and share it with the rest of the world, as our friend Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…spring…the time of resurrection…of cleansing…of new beginnings…
15 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shelter, abundant in goodness and truth, antidote, appreciation, attributes, aura of love, condemn self, confidence, cup of java, earthly pilgrimage, enthusiasm, expectant faith, faith, fear, friends, glorious kingdom, goodness, gospel truth, grace, gracious, gratitude, hoarded, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, hungry hope, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judging others, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, meet the enemy, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, Mother's Day, peace, plots of man, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, righteousness., spiritual armour, steadfast faith, sure conquerors, taunts, the goodness of God, the land of the living, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, the state of our livers, the strife of tongues, the Ten Commandments, throughout the year, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Well mih breddren, the Mother’s Day celebrations over now! Hope we celebrated our mothers in fine style, but that we’ll also show them a greater level of appreciation and gratitude all throughout the year, rather than on just this one day. I know they like the fuss and bother on their special day, but I’m sure they’ll prefer to have a li’l of that each and every day where possible.
Anyway, it’s time to get back to the common grind and daily task, the humdrum aspects of a working life, so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour. And I know that many of us are suffering from too much celebrating, and it’s difficult to get up and face the very idea of going to work, but get up and go, we must.
So to help us with the Monday morning wake up, we have this antidote, this prayer called the Monday Morning Battle Hymn that jolts us awake even better than a hot, strong cup of java. (smile) So let’s sing it now with lots of enthusiasm, expectant faith and hungry hope nuh.
‘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!’
That was pretty good friends, considering the state of our livers! (smile) Jesus, our choirmaster smiled knowingly at some of the harshness, but He respected and acknowledged our enthusiastic effort. So with the adrenaline bubbling in our veins, let’s go out now and take the battle to the heathen, this Monday morning in Jesus’ name, for the glory of God the Father!
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! His goodness reigns forever!’
And that it surely does, as the Lord Himself proclaimed to Moses when he went up the mountain the second time for the tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Now that’s our great God Himself, extolling some of His many wonderful attributes, goodness being one of them. And since we know that he cannot lie, then we must accept His words as gospel truth. Now, let’s just look at a few scriptures, from the human perspective, which prove the point.
And one of the most well-known is that verse from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation, where Bruh David ardently proclaims: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
So true friends, so true! What’s the purpose of having this good God eh, if we can’t experience some of His goodness in our earthly pilgrimage?
Now hear another mighty man of God, Bruh Paul, as he admonishes the Romans re judging others is to condemn self. ‘And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom.2:3-4)
Ah mih people, so wonderful is God’s goodness that it leads us to repentance! Praise his Holy Name!
And listen to Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 31 – In thee O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret (places) of thy presence from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.’ (Ps.31:19-20)
Oh friends, we can’t ask any more than that from God! He’s got all those who believe in Him covered on all fronts. And what’s the purpose of all that goodness eh? So that we can go forth here on earth and proclaim it, as well as show it through the way we live our daily lives. The Lord’s goodness is meant to be shared my people, not merely hoarded for one’s own good!
Now let’s go out today and show it in spades nuh; let’s broadcast it to all and sundry: the Lord is GOOD! He is GOOD INDEED! Much LOVE!
…true goodness can only beget goodness…
07 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a toehold, abundance, abundant in goodness and truth, another occasion to party, as far as the east, be careful as we celebrate, Beelzebub, blesings, chide, do t all over again next week, drunk or sober, endures for night, everything's coming up roses, exodus, fatness, feel sicker in the night, fellowship, forgiving iniquity, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, God is alway on the job, Granny's advice, hardship, His anger endures but a moment, his favour, I will rejoice, in Jesus' name, in the shadow of thy wings, is life, joy comes in the morning, keep his anger forever, keeping mercy for thousands, long-suffering, meditate on thee, merciful and gracious, Moses, party, please mind your business, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, sin, slow to anger, strive, suffering, Ten Commandments, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanksgiving weekend, The executes righteousness, the Lord God, the thirsting soul, tow short days off, transgressions, truth, unique, weeping
Psalm 30:5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.
‘Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! Everything’s coming up roses! Everything’s going my way!’
Oh my people, I don’t know if those are the right words to that li’l ditty, but they surely are my sentiments this Friday morning; the Friday of our Thanksgiving weekend.
So you can imagine the jumping and shouting of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! It’s the weekend….and a long one to boot! Party time, oh party time! We going to party down the place this Thanksgiving weekend! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah Lord eh! When we going to learn that we can’t just party away the weekend eh? Our activities must have some semblance of balance if we want to use it wisely. So let’s chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a better perspective on how to use the weekend.
Altogether now: ‘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 friends, that’s a much better way to use the weekend, rather than abuse and ruin it by simply partying it all away. And please, this long Thanksgiving weekend, in Canada, don’t forget Granny’s wonderful advice: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
For it’s at times like these we tend to give Beelzebub a toehold in our lives. And we definitely don’t want do that. So please, let’s all be careful as we celebrate and give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings this weekend.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which does bring a fresh breath of thanksgiving to our mornings. ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning.’
Yes precious people , so often the nighttime brings severe and excruciating hardship and suffering, but in the bright light of day, things usually don’t seem so bad. Have you ever noticed too, that most of the time we get sick at night, and something about the night doesn’t seem to go well with sickness.
We always tend to feel sicker in the night than in the day. But whatever the reason (s), we need to know that Almighty God is always on the job! He’s always there looking after us, whether He’s annoyed with us or not.
Now let’s check out some other scriptures that corroborate our Bit. First up is a scripture from Exodus, where the Lord gave Moses the second set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments.
‘And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:5-7)
Now that was the Lord speaking of Himself to Moses. So when we speak those words, we’re speaking words of awesome truth. Listen as Bruh David reiterates them.
‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his way unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING- kindness).
He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewardeth us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps.103:6-12)
Now what can we ask that’s better than that eh friends? Absolutely nothing! Our great God considers each one of us as a unique specimen and treats us all in a unique manner. Now let’s end with some more words from Bruh David from Psalm 63 – The Lord satisfies the thirsting soul.
‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee, Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:3-8)
Oh my people, there’s no better place of comfort, rest, safety and security than in the shadow of God’s wings. Please, let’s try our best today to get a comfortable spot under those mighty wings, for that’s the epitome of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…let’s give plenty thanks this thanksgiving weekend…for we do have a lot to be thankful for…
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