28 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to your faith, acknowledge God, bane, believer, black pudding, blessed is the man that trusts God, blessings, blue sky, climate change, courabe fails, cross-lile, daily devotions, darkest night, deepest waters, dissolve, dry season, faith, faith is feeble, fellowship, floating, giving thanks, glory hallelujah, God's word remains secure, gospel truth, he shall direct your paths, heaven, home, Hotel Magdalena, I Trust, in all thy ways, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, joy, lean not to thine own understanding, LOVE, One Year Book of Bible promises, promises, realtionship, renew, respects not the proud, revitalize, Ruth Harms Calkin, salty air, souse, surrender, those who turn aside to lies, Tobago, topsy-turvy, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, warm weather, white clouds, wisdom, with all thine heart, working of God
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Ahoy there friends and fellow believers! From my little cottage by the sea in Tobago, I write these words of LOVE to you!
Yes mih people, it is wonderful being in Tobago. I haven’t done much as yet, but just the warm weather and salty air has me feeling less pained up and tired, plus I finally got a good night’s sleep last night.
Now what did I do after we last spoke yesterday? Well after sending out the Bit, while the duchess was sleeping, I went down to a li’l waterhole close to my cottage and soaked in the salt water for about half an hour. Well it’s not really a water hole, but just a man-made inlet on this side of the bay.
Thankfully this space has sand and not rocks or coral like a couple of other places along the shoreline. Oh friends, being in the sea felt so wonderful, I…I can’t find words to describe it.
For a few minutes I just lay floating on my back, arms outstretched, legs together, cross-like, looking up at the blue sky with white clouds drifting gently by and the bright sun going down in the east, giving thanks to my creator for bringing me home to Tobago to renew, refresh and revitalize my tired soul, body, spirit and mind.
Then later in the evening, when the duchess got up, we went down to the grocery, Penny Saver, and stocked up on food. Then we came home, had a quiet evening, with no t.v. because apparently when the rain falls, the cables which are foolishly run underground get wet and malfunction. Ah Lord eh!
Strangely enough, both yesterday and today have been cloudy with intermittent short bursts of rain. This is usually the dry season, with not much rain, and even the forest on the other side of the lagoon seems brown and dry. Hopefully my arrival brought the blessings, (smile) and not climate change.
And this morning it was nice to sit outside and do my daily devotions, looking at the tumbling sea and the beautiful scenery, while feeling the cool wind as it blew along, instead of being cloistered up in a cold house. One could hardly ever refuse to pray and give thanks under such excellent conditions.
The only thing that has surprised me so far, is that the wind has kept up a brisk pace all yesterday and today. The poor trees have had to dance along with little respite.
Now let’s get to what I had originally planned to write. It’s a poem from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is simply titled: ‘I TRUST.’
And it says: ‘O God, thank You That Your promises are valid As long as the world lasts. They do not suddenly dissolve When my faith is feeble And my courage fails. When You have given a promise You will perform it – Sight or no sight Feeling or no feeling.
You may take me Through the darkest night The deepest waters. The very worst may happen But out of it You will bring the very best For Your word remains secure. Lord, keep me faithful in my trust. When I can articulate no other prayer May my waiting heart Continually avow: I trust! I trust!’
Oh Friends, not enough trust is the bane, the downfall of every believer! When times are good, there’s no problem in trusting our heavenly Father, but when times are rough, that is the time we need to trust the most and when we seem to trust the least.
And what we need to remember is that total surrender means total trust. So if we are prone to doubt, that means we have not completely surrendered. And as such, we will not see the full working of God in our lives. As Jesus said to the blind men: ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ (Matt.9:29)
Yes my people, according to our faith, so will it be unto us too, because faith implies surrender and trust. So how much you surrender and trust, that’s how much you will receive. And from personal experience, I can tell you that’s gospel truth, since over the years as I surrendered more fully and my faith and trust grew, so did the quality of my life!
And the verses pertaining to that poem are ones we all ought to know and follow, but we obviously don’t, that’s why our lives can be so topsy-turvy.
Hear these wonderful words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make straight or smooth) thy paths.’ (Prov.3:5-6)
Ah mih breddren, there’s no disputing those words! If only we would follow them in our everyday lives eh! And the scholars have some interesting and wise thoughts which I’m sure I’ve shared before, but they are indeed important enough to share again.
‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on;” lean not, meaning do not depend on your own native instincts; and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
Oh friends, the important word in all of that is ‘DEVOTION!’ It’s no different to our normal behaviour; we treat those who are devoted to us better than those who are not. It’s just a natural facet of our nature. Likewise, God will treat those who are devoted to Him better than those who are not.
And we’ll close with our Bit for today, which also greatly stresses the importance of trust in our heavenly Father. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ Much LOVE!
…whatever you put into an earthly relationship…is what you will usually get back…the same applies to God…
P.S. The duchess went out the street for a walk some time ago. Next thing, I got a phone call saying she’s up the road at the Hotel Magdalena having coffee on the balcony. Well that’s fine by me, the walk will do her good. Don’t think I could have walked so far – well not as yet.
However, I’m going to have some ‘souse’ now on my not as spiffy balcony! Glory to God! Unexpectedly I found the souse person outside Penny saver last night, and tonight I’m going back to get some black pudding…Oh, am I in heaven or what! Much LOVE!
17 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, all are naked and opened, as thou hast believed, belief, bridges the gap between God and man, dr robert h schuller, draw nourishment from, embryonic ideas, faith, glory to God, He sent His word and healed them, I am not worthy, I have not found so great a faith, Jesus, nothing is hiddedn from God's sight, our heavenly Father, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, prayer, prayer is the power, pulls everything together successfully, Roman Centurion, sharper than any twoedged sword, so be it done unto thee, speak the word only, surrender, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the liaison, the light of the Son, the link, the LOVE of Jesus, the motives of our hearts, the umbilical cord, the wind blowing away smoke and chaff, the Word of God is quick, trust, you can run but you can't hide
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
Oh friends, oh friends, welcome to another terrific Thursday in the life! All glory be to God for bringing us safely through another dark night of the spirit into the bright light of the sun…
Oh, it might just be shrouded in certain places by dark clouds, but like the Son, it is always shining brightly, except that the light of the Son fires through the dark clouds like the wind blowing away smoke and chaff. Glory be my people!
Now here are some wise and powerful words on the all-important subject of prayer by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. Please pay close attention.
‘Prayer is the umbilical cord that allows you – with your embryonic ideas – to draw nourishment from a source that you, like an unborn infant, can neither see nor fully know or comprehend – God our heavenly Father! Prayer is the power that pulls everything together successfully.’
Yes my people, that’s why prayer is of such great importance in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ! It is the liaison, the link that bridges the gap between our Creator and us.
So if we want to enjoy good and serious communication with Almighty God, then we have to pray consistently…and pray sincerely too, since the Lord doesn’t merely listen to our words, but even more importantly, considers the motives our hearts.
So without further ado, here are the awesome words of our Bit and the verse after it. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (is able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb.4:12-13)
Yes friends, NOTHING is hidden from the sight of our omnipotent and omniscient God! He sees all and knows all. So as the old saying goes, you can run, but you can’t hide. (smile)
Now here is some info from the scholars on those two verses. ‘4:12-13. For the word of God. The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living). This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis.
God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eye sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuse or pretense.’
There you go my brethren, good reason for many of us to stop trying to hide from our Maker as we so foolishly try to do.
Now let’s check out a few scriptures that prove the truth of our Bit; the awesome power found in the Word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, beginning with words from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men.
‘Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.
Oh that men would praise (give thanks to) the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps.107:19-22)
Ah mih people, yuh see how our mighty God healed those that cried out to Him? ‘He sent his word, and healed them.’ That just goes to show how powerful the Word of God is, and that we ought to be very thankful for it by offering the sacrifice of praise.
And hear this from Psalm 147 – Great is our God and of great power. ‘He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of wheat. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth swiftly. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.
He casteth forth like morsels (fragments of food): who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters to flow. He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes unto Israel.’ (Ps.147:14-19)
Yes Friends, God’s Word works powerfully in ALL aspects of our lives!
And finally this situation with Jesus and the Roman centurion, who meets Him as He enters Capernaum, and asks for healing for his sick servant at home.
‘And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.’ (Matt.8:7-8)
This admission by the heathen centurion surprised Jesus so much that He declared: ‘Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ (Matt.8:10)
Yes my brethren, it had to be surprising that a Roman officer had so much faith in the power of Jesus’ Words.
Finally, ‘Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.’ (Matt.8:13)
Ah Friends, it all has to do with faith, with belief, with surrender, with trust and with the LOVE of Jesus. We cannot exist successfully without those elements in our daily lives. Much LOVE!
…be it unto us…as our faith dictates…
07 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, aura of love, barren, Be exalted, brotherly kindness, charity, cleansed from sin, complaining, confidence, diligence, endurance, enthusiasm, evil, famished, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godliness, growing in grace, grumbling, hell, holy spirit, honourable men, hope, humble servants, humbled, hunger, I will also forget thy children, I will also reject thee, inhumanity, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lack of knowledge, lazing around, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my people are destroyed, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pateince, perseverance, pomp, poverty, procrastinate, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sanctified, self-control, selfish lusts, spiritual armour, spiritual growth, steadfast faith, taunts, temperance, thanks and praise, the faithless, the forefront of the battle, the light of the Son, thirst, thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, thou hast rejected knowledge, thou shalt be no priest to me, time is of the essence, trust, truth, unfruitful, ungodly world, useless, virtue, wiles, wisdom
Hosea 4:6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Ah mih Friends, that much dreaded, but should be much LOVED day is here again. (smile) It’s Monday my people! Rise and shine and give some thanks and praise and glory to our heavenly Father for bringing us safely through the dark night into the blazing light of the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And please don’t waste too much time grumbling and complaining, because He is eagerly waiting for us to join Him at the forefront of the battle. Like all good leaders, He is showing the way, getting right into the heat of battle with us. So please don’t procrastinate, for time is of the essence.
Yes friends, time is certainly important; we’ve only been granted so much, so we can’t afford to waste it by lazing around and indulging in selfish lusts. And as always, to help us get up and over the Monday morning hump, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with much jump and joy nuh.
As one earthly, but heavenly sounding choir now, let’s sing. ‘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!’
Oh what an awesome rendition my brethren! Jesus was jumping and jiving with us as He swung His conductor’s baton with that light and airy touch that He alone possesses! Wow! All of heaven was also singing along, including the Father! Mama Mia!
So with that adrenalin coursing through our bodies now, let’s get ourselves together and head into the evil world and show them, what it truly means to be a Christian, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! Oh glory to God!
Ah mih people, much to my surprise, the ole fella is really enthused this morning. I am being carried away by own rhetoric! (smile) Hope it rubs off on you too. But that’s what is possible when you put your faith, hope, belief and trust in Jesus! Your spirit is lifted and you are able to do incredible things in His name.
And what we desperately need to do today is get out into the world and begin changing the Lord’s opinion of us in the Bit. For remember it applies to our current society even more than it did to the Israelites.
‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.‘
Oh how sad that that’s the Lord’s impression of our society! And we have no one to blame but ourselves. So without further ado, let’s get into some scripture that verify our Bit. Listen to the great prophet Isaiah as he talks about the woes promised to and pronounced on the faithless.
‘Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell (Sheol) hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
And the mean man (people) shall be brought down, and the mighty man (each man) shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgement, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness (hallowed).’( Is.5:13-16)
Yes Friends, we can see that happening already. Honourable people are having a hard time existing in this sinful society, and there is a lot of hunger, poverty, inhumanity and starvation. But have no fear, the Lord and His people WILL win out in the end!
Now let’s go home with some more encouraging words from Peter, as he talks about growing in grace. ‘And beside this (but also for this very reason), giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance (self-control); and to temperance patience (perseverance); and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity (LOVE).
For if these things be in you (are yours), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (useless) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off (is short-sighted), and hath forgotten that he was purged (cleansed) from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall (stumble).’ (2 Pet.1:5-10)
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘1:5-7. In this section Peter urges his readers to grow to spiritual maturity. Add to your faith indicates the areas of growth that follow after salvation. Virtue is moral excellence. Knowledge is spiritual truth. Temperance is self-control. Patience is endurance. Godliness is God-likeness. Brotherly kindness (Gr. philadelphian) is brotherly LOVE. Charity (Gr. agapen) is volitional LOVE. This process is a lifelong cycle of spiritual growth for all believers.’
There you have it Friends and neighbours, the wisdom of heaven! So let’s go out and practice it nuh, so that we can never fall, never fail in our Christian living. Much LOVE!
…he that hath ears to hear…let him hear…for disobedience will be catastrophic…
23 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, aura of love, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, Bruh Paul, complain, conceptions of God, confidence, confusion, conquerors, deceptions, enthusiasm, evil, fellowship, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, graven images, holy spirit, humble servants, idolatry, idols, immorality, in the world but not of it, inroads into the enemy's ranks, invincible, Jesus Christ, keep our focus on Jesus, keep yourselves from idols, lead and guide us, lies, little children, LOVE, material things, moan and groan, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moth and rust destroy, Oh Lord God Almighty, put a smile on Jesus' face, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, spiritual armour, spunk, steadfast faith, the Battlefield of the mind, the nature of the human animal, the renewing of your mind, the things of the world, the wisdom of Jesus, the work week, treasures in heaven, treasures on earth, trust, ungodly world, vim and vigour, walk in the Spirit, where our minds lead, where your treasure is there is your heart, wiles, wisdom, you cannot serve two masters at the same time
1 John 5:21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Oh boy, oh boy, it’s Monday; the day that causes so much topsy-turvy and confusion in our lives! It never ceases to amaze me nuh. We know that Monday is coming and that we have to get out to work, but yet every week so many of us are still unprepared for it, and we moan and groan and complain and say all sorts of bad things about such a lovely day. (smile)
And I guess unless our society stops operating the way it does – with work Monday to Friday – we’ll continue to be late and miserable on Mondays until Jesus comes back. Oh, I just realized something; Monday itself is not the problem nuh, it just happens to be the first day of the work week. If we made any other day the first day, the same thing would happen.
Hn, hn! It’s just the nature of the human animal. That means we’ll need our Monday Morning Battle Hymn for a while yet. So let’s sing it out with plenty spunk and vim and vigour. (smile) Remember that Jesus, our choirmaster, requires excellence from us in all our endeavours.
All together in harmony 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!’
Good job my people, good job! Halfway through you could see the smile slowly appearing on Jesus’ face as He realized that we were going to put down an excellent rendition. Glory Hallelujah!
There’s no better thing we believers can do than put a smile on Jesus’ face! Now let’s go into the evil world and see if we can walk in a manner that does the same thing nuh. And we should be able to continue lighting up Jesus’ spirit since our motors are now up and running, fuelled by the adrenalin that’s pumping through our system.
But while we journey through the world my brethren, please remember the wise words of John in our Bit. ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.’
Yes Friends, we need to not allow the things of the world, be they graven images or simply material stuff to take our eyes and hearts off of Christ. And that’s so easy to do with all the wiles and lies and deceptions that the enemy sends against us. It is imperative that at ALL TIMES our focus be on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! For though we are in the world, we should not be a part of it; meaning taking part in all the idolatry, immorality, etc. that the world presently glorifies.
Now here are some scholarly comments on our Bit. ‘5:21. Idols here may well have the sense of erroneous conceptions of God. John addressed such false notions throughout the letter. However fervent our LOVE for others and our adherence to God’s commands, such human efforts will come to nothing apart from true understanding of God as revealed in Christ. To know Him as He is causes LOVE and obedience to be the redeeming worshipful responses to God that He intends them to be.’
Yeh Friends, I know that’s somewhat cerebral, (smile) and it is true, but our main concern today is simply about not making the things of the world more important than God. And to do that successfully, the first step is to initiate what Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Yes my people, it all begins and ends with the mind. As Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) talks about the book she wrote, ‘The Battlefield of the Mind.’ That’s where the battle first rages for supremacy, for where our mind leads, there shall we go.
And the scholars define that verse thus. ’12:2. Be not conformed (lit. “stop conforming yourselves”): They are to resist being poured into the mould of the present thinking, value, and conduct of his world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14.’
Oh we all know that is difficult to do, but if we walk in the Spirit, and not in the flesh, as we are commanded to do, we can do it. And we’ll end most appropriately, with the wisdom of Jesus.
‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21)
And if Jesus says it’s so, then obviously it is so! So my fellow believers, please let’s go out today and not hunger for the things of the world, but for the things of heaven, for that is the ultimate in wisdom. Much LOVE!
…you cannot faithfully serve two masters at the same time…
16 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thankful conversation with God, an act of war, aura of love, band our jaws, be not troubled, begin the day on the right foot, confidence, energy, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, fire in Jesus' eyes, get with the programme, glorious kingdom, greed, humble servants, invincible, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, LOVE, LOVE to hate, make a positive difference, many shall come in my name, meet the enemy in battle, miserable, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Oh Lord God Almighty, peaceful repose, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., selfishness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stressed out, take heed that no man deceive you, the disciples came unto Him privately, the end is not yet, the end of the world, the Mount of Olives, these things must come to pass, trust, ungodly world, wars and rumours of war, what shall be the sign of thy coming, when shall these things be, wisdom
Matthew 24:3. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)?
Well mih breddren, it’s that wonderful day which we all LOVE to hate; Monday! (smile) Unfortunately there is not much we can do about it, so let’s band our jaws and get up and get with the programme nuh.
Obviously, before you get going, you should offer up some praise and thanks for your name and picture not being in the obits today, (smile) and faithfully and sincerely ask for the strength, wisdom and guidance needed to have a successful day. It’s always best to both start and end the day with a thankful conversation with our Maker. That way we begin the day on the right foot and end it with peaceful repose.
And if we had done like we were supposed to yesterday, rest and fellowship and worship with other believers, we wouldn’t be all stressed out and miserable this morning before we even went through the door. Anyway, as is our custom on a Monday, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much energy and enthusiasm as we can manage. Oh, by the way, our choirmaster, Jesus, has fire in His eyes this morning. That means he is expecting an excellent rendition.
So let’s sing, as one voice, in perfect harmony. ‘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!’
Oh yes my people, it was good enough, as the smile on Jesus’ face indicates. So now we should all be ready to go out and face a world gone mad with evil and wickedness, selfishness and greed, and do our part to make a positive difference in Jesus’ name.
Now let’s turn to our Bit for today: ‘And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)?’
Ah Friends, those were certainly mind boggling questions back then, and still are in these tremulous times. And according to Mark’s gospel, it was Peter, James, John and Andrew who inquired of those things from Jesus. (Mark 13:3) But before we get into Jesus’ answer, let’s see what led up to the questions in the first place.
Matthew describes it thus: ‘And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.’ (Matt.24:1)
According to the scholars, they were referring to ‘the huge stones of the magnificent temple begun in 20 B.C under Herod the Great and completed some 84 years later.’
‘And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.’ (Matt.24:2)
And the scholars tell us that ‘Jesus then left the city, crossed the Kidron Valley, and went east of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives from which He could look down on the temple courtyard. Here His disciples asked Him three questions: (1) when shall these things be? (the destruction of the temple); (2) what shall be the sign of thy coming? (Gr. parousia, technical term for the coming of the King; (3) and of the end of the world? (Gr. aion, “the age”). Therefore, the entire discourse must be looked upon as answering all three of these questions.’
And Friends, Jesus did get into a lengthy speech up there on the mountain. So now that we’ve set the scene, let’s check out Jesus’ answers to those questions. ‘And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (various) places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.’ (Matt.24:4-8)
And yuh know what Friends, we are indeed seeing these things happen on a wider and larger scale than ever before. The headline in the Toronto star Newspaper yesterday read in big, bold letters: ‘An act of war,’ referring to the cruel and cowardly killing of so many innocent and unsuspecting people in Paris on Friday evening by the criminal sadists, we so nicely label terrorists.
Steups! A cold blooded murderer by any other name is still a cold blooded murderer! I don’t know why we legitimize their terrible behaviour with that name nuh. Anyway, I won’t get into any talk on that subject, because it will only increase my anger, and I might say something(s) I should not.
Suffice it to say, that unless retaliation in kind for this totally uncalled for massacre is soon met, this nonsense will continue unabated. If we had had a suitable response for 9/11, this would never have happened. We’ll continue this tomorrow, God willing.
Till then, please walk safely with our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus, and do not be troubled, as He advised. Be concerned yes, but not worried or anxious, for everything is unfolding as it should. Much LOVE!
...God’s plans are working as they should… believers ought to stay in faith… because of His awesome promises to us…
12 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a born again life, a lifetime process, a night owl, ancient seals, at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, be filled with the Spirit, be nor drunk with wine, blessings, British type weather, Bruh Paul's prescription, call upon me in the day of trouble, dissipation, entangled by the tentacles of this evil world, excess, faith, faithfulness, false and deceptive deeds, giving glory to God, giving thanks always, giving thanks and praise, God is good, Gramps Schuller, holy spirit, Hour of Power Devotional, I can feel my heart opening like a heavy door, I can hear old chains break, imprisonement, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, in the fear of God, is any among you afflicted, is any merry, It is a good thing to give thanks to god, joyful scripture, learn to know God, let him pray, let him sing psalms, let us make a joyful noise, let us rejoice and be glad in it, life's not fair, LOVE, loving kindness, making melody in your heart to god, maturity in Christ, mercies, miracles, O come let us sing unto the lord, offer unto God thanksgiving, our christian walk, our final earthly breath, pay thy vows, Philippi, praise and thanksgiving, proclaim the good news of His salvation, sang praises unto God, Silas, sing unto the Lord a new song, speaking to yourselves, spiritual and emotional walls, the darkest hour, the day that our Lord has made, the Ephesians, the footsteps of Jesus, the joy of a soul being saved, to the rock of our salvation, trust, wisdom
Psalm 95:1. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation.
Ah Friends, these late nights and early mornings going to be the death of the ole fella yes! But I’m just naturally a night owl! (smile) I awoke earlier on, looked at the clock and decided it was time to get up, but then thought I’d just roll over and soak for a while.
Hn! But it seems that I fell asleep again, and it was almost an hour later that I finally finished soaking. Hn, hn! What a life eh!
Then I discovered that today, Thursday, was another British type weather day; constant drizzle. Yesterday afternoon turned out beautifully though, with bright sunshine. Let’s hope that today will do the same.
But regardless of how the day turns out, it is still the day that our great and wonderful God has made, filled with plenty new blessings and mercies, so let us rejoice and be glad in it, as we were meant to do.
Now here is something I’ve been trying to share for about three days now, but was thwarted by the Holy Spirit every time. I guess I wasn’t meant to share it until today. So here it is, something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional titled ‘LEARN TO KNOW GOD.’
That’s something we all need to do my people! So please pray with me. ‘Dear Jesus, I’ve got to know you better. Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy old door whose ancient seals have just begun to break.
I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You, Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen.’
Yes Friends, our God is definitely good, no doubt about it! So hopefully, if we prayed that prayer sincerely, at whatever level of maturity in Christ that we are currently at, we will soon hear new doors opening and feel Jesus beginning to move at a higher level in our lives.
For remember, it’s all a lifetime process, and we never finish learning and maturing until we take our final earthly breath. And to help us do that, in terms of the praise and thanksgiving aspect, we’ll continue our series of messages along those lines.
And our Bit once again wisely invites us: ‘O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation.’
Oh Friends, there’s nothing better in this life than giving thanks and praise to our most wonderful and ever-LOVING God! Why? Because that’s one of the main things we were created for!
But unfortunately we have relegated it to the back parts of our Christian walk. You don’t hear believers singing as often and as joyfully as we once did, because we have been caught up in, entangled by the tentacles of the evil world and all its false and deceptive deeds and teachings.
But today my brethren, we’re going to attempt to correct that with some joyful scripture. Here is Bruh Paul’s prescription to the Ephesians ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yes my people, we should always be in thanksgiving and praising mode, regardless of our circumstances. Remember how Bruh Paul and Silas reacted during their imprisonment in Philippi? The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard.’ (Acts 16:25)
Yes Friends, even in one the darkest hours of their lives, they were praying and singing hymns, giving glory to God. And you know what happened; an earthquake came and broke down the prison gates, but none of the prisoners fled, which all led to the saving of the jailer and his family, and no doubt some of the other prisoners also. (Acts 16:26-34)
So you see my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, there is no telling what our God will do when we praise and glorify Him, even in our saddest times. James says it quite right. ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful)? let him sing psalms.’ (James 5:13)
And Asaph, in Psalm 50 – God is the judge – tells us what our God desires of us. ‘Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ (Ps.50:14-15)
Yes Friends, whenever we sincerely and faithfully call upon our God, we give Him a chance to deliver us, and thus glorify His Holy Name. And we’ll end with these beautiful and most assuring words from Psalm 92 – Praises for the Lord’s goodness.
‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4)
Oh my people, my people, please, I’m imploring us to ramp up our acts of praise and thanksgiving to our God and Creator, regardless of our circumstances.
Why? Because when we come to Him in praise and thanksgiving, it gives Him an opportunity to work miracles in our lives and thus raise the level of our faith and trust. It’s wisdom at its best! Much LOVE!
…O sing unto the Lord a new song…sing unto the Lord…all the earth… sing unto the Lord…bless his name…show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation…from day to day… (Ps.96:1-2)
02 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, according to the revelation of the mystery, adrenalin, almighty god, as it is written, aura of love, Bruh Paul, children of the Most High God, confidence, conquerors, do love, entered into the heart of man, enthusiasm, eye hath not seen, faith, fire in Jesus' eyes, friends, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's promises, God's Word, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, minions, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nor ear heard, our God-given task, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, sincere heart, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the obedience of faith, the saga of mankind, the Son's beaming His light, the sun's a rising, the things God hath prepared for them that love Him, the truth of the matter, the truth will set you free, to do exceedingly abundantly, to him that is able to establish you, trust, truth, ungodly world, unto him that is able, up to the challenge, walking obediently with Christ, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Aye mateys, it’s time to roll outa your bunks and hit the decks…running! The sun’s a rising, and the Son’s a beaming His most brilliant Light all over His Father’s great universe! Glory to God!
Ah Friends, I’m trying to be as diplomatic as I can, (smile) to let you know that it’s Monday morning and it’s time to get up and go to work. But you know it’s always better to face reality straight in the face than try to slant it, or tone it down. As the Good Book tells us, the truth will set us free.
And the truth of the matter is that we have to rise and shine, let our saltiness flavour our world and our light lead it in a godly manner, for that is our God-given task.
Oh, I know that many of us are still tired, lazy, depressed, whatever, and don’t really feel like getting up and getting a move on, but we have to if we want to make a living. And as usual, to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much enthusiasm and energy as we can muster.
Now, as one harmonious choir, with Jesus as our choirmaster, let’s sing. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Not bad, not bad at all mih people! I guess we saw the stern look on Jesus’ face and the fire in His eyes, and realized that He was not in a fooling mood, He meant business this morning. (smile)
So now that the adrenalin is pumping, providing much needed fuel for our somewhat less than warmed up motors, let’s get out there on the firing line and just do LOVE nuh, do LOVE like Jesus did, and still does. Once we’re doing LOVE with a sincere heart, then we know that we are walking obediently in His footsteps, with absolutely nothing to worry about.
So what about it eh Friends? Are we up to the challenge this Monday morning? I’m sure we are. And why am I so sure of that? Because of our Bit, which is a promise from the Word of God, and all God’s promises are faithful and true.
So if Bruh Paul, God’s mouthpiece and messenger says this in his missive to the church at Ephesus: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,’ then it must be true. No ifs ands or buts about it!
Yes my brethren, we are children of the Most High God, we belong to the family of a mighty Deity, whose power can do infinitely more than our finite minds can even imagine! And please don’t ever forget that! Your heavenly Father is the most omnipotent force in the universe that He created and still controls!
Don’t bother with Lucifer and his li’l fool fool minions. They can’t do anything to stop or harm a child of the Most High God Jehovah! They only have plenty mouth – like some of us Christians – but the Father can destroy them with a simple word. Glory Hallelujah!
Now let’s check out a few scripture passages which corroborate our Bit. In 1 Corinthians, when talking about wisdom being God’s gift, Bruh Paul reminds his readers: ‘But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’ (1Cor.2:9)
Yeh Friends, none of us really know the wonderful things that God has prepared for those of us who truly LOVE and reverence Him! They are too high and wonderful for our small minds to comprehend.
Then, in his letter to the Colossians, Bruh Paul in talking about his service for Christ, ends the chapter with these powerful words. ‘Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.’ (Col.1:29)
Oh my fellow believers, when we LOVE God and aspire to do His bidding, He will also work mightily in us! Oh glory to God!
Then in his concluding doxology to the church at Rome, Bruh Paul assures them: ‘Now to him that is of power (is able) to stablish (establish) you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.’ (Rom.16:25-27)
Yes Friends, the whole saga of mankind (the mystery) was prepared even before the world began, but only made known through the prophets and the coming of Jesus in God’s right timing!
So please, let’s go out today and do what we need to do nuh, without fear or worry, because the most powerful force in the universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is looking out for us. Much LOVE!
…there’s no one better to have your back…than Almighty God…
26 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin pumping, almighty god, anxious, aura of love, Bruh Paul, choir director, confidence, conquerors, controversies, Creator of the universe, cry out to God, economic downturn, enthusiasm, eternal life, even the youths shall faint and be weary, faith, fearful, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, glory hallelujah, good hands like All State, gospel truth, grace, hast thou not heard, He gives power to the faint, holy spirit, humble servants, I will exalt him, if any would not work, inconsistencies, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my father's God, neither should he eat, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, put our trust in Jesus, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, serve a useful purpose, shall mount up with wings like eagles, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the day of sorrows, the good news of the gospel, the long and short of the story, the Lord fainteth not, the Lord is my strength and song, the Thessalonians, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, they that wait upon he Lord, to the foot of Christ's cross, to them that no might he increaseth strength, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, wonder of wonders
Isaiah 40:29. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Well, well, well… if it isn’t Monday, the day of sorrows for so many people! Yes Friends, a lot of the workforce rather dislike Monday mornings because they have to get up and go to work and they are not properly prepared for it. On the other hand, some are glad to see Monday, either because they are prepared for it, or they just want to get away from home for whatever reason. (smile)
The long and the short of the story though is that we need to work so that we can live as best we can amidst the worldwide economic downturn that is now in progress. And as Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians, ‘if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:4)
And that’s by no means an unreasonable command. But man being what he is, there will always be inconsistencies and controversies in our daily lives. So to help us over the hump, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty of hungry hope and expectant faith, paying close attention to our choir director, Jesus as He leads us in song. (smile)
As one harmonious whole now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t a bad rendition at all my brethren, but nowhere as good as the one last week, when we had the Father up and dancing and singing with us. I guess we can’t be that good every week. But at least hopefully our adrenalin is now running and we are getting in the groove to go out and do good, serve Jesus faithfully in a wicked and ungodly world.
And even though we might not be up to scratch, there is no need to be fearful or anxious because as our Bit so faithfully promises: ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! I can personally testify to that, because there are many days when my aches and pains get the better of me, both physically and emotionally and I have to cry out to the Lord for the strength and wherewithal to continue.
And wonder of wonders, His awesome and never ending supply of grace soon lifts me up and enables me to carry on. Oh glory to God my brethren! So please don’t despair if you’re under the weather and things are difficult. Just cry out to God in sincere faith and He will strengthen you.
Now listen to the wonderful scripture that precedes our Bit. ‘Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.’( Is.40:28)
More indisputable truth my people! Our God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, which means He is always on the go, never tired or weak, seeing everything and being everywhere! That’s the magnificent God we serve and worship! So I don’t see why so many of us refuse to put our entire trust in Him, to surrender our lives to His amazing action plans.
And if you weren’t impressed or overwhelmed by what went before our Bit, (smile) then listen to what comes after it. ‘Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:30-31)
Mama Mia! What an awesome promise! And it’s not an empty one either, because many of us believers can testify to it. So Friends, what shall it be this autumn Monday morn eh? Shall we put our trust in Jesus and cry out to Him for help to get ourselves together and to get going, so that we can spread the good news of His gospel by our words and actions, and thus bring the unbeliever to the foot of His cross for forgiveness, salvation and eternal life?
Now that would be an unbelievably wise decision; possibly the best one we’ve ever made! Yeh mih people, both wisdom and common sense dictate that we look to Almighty God for succour.
Hear how Moses puts it in his song. ‘The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation (praise Him); my father’s God, and I will exalt him.’ (Ex.15:2)
Oh glory Hallelujah! Now if Moses says that the Lord was his strength etc. etc. who are we to doubt him eh, especially in light of all the marvellous things he did? So today, please let’s stand strong, faithful and true in Jesus, for that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…if you think man-made All State has such great hands…hn…can you then imagine the hands of our Creator…the most magnificent of course…
25 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of rejuvenation, alive and kicking, asaph, attitude, believers in Jesus Christ, blessed be the Lord our God, blessings, Christians, comeuppance, confidence, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, death and destruction, declaration of faith, desire, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith and trust increased, fellowship, give thanks, glorify our Creator, glory hallelujah, go a whoring from God, God is the strength of my heart, God's LOVING-kindness, guide me with thy council, I have put my trust in the Lord, it is good for me to draw near to God, jehovah god, mercies, mood, more than we can ask or imagine, my flesh and my heart faileth, my heart was grieved, my portion for ever, panacea, pours out His bounty, praise, provider, raise your hopes, receive me to glory, reconciled to God, renew your faith, sacrifice of praise, sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ, salvation, serve the Lord, shortchanging ourselves, sing, snare of the ungodly, so foolish was I, spirits are lifted, Sunday, surrender, tempo, the atoning Saviour, the Holy Spirit, the wicked prospering, the Word of god, they that are far from thee shall perish, trust, unfaithfulness, walk obedient in God's will, walking with Jesus, whom have I in heaven, wickedness, wisdom, worship
Psalm 73:26. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.
Sunday, Sunday! Oh how glad we are that it’s here at last! For it’s the day that most Christians, most believers in Jesus Christ gather together in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship with each other; to sing and praise, give thanks, worship and glorify our wonderful Creator and Provider. Glory Hallelujah!
It’s also a time of rejuvenation; a time when our spirits are lifted, our faith and trust increased, our confidence strengthened, as the immutable and holy Word of God flows through, percolates in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls!
And all God’s people shouted loudly and proudly: ‘Blessed be the Lord our God who sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ so that we could be reconciled to Him, and who now pours out His never-ending bounty on us, more than we can ask or even imagine! Thank You Lord. We offer up our sacrifice of praise and vow to walk obedient to your will. In Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, it is indeed a wonderful, a magnificent God we serve, and every day I open my eyes to greet a new day, I can’t help but give Him some serious thanks and praise for all that He’s done, is doing and has promised to do in my life. Glorify Him my people, for there’s none else like Him! No other supposed deity even comes close to Him, for they are all dead, but our Jehovah God is alive and kicking; kicking mightily too!
So this Sunday morning, let’s all make it a stated purpose to get to His sanctuary and enjoy much needed fellowship with other believers nuh, so that our souls can be primed and ready to meet and greet tomorrow, Monday, with a burst of enthusiasm and rich desire to get out into the working world and serve the Lord with all that we possess.
Remember, the tempo, the mood, the attitude towards the first day of the work week, and all those that follow, are set, are determined by how we spend the first day of the week, Sunday. So please get out and renew your faith, raise your hopes today. End of sermon! (smile)
Oh Friends, some of you might think that I’m joking, or just being overzealous, but the reality is that our God does faithfully reach out to those who trust in Him. Let’s take the case of the psalmist Asaph. Way back when, he saw the wicked prospering and couldn’t understand it.
Consequently, he almost fell into the snare of the ungodly, wanting to have their prosperity. Many of us fall for the same scam today. But through the goodness, the LOVING-kindness of God, he woke up in time and saw the foolishness of that mindset. Therefore, he could contritely admit in Psalm 73 – The mystery of prosperous wickedness.
‘Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins (grieved in my mind). So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden (held) me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy council, and afterward receive me to glory.’ (Ps.73:21-24)
Oh my people, as I said just now, many of us today are still being wowed by the prosperity of the wicked, but please believe that is only a temporary situation. They will all eventually get their rightful comeuppance; death and destruction.
But those who sincerely follow the risen Lord, the atoning Saviour Jesus Christ, will be guided away from wickedness by His Holy Spirit which indwells each and every believer. Then, like Asaph says, at the end of our earthly days we will be received in glory to our heavenly home.
Now hear how Asaph continues: ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength (the rock) of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ (Ps.73:25-26)
My brethren, my brethren, do you hear that declaration of faith and trust which includes our Bit! Can we declare likewise, with the same confidence? I surely do hope so, because unless we can, we will be seriously shortchanging ourselves in the mercies and blessings of our awesome God.
And why is that? Listen to the next verse from Asaph. ‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).’ (Ps.73:27)
Yes Friends, wickedness and unfaithfulness may pay for a time, and might look rather enticing, but believe me, it will not get you into heaven, will not bring you salvation and eternal life. Only trust and belief in Jesus Christ will do that.
And Asaph confidently and wisely ends the psalm thus. ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28)
Glory Hallelujah my people! Words of unadulterated wisdom! And if you haven’t declared those sentiments as yet, I’ll advise you to do so as soon as possible. And today, right now, will be a most appropriate time to do it. Because, remember when Jesus returns in all His majestic glory and splendour, which could happen at any time, if you are found wanting, then it will be too late, and as the old people would say, crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
So please, please, I implore us, let’s not be found wanting, let’s put our absolute trust in Jesus right now, let’s surrender our entire lives to Him, so that we will be received into glory at the end times. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…knowing, trusting, LOVING and walking with Jesus…is the ONLY panacea for our troubles…
24 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, apostolic insight, as it is written, big dreams, Bruh Paul, Christ-like maturity, discernment, drinking milk, eating solid food, expectant faith, eye hath not seen, faith, foolishness, give thanks, God's gift, God's promises, God's revelation, gospel truth, grateful, grow spiritually in Christ, hungry hope, if god be for us who can be against us, living our fears, loving kindness, man's wisdom, mark of a true believer, natural man, neither have entered into the heart of man, nor ear heard, not living our dreams, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, salvation, Saturday, spiritual truth, spiritually discerned, stay on the straight and narrow path, the ability to sift the facts, the cares of the world, the gospel, the Holy Chost, the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, the mind of the Lord, the rocks that's Jesus, the Spirit of God, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him, the truth of God, the weekend, trust, we are more than conquerors, wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:9. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.
So Friends, it’s Saturday and the weekend is well on its way. Hope you have lots of good stuff planned for it, including all the new blessings and new mercies that our omnipotent, most generous and benevolent God is going to shower down on us today. It pays to be grateful and give thanks, especially for stuff which we most definitely do not deserve. So let’s spend a moment in earnest prayer nuh.
Please pray with me: ‘Heavenly Father, today is a new day and we give you thanks for causing us to see it. We are also thankful for your promises to look after all our needs if we walk in righteousness and obedience to your will. Unfortunately we cannot do this on our own, therefore Lord we ask you to help us stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to you and your LOVING-kindness. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, isn’t it interesting that we cannot do what God wants us to do without His help? For sure! But there are also many times we can do better in our own strength or even with God’s help, but we don’t. Why?
Because as our Friend Anselm, who always tries to inspire us for a better tomorrow, says in his quote from yesterday: ‘Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! Although Jesus assured us not fear, too many of us believers are still living fearful lives because we are sorely bombarded with all the cares of the world. Now we have to be concerned about our affairs, but even when times are bad, we don’t have to live in fear. That’s the awesome mark of a true believer in Jesus! That’s what faith and trust in Him is supposed to cure, to suppress.
Remember what Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome? ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose…. What shall we then say to those things? If God be for us, who can be against us…? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:28, 31, 37)
Yes Friends, if we sincerely LOVE God, and believe those truths from Bruh Paul to the Roman church, then there is absolutely no need for us to live fearful lives, but lives filled with big dreams, hungry hope and expectant faith that’s based on the solid foundation of the rock that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit, the same as yesterday, which ramps up even more the surety and confidence we can place in almighty God, our Creator and generous Provider. ‘But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’
Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that a beautiful and assuring statement, showing how much our great God truly appreciates us. As we saw yesterday, He reveals to us the things that matter most to Him through the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Unbelievers have no idea what He’s all about…but we do. And that’s glorious!
Now let’s continue where we left off yesterday in this important scripture passage on wisdom being God’s gift. We’ll repeat verse 13 because there are some explanations that are necessary.
‘Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.’ (1 Cor.213-16)
And we’ll go straight into some scholarly explanations, as there are plenty. ‘2:13. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual: The term comparing occurs only here and in 2 Cor.10:12 where the meaning is clearly “compare.” However, in classical Greek, the term was always used in a sense “to compound” or “to interpret.”
Probably the most satisfactory interpretation is “combining spiritual things with spiritual words.” After speaking of spiritual “things,” (vv.11-13), Paul now speaks of the “forms” in which they are conveyed. Spiritual truth is conveyed in language that is given by God’s Spirit.’
‘2:14. Natural man (lit. “unspiritual man”) is unreceptive. He does not admit the truth into his heart (cf. Luke 8:13; Acts 8:14; 11:1; James 1:21). As spiritual discernment is generated only by the Holy Spirit, the capacity to know spiritual truth is beyond the innate powers of the natural man.
Spiritually discerned: The fundamental idea of discerned is that of “examination” or “scrutiny.” It is used only by Paul and Luke, and mostly of “judicial examination.” (cf. Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9; 1 Cor. 9:3; 10:25, 27). On the spiritual plane the natural man does not have the ability to sift the facts.’
‘2:15. The difference between the natural man and the spiritual man is primarily that the spiritual man has founded his faith on God’s revelation. He can judge now both earthly and heavenly things. He can discern what is and what is not of the gospel and salvation, and whether a man truly preaches the truth of God.’
‘2:16. We have the mind of Christ means that Christians possess the Lord’s own understanding, that is, His thoughts, opinions, judgements, plans, and so on. This answers the question that Paul puts in the same verse. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The answer is, “We do!’ The term we includes the apostle Paul and to some extent all true believers, though believers today are prudent to acknowledge the superiority of apostolic insight into spiritual matters to that of their own.’
Oh Friends, I know that those explanations are somewhat plentiful and heavy, but they are necessary if we hope to properly understand the Word of God, be able to discern truth from falsehood and thus grow in Christ-like maturity. As Bruh Paul tells the Corinthians later on, we can’t always be drinking milk, we need to grow up and eat some solid food, some meat and potatoes from the Word. (smile)
So please let’s sit down and take our time and read and meditate and ponder on all that’s before us, so that we can learn and truly appreciate all that the Lord’s saying to us. Much LOVE!
…like a human being needs solid food as he/she grows physically…so too do believers need to delve into the more intricate aspects of the Word and understand them…so that they can grow spiritually in Christ…
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 