07 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, acknolwedge, adore, almighty god, at the name of Jesus, blessings, boomerang, Bruh Paul, cast pearls before swine, Christ and HIs church, Christian circles, Come Sunday morning, comforts us in time of pain, communication with God, condemn, condemnation, Creator of the universe, Each day is a gift from God, eternal life, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, evil, exalt His holy name, faithfulness, fellowship, fill the Lord's house with believers, flowers, give not that which is holy to dogs, go to church, God's everlasting goodness, God's goodness, hands of our dear ones, heals our hurts, help, hypocrisy, hypocrites, imperfectness, jehovah god, judge, judge not, judgement, laughter, loving kindness, measure, mercy, mmorning brightness, name of Jesus, obedience, overlooking our own faults, owner of everything, power to pighten our hearts, praise, prayer, rainbows, rat-race, redeem us, rejoicing, reverence, sacrificed His only son, salvation, shortsighted, sins, song, songs and psalms, sun, that Jesus Christ is Lord, the beam in thine own eye, the Lord's Day, the mote in thy brother's eye, the name of Jesus, the Philippians, the Sabbath Day, to the glory of God the Father, true reality, trust, unbelievers, ungodly, work to be done, worship
Matthew 7:3. And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is thine own eye?
Come Sunday morning – the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath – it’s time to go to church; fill the Lord’s house with believers. Come Sunday morning – it’s time for prayer, praise and worship. Come Sunday morning – it’s time for great fellowship amongst believers.
Come Sunday morning – it’s time for the Lord’s name to be heard in songs and psalms all over the world, in grateful tribute to His overwhelming mercy and LOVING-kindness!
Yes Friends, today is the Lord’s Day, so please let’s treat it as such, abounding in much communication with Him and plenty rejoicing in His everlasting goodness to us!
And today I want to share a fabulous and most appropriate poem printed on a card I received for my birthday a few weeks ago. Thanks Lori. It’s titled: ‘Each Day Is a Gift from God.’
Please recite it with me: ‘He has given us morning brightness, and sun, Laughter to share, and work to be done. He has given us rainbows, flowers, and song, And the hands of our dear ones to help us along.
He has given us prayer, with its wonderful power To lighten our hearts in a troublesome hour. He has given us blessings to brighten our way, And always – the gift of another new day.’
Oh my people, how truthful are those words eh! Wow! It’s what we were just talking about; God’s goodness to us. Our wonderful God has done so much for us, and yet we refuse to acknowledge and praise and adore and worship and reverence Him as we should. How foolish is that of us eh my brethren!
Chuh! The Creator of the universe, the owner of EVERYTHING that exists, the Provider of all that we have, the One who heals our hurts and comforts us in our times of pain, the One who sacrificed His only Son to redeem us from our abominable sins – and yet we refuse to hold Him and His Holy Name to the highest level of exaltation, of obedience, trust and faithfulness.
What could be more shortsighted than that eh my people? Nothing, my people, nothing whatsoever! But please remember these memorable words that Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians, concerning the name of Jesus.
‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
Please remember those fateful words my brethren, for we are at such a low point right now in worshipping Jehovah God, that I’m not sure we can go any lower, with all the evil, ungodly, worldly stuff that’s floating around, even in supposed Christian circles.
Our hypocrisy is legendary, and does detract a great deal from the respect that unbelievers have for Christ and His church. That is possibly the number one reason that most unbelievers would give for not believing and/or not going to church: Too many hypocrites in Christ’s church!
Well fine, that might be true, but then just come and add one more to it nuh! (smile) That’s because we are all hypocrites to a certain extent, in one way or another. None of us is perfect, but we’re always quick to judge the imperfectness of others, while forgetting, or conveniently overlooking our own faults.
But please remember Jesus memorable words, including our Bit, when He told us not to judge. ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote (speck) out of thine eye; and behold a beam (plank) is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam (plank) out of thine own eye; and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote (speck) out of thy brother’s eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend (tear) you.’ (Matt.7:1-6)
Oh Friends, Jesus could not have put it any simpler or more straightforward than that!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘7:5-6. Thou hypocrite is the only statement that can be made for this play actor who pretends to be a physician when he himself is sick. The dogs and swine refer to those who have deliberately rejected the message of truth. These particular animals were especially repulsive to Jesus’ audience.’
Ah Friends, what a foolish bunch we can be when Lucifer waves his pretty but flimsy and worthless things and activities in our faces. We fall so hard and so quickly for the supposed glamour and merriment of the world’s lustful activities, while unwisely shunting the things of God, the much more worthwhile things of heaven to the background.
That foolish action my people, like a boomerang, will one day come back to haunt us. So please let’s get wise nuh, let’s wake up to the true reality of our situation and turn to Almighty God for succour and saving, because He is the ONLY ONE who can truly provide those things, things which we so badly need in this rat race that we so nicely term – life. Much LOVE!
…only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can provide…true salvation and eternal life…to the hurting, hungry and hard of heart…
24 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light shining in the window, a tree of life, adults, Aloha, Amen, babes, blessings, confidence, Creator of the universe, drinking milk, eating solid food, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fall t the ground, fellow believers, fleshly concerns, friends, full of surprises, glorify God, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grace, growing in the word of God, hearts and minds, holy spirit, hope, hope thou in God, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, Lamentations, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, maturing, mercy, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, my flesh dwells securely in hope, my glory rejoices, my heart is glad, peace, Praise the Lord, reconciled to the Father, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rock heaven and earth, sacrifice, salvation, shock, sinless life, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, trust, ungodly world, victory, vim and vigour, Why art thou cast down o my soul, wisdom
Psalm 16:9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.
Aloha Friends! I give you that wonderful first day of the week, Monday!
And all God’s people say a loud and heartfelt ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
And I almost fall to the ground in shock!
Wow mih people, you all sure are full of surprises. One day I tell you it’s Monday, and you abuse me. Then the next time I tell you that, you glorify God.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am very thrilled to hear you all are accepting Monday so easily and joyfully, for that’s how it ought to be. It shows that we are maturing, growing in the Word of God, no longer babes drinking milk, but adults starting to eat solid food.
Thus we are preparing ourselves better, so that when Monday rolls around, we are well prepared and well able to meet it on our godly terms, rather than its worldly terms. And to celebrate that magnificent victory over our fleshly concerns, that wonderful coming of age, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with extra vim and vigour.
Come on now Friends, let’s rock both heaven and earth. ‘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 yeah mih people, that was marvellous! So marvellous that it had all of heaven clapping and singing along – even the Father Himself! (smile)
Now with all that adrenalin flowing, and our motors revving with great expectations, let’s go out into the disaster prone world we live in and tell others about Jesus Christ; about the joy, hope, and faith we have in Him, who sacrificed His sinless life so that we might be reconciled to the Father, whose mercy and grace gives us salvation and eternal life!
Let’s tell them about Jesus and the work the Holy Spirit has wrought in us, so much so that we can now claim the Bit as our own declaration. ‘Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.’
Yes my fellow believers, our hearts and minds ought to be filled with awesome hope and faith this Monday morning. And today we’ll continue looking at some scriptures that deal with hope.
Oh by the way, let me apologize for a typo I made yesterday. Don’t know how many of you noticed it, but at the end of the verse from Psalm 39 – ‘And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.’- I put it as (Ps.31:7, rather than 39:7) Please forgive the ole fella, for he is merely human. (smile)
And since we’re talking about Psalms, we might as well continue with them, seeing that they possibly have more hope in God declared in them than any other scriptures.
Listen to these powerful words from Psalm 42 –An intense longing for God – a contemplation of the sons of Korah. ‘Why art thou cast down (bowed down), O my soul? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance (presence)’ (Ps. 42:5)
And that’s how we ought to be my people! Whenever our spirits are down, for whatever reason(s), the best way to fire them back up is by hoping in God, seeking and praising Him.
Now hear these wise words of Cousin Sol: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov.13:12)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘13:12. Hope deferred depresses, but its fulfillment revitalizes.’
And the Preacher tells us that: ‘For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.’ (Eccl.9:4-5)
That’s why we say that while there’s life, there’s always hope, for when you’re dead, any chance of hope dies with you.
And we’ll close with these beautiful and wise sentiments of Jeremiah in his Lamentations. ‘The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:25-26)
Therefore my people, please stand strong in Jesus Christ! Let’s not give up that hope which has brought us so far along. Our great and wonderful God has promised to look after us, and we know that he is faithful to keep His promises.
So let’s go out today brimming over with peace, LOVE, hope, joy and faith, for that’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…hope means…that there’s always a guiding and welcoming light shining in the window…regardless of the hour…
20 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, Bruh David, Buffalo, burdens, clamouring for peace, dig down deep, dissatisfaction, do good, don't give up hope, don't think of quitting, dwell in safety, edify another, evil, faith, figurative, freedom time, Glory be, God's will, God's Word, greater toronto area, guide and comfort, haeling balm, Holding on, hope, indisputable truth, Israelites, joy, Lake Ontario, let not your heart be troubled, literal, LOVE, my peace I give unto you, O if thou had heeded my commandments, obedience, only one way, peace, Peace i leave with you, perfect peace, Praying Expectantly, promises of God, protective wings of almighty God, righteousness., rought times, rumours of war, seek peace, sleep in peace, snowstorm, stay strong, strife, surrender, thankful, that's no lie, the Lord will bless his people with peace, the Lord will give strength to his people, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the rock of ages, thy peace had been as a river, thy righteousness as waves of the sea, trust, trust in the Lord for ever, unfaithfulness, ungodliness, unrighteousness, wars, waves of the sea, weather the storms, wintry climate
Isaiah 48:18. O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded) my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.
Well Friends, we’ve made it down to Thursday – Glory Be! Only one more day to go before some freedom time. But yuh know what? Unfortunately the first big snowstorm of the season has visited, in fact is still visiting my area!
Chuh! Regardless of how long you dwell in these climes, I don’t think you ever really get accustomed to the wintry climate nuh. Even those born and bred here get fed up with it.
It’s beautiful to look at from your window inside the warm and cozy house, but going out in it can be a rough experience for some people, especially the elderly. I guess you can number me in that category now. (smile)
But in the Greater Toronto Area, we do have one thing to be thankful for; we weren’t hit as hard as poor Buffalo on the other side of Lake Ontario. I heard one fellow over there say that they received one year’s worth of snow in some thing like three days.
Ah Lord eh! But what yuh going to do eh? Not much. It’s all part and parcel for the area. You just have grin and bear it, as well as literally dig down deep, both in the snow and in your spirit to find the resources to weather the storm.
And fellow believers, we all know that there’s only ONE way to successfully weather any and every storm in this life, be it literal or figurative; and that’s under the protective wings of Almighty God! Any other way usually ends up being futile.
With all the promises of God to be found in His Word, there’s always something in it to guide and comfort us in times of sorrow and adversity. The Lord has a healing, soothing balm for each and every wound we suffer. So please don’t give up hope, don’t even think of quitting, when the rough times come, as come they will. Stay strong in faith and trust.
And talking about hope, here’s an interesting definition from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. ‘HOPE: Holding On, Praying Expectantly!’
And that’s no lie Friends, for when we hope, we do indeed hold on to God’s promises and pray with great expectations for them to come true. It’s all about faith and trust, surrender and obedience to God’s wise and holy will my brethren.
But sadly, like the Israelites of old, and many other once upon a time powerful nations who no longer darken the earth, we have failed to live up to the dictates of our great and wonderful God. And what He said so long ago to the Israelites, His chosen people, He’s now saying to us in these terrible times. ‘O that thou hadst hearkened to (heeded) my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.’
Oh my people, those words do hold a bundle of indisputable truth! I don’t have to explain the great mounds of evil, of unrighteousness, ungodliness and unfaithfulness that’s currently dominating our world, and consequently the many wars, rumours of war, endless strife and general dissatisfaction that’s evident all over the globe.
But the strange, sad part though, is that everyone’s clamouring for peace, but there’s really no peace, for as Bruh David rightly declares: ‘The Lord sitteth (sits enthroned) upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ (Ps.29:10-11)
So if we’re not interacting obediently with Jehovah God, how can we expect peace eh, when He’s the one who grants it? That’s also why Bruh David strongly advises: ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps.34:13-14)
Oh my people, it’s something we have to actively look for and pursue! It just doesn’t come upon us of its own will. But doing that, then allowed him to say with confidence: ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8)
Isaiah also echoed Bruh David’s call in his hymn of praise, where he boldly proclaims: ‘Thou wilt keep them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (the Rock of Ages).’ (Is.26:3-4)
Meanwhile Bruh Paul says to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:6-7)
And it’s only fitting that we close with Jesus’ greatest pronouncement on peace. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
That says it all my people! If we faithfully and obediently embrace Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then His special peace, not that of the world, will fill our bodies and souls, lighten our burdens and increase our joy!
Now that’s certainly something worthwhile working towards! So let’s get a move on and do it nuh! Much LOVE!
…let us therefore follow after…the things which make for peace…and things wherewith…one may edify (build up) another… (Rom.14:19)
18 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a catch 22 situation, a living Deity, a stubborn and rebellious generation, adversity, affordable housing, affordable housing in the suburbs, almighty god, baptizing them, bounden duty, burst our bubble, commute, declare thy mighty acts, disobedient to God's Word, done god a grave injustice, full of compassion, generation, glory of God's kingdom, God has a good plan for our lives, God will never leave nor forsake us, God will work it all out for our good, God's goodness, going to hell in a hand-basket, grateful shout of joy, guilty, heathen, I am with you always, in the name of the Father, jehovah god, Jesus, kill our spirits, LOVE, Moses warned the Israelites, one generation shall praise thy works to another, overpriced accomodation, passing the Olympic torch, Pharisees, praise Your Holy Name, promises of the Creator, rave, reality of modern life, saints, set their hope in god, steal our joy, teach all nations, teach them to thy sons, thank you heavenly Father, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the Lord is gracious, the SON, the Ten Commandments, traffic snarls, true believers in Jesus christ, trust, wintry Canada, wisdom
Psalm 145:4. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
Ah Friends, it looks like it’s going to be another day like yesterday in my area; snowy and rainy. But what yuh going to do eh? Not much, but dress for it and take your time along the wet, slick roads. That means you’ve got to leave home even earlier than normal, if you want to get to work on time.
Steups! Some of us can’t leave home much earlier than we already do, and that’s not only in wintry Canada, but all over the world, where traffic snarls are now a twice-daily occurrence. At the rate we’re going, it might just be better for us to sleep at work…Hn, Hn!
Don’t laugh, because it’s true, since the traffic going into the city is backed up before six a.m in my neighbourhood and by 3.00 p.m leaving the city. A lot of people have to leave home at 5 a.m if they want to reach to work for 8. That’s because they bought affordable housing out in the suburbs, and now that affordable housing is being decimated by the long and terrible time wasting commute.
But unfortunately that’s the new reality of modern day life. Lots of people are moving back to the city, but that’s only increasing the prices of accommodation there, so we end up with a catch 22 situation – live in the somewhat affordable suburbs and bear the traffic and commute burden, or buy exorbitant, overpriced accommodation in the city.
What ever you do though, you will pay for it, either in time or money. But Friends, as true believers in Jesus Christ, we can’t afford to let those things worry us, otherwise they’ll just drive us crazy. Oh, we must be concerned and pay close attention to them, but we can’t afford to let them burst our bubble, or kill our spirits and steal our joy.
That’s because we have the awesome promises of the Creator of the universe and all therein, that He will never leave nor forsake us, that nothing, no adversity will overpower us, for He has a wonderful plan and a great future for our lives, and if we trust Him, He will work everything out for our good eventually. Wow!
And all God’s people raised a grateful shout of joy to heaven: ‘Oh thank You heavenly Father for promising to look after us, even though at times we can be very disobedient to your Word. We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
And sadly my people, one enormously important area in which we have been very disobedient is not telling our children and the world about Jehovah God. We are indeed very guilty of not following our Bit: ‘One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.’
Ah mih breddren, we’ve certainly done our most merciful and gracious God a grave injustice in that respect. We have failed to do as Moses warned the Israelites: ‘Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul (yourself) diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.’ (Deut.4:9)
Oh Friends, we haven’t seen as much as the Israelites had seen, but we have indeed seen enough to know that Almighty God is real, a real and living Deity! And if we haven’t taught our sons about Him, who will teach their sons about Him eh, and how will the great message of God be passed on to future generations?
Remember Jesus’ last instructions to His disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always(s), even unto the end.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Oh my people, if those old time disciples hadn’t taken that Great Commission seriously and done as Jesus asked, we would never have heard about Him. That just shows how important passing on the message to the next generation is. It’s like the symbolic passing of the torch that we all so rave about in the Olympics. So let’s rave about passing on the wonderful Word of God too nuh!
And sadly, in our fear and lethargy we have allowed the evil powers of this world to take God out of the schools and other public places, resulting in less God in our society. The Ten Commandments, which should be the basic rules of any society that wants to flourish, are now being flouted with immunity, so why are we surprised when our society is quickly going to hell in a hand basket?
As a generation, we have a lot to answer for my people. We have not done as the psalmist Asaph so wisely said in Psalm 78 – A reminder of God’s goodness to Israel. ‘For he (God) established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright (did not prepare their hearts), and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.’ (Ps.78:5-8)
And Friends, if we’re honest, that last verse describes us to a T! We talk a whole lot about God, but like the hypocrite Pharisees that Jesus lambasted, we don’t walk the walk as well.
But it’s not too late walk it properly, to do as Bruh David declares after our Bit: ‘I will speak of (meditate on) the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.’ (Ps.145: 5-13)
Oh Friends, oh Saints, that’s what we should be doing! Please, I implore us to go out and do it, so that the Word of God will keep being passed on from generation to generation. That’s our bounden duty, as well as heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…if we say we LOVE the Lord and don’t pass on His Word…then we lie…and are no better than the heathen…in fact we are much worse…
02 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, awesome power of prayer, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, disappointment, distress, faith, fellowshipping, friendship rewards, fulfilment, Garden of Gethsemane, giving thanks, glory, have mercy upon me, hear me when I call, hear my prayer, hope, in the name of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, merciful God, O God of my righteousness, omnipotent god, praise and worship, pray without ceasing, prayer, purpose, put your trust in the Lord, righteousness., sacrifice of righteousness, shame, Sunday, the Father's will, the Lord's Day, the Sabbath Day, the Son of God, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, trust, walking obediently with God, watch and pray
Psalm 4:1. Hear me when I call , O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.
Oh my Friends, it’s Sunday; the Sabbath Day, that blessed day of the Lord, when He rested from all His workweek labour! Oh Glory be! Let’s try and follow His example and do the same today nuh, as much as we can, or allowed to do in this 24/7 society.
And that includes fellowshipping with other believers at His sanctuary, where we can increase our faith, hope and trust in Almighty God through communal praise and worship. Yes my people, gathering together to magnify our mighty and magnanimous God is filled with all sorts of rewards.
And talking about rewards, here is a poem from that new to me, but old in actual age Devotional – The One Year Book of Bible Promises. The poem is titled ‘Enormous Rewards’ and says: ‘O dear God Thank you for teaching me The enormous rewards of walking obediently with You: There is joy without guilt Freedom without fear Satisfaction without sordidness Purpose without confusion Friendship without compromise Forgiveness without penance Fulfilment without disappointment.’
And the scripture reading that comes with it is: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;’ (Eph.5:20) Not a bad idea at all my people, in fact a rather wise and advisable one for ALL believers, from the many that Bruh Paul declared.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, where Bruh David is calling out for help through prayer, to the God of his fathers. ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’
Ah mih breddren, that is indeed a most worthy plea, but are our hearts in sync with God’s Word? That’s the big question? As our poem above talks about, are we walking obediently with Him? Hopefully the answer is a vigorous and truthful ‘Yes!’
And Bruh David continues thus with his evening prayer of trust in God: ‘O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye LOVE vanity (worthlessness), and seek after leasing (falsehood)? Selah.
But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call upon him. Stand in awe (tremble, be agitated), and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.’ (Ps.4:2-5)
Oh Friends, we couldn’t get any better advice than that! Put your trust in God and talk to Him in prayer!
And Jesus is our poster boy, our most worthy example of that. Check out the night before His crucifixion, when He went up to the Garden of Gethsemane, and said to the disciples ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder (over there) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed).
Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (stay) ye here and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is week.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.’ (Matt.26:36-44)
Oh Friends, what more do we need to make us believe in the necessity for prayer eh? There we have the Son of God, in His passion, beseeching His heavenly Father for mercy and help to endure His upcoming tribulations. Note too though, that regardless of all His pleas, one thing remained constant; He always acknowledged, it was the Father’s will that would be done.
And our prayers ought always to have that same acknowledgement my people. Regardless of what we desire, we must always be prepared to do the Lord’s bidding, to endure His will, because His will is paramount over everything. If Jesus recognized that, then as His followers, we should be wise enough to do so too.
Now let’s look at one more example of the power of prayer: this when Herod kills James and imprisons Peter, having him personally watched by a squad of four soldiers, intending to put him on trial after the Passover. The Good Book relates: ‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’ (Just as Bruh Paul advises in 1 Thess.17)
‘And when Herod would have brought (was about to bring) him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers (guards) before the door kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him (stood by), and he smote Peter on the side, and raise him up saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. And he went out, and followed him; and wist (knew) not that it was true (real) which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
When they were past the first and second ward (guard posts), they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety (for certain), that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.’ (Acts 12:5-11)
Yes Friends, that’s the awesome power of sincere prayer! Please let it reassure and encourage us in all our worldly dealings. We do have an omnipotent and merciful God to call upon in times of need. Let’s make full use of that wonderful option, for it is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…prayer is our number one source of communication with our Creator…
29 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future, a hope, adore, Advocate, all praise and glory to God, Amen, anxieties, atone, be not afraid, be not afraid only believe, breath of life, comfort, Comforter, ditty, divine help, don't give up, encouragement, enjoy life, eternal life, ever-faithful, ever-helpful, evil and ungodly world, faith, forebodings, from the depths of my soul, God has a good plan for our lives, God will work it all out for our good, good news, gospel truth, groggy, guidance, Guide, Hades, halfway through the workweek, hand of Jesus, have Jesus ensconced in your heart, hearsay, Helper, helping hand of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, Jesus always keeps His promises, Jesus is sufficient, Jesus is the greatest, Jesus sacrificed His life for us, Jesus will help us believe, joy, keep our focus on christ, keep the faith, lack of sleep, letting go of our fears, lighten up, LOVE Jesus, LOVE Revolution, magnificent Lord and Saviour, making a positive difference, miserable, on a song and a prayer, only believe, our be all and end all, partner, personal testimony, pick sense from nonsense, positive works, praise Jesus' holy name, promises, Redeemer, righthand man, salvation, saving grace, shout of thanks and praise, sinful lives, singing the praises of jesus, sinless life, So let it be, stand up strong, surrender, Thank you Jesus, the chance of a snwoball in hell, the Father, the Good Book, the helpless, the Holy Spirit, the lost, the one and only superstar, the passion for Christ, the Prince of heaven, the sick, the SON, the way the truth and the life, troubled times, trust, Wednesday, wine and roses, winging our way heavenwards, words to live by, working for good
Mark 5:36B. Be not afraid, only believe.
Oh Friends, here’s the good news this morning; we’re winging our way heavenwards on a prayer and a song!
‘Oh we’re halfway through, we’re halfway through, halfway through our workweek! So don’t give up, just stand up strong! Though things may seem unbearable, don’t give in to them. For if we keep the faith, fill our hearts with eternal hope, Jesus will surely see us through!’
Yes mih people, that’s undiluted, undisputable gospel truth! Jesus promised it, and He ALWAYS keeps His promises! Remember that. So regardless of whatever is coming against us this Wednesday October morn, just hold on tight to the safe and secure helping hand of our Lord and Saviour, because that’s why He sacrificed His holy and sinless life for our sinful ones.
Without His saving grace, like a snowball in the depths of Hades, we don’t stand a chance! But walking sincerely in the shadow of His awesome LOVE enables us to move mountains! As He says: ‘Only believe!’
And you know that’s the hardest part for most of us; letting go of our fears, our anxieties, our dreaded forebodings, and simply believing that Jesus is who He says He is, and will do what He says he will. But Jesus is so marvellous my people, that if we sincerely ask Him to help us believe, He will indeed do so!
Wow! What a magnificent Lord and Saviour! There’s truly none else like Him in the universe!
Yes Friends, I’m singing the praises of Jesus this morning because I know that they are true, since I experience them each and everyday! I’m not talking from hearsay, but from personal testimony, for everyday I see Him working for good in my life and the lives of those around me.
And I have absolutely no doubt that if you will only believe in Him, put your trust and faith in Him, surrender you lives to Him, He will work the same positive works in your lives too. All praise and glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!
Ah mih people, how could I not LOVE Jesus eh? When I came down here just now, all groggy and miserable from lack of sleep – went to bed late obviously, and thus got up late too (smile) – I didn’t have a clue what I was going to write about, but within minutes, the little ditty at the beginning rose up in my mind and soul, and everything else just flowed smoothly from there.
Now if that wasn’t the ever-helpful, ever-faithful hand of Jesus, working magnificently in my life, then I don’t know what it was. I don’t even have a Bit yet; haven’t even touched the Good Book yet, and He’s already enabling me. Oh Friends and fellow believers, please give the Prince of heaven a loud and appreciative shout of thanks and praise.
And all God’s children boldly declared: ‘Thank you Jesus, thank you! You are indeed the Greatest! The ONE and ONLY Superstar! We LOVE you, we adore you, we praise your holy name, and sincerely thank the Father for sending you to sacrifice your sinless life to atone for our sinful ones!
Please help us to walk with you all day long, as we go about in this evil and ungodly world, doing your will, bringing the lost, the sick, the helpless to you for your saving grace, thus enabling your wonderful LOVE Revolution, and making a positive difference in these oh so troubled times. We sincerely bless and praise your holy name. Amen!’
Oh mih breddren, the ole fella’s chuckling here because though he’s still somewhat groggy with sleep – the caffeine hasn’t kicked in as yet (smile) – the passion for Christ just seems to keep bubbling up from the depths of my soul this morning.
And believe you me, that’s just how it ought to be! We’re not supposed to be searching and fighting to find or reach Jesus, because He’s supposed to be right there with us, in our souls in the form of His Holy Spirit; our Helper, Guide and Comforter. Oh wow! Don’t get me started now nuh Friends; else I might just keep on writing and singing His praises all the livelong day!
Ah mih breddren, I do hope that this is bringing some joy with an amused chuckle to your souls, as well as comfort and encouragement, and also helping you to keep your focus on Christ, because that’s what it’s for, that’s what the Bit is all about. So please lighten up and enjoy the life set before you. It’s not going to be continually wine and roses, but once you have Jesus securely ensconced in your hearts, minds, bodies and souls, then everything will be all right.
Remember He has a good plan for our lives; one to give us hope and a future. (Jer.29:11) And He’s also promised to work everything out for our good in His own way and time. (Rom.8:28)
So even if we hold on to nothing else, let’s hold on tightly to the infinite promises of those two great scripture passages, and keep on keeping on with Jesus as our partner, our right hand man, our true confession, our redeemer, advocate and everlasting Saviour; the Truth, the Way, the Light and the Life!
Oh Friends, I do hope that what I’m writing here is making sense yes, because it’s all coming straight from the heart. And even if it doesn’t line up with all the rules and regulations of writing, I know for a fact that you all are smart and wise enough and heavenly guided to pick sense form nonsense! (smile) Oh how I LOVE writing these off the cuff Bits, which just flow unstructured from the passions of the soul!
Ah my fellow believers, the reality of it all is that I couldn’t be writing the Bit everyday for almost eight years now without divine help, assistance, guidance and encouragement. That’s just the simple long and short of the story. It doesn’t have anything to really do with me, cause I’m just the conduit, the vessel through which the Word is noised about and abroad. In the long run, it’s simply all about Jesus!
So let’s praise and magnify Him, give Him eternal thanks, and glorify His holy name, as we ought to. And all this, we pray in Christ’s holy name. Amen…! And again we say…Amen! So let it be!
Got to go and find a suitable Bit now. Soon come.
Chuh! That didn’t take long at all nuh, because it’s a no brainer! The most appropriate Bit for this discourse are the comforting and true words of our Saviour to the ruler of the synagogue, who came to Him for help in healing his sick daughter, but then sadly heard that she had died before Jesus could lend a helping hand.
And my people, these simple words, spoken some two thousand years ago by that Messianic Jewish Rabbi, still echo down to us loudly through the ages, and still carry the same hefty and faithful promise of salvation and eternal life… ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
Truly words to live by my people! So let’s go out and do it, today and everyday that there’s the breath of life in our mortal bodies, for it’s heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…when Jesus fills your heart…your soul…your life…you don’t need anything or anybody else…cause He is indeed sufficient…He’s our be all and end all…
P.S. Steups! Would you believe that with my already tardy self, just when I went to send the Bit, the ole computer froze on me. Ah Lord eh! When it’s not one thing, it’s certainly another! (smile) But that’s exactly where true faith in Jesus makes the difference. Much LOVE!
27 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of preparation, a sense of purpose, as the stars of heaven, aura of love, Be not afraid of them, clap your hands, complaining, confidence, depart out of thy mouth, enthusiasm, evil, fake it till you make it, fall on deaf ears, fatherless, fight for your brethren, God executes judgement, God is thy praise, God loves the stranger, God shows no partiality, God takes no bribes, gospel truth, groaning, guiding light, hard ears pickney, have good success, hello there mih lovelies, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, invincible, its worky worky time, Jerusalem, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, lively up ourselves, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving kindness, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, moaning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nehemiah, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent god, opposition, overdoing it on the weekends, prosperity, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, remember the Lord, rise and shine, run our race, shining beacon, shout unto God, sincere prayer, slowly killing ourselves, spiritual armour, start from a position of strength, steadfast faith, success, the book of the law, the Lord is a great king over all the earth, the Lord most high is awesome, the Lord your God is God of gods, the voice of triumph, tired and miserable, trust, ungodly world, well intentioned pleas, where there is life there is hope, widow
Psalm 47:1-2. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.
Well hello there mih LOVELIES… its’ worky, worky time! (smile) I’m trying to tell us nicely that it’s Monday morning and we need to rise and shine and get ourselves ready to go back out to labour for massa’s pittance.
And please remember too that the tone we set for today, the attitude we go out with this morning, will most likely dictate our mental, emotional and physical state for the rest of the work week. For as the days increase, so will our enthusiasm and strength decrease. That’s why it’s always best to start out from a position of strength, rather than from one of weakness.
That’s why I also encourage us to use Sundays, the first day of the week, as a day of preparation for Monday, and thus be able to get back into the work flow as easily as possible.
Hn, hn! But all my well intentioned pleas just seem to fall on deaf ears. (smile) We’re still overdoing it on the weekends, and moaning and groaning and complaining come Monday morning.
Ah Friends, when will we learn eh? Soon, I hope, because we’re slowly killing ourselves when we get out there on Mondays, starting the way we should be ending; tired and miserable.
Anyway, let’s see if we can’t lively up ourselves some by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a strength and sense of purpose we don’t really feel, hoping that as we fake it, it will eventually become real. Or as they say; fake it, till you make it! (smile)
With one accord now, let’s all loudly and lustily declare: ‘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 my people, that rendition wasn’t really so hot nuh; too many hoarse, scratchy and out of tune voices, not enough enthusiasm, etc. etc. It had Jesus shaking His head, sighing and concernedly saying: ‘What’s to become of them eh? They just don’t learn! Is just a setta hard-ears pickney (stubborn, disobedient children)!’ (smile)
But Friends, as we all know, where there is life there certainly is hope, which means we can definitely improve. But until then, we just have to go out and do the work Jesus calls us to do, in whatever state or condition we find ourselves. And though He might not be too thrilled with us, He will surely enable us to do the work if we come to Him in sincere prayer.
That’s just the wonderful kind of Lord and Saviour He is! And that’s why He also deserves many glorious accolades from us, like the one highlighted in our Bit. ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth.’
And again my brethren, we can’t help but acknowledge that as gospel truth! No wonder then, when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and met fierce opposition from his enemies, he took this unassailable position in his omnipotent God.
‘And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible (awesome), and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ (Neh.4:14)
And Friends, they did just that, and rebuilt the wall in record time, something like 52 days! Yes my people, we have to invoke the help of our mighty and magnanimous God in ALL of our problems, if we truly desire to be victorious in them!
And as Moses so eloquently and truthfully exhorted the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. ‘Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked (stubborn, rebellious). For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward (the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality, nor takes a bribe).
He doth execute the judgement of the fatherless and widow, and LOVETH the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. LOVE ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave (hold fast), and swear by his name.
He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible (awesome) things, which thine eyes have seen. Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.’ (Deut. 10:16-22)
Now Friends, there’s simply no refuting any of that! So I implore us, let’s take it all to heart nuh, and diligently run our race of life with it as a guiding light, a shining beacon in this dark and troubled world. For it is only as we walk and talk sincerely with Almighty God that we will have true success and lasting prosperity! Much LOVE!
…this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…but thou shalt meditate therein day and night…that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein…for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous…and then thou shalt have good success… (Josh.1:8)
23 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prayer for help in old age, a successful Friday, all thanks and glory be unto God, all the chances in the world, awesome majesty, bear down to our task, beset by enemies, brought to shame, Bruh David, cast off, charge down to the finish line, Come and let us return unto the Lord, conform us to the likeness of Jesus, confounded, detract, don't let up now, drink the wine of astonishment, everlasting wisdom, faithfulness, give us help from trouble, God is the Boss, God shall tread down our enemies, God will work it all out for our good, God's goodness, God's LOVING-kindness, grab the bit in our teeth, grin and bear it, heal the breaches, homestretch, I will praise thee, I will rejoice, indisputable truths, learning, like a shining star, machinations of god, made the earth to tremble, pondering on god's Word, proclaim and live god's word, proclamation of faith, promise, Psalm, pursue the knowledge of God, puts us through our paces, raise us from the dead, reverential awe, righteousness., rough times, seek my hurt, serving and worshipping Jehovah God, shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth, shalt quicken me again, sounds like music to my ears, spoken in his holiness, staggering, talk of thy righteousness, the potter's wheel, the power to heal, them that fear thee, thou hast redeemed my soul, thou Holy one of Israel, thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, Though he slay me, threatened, through God we shall do valiantly, Thursday, triumph, trust, turn thyself to us again, undying faithfulness, vain is the help of man, victory, walk consitently with God, winning the race, wisdom, workweek race, yet will I trust him
Psalm 71:20. Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles, shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
And then it was Thursday!
Yes Friends, we’re now rounding the bend that leads into the homestretch of the workweek race! And we’re looking good too…with all the chances in the world of winning the race, so please don’t let up now, but rather let’s bear down to our task, grab the bit in our teeth and charge on down to the finish line, to a successful Friday!
Wow! What victory is possible through our great God!
Ah Friends, that bit of Horse Racing analogy surely sounds like music to my ears, since I’m no longer involved in that most august pursuit. (smile) Yes, the Lord in His everlasting wisdom saw it fit to take me out, so all I can do is grin and bear it.
I wasn’t making any money anyway, just losing more than I could afford. I guess He figured that it would detract me too much from learning and pondering on His Word and His Ways. And since He is the Boss, I had no choice but to follow His leading.
And though I miss it some, I must admit that the Lord in His goodness and LOVING-kindness and mercy has since fashioned my life in such a way that I am comfortable with it. All thanks and glory be unto Him!
And today we have an interesting Bit… Oh sorry, ALL of them ARE interesting, since they are taken from God’s Word! (smile) Our Bit is taken from Psalm 71 – A prayer for help in old age – the cry of an elderly man, apparently beset and threatened by his enemies.
‘Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles, shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.’
And those two statements, which seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, are indeed indisputable truths my people!
Our God does allow us to have rough times to stretch and conform us to the likeness of Jesus, but by the same token, He also brings us out of those troubles like a shining star, all cleaned up and ready to proclaim and live His Word with all faithfulness, and will also raise us from the dead when the time is right.
As per the first statement: ‘Thou, which hast showed me great and sore (severe) troubles…’ Bruh David addresses it in Psalm 60 – A prayer for help against the foe. He laments thus: ‘O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered (broken) us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again (restore us).
Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment (staggering).
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee (have a reverential awe for thee), that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That thy BELOVED may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.’ (Ps.60:1-5)
Truly hurting words my brethren! But then, like the elderly gentleman in our Bit, who is sure that the Lord ‘…shalt quicken (revive) me again, and shalt bring me up from the depths of the earth,’ Bruh David declares the certainty of being heard by the Lord and foresees in his petition, certain victory through the powerful machinations of the Lord his God.
‘God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete (measure out) the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength (helmet) of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.60:6-12)
Yes my fellow believers, though our God puts us through our paces on the potter’s wheel, we end up being beautiful works of art in His powerful craftsman’s hands!
As the psalmist continues after our Bit: ‘Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.’ (Ps.71:21)
Oh my brethren, what a great proclamation of faith and trust in Almighty God! I certainly hope we can all declare such a strong and faithful statement too.
Therefore, he declares: ‘I will also praise thee with the psaltery (lute or lyre), even thy truth (faithfulness), O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.’ (Ps.71:22-24)
Ah mih breddren, when we walk consistently with God over a fairly long period of time, we do see His awesome majesty and undying faithfulness! So though troubles may overwhelm us, yet we are sure that in the end He will work it all out for our good, because that’s His avowed intention and faithful promise to us.
And we’ll close with these memorable and moving words from Hosea – Israel’s reply to God’s admonition – that so eloquently describe the seeming dichotomy that exists in our God.
‘Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten (stricken), and he will bind (bandage) us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord (let us pursue the knowledge of God): his going forth is prepared (established) as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.’ (Hos.6:1-3)
Oh my people, there is no greater wisdom than that in all the earth! Please, let’s embrace it, and thus return to serving and worshipping Jehovah God, for it is Him, and Him alone that has the power to bind and heal us of all our sinful wounds! Much LOVE!
…though he slay me…yet will I trust in him… (Job 13:15A)
21 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, all things work together for good, anxiety, appealing to love in power, background, believe, believing, blessed, bounden duty, bring them to Jesus, buckle down, buoyed, calamity, Calvary, Christian, comfort, comforted, Corville Peters, eternal source of love, ever-faithful God, ever-LOVING God, everlasting guidance, evil, evil world, expected end, faith, faithfulness of our wonderful God, fear, foreground, forgiveness, friendliness, fulfilment, further God's glorious kingdom, God cares for us, God intereceding, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's mysterious moving, gospel truth, guidance, guided, have life more abundantly, healed, help, holy, holy spirit, hurting, hurts my heart, indisputable, Jamaican origin, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, joy, kindness, life haapens to even the best of us, Live at the Cross, living our lives to the full, LOVE, mercy, oh what a joy, omnipotent deity, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, peace, ponder, prayer, prayer is love in need, purpose, put our best foot forward, renew their lapsed committment, sacrificing His life, Scrip-Bit, search for me with all your heart, sinless, smile, stand strong and steadfast, sustenance, the affairs of my life, the called, the elect, the One and Only Living God, the strength, the thoughts that I think towards you, to them called according to His purpose, to them that love God, Top o' the morn, trust, try my best to live for Him, undeniable, watched, when you pray to me, wisdom, worry, you shall find me, you shall seek me
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for Good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well Friends, family, neighbours and strangers, top o’ this fine autumn Tuesday morn to all of you! And the question this morning is; are we living our lives to the full, is their sufficient joy and peace in our lives?
And if not, why not? Because that is one of the reasons our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave for coming to earth and sacrificing His holy and sinless life on our behalf; that we might have life, enjoy it more abundantly, without fear and worry and anxiety. (John 10:10)
And if we aren’t doing that, then something is seriously wrong somewhere in our lives. We need to investigate it and turn it around, sooner rather than later, so that we can get the full benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
And speaking of the cross, I heard a great line on the t.v. programme ‘At the Cross Live,’ last night that deals with prayer. And it says: ‘Prayer is LOVE in need, appealing to LOVE in power!’
Now isn’t that a wonderful definition? It certainly is! We, the folks of earthly LOVE, in need of sustenance and fulfillment down here, are appealing, are crying out to the eternal source of LOVE, our omnipotent Deity!
That brings me to a recent interesting happening in my life. Well every week I tape some religious programmes and watch them at my leisure. A couple months ago though, I suddenly saw this programme ‘At the Cross Live’ showing up as being recorded on my PVR.
Now I’d never even heard of the programme before, and so I queried myself as to what it was and how it came to be recorded? All of my immediate family members denied doing it, but Sunday after Sunday it showed up as being recorded. One day I finally decided to check it out…
And oh what a joy it’s been my people! It’s a late night, early Sunday morning Christian based talk show, or rather help line that comes on on one of the Christian t.v. channels. I don’t even know which one. (smile) A gentleman of Jamaican origin named Corville Peters hosts it, for two and a half hours from 1 to 3:30 a.m.
And Friends, what really grabs me about the programme is the sad state of some of the people who call in asking for help through prayer and guidance. Oh my fellow believers, there are innumerable numbers of our fellow man out there in this troubled world who are hurting in a terrible way!
Sometimes it just hearts my heart to hear the low, joyless, frustrated, painful lives they’re leading. And I must say that Corville does an excellent job of trying to comfort them and either bring them to Jesus for the first time, or renew their lapsed commitment to Him.
My point here people, is that if it wasn’t me, or any one of my family members who set the programme to record every Sunday morning – only for the first hour though – then it had to be the hand of our heavenly Father interceding in the affairs of my life, leading me to a programme that He desires me to watch!
That’s the only explanation I can come up with Friends. So how can I not believe eh, and with believing, try my best to live for Him? It just doesn’t make sense any other way.
So my fellow believers, I ask us all today, to please have faith, please stand strong and steadfast in the strength and LOVE and faithfulness of our wonderful God, because He does care for us, and is constantly moving in our lives in ways we might not understand, or even see.
But be assured that we are being closely watched, guided, blessed, comforted and healed by the ONE and ONLY LIVING GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And I know that those sort of seemingly unexplainable situations don’t only occur in my life, but in the lives of ALL believers! All of us have undergone moments of thought and ‘ponderation’ – I just like the word because it conveys a higher level of pondering (smile) – when certain unexplainable happenings happen in our lives.
That’s God, my brethren, our heavenly Father, moving in our lives in His usual mysterious manner, to put into effect His just as usual mysterious purpose, so that He can successfully work out the plan, the good plan, the good thoughts that He has towards us, as verified in Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.
Oh Friends, I might as well quote those scriptures and use one as our Bit, since I don’t have one as yet, and I’ve just been talking off the top of my head, (smile) allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Oh my people, that’s the beauty of writing this Scrip-Bit! Most days I don’t know where the Lord wants to lead me, but when the time comes for writing, He ALWAYS guides me to something or some place, though not always without some effort on my part! That’s why I can sincerely talk about faith, trust and hope in His everlasting guidance.
Anyway, enough of my prattling, here are the scripture passages, beginning with Jeremiah’s great proclamation and promise on behalf of our ever-faithful, ever-LOVING God.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer.29:11-13)
What wonderful promises my brethren! Promises on which we can stand steadfast and strong!
Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he corroborates Jeremiah’s promises to the early church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.28:8)
Yes Friends, that’s indisputable, undeniable, gospel truth!
Now here is an interesting explanation of that verse from the scholars. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
And yes my brethren, we are ‘the called, ‘the elect!’ So let’s go out into the unfriendly, evil world today, knowing that fact, being buoyed and encouraged by it, and thus putting our best foot forward, by showing friendliness, kindness, LOVE, joy, peace, mercy and forgiveness, to further God’s great and glorious kingdom!
That’s not only true wisdom, but also our bounden duty. So let’s buckle down and do it nuh! Much LOVE!
…if we sit and ponder for a moment…we’ll certainly see many instances of God moving in our lives…both in the background and foreground…
P.S. It’s late…and long… and I think certainly worthwhile… but life happens to even the best of us. (smile) Much LOVE!
20 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, aura of love, be wise, blessings, consider her ways, Cousin Sol, discipline, enthusiasm, evil, faith, glorious kingdom, go the ant thou sluggard, gospel truth, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, keeping lives and families together, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, rejuvenation of spirit, sluggard, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, trust, ungodly world, wisdom
Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
Awright Friends, it’s Monday once again, time to get up and get ready to go out and labour! No extra day off for some of us this week. (smile) We have to put in a full five day work week, so let’s be up and at them. The battle is waiting to be joined; you can hear the trumpet calling us on.
Our fearless leader, Jesus Christ is already out there on the battle field reconnoitring the situation, sitting astride His snorting and prancing white steed, who is also aching and impatient to get into battle. So what are we waiting for eh? If we had made proper preparations yesterday, we wouldn’t be in such a muddle today. Therefore, without further ado, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty verve and zest.
As one great soulful choir 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 show my brethren, Jesus was pleased! And now that our motors have been jump started and the adrenalin is fuelling our bodies, let’s get out on to the battlefield and fight the good fight behind Jesus, because our leader does just that; He leads. He is always in the forefront of the fray, not behind! That ought to give us added incentive to ratchet up our efforts.
And all of that dovetails rather nicely with our Bit; Cousin Sol’s warning against idleness and falsehood. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.’
No doubt mih people, some of us are wondering what the dickens Cousin Sol is talking about? What in heaven’s name can we learn from the lowly ant?
Well here is what God’s supposed greatest creation can learn from one of His lowliest. (The ant) ‘Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (grain or bread) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov.6:7-8)
Ah mih breddren, if only many of us could be that disciplined! That includes many of our leaders too. But discipline in this day and age seems to be a foreign and forgotten thing, just like Jehovah God is to many of us.
And Cousin Sol continues the discourse: ‘How long wilt thou sleep (lie down, be idle), O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov.6:9-11)
Those are words of awesome truth my Friends, especially in these sad times when laziness, lack of discipline and a sedentary lifestyle are glorified!
And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘6:6-11. The sluggard is the habitually lazy person. He is admonished to learn two important lessons from the ant: (1) the ant has no guide, overseer, or ruler (v7), meaning that the ant does not have a taskmaster standing over it to make it work; it is a self-starter. (2) The ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances (v8).
Two questions about sleep are posed to the sluggard (v9). His answer is given in verse 10: “Just a little bit more sleep!” The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and decisively as a robber (v11).’
Unfortunately my fellow believers, in this fallen and very distressed world, we are seeing these sorry traits of sloth, lethargy and idleness way too much, especially amongst our youth, the very future of our world. Obviously that doesn’t bode very well for our future world.
But therein lies another sad tale. The youth of today cannot be totally blamed for their lack of discipline and positive action, since we, the parents never taught them the necessary lessons of being productive and self-sufficient, never instilled the work ethic in them.
And although some are seriously trying their best to be disciplined and productive, there are definitely not enough jobs for them in the current confused and troubled world milieu of poverty, hunger, homelessness, economic deprivation, and above all, no interaction with Jesus Christ. So some, too many, turn to crime, while others just waste away without hope.
Oh my people, for one reason or another, we have shortchanged our children, not done as good a job as we ought to have with them. We have allowed the world to raise them, thus their habits now are overwhelmingly worldly. But my brethren it is not too late! It never is too late where Jesus is involved!
So let’s smarten up and do our best from here on in for them nuh. Let’s try and take our parenting duties more seriously than we’ve done in the recent past, starting with bringing our young people to the wonderful knowledge and awesome LOVE of Jesus, and providing positive support for them, so that they can improve their morally and financially impoverished lives.
That’s not only the wisdom of heaven, but more importantly, our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…regardless of how abysmal a situation appears….it’s never ever too late to bring Jesus into the picture…
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