21 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that hope in the Lord, almighty god, aura of love, battle armour, battle formation, be of good courage, belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, come to save that which was lost, compassion, condemn the world, confidence, enthusiasm, expectant faith, expectations of victory, faith, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, good news, grace, he shall strengthen thine heart, helmet of salvation, holy spirit, humble servants, hungry hope, I came not to judge the world, in the land of the living, invincible, Jesus came to save the world, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, Love the Lord all his saints, mercy, our fearless Leader, peace, people of god, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, shield of faith, shoes, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife-filled world, sword of the Spirit, taunts, the call to arms, the goodness of the Lord, the halls of heaven, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord preserves the faithful, the Lord rewards the proud doer, the Lord's power, the Son of man, the trumpet's sounding, trust, truth, ungodly world, wait on the Lord, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 31:24. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Arise O people of God and put on your battle armour! Don’t you hear the trumpet sounding the call to arms? It’s Monday morning and there’s no time to waste, for the enemy is already lined up in battle formation and our fearless Leader, Jesus Christ is also out at the front surveying and reconnoitring the situation.
So get thee up and about, arm thyself with helmet, breastplate, belt, shoes, shield and sword, and having asked protection of heaven, join in the fray with enthusiasm, strength, wisdom and expectations of victory!
Yes Friends, it’s our favourite day Monday; the one we LOVE to hate, but one that we need to put to good use, if we want the rest of the week to go smoothly. That’s because Monday takes its cue from Sunday, and the remainder of the week from Monday.
Have you ever noticed that when you have a rough Monday, the rest of the week usually goes the same way? That’s why I keep on encouraging us to come out strong and vibrant, just rearing to go on Mondays.
Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with zest, urgency and sense of purpose. As one harmonious 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!’
Oh Friends, that rendition wasn’t bad at all! You could see traces of a smile forming on Jesus, our choirmaster’s face, but nowhere good enough for a standing ‘O’ from the halls of heaven. (smile) Anyway we’ve gotten the message, our adrenalin is running, so let’s get out in the evil, deceitful and strife-filled world and spread some LOVE and cheer, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and good news, Jesus style nuh.
And to help us do that with strong faith and sincere trust, listen to the encouraging and uplifting words of our Bit from the pen of Bruh David. ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.’
Yes my fellow believers, when we come to the Lord with hungry hope and expectant faith, He will strengthen us and give us the wherewithal to do His will. So be not afraid to get out there and face the heathen, once you are dressed in your spiritual armour, backed up by prayer and the Lord’s power is running through your veins.
Now let’s back that up with earlier testimony from Bruh David in Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Yes my brethren, if we don’t expect to see and receive God’s goodness and blessings down here on Mother Earth, then we might as well be dead. But when we expect the Lord’s grace and mercy to flow down on us, then in faith and with patience, we wait for it. He has promised to bless us if we are obedient to His Word, and we all know that He is faithful to keep his promises. So there’s no need to worry once we’re doing our best to follow His leading and guiding.
And this can all be reinforced by the words of Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’ (Is.25:9) And yuh know Friends, that is exactly what happened. The Father sent the Son, Jesus Christ to save us, to be our salvation… Oh glory to God!
Listen to Jesus talk about His role. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And again: ‘For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ (Luke 9:56) Then: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And finally: ‘And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.’ (John 12:47)
Oh my people, Jesus couldn’t be any clearer about His main purpose in coming to earth…to save its inhabitants. He laid it all on the line for us, including His sinless life, so I don’t know what else we expect from Him. He threw down the gauntlet to us, now it only remains to see if we have the parts and the wisdom to accept the challenge. Only time and time alone will tell! Much LOVE!
…O LOVE the Lord…all ye his saints…for the Lord preserveth the faithful…and plentifully rewardeth (fully repays) the proud doer… (Ps.31:23)
20 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life for his friends, a new perspective on life, all things are become new, ambassadors of Christ, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, be ye angry and sin not, become more like Jesus, butterfly, caterpillar, celebration, Christ walked His talk, compassionate, deceitful lusts, disobedient, encouragement, every tongue declare that Christ is Lord indeed, except a man be born again, forgiving, freedom of choice, friends, godly character, grab the bull by the horns, greater love hath no man, he cannot see the kingdom of God, he is a new creature, if any man be in Christ, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, let not the sun go down on your wrath, Lord of Lords, loving, madness, merciful, old things are passed away, Pharisees, praise, put away lying, rebellious nature, refusing to believe, renounce our sins, reviling, righteousness., saviour jesus christ, seeking the things of God, sinful, speak every man truth, stupidity, Sunday, thanksgiving, the be all and end all, the ungodly things of the world, to whom every knee must bow, truth, ungodly traits, upliftment, we are members one of another, worship, you are my friends if you obey my commands
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.
Well Friends, that wonderful day called Sunday has rolled around once more. And we all know what that means; joyful praise and worship, thanksgiving and celebration, encouragement and upliftment in God’s sanctuary, for all those who believe in His glorious Son Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom every knee must bow and every tongue declare that He is the Sovereign Lord indeed!
Oh Glory to God my people, for such a wonderful champion! There’s none else as mighty, as LOVING, as forgiving, merciful and compassionate as Him!
Those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ need to have their heads, hearts and souls thoroughly examined for stupidity and/or madness because He is the be all and end all to every human being. There’s nothing we can ever want that won’t be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Unfortunately though, the Father gave human beings the freedom of choice; the freedom to believe or not to believe in His Son, and with our naturally sinful, disobedient, prideful and rebellious nature, a whole host of humans are foolishly reviling and refusing to believe and put their trust in Him.
Thank God we are not amongst that ignorant lot my brethren! We believe…and will keep on believing until the very end, because He walked His talk: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 15:13-14)
Then He went out and showed His great LOVE for us by sacrificing His holy and sinless life on the cross at Calvary, so that we could have salvation and eternal life. Now to prove that we are indeed His friends, we need to do what He’s commanded, otherwise we’re no friends of His. As simple as that.
Now here’s an interesting quote from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. It says: ‘How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.’
When I read that a few days ago, it brought a chuckle to my soul and I knew that at some time I’d have to share it. But it does make a whole lot of sense. To become a butterfly you must stop being a caterpillar, and if you want to fly so badly, the only way to do that is to stop being a caterpillar.
And the good thing about that statement my people, is that it applies to almost everything in our lives. If we want to be one thing, we need to stop being something else. We simply cannot be two things at once. And becoming something else is very seldom easy as the lowly caterpillar and many of us can attest to.
And it’s very applicable to our becoming believers in Christ, as our Bit informs us. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.’
That’s indisputable truth my people! To be a true believer in Christ, we must stop crawling through the ungodly things of this world, shed that old caterpillar skin and soar like a brand newborn butterfly into things of heaven!
Please note what Jesus told Nicodemus when he inquired about salvation. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)
So like the caterpillar that goes through a metamorphosis, a significant change to become a butterfly, so too we humans have to go through a significant change to become a true believer in Christ.
Now it’s not an easy task, especially with all the evil and ungodly bombardments we experience in this world. But with God’s help it can be accomplished, and believe me friends, it’s very worthwhile and rewarding. When we are born again, we develop an entirely new perspective about life, about living for Christ.
Listen to how Bruh Paul talked about the new life in Christ to the Ephesians. ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:22-24)
Yes my brethren, as new born believers in Christ we need to renounce our old worldly ways and sins, constantly being changed to become more like Christ every day, seeking the things that are God, and seeing the world from His viewpoint. All of that helps us to develop a new and godly character, so that we can walk in righteousness and truth.
As Bruh Paul continues to the Ephesian’s. ‘Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:25-27)
Yes Friends, those are just a few of the things that we need to cut out from our old behaviour, and replace them with their opposite and godly behaviour. And there are many more characteristics of daily living that Bruh Paul advises us to change, which I won’t go through in detail, but you can read for yourself in Ephesians 4:28-32.
So my brethren, now that we are new creatures, new creations in Christ, let’s act and look the part nuh. We can’t afford to be exhibiting the same ungodly traits and characteristics we showed before we were born again, otherwise we’d be considered hypocritical, like the Pharisees of old, and give Christ a bad name and a less than stellar reputation.
And we surely don’t want to do that, so let’s grab the bull by the horns, get ourselves together, so that we can be good ambassadors for Christ. That’s everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to truly live for Christ…means throwing out the old ways of the world…and bringing in the new ways of heaven…
14 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a meaningful relationship with Jesus, adulterous situation, aura of love, Bathsheba, broad is the way that leads to destruction, Bruh David, by their fruits you shall know them, confidence, conquerors, consequences for disobedience, create in me a clean heart, Creator of the universe, depart from me, doeth the will of my Father, enter into the kingdom of heaven, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, evil fruit, false prophets, few are chosen, followers of Jesus, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, good fruit, good news of Christ's gospel, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, jesus army, Jesus Christ, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, many are called, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nathan, new workweek, obedience, of the abundance of the heart, rejuvenation of spirit, renew a right spirit within me, renewed vitality, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, slackness, spiel, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the evil things of the world, the first shall be last, the followers of Jesus, the good treasure of his heart, the last shall be first, the Light, the mark of a faithful soldier, the mouth speaks, the narrow gate, the powers of evil, the Way, true repentance, truth, ungodly world, unpreparedness, wiles, wolves in sheep's clothing, workers of iniquity, worthwhile inroads
Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Come on my people, it’s Monday morning, the start of a brand new workweek, so let’s get up and get going! Time to join the battle against the infidel, and our Leader and Saviour Jesus Christ is already at the front waiting on us. So please let’s not keep Him waiting any longer than is necessary.
And if you’re tired, lazy and out of sorts this Monday morning, it’s your own fault. You knew that the battle would be joined early o’clock, but you just didn’t prepare yourself properly.
Now that’s definitely not the mark of any good and faithful soldier, much less one of Jesus’ army, fighting the most important fight in the universe against the powers of evil and darkness. That sort of slackness, of unpreparedness is definitely not becoming, and will not be tolerated amongst the followers of Jesus.
And now that I’ve railed at us, given us the management spiel, (smile) let’s see if we can do something about our tardiness and lack of enthusiasm by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty zest.
As one harmonious 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!’
Oh Friends, that wasn’t bad, but we’ve surely done better. And though our choirmaster, Jesus, wasn’t displeased, He would have appreciated a much better showing. So to make up for that, let’s get out there and rail against the enemy, bombard them with the good news of the gospel of Jesus and thus enable them to see the true Light and the only Way to salvation and eternal life.
And remember what we were talking about yesterday? Re Jesus’ warnings about false prophets and entering through the narrow gate, and by their fruits you shall know them? Well today we’ll continue with that topic, headed by the same Bit. ‘Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’
Yes Friends, that’s ever so true; by their fruits we shall know the good and true ones from the corrupt and evil wolves masquerading in sheep’s clothing.
As Luke so nicely puts it: ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ (Luke 6:45) Oh my people, what indisputable truth!
So my brethren it will be definitely in our best interest if we plead to the Lord, like Bruh David did when Nathan castigated him for his adulterous ad murderous liaison with Bathsheba. ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:10)
And we should also pay particular attention to Jesus’ words after the Bit. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’ (Matt.7:21-23)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, please remember the broad way that leads to destruction, and the narrow gate that opens unto the difficult road to heaven, which only a few find. (Matt.7:13-14)
Now listen to the scholars. ‘7:21-23. Not everyone professing Christ is genuinely saved. Even the outward verbal acknowledgement of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith. A genuinely saved person is one that doeth the will of my Father, the Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.’
I can’t put it any clearer and truer than that my brethren. If we want to enjoy salvation and eternal life with Jesus, then we have to make the sacrifice, forsake the evil things of this world and be obedient to His will, just like He was obedient to the Father’s will and sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us.
In the long run Friends, it all boils down to an individual decision to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus or not. Just remember that there are always consequences for disobedience. Much LOVE!
…so the last shall be first…and the first last…for many are called…but few are chosen… (Matt.20:16)
12 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a guide book to earthly life, against spiritual wickedness in high places, anxious, appreciative, bringing into captivity every thought, calamity, Casting down imaginations, Christians, disobedience, eagerness, economic downturn, exalted above God, fearful, forgiveness, God's blessings, God's promised never to leave nor forsake us, grace, greed, holy character, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Jesus Christ, joyful, lack for nothing, LOVE, mercy, moral conduct, mouth scriptures, negative, negative circumstances, obedience to God's word, our Lord and Saviour, our weapons of warfare are not carnal, peace, powers, praying always, principalities, righteousness., spiritual warfare, stand strong and faithful, take the fight to the devil, the breastplate of righteousness, the Good Book, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the knowledge of god, the pulling down of strongholds, the righteousness of God, the rulers of darkness, the saints, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the whole armour of God, theoretical tome, this is the day the Lord has made, though we walk in the flesh, time with God in prayer, to the obedience of Christ, truth, warfare, we do not war after the flesh, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, willingness
Ephesians 6:12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.
Greetings mih breddren! All the saints greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, and wish you a most blessed day! A day where all your needs are met by our heavenly Father, where peace, LOVE, forgiveness, mercy and grace reign supreme in your household. And as such you can sincerely say: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we (my whole household and I) will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Oh Friends, if only the majority of Christians would sincerely declare that statement, then actually rejoice and be glad during the day, what a wonderful world this would truly be. But unfortunately, a lot of us just mouth these scriptures and don’t actually put them into practice. How can we call down God’s blessings if we are not joyful and appreciative of them eh?
And sadly, with the disastrous state of warfare, greed and economic downturn in our current world, more and more people, including Christians, are becoming negative, fearful and anxious, just waiting for calamity to hit.
But Friends, with Jesus as our guide and leader we ought not to fear what the world can do, or what happens therein. For Jesus promised never to leave nor forsake us, as well as if our first priority is seeking the righteousness of God, then all that we need will be provided.
We might not get an abundance of earthly riches, but we will certainly lack for nothing that’s necessary. So this Saturday morning, as we spend some quiet time with God in prayer, let’s ask Him to show us how to be joyful and appreciative of all that He’s done for us nuh, and how to stand strong and faithful despite any negative circumstances that may be overwhelming us.
I know it’s not easy to do, but with the help of Almighty God, we believers can most certainly do it. Remember this other scripture that we all mouth. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13)
Well let’s truly believe it nuh, and allow God to help us put into practice. The Good Book is not just a theoretical tome yuh know, but a very practical and applicable guide book to earthly life. Let’s begin using it as such nuh, because that’s the only way we will ever get its full benefits.
And all of that ties into our Bit rather nicely. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ Yes my fellow believers, a lot of the fear and anxiety and negative emotions we experience stem from the actions of the evil one and his disgusting cronies.
Note Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians in his second letter. ‘For though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
Casting down imaginations (arguments) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having in a readiness to revenge (punish) all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.’ (2 Cor.10:3- 6)
Yes Friends, we fight the spiritual warfare by destroying all the arguments, anything that we think or is brought to us which tends to be exalted above Jehovah God, and then making sure that all our thoughts are in obedience to God’s word, and not that of the world. And we obviously cannot do that in our own strength. The only way for us to protect ourselves from the barbs of the enemy is by putting on the whole armour of God. And we promised to delve into that armour a bit more, so here goes.
The scholars explain: ‘14-17. The whole armour of God consists of six pieces. (1) Truth (v.14a) is a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word (cf.4:21). The ancient soldier’s loins (waist) were girt about with a leather belt which held most of the other pieces of his armour in place. Similarly, the other pieces of the Christian’s armour depend on, and are held in place by his spiritual “belt” or his knowledge of the “truth” of Scripture.
(2) The breastplate of righteousness (v.14b) may be read, “the breastplate which is righteousness.” It represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the “truth” known produces a godly life (“righteousness”)
(3) Preparation of the gospel of peace (v.15) means “eagerness that comes from the gospel of peace.” That is, as the Roman soldier wore special shoes called ‘caligae’ on his feet, enabling him to advance against his enemy, so the Christian must have on his feet (possess) a sense of “eagerness” or willingness” to advance against the Devil and take the fight to him.
Such “eagerness” to contend with Satan “comes from the gospel of peace.” The gospel gives peace to the believer, freeing him from anxiety though he advances against such a powerful opponent.
(4) The shield of (which is) faith (v.16) means taking God at His word by believing His promises. Such trust will protect one from doubts induced by Satan. (5) The helmet of salvation (v.17a): Since the readers are already Christians (2:8), they are not here urged to be saved. First Thessalonians 5:8 describes the helmet as “the hope of salvation” that is the certainty (assurance) of salvation.
(6) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v.17b): The Greek term rendered “word” is not ‘logos’, referring to the whole Word of God, but ‘rhema’, referring to certain portions or selected verses of Scripture.’
Oh Friends, I do hope that that brings greater understanding of the armour of God, and also gives us a strong foundation to build upon. However, there is one postscript to all that, ‘Praying always…’ (v.18) for without prayer my people, the armour of God is not fail-safe.
As the scholars say: ‘Without prayer God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable.’ Please remember that. So until we meet tomorrow, God willing, let’s all make sure we are totally dressed in God’s armour at all times nuh… And keep praying, for that is heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…to wage successful spiritual warfare against Lucifer…one must always be dressed from head to toe in God’s armour… accompanied by the awesome power of prayer…
10 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sense of urgency, against powers, ambassadors of Christ, battle of wits and wills, be strong in the Lord, Bruh Paul, but against principalities, cease-fire, cessation of hostilities, chaos, Christians, dark and desperate world, death, deceit, demonic onslaughts, demons, destruction, Easter morn, Ephesians, fallen angels, fear not, fighting a losing battle, flesh and blood, formidable foe, get a foothold in our souls, God's protective armour, God's provision.Christian witness, hand to hand combat, having done all, immediate action, in high places, Jesus conquered hell death and the grave, lies, Lucifer, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, put on the whole armour of God, resist the enemy, resisting Satan, rose triumphant, ruthless and wicked, Satanic assaults, spiritual battle, spiritual wickedness, stand against the wiles of the devil, stand up strong, the armour of God, the brilliant light of jesus, the evil one, the Good Book, the nature of spiritual warfare, the powers of darkness, the rulers of the power of darkness, the Son of God, the spiritual light of the world, to stand, truce, truth, warning, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.
Welcome to a terrific Thursday my brethren! The sun is shining brightly, though it’s still a tad cool in my area. And don’t even talk about the Son, the spiritual light of the world, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…Oh my people, His light is just a-blazing! It’s so brilliant that if you aren’t careful, it will blind you! (smile)
But such is the amazing and awesome characteristic of the Son of God! And do we ever need the brilliant light of Jesus to shine in this dark and desperate world of ours Friends, because the powers of darkness are ramping up their activities to try and drive the Lord out.
But fear not Friends, they are fighting a losing battle, since our Redeemer has already conquered death, hell and the grave. When He rose triumphant on that Easter morn, all hold that death held over us was simply blown away. But the problem is that we have to sincerely believe that and consequently fight the powers of darkness with all our might.
Remember, if we let them into our souls at all, they will only cause chaos, destruction and death. And they will do anything at all to get a foothold in our souls; from simple lies to complex deceit. So we have to be very careful when we come into contact with them or their representatives.
For just like we are ambassadors of Christ, the evil one also has his ambassadors, and they are just as ruthless and wicked as him, taking no prisoners, destroying everything that’s godly in their path.
No wonder Bruh Paul in his message to the Ephesians, seriously warned them. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (deceptive schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:10-11)
And my people that warning is still viable today, possibly more so, since the devil has grown stronger and more devious, deceitful and wicked over the years. Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars on those verses.
‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given: no cease-fire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on” till the end there is all-out war.
The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.’ Yes Friends, we are involved in a spiritual battle right to the end times.
‘6:11. Put on (Greek ingressive aorist imperative) denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”): Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
But why do we need the armour of God? Because as our Bit informs us: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ Yes my people, we need God’s armour because we’re not in a fleshly but spiritual battle.
‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand to hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary. Instead she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world-rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
Oh my fellow believers, from all of that we can obviously see that we’re in a serious spiritual battle of wits and wills with an enemy who is not going to easily give up, even though he knows that his defeat is imminent.
‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
Yes Friends in our own power we are helpless, we cannot withstand the forces of evil, that’s why we need to put on God’s protective armour, which enables us to stand; to stand up strong against the enemy.
Hear this from the scholars. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry.
The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan, Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Oh my people, those are words of indisputable truth, so please, let’s take them to heart and do what the Good Book says, that is if we want to resist the evil one and his evil cronies. The decision is up to each individual. Let’s hope we all make the right one. Much LOVE!
…it is not wise to go into any kind of battle… without good protective armour…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I just got up late and was a tad under the weather. Sister K, hope this epistle is short enough for you. (smile) Much LOVE!
09 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful ambassador brings health, a wicked messenger falls into trouble, above reproach, ambassador in bonds, ambassadorial position, as though God did beseech you by us, be in the world, be not conformed to this world, be ye reconciled to God, be ye transformed, bounden duty, by the renewing of your mind, caught up in the world, children of God, Christians, confer with God, convert the heathen, earthly riches, edifying, encouraging, eternal life, faithful messengers of Christ, glory hallelujah, God's Word, guided by the Holy Spirit, he refresheth the soul of his masters, heavenly wisdom, hidden truth of the gospel, I am halfway home, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, imbued with Christ's Spirit, in Christ's stead, keep moving right along, keep them from the evil(one), material wealth, minister on Christ's behalf, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not a part of the world, open my mouth boldly, our earthly purpose and duty, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, perseverance, prayer, prayer is indispensable, praying always, praying for each other, praying for the saints, putting on the armour of God, salvation, sincerity, steadfastly focused on Jesus, supplication, thank God, the breath of life, the church at Ephesus, the good news of the gospel, the mystery of the gospel, the perfect will of God, the representative of one country to another, the righteousness of God, the values and systems of the world, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, ungodly and unrighteous activities, uplifting, we are ambassadors for Christ, we pray you, Wednesday Wail, well versed in the things of God
2 Corinthians 5:20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you, in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.
Well Friends, it looks like it’s going to be a warm, wet and windy Wednesday in my area. The wet has not begun as yet, but the skies are dark and the wind is getting itself together. (smile)
However, as children of God, we just have to keep moving right along as best we can. And to encourage us, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail nuh, with all sincerity and truth.
As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And so it should be my brethren! Our eyes ought to be steadfastly focused on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and not on the world and the evil involved thereof! For as Jesus prayed the Father when His time was nigh, re His disciples and eventually us: ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one).’ (John 17:16)
Yes Friends, Jesus wanted us to be in the world, but not be a part of the world, so that we could minister to the evil world around us. Unfortunately though, too many of us believers have been caught up in the world and all its ungodly and unrighteous activities, like steadfastly seeking its material wealth and riches, instead of the righteousness of the kingdom of God.
Oh my people, we need to remember that we’ve been placed here to convert the heathen, not to be converted by them. And our Bit so clearly reminds us of our earthly purpose and duty. ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you, in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’
Yes my brethren, we have been charged with the most worthy job of being an ambassador for Christ here on earth, and that post, like any other earthly ambassadorial position, carries very significant and important duties.
Now an ambassador is the representative of one country to another, and as such there are certain rules he must follow very closely. The first thing an ambassador of an earthly state does, is confer with his boss about his role and responsibility, what he can and cannot do, both pertaining to the rules and regulations of his country as well as that of the one to which he is been posted.
And as ambassadors of Christ, we believers need to do the same thing, confer with our leader, God Almighty, through prayer, His Word and consultation with fellow Christians. Before we can begin our ambassadorial jobs we need to know what we can and cannot do.
That means we need to be well versed in the things of God, so that we can go out into the evil, ungodly world and minister on Christ’s behalf, take His wonderful message, the good news of the gospel, of salvation and eternal life to the unbelievers. And we can only do that properly if we stay focused on, and in close communication with our heavenly Father, be led and guided by His Holy Spirit.
The same way an earthly ambassador needs to be above reproach while living in another country, so we ambassadors of Christ also need to be above reproach in this tumultuous world. Note too, praying for each other is a very important part of our work.
As Bruh Paul told the Ephesians re putting on the armour of God: ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery (hidden truth) of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds (chains): that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.’ (Eph.6:18-20)
Yes Friends, prayer is always necessary. In fact it’s indispensable in a believer’s life. Even the wonderful and protective armour of God is useless if prayer doesn’t accompany it. We see Bruh Paul imploring the church at Ephesus to pray for him, even though he was greatly imbued with Christ’s Spirit, that he might boldly and confidently speak the truth of Christ to the heathen.
And if Bruh Paul needed prayer to help him perform his duties, how much more do we need it eh? Ah mih breddren, that is what fellowship is about; edifying, uplifting, encouraging and praying for the saints of Jesus, so that we can do our job with excellence and thus glorify God here on earth.
Now let’s look at a few scriptures that enlighten us re our ambassadorial role in Christ Jesus. First up are Cousin Sol’s wise words from Proverbs. ‘A wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble): but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health.’ (Prov.13:17) And we all know that that’s no lie, as we see and read everyday in this confused and evil world.
And Bruh Paul told the church at Rome in no uncertain manner. ‘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 Friends, we are to seriously and sincerely resist becoming like the world, adopting its values and systems, and continually seek and search for the will of God, so that we can be worthwhile ambassadors in His name.
And we’ll close with more words of godly wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters.’ (Prov.25:13)
Oh my people, my people, doesn’t that speak volumes to us? It ought to. That’s why today I’m imploring us to do whatever it takes to be faithful messengers of Christ, so that we can refresh His soul, put a smile on His face, and warm the cockles of His sacrificial heart. That’s not only heavenly wisdom, but also our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…to represent Jesus properly…we need to know Him intimately…
07 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prowling wolf, a scarcity of jobs, after one time is two, and were scattered abroad, anger, angst, as sheep having no shepherd, aura of love, because they fainted, Beelzebub, but the labourers are few, calamity, captains of industry, celebration mode, Christians, compassionate hearts, confidence, conquerors, corruption, Creator of the universe, crime, dissatisfaction, drunk or sober mind your business, Eastern Parkway, Election Day, energy, enthusiasm, faith, friends, glorify God's name, godliness, Granny's spiel, guidance, help, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus was moved with compassion, jobs, Labour Day, lies, LOVE, make a difference, memories, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Oh Lord God Almighty, pray the Lord of the harvest, prosperity, rebellion, refugees, rejuvenation of spirit, remuneration, renewed vitality, responsible government, rest, serve a useful purpose, societal obligations, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strife, taunts, the bottom line, the harvest truly is plenteous, the Holy Spirit, then saith Jesus to his disciples, trust, truth, ungodly world, wars, watered down, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 9:37. Then saith he (Jesus) unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.
Aye Friends, as they say, after one time is two yes…and sometimes even three. (smile) What brought up that saying is my not remembering that today is Labour Day and thus a long weekend. That means I also forgot to give you Granny’s spiel about; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober please mind your business.’ (smile)
Ah mih people, life and times certainly do change yes, as in my earlier years I never forgot two seminal days, Caribana Saturday and Labour Day. But I guess as my physical self deteriorated and I was no longer able to participate as physically as I would like, I just stopped paying any attention to them.
At one stage every Labour Day I would be in New York, checking out the Pan Competition with my Uncle John and Auntie Anne, and trawling the Eastern Parkway from top to bottom, but no longer, those days are simply memories, good ones.
In any case the festivals are not as good as they used to be. Everything is now watered down; the costumes and the music are mere shadows of their earlier years. However, please be careful as you ramp up the celebrations this Labour Day weekend, and remember Granny’s wonderful advice.
And to make matters even more interesting, today is also Election Day in T&T. I wonder how many people have left to go to New York for Labour Day, instead of staying and fulfilling their societal obligations? Whatever happens though, I just hope that we elect a responsible government, because it’s time to cut out all the crime and corruption and get our beautiful twin islands back to a state of godliness and thus prosperity.
Now, to help those who have to go to work on this Labour Day, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much energy and enthusiasm.
As one 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!’
Oh Friends, that was truly energetic and enthusiastic but somewhat hoarse and scratchy, like an old vinyl record on a turntable. I guess many of you have been into celebration mode long ago, and your voices were the loudest because you don’t have to work today. But just remember to be careful, because Beelzebub is out there prowling like a hungry wolf amongst a flock of sheep, just waiting for one of us to go astray, so that he can pounce on us. And we definitely can’t allow that to happen.
And isn’t it upsetting, disturbing and disappointing that on this Labour Day of 2015 there is a dearth of labour for the many labourers? It brings to mind our Bit. ‘Then saith he (Jesus) unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.’ Only now the tables are turned; the harvest is scanty and the labourers are plentiful.
Yes Friends there is indeed a scarcity of jobs for an extremely large labour force. Even people with higher education have to take menial jobs for which they are over qualified. And the sad fact is that the captains of industry don’t care about the social cost of joblessness to the society, they are only interested in the bottom line and their fat, undeserved remuneration, with golden and platinum parachutes et al.
There is no reason in God’s world why a captain of industry should be making three to four hundred times that of a lowly shop floor worker. But unfortunately that is today’s norm. And when they want to cut costs, the first place they cut is the workforce. Ah Lord eh!
And they wonder why there is so much dissatisfaction and angst, anger and rebellion across the whole world. And then the seething strife and numerous wars that are currently dominating the earth don’t help matters either, for they just cause more unnecessary calamity and provoke refugee situations like we’re now experiencing.
But what annoys me most about the situation is that everybody is so concerned about finding somewhere for the refugees to go, when the best solution would be to end the strife and war in the countries from which they are fleeing. That’s where our efforts should be concentrated so there would not be such a big influx of refugees.
Anyway Friends, that’s just my humble take on the situation, which brings us back to our Bit. Before Jesus said it, the Good Book tells us: ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’ (Matt.9:36)
And sadly, that is exactly what’s happening in our world today, both with the refugee situation as well as in many countries, third and also first world. And it certainly seems that we Christians are the only ones who have the compassionate hearts to help stem the roaring tide of ‘sufferation.’ That’s why we need to do as Jesus says afterward. ‘Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.’ (Matt.9:38)
Yes Friends, the only way that we comparatively few Christians can make a substantial difference in this troubled and severely hurting world, is with the Lord’s august help. So please, let’s sincerely pray for His help and guidance and wisdom to enable us to make a worthwhile difference and thus glorify His Holy Name. Much LOVE!
…how can men eat…support their families…if they can’t get work eh…
02 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a day begun with Jesus, a godly life, a good name is better than precious ointment, a good name is to be chosen above riches, a good report makes the bones fat, a good reputation, a shout of thanks, a shout out to Jesus, Advocate, Alpha and Omega, bawling, born again, conflict, earthly riches, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, excellence, faith, forgiveness, fruits of the Spirit, glory, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godly principles, good character, halfway home, head holding, high priest, holy spirit, hope, human nature, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, in heaven alongside Jesus, in our own strength, integrity, jehovah god, Jesus christ is Lord, joy, kindness, King of Kings, Lord and Saviour, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving favour rather than silver or gold, material things, meekness, merciful God, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no beating about the bush, praise, prince of peace, seek God's favour, self-control, stay focused on God, stress, the breath of life, the day of death, the day of one's birth, the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart, the obits, the straight and narrow path, the vicissitudes of life, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, worries
Proverbs 22:1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.
Aye Friends, it’s wailing Wednesday! So let us wail nuh. (smile) ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes my people, it’s simple, straightforward and to the point! No beating about the bush! If it’s a day for wailing, then why not wail from the very beginning eh?
But you know something else my brethren? A li’l wail, a li’l shout out to Jesus when you wake up in the morning to face a brand new day, is the best way to begin it.
Why? Because it causes you to be more focused, filled with more joy, more LOVE, faith, hope, kindness, forgiveness and mercy…more of the fruits of the spirit, like meekness and self-control. And those of you who practice it, know that I am telling the truth.
Oh my fellow believers, as well as you unbelievers, believe me, a day begun with Jesus WILL outshine any that’s not begun with Him, where He is not the focus of our minds, body and souls! So please, let’s pledge that from here on in, every morning that we arise and don’t see our name in the obits, that we’ll give Jesus a wail, a shout out of thanks and praise and glory.
And if we do happen to see our name in the obits, (smile) well then there’s no need to worry, because we’ll be right there in heaven alongside Jesus, exactly where we want to be.
Oh Glory to God, for giving us such a wonderful Lord and Saviour, Prince of Peace, Advocate, High Priest, the Alpha and Omega, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, to whom each knee will eventually bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord indeed! Glory Hallelujah!
And like our good God is trying to tell us something significant this morning, because I was led to a rather interesting Bit from Cousin Sol, namely, that ‘A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.’ Oh my people, is that ever so true!
And as the scholars explain it: ‘22:1. A good reputation is more important that wealth.’
Oh if we’d only believe that my brethren, and stop running down the worthless wealth of material things and earthly riches, our lives would be so much better; less stress, less conflict, less head holding and bawling.
That’s what our great and merciful God is trying to tell us today; be a person of good character, one of integrity and excellence, seek my favour, rather than the world’s, and your life will be amazing.
Oh Friends, I know that when the vicissitudes of life come upon us, it’s not always easy to stay focused on Jesus, but we just have to do our best, so that we can receive His best.
When the money and health and relationship worries tumble down on us, it’s difficult not to try and withstand and/or overcome them in our own strength, although we have the faithful promises of our Lord to look after and provide for all our needs. It’s just human nature.
But since we are born again in the Holy Spirit, we need to put away those worldly fantasies and seize the opportunity to stay focused on God and His things, which are way more lasting and edifying than the things of the world. We can’t buy a good name, integrity or character with earthly wealth, although a lot of us are trying to do it, especially in these heady times of upcoming elections.
Earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us that ‘The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat (healthy). (Prov.15:30)
That’s ever so true Friends! When our eyes are opened with wisdom, our hearts rejoice, and when we are commended for our stellar behaviour, integrity and character, it does raise the level of our health; physically, spiritually and emotionally. There’s nothing like people saying good and truthful things about us.
As Cousin Sol say in Ecclesiastes 7: ‘A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.’ (Eccl.7:1)
Yes Friends, wise living, and we’re talking about godly not worldly wisdom, is ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO!
And you cannot be led down that straight and narrow path by anyone else other than Jehovah God.
So please, let’s go to Him today nuh, right now, if necessary, and sincerely ask Him to grant us the wisdom and understanding we need to live a wise and godly life, one that’s ever so pleasing to Him. For that is indeed wisdom to the nth degree…everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…godly principles cannot be bought with earthly wealth…
01 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parent, a wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, Ark of the Covenant, ask in faith, blessed, Bobby Schuller, brains, brawn, brute strength, California, casts down the strength of the confidence thereof., copying, Cousin Bobby, Diana Rampersad, didn't understand, direction, forgiveness, friends, generous nature, going to be with the Lord, Gramps Schuller, guidance, he that doubts is like the wave of the sea, heaven on earth, heavenly days, Hour of Power, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Independence Day, Israelites, Jamaica's Independence Day, Jericho, laziness, LOVE, mea culpa, Mother Earth, my friend Jesus, my heart is right, not doubting, pasting, paying proper attention, rough times, scales the walls of the mighty, share the Love of Jesus, Shepherd's Grove, smile, sons and daughters of God, Trinidad and Tobago's Independence Day, trumpets of ram's horns, truth, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 21:22. A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.
Oh Friends, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa!
Yes, on this first day of September, there are four things I want to apologize for. The first is not having the right date at the top of the Bit yesterday; instead of the 31st, I had the 30th. Although I don’t know how many of you noticed it. (smile) But that’s what comes from laziness and copying and pasting and not paying proper attention.
The second is for not mentioning Jamaica’s Independence Day on August 6, which celebrated 53 years of freedom from her colonial rulers. The third thing is not celebrating T&T’s Independence Day yesterday, the 31st, also marking 53 years of independence from Mother England.
I always write about Canada and the U.S Independence Day, but I forget or choose not to write about my two home countries…countries that nurtured me and made me who I am. Chuh! That’s definitely not good enough. And lastly, I forgot to celebrate the fourth anniversary of my beloved mother Molly going to be with Lord on August 31 2011.
Now that one I need some special forgiveness for. But yuh know what Friends? I have no doubt that that is forthcoming, for the ole girl knows that my heart is right, it’s just that my brain is getting a li’l old and foggy. (smile) And it’s not like I have completely forgotten about her, because I visited her just this past week, and we had a good chat, about what’s happening now and all the old times we spent together, both the good and the bad. And believe me, they were indeed some rough times that people don’t know about.
Yeh Mols baby, I myself didn’t understand some of those hard times back then, not until I became a parent myself, and I’m sincerely sorry for any problems I caused through my not understanding. And I know that because of your LOVING and generous nature, you’ll say that’s okay, you didn’t expect me to understand such things at such a young age.
Anyway, I know that you are now resting and enjoying your heavenly days with the Saviour, as you so richly deserve. I know that you and your grandmother Di (Diana Rampersad) are chatting away everyday. (smile) Although it was definitely a shock earlier on this year, to hear that Di had departed this earth so unexpectedly, and at such a young age too. But I guess that was the Lord’s decision, and who can argue with it eh? Nobody!
So you two, please enjoy yourselves and do whatever it is you do heaven (smile), while we slog it out down here on Mother Earth, until the Lord calls us to join you all.
Now for all of us still down here in heaven on earth, here’s a simple prayer that says so much. It’s being used by the congregation of Shepherd’s Grove, the church in Southern California from which the Hour Of Power broadcasts are done, now conducted by Cousin Bobby (Robert Schuller III) Gramps Schuller’s grandson.
Please pray with me. ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus, and share his LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, we are indeed the beloved of God, Almighty God’s wonderful children, so we ought to have nothing to worry about, especially where our identification is concerned. We are not distinguished by what we do, where we live, or any other worldly determination. First and foremost we are the sons and daughters of the Creator! Matter fixed!
That brings us to our Bit; certainly an interesting statement from Cousin Sol. ‘A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.’ And when we reason it out Friends, we see that it’s absolutely true.
The scholars declare it as: ‘21:22. Wisdom is mightier than brute strength.’
And isn’t that the God-awesome truth? It surely is! Brains are far more useful than brawn, as the old saying goes. Brawn can be uppermost for a while, but in the long run it’s the brain that scales the walls of the mighty. Just look at the brilliant example in how the Israelites captured the supposedly impregnable city of Jericho.
They simply marched around it once a day, in total silence, for six days, with seven priests bearing before the Ark of the Covenant seven trumpets of ram’s horns. And on the seventh day they marched around it seven times, with the priests blowing on their trumpets. And when they made a long blast the people shouted a loud shout, and eventually the walls of Jericho tumbled down and the Israelites simply went in and took it over. (Josh. 6:1-27)
Granted that was basically through God’s machinations, but the moral of the story is that brute force would not have brought down the walls of Jericho, but brains, wise council did. And even today my brethren, it is wisdom for us to come before God with every problem and ask for His wise guidance, before we do anything at all.
As Cousin Sol further tells us: ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel. Thou shalt make thy war (wage your own war): and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.’ (Prov.24:5-6)
Yes Friends, wisdom, or rather in the pursuit of wisdom, lies the answer to a myriad of our problems. And where does this wonderful thing termed wisdom come from?
James tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (without doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
So my fellow believers, today, please let’s turn to the Lord God Jehovah for guidance and direction in ALL that we do, but with a sincere faith and trust that He will acknowledge our requests. Much LOVE!
…blessed is he that has a combination of brains and brawn…but if only one is granted…brains will surely win the day…
31 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a la Jesus, adrenalin, aura of love, baptizing them, believers in Christ, confidence, Controller, Creator, declare God's glory among the heathen, do some good, enthusiasm, faith, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, holy spirit, humble servants, I am with you always, in the beauty of holiness, invincible, Jesus Christ, kick some butt, let the earth be glad, let the heavens rejoice, let the sea roar, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, motors revving, O sing unto the Lord a new song, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, proclaim the good news, provider, put our best foot forward, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, saviour jesus, sing unto the Lord all the earth, spiritual armour, spread some love, stand your bounce, steadfast faith, teach all nations, teaches you a lesson, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the Lord comes to judge the earth, the Lord reigns, tremble before God, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, wisdom, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:1. O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Awright Friends, the big day, Monday, has rolled around again. So how are we going to handle it eh? Are we going to whimper and complain, or are we going to make the best of a bad thing, put our best foot forward, like our Lord and Saviour Jesus expects of us?
Yuh know that if this morning you are tired and miserable, possibly hung over, it’s all your fault, you didn’t listen to my good advice and spend yesterday getting ready for today. So now you just have to stand your bounce; feel the pain, and get out there and do whatever is necessary. And I surely hope it teaches you a lesson, so that next Monday you’ll be up early, bright and fresh like a daisy. (smile)
Now let’s see about getting us going on the right foot this morning, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto and gumption. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, that was a tad scratchy, what with the sore throats and hoarse voices. But overall it wasn’t too bad. At least our choir conductor, Jesus, could see us making the effort. It’s just that our physical abilities weren’t up to par. (smile)
But at least the adrenalin is flowing now, and I can hear our motors revving, meaning that we’re ready to go out into the evil world and kick some butt, do some good and spread some LOVE, a la Jesus! Glory to our great God my people!
And if we’re ready to face the ungodly world, then that means we’re also ready to do what our Bit advises: ‘O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.’
Yes Friends, we are called upon to praise our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity, for he is the Creator and Controller and Provider of ALL!
Now our Bit comes from psalm 96, which itself is a part of Bruh David’s famous song of thanksgiving, after they had brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. (1 Chr.16:7-36) But we’ll just concern ourselves with Psalm 96 today, which continues thus after our Bit.
‘Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (the gentiles), his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:2-6)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, there is not one word of untruth in all those statements! Our God is what it says, and has done all that is stated. That is why we should do as the psalmist continues: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth. Say among the heathen (gentiles) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:7-10)
Oh Friends, more indisputable truth! We need to give our wonderful and mighty God His just due, and to let the world know about Him, by spreading His Word to all the ends of the earth as Jesus desired in the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising 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 alway(s) even unto the end of the world. (Matt.28:19-20)
And you know what Friends? They did as Jesus desired. They spread his word far and wise, so that today we have it in all its rich and splendid glory. Now it’s our turn to continue that commission.
And as the psalmist wisely directs: ‘Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof (all that is in it). Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.’ (Ps.96:11-13)
Oh Friends, let us indeed rejoice with nature and be glad, for our Saviour cometh, and this time He is coming in all His majesty, power and glory to rule and to judge the earth with righteousness and truth!
That my people is no joke, so please let’s prepare ourselves for that awesome and glorious day, whenever it might be. For that is what is termed, heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…if you’ve heard the word…then Jesus comes and finds you wanting…you’ve no one to blame but yourself…
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