30 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acceptance of Jesus, ambassadors of Christ, aura of love, believeth on him that sent me, bombarded, buffeted, burning coals, burning wind, Christ is Lord indeed, Christ's image, Christian brethren, condemnation, confidence, conquerors, delights, derision, disbelief, enthusiasm, everlasting life, every foe is vanquished, faith, favourite day, fight the good fight, fight traffic, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God's goodness, godless, grace, grouchy, he that heareth my word, hope, humble servants, hypocrite, I say unto you, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, judged, judgement, lies, life-changing words, LOVE Revolution, LOVE to hate, mercy, miserable, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, new workweek, passed from death to life, portion to partake of, rain snares, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, representatives of Christ, rest, righteousness., salvation, servants, soldiers of the cross, spiritual armour, stand up for Jesus, steadfast faith, taunts, tempest, the enemy, the evil world, tries the righteous, trust, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, verily verily, violence, warm cocoon, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
John 5:24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.
So my people, if yesterday was Sunday, then today is our favourite day – Monday! Hn, hn! Well…it should be one of our favourite days, because it’s the beginning of a new workweek, and we don’t know what wonderful delights awaits us out in God’s great universe. (smile) But sadly, it’s become the day that many of us LOVE to hate!
And why is that eh? Possibly because it means we have to leave the nice, warm, soft cocoon of our homes and go out into the evil world and fight the traffic, Lucifer’s henchmen, and ofttimes our Christian brethren too. And if we haven’t gotten sufficient rest, relaxation and rejuvenation over the weekend, then we will be grouchy and miserable on any and every Monday morning.
However, we do have something to alleviate that Monday morning grouchiness, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. It’s designed to raise our spirits and get us up and running, so we can go out and fight the good fight for Jesus. So let’s sing it out loud nuh, with lots of faith and hope.
As one strong choir: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Wow friends! What a difference that song makes, when we sing it with a strong sense of purpose! It does indeed lift our spirits, gets the adrenaline flowing and our motors purring like a well-oiled machine. Well then, what are we waiting for eh? Let’s get out there and give the heathen heck, in Jesus name! Show them what it means to be a real Christian, not the hypocrite kind!
And how do we do that? By modelling Jesus – sharing His LOVE, FORGIVENESS, MERCY, GRACE and whatever else it takes to wake up the unbeliever to the fact that Jesus is their ONLY HOPE of true survival in this godless and wicked world.
And how do we know that? From the words of absolute truth that Jesus spoke in our Bit. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgement); but is passed from death into life.’
Ah friends, what life changing words! Thankfully we have heard Jesus’ word and believed in the One who sent Him; our heavenly Father! That’s why we shall have eternal life and shall not be judged, be condemned to Hades, like the unbelievers will. Glory to God for His goodness to the children of men!
Unfortunately though, a lot of the children of men don’t appreciate God’s goodness, therefore they continue to wallow in their wickedness and misery. And remember what Bruh David says about the state of the wicked in Psalm 11 – In the Lord put I my trust.
‘The Lord trieth (tests) the righteous: but the wicked and him that LOVETH violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares (burning coals), fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest (a burning wind): this shall be the portion of their cup (their portion to partake of). For the righteous Lord LOVETH righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright (the upright beholds his countenance).’ (Ps.11:5-7)
Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord has in store for the wicked unbelievers. Let’s hope we are not being counted amongst that lot, and instead are working hard to bring that kind to wise acceptance of Jesus, for that’s a major part of our earthly duty. Please remember friends, that we are Jesus’ hands and feet here on earth, His ambassadors, the ones others look to for wise direction in matters of spiritual life and death.
So let’s get on with our tasks today like excellent, upstanding representatives of Christ nuh, not the wishy-washy, doh-care attitude that so many of us present to the world. That only hurts Christ’s image, brings derision and disbelief to His LOVE Revolution and truly makes us the hypocrites so many think we are. Much LOVE!
…stand up, stand up for Jesus…ye soldiers of the cross…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…
26 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a coward about pain, a painful process, abundance, alive and kicking, amenities, anger, anguish, atone, baffling, barely alive, blessings, broken relationship, chasten, Christ's body, Christians, comfort, consequences of sin, courage, creativity, cruel cutting words, crushing, curse, deep cutting pain, desire, divine protection, emotional trauma, energy, entire body screams, evil deeds, faith, favour, fear of the world, financial ruin, frightens me, Garden of Eden, get excited, get moving, get up, going through the motions, growth, hast afflicted me, he corrects, heartache, I AM, I know, I may live, in faithfulness, it is true, Jesus, laws, laziness, loneliness, LOVE, luxuriating, matures, merciful kindness, misunderstood, negative word, no pain no gain, O Lord, on Christ's behalf, One Year Book of Bible promises, overwhelming, physical pain, pray for it, problems, procrastination, prosper, rejection, resist it, righteous, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, self-discipline, serious butt, shed light, soft, spiritual growth, spite, stir up the populace, succeed, suffering, talent, tender mercies, tests, the chastening of the Lord, the fall of our forefathers, the good life, the Lord loves, the Pain of Growth, the unbeliever, the very thought of pain, Thursday Blessings, thy judgements are right, thy law is my delight, trials, tribulation, truth, unnerves me, walk of faith, weary of his correction, weather the storm, wimpy, wisdom, work out for our good
Psalm 119:75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgements (laws) are right (righteous), and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
Alive and kicking, alive and kicking serious butt my friends! That’s the way we should be as Christians. But unfortunately, most Christians seem to be barely alive, just going through the motions. For whatever reason, we don’t have the necessary energy or desire to kick butt for Jesus!
That’s wrong though my fellow believers. How then will Christ be known all over the world if we don’t get up and get moving eh? Remember, we are His body here on earth; His hands, His feet, His mouth. He depends on us to stir up the populace on His behalf.
And I don’t know if it’s simply fear of the world, or just laziness and procrastination that’s holding us back, but it’s obvious that we’re not doing such a great job on Jesus’ behalf, while the unbeliever is luxuriating in his wicked and evil deeds.
Anyway, here is something called ‘The Pain of Growth,’ from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that I think will shed some light on our problems. (smile)
It says: ‘O God Growth is a painful process. I frankly confess I am a coward about pain. I don’t like it, Lord. I never pray for it Or get excited over it. In fact, I often resist it: The pain of emotional trauma So overwhelming So baffling and crushing.
The deep-cutting pain Of a broken relationship. Physical pain that goes on and on Until my entire body screams. The pain of cruel cutting words. The pain of loneliness, rejection Or financial ruin. The pain of being misunderstood. Lord, the very thought of pain Frightens and unnerves me.
Yet it is true – Again and again it is true: My greatest spiritual growth Has come through pain. Through heartache And anguish. And very often in my suffering When I sadly thought You were doing absolutely nothing At that very moment You were doing more within me Than I ever dreamed or hoped.’
What words of truth and wisdom my people! None of us like pain or suffering, but it is inevitable in the fallen nature of our lives. And that is simply how we grow in any and everything. As the ole mantra goes, ‘no pain, no gain.’
And that’s especially true in our Christian walk of faith, for God matures us through tests and trials which often involve some serious pain. Yuh see the pain and suffering Jesus had to bear to atone for and absolve our sins?
Likewise we need to go through some tribulation, else we’ll never grow in our Christian walk. Unfortunately though, in these modern times, Christians are a soft, wimpy bunch of people who just want to enjoy the good life without any problems whatsoever.
In fact our whole society has become soft and wimpy through all the ‘make life easy’ amenities that we now possess. But since the fall of our forefathers in the Garden of Eden, life has never been easy; the consequences of sin have made it tough and as Christians we are expected to weather whatever storm comes against us.
However, the wonderful news is that we have our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to help us weather it! Glory Hallelujah! Unbelievers don’t have that luxury, so they have to weather it all on their own.
So please let’s stop complaining as much as we do, and instead plead the wise and truthful words of our Bit: ‘I know, O Lord, that thy judgements (laws) are right (righteous), and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.’
Yes friends, whatever our ever-faithful and righteous God allows to come against us has a perfect reason behind it. He is the great I AM, who knows the beginning from the end and has everything in His universe under control.
And we should rightly be saying like the psalmist does after our Bit: ‘Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.’ (Ps.119:76-77)
Oh my people, our God has promised that though He chastens us, He will not do it out of spite or anger, but out of LOVE. Now listen to these words of Cousin Sol which seal the deal.
‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of (detest) his correction. For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov.3:11-12)
There it is in black and white friends! So please not get too antsy about the pain and suffering that comes against us, because it will all work out for our good eventually. Our faithful God has promised that. With all of that in mind then, let’s go home declaring our wonderful blessings, knowing that they will wash away whatever pain we have now, or are yet to face.
In strong and sincere voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Oh what a wonderful God we serve and worship my believing brethren! Much Much LOVE!
…whatever comes from God…comes in LOVE…
25 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a difficult time., above not beneath, aches and pains, aging, alive and kicking, be not drunk with wine, begins a good work, believe, brand new, Christians, coming against me, completion, confession of sins, conquerors, death, dissipation, doctor heal thyself, doctor's appointments, doing my thing, encourage myself in the Lord, excess, faith, filled with the Holy Spirit, filling of the Spirit, giving thanks always, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's power, halfway home, hands on the plough, he restoreth my soul, hell, holy spirit, hymns, indelibly in our hearts, inevitable, Jesus by our sides, lift my level of passion for life, looking straight ahead, LOVE, Lucifer, major renovation, making melody in your heart, medical institution, negative stuff, no control over, not the tail, not turning back, numerous problems, pass through the fire, prayer, psalms, refuel my spirit, relationship with god, serious butt, sincerity, singing, speaking to yourselves, spiritual man, spiritual songs, standing strong in faith, surrender, thank God, the breath of life, the grave, the head, the spirit would sag, traffic jam, trust, truth, utmost importance, victory, Wednesday Wail, wirte god's promises
Psalm 23:3a. He restoreth my soul…
Awright mih breddren, the ole fella is alive and kicking; kicking some serious butt too on this somewhat cloudy Wednesday morning in the fall of 2017! Glory to God!
Oh my aches and pains are still there, and whatever’s wrong inside is still wrong, but my spirit has been rejuvenated. More glory to God!
It’s just that lately so many things over which I had no control have been coming against me, that it was only a matter of time before the ole bod, the spirit and soul got tired.
When you suddenly find out that what you thought was improving, wasn’t really improving, while other things were still going wrong, and you’re constantly moving from one doctor’s appointment or medical institution during traffic jam hours, it does make for a difficult time.
Oh, I’ve been going along quite okay despite the numerous problems, not given up hope and standing strong in faith, but in the face of all that negative stuff, it was inevitable that the spirit would sag some.
However, after writing yesterday’s Bit, I just decided to refuel my spirit, lift my level of passion for life higher, bring it back to a level that allows me to function with more authority and energy. As the saying goes, doctor heal thyself, with me it was spiritual man, refuel thy spirit. (smile)
I’ve decided that like Bruh David did, to encourage myself in the Lord some more. Let the aches and pains, and whatever else is wrong, do their thing, I won’t let them stop me from doing mine. They will obviously slow me down, but that’s fine, once they don’t stop me completely.
I know the Lord’s doing a major renovation in me, and it’s not going to be easy, but I also know that if he begins a good work in me, then He WILL see it through to completion.
Plus He won’t give me more than I can handle, and will also help me pass through the fire unscathed, so that when I come out on the other side, I’ll be brand new! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us to our simple but oh so important Bit from that great psalm of Bruh David, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ ‘He restoreth my soul…’
Yeh friends, the Lord does just that when we surrender all our aches and pains and whatever is bothering us to Him. But we also need to trust and believe and write God’s promises indelibly in our hearts and souls, so that when life comes against us, we’ll be able to use them to stand steadfast and strong.
Let’s remember that we’re the head and not the tail; above and not beneath; sure conquerors with Jesus by our sides. In fact, He’s already given us the victory over hell, death, the grave and their evil keeper Lucifer. But it all takes a magnum of faith, especially in these pretty evil and ungodly times.
However, please remember Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:18-20)
Yeh friends, that’s the only way we can remain strong and grow in the LOVE and knowledge of God. And here is an interesting explanation from the scholars on the ‘Fullness of the Holy Spirit.’
‘5:18. The words be filled here mean “be continually filled,” emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk and sight are controlled by alcohol.
God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God. Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.
Illustration: As we establish our relationship with God through confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and yield to Him (Rom.6:13), we can be filled with the Spirit if that is our desire (Matt.5:6) and prayer (Luke 11:13). Application: Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit in order that he may have God’s power to serve Him. (Acts 1:8) (First Ref. Ex.35:31; Primary Ref. Eph.5:18; cf. 1 John 2:27.)’
Ah my people, it’s of the utmost importance that in these last days, we allow the Holy Spirit of God to get more of us! Please check out those references above, they give great insight into the use and power of God’s Spirit.
And to help us improve in our use and value of the Holy Spirit, let’s go home vociferously declaring our Wednesday Mantra with all truth and sincerity. ‘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 that future WILL indeed be glorious friends! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for God’s Spirit to be lifted up in us… so that we can better do His work and will…
P.S. Please excuse the tardiness of the Bit. I just got up late, and even then thought it was 7.45, when it was 8.45. What to do eh? Aging is a helluva thing! (smile) Much LOVE!
23 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a wily general, all the way, Andrew, aura of love, charles stanley, confidence, consequences, disasters, disobedience, do battle, energy, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, evil foes, face the world, fishers of men, follow me, friends, gentle, get in line, giant, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godless ways, grace, he saith unto them, holy spirit, humble servants, in the thick of the fray, invincible, James John, Jesus Christ, Jesus' business, lay the groundwork, leader, left their nets, lies, lordship of Christ, LOVE, loving, magnanimous offer, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedience, obeisant, obey God, Peter, raise our spirits, reaction, reconitre the situation, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repent, rest, reveille, salvation, sense of purpose, soldiers, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, truth, turn back to God, ungodly world, up and at them, wiles, wisdom, Zebedee
Matthew 4:19. And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Spananananana! Awake oh friends, the bugle calls reveille; time to be up and at them on this glorious Monday morn. (smile) True soldiers can’t afford to sleep in when the battle awaits. So let’s be up and about Jesus’ business! Let’s get in line as He arrays His troops in battle formation, so He can then go before us to reconitre the situation and lay the groundwork for today’s battle.
What a wily General we follow my fellow believers. There’s NEVER been one like Him; neither will there EVER be another in His class. He is in a class all by Himself. That’s why we follow Him. And for those of us finding it difficult to get ourselves together, here is something to raise our spirits and help us find the energy we need to face the world.
So in strong voice, let’s proclaim our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now we’re cooking friends! I can see us finally coming alive, as a strong sense of purpose rises up in our souls and spirits. That conversation with Jesus has miraculously put us over the top. Now we’re ready to go out and do battle against our evil foes, with Jesus fighting right beside us.
Glory be, my brethren! What a leader we have! One who doesn’t just send us out to fight His battles, while He remains back at HQ, safe and comfortable, but a leader who fights right alongside of us, in the thick of the fray, all the day and all the way!
Wow! No wonder we LOVE and admire and exalt Him so much! He is the kind of Leader who brings out the very best in us; truly inspires us to aspire to greater things, when we receive His magnanimous offer, His free gift of salvation and eternal life. What a giant is our Jesus! And a gentle and LOVING one at that too! That means we have everything we need in Him! We need No One or Nothing beside Him! Glory Hallelujah!
Just look at the unnatural reaction those early disciples had to our Bit. ‘And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen and were casting their net into the sea when Jesus passed by and made that offer. And it’s truly interesting to see what happened immediately thereafter. The Good Book tells us: ‘And they straightway left their nets and followed him.’ (Matt.4:20)
Now why would they just give up their livelihood to follow this, poor, itinerant Rabbi eh? Most of us would not have done something so drastic when there seemed to be no good reason for it. But that’s not the best part of the story. The Good Book continues: ‘And going on from thence, he (Jesus) saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.’ (Matt.4:21-22)
And what would entice four grown men, of apparently sane and sound mind to just give up their successful fishing business to follow a man whom they knew nothing about eh? Who knows, they must have heard something in His voice, or saw something in His demeanour, His heavenly aura might even have overcome their spirits. Or, as the scholars say: ‘The statement in verse 22 that they immediately responded to His call gives us the perfect picture of true obedience to the lordship of Christ.’
Yes my fellow believers, our response to Jesus should be immediate. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘Obedience is doing what Christ says, when He says and how He says.’ Anything else is disobedience, which will have negative consequences. However friends, in these godless and evil days, the majority of mankind doesn’t seem at all interested in being obedient or obeisant to their Creator.
That’s obviously not a good sign, for as we said above, disobedience brings negative consequences. And I truly believe that the disasters, natural as well as man-made, that are currently besieging our world is God’s response to our bold-face disobedience. You might not believe me, but the only way to find out is for the majority of us to cease our evil and godless ways, repent, turn back to God and receive His wonderful offer of salvation and eternal life. Now that is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him… (Uncle Charles)
17 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blob, a graceful eagle, action, Amen, anomaly, bad, beloved of God, blessings, certainty, comprehend, darkest just before the dawn, deliver us, doltish, endures, everlasting, faithfulness, fall morning, fear not, gather together, give thanks unto the Lord, God of our salvation, God's department, God's LOVE, goodness of god, green leaves, innumerable things, judgement, justice, LOVE, Love the Lord, make known his deeds, mercy, mighty acts, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise, rejoice, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek God's face, seek the Lord, share Christ's love, sing Hallelujah, sing in your heart, sing the praises of God, sleep, sleep is sweetest, soaring, thanksgiving, the Alpha and Omega, the ark of the covenant, the First and the Last, the God of gods, the heathen, the Lord God of Israel, The Lord is good, the Lord of lords, the One and Only Living God, to all generations, trees, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom, wonderfulness, You love me
Psalm 100:5. For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.
Ah friends, when the sleep is good, it’s ever so good! But when it’s bad…it’s also ever so bad! Chuh! And you must be wondering what all of that has to do with anything eh?
Well everything…and nothing! (smile) Fear not…the ole fella’s just trying to be somewhat doltish this chilly fall morning and make excuses for my late getting up. Yeh, the early morning sleep was indeed sweet…
But have you ever noticed, like how it’s darkest just before the dawn, that sleep is usually the sweetest just before you have to get up? The Lord sure knows how to disrupt one of our greatest pleasures.
And I noticed a rather striking anomaly just now as I went to put out the garbage: most of the trees around my area are still laden with green leaves, even though my driveway is full of dead, dry ones.
It’s certainly strange that in the middle of October, the scenery is still so green. But yuh know what? We should not be overly concerned with all of that stuff, for that’s God’s department and He knows what He’s doing.
Here is what we should be truly concerned about. It’s contained in a poem titled ‘YOU LOVE ME!’ taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
Please read with me. ‘Yesterday, God, I was soaring Like a graceful eagle And You LOVED me. Today I feel like a blob And You LOVE me. Tomorrow I may ask “Whatever happened to disturb me yesterday?” And You’ll LOVE me.
God, there are innumerable things I cannot begin to comprehend But the one great certainty In all my life is this: I know that You LOVE me!’
Wow mih people! What a certainty! And it’s the ONLY ONE we really need to know, because all the other stuff flows directly from that!
And I just have to proclaim it: What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There is NONE other like Him: the Alpha and Omega; the First and the Last; the ONE and ONLY True and Living God, from whom all things flow! Glory Be!
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today: ‘For the Lord is good; his mercy (LOVE) is everlasting; and his truth (faithfulness) endureth to all generations.’
Oh my fellow believers, what an awesome statement that is! One that we cannot dispute because we see and experience it every single day of our lives! Mama Mia! How then can we not LOVE the Lord eh? That’s nothing but a fool’s wisdom!
Thus it isn’t surprising at the number of times that statement is found in the Bible, especially the Psalms. Listen to how Psalm 106 – Israel sins against God’s LOVE – begins: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah).
O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Who can utter (express) the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can show forth all his praise? Blessed are they that keep judgement (justice), and he that doeth righteousness at all times.’ (Ps.106:1-3)
Oh friends, don’t those words move you, don’t they just sing in your heart when you consider the goodness and ‘wonderfulness’ of our great God? If you are a true and serious believer, they ought to.
And Psalm 136 – Praise for the Lord’s past and present blessings – takes the sentiment even further. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps.136:1-3)
And the other 23 verses, after shouting out some great work of God, all end the same way: ‘for his mercy endureth for ever.’ And that’s no lie!
And it seems that it all originated on the day the Ark of the covenant was finally brought up to Jerusalem and Bruh David delivered a psalm of praise and thanksgiving for Asaph and his brethren to sing, a psalm on which Psalm 105 is based.
‘Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deed among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.’ (1 Chron.16:8-11) Words of everlasting wisdom my people!
And hear how Bruh David ends the psalm. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord.’ (1 Chr.16:34-36)
Ah mih breddren, it’s so good to sing the praises of our magnificent and magnanimous God! Now let’s go home singing our Tuesday Mantra, which let’s the world know who and whose we are.
In loud voice and sweet harmony now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now let’s go out and action that statement: truly share Christ’s LOVE! Much LOVE!
…oh that Christians would sing God’s praises…and give Him much deserved thanks…much more than we do…
16 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive day, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, adrenaline, advocating, aura of love, called by my name, chickens coming home to roost, chosen people, Christian society, Christians, communicate through prayer, confidence, conquerors, disasters, disciples, do God's will, do Jesus' work, doubleminded, draw near to God, embraced by, enthusiasm, evil, expectation, forgive their sin, friends, glorious kingdom, god head, godless, gone astray, grace, heal their land, heretical, holy spirit, hope, humble, humble servants, humble themselves, I will hear from heaven, in our corner, invincible, James, Jesus Christ, lamp for our feet, lies, light for our path, living God, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my people, not in sync, Old Testament, omnipotence, on our behalf, pray, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repentant people, resist the devil, rest, salvation, seek my face, servants, sin, spiritual armour, spiritual beings, steadfast faith, strife, submit yourselves, taunts, the enemy's ranks, the Father, the Great Commission, the heathen, the Holy Trinity, the SON, transformative words, truth, turn from their wicked ways, ungodly world, warning, wiles, wisdom
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Oh friends, who knows what kind of day any of us will have today eh? When we awaken, it’s usually with the expectation of a bright, productive and positive day, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case. But what’s always the case though, is that on each and every day of our lives, we are positively embraced by the Holy Trinity of our God-head. The Father is looking out for us in His wisdom, omnipotence, grace and mercy.
Meanwhile, the Son is advocating to the Father on our behalf, and also shining down brightly on and around us, so that we can have that proverbial lamp for our feet and light for our path. And betwixt and between all that, the Holy Spirit is operating in our spirits, showing us what the Father desires of us, helping us to do His holy will and communicate with Him through prayer.
And regardless of how our day turns out, those three magnificent, powerful and ever-LOVING spiritual Beings are ALWAYS in our corner. Now what could be better than that eh my fellow believers? Nothing really! That’s why on this Monday morning, even if your body, soul and spirit are not in sync, and you don’t feel like getting up to go to work, you know that that feeling can be overcome through the help of our Triune God and the singing of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
So let’s belt it out now nuh with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now feel the Holy Spirit working in you: brightening up your mood, causing the adrenaline to flow as you excitedly and enthusiastically get yourself together to go out amongst the heathen and do Jesus’ work in a most diligent and excellent manner. Glory to God my people! And what work is that, some of you ask?
Well Jesus told His disciples to ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples) of 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 alway(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
And that same Great Commission also applies to us, but instead of going elsewhere, right now I believe we need to concentrate on fixing our own society, which has become so godless and evil and heretical, that an alarming number of us have never even heard about Jesus, in what is supposed to be, or at least once was a Christian Society.
And it all begins with us acknowledging our Bit, putting those all-important, transformative words into action. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
Ah friends, how very encouraging is our God eh? For as the scholars tell us: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4:8-10).’
And there’s no doubt that although we call ourselves Christians, too many of our actions aren’t Christian-like: we’re not humble before God; we don’t seek His face or pray like we should…and don’t talk about the wickedness that exists in our ranks. Hn! That’s why I maintain that all the recent natural disasters and physical strife are a serious warning from Almighty God.
And if you figure our Bit comes from the Old Testament so it’s outdated, then listen to James, as he talks about worldliness and pride. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted and mourn (lament) and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10)
Oh friends, if we want to see brighter days and our land healed, then we’ve got to turn back to the One True and Living God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we’ve gone astray for far too long now. So let’s be wise like the Israelites of old nuh; acknowledge the warning…and repent. Much LOVE!
…God punished His chosen people…when they went astray…so why not us eh…the chickens are coming home to roost…
14 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a leader, a star, aching back, action, aggrandizement, Anselm, apathy, blase, Christians, compete, constant communication with God, Creator, different shades, diligent, do our part, evil deeds, evildoers, fall, friend, get ahead of God, get nothing done, getting together, God is the Maker, God's help, grin and bear it, in our own strength, inspiration, inspired by the people, Jesus, laze along, lethargy, longevity, LOVE, mutual agreement, onlooker's viewpoint, our benefit, out of thin air, partnership with christ, passion, passionate, Rest in the Lord, rise to the top, save the best for last, seasons, self-interested path, sleeping-in weather, speed ahead, spoil things, stir the pot, stress, that's life, truth, up in arms, wait patiently, we need God, wet and cloudy day, working hard
Psalm 37:7a. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:
Well another wet and cloudy day seems to be our lot this Saturday morning friends. Good sleeping-in weather for those who desire to do so. I tried some sleeping-in, only to get up with my usual aching back, the sad result of what seems to be too much lying down. (smile)
Ah Lord eh! How to beat it? They say that rest is so essential, but in my case there seems to be a caveat of ‘not too much at once.’ Hn, hn! But as the man says, ‘That’s life!’ We just have to grin and bear the quirks of life and move on with God’s available help.
And the trees are doing that right now, because their leaves are finally turning to different shades of brown, yellow and gold, in admittance that fall is finally here. They held out for a long while with the good weather, but like us, they know that their time has come at last.
No more trying to stretch out the longevity of their beautiful green leaves as the God designed cycle of seasons brings about their downfall for another year. And so, we as Christians need to accept whatever God has designed and placed in our lives, for He is the Maker and Creator of all that exists.
Trying to fight His plans are a waste of time. But enough palavering (smile), let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm offered us this past week, in his noble attempt to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Listen to this first one:‘A star wants to see himself rise to the top. A leader wants to see those around him rise to the top.’
And that’s the way it’s supposed to be, since stars seek a more self-interested path, are more interested in their own aggrandizement, while leaders theoretically raise the level of their followers in whatever context in which they are leading.
And this next quote sort of upgrades the last one. ‘A leader must be inspired by the people before a leader can inspire the people.’ I guess a true leader will not want to lead those who don’t inspire him to do so.
Why bother eh, if there is no inspiration coming from those whom you want or hope to lead? For like everyone else, a leader also needs inspiration to do his or her job, and that doesn’t just come out of thin air.
Now hear this one: ‘When you compete against everyone else, no one wants to help you. But when you compete against yourself, everyone wants to help you.’ I believe this means when you’re up in arms against everybody, you’ll get little or no help from anyone. But if you’re not fighting everybody, some of those you’re not fighting will consider helping you, which makes perfect sense.
And as always, I try to save the best quote for last. ‘Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we LOVE is called passion!’ Ah mih people, there is plenty truth in that statement! When we do things dear to our hearts we usually don’t feel stressed out.
So in light of that, I want to take that statement to a different level. Does our apathy and lethargy and stress-like behaviour in doing our Christian work, signify we don’t LOVE Jesus?
From a mere onlooker’s viewpoint, it would certainly seem so, because there is NO REAL PASSION in our Christian walk! But the evildoers are getting together and passionately doing their evil deeds, while we supposed Christians just seem to laze along, trying desperately not to stir the pot.
But friends, that is exactly why Jesus came to earth; to stir the pot! Back then, the status quo was unacceptable, just like it is today. I guess we blasé Christians don’t inspire our leaders, so our leaders don’t get the necessary inspiration to inspire us. Hn!
And I certainly hope that our lacklustre work on Christ’s behalf does not stem from the words of our Bit. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:’
Oh yes friends, it does mean not to get ahead of God, not to try and make things happen in our own strength, to wait for the Lord’s guidance. But while we are waiting, we must continue to be diligent and passionate in what we can do, for there is always stuff for us to do in our wonderful partnership with Christ.
Remember a partnership means the involvement of at least two entities in a mutual agreement, and usually more than one job to get done. And that’s how it is with Jesus and us. He has His part to do, and we have ours. Now sometimes we can’t do our part until He does His, but we still need to keep on working at what we can.
Some of us can’t wait and speed ahead and spoil things, while others wait too much and get nothing done. We need balance my people, and that can only be found by being in sincere and constant communication with Almighty God, and having a passion for doing His work.
Remember, ALL that God is doing is not for Himself nuh, but for OUR benefit! God needs NOTHING, for He already has EVERYTHING.
We have NOTHING, which means we need EVERYTHING. And since EVERYTHING comes from God, then we certainly NEED God! Let’s remember that and wisely put it all into the right perspective. Much LOVE!
…where there is no action…means there is no real passion…since passion…induces action…
13 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a long process, a measly pittance, a tired state, abandoned, ascendancy of the righteous, better lives, Bob Colaresi, bow and scrape, Christians, come to fruition, cut down like grass, depressed, desperation, destruction of the wicked, disheartened, eat and drink, faithful, fellowship, flustered, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, Friends of St. Therese, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, God is in charge, God's providence, harbinger, hardens hearts, heal, healing lesson, helpless, higher wages, impatient, impatient suffering, in Jesus' name, inequity, jump and shout, justice prevails, leader, lower echelon of society, merciful God, omnipotent, on our side, our advantage, panic stricken, party to the fullest, poverty, prayer, relaxation, rest, Rest in the Lord, silent rage, sing for joy, slave master, slow recovery, spinal surgery, substandard life, surrender, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the burden, the Good Book, the grim reaper, the Lord's kingdom, the Messiah, the weekend, the wicked rich, the workingman, true, trust God, truth, ungodly, uplifting answer, wait patiently, week of work
Psalm 37:7a. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:
And then it was Friday – that joyful harbinger of the weekend! Yeh friends, the weekend’s here at last, and I know many of us have been dying to see it because we’ve gone through this short work week in a tired state after all the Columbus and Thanksgiving Days celebrations. So make sure you rest up now. (smile)
And despite it being Friday the 13th, the workingman is positive and upbeat, not paying attention to any of the folktales of impending evil that’s supposed to lurk around and befall us on those days. And neither should we.
He has already broadcast his intentions for the weekend. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and our time will soon be ours. We don’t have to bow and scrape to no slave master to earn a measly pittance so we can go on living this substandard life! Chuh man! Is time that done now yes!
That’s why we going to jump and shout and sing for joy, and eat and drink and party to the fullest, for who knows when the grim reaper will come eh? Thank God for Fridays and the weekends!’
Oh friends, as always, the workingman has some good points, especially the one about substandard living. With all the wealth in our world, it’s high time the lower echelon of society be afforded the opportunity to live better lives through higher wages.
The immense poverty in the lower ranks of our society are ungodly, to say the least. And the horrible inequity is growing as the wicked rich try to accumulate more than they already have by taking what little the poor man has.
Ah Lord eh! No wonder the Good Book promises the eventual destruction of the wicked and the ascendancy of the righteous, for in the Lord’s kingdom, justice will always prevail.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant to keep us on the right course for the weekend. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
And again we notice that our Bit is ever so truthful, because the wicked are having their way right now, but soon they will be cut down like grass and we won’t remember them anymore. That’s why we must learn to ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:’
Yeh mih people, our God’s faithful and true, but it’s all about His timing. He is the one who sets’ the overall plan and thus knows when things are supposed to happen so that those plans can come to fruition. Our trying to help Him, or rush them along usually just ends up in disappointment.
And here is an interesting testimony on the subject of patience from Father Bob Colaresi, Director of the Carmelite body of Catholic priests. Writing in the publication, ‘Between Friends,’ the booklet of the Friends of St. Therese of Lisieux Society, he states.
“I remember when I was recovering form spinal surgery. I was so impatient with the slow recovery – impatient suffering isolates and hardens hearts. Prayer seemed impossible because I felt abandoned. In desperation, I finally asked St. Therese how she got through her darkness and suffering.
Hoping for some uplifting answer, I was disheartened when I heard her whisper: “Trust God!” That honestly angered me, as I screamed at her: “Look where you are and I’m here in bed unable to walk!” I froze her out with silent rage for weeks.
Finally, tired of being depressed, impatient, and helpless, I again asked her. Again the same gentle whisper: “Trust God!” “Don’t you have anything else to say?” I cried out in surrender.
It was a long process for me to physically heal, but even longer to learn the primary healing lesson that I was not the messiah who thought he could run the whole world. I had to reconcile with the fact that the world was moving on without me.
Do you know how heavy is the burden of thinking you have to keep the world running? It was humbling and freeing – a real healing of my identity and soul. But only patience allowed me to learn that lesson of LOVE, freedom and truth.’
There you have it friends, testimony from a man of Christ, a leader of Christians for many years, honestly acknowledging that his patience was not as great as it ought to have been, and he had to learn the lesson the hard way, literally on his back.
For all you know, the Lord might have allowed his spinal problems for that exact reason. He works in such mysterious and underhanded ways. Let us therefore not beat ourselves up, if our patience level is less than it should be.
Instead, let’s cry out to the Lord for help to elevate it, so that we can wait on his timing without getting all flustered and panic stricken. It’s not easy friends, but with our omnipotent and merciful God on our side, always there to help, we can do any and everything. Please remember that.
And today, let’s spend some time pondering our patience level nuh, and figure out how we can improve it. It will be to our great advantage. Much LOVE!
…Patience is a surrender to the truth…that God is in charge…and that God’s Providence is good… (St. Therese of Lisieux)
09 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24/7 society, a wake up call, a warning, aura of love, Babylon, blessings, bondage, boundary, calamity, Christians, Columbus Day, confidence, covenant, disaster, drink the sweet, drunk or sober, earthly journey, eat and drink, eat the fat, Egypt, enthusiasm, evil, feasting, festivity, for whom nothing is prepared, forsake our evil ways, freedom, friends, from whom all blessings flow, generosity, giving thanks, glorious kingdom, go your way, God's Word, good graces of almighty God, grace, Granny's warning, holy spirit, humble servants, hurricane Nate, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, Louisiana, LOVE, magnanamity, mind your business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither be ye sorry, praise God, recovery, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, repent, rest, salvation, send portions, sharing mode, showered down, spiritual armour, standard of living, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks and praise, Thanksgiving Day, the goodness of God, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the power to get wealth, this day is holy, trials, tribulations, truth, undisputed God, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom
Nehemiah 8:10. Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
So friends, it’s Monday…But the good news is that both in Canada and the U.S it’s a public holiday. In the U.S it’s Columbus Day, celebrating the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in the 1490’s. Meanwhile, in Canada, we’re celebrating our Thanksgiving Day with feasting and festivity, and hopefully thanks and praise to Almighty God for all the blessings He’s recently showered down on our land.
Let’s also be thankful that hurricane Nate did not do much damage to the part of Louisiana that it passed over yesterday. Ah Lord eh! Hopefully this will be the last storm for this year, for the area could not handle much more disaster. Don’t forget to include in our prayers those who have recently suffered serious setbacks and that they are on their way to recovery and rebuilding their lives. Remember too the ones who are still undergoing trials and tribulations.
And let’s hope that all this unexpected calamity serves as a wake-up call for us to repent, to forsake our evil ways and get back into the good graces of Almighty God, for it’s difficult not to consider the unparalleled circumstances that have recently afflicted us as a warning from Him. So let’s pray that we will take the warning to heart and wisely make amends for our sinful ways, and once again make Him the undisputed God of our society.
Anyway, it’s Monday, which means that in our 24/7 society, some people must go to work, regardless of the public holiday, and there’s no time harder to get up and go out to labour than on days like these, when the majority of people are off. So let’s send them out on a high note with a wonderful rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
In strong voice now, with lots of enthusiasm: ‘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!’
And as always, the voices of those not going out to work are the loudest and most raucous since many of us have already been celebrating for the past couple days. (smile) And whether you like it or not, I have to remind us of Granny’s warning; that drunk or sober we need to mind our business very closely, as too much celebrating can make us cross over the Christian boundary line without even noticing it, thus giving the enemy a gleeful chance to invade our space, something we want to avoid at all costs.
That brings us to our Bit, the words of Nehemiah to the people of Israel after they had rebuilt Jerusalem and had heard for the first time God’s Word read from His Holy Book by the scribe Ezra. ‘Then he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
It was indeed a day of rejoicing for those Israelites, many of whom had recently returned from captivity in Babylon and were enjoying freedom for the first time in many a day, if not the first time in their lives. We should also be in rejoicing and sharing mode, but more importantly, making sure that we give God His rightful deserts of thanks and praise for bringing us to this high standard of living, for it’s only through His generosity and magnanimity that it’s possible.
Remember what we sang yesterday? ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow…’ And that’s the truth in spades! For as the Good Book tells us: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish (confirm) his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut.8:18)
Yeh friends, the Lord brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt and kept them in the wilderness for forty years, then enabled them to go into the Promised Land and take it over. Without His help, none of that would have been possible. Likewise without God’s help, our current prosperity would not have ever been realized.
So I’m imploring us, that as we gather today, with friends, families and neighbours, let’s spend some time remembering and talking about the goodness of God towards us, and giving Him appropriate thanks and praise, glorifying and exalting His precious name, for each and every one of us has so many things to be thankful to God for in this our earthly journey. We didn’t reach this stage of evolution through our own efforts, but through God’s blessings. Consequently we ought to show the necessary gratitude. Much LOVE!
…it’s not about eating and drinking…but giving thanks…to be able to eat and drink…there is a big difference…
02 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above all gods, aura of love, battle stations, blessed be the Lord, confidence, conquerors, Corinthians, dead objects, diligence, dilly-dallying, Egyptians, enthusiasm, evil, excellence, fearless leader, friends, Gentiles, glorious kingdom, great is our God, heathen, hoarded, honour, house of god, humble servants, idle boast, idols, inroads, invincible, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Jethro, lies, living God, LOVE, majesty, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our father's business, Pharaoh, reconnoitering, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rise and shine, salvation, sing unto the Lord, steadfast faith, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the good news, the Great Commission, the house I build, the trumpet's call, the wherewithal, the work of man's hands, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom
2 Chronicles 2:5. And the house which I build is (will be) great: for great is our God above all gods.
Rise and shine, friends, rise and shine! Hear the trumpet’s call! Battle stations all! Our fearless Leader, Jesus Christ is already at the battlefront reconnoitering the situation, waiting for us to come forward, so He can lead us into battle.
Please, no dilly-dallying this morning, there’s urgent work to be done. So let’s get a move on, let’s be up and about our Father’s business! And if you think you don’t have the wherewithal to do battle today, then join us, as we sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which gets our adrenaline flowing and kick starts our motors.
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!’
Awright mih breddren! That sounded good! Our choirmaster, Jesus was pleased. Now it’s time for us to get out there and join Jesus, our field General, on the front lines, for that’s where the battle is being fought. That brings us to our Bit: ‘And the house which I build is (will be) great: for great is our God above all gods.’
Ah mih people, what words of absolute truth from Cousin Sol as he set out to build the immaculate and magnificent House of God in the Golden Age of Israel! And this no idle boast, as you’ll realize when you hear the proud declaration of the psalmist from Psalm 96 – A call to praise God. ‘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 (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)
Yeh friends, any other supposed deity beside Jehovah, is merely an idol. They are all dead objects, the work of man’s hands, or creatures of his finite imagination. That’s because the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Only True Living God that there is! And if you don’t believe the psalmist, then listen to Bruh Paul in his first missive to the Corinthians, as he talks about Christian freedom and brotherly obligations.
‘As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we (live) by him.’ (1 Cor. 8:4-6)
Oh friends, how could there logically be more than ONE God eh? More than one god would never have made such a smooth running, self-sustaining, magnificent universe. It would have been total confusion all over!
Now hear corroboration of that fact from way back when, from Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, when he brought Moses’ wife and children to meet him in the Israelite camp in the wilderness. After Moses told him all that the Lord had done for the Israelites in bringing them out of Egypt, Jethro rejoiced.
‘And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt (behaved) proudly he was above them.’ (Ex.18:10-11)
Yes friends, our God is above everybody and everything! Give Him much deserved thanks and praise, glorify and exalt His holy name throughout all the earth! Spread His word from one end of the world to the next, so that the heathen can have a chance to experience His never-ending, unconditional LOVE, His healing power and the good news of His salvation!
That’s our Great Commission, so let’s get out there today and do it with diligence and excellence as He desires nuh. Much LOVE!
…the good news of Jesus…was meant to be spread far and wide…not selfishly hoarded…
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