03 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a powerful opponent., a waste of time, admonishment, anxiety, carnality, Christians, contradicts our faith, dance, doubts, Ephesians, evil hordes, evil schemes, faith, fellowship, fight for Jesus, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, gospel, holy character, in Jesus' name, like no tomorrow, LOVE, Lucifer, moral conduct, party, peace, pounce on, put on the whole armour of God, quench the fiery darts, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, Roman soldier, Satan, sincerity, sing, song of freedom, spiritual armour, stand, stand against the wiles of the devil, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the prince of darkness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the weekend, the wicked one, the Word of god, the working people, truth, week of work, your feet shod, your loins girt about, your waisted girded
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Well friends, it’s Friday! That means another weekend is upon us, and the working people are delighted and shouting out their song of freedom: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the wonderful weekend is here. No punching a time clock!
Wow! It’s time to sing and dance and party like there’s no tomorrow…for who knows if we’ll ever see tomorrow eh? But this day we’ll always remember…or maybe not! Hn! Thank God though for Fridays and the weekend!’
Ah mih people, nothing’s wrong with the general idea of enjoying oneself during our days off, but as usual it’s the extreme length to which the world desires to carry it that contradicts our faith. So let’s hear what our faith says to counter that extreme position.
Let’s chant our Friday Chant with truth and sincerity. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, that sounds like a much more sensible way of handling our short time off, so please let’s follow it, and not overdo the partying, the carnality aspect of the situation.
Now without further ado, let’s get to our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’
Ah mih breddren, those words are ever so important in these very evil times! We’ve just got to be always prepared, for as we saw yesterday, the prince of darkness is always on the look out for Christians he can pounce upon.
Now, hitherto, we’ve been talking about the armour of God and what it does, today, let’s look at what it actually is. So let’s continue with Bruh Paul’s admonishment to the Ephesians.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:’ (Eph.6:14-17)
There you have it my people, the basic breakdown of God’s powerful and protective spiritual armour! And the scholars have some good explanations of what they are and what they mean.
‘6:14-17. 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 this 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.’
There it is friends, the basic explanations concerning the ‘whole armour of God.’ I do hope it helps us to better understand the Word. Those are the things with which we need to be equipped, if we want to fight a serious and victorious battle against Lucifer and his evil hordes.
Like any good soldier, we cannot go into battle unprepared, and the first thing we need is physical protection. But since our battle is spiritual, we need spiritual protection, which our God gives us totally. It is now up to us to accept it and put it to good use.
Please my fellow believers, let’s ramp up our fight for Jesus nuh, otherwise our talk and our supposed faith are all a waste of time! Much LOVE!
…a Christian…who isn’t fighting a serious battle for Jesus…is no Christian at all…
30 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and he strengthened me, appearance of a man, aura of love, Babylon, being foolish, child-like faith, confidence, demons, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, exuberance, faith, fasting, fled in terror, friends, Guide, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Israel's future, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, labour, lead, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mourning, one like the appearance of a man, our benefit, promises, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, satanic opposition, similitude, speechless, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, tarnish the image of Jesus, taunts, the author of salvation, the latter days, the likeness, the sons of men, the Tigris River, the vision, then there came again and touched me, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work diligently
Daniel 10:18. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.
Ah mih breddren, Monday morning has rolled around again, and it’s time to go out and labour once more. As they say, no rest for the wicked. (smile) But we’re not wicked; we’re saints, followers of the one and only Lord Jesus Christ, the author of salvation and eternal life!
But if we want to eat, then we have to work – and work diligently and sincerely too, so that we do not tarnish the wonderful and holy name of Jesus. And to help jump start our cold engines this chilly morning, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much exuberance and child-like faith.
As one earthly 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 a good rendition, and Jesus was pleased, as the smile on His handsome face showed. And if that didn’t get our adrenaline running, I don’t know what will!
But as we always try to do, especially on a Monday morning, here is our Bit, which encourages, reassures and strengthens our resolve. ‘Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.’
I know many of us won’t know that wonderful scripture, but it’s a seminal scripture, and one that we all should know, especially when added to the verse after it. To summarize, the story begins when Daniel is given a vision by the great river ‘Hiddekel’ (the Tigris) in Babylon.
Daniel declares in verse 2. ‘In those days I Daniel was mourning (fasting) three full weeks.’ Then on the 24th day, while by the river, he saw this angel dressed like a man. His acquaintances, though they didn’t see the man, fled in terror and hid themselves. And Daniel was left alone with the man. Obviously he too was afraid, but he stuck it out.
The angel told him how he was greatly beloved and encouraged him. He also explained about how he was twenty days late because of problems with certain demons. This can all be fleshed out by reading Daniel 10:1-13.
However, this explanation of verse 2 by the scholars shows the basic purpose of it all. ‘10:2. The entirety of chapter 10 is concerned with Daniel’s preparation to receive the vision. The emphasis of the chapter is the strengthening of Daniel and the satanic opposition that he and God’s angels encountered.’
Yes friends, even angels can be held up by demons. And yuh see Daniel needed to fast so he could be spiritually strengthened before receiving the vision, that’s how important fasting can sometimes be in our faith.
Then we come to verse 14, where the Lord showed him what would happen in the roughly two hundred years of Israel’s future. ‘Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days (a long time in the future).’ (Dan.10:14)
But when Daniel heard those words, he fell to the ground and became speechless. ‘And, behold, one like the similitude (having the likeness) of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by (because of) the vision my sorrows are turned (have come) upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me
Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.’ (Dan.10: 16-19)
Oh my fellow believers, it’s the same thing that our God is saying to us this morning, and every morning that He keeps us alive. And it’s certainly a promise that has buoyed me since I discovered it a few years ago. Let’s hope that it will speak to some of you like it did to me. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God…are given for our benefit…not to accept them…and hold on to them… is being rather foolish…
27 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, a modicum of circumspection, a name above every other, a touch of blue, a touch of white, align ourselves, an evil conscience, as a man, asaph, assurance, carnality, charles stanley, death of the cross, declare all thy works, do what we want, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, frustration, generous help, giving vent, glorious kingdom, glory to God, go overboard, good works, He is faithful that promised, hope, humbled himself, I have put my trust in the Lord, in Jesus' name, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jeeves, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, leave all the consequences to Him, light of the Son, LOVE, misdeeds, moderation, motto, mystery, number one priority, obedient, obey God, partying, prosperity, prosperous wickedness, receive the promise, relaxation, renege, rest, salvation, slave labour, stir up, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the goodness of God, the house of God, the things of the Lord, the weekend, the wicked are prospering, to the glory of God the Father, trust, truth, unto death, wicked attractions, wisdom, zenith
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Well, well, finally a touch of blue in the sky! But unfortunately there is also a touch of white on the ground too. I guess we can’t get one without the other these days.
But that’s okay, we can handle it, and anything else that’s thrown at us, once we get the brilliant light of the SON, which we do every single day. Glory to our great God!
But you’d also notice that regardless of the weather, the working folks are always rejoicing on Fridays, declaring stuff like: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Slave labour done for two whole, big days! Is we time now to do what we want, when and how we want!
And we going to start by partying down the place…giving vent to all the frustration that’s built up over the past week! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, so we can do our thing!’
Ah friends, as usual, the world tends to go overboard in the carnality of the weekend. As Jeeves would say ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is needed to temper it. Something more along the lines of our Friday Chant, that we shall now declare.
‘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.’
Yeh mih people, unless we get some rest, relaxation and fellowship on the weekend, next week will be even rougher than normal. So I implore us not to party the whole weekend away, like so many of us tend to do, for that just makes life more difficult in the long run. Moderation in all things friends! That should be our motto.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Yes my people, that was the psalmist Asaph’s conclusion after trying to solve the mystery of prosperous wickedness. And even today we wrestle with that fact that a lot of good people are suffering severe want and need while the wicked are prospering.
But yuh know what? The Lord has promised to destroy the wicked in His own time, so we don’t need to worry about them, that’s His problem.
Our number ONE PRIORITY is to get ourselves clearly aligned with the goodness of God, for that’s the ultimate in wisdom! It’s where salvation, eternal life and true prosperity are to be found!
Listen to the writer of Hebrews. ‘And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:21-24)
Yes friends, it’s all there! We have a high priest in Jesus who knows our problems and can identify with them, because He also experienced them while here on earth. So we need to stand strong in faith and LOVE and good works, like He did, and like Him, we’ll eventually receive the promise, for our wonderful God is faithful.
And if you don’t believe that, then listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Wow mih breddren! Yuh see how the Father was faithful to Jesus for His unswerving obedience; exalting His name higher than all names, and causing every knee to bow to Him and every tongue to confess His Lordship.
Likewise He will exalt us if we are faithful and obedient to Him and His word. The problem though is that the world has so many more colourful and wicked attractions that sing out for out attention, and we tend to gravitate to them, rather than to the things of the Lord.
But that’s not true wisdom my people. For the wicked will eventually pay for their misdeeds. Please remember that. The Lord has promised it, and He does not renege on ANY promise.
So please be wise and stand strong and faithful in the Lord God of our forefathers, for that is the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…better words were never spoken…
20 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abednego, Absalom, burned, confidence in God, divisive, Donald Trump, Egypt, faith, fell, Friday chant, friends, fun, furnace, generous help, get down time, glorious kingdom, god is still in control, gospel truth, grace, honesty, I shall not want, I will be confident, I will fear no evil, inaguration, Jesus Christ, lack, LOVE, Meshach, messenger, mine enemies, my heart shall not fear, my oyster, Nebuchadnezzar, parted the Red Sea, party time, passest through the waters, perspective, pray for the U.S.A., productive, promises, pushing the envelope, ransom, reassuring scripture, rebellious son, redeemed, relaxation, rest, scorched, seven times hotter, shadrach, sincerity, smelling of smoke, strong, stumbled, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord sustained me, the river Jordan, the secret to life, the trap of sin, the valley of the shadow of death, the weekend, tho art mine, tho art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust, truth, unified, walkest through the fire, war rise against me
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Well friends, it’s Friday…and what a big Friday too! One that will eventually decide what our world will look like in the future. We’re talking about the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America!
Wow! As the man says, only in America! I don’t know if there has ever been a more divisive leader in the free world! But as a friend keeps telling me: ‘Don’t worry, Trump might be riding high now, but GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!’
And that’s the gospel truth my people, our Creator is still in control, and always will be, and His plans are the ones that will eventually prevail.
But it’s also necessary that we pray fervently for the U.S. of A, because unfortunately, as they go, so does a majority of our world. That means we need for them to be strong and productive and unified, else our lives will also be affected in some negative way or another.
But yuh know what? Some people don’t care about all the hoopla surrounding Trump’s inauguration, they are still basically concerned about having the weekend off and being able to do whatever then want, when ever they want.
That’s because they know that come next week, they will still have to go back out and labour under the same strenuous and unfair circumstances.
So they are still singing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes, and the whole weekend is my oyster! It’s party time! It’s get down time! It’s whatever I want, when ever time! So thank you Lord for Fridays and the weekend!’
But as always, that’s simply pushing the envelope too far. Our Friday Chant brings a much better perspective to the situation. So let’s declare it with sincerity and strong faith nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s a much better way to characterize our weekend, so let’s move on now to our Bit. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
And tough t’s (smile) to those who don’t like our continued use of that awesome line of scripture! Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger, doing what I’ve been led to do. It’s the Lord’s will, and as we said earlier on, it will ALWAYS prevail!
Now let’s look at verse 4 of that amazing Psalm, 23, which we all know and continually quote. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Mama Mia! What a most reassuring scripture! And in Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God – when running from his rebellious son, Absalom, Bruh David again declares his immense faith and trust in the God of his forefathers.
‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:5-6)
Oh my brothers and sisters in Christ, can we make such a declaration in all honesty and truth? I do hope so, for we need that stage of maturity to help us handle this evil world without fear.
Listen to Bruh David again from Psalm 27. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 17:1-3)
Oh friends, those are the kind of words we need to confidently declare in these cruel and tumultuous times, if we hope to win this world for Christ.
And we’ll end with this momentous promise of our omnipotent God from Isaiah, as he talks about ‘The Lord, the only redeemer.’
‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place).’ (Is.43:1-3)
All I can say to that amazing set of promises is that the Lord fulfilled them all in some form and fashion! He created us, then when we fell into the trap of sin, He redeemed us through Jesus Christ. He parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River for the Israelites to walk over on dry land.
Then remember the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow to the golden image that the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar made, and were thrust into the furnace, heated to a temperature seven times hotter than normal.
And what happened? They cane out alive, not even smelling of smoke! Wow! And the Lord God of Israel will do the same for all those who sincerely believe and trust in Him! Please ponder seriously on all that today my brethren, for therein lies the secret to life. Much LOVE!
…if God doesn’t save…then who does eh…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but I did a lot of successful running around yesterday, obviously buoyed by the Lord’s help, and my penchant for late nights have simply not abated as yet. (smile) Much LOVE!
02 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: 24/7 society, adrenaline, aura of love, blood, bloodshed, confidence, Creator of the universe, dangerous, David, delight in burnt offerings, difficult, disobedience, dracula lady, enthusiasm, evil, faith, further your glorious kingdom, give the Lord thanks and praise, hypocritical, incense, lies, like clockwork, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, obedience, obey the Lord's command, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, sacrifices, Saul, serve a useful purpose, short of breath, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, test, the Holy Spirit, the long weekend, the Lord weighs the hearts, to obey is better than to sacrifice, truth, unfair, ungodly world, vegetating, wiles, work
1 Samuel 15:22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Well mih people, the ole fella is writing from his hospital room once again on this Monday morning, the first of the new year of 2017, looking out over the roof of the first floor and a small parking lot in front of it. Wow! What beautiful scenery!
Oh, before I go any further let me apologize for that typo at the end of yesterday’s Bit, where I wrote 2107 instead of 2017. I guess I must expect to be around till then. (smile)
Anyhow, I can’t tell you much of anything because nothing’s happened. I’m still short of breath, waiting to go for some tests, but I figure the long weekend is holding them up, as all the appropriate staff are not yet back to work. We’ll see what happens today.
In the meantime, I’m just here vegetating, trying to keep my peace and giving the Lord the thanks and praise He so rightfully deserves, hoping that sometime soon I’ll find out the problem, get it fixed and leave the hospital. And by the way, the Dracula lady just came for her draught of blood. (smile) They are here like clockwork early every morning.
But enough about me. I’m where I’m supposed to be, but others must go out and labour this holiday Monday, because of our 24/7 society. So let’s join them in singing a rousing rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and send them off with the adrenaline flowing powerfully through their bodies to do a good job on Jesus’ behalf.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was pretty good, but as usual led by the loud voices of those who don’t have to go to work. So let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday:
‘And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’
Ah friends, obedience is so important in the Lord’s realm that Saul lost his kingdom and his children’s inheritance because he refused to obey the Lord’s command. And I guess the same thing happens with us in these modern times, though on a smaller scale, when we are disobedient to God’s word.
I’m sure many of us can look back now at certain circumstances and see where certain things happened because we did not do what the Lord wanted, at the time He designated. Now don’t think that you’re being obedient when you do what the Lord wants today instead of yesterday as He asked. You’re not. The timing is also important, and being outside of God’s timing, counts as disobedience.
And the scriptures call now. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer. ‘Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. It Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of the book (scroll) it is written of me. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.’ (Ps.40:6-8)
Oh friends, like Bruh David, do we delight to do the Lord’s will, is His law within our hearts? I certainly hope so, otherwise we’ll be lost in disobedience and pay the price.
Now hear Cousin Sol. ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth (weighs) the hearts. To do justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.’ (Prov.21:2-3)
And Isaiah in his call to repentance, solemnly declared: ‘To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread (trample) my courts?
Bring me no more vain (futile sacrifices) oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with (endure it); it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting… And when you spread forth your hands (pray), I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood (bloodshed).
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. Learn to do well; seek judgement (justice) relieve the oppressed, judge (vindicate, defend) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is.1:11-13,15-17)
Ah friends, the olden Israelites were so hypocritical in their religion, that he condemned them before the Lord. The sacrificial system that the Lord had set up was fine, but the people were merely going through the motions with no real heart for God.
Sadly, a lot of that still exists today, and until we begin to truly LOVE, worship and obey the Lord, our lives won’t be as rich and smooth as they can be. Much LOVE!
…obedience is the number one rule in God’s book.
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, and any mistakes, but the hospital people had me jumping through hoops once the day shift came on. (smile) Hopefully, I’ll know better next time. Much LOVE!
01 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of life, a price to pay, battery of tests, bounden duty, disobedience, divination, fellowship, fervet prayers, great delight in burnt offerings, Happy New Year, hospital, inqiuity, jook, jooking, king of glory, let courage rise with danger, love mercy, loving kindness, obeying God's voice, Old Testament, praise, pussyfoot, rebellion, reign eternally, rejected the word, religious ritual, resolution, ringing in 2017, sacrifice, sacrifices, Saul's fall from grace, shortness of breath, sinful world, soldiers of the cross, spiritual reality, stand up for Jesus, stubbornness, Sunday, than the fat of rams, the Lord's Day, the trumpet call obey, the victor's song, thrashing around, to do justly, to hearken, to obey is better than sacrifice, total allegiance, truth, victory, walk humbly with God, walk with jesus, what doth the Lord require of thee, whatis good, witchcraft, worship
1 Samuel 15:22. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Well friends, here it is at last, Tuesday’s Bit, as you know they say better late than never and the ole fella had a rough day to say the least. I don’t know whatever made me decide to take a sleeping pill last night, because it drove me up the wall, drove me crazy, as though I was taking acid and I was just there making noise, howling at the moon.
I was so tied up with it, that all during the day I couldn’t catch myself. I wanted to write the Bit early, but I just didn’t have the wherewithal to do it and then the powers that be came and took me away to do a test to see if my heart had any blockages or anything.
The good news is though that there are no blockages, just a weak heart. So we have to find out now how to handle that using medication and otherwise and the help of Number One obviously. Because between you and me people, from what the heart looks like, if it wasn’t for Number One I might not be around at all right now, so let’s give him thanks and praise for all that he has done for me, and I’m asking for some prayers so that the ole fella can get strong again and keep on doing what he was meant to do.
Anyway, the long and short of the story is that they jook up my right hand, my right wrist so I can’t use my right hand to do anything strenuous, that means that I’m here sitting down in the back of Recovery, dictating this to my young daughter so that she can type it out for me.
It’s not to say even that they jook up my left hand and I can use my right hand but them’s the breaks baby, at least we are going to get the Bit going, because you know that is the most important thing, neither rain, sleet, snow nor sickness supposed to stop the Bit.
So all you Scrip-Bit family and friends who have your knickers tied up in a knot, please untie them, the ole fella is alive, he might not be kicking too hard, but in due course he will be, so just relax yourself, offer up some prayers and let us do what we are supposed to do. Remember this is a new year and we all promised that we will follow Jesus more closely than ever, so let’s do that.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday, because obedience is such a big part of following God: ‘And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren!
Listen to the psalmist Asaph, as he talks about God is the judge: ‘Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God, I will not reprove (rebuke thee) for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds; for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills.’ (Ps.50:7-10).
So friends, whatever we give to God, is already God’s, so let’s not feel so euphoric when we make an offering to God.
And hear now, the punishment for Judah’s rebellion as declared by Jeremiah ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they harkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.’ (Jer.7: 21-24).
And sadly the same thing is happening to us today, we talk plenty about God, but material things and the ways of the world, are what really control us.
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 51 – A Prayer for Cleansing – after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, Nathan called him out:
‘O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps. 51:15-17).
Now friends, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, believing every word that we speak: ‘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!’ Much LOVE my people!
…The three most important things dealing with God…obedience… obedience… obedience…
29 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a work in progress, accomplished, achievements, believer, blessed, blessings, brethren, but this one thing I do, ceremony, Christians, compassionate heart, curse, Daily Bread Devotionals, difficulties, disaster, disastrous scene, divine commendation, divine summons, dung, eager anticipation, earthly sojourn, erroneous thinking, eternal life, ethically perfect, faith, fidelity, finery, for the prize, forgetting those things which are behind, fresh snow, gifts of grace, goal, God shall reveal, grace, I count not myself to be apprehended, I press toward the mark, knowledge in christ, level of maturity, loss, LOVE, maturity, mind the same thing, mistake, molding, New Year's Eve, perfect, personal satisfaction, pomp, positive outlook, promises, promotion, prosper, purposes, reaching forth, reflections of Jesus, salvation, shaping, spiritual attainments, spiritually, strength to endure, succeed, successes, the error of our ways, the high calling of God, the same rule, those things which are before, Thursday's Blessings, thus minded, trust, trusting our heavenly Father, truth, wait for God' s good purposes, waiting
Philippians 3:13. Brethren, I count not my self to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
And then it was Thursday, two days away from the great celebration of New Year’s Eve, with a smattering of fresh snow on the ground. It’s not a great deal, but sufficient to cause problems if we’re not careful. So please be careful on the roads this morning.
And despite problems and otherwise, everybody is getting their dan-dan, (smile) their finery ready to go out and party and ring in the New Year with much pomp and ceremony.
But here again, please, let’s just be careful while we’re having fun, because the slightest mistake whatever it may be, can cause disaster. And we certainly don’t want to ring in the New Year amidst a disastrous scene.
Now here is a simple but interesting prayer I got from one of the Daily Bread Devotionals. Please pray with me: ‘Father, teach me to trust You for the strength to endure difficulties and the faith to wait for Your good purposes to be accomplished within me.’
Yeh friends, there’s nothing like trusting our heavenly Father and waiting with eager anticipation for His promises and purposes to be done in us, for spiritually we’re still a work in progress, and He’s continually molding and shaping us into reflections of His Son, Jesus Christ.
No wonder Bruh Paul could declare in our Bit: ‘Brethren, I count not my self to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’
Yes, he was still in that molding process. In spite of all his successes and achievements, Bruh Paul still felt he hadn’t attained that level of maturity and ‘knowing Christ,’ the way he wanted to.
Consequently he stopped concentrating on what had gone before, accounting it all loss and dung to the wonderful privilege of advancing his knowledge in Christ in the foreseeable future.
And to continue his noble search, he further declares after our Bit. ‘I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.3:14)
That verse the scholars explain thus: ‘3:14. The mark is the objective of verses 10 and 11 (i.e. knowing Christ). The prize is the joyful personal satisfaction of having attained it, as well as the divine commendation and reward to be granted in heaven for having reached this goal on earth. The high calling of God is the divine summons extended to the believer for salvation.’
Oh my people, there can be no higher calling than that of God, which exists through Jesus Christ, bringing the wonderful gifts of grace called salvation and eternal life!
Now the smart or wise thing for us all to do is to simply keep pressing on, reaching out for the prize, racking up rewards in heaven for the things we’ve done here on earth.
And as Bruh Paul continues: ‘Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.’ (Phil3:15)
And the scholars explain: 3:15. Be thus minded literally means “let us think this” or “let us hold this opinion.” Mature Christians must realize that they are not ethically perfect, but they tirelessly press onward for higher spiritual attainments (vv.13-14).
There is present, then, a bit of irony: perfect (mature) believers are those who admit they are not perfect in any absolute sense. The apostle urges all mature Philippian Christians to hold his attitude; conceding that none has yet “spiritually arrived” but ever pressing on toward further development.
If…ye be otherwise minded: The writer realizes that not all of the Philippian readers agree with this conviction of verses 12-15. But he is confident that God shall reveal their erroneous thinking to them.’
Likewise my faithful brethren, in these modern times we believers must also press on, seeking spiritual maturity in our earthly sojourn. And just like the Philippians, some of us might not agree with that path, but God will undoubtedly show us the error of our ways, if we don’t hold fast to that commitment.
And Bruh Paul reminds us: ‘Nevertheless, whereto (to the degree that) we have already attained (arrived, reached), let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing (be of the same mind).’ (Phil.3:16) And that is simple common sense my people.
But hear the scholars’ comments. ‘3:16. Whereto we have already obtained refers to whatever level of Christian knowledge and maturity the Philippians have attained since conversion.
They are to walk by the same rule, that is, live in accord with the same level of knowledge and maturity, if God is going to give them further light. Fidelity to the truth possessed is a condition for receiving more.’
Yes friends, at whatever our level of spiritual maturity, that is the standard to which we must walk, if we want to eventually move up higher.
So let’s go home with that in our minds and our Thursday Blessings being proclaimed by our tongues. Remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s been spoken over someone.
Now in full voice and strong belief: ‘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 friends, we are so blessed by our wonderful God, let’s go out and bless others nuh and thus glorify His Holy Name! Much LOVE!
…God won’t give us more…until He sees we can handle what we already have…
26 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: 24/7 machine, a feather in his cap, according to His purpose, all things work together for good, as a roaring lion, aura of love, Beelzebub, Casting all your care, catch us offside, Christians, christmas day, confidence, confirm, conquerors, contempt, devour, discourtesy, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, encouragement, enthusiasm, eternal glory, ever-faithful, evil, exalt you, face the music, faith, families, friends, frivolities of the world, glorious kingdom, glory and dominion, grace, Granny's advice, heartfelt compassion, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, humble yourselves, in due time, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kind words, labour, leave nor forsake us, lies, lives, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, make you perfect, mercy, nobody but Jesus, nobody know the trouble I see, out of key, raucous sound, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resist, rest, righteousness., salvation, season, seeking whom he may devour, settle you, sober, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strengthen, suffered, surrender our all, taunts, the devil, the God of all grace, the mighty hand of God, the nature of the human animal, the straight and narrow path, them who are called, to them that love God, trust, truth, uncaring ways, ungodly, ungodly world, vigilant, walks about, wiles, wisdom, wishful thinking, work diligently for Jesus, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Well friends and fellow believers, Christmas Day is over, but not the Christmas season. Let’s see if we can’t drag it out for as long as possible nuh – until next year this same time. (smile)
Yeh, I know that’s only wishful thinking because come the second, if not the first week of January 2017, we’ll be back to our ungodly, uncaring ways, treating each other with discourtesy and contempt, having forgotten the kind words, the generous giving and heartfelt compassion we had shared just a couple weeks before. But I guess that’s just the nature of the human animal, unable to stay on the straight and narrow path for any length of time, especially when the frivolities of the world call.
And although many of us are off today, many still have to go out and labour since our society has become a 24/7 machine that never stops. So let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with those unfortunate ones who have to go out and face the music today. Let’s lend them a helping voice so that they can be inspired and enthused to go out and work diligently on Jesus’ behalf.
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!’
Hn, hn! I have to laugh yes mih people, because it happens all the time. On the Mondays when only some of us are going to work, the raucous sound of those who are off are always louder and more enthusiastic, but also more out of key and harmony. Our Choirmaster, Jesus, could only chuckle and shake His head, because He was well aware of the earthly goings on. And He does appreciate us putting our hearts into it, though our voices weren’t that sweet.
And before we get to our Bit, it’s necessary to remind us of Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ Because if we don’t, Beelzebub will certainly mind it for us as He is out seriously prowling for any unfortunates he can find this Christmas season. I guess that’s why I’ve been led to this Bit for today. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
Ah mih people that’s ever so true! Lucifer is always on the watch for when we step out of line. And he’d be especially pleased to get his tenterhooks into us in this Christmas time when we’re celebrating the birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To catch us offside while we carrying on about Jesus…Wow! That would be a real feather in his cap. So that’s why we have to pay particular attention to Granny’s advice when we are celebrating, or for that matter doing anything at all.
And Peter continues after our Bit. ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Oh friends, that ought to give us some encouragement, knowing that others in the faith are also suffering some rough times, with the evil one right on their heels, just waiting for them to falter, to stumble and fall. Sometimes it will, and sometimes it won’t. For as we say, ’Nobody knows the trouble I see. Nobody but Jesus.’
We all feel that our afflictions and problems are different and more serious than those of other believers. But the truth is my brethren, we all suffer at different levels and different degrees, but ‘sufferation’ is ‘sufferation’ in any form or level that it comes.
That’s why Peter advised us before our Bit to: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
Yeh precious believers, our wonderful God cares a whole lot for us, but He can’t help us unless we surrender our all to Him. We just can’t keep some things for ourselves and give the rest to Him. He wants it all. That’s the only way He can properly control our circumstances. And believe me, He won’t ever leave us in the lurch, for He’s promised never to leave nor forsake us. And we all know that He’s ever-faithful about His promises.
And here are some encouraging words from Peter for us to go home with today. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:10-11)
Yes friends, in due course, the Lord will bring us out of our troubles, much stronger than when we first encountered them. So let’s apply ourselves to wisdom nuh, if we want to be honoured, exalted and looked after by our heavenly Father. Much LOVE!
…all things work together for good…to them that LOVE God…to them who are the called…according to his purpose… (Rom.8:28)
25 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a manger, a son is given, Bethlehem, born lowly, Christ's birth, Counselor, every heart, far as the curse is found, fear not, feed trough, For unto us a child is born, glorifying, glory to God, good tidings of great joy, grace, grateful, he rules the world, heartfelt, heaven and nature sing, His name shall be called Wonderful, Immanuel, in the city of David, isaac watts, Jesus Christ, Joseph, Joy to the world, judgement, justice, keeping watch, let earth receive her king, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, loving kindness, Lucifer, make his blessings flow, Mary, Merry Christmas, of the lineage of David, passionate, peace, peace good will to men, praise and worship, praising God, prepare him room, raise the roof, repeat the sounding joy, sacrifice, selfless love, shepherds, swaddling clothes, the angel of the Lord, the everlasting Father, the glories of his righteousness, the government shall be upon his shoulder, the heavenly host, the increase of his government, the Lord is come, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, the ravages of hell, the saviour reigns, the zeal of the Lord of hosts, there shall be no end, to establish it, to order it, truth, upon the throne of David, wonders of his love
Isaiah 9:6. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!
Ah friends, at last it’s the big one – Christmas Day – when our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born! Glory to God for that act of LOVING-kindness!
Now it’s also Sunday, and we are in God’s spectacular sanctuary, or below a coconut tree, (smile) come to praise and worship Him, so let’s open with an appropriate song for the joyous occasion nuh, the old Christmas Carol, ‘Joy to the World,’ written by Isaac Watts a couple centuries ago. Let’s raise the roof of our sanctuary and that of heaven with a most passionate and heartfelt rendition, truly believing what we sing.
In unison now: ‘Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love’
Ah mih people, that was beautiful – as it should be! There could be no doubt in the Lord’s mind now that we truly appreciate and are very grateful for the birth of His Son Jesus. And all around the world the same sentiments are being sent up, or have already been sent up to heaven!
Wow! This is one of the Red Letter days of our earthly sojourn – the start of the greatest movement that ever hit the planet – Jesus’ LOVE Revolution!
Now it’s scripture time, beginning with our Bit, God’s wonderful promise many centuries before to send us a Son, a redeemer. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’
And our great God, also being ever-faithful, fulfilled this awesome promise some two thousand years ago. Praise His Holy Name my people! And listen to the rest of the promise: ‘Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:7)
Oh my fellow believers what a magnificent Being, our Immanuel was promised to be! And was… and still is… and always will be! Now let’s turn to the actual birth of our Divine, Gift-child. We know that Joseph, Mary’s husband was of the lineage of Bruh David, so when the first emperor, Caesar Augustus declared that all his subjects were to be registered in their original birth places, Joseph and Mary had to journey to Bethlehem to do so, because that was his city.
Now while they were there, Mary’s time drew nigh: ‘And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes (strips of cloth), and laid him in a manger (feed trough); because there was no room for them in the inn.’ (Luke 2:7) What a shame to think that this great king was born in a smelly, noisy animal barn eh, and slept in a feed trough! But the Lord, as always, had His reasons. His Son was to be born lowly, for the lowly ones were whom He was coming to save.
Now hear the most wonderful part of the night of Christ’s birth. ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in their field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon (stood before) them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid. And the angel said unto them; Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’ (Luke 2:8-11)
Can you imagine the topsy-turvy emotions the angel’s appearance and words must have caused the poor shepherds? Then the angel continued: ‘And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:12-14)
Ah mih people, the sudden appearance of the heavenly host singing and praising God, laid even more drama on the shepherds. But shepherds are a hardy stock and the Good Book tells us: ‘And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Not the first or the last time). And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:15-20)
Ah friends, can you imagine the magical mystery, the glorious effervescence in the air around lowly Bethlehem that momentous and most memorable night that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born?
Well we should be experiencing the same sort of overwhelming emotions today, as we celebrate Christ’s birth, for His selfless LOVE and sacrifice is the only thing that keeps, or is keeping us from the ravages of hell and Lucifer. So let’s give much thanks and praise today nuh my believing brethren, because He did it all for us. Much LOVE!
…births are joyful occasions…but none’s been as joyful as the night Christ was born…
19 Dec 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feast for our eyes, a man hath joy, a word fitly spoken, actions, adrenaline, apples of gold, aura of love, benefit, by the answer of his mouth, character, Christians, commute, condemned, confidence, degrading, delights, doh bite de hand dat feed yuh, encouraging, enthusiasm, evil, friends, give account, habits, humble servants, invincible, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, justified, largesse, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make Jesus our focus, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nasty driving conditions, negatively affected, pictures of silver, Praise the Lord, precipitation, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, speak a word in season, spiritual armour, spoken at the right time, steadfast faith, taunts, tears of joy, the day of judgement, the meditation of my heart, the tongues of the learned, the words of my mouth, thoughts, Tobago, Trini Quote, trust, truth, ungodly funk, ungodly world, ungrateful, uplifting, wiles, wisdom, words
Proverbs 25:11. A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (in settings) of silver.
And then there was no precipitation of any ilk in the last 24 hours… Praise be to God! The roads were fairly clean and dry yesterday evening, and since nothing has happened so far (smile) to change it, then the Monday morning commute should not be too bad, be negatively affected by nasty driving conditions. We have enough terrible drivers on the road already, we don’t need foul weather to make it worse.
And one friend recently wrote me and drove the nail in further, re our bad weather, telling me that he was already in Tobago enjoying its paradisiac delights. It’s okay Anthony, my day will come – hopefully, sooner rather than later. (smile)
But be that as it may, it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn so that we can get the adrenaline running in our veins and make Jesus the focus of our hearts and minds.
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!’
Now that was a good rendition friends, but not good enough to bring a blazing smile to our choirmaster Jesus’s face or cause tears of joy to run from His eyes. Nonetheless, he was pleased with our effort. And before we turn to our Bit, here is De Trini Quote of the Day from my Trini friend.
It says: ‘Doh bite de hand dat feed yuh.’ And it’s often said to someone who is ungrateful. Like a lot of us Christians, who enjoy the Lord’s largesse but fail to give Him thanks and praise for His mercy and LOVING-kindness. Unlike believers like Bruh David, who knew on which side his bread was buttered and never moved away from his heavenly Father.
And my Trini friend ends by saying: ‘Have a GREAT day, every DAY!!!! Watch your thoughts They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’
And that’s all indisputable truth my brethren, so please let’s pay close attention to our thoughts, for they eventually bring words and actions that become habits, which further testify to our character.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is filled with more words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (in settings) of silver.’ And is that ever so true my people! Certain words spoken at certain times just lift us up.
And how like Cousin Sol to paint such a brilliant word picture. Just imagine pictures of golden apples on a background of silver nuh. A virtual feast for the eyes! There is something about beauty that simply transcends our negative emotions. The same goes for a right word at the right time.
And the scholars declare: 25:11. A timely and fitting word is precious and pleasing.’ And so it is my brethren. That’s why we have to watch our words very carefully, because they can either be pleasing and raise our spirits, or degrading and put us into an ungodly funk. (smile)
Listen to Isaiah on the subject. ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.’ (Is.50:4)
Yeh friends, it’s so wonderful to be able to speak uplifting and encouraging words to our fellow man. Let’s ask the Lord to treat us like Isaiah nuh; every day help us to speak words of encouragement and exhortation to those around us.
Meanwhile, earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol makes the same statement in a different way, ‘A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!’ (Prov.15:23) It is very good my brethren!
Now listen to Jesus on the subject of our words. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:36-37)
Oh precious people of God, please take special notice of those words of Jesus, for our words are powerful, they have the power of life and death, and we will have to answer for every idle, every negative word we’ve ever spoken!
And we’ll end in a fitting manner with these wise, immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 19 – The creation and covenants of God. ‘Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.’ (Ps.19:14)
Oh my beloved brethren, it’s ever so important that what we think, feel and speak are pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight! In light of all we’ve said above, it could only be of enormous benefit to us. Much LOVE!
…the world was spoken into existence by words…and Jesus was the Word made flesh…therefore words are of extreme importance…
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