13 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of loves, actions, all is not lost, aura of love, bad goods, bombarded, bounden duty, buckle down, character, Christ's body, Christ-likeness, complaining, confidence, contrition, Creator of the universe, disunity, do good, earthly sojourn, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, examples, fighting, fine fettle, fools, forgiveness, friends, get serious, gift, glorious kingdom, gospel of Jesus, great commission, habits, harmony, hope, humble servants, invincible, jehovah god, jobs, lies, LOVE Revolution, lustful, make thy name remebered, market, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, passion, pilgrimage, public places, rearing to go, relaxation, renewed vitality, repent, reverence, salvation, schools, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, spread LOVE, stand up for Jesus, steadfast faith, taunts, teach all nations, the church, the people shall praise thee, things of the world, thoughts, tiredness, to all generations, Trini Quote, trust, ungodly world, unity, urgency, wedding song, wiles, wisdom, words, worship
Psalm 45:17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
Oh my fellow believers, let’s hope this Monday morning meets us all in fine fettle, up and about, and just rearing to get out into the world and do good, spread LOVE like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did in His earthly sojourn!
So forget the complaining, soak up the tiredness, and let’s get a move on! And to aid us in doing that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much urgency and plenty passion.
As one earthly choir, sounding sweet like a heavenly host now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih breddren that was a good rendition; strong and passionate, though not as harmonious as we can be. Anyway, our choir master, Jesus, was pleased with our performance, so there’s nothing to worry about on that score. And since our motors are now idling smoothly, let’s get out there and join our fearless Leader on the battle lines, and help to grow His surging LOVE Revolution!
Now before we turn to our Bit, please check out this Trini Quote of de Day, recently sent to me by a Trini friend. And it says: ‘If fools doh go to de market, bad goods would not be sold.’ This quote is used as a warning to pay attention to what you buy; as well as well as laughter to the one who is selling. Have a great 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.’
Oh yes friends, our thoughts do eventually morph into our characters, so we have to be very careful about what thoughts we allow to percolate in our minds. Nuff said on that!
And now here is our Bit: ‘I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.’
Now mih breddren, though the psalm was originally written as ‘A song of LOVES; a wedding song for a king, that last verse, our Bit, is the bounden duty of all believers. We were made to worship and reverence our Creator and also to spread the good news of Jesus; His gospel of the free gift of salvation and eternal life!
That’s what we ought to be about in this earthly pilgrimage. We need to be worthwhile examples of Christ-likeness so that others will want to come to Him in contrition, repent and receive His forgiveness and salvation.
That is why Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Now the disciples did their job, they passed it down to the next generation. And every generation has passed it down until it got to us. So those previous generations have down their job.
Unfortunately though, we don’t appear to be doing such a good job at passing it down to the next generation, for the next one apparently has no time for God, which is our fault as parents and supposed teachers of the Word.
And to make matters worse, the enemy has taken control of the world and is trying his level best to remove God from all aspects of our society. And we’re not putting up the fight we ought to. That means there is even less hope of our children hearing about Jesus in the schools and public places.
It’s a sad state of affairs friends; we as parents have not done our duty properly in teaching the children about God at home, and consequently the children don’t go to church. And where, once upon a time it was possible for them to learn about Jehovah God in the schools, now there’s no religious teaching there either, so our children now have no real opportunity to hear the Word.
Furthermore, the enemy is building on that lack of God in our children’s souls by bombarding them with flimsy, useless, lustful things of the world. Will the next generation remember Jehovah God? And will they praise Him? Certainly not to the extent that they should!
People are turning away from God in great numbers, because the church and those who inhabit them are not walking the walk of true Christianity. We seem to be more interested in disunity than unity and harmony which is supposed to be one of the tenets of Christ’s body.
There is more confusion and complaining in the church than in the enemy’s camps. That’s why churches are failing. Friends, all I can say is that we must not give up; NEVER! We are still alive, that means there’s still hope, if we get serious and buckle down and begin doing our bounden duty the way we are supposed to.
Our God will surely help us, when He sees our sincere commitment. And we know that we can do anything with Him in our corner. So my fellow believers, let’s get it together nuh. In Jesus’ name. Much LOVE!
…all is not lost…the battle can still be won…if we truly come out fighting…and truly stand up for Jesus…
06 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, atoning death, aura of love, band our jaw, blessings, Christ-like, christianity, chutzpah, Colossians, complaining, confident, conquerors, cult, deceivers, deceptive teachers, denomination, DNA, dreams, enthusiasm, evil, faith, false teaching, frailties, friends, fun, generous help, glory hallelujah, harmony, heretics, holy spirit, hope, human, humble servants, imagination, invincible, Job, jobs, joy. bless the day, lies, LOVE, Messiah, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, Pharisees, population explosion, proud, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, scribes, spiritual armour, spunk, steadfastness, surrender, take heed that no man deceive you, take the bad with the good, taunts, the Mount of Olives, the sign of thy coming, trust, truth, ungodly world, warning, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 24:4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
And then it was Monday – the first day of the new work week. And all the workers joyfully declared: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank God for Mondays! We can’t wait to get back out to work. What a joy to be going back out to work today! Bless the day of Monday!’
Awright friends, I know I might never see or rather hear that joyful appreciation of Mondays, but that’s why the Lord built imagination and dreams into our basic DNA. If we couldn’t dream and imagine, then life would be boring and pointless. What I do know is that we should not be as reticent and complaining about going back to work on a Monday as we are.
Oh I know that there is a lot of pressure and unfortunate stuff involved in going out to work, but then if we don’t work, how will we survive eh, how will we provide for our families? Like Job says, we have to learn to take the bad with the good. (Job 2:10) We need to just band our jaw and get to it.
And don’t forget that Jesus is waiting out there at the front line for us to lead us into battle. So if we have the Messiah, the most powerful Field Marshall in the universe as our Leader, then we should be going out confident and proud. But since we are only human with lots of frailties, to aid us in our early week endeavours, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much spunk, plenty chutzpah and heavenly harmony. (smile)
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 a good rendition my brethren. Not the best, but it brought a smile to Jesus’ face, and that’s sufficient. Now let’s try and keep that adrenaline running as we go out into the ungodly world and influence people and win souls for Christ, through our Christ like talk and godly behaviour.
And that brings us to our Bit, a wise word of warning to the disciples from our Lord and Saviour. ‘And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.’
Oh friends, unfortunately that warning still holds true today, possibly even more so than in Jesus’ time, since there are more deceivers running wild today than in Jesus’ time.
And before we go further, let’s look at when and where Jesus warned them. He had been in the temple talking to His disciples as well as the Scribes and Pharisees re the ill treatment meted out to the prophets at the hands of their forefathers, about His death and resurrection, the destruction of the temple and His Second Coming. (Matt.23:1-39)
Then He left them and went out to the Mount of Olives so He could look down at the temple courtyard. ‘And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world (age)?’ (Matt.24:3)
Then Jesus began with the warning in our Bit, and then continued: ‘For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.’(Matt.24:5) And isn’t that the gospel truth my people.
As the scholars explain: ‘Many shall come refers to the parade of false messiahs who have now spanned the centuries of church history and have led many astray into false religious cults.’
And sadly, if only because of the world population explosion in recent times, it’s happening in even greater numbers today. Almost every minute of every day, a new religion, a new cult, a new denomination is born, further fracturing the already fractured movement of Christianity.
Bruh Paul also issued that warning about false teaching to the Colossians. ‘And this I say, lest any man should beguile (deceive) you with enticing (persuasive) words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your (good) order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.’ (Col.2:4-7)
Ah friends, what wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul. Advice that we badly need in these last days too. Now let’s check out some scholarly explanations.
‘2:6. The verse may be paraphrased thus: “Therefore just as you accepted the teaching that presents Jesus as both Messiah and Lord, so continue to maintain this relationship with Him.” The recipients had been taught that Jesus is (1) Messiah (the One divinely anointed to secure man’s salvation), and (2) Lord (the divine person to whom man submits in obedience).
The heretics denied Jesus’ atoning death and lordship. So the Colossians are urged to keep Him just as they were initially taught – as Messiah and Lord. They are to continue to look to Him for salvation and continue in submission to His authority.’
Well my people, we have been taught the same things as the Colossian’s, so it’s only logical that we also need to keep our relationship with Jesus as Lord and Messiah as strong as possible and don’t bow to any false and deceptive teachers, if we truly desire to see His salvation. Much LOVE!
…the only way to heaven…through Jesus…
30 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abckbreaking labour, abuse, aura of love, celebrations, Christ is Lord indeed, condemned, confidence, conquerors, conscience, degradation, distress, diverse culture, doctrine, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, ever-faithful, ever-Loving, every foe is vanquished, evildoers, faith, fire water, friends, glorify your father in heaven, good conduct, good works, Granny's warning, gusto, holy spirit, humble servants, incorruptibility, Indentured workers, Indian Arrival Day, inroads, integrity, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, let your light so shine, lies, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, made alive, Memorial Day, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, progeny, put to death, quickened, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, reverence, rewarding, sincerity, sinful nature, slavery, sound speech, spiritual armour, stand up for Jesus, steadfast faith, suffer, taunts, the good fight, the trumpet call obey, the will of God, trust, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, well doing, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And then it was Monday… But fortunately, for many people it’s not a work day. In the U.S. it’s the Memorial Day Holiday weekend, where the brave men and women who died while serving their country in the military forces are remembered and honoured.
Meanwhile in T& T (Trinidad and Tobago) it’s a holiday celebrating Indian Arrival Day. That was the memorable day of May 30th 1845 when the Fath Al Razak docked in the harbor of Port of Spain with two hundred and something adult Indians; the first set of Indentured (contract) Workers from India.
Slavery had been abolished and it was difficult to find labourers to work in the sugar cane fields, so the Colonial masters turned to a new form of human abuse and degradation. I don’t know if it was any better than the slavery the African people suffered, because it was still back breaking labour and the Massa still held the upper hand.
If my history memory serves me right, I believe they were contracted for something like seven years and then were free to do their own thing on a plot of land so generously given to them by the plantation owners. Anyway, that’s how the diverse culture of T&T began, and continued down through the years with all sorts of other races coming to settle there.
That’s why T&T women are also some of the most beautiful in the world – and that’s no lie – (smile) with the progeny of all the different races mixed together.
Anyway, last weekend we in Canada were showing off with our Victoria Day holiday, now it’s our turn to face the music this Monday morning and go out to labour. And as always, to help us get up to speed, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty gusto and sincerity.
As one heavenly 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!’
Ah mih people, that wasn’t so hot nuh. Chuh! You could tell that the U.S. and T&T people with their hoarse, raspy voices were already into their cups. Hn! Our choirmaster, Jesus, just shook His head and sighed a knowing sigh.
And I guess I’ll have to take a little of the blame for that since I forgot to offer Granny’s warning per these long holiday weekends. ‘Sonny Boy, please, ah beg yuh; drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’
And as true believers, we definitely have to remember that, because when we get into the celebrations, especially the fire breathing ‘waters’, we lose all sense of responsibility and give the ever lurking enemy a chance to get into our soul and disrupt it.
And with a disrupted soul we obviously can’t do what Jesus asks of us in our Bit. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
When our brain is all muddled and befuddled our lights definitely are not shining, neither are we doing good works. And we’re definitely not glorifying our heavenly Father, but rather letting Him down, sullying His holy name.
So all you friends in the U.S and T&T, please be careful, let’s not spoil the good thing we have going, with our wonderful, ever-faithful, ever-LOVING God.
Now let’s check out what Bruh Paul had to say to his apostolic delegate Titus on the subject. ‘But speak thou the things which become (are proper for) sound doctrine… In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness (integrity), gravity (reverence), sincerity (incorruptibility), Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part (an opponent) may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.‘ (Titus 2:1,7-8)
Yes friends, it’s important that the enemy doesn’t have anything bad to say about us, as Peter talks about per suffering and reward. ‘Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation (conduct) in Christ.
For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit.’ (1 Pet.3:16-18)
Ah mih people, a Christian’s life can be indeed be difficult and somewhat unfair at times, but overall, believe me, it is very rewarding. And we’ll close with some explanations from the scholars. ‘3:16. A good conscience refers to a clear conscience, that is, one void of offense.’
‘3:17. In the will of God we are sometimes called on to suffer for well-doing as a testimony to others.’ ‘3:18. That he might bring us to God means in order that Christ might bring us to, or give us access to God.’
Oh my brethren, none of us like pain and suffering, but it is the lot of our sinful nature, and if we sincerely turn to God in our times of distress, He will give us the wherewithal to bear it. Please remember that. Now let’s go out and continue the good fight so that Jesus’ LOVE Revolution can be successful! Much LOVE!
…stand up, stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…
23 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, armour, aura of love, barbecues, be strong in the Lord, buffeted and bombarded, ceasefire, Christians, circumspection, confidence, conquerors, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, faith, fireworks, footholds, friends, glorious kingdom, having done all, holy spirit, humanness, humble servants, infiltration, invincible, jealousy, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, let out hair down, lies, LOVE, moans and groans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, party trappings, put on the whole armour of God, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, schemes., spiritual armour, spiritual battle, stand, stand against the wiles of the devil, steadfast faith, summer season, tactics, the rulers of darkness, the whole armour of God, truce, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, Victoria Day, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, weary souls, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Awright friends, this notable long weekend in the best big country in the world is winding down. Yes, the Victoria Day holiday, named for the previous longest reigning monarch (63 years) in the British Empire, celebrated on the first Monday before May 25, is noted for the opening of the summer season.
It finds the privileged set flocking to their cottages in the country, while those who stay in town begin planting their gardens. And the weather this weekend has been rather appropriate for it all; warm and sunshiny, though with the occasional cloud cover. Hopefully today will continue to be the same.
And wonder of wonders, the traffic on the roads this weekend has been negligible in comparison to others of the recent past. What’s going to kill that though is the start of road repairs. Chuh! Sometimes the inconvenience caused by those road repairs makes you long for winter. But anyway, the barbecues and the fireworks and all the other attendant party trappings will be out in full force today.
That means I have to remind us of Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, please, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ It’s great advice friends, because it’s at times like these, when we let our hair down, that the enemy, who is always lurking in the background, finds footholds in our souls. And we definitely cannot afford to let that happen.
Now unfortunately, not everybody is celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday with a public holiday. That means many of us still have to go out and labour this Monday morning… and I do detect the jealousy in some of the moans and groans I hear coming forth from the unlucky ones.
However, as usual, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us overcome those jealous moments (smile), so let’s belt it out loud and sweet nuh.
As one harmonious choir now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, it was loud but inharmonious and somewhat scratchy. And you could tell by the hoarse and cracking voices the ones who were off today. They were obviously the most boisterous. Our choirmaster, Jesus, just sighed and shook His head, understanding the humanness of the situation.
But nonetheless, those of us who have to go out and labour, please let’s keep the adrenalin running and the Word of God constantly feeding our souls and minds, as we get out into the godless world and begin to do battle with Lucifer and his evil minions. Remember, once we have Jesus with us, the victory is assured! Glory to God!
And seeing that we’ve been talking about armour and battles and the enemy etc. I thought that today would be a good time to review Bruh Paul’s directives on the subject.
He tells the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:10-13)
Oh my fellow believers, those are very critical and important verses of scripture, which we need to write indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, so that we can indeed withstand the evil of this world.
Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “from henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no ceasefire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on “till the end there is all out war.
The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.’
Ah friends, this shows that we are engaged in serious warfare. It’s no gimmick, but a spiritual battle unto the death, a battle for our very souls, and we have to be very serious about it if we expect to be good soldiers of Christ!
And some more explanations from the scholars. ‘6:11. Put on denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
Yes my people, the enemy does set us up to fall, but with ALL of God’s armour on, we can defeat Him. And we’ll end here, because I know that many of you don’t want to have too much to understand and ponder on this holiday Monday. (smile)
So, God willing, we’ll continue it tomorrow. Till then, please go wisely and safely with God! Much LOVE!
…to party is nice…but it must be done with reasonable circumspection…to avoid the enemy’s untimely infiltration…
16 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: And it shall come to pass, aura of love, cataclysm, complaining, confidence, conquerors, Day of Pentecost, drem dreams, earning a paycheque, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, friends, glorious kingdom, God's will, good works, guides us, holy spirit, I will pour out my spirit, inconvenience, invincible, Jerusalem, jobs, kindness, lies, LOVE, makes our day, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, obedience, old men, peace, prophesy, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, short attention spans, Simon Peter, socialize, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, supporting our families, teaches us, the last days, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, wishy-washy, working, young men see visions, your sons and daughters
Joel 2:28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
Monday, oh Monday! What a wonderful day thou art! No friends, the ole fella isn’t losing his marbles – at least not just yet.
Monday is a great day. It gets us back into the normal running of our lives and reintroduces us to the outside world, refreshed and renewed. It allows us to socialize with a wide group of people, meet and greet all our friends and fellow workers – those we like and those we’re not so thrilled about. (smile) And above all, it means that we’re working, earning a pay cheque, and supporting our families.
Now doesn’t that make Monday a great day? I think so. But too many of us look at Monday as a day of inconvenience; meaning we have to get up and go out to work, with all that that entails. But whatever day you have to begin work after a period of rest will pose the same problems.
If Tuesday was the first day of the work week, we’d still be miserable and complaining. Just look at how we behave when we’re gifted with a long weekend. So, I’d suggest the sooner we begin to like Mondays, or at least not despise them as much, the sooner our lives will improve. End of sermon! (smile)
Now to tie all of that up and give us the wherewithal we need to get up and get going, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty gusto and lots of enthusiasm. Hn, hn!
As one majestic 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!’
Now that sounded real good friends! So good that our choirmaster, Jesus, gave us a big smile and a clenched right fist salute in acknowledgement. Glory Be!
Now all that’s left for us to do is to get ourselves involved in the ongoing battle and give the enemy heck! Kill them with LOVE and kindness! Oh, I know that is very difficult to do with some folks, but that’s what our Leader desires of us. And what our Leader wants, our Leader gets!
And having only celebrated the day of Pentecost yesterday, when the Holy Spirit was universally introduced, it is indeed important that today we be filled with it and let it control and guide our lives as our Lord and Saviour expects. That means we can’t be wishy washy today my people.
We have to stand up and be counted in true Christian fashion, like ole Simon Peter stood up on that first day of Pentecost and preached a marvellous sermon, based on our Bit. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.’
Now let’s hear some of what Peter said. ‘But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose , seeing as it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that day which was spoken by the prophet Joel…’ (Acts 2:14-16) And then he went on to quote Joel 2:28-32, which includes our Bit. (Acts 2:17-21)
And the scholars offer this important warning re Peter’s sermon. ‘2:16-21. Peter does not say that Pentecost is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the last days (Rev.6:12). Peter does not see a celestial cataclysm (vv.19-20). Yet it is that of which Joel speaks, because it is the beginning of that fulfillment.
Peter did not see the Spirit coming upon all people, but he did see Him coming upon 120 (those in the room with him). It was the beginning, but surely not the complete fulfillment. Peter understood, as we should, that the last days had already begun, even with the birth of Christ (Heb.1:2; 1 Pet.1:20).’
Yes friends, we are indeed in the last days, but the last days as God sees them; meaning that they are stretched out over a long period of time in our reckoning, but in His it’s not that long. And we’ll end there for today, because the rest of stuff I have to share will make it much too long. And I always have our short attention spans in mind. (smile)
So my brethren, until tomorrow, God willing, may He bless and keep us all, grant us His peace that passes all understanding, and help us to stand strong in faith and do good works in obedience to His will. Much LOVE!
…who is the one that teaches us what to say…the Holy Spirit…who is the one that guides our way…the Holy Spirit…He is the one that makes our day…
09 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, as for me and mine, as fruitful as a vine, aura of love, blessed, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, children, common sense, compassion, confidence, countenance, Creator of the universe, darkness, delights in His commandments, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, faithful, faithfulness, friends, fruit of thy labour, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grace, Hallelujah, happy, holy spirit, humble servants, impregnable fortress, invincible, iron sharpens iron, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, light, LOVE, mighty upon the earth, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, New Testament, obedient, Old Testament, olive plants, our Lord and Saviour, pass the test, peace, Praise ye the Lord, priority, proud, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, rest my case, rewards, righteousness., salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, test our faith, test our mettle, the church of jesus, treasure trove, true believers, trust, ungodly world, useful purpose, we will follow the Lord, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 112:1. Praise ye the Lord (Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Ah mih people, once again the big day called Monday has come around … It’s come once more to test our mettle, our faith, to see if we have what it takes to successfully make it through this earthly pilgrimage!
But yuh know what friends? As true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we do have the necessary parts, and we WILL pass that test of faith with flying colours! For our mettle is strong an impregnable as a fortress manned by God!
As the Good Book declares, in the wise words of Cousin Sol: ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov.27:17) Yes my brethren, that’s how the body, the church of Jesus Christ operates!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ’27:17. As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal friendship.’
Now I do hope we are all doing that, today and every day, and you’re not making me a liar when I proclaim it. (smile) But nonetheless, it’s Monday, meaning it’s time to rise and shine and make our way to our places of labour, wherever it may be.
And I know we’re only human, so we’re not always up to scratch on this the first day of the new work week, that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to wake us up, to raise our adrenalin levels and get us going to face the world with faith and courage. So let’s put down a good rendition today, make our choirmaster, Jesus, and all the hosts of heaven proud of us.
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!’
Glory be, mih breddren, that was magnificent! As Jesus enthusiastically twirled His baton, He looked back at the Father with a big smile on His handsome face and winked. As if to say: ‘That’s my people, and I’m oh so proud of them!’
Now friends, let’s go out into the evil and ungodly world that surrounds us and make Jesus really proud of us by being obedient to His will, being living examples of His gospel, salt and light to the world, so that others will see our joy and prosperity and come to Him for salvation and eternal life!
And today we have a wonderful Bit that holds awesome promises from our awesome God. ‘Praise ye the Lord (Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.’
And those words are ever so true my fellow believers! The righteous person; the one who holds our God in great awe and reverence and delights in His commandments will be truly blessed! Glory to God!
And the psalmist continues: ‘His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth (stands, lasts) for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.’ (Ps.112:2-4)
Oh my precious people, you see what is in store for the righteous person and for his descendants? Wealth and power, as well as the godly attributes of grace and compassion. Brother, what a treasure trove a man can reap by being obedient and faithful to our ever-faithful God!
And if you think that that isn’t true because it comes from the Old Testament, then listen to Jesus declare the very same thing in the New Testament. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes people, when we make God and His kingdom our first priority in this life, then we’ll want for nothing!
Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that life will be all wine and roses, but it will be certainly better, with true peace and joy in our hearts and souls than if we were to follow the foolish fallen angel Beelzebub!
Now listen to a couple of other scriptures which declare the same thing, starting with the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. ‘Blessed are the undefiled in the way (the blameless), who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps.119:1-3) More gospel truth friends!
And we’ll end with these awesome words from Psalm 128 – The rewards of faithfulness. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides (in the heart) of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps.128:1-4)
I rest my case people! Much LOVE!
…but as for me and mine…hn!…we will definitely follow the Lord…for that’s not only common sense…but wisdom from on high…
06 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abuse God's name, asaph, atonement, attitude, Babylonian captivity, berate, birds chirping, blessed day, blessings, boldface, castigate, children of God, Christ-like path, comeuppance, Controller, Creator, deliver us, deliverance, desolation of Jerusalem, early mornings, evil, eyewitnesses, fools, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, fun, futility, generous help, glorious kingdom, grace, heathen enemies, help, humiliation, intercession, Jesus Christ, laments, late nights, live it up, LOVE, make fun of god, materialistic behaviour, mercy, misery, no need to fear, O God of our salvation, offspring of Lucifer, petition to god, purge away our sins, recognized God's existence, redemption, refreshed, relaxation, remove god from our society, renewed, repenting, rest, retribution, revenge, revenging of the blood, safely through, salvation, shun, sinfulness, songs of praise, sufferation, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the destruction of Jerusalem, the error of your ways, the glory of thy name, the lusts of the flesh, the tender mercies of God, the weekend, to go to bed late is to be up early, turning to god, ungodly world, welcome you, where is their God, wisdom, with open arms
Psalm 79:9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins, for thy name’s sake.
Well friends, it was just one of those days; one of those interesting, divinely blessed days when everything just seems to go right! Glory to God! Oh, there were a few hiccups, a few bumps along the way, but none too serious to overcome or simply absorb. (smile)
Yes precious people, yesterday was indeed a good day in the ole fella’s life; busy, but not frustratingly so. And it’s strange that those sort of days simply morph into real late nights, or very early mornings. For as Willie Shakespeare was won’t to say; to go to bed late is to be up early.
And I had to chuckle when I heard the birds chirping their early morning songs of praise as I was going to bed this morning. Now that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it! (smile)
But I’m sure you all don’t really care because it’s Friday, and I can hear all the hoopla about ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend has finally come and we going to live it up as much as possible! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend yes!’
Ah mih breddren, that is the wrong attitude to have towards the weekend. It’s not just for play, as so many of us seem to believe, but for a combination of things, including rest and renewal for the following week.
And to help us better understand the purpose of the weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant, which lays out a more positive, sensible and Christ-like path. All together now: ‘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.’
Now that sounds more like the right way to use the weekend, not simply for partying and satisfying the lusts of the flesh!
That brings us to our Bit, which is certainly an interesting verse of scripture. ‘Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins, for thy name’s sake.’
Here, the psalmist Asaph, in his prayer for the destruction of heathen enemies, pleads for God’s intercession on the basis of glorifying His holy name. And he continues in the same vein. ‘Wherefore should the heathen (nations, gentiles) say, Where is their God? Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging (avenging) of the blood of thy servants which is shed.’
And before we go any further, let’s check out the scholar’s take on Psalm 79. ‘Psalm 79. A companion poem to Psalm 74, this psalm laments the destruction of Jerusalem at the time of the Babylonian captivity. The psalm has two distinct parts: expression of the lament to God (vv.1-5) and petition to God for deliverance of His people and retribution on their enemies. (vv.6-13)
Three motives for God to act are cited: the misery God’s people are experiencing (vv.1-4) the tender mercies of God Himself (v.8), and the humiliation brought to his name (v.10) Unlike Psalm 137, which seems to have been written during the Captivity, this psalm was apparently written by eyewitnesses of the desolation of Jerusalem.’
How typical eh friends, that after the wanton sinfulness of Israel, in the time of their comeuppance, they cry out to God for mercy, redemption and revenge. And they boldface enough to use the non-glorification, the humiliation of God’s name as an excuse for His intervention.
But at least the Israelites recognized the existence and power of the heavenly Father, even though somewhat late. However, today, although we are in the same basic plight as the Israelites, undergoing much ‘sufferation,’ we won’t even acknowledge His existence – or rather we acknowledge it, by trying to remove Him from our society.
Foolishly, unlike the Israelites, we figure He is of no earthly use to us. Instead of repenting and crying out to Him for help, since He’s the Creator and Controller of the universe and everything therein, we shun, make fun of, abuse His holy name and relegate Him to the backwaters of our society.
That’s a fool’s wisdom, my brethren! And there certainly are a lot of fools walking around in this evil and ungodly world!
Hopefully, if you are reading this, you are not one of them. Or better yet, if you are one of those unwise people, you will see the error of your ways and repent and come back home to Jesus, where you rightfully belong.
And there’s no need to fear returning to His fold, for He will not berate or castigate you, but welcome you with open arms, showering you with LOVE and tenderness, just like Jesus talked about in the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Oh my people, it’s about time we see the lack of wisdom in our sinful, lustful, materialistic behaviour, the futility of trying to erase God from our lives, for He is the One who gives us the very breath of life.
Without Him, His LOVE, forgiveness, mercy, blessings and grace, we are nothing. Let us please remember that and start behaving like the children of God that we are, and not the offspring of the fool Lucifer, as our society is currently reflecting. For turning to God, is indeed the wisdom of all the ages. Much LOVE!
…even in our most sinful state…crying out to God for mercy and forgiveness…is undoubtedly…the wisest thing to do…
05 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, a positive outlook on life, abundance, almighty god, Beelzebub, blessed, blessings, break free, commandment, compassionate heart, corrupt, courage, creativity, darkness, earthly pilgrimage, enlightening the eyes, everlasting light of Jesus, evil, evil minions, eyes of faith, faith, family, favour, find time, flattery, frauds, friends, fulfillment, glory to God, God's supernatural wisdom, health, I am blessed, illuminating our souls, Jesus Christ, lift up, lift up your soul, light of the world, make time, making wise the simple, material world, meditate, mercies, more to be desired than gold, our Lord and Saviour, prayer, promotion, prosper, protection, receive clear direction, reggae ditty, rejoicing the heart, reproofs of instruction, reward, righteousness, Scrip-Bit, self-control, self-discipline, shamans, shine bright, strife-filled world, strong will, study, succeed, success, supernatural strength, sweeter than hony, talent, testimony, the BIBLE, the Book of Life, the fear of the Lord, the Guide Book of Life, the judgements of the Lord, the law, the secret of life, the way of life, the Word of god, Thursday's Blessings, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, ungodly world
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Morning mih Scrip-Bit breddren! Another new day has dawned, and we are alive to see it…Glory to God!
And though it’s somewhat cloudy, with rain in the forecast, there’s no need for believers to be overly concerned, since we ALWAYS have the bright, shining everlasting light of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ illuminating our souls, to lead and guide us safely through the darkness of this evil and ungodly world.
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’
And talking about shining, I heard this li’l reggae ditty last night titled ‘Lift up your soul,’ by Kaisha Lee.
It contained a wonderful chorus that went something like this: ‘Shine bright, lift your heart up; lift your soul up; lift your smile up. Shine bright, lift your heart up; lift your soul up; lift yourself up. Why don’t you break free and lift your heart up; lift your soul up, lift your smile up. You know that you want to. You know that you got to… Shine bright…’
Yes friends, we’re supposed to shine bright because Jesus considers us the light of the world, and we do need to break free from the chains of this corrupt and material world and lift up our hearts, our souls and our basic selves to a standard that’s approved by our Leader Jesus Christ.
And since today is Thursday, let’s prepare ourselves to receive the new mercies and blessing our great and gracious God is getting ready to send our way, by declaring our Thursday’s Blessings, because, remember, a blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken over someone.
As one 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!’
Ah mih people, how can Beelzebub ever hope to defeat us when we are so well surrounded and bolstered by all those blessings of Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of this universe eh? No way Jose!
The only problem now is that have to believe it, see the blessings coming to pass through our eyes of faith. That brings us to our Bit, which rather appropriately has to do with light and guidance. ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’
What a wonderful and true bit of scripture my fellow believers. The Word of our God is indeed a lamp and a light to guide us safely through this world. The Bible is the Guide Book of Life and Living in this crazy and strife-filled world. It contains answers to every question and every situation that we can face in this earthly pilgrimage. But we won’t know those answers unless we read it my brethren.
And strangely and sadly, it can be so difficult to get supposed believers to read the Word of God. I don’t know why. We claim to be believers, and that the Bible is important, but for some unholy reason we can’t seem to find the time to read it.
Friends, let me let you into a little secret: you don’t find time to read God’s Word; you MAKE time to read it! Just like you make time for all the other activities in your life, you need to make time to find out how to live this life.
And that’s a simple reason why so many supposed Christians are having untold problems in their lives; they refuse to read the Word to find the answers to their problems, and instead rely on all the frauds, the shamans and all the other ungodly counsellors and directives of the world.
Wake up nuh precious people of God! You can’t know what God has to say unless you communicate with Him through His Word and prayer!
And hear how Cousin Sol puts it in his warning against adultery. ‘For commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman (seductress).’ (Prov.6:23-24)
Truer words were never spoken my fellow believers! Until we have a lamp filled with oil and a clean glass covering so that we can clearly see the way, we will always falter in the consuming darkness of this evil world.
Lucifer and all his evil minions read and study and meditate on their tomes of evil, so that they can become even more evil than they already are. So why can’t we do the same with our directives for righteousness eh?
And we’ll end with Bruh David’s take on the subject from Psalm 19 –The creation and covenants of God. ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yes than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippings of) the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in the keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps.19:7-12)
Oh my people, I can’t put it any better than that! And Bruh David knew exactly what he was talking about because he lived it. Why are we so presumptuous to think that we know better eh?
Anyway, nuff said for today! I implore us to ponder it all and to make the wise and sensible decision to get seriously involved in God’s Word, for that is the only way to successful living. Much LOVE!
…only in the Book of Life…can one find…the secret to the good life…
02 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive manner, almighty god, aura of love, ceasing to pray, complaining, confidence, conquerors, enthusiasm, evil, faithlessness, fear not, fear the Lord, followers of Jesus, glorious kingdom, griping, groans, hardheartedness, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, Joshua, joy, lies, LOVE, man-made idols, mire, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative factors, on the other side of the flood, pace ourselves, poor-me-one, put away the gods, quicksand, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, Samuel, serve him, sickness, sin, sincerity, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the Euphrates river, the evil one, the Promised Land, the weekend, tiredness, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, whining, wickedness, wisdom
Joshua 24:14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
Well my brethren, it’s that time again – Monday Morning…!
And I hear the mournful groans and poor me one sighs… Now mih breddren don’t even start with the nonsense nuh; the foolish whining and complaining! It’s Monday morning which means we have to get up and go to work. It’s as simple as that!
So please, let’s do it without any griping and talk of tiredness and sickness and all the other negative factors we quick to bring up when we don’t want to go to work. Let’s behave like true followers of Jesus and do what we’re supposed to do in a positive manner.
By now we should have learned how to pace ourselves over the weekend, so that on Monday morning we are bright and fresh and just rearing to go out and join Jesus in His fight against the evil one. And if we haven’t learned that as yet, then it’s our own fault.
However, as always, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us get ourselves together, so let’s sing it loud and clear, harmoniously and melodically, so as to bring a beautiful smile to the face of our choirmaster Jesus.
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 an okay rendition friends – not spectacular, but better than many others we’ve done, and though Jesus didn’t break out into elated smiles and gushing compliments, He was satisfied. So let’s use that build-up of adrenalin to get out into the evil world and work for Jesus, as we’re supposed to do.
And turning to our Bit, we get more solid advice to serve our Creator as best we can. ‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’
Oh friends, we couldn’t get any better advice than that! As we saw yesterday those were some of Joshua’s final words to the Israelites whom He had lead into the Promised Land, and with God’s help had subdued their enemies.
And why would Joshua have to warn them about turning away from the God who had brought them out of bondage in Egypt, looked after them for forty years in the wilderness, then gave them the land of their enemies over the other side of the Jordan eh?
Because he knew their hardheartedness and penchant for faithlessness. Remember he had been with them since the beginning and had seen how they had rebelled several times against Moses and the magnanimous God who had been so wonderful to them down through the years.
And so it’s not surprising that years later, another leader, Samuel, had to warn them about the same thing. This after they had turned against God and desired an earthly king like all the other nations around them, when the Lord their God was their king. So after God relented and made Saul king, (1Sam.9) Samuel warned them.
‘And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain (empty, futile) things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people.
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed (swept away), both ye and your king.’ (1 Sam.12: 20-25)
Oh my people, those sage words of warning are also very applicable to today. Remember, the Lord and His Word doesn’t change. So if serving Him truthfully back then was so important, why wouldn’t it be just as important now eh?
But sadly friends, we’re not listening, we’re going after other gods and man-made idols with impunity. How long do you think that is going to last eh? Not very long.
In fact, don’t you think that all the terrible disasters and strife and economic downturn, the climate change and all the negative stuff that’s now affecting our world has something to do with our disobedience to God’s law? I don’t know how much of our current woes are caused by it, but I’m sure some of it is.
And instead of waking up and turning back to God, in all our foolish wisdom, we just keep getting further and further away from Him, and deeper and deeper into the mire, the quicksand of evil with Lucifer.
Ah my fellow believers, the minority of us who know better, let’s try our best to change that unwise thinking nuh, and get our world back to worshipping and serving Almighty God, so that things will be well with us and our descendants, for that is truly wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will gladly and truthfully serve the Lord…
01 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ambassadors, Amorites, as for me and my house, be my guide, blatant refusal, blessings, bounden duty, Christian living, comfort, covers all the bases, different strokes, difficult times, disicples, do His will, encompassing, encouragement, evil, examples speak more forcibly than words, fear the Lord, feel discouraged, fellowship, first day of May, glamour, glitz, grateful, guidance, happiness, heartfelt thanks, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Joshua, lean on God for support, listen with conern, living God, LOVE, magnanimous god, material possessions, my every deed, my every word, New World Order, one and only God, peaceful moments, praise, praise the Lord for His goodness, prayer, put away the gods, reassure, rejuvenation of spirit, seek God, serve him, sincerity, sinful trap, steadfastness of purpose, strength to keep going, Sunday, talk the talk, thanksgiving, the Euphrates river, the gospel of Jesus, the Great Commission, the Lord's Day, the Most High God jehovah, the other side of the flood, time for church, troubles, truth, ungodliness, ungodly world, uplift, we will serve the Lord, wisdom, worship
Joshua 24:14. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, it’s the first day of May, as well as the Lord’s Day, better known as Sunday!
That means it’s time for church; time for praise and worship, for thanksgiving and fellowship, for rejuvenation of spirit, encouragement and steadfastness of purpose, plus all the other good things that our magnanimous God pours out on those who LOVE Him, diligently seek Him and obediently do His will!
Now I’m not going to harangue or lecture us about going to church today. That shouldn’t be at all necessary, for if you’re a true believer, then you’ll know that’s your bounden duty, so I’ll just leave that up to you and your heavenly Father. (smile)
What I’ve been guided to do though, is to share a prayer which I shared a long time back, so many of you would not have heard it, but it’s one of my favourite prayers. From the first time I found it in my mother’s Bible after she died, something about it just touched me, and I’ve prayed it almost every day after that.
It’s a special prayer prepared by the Life Study Fellowship, Noroton, Connecticut. It’s titled ‘Lord, Please Accept My Heartfelt Thanks!’ And the sub-title is ‘Praise the Lord for His Goodness.’ – Psalm 107:8’
Now please pray with me: ‘Dear Lord, You are so good to me! And I thank You sincerely for the many blessings You send me! I’m very glad to have You in my life day in and day out – whatever I do and wherever I go! You are the One who always does what is best for my happiness!
How grateful I am to be able to turn to You for guidance and comfort when troubles come my way! If any situation arises that makes me feel discouraged, You let me know I can lean on You for support! And because of Your LOVE for me, somehow I seem to find the strength to keep going – even through the most difficult times!
I’m grateful too, for peaceful moments like these when I’m all alone with You in prayer! Talking with You never fails to reassure and uplift me! Nothing I say to You goes unheard. You listen with great concern to everything I confide in You! For You truly care about me!
As I look to 2016 (or whatever year) I pray that You will continue to watch over me – and grant me even more of Your wonderful blessings! And may I serve You well in my every word, my every deed! Be my Guide hour by hour; I pray! Amen.’
Oh friends, I do hope that prayer touched you all! I guess what I like about it is that it covers all the bases, it’s so all encompassing, plus everything it says is true and relevant. Some of you may not like it, but that’s okay; it’s your choice. As they say, different strokes for different folks! (smile) Anyway, that’s my contribution for today.
Now let’s turn to our new Bit, a part of Joshua’s farewell address to the Israelites. He had just finished reminding them about all the good things the Lord had done for them, giving them houses they didn’t build, vineyards they didn’t plant etc.
‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.’
Ah mih people, that verse is even more appropriate and relevant in this New World Order than it was thousands of years ago when Joshua spoke those fateful words. That’s because the worshipping of other gods, plus basic ungodliness is so rampant in our current society.
Unfortunately, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not held in respect nor reverence by a rather large part of the world. Many people know of and about Him, but yet they steadfastly refuse to honour and obey Him. How sad that is my people, for our world could be truly such a beautiful place if more of us sincerely worshipped and revered the Most High God Jehovah.
Now why the blatant refusal to accept the God of heaven eh? I believe there are two main reasons. First of all, the pull of the material, lustful and sinful world is rather strong. We feast our eyes on all the supposed glitz and glamour and possessions available, and our hearts clamour for them, and the evil one just makes it so easy for us to fall into his sinful trap.
And the second reason is that we believers, supposed ambassadors and disciples of Jesus, who have been assigned the Great Commission (Matt.28:19-20) to teach and baptize and spread the wonderful gospel of Jesus all over the world, are not doing as good a job as we should. The hypocritical examples of our lives are turning people away from Jesus instead of drawing them closer to Him.
So there we have it; Lucifer and his evil cronies are doing a good job on selling sin, while the followers of Jesus are not doing a good job of selling righteousness. No rocket science involved at all friends.
So what are we doing, or going to do to change this rather unpalatable situation eh my believing breddren? All I can say is that we need to pull up our britches and do a better job of spreading the good news of Jesus, and backing it up with perfect, well not quite perfect, but much better examples of true Christian living.
Remember friends, examples speak more forcibly than words, and we can talk all the talk in the world, if we don’t walk that talk, then it’s useless, just wasted talk. And we’ll close with these precious and fateful words of Joshua, declared after our Bit.
‘And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (The Euphrates River), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15)
Yes friends, that’s the big and serious decision we all have to make. And like Joshua, I surely hope that we will all decide, with our families, to serve the Lord God Jehovah, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…until more believers get truly serious about the Great Commission…both talking and living it…the good news of Jesus will be sadly lacking in this ungodly world…
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