09 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acclamations, all things, angels, called according to His purpose, contentment, depth, distress, encouraging, encouraging scriptures, famine, friend of Jesus, God is sovereign, God will supply all of our needs, God's Word, height, his riches in glory, holy edicts, hurry, I can do all things, if God be for me, more than conquerors, nakedness, peril, persecution, pricipalities, saints of Jesus, sense of purpose, share His love, sword, testing, the Lord has made, the Love of Christ, this is the day, through Christ, to thos who love God, tribulation, Tuesday Mantra, uplifting, walk in obedience, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who can be against me, who shall separate us, who strengthens me, work together for good, worry
Romans 8:35. Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Well a fine Tuesday morning to all you beloved saints of Christ Jesus! Hope the Lord is blessing you and keeping your paths straight as you walk in obedience to His holy edicts. And if we’re not doing so well in our faith walk, then let’s declare some stuff that will help us remember God’s goodness and help us stand strong in these difficult times.
So let’s acclaim some acclamations nuh! (smile) And as always, the first one is ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) Yeh friends, what’s the point of being alive eh, if we don’t enjoy the wonderful days and life that the Lord has so magnanimously granted us? None whatsoever!
And on top of that we know without a doubt that ‘God will supply ALL our needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil.4:19) Oh glory to our great God, who knows what we need and supplies it to us. And with all of that we are imbued with such strength and power and contentment, that we can say with all surety and sincerity: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13)
Yes my faithful brethren, what ever we need to do, our great God, through His wonderful Son WILL give us the wherewithal to do it! Praise His holy name! And how can we forget this most wonderful acclamation? ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh?’ (Rom.8:31) NOBODY friends! NOBODY can stand against us if God is on our side! Please remember that!
And how about this one? ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ Oh friends, oh friends, that is such a strong foundation to stand and build our faith on that I have to quote these two relevant scriptures. John says it thus in his first epistle: ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:4-5)
What powerful and encouraging scriptures my people! Through Christ we’re so empowered that it boggles the mortal mind! (smile) And here’s what the scholars have to says about those verses. ‘5:4. Whatsoever refers to every believer born of God.’ ‘5:5. There is conquering power through this confession because God is sovereign over the world, and only through His Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’
Now that’s telling it like it is! If you’ve been born again with the Spirit of Christ, then you have the power to overcome any and everything that’s in this evil world! Remember too what Christ said: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b) So if you’re a believer you have very good grounds to expect victory in your faith walk because of Jesus’ victory.
Therefore, Bruh Paul was able to write these immortal words to the church at Rome. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:35, 37-39)
And the scholars explain it thus: ‘8:38-39. We cannot be separated from God’s LOVE, because it is set forth in a person who is God Himself, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. God’s desire to redeem believers cannot be frustrated because He is infinitely greater than any potential enemy. His plan will be realized because it is His purpose (cf. v.28).’
Yeh friends, God is the GREATEST! And we are children of the GREATEST, so nobody can mess with us and get away with it! How wonderful to know that eh! And I’ll be nice and spoon feed us here with something that we should all already know and believe. It’s God’s purpose for us! ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.8:28)
Most definitely my fellow believers, for all of us who are called to God’s divine purpose for our lives and respond obediently, He will, in the end, work out everything for our good. We might not see or appreciate His workings right now, but as true believers, we can be sure that it will be all right in the end! Glory to God my people!
Now let’s go home sincerely declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and a true sense of purpose: ‘In God’s eyes, 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!’
And now it’s time to go out and share that friendship and LOVE of Jesus with the many who desperately need it today. Much LOVE!
…when we’re down…nothing lifts us up…like God’s Word…that’s filled with all His wonderful promises…
P.S. I’m here chuckling because this wasn’t the lesson I intended to teach this morning…in fact I didn’t have anything in mind. (smile) But this is where I was led. Thanks to our ever-faithful God! And I believe it is encouraging and uplifting. Let’s hope you find it so too. Much LOVE!
22 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lover of God, a lover of the world, abides for ever, acceptable, after one time is two, all my needs, all that is in the world, be aware of God's plan, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, burn the candle at both ends, by the renewing of your mind, chickens come home to roost, circumspection, common sense, crapaud smoke mih pipe, dedication, enmity with God, eternal life, eye candy, fellowship, followers of Jesus, Friday chant, friendship of the world, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, glamorous, happen through me, he that doeth the will of God, His guidance, if any man love the world, in Jesus name, is going to happen to me, is not in him, jeopardizing, keep us out of trouble, like a viper, love not the world, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, meditating on it, my computer is working, no precipitation, overdoing, party popping, prayer, prove, reading His word, relaxation, respect, rest, salvation, sane and sensible, sleeping on the work, something good, submission, surrender, TGIF!, Thank god for Fridays, Thank God is Friday, the Lord will provide, the love of the Father, the lust thereof, the perfect will of God, the pleasures of the world, the pride of life, the sun is shining brightly, the things that are in the world, the world passes away, this is the day the Lord has made, through His riches in glory, we will rejoice and be glad in it, weekends, what is good, wisdom, workingman's song
1 John 2:15. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.
No precipitation…and the sun is shining brightly…and my desktop seems to be working decently …Glory to God! Yeh friends it looks like it’s going to be a good day all around! And even if it isn’t, we’ll still declare with sincere faith and trust: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it! And the Lord will supply ALL my needs through His riches in glory! Therefore me and my house will surely follow Him!’
And consequently; ‘Something good is going to happen to me today!’ As well as ‘Something good is going to happen through me today!’ Oh bless the Holy Name of our great and merciful God my believing brethren and forget not His benefits! Yeh mih people, the ole fella’s on a roll this Friday morning! (smile)
But so is the workingman, as he sings his song: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Never wanted to see a Friday come as badly as this one nuh! Brother! Ah really tired this week after all the partying we do in that last long weekend, then having to go to work and slave for massa everyday! Steups!
Couldn’t even take a day off sick, because he was just waiting there like a viper ready to fire anybody who book off sick after the long weekend. So ah really don’t know how much partying we can do this weekend nuh. Ah finally realizing that ah not as young as I used to be and can’t afford to burn the candle at both ends as ah use to do!
As the ole people would say, after one time is really too yes! So we going to catch up on some rest this weekend, renew we energy, so that the partying could continue down the line! Wow! The body really tired and calling for sleep and rest! Hope the massa doh ketch me sleeping on the work today nuh…else crapaud smoke mih pipe! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes mih people!’
Yes mih bredden, our chickens usually come home to roost at some time or the other. The workingman is finally feeling the strain of overdoing his worldly pleasures. That’s why our Leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ instituted boundaries and cut offs for His followers.
He knew full well that overdoing the pleasures of the world would only bring heartache and suffering. And that’s why our Friday Chant is so much different to the workingman’s bacchanalian offering.
So let’s get into our chant now nuh, with strong voice and sincere sense of purpose. ‘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!’
Oh I know that our song is not as glamorous and party popping like the workingman’s, but it keeps us out of trouble with the enemy, and that’s all we need to ask of it. It gives us respect and circumspection as to how far to go and also what we need to do as followers of Jesus.
So please don’t denigrate it because it’s not as snazzy and popular as the workingman’s, which only invites the enemy to gain footholds in our souls, which is also the worst thing we could ever do, thereby jeopardizing our salvation and eternal life with Jesus. Now who would ever want to do such a foolish thing eh?
You’d think no sane and sensible believer would do that, but unfortunately there are many of us who are doing just that, nonchalantly disobeying the solemn and wise advice of John: ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ That’s the living truth friends!
As John continues: ‘For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.’ (1 John 2:16) Ah mih people, our natural instinct is to sin; participate in evil desires and lustful pleasures which are not a part of God’s realm and we have to stop letting the enemy deceive us with the eye candy that the world values but the Lord does not.
As James admonishes us: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world, is (makes himself) the enemy of God.’ (James 4:4) That’s it right there in a nutshell my fellow believers!
And also as Bruh Paul put it so plainly to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Oh my people, as believers we need to be aware of God’s plan for our lives which requires our sincere dedication, surrender and submission to His guidance. And we can only achieve that by reading His Word and meditating on it, as well as through prayer and fellowship with other believers. To be truly God’s, we have to delve into and revel in what is His, not what belongs to the world.
And I know some of you are saying that we preached this sermon just recently, but this is one of those sermons that some of us need to hear everyday! (smile) For as John so sincerely reminds us: ‘And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:17)
Oh friends, I’m sure we all want to abide for ever, so let’s pull up our socks and do better with God’s help nuh! Wisdom and common sense dictate that we do! Much LOVE!
…one cannot be both…a LOVER of God…and a LOVER of the world…
08 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all for our benefit, bad weather, be wise, broad is the way, choose life, Christians, clear as noonday, confined, dead to Jesus, difficult the way, do as I please, drinking, eating, endeavours, energy, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternally separated, evil, fellowship, few find it, field of vision, Friday chant, full mih belly, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, get a foothold, get sidetracked, gloomy winter's day, gospel truth, head and not the tail, his riches in glory, I am the way, in Jesus name, Jesus, karay mih body, leadeth to destruction, leadeth unto life, leggo beast, let it all hnag out, liable to get bite, live for the weekend, narrow, narrower boundaries, no one comes to the Father, on the outside looking in, one bad apple, overcomers, partying, relaxation, rest, restraint, slave driver, strait is the gate, strength, supply all my needs, sweet music, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that kinda behaviour, the Life, the Truth, the weekend, the workingman's song, this is the day the Lord has made, two options, ungodly world, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wide is the gate
Matthew 7:14. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
And then it was Friday…another gloomy winter’s day? Most likely! But who knows…and who cares eh? Not us believing Christians! We have Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour constantly looking over us, so we don’t let li’l things like the weather bother us, or keep us from doing His will! We get up and decide, whatever the weather or our circumstances: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Wow! What confidence we have in our Saviour!
And if that doesn’t do the trick, then we continue: ‘The Lord will provide all my needs through His riches in glory!’ And furthermore: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh?’ Not a single soul! And since we are overcomers, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath, through Christ who gives us the strength to do all that He calls us to do, then we can be steadfast and strong, and conclude that ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord!’
Oh friends, if you all didn’t need that li’l pick me up this morning, good for you, but the ole fella certainly needed it! But with the Lord’s help, we back on track now…praise His holy name!
So let’s hear what the workingman has to say this gloomy Friday morning. And I just LOVE his undaunted enthusiasm! ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…La la la la la la! It might be winter…and cold and miserable, but why should that make me miserable too eh? Especially when is Friday and the weekend upon me…when is my time to do as I please. I’d be real chupid to let a li’l bad weather stop me from enjoying the couple days off I have from the slave driver’s work yes!
So who want to let that bother them or stop them from eating and drinking and partying, that is their business, but it not going to stop me, because I just live for the weekend and the li’l chance to karay mih body to some sweet music, and full mih belly with good food and drink, especially in them kinda cold weather here! I need strength, energy and enthusiasm to handle them oui! So thank God for Fridays and the weekends and them yes!’
Yes mih people, the workingman is certainly off and running today. And I know that plenty of us supposed Christians think like him, and would like to behave leggo beast like him, but Jesus doesn’t like that kinda behaviour in His organization, so we cool it down, and instead chant we Friday Chant, a somewhat more controlled song, with narrower boundaries. So let’s chant up a storm now nuh!
As one chanter: ‘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.’
Ah mih breddren, a li’l restraint never hurt nobody yet nuh, but when you let it all hang out, yuh liable to get bite, as the long time calypso did say. (smile) And that’s all Jesus is trying to do yes with His narrow way; preventing us from getting bite! It’s all for our benefit, because yuh know how the enemy always lurking in the background ready to snap and bite at any chance we give him, so he could get a foothold in we souls and just spoil everything.
Remember, it does only take one bad apple to spoil the whole basket! And Jesus doesn’t want that to happen to us, that’s why He advocates the narrow, less travelled way. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult, confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
And that’s the gospel truth friends! But we don’t even need Jesus us to tell us that, because logically speaking, the wider or broader your field of vision or your endeavours, the more problems you’re liable to have, just because so much more is involved.
But getting back to Jesus, who wants to suffer destruction by being eternally separated from Him eh? Nobody in their right minds! So if we’re wise and sensible, although I know common sense isn’t in vogue these days (smile) we will choose the strait and narrow way which is through Jesus as He so sweetly and graciously enlightens us: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but my me.’ (John 14:6) End of story friends!
If you want to get to the Father, then you have to go through His Son Jesus! That’s all there is to it! It’s just like our earthly set up; to get to the boss, you have to go through His secretary. (smile) So just consider Jesus the Father’s Administrative Assistant, and if you don’t deal with Him, you won’t get a chance to deal with the Father! Clear as noonday my brethren!
So let’s take a few moments today and ponder which road we’re currently travelling on nuh, because it’s so easy to get sidetracked in this evil, ungodly world, that we need to constantly be on our p’s and q’s so we stay on the straight and narrow with Jesus. Much LOVE!
…only two options available…the strait and narrow with Jesus…and enjoy eternal life…or the broad and busy highway…and end up on the outside looking in…dead to Jesus…be wise…choose life…
02 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new song, abominable sins, acceptable year of the Lord, acclamations, adrift, as for me and my house, be joyful in their king, beautify the meek, Beauty for Ashes, capsize, comfort all that mourn, communication, congregation of saints, early to bed, early to rise, focusing on the future, garment of praise, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, halfway home, harp, humble, I can do all things through Christ, I will not tolerate strife, in his people, in the dance, Israel, lost, LOVE, make our lives right with Jesus, not turning back, nothing can separate us from God, oil of mourning, praise His name, Praise ye the Lord, sacrifice His Son Jesus, salvation, saved, sing Hallelujah, spirit of heaviness, strengthens me, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord takes pleasure, the stormy sea of life, this is the day the Lord has made, unconditional LOVE, vengeance of God, we will follow the Lord, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, will not quit, with timbrel, Zion
Psalm 149:4. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (humble) with salvation.
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy and wise! Hn! I don’t know about the truth in that nuh, because I went to bed fairly early, and got up fairly early, and I’m not feeling any healthier, wealthier or wiser! (smile) However, we are going to begin the day wisely by declaring a few acclamations to get us on the right path, that with our wonderful God.
So please declare (Chuh! still spelling it wrong) with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) ‘God will supply ALL my needs through His riches in glory, through Christ Jesus!’ (Phil.4:19) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) ‘I WILL NOT tolerate strife in my life!’ And finally: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord!’ (Josh.24:15)
Yeh friends, that ought to keep us going for today. But just to be on the safe side, I also want to have us declare (Bravo! Spelled it right) the Possibility Thinkers Creed from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional.
Please declare (another right one) enthusiastically and sincerely with me: ‘When faced with a mountain, I will not quit! I will keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine – with God’s help!’
Mama Mia! No friends, we WILL NOT QUIT! NEVER! For quitting is not in the vocabulary of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so therefore it should not be in ours either! And having got us off on the right track, let’s see what we can find to keep us there… (smile)
And the Good Book opened this morning unto a most appropriate Psalm: Psalm 149, which declares (right ho!): ‘Praise ye the Lord, (sing Hallelujah). Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made them (their maker): let the children of Zion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (humble) with salvation.’ (Ps.149:1-4)
Yeh mih people, that last verse is what I want us to ponder on today and write it indelibly in our hearts and souls. For if we don’t believe that our Maker takes pleasure in us, we’ll just be lost and adrift and eventually capsize on this stormy sea of life. The Lord really does enjoy us; walking and talking with us, taking part in ALL of our affairs, etc. etc! Why do you think He made us eh? So that He could have joyful communication with us!
Why do you think He went to such great lengths to sacrifice His only Son Jesus Christ for us eh? So that we could be saved from our abominable sins and thus be able to spend an enjoyable life with Him, both here on earth and in heaven for all of eternity! And that’s a long, long time! Do you think He would wish that upon Himself if He didn’t like and enjoy us? No way!
So please let’s get it our stubborn heads that our God sincerely LOVES and enjoys us! Obviously He doesn’t like our disobedience and continued sinfulness, and will chasten us when necessary, but as He’s said so often in His Word, His LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL! That means NOTHING can change His mind on us!
As Bruh Paul states so eloquently and emphatically in Romans: ‘For I am persuaded that neither death, not life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:38-39) My brethren, it’s up to us to believe that!
Now hear Bruh David’s take on the subject from Psalm 35: ‘Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all day long.’ (Ps.35:27-28) Glory be mih people! Our God delights in us!
And if you don’t believe Bruh David, then listen to this promise made through the prophet Isaiah, re good tidings of salvation to Zion. ‘To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
To appoint unto (to console) them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.’ (Is.61:2-3)
Oh my faithful believing friends, do you think the Lord would go to all that trouble if He did not take pleasure in us and was very concerned about our welfare? I certainly doubt it. Anyway, enough preaching. (smile) And since it’s Wednesday, let’s go home declaring (got it!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our sure and much envied position in Christ Jesus.
Wailing as one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…TODAY…is the day…to make our lives right with Jesus…
17 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a devout Jew, a pivotal role, a word to the wise, acclamations, against a stone, aura of love, bear thee up, Christians, confidence, dash thy foot, deceptions, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fear not, followers of Jesus, friends, fulfill the Old Testament, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God is a refuge and fortress, God spoke the world into existence, God will supply all my needs, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I can do all things, in the image of God, in their hands, invincible, Jesus Christ, lead us astray, lift you up, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, power of prayer, power of words, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, riches in glory, salvation, Satan, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strike thy foot, sufficient, the Son of God, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ who strengthens me, tricks, trust, truth, ungodly world, up his sleeve, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Psalm 91:12. They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.
Ah mih fellow believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, another Monday has dawned on us and many of us are, or were not ready to handle it. But as our Lord and Saviour said so often to His disciples in His earthly sojourn, ‘Fear NOT!’ Yes, we need not fear because He has given us the two most powerful weapons on this earth, that of words and of prayer!
Remember He spoke this great universe into existence, and since we’re made in His wonderful image, and have been granted total control of the entire universe, our words therefore contain great power. So let’s be wise and invoke some of them nuh, beginning with enabling declarations, powerful acclamations, encompassing His most faithful promises to us.
So please declare with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) ‘God will supply ALL my needs through His riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil.4:19) ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single soul mih people! Not a single evil soul has power over us unless we allow them to! That alone should boost our spirits!
And this last one that just confirms everything else: ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet.5:10) Oh Glory to God my faithful brethren! The same omnipotent power that has allowed some ‘sufferation’ in our lives, is the same tower of grace, mercy and forgiveness who will eventually bring us out of it all and reward us with the glory of heaven, through His magnificent Son, Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of ALL things! Wowee, Wowee! (smile)
Now let’s invoke that other eternal gift, the power of prayer, by declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘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, oh friends, our wonderful God will NEVER turn down such a heartfelt prayer request! And we know that’s true because we can now feel the adrenaline flowing through our bodies, as His Holy Spirit works His healing and enabling power in us! Give God the praise!
And friends, the most logical place to continue is with these enlightening and most encouraging words of the psalmist from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place); There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up (lift you up) in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone.’ (Ps.91:9-12)
And if you think our Bit isn’t important, just check out Matthew 4:6. Those are the very words Satan used to Jesus when he tried tempting Him to throw Himself off the temple roof. And don’t think that the prince of darkness doesn’t know the Good Book nuh; he knows it better than any of us! He knows how, why and when it was written because he plays a very pivotal role in it. And that’s why he has all those li’l tricks up his sleeve, why he can use the Word so deceptively to lead us astray.
So our best defense is to also know the word, so that when he comes to us with his lies, innuendoes and deceptions, we can wave him off like Jesus did, and contemptuously declare: ‘It is written, Man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God.’ (Matt.4:4) And friends, that wasn’t an original Jesus saying nuh, it was based on Moses’ words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:3.
And the other two times Jesus rebuked Satan, His words were also based on the Old Testament (Deut. 6:16 and Deut.6:13, 10:20, Josh.24:14). So please don’t think that Jesus just came spouting new stuff. Remember He was a devout Jew and His purpose for coming to earth was to fulfill the words of the prophets written in the Old Testament. As He said, the Old Testament was written about Him, He saw Himself all over it. (smile)
So friends, as we run our earthly race, let’s remember how Jesus ran His nuh, and strive to be like Him. It’s the only way that makes sense. He didn’t have it easy either, but He placed ALL His hope and faith in His heavenly Father. And if the Son of God could do that, we mere mortals, born of dust, would be foolish to do otherwise. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
03 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a journey, a plan of God, a ray of sunshine, a waste down, a wet morning, action them, against such, an extra day, Anselm, aspires to inspire, attributes of God, be wise, beat us down, biggest adventure, carnal, Christ's sacrifice, Christ's teaching, Christian believer, conceited, consideration, control one's passions, courtesy, death, desirous of vain glory, empathy, envying one another, eternal life, faith, faithfulness, fleshly matters, focus on the positive, forgiveness, friend, from one realm to another, fruitful lives, gentleness, gladness of heart, goodness, grow good fruit, have it more abundantly, hope, I am come, joy, kindness, leading and guiding, live in the Spirit, live life to the fullest, live obediently for Christ, live the life, long-suffering, LOVE, meekness, mercy, motto, negative aspects of the world, of your dreams, patience, peace, provoking one another, self-control, sow good seed, spiritual life, temperance, the ability to harness, the fruit of the spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the greatest loss, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit's direction, there is no law, they might have life, this is the day the Lord has made, unreasonable dreams, ups and downs, vie-kie-vie, virtues, walk in the Spirit, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what dies inside us, while we live
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.
Another wet morning, without even a hopeful ray of sunshine! Steups! But thankfully, there’s no precipitation currently descending from on high! (smile) Ah friends, the gloom persists, but as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we have all we need to handle it. And to boot, we can also truthfully declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24)
And we would indeed be foolish if we did not enjoy this extra day the Lord has granted us on His great earth. And yes, every day we’re here is an extra day, so be wise and enjoy it and live obediently for Christ, do the work God has entrusted to you!
For we each have a purpose and a plan of God for this earthly life. Our God doesn’t move vie-ke-vie; in a careless, unplanned manner, so each day we’re down here means we still have work to do under His awesome, gracious, merciful and LOVING plan. So let’s get to it nuh!
And it being Saturday, we will take a look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first quote says: ‘The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.’
And that’s oh so true! But unfortunately very few of us ever get to truly live the life of our dreams, because life is such a series of ups and downs, and none of us ever experience any downs in our dream life. (smile)
The fact is that most of us have unreasonable dreams, and even with the reasonable ones, we’re not willing to work towards them. Now dreams are important in this life, but until we’re willing to action them, they will always remain dreams.
And the next quote tells us: ‘Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.’ Now that ought to be motto of the Christian believer! Christ said: ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10b) What’s the point of having abundant life and not enjoying it to the fullest eh? It would only make Christ’s sacrifice a waste down.
But to enjoy our lives, we also have to focus on the positive aspects, especially of Christ’s teaching, because the negative aspects of the world only beat and break us down.
And the last quote says: ‘Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.’ Now that is gospel truth my brethren! In fact, death is not a loss of life at all, for believers it’s only a journey from one realm to the other, and even more importantly it’s from a short, finite and rough earthly life, to a long and glorious infinite eternal life. So we don’t suffer a loss of life at all, but move up to a higher, spiritual one.
The problem is the stuff that dies inside of us while we’re living this earthly life. We’re talking about stuff like, hope, faith, joy, LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, empathy, self-control and self-discipline; the attributes of God we need to live a faithful and fruitful life; things we call the fruit of the Spirit.
Thus our Bit: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’
Yes my believing brethren, those are the things we want alive and well in all of us, so that we can live the life Jesus died for us to have, and to do His work. Unless those things are reigning in our lives we’ll be unable to live good, Christian, fruitful lives like Jesus desires of us.
The Holy Spirit of God dwells in each believer, and is there for the express purpose of leading and guiding us in God-filled lives. That means we have to follow the Spirit’s direction if we want to live successful Christian lives.
As Bruh Paul so astutely continues: ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (its passions). If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ (Gal.5:24-25)
Now here are a few explanations from the scholars: ‘5:22-23. The word fruit is significant for three reasons (1) It means the result, product, outcome or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike “the gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular). (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer’s life overnight.
LOVE is the willing, sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return. Joy is gladness of heart. Peace is tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear. Long-suffering is patience with others, the opposite of a short temper, a disposition quietly bearing injury.
Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is, the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.’
And there you have it friends, ‘the Fruit of the Spirit Lecture 101!’ (smile) Yes, I know it’s not easy to cultivate all those wonderful attributes, especially with the world on our back to do differently, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we can certainly work towards them and be fairly successful if we set our minds to it.
Remember, as believers in Christ, we are done with carnal fleshly matters, and are supposed to live by the Spirit of Christ imbued in us. So let’s do that nuh, and consequently fulfill Bruh Paul’s desire: ‘Let us not be desirous of vain glory (conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal.5:26). Much LOVE!
…to grow good fruit…we have to sow good seed…
08 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a formidable task, a land that flows with milk and honey, all Christians hands on deck, aura of love, blessings, brought us into this place, Canadian, Christ's love Revolution, confidence, drunk or sober, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, fomenting, forgiveness, friends, generous help, given us this land, glorious kingdom, glory to God, Granny's warning, hope, Jesus Christ, joy, keep God first place, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, mind yuh business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, offering succour to the stranger, peace, pushed God out, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, righteousness., salvation, sending portions to the poor, society runs 24/7, spiritual armour, staying on the straight and narrow path, sunk as deep in the mire, thanksgiving, the fruits of our labour, the fruits of our prosperity, the Holy Spirit, The Israelites, the Worker Bee, this is the day the Lord has made, trust, truth, ungodly world, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wide and destructive path, wisdom
Deuteronomy 26:9. And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
Yes my people, it’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada! Glory to God! As the psalmist says: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) In fact, all weekend we’ve been celebrating and doubly rejoicing. Why? Because we have been obeying the Lord’s ordinance, as delivered to the Israelites by Moses, bringing the fruits of our prosperity to offer it before the Lord, sending portions to the poor and offering succour to the stranger!
And why wouldn’t we eh my brethren when ‘He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.’ And does this great land of Canada ever flow with milk and honey? It surely does, because we are living so much better than most of the world. Oh, like everyone else, we have our problems, but thankfully we have not sunk as deep in the mire as some of the other countries around.
We have not pushed God out of our society as much as they have. But if we continue on the wide and destructive path we’re currently on, we will eventually get like them. And the only thing that will stop us is by concentrating on staying on the straight and narrow path of Jesus; fomenting His LOVE Revolution, and thus keeping God first place in our society. And to do that successfully, we need all Christian hands on deck because it’s a formidable task, and no one else can do it, or is even interested in doing so.
Hn! Looks like I’ve preached the Sermon before the preamble. (smile) Anyway, the Holy Spirit knows where it’s leading me. And let’s not forget that today is Monday; the day so many of us LOVE to hate. And Glory be! It’s a holiday in this great land, therefore many of us won’t be going out to labour today…
And I hear a great groan from those who have to go to work because our modern society runs 24/7. But as always, we do have the cure for your Monday Blues. We call it our Monday Morning Battle Hymn! And it does work. So let’s get to it nuh…with whatever enthusiasm you can muster.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And all God’s people continued with a loud, hearty and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ as they feel their spirits miraculously lifted and their minds and bodies become more alert. Oh friends, that’s the power of the Holy Spirit; the worker bee of the Holy Trinity! And if we’re wise, we’ll pay more attention to Him as He tries to guide us in godly fashion, moment by moment.
And as always, the loudest and most raucous voices belong to those not going to work and have been deeply involved in the celebrations. And before I forget, for all you celebrators, Granny’s warning is a must this weekend. Don’t care if yuh tired hearing it, but it will protect your soul! Sonny Boy; drunk or sober, please mind your business!
Now getting back to the Thanksgiving story, here is some interesting scripture the Israelites were told by Moses to say and do after they had presented their offering of first fruits. ‘And now, behold I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.’ (Deut.26:10-11)
Yes friends, it’s our God-given right to enjoy the fruits of our labour with the poor and the stranger in our midst, but only after we have given the Lord His share first. Remember, EVERYTHING belongs to the Lord, and it’s only through His grace and LOVING-kindness that we are able to get wealth and become prosperous. So for those of us not going to work today, let’s rejoice and celebrate in the gifts God has blessed us with, but also remember to share our blessings with the less fortunate. Much LOVE!
…give thanks to the Lord…for His goodness endures forever…
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