05 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, anger, appreciation, blessings, bondage in Egypt, bottomless morass, catastrophic history, christianity, compacent, covenant, deprivation, fat, finest wheat, first commandment, followers of Jesus, foolish pride, forgiveness, forgot who brought us to the dance, gilty of the same crime, gladness, god, God's dictates, God's goodness, gospel truth, greed, honey, house of bondage, I am the Lord, idolatry, In Touch, insular worlds, Israel's waywardness, Israelites, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joy, lazy, let us rejoice and be glad, live as though everything matters, lives of excellence, lives of significance, LOVE, loving kindness, lust of their hearts, make a positive difference, mournful lament, my people would not listen, negative results, new mercies, no other gods before me, omnipotent god, one true God, pangs of want, peace, picture of your soul, prosperity, prosperous society, protective umbrella, psalmist asaph, rebellious, refuse to walk in covenant with God, religion, rumours of war, showing LOVE, sin, sincere repentance, sinful nature, stop focusing on ourselves, stubborn people, subdued their enemies, the day of the Lord, too big for their britches, topsy turvy world, tough times, true disciples of Jesus, true discipleship, true reflections, ungodliness, uniform authority, walked in their own counsel, walling in the mire, wars, wickedness, wisdom, worship strange gods, Yahweh
Psalm 81:9. There shall no strange (foreign) god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
Oh Friends, another new morn is here with new blessings, mercies and forgiveness! Wow! Are we ready to receive this new day and all the positive things it brings with joy, gladness and humble appreciation? I certainly hope so, because if we’re not, then we’ll lose out on the best stuff that Almighty God has to offer.
And all God’s children joyfully declared: This is the day the Lord has made, WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!’
Yes mih people, that’s the way I like to hear us shout out loud and proud in the name of Jehovah God! It’s the only way to go, otherwise we’re showing ourselves unappreciative of His wonderful blessings, mercies and forgiveness.
Now, while going through some papers here just now, I came upon this little note I’d taken from an article of the June issue of In Touch Magazine. It’s simple, but it says a whole lot. ‘The way you live your life everyday is a picture of your soul.’
Now that sounds like gospel truth to me! Why? Because we generally live our lives the same way everyday, and thus they are true reflections of how we feel, think and behave.
And to expand on that, I’m saying that we should therefore live everyday of our lives as though everything matters. We should try to make a difference, a positive one that is, and stop focusing on ourselves, and our little, insular worlds.
As believers we ought to live lives of excellence, lives of significance that impact positively in, and on the lives of others. Then and only then, will we be showing the LOVE and true discipleship that Jesus desires of His followers.
Now here’s our Bit: ‘There shall no strange (foreign) god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.’
Oh Friends, that verse comes from Psalm 81, where the psalmist Asaph is writing of God’s goodness and the Israelites waywardness. But in fact it’s the very first commandment the Lord gave His people when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt way back in time.
‘And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex.20:1-3)
Oh my brethren, those words are self-explanatory, simple and to the point, as are most of the words of our great God! That meant the Israelites were entering into an exclusive covenant with Yahweh, the One, True God.
But as we all know, they were a rebellious and stubborn people and did not keep the covenant for very long. In fact they reneged on it several times during their long, stormy and catastrophic history.
This led the psalmist to write of God. ‘But my people would not hearken (heed, listen) to my voice; and Israel would (have) none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust (stubbornness): and they walked in their own counsels.’ (Ps.81:11-12)
Ah Friends, there’s a direct connection and relationship between the Israelites turning away from God, and our present behaviour, for we are doing the very same thing. We’re refusing to walk in covenant with God, and instead are taking Him out of lives; schools, public places and even homes, as quickly as we can.
And like the Israelites, the Lord has allowed us to walk in our own counsel. Hence the negative results, just like it befell the Israelites, EVERY TIME they turned away from the God of their forefathers.
I don’t have to paint a picture for you of the wars and rumours of war, of the strife, greed, anger foolish pride and idolatry that’s engulfing, no sorry, that’s already engulfed our ungodly world. And it’s getting worse everyday my friends. Everyday we’re sinking ever deeper into the bottomless morass of sin and ungodliness.
That brings to mind the psalmist’s writing, re God’s response. ‘Oh that my people had hearkened unto (listened to) me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their enemies…. He should (would) have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should (would) I have satisfied them.’ (Ps.81:13-14,16)
Oh my people, our wonderful God is mouthing the same mournful lament today, as He sadly sees us wallowing in the mire of wickedness as put forward by Lucifer. But He’s also willing and able to help us. However, we need to first turn back to him in sincere repentance and start living obedient to His dictates.
The Israelites belatedly realized this, but they were smart enough to turn back to Yahweh when it finally dawned on them. And in accordance with His covenant their society prospered. But again, that holding on to the covenant only lasted as long as it took for them to become prosperous, and they then forgot who made them so.
We’re guilty of the same stupid crime today my people. Some years ago, when times were really tough, a majority of society worshipped the Lord God Jehovah, and eventually the land prospered. But then, as is our sinful nature, we got fat, lazy and complacent and forgot who brought us to the dance.
We began believing that it was our own hands that had brought us the prosperity. So the Lord left us to our own foolish ways. Now every thing is falling down, coming apart at the seams, because there’s no single, uniform authority, namely Almighty God, to hold it together.
Oh Friends, when are we going to learn that our omnipotent God controls the entire universe and all that happens in it eh?
Listen to what He said long ago through the prophet Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed (proclaimed), when there was no strange (foreign) god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yes, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?’ (Is.43:11-13)
Yes mih breddren, the Lord’s omnipotence rules over His universe, and just like the Israelites, we are witnesses to it, especially with the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We’ve seen what Jehovah can do, so why are we so foolishly turning away from Him only to suffer the pangs of want and deprivation, when we could be comfortably enjoying peace and prosperity under the protective umbrella of His LOVING-kindness?
It makes no sense Friends, especially when history has a whole lot of societies buried in His dust, when they got too big for their ‘britches.’
So let’s be wise nuh mih breddren, and start turning back to Almighty God. That’s provided we want to see our topsy-turvy, troubled world stable and prosperous again. Now that’s certainly wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
… what is history eh….history provides a record of the past…to light the way of the future…but this foolish generation refuses to see the light of the future…Jesus…
25 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, a good man, abundance of the heart, adulteries, awesome package, blasphemy, bodies, calamity, centre of the personality, condemns us, coveteousness, daily blessings, daily bread, deceit, deceitful, defiles man, depths of our souls, dietary laws, digestive tract, diligence, essence of human sin, ever-faithful, evil, evil eye, evil things, evil thoughts, evil treasure, exorbitant price, faithfulness, foolishness, forgiveness, fornication, fountainhead of life, full of evil, fullness of hearts, futility, generosity, generous, good and corrupt fruit, good things, good treasure of the heart, honesty, incurably sick, issues of life, jehovah god, kind of heart, lasciviousness, law of God, licentiousness, LOVE the Lord with all our hearts, loving kindness, madness, minds, mischief, moral consciousness, moral life, murder, new mercy, Old Testament, perversity, pride, purifying the heart, religion, remedy, ritual observances, seat of conscious life, seat of the intellect, seeking spiritual salvation, selfishness, serving, souls, sows discord, spiritual life, spirituality, theft, theology, upright hearts, wicked, wickedness, wildfire, wisdom, worshipping, worthless man
Jeremiah 17:9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?
Oh Friends, morning is breaking, just like all those other mornings of the past! And to sweeten matters, God’s daily blessings are also being prepared anew – no stale stuff – as has been done each and every day, right down through the ages. So our daily bread is on its way, accompanied by new mercy and forgiveness. What an awesome package that is my people!
And all God’s children declared a loud, joyous and grateful: ‘Thank You Lord for Your overwhelming generosity and LOVING-kindness! We LOVE You Lord, and praise Your Holy Name! Please help us to continue serving and worshipping You with fullness of hearts, souls, bodies and minds. Amen.’
Yes my Friends, our God is ever-faithful and generous to us, although we don’t deserve it. But that’s just the kind of Deity He is; that’s just the kind of heart He possesses. The problem though is that our honesty and faithfulness cannot be guaranteed. For as our Bit so wisely declares: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?’
And the answer to that rather imposing question my brethren, is ONLY Jehovah God!
That’s because our hearts are naturally inclined to deceit and selfishness. It can get so bad, that at times we even fool ourselves, thinking that we have such wonderful and upright hearts, only to later discover the true wickedness buried deep in them.
Cousin Sol, in describing a worthless and wicked man, said it a long time ago. ‘Frowardness (perversity) is in his heart, he deviseth mischief (evil) continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.’ (Prov.6:14-15)
And sadly Friends, that’s a rather apt and appropriate description of a great number of humans on God’s great earth, including many so-called believers. No wonder our world is in the sorry state it’s in!
Jesus Himself, on the subject of good and corrupt fruit, had this to say re our hearts. ‘O generation (brood, offspring) of vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.’ (Matt.12:34-35)
And if anybody should know about that sort of thing, it’s certainly Jesus!
Then later on, in explaining what defiles, Jesus says: ‘That which cometh out of the man defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness (licentiousness), an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.’ (Mark 7:20-23)
Ah mih people, I guess Jesus condemns us all right there, since we all are guilty of at least one or more of those misdeed, and they all stem from what’s happening down in the depths of our souls.
Now listen to the scholars: ‘Many apparently thought that the food itself forbidden by parts of the Old Testament (see, e.g. Lev.11) rendered the eater unclean. Jesus is not challenging the accuracy of the Old Testament. He is pointing out that what one produces from, not what he takes into, himself is the essence of the human sin.
In context, Jesus is pointing out the futility of seeking spiritual salvation by means of ritual observances, like dietary laws, which are incapable of purifying the heart (i.e., the moral life) A clean heart is something different from a properly cared for digestive tract.’
And while declaring that all things come to the righteous and to the wicked, the Preacher imparts this bit of wisdom. ‘This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.’ (Eccl. 9:3)
But why is the heart so maligned eh? That’s partly because as the scholars explain: ‘Heart could often be translated “mind” in the book. Since the Hebrews had no separate word for “mind,” the word “heart” often served to represent the seat of the intellect. The key to the whole man is his mind. Whatever captures the mind captures the man.
The Old Testament word ‘heart’ often refers to the physical organ of the circulatory system. Both Testaments also see the heart figuratively as the centre of the personality or spiritual life. The heart is the seat of intellect, emotions, will, and moral consciousness. It is the personality which has that extraordinary ability to perceive itself.
The heart is presented as the seat of conscious life and the fountainhead of life. Illustration: Jesus taught that sin came out of the heart of people, thus defiling them (Mark 7:21-23). Yet after conversion, one of the characteristics of Christians is that they have the law of God written in their hearts. (Heb.8:8-12). Application: Christians should LOVE the Lord with all their hearts (Matt.22:37). (First ref. Gen.6:5; Primary ref. Prov.4:23; cf. Rom.2:15)
Please note that I’ve quoted several of the references the scholars gave us, so you shouldn’t have any problems reading the rest. (smile) Remember though that the references are for our benefit; to help us better understand the scriptures.
And we’ll end with this rather appropriate reference from Cousin Sol. ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ (Prov.4:23)
Yes Friends, it all begins in the heart and the mind, and then spreads like wildfire after that! So to avoid all the evil and ungodly things that we can become involved in to our detriment, we need to guard our thinking and emotions very carefully, otherwise we’ll certainly get caught up in plenty calamity.
And that definitely doesn’t smack of that most worthwhile attribute called wisdom. So let’s consider ourselves warned. Much LOVE!.
..to him that hath ears…let him hear…or else he’ll pay an exorbitant price for his disobedience…
24 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a step backwards, actions of man, back to school, believers, blame game, breakdown of the family, chameleons, church, commensurate action, confidence in man, confidence in princes, constant fear, deceitful above all things, deceitfulness, deceptions, deceptiveness, divine direction, ever-faithful God, evil deeds, faithful God, faithful promises, fellowship, food for thought, fruit of his deeds, gospel truth, grieved the Lord's heart, hazardous act, heartbreaks, holy presence, incurably sick, Jesus Christ, lazy weekend, let our faith soar, lies, LOVE, make ends meet, man's innermost being, man's natural disposition, outsourcing, price to pay, progress, proper fellowship with God, redeemed heart, redeeming grace, refined by the fire, religion, righteous purposes, spirituality, stand strong in Christ, sunshine and roses, take heart, the heart is deceitful, the Lord searches hearts, theology, tree of life and knowledge, true motives, trust, umemployment, untrustworthiness, weekends, wickedness, working two jobs
Jeremiah 17:9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?
And then it was Saturday… Hip, hip hurrah! (smile) Long time I haven’t heard that one. Yes Friends, it’s Saturday with all its late rising due to tiredness from the workweek, plus from Friday night’s partying, with more plans for partying later on. Let’s hope though, that somewhere in our busy and /or lazy weekend, there are also plans for church and fellowship with other believers.
Unfortunately, some people work harder at home on the weekends than they do during the week at their places of employment. What with young children to look after – no baby sitter then, laundry to be done, groceries bought, the house cleaned, and all the necessary preparations for the following week.
Some people, especially mothers long for the week to begin. And with school soon opening, hn! That means more shopping for new fashionable stuff to wear, and all the other accoutrements for back to school. It’s a good thing my days for that stuff are over. Thank You Lord!
No wonder a lot of parents aren’t too enamoured of the weekends since their personal lives get even busier than during the week. But Friends, that’s the price they say we have to pay for progress, although I really don’t see how we can call it progress, when we’re so busy that we don’t have much time for ourselves.
And with both parents out working now, often at more than one job, just to make ends meet, that seems to be a step backwards rather than forwards, especially when you add stuff like the breakdown of the family, the high unemployment rate and the constant fear in the air of losing one’s job to outsourcing in some undeveloped country.
Anyway my brethren, I know it’s rough out there for many of us, and it’s liable to get rougher before it gets better. But as believers, we need to stand strong in Christ and the faithful promises of our wonderful and ever-faithful God.
Now He never promised that life would always be sunshine and roses, but that He will not cause us to suffer more than we can bear, and will bring us out of anything He allows us to go through, refined by the fire. So we need to let our faith soar, to take heart and believe that our Creator will come through for us, as He’s promised.
And talking about heart, let’s finally bring in our Bit: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?
And that’s gospel, gospel truth my people! Our hearts are so deceptive, and change so quickly, like chameleons, from one extreme to the next, who can really know what’s truly buried in them eh?
That’s why Jeremiah continues speaking on God’s behalf: ‘I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind, most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds). (Jer.17:10)
Oh Friends, the Lord’s lucky, He can see into the depths of man’s soul and reveal their true motives. Meanwhile, we humans can only judge another’s heart basically by their words and outward actions. And sadly that leads to an inordinate amount of lies, deceptions, heartbreaks and other evil deeds.
Now before we get into some relevant scripture, hear these important words from the scholars. ’17:9-10: The heart (cf. Prov.4:23) means man’s innermost being. The bent of man’s natural disposition, apart from God’s redeeming grace, is described as deceitful (lit. crooked) and desperately wicked (incurably sick).
Therefore man cannot trust his own heart but must leave all to God who alone knows the heart and judges all men fairly. Only a person with a redeemed heart can live in proper fellowship with God. (Job 11:13; 1 John 3:18-24).’
Yes my people, because of the naturally evil disposition of our hearts, trust in man is a very uncertain and hazardous act. No wonder the psalmist so strongly advised: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9) Please note that he specified that not even royalty can be trusted.
But all of this untrustworthiness began right at the very beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the tree of life and knowledge. When the Lord came looking for them, they hid, because they knew they had disobeyed Him. Their eyes were also opened and thus they realised their nakedness and attempted to cover up themselves. And when God asked them what had happened, the blame laying began. Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed the serpent.
Ah Lord eh! But God was having none of their deceitfulness and kicked them out of the beautiful garden. (Gen.3) And sadly Friends, from that day onwards, man’s heart just kept getting more and more evil.
Until the day God finally took stock of man: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (thought or intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day long). And it repented the Lord (the Lord was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.’ (Gen.6:5-6)
So much so, that He decided to destroy everything that He’d so tenderly made. Ah mih breddren, when man’s heart becomes so wicked that it alarms God and grieves Him so much that He considers destroying all the beautiful things He’s made, you must know that things are in a really bad state.
And we’ll end with some more important words from the scholars on those two verses. ‘Repented does not imply that God made a mistake in His dealing with men, but rather indicates a change in divine direction resulting from the actions of man.
It is “an anthropopathism” (a human emotion applied to God), describing the pain that is caused God by the destructiveness of His creatures. It is used 30 times with God as its subject, each time speaking of a change of mind or intention that accords with His righteous purposes, and results in action commensurate with those purposes.’
Wow! We’ll soon need someone to explain the explanations! (smile)
Oh mih people, there’s a lot more to come tomorrow, God willing of course. But let’s ponder today’s stuff with an open heart, remembering that it’s only as we turn to Almighty God with a redeemed heart, that we’re able to stand in His holy presence. That ought to give us plenty of food for thought. Much LOVE!
…who knows the true thoughts of a man’s heart…only the Lord God Jehovah…
19 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abased, achievements, aura of love, battle hymn, benefits, confidence, conquerors, conscious decision, contrition, corrupt sinner, enemy's wicked taunts, enthusiasm, eternal wisdom, evil practices, evil world, exalted, false exaltation, fantastic job, fight a good fight, foolsih pride, glorious kingdom, God of second chances, God's realm, godless world, haughty heights, help of the Holy Spirit, humble, humble servants, humble spirit, immorality, important principles, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, justified, lazy, lies, lost souls, LOVE, mercy, Monday, necessities of war, new workweek, physical attributes, power, procrastinate, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, repentance, responsibility, salvation, serious determination, sinful nature, social status, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, straddle the fence, the things of God, theology, true believers, ungodliness, ungodly world, useful purpose, value, weary souls, wickedness, wiles
Luke 18:14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday once again, time to get ready for a new week of work! And though by nature, mankind is lazy and likes to procrastinate, as believers in Jesus Christ, we have the responsibility to get up and get things done in His name.
That’s why on Mondays we shouldn’t be miserable and complain about having to go to work, but be happy that we have the opportunity to get out and fight a good fight for Jesus; a fight that will consequently have lost souls falling at His feet in repentance, seeking mercy and salvation.
Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, in full voice, with purposed hearts, to energize our selves and get us ready to face the wicked and godless world that awaits 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!’
That certainly was a most hearty rendition my people! All heaven was pleased. Now let’s check out our Bit. ‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’
Yes my brethren, today we’re again going to look at two major problems in our society, foolish pride and false exaltation. Now the world places great emphasis on our physical attributes, achievements, power and social status, but Jesus teaches the greater benefits to be had from the virtue of humility. That’s because a humble spirit is one of the most important principles in God’s realm. We cannot come before Him without a humble and contrite spirit.
Note what Jesus said about the Pharisee and the publican in our Bit. The former, who exhibited a proud and arrogant spirit, would be abased, cast down from his haughty heights, while the latter with a genuinely humble heart, though a corrupt sinner, would be exalted, simply because of his contrition.
Ah mih people, it’s the very same lesson that Jesus taught in the parable of the wedding feast. (Luke 14:7-14) There He tells us that when we’re invited to a function with no specific seating arrangements, don’t run up to the front, or the place that is the most visible, where you can be seen by everyone and have them think that you’re so important.
But rather, stay in the background, find a seat that’s not so visible, so that when the host or hostess comes and sees you sitting in that lowly position, they will move you up, exalt you to a higher position and chase one of those self-important, social status seekers, who had proudly vaulted himself, down to your position. ‘For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased (humbled); and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.’ (Luke 14:11) And Jesus says the same thing again when He denounces the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:12.
Oh my brethren, how many times does Jesus have to repeat that all important principle for us to accept it and actually put it into practice eh? Remember we can’t be straddling the fence, having one foot in the ungodly world and one in the divine realm. It has to be both feet in one or the other.
Yes, we do have to be IN the world to see and know what’s happening and help to make it right, but we cannot be OF the world, advancing its immorality, ungodliness and evil practices. And with our sinful human nature, that’s not always easy to do, but with a conscious decision, serious determination, the help of the Holy Spirit and our continued concentration on the things of God, we can do a fantastic job.
And we have time and space for one scripture that also reminds us of the immeasurable value of humility in God’s arena. It comes from Job, when his good buddy Eliphaz was lambasting him for his supposed sins. And though Eliphaz was on the wrong track in particular with Job, in general, he had the right idea, as he tells him. ‘When men are cast down, then shalt thou say, There is lifting up (exaltation); and he shall save the humble person.’ (Job 22:29)
Now Friends, that’s eternal wisdom, for wherever and whenever men are abased for their proud, haughty behaviour, they can yet be exalted by our merciful God of second chances with the proper contrition. So please let’s embrace it and go out and fight a good fight in Jesus’ name today, well suited up in our spiritual armour plus all the other necessities of war. Much LOVE!
…if we truly LOVE Jesus…then we’ll do our very best to fulfill His desires…
07 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflicted soul, ashes, break forth as morning, comfort zone, downtrodden, drought, exploitation, faith, faith in God, faith in others, faith in ourselves, fasting, god moves in mysterious ways, God's LOVE, God's power, homeless, hungry, in prison, insensitivity, light, little miracle, LOVE, loving kindness, miracle moment, musical heaven, naked, our God is magnificent, personal testimony, pointing of the finger, poor, repairer of the breach, righteousness., sackcloth, saving faith, selfishness, share wealth, sharing, sick, Society of the Little Flower, strife, the glory of the Lord, the path of faith, the way to prosperity, thirsty, undo heavy burdens, watered garden, who do we think we are, wickedness, worldly lusts and desires
Matthew 25:35-36. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, as I keep saying, our God is indeed a magnificent and mysterious God yes! He constantly bends over backwards to help us, and in the process, amazes us with His LOVING-kindness. Now here’s a personal testimony to His goodness.
Yesterday morning I was listening to some music on the R&B channel of the t.v and my mind happened to focus on a song I had heard about a week before. The song had taken my heart by storm then. I even considered calling my young daughter and asking her to get it for me, as we had been big fans of the artiste in the early stages of his career. But as the Lord would have it, I didn’t call her.
Then yesterday morning, a couple of minutes after the tune flashed through my mind, I heard the opening bars of this music that caught my attention, and when I looked up at the screen, lo and behold, the title of the song that greeted me was, ‘Who do we think we are?’ by John Legend, featuring Rick Ross. And yuh better believe mih people, that the ole fella was immediately transported to musical heaven, because that was the tune I had just thought about!
And they say that our God isn’t good and doesn’t move in mysterious ways to satisfy us? Nonsense yes! He certainly does!
Aye mih young D, I hope you got the message. (smile) Cousin John has a tune out that the yuh ole father truly, truly likes, and you know when he likes a tune, he just goes crazy over it, regardless of what anybody else thinks.
Anyway Friends, enough about me and my little miracle moment, though as I keep reminding us, it’s in the small, sometimes seemingly unimportant things that our God shows His favour, works His miracles. So please pay attention to the small things in your life, because that’s where we often encounter stuff that truly opens our eyes and thus builds our faith.
And talking about faith, here’s an excerpt on the subject from an article by Father Bob Colaresi, the Director of the Society of the Little Flower, St. Therese, taken from the 2013 summer issue of their magazine, Between Friends.
He begins the article thus: ‘This Year of Faith is a call to deepen our lives as followers and friends of Jesus. We continue to be invited to walk the path of faith: faith in God’s presence, power and LOVE, faith in other people, and faith in our selves as the dwelling place of God. Jesus constantly said to everyone He healed: “Your faith has saved you!’
And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren! Our faith is what keeps us going on. But then part of that faith is to show it in good works in action, as specified by our Bit: ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’
Yes my people, those are the things our Lord, Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ expects of His followers. And today I want to highlight a few scriptures that show those were very important things to our God, long before Jesus ever came to earth in human form. Listen to Isaiah, as he talks about true religion in Chapter 58.
The Israelites were fasting and doing other stuff to get God’s attention, but not with right hearts and motives. Thus God admonished them: ‘Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact (exploit) all your labours (labourers).
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite (strike) with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens (bonds of the yoke), and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal (share) thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out (homeless, wandering) to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health (healing) shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward (rear guard). Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.
If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth (pointing) of the finger, and speaking vanity (wickedness); And if thou draw out (extend) thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity (from darkness), and thy darkness (gloom) be as the noonday.
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places), and make fat (strengthen) thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee (offspring, descendants) shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths (streets) to dwell in.’ (Is.58:3-12)
Oh Friends, after reading that section, I just had to include the whole thing, because it just encompasses all that our Bit talks about. So yuh see, is from long time now that our God has been trying to teach us that to help the poor and downtrodden, to share our wealth with the less fortunate is the way to prosperity and His LOVING-kindness.
Then Jesus came and preached the same message. But have we learned that lesson yet? Not really, because we still insist on concentrating on our selfish, worldly lusts and desires, instead of helping the way too many unfortunate souls in our wealthy societies.
Oh my brethren, there are so many who desperately need our help, but are not getting it because of our insensitivity. But to be a true believer and follower of Jesus, we cannot let insensitivity capture and take over our souls. We have to be sensitive to the needs of others, whatever they may be, and try to help ease their burden, as Jesus desires of us. Otherwise we’re not true followers of Christ, plain and simple. Selah.
Yes Friends, food for thought. Take a moment and ponder it. By those guidelines, are you a true believer? And if not, why not? Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but taking action…means stepping out of our comfort zone…and that’s the mark of a true believer…
01 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abound in LOVE, anger, battle hymn, british north america act, Canada Day, Christ-like behaviour, Christian nation, coherent answer, deception, discernment, discrimination, drunk or sober mind your business, enthusiasm, fraud, fruits of righteousness, glorify God, glorious kingdom, God's standards, gossip-mongering, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, increase in LOVE, incredible aura of LOVE, ingrates, invade our souls, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, light a fire, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morally pure, praise of God, pray for the church, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resentment, roaring lion, spiritual armour, sure conquerors, the day of Christ, things that really matter, true wisdom, useful purpose, vim and vigour, weary souls, wicked taunts, wickedness, without offence, worthwhile things in life
1 Thessalonians 3:12. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in LOVE one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.
Well Friends, it’s Monday once again… And a joyous shout comes from near and far: ‘Thank God it’s Monday; Canada Day and no work to go to! Happy Birthday Canada! Way to go! You’re still the best big country in the world to live in, bar none!’
Yes people, Canada Day celebrates the birth of our wonderful nation! On July 1 1867, one hundred and forty six years ago, the British Parliament passed the British North America Act, uniting the British North American Colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada, to form a federation of four Provinces, with the Province of Canada being divided into the French speaking Quebec and the English speaking Ontario.
And since that momentous day Friends, we’ve been on the rise as a godly and Christian nation, although now, like so much of the world, our claim to that title is fading fast away. But Friends, we all know that while there’s life there’s always hope, so it’s not too late for people like you and I to pick up the baton and run with it, then pass it on to our children, and so on down the line, till Jesus comes again.
Anyway Friends and fellow Canadians, have a happy Canada Day. Let’s make our country proud of us. Enjoy it, but remember, as Granny would say; drunk or sober mind your business. (smile) I had to put that in, because it’s in times of celebrations that that roaring, toothless lion Lucifer usually finds an unsecured spot in our spiritual armour and preys on our shortcoming. So let’s not give him even the smallest opportunity to invade our souls.
And now, for all those working stiffs elsewhere, who have to go to work today, (smile) let’s commiserate with them and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in loud harmony.
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!’
Let’s go out today and truly fight with vim and vigour my people!
And now it’s time for our Bit: ‘And the Lord make you to increase and abound in LOVE one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.’
That my brethren, is Bruh Paul praying for the church at Thessalonica, encouraging them to increase in LOVE and Christ-like behaviour. And do we ever need a lot of prayers for the church today, as we seem to be slumping, to be losing the fight against the evil powers of this dark and devious world.
Oh my fellow believers, we most definitely need an upsurge in the spiritual fortunes of Christ’s body, for there’s currently so much evil activity, like fraud, deception, anger, resentment and gossip-mongering going on that it boggles the mind. I’m sure that Jesus must at times shake His head up there in heaven and wonder why He ever sacrificed His holy, innocent life for a bunch of ingrates like us.
But what’s done is done. There’s no going backward now, but it’s all straight ahead! And though many of us can’t do anything about the unchristian-like activities in the church, we can certainly pray for it though, like Bruh Paul prayed for all the churches with which he was affiliated.
Listen to his prayer for the church at Philippi: ‘And this I pray, that your LOVE may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement (discernment); That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.’ (Phil.1:9-11)
Yes Friends, prayer is our strongest weapon, let’s not be afraid to use it nuh, especially in furthering Christ’s church!
Now here’s some scholarly info on those verses. ‘1:10: Things that are excellent means “things that really matter.” This refers to important issues. As the Philippians’ LOVE increases in knowledge and discernment (v 9), they will be able to accurately distinguish the vital and worthwhile things in life from those that are not. Contextually, the readers’ LOVE for Paul vexes them as they are anxious over his imprisonment.
He (on the other hand) wants them to perceive his imprisonment as being among those “things that really matter” because of the good that God will bring out of it. The purpose for such discrimination is that ye may be sincere (or, morally pure) and without offense till the day of Christ.
1:11: This verse could be translated, “Filled with the fruit that is righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ for the purpose of glorifying and praising God.” The believer who is pure and without offense before God (v 10) has divinely developed in him a practical “righteousness” or daily moral life that measures up to God’s standards in character and conduct. The ultimate purpose for this “righteousness” is to glorify God.’
Oh Friends, we couldn’t end on a better note! Please remember that our main purpose on this earth is to glorify our wonderful Creator, through our behaviour and our spreading of His Word. Sadly though, we’re not doing a good enough job of it, hence the wickedness so prevalent in the world, and the lack of LOVE.
So please, I implore us to rise up, to light a fire under us and those close to us, as we ought to, and glorify our God, as He expects and rightfully deserves. That is indeed true wisdom, so that when He asks us on that fateful day, why we didn’t do more and/ or better than we did, we won’t be left stammering and shaking, unable to give a coherent answer. Much LOVE!
…to truly glorify God…one must work diligently and painstakingly…to promote the LOVE Revolution of Jesus…
21 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: baubles and bangles, boasting, christianity, clean hearts, destiny of the wicked, divine perspective, elixir, envious, everlasting truth, extravagance, fellow believers in Christ, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God is good, God's sanctuary, grin and bear it, having the last word, heart-filled faith, hungry hope, jealousy, levity, lustful eyes, mansions, merciful, peals of laughter, pride, psalm 73, refeshed in body, relaxation, renewed, rest, reverence, righteousness., sour countenances, spirituality, straight and narrow, stumbled, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the last word, the weekend, trust, wait for the Lord, wickedness
Psalm 73:1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.
‘Oh Friends, is it really Friday already?’ I foolishly ask.
And my Friends shout back, ‘Yes it’s really Friday already! Praise the Lord!’
‘But how come it come around so quickly this week eh?’ I continued, somewhat perplexed. ‘But wasn’t it just Monday?’
‘Look nuh,’ my wonderful Friends replied, getting a tad disgruntled, ‘we don’t care how quickly it seems to come around to you nuh! We’re just glad that it come around, and we could shout and sing, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend’s here!’
All I could do at being told in no uncertain terms of their one desire was laugh and say, ‘Okay pardners, whatever you say.’
But they insisted on having the last word. ‘Yes, mih brother, whatever we say goes! Remember that eh.’
And we all burst out into big peals of laughter at our foolishness. But my people, laughter is indeed good for the soul. It’s a wonderful elixir that’s not only free, but also available all the time, any time at all. And some, or rather plenty of our Christian brothers and sisters should try using it more often, and leave their sour, very unChristian-like countenances behind.
And now that we’ve gotten some levity in our spirits, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much sincerity nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that ought to keep us somewhat on the straight and narrow this weekend. (smile) And we’d better not stray, because as our Bit so wisely advises us: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.’
Yes Friends, our God is indeed good to those whose hearts are clean and pure, that are set on Him and His righteousness, not on the wickedness of the world. And we have a classic example of that particular problem as the psalmist Asaph declares in his psalm, re the mystery of prosperous wickedness.
‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish.’ (Ps.73:2-7)
Oh my people, that’s a very true picture of how the wicked look and how they operate! And yuh know what? When we see them driving their fancy, expensive cars, living in their big mansions, while eating and drinking of the best of everything, wearing designer duds, and showing off about it too, we often feel envious, especially if we’re have a hard time simply making two ends meet.
That’s what happened to Asaph. He was on the verge of falling, of losing his faith, when luckily he woke up to the reality of the situation. And how did he do that? ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps.73:17)
As the scholars put it: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vv. 17-28) He saw the destiny of the wicked (vv. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vv.21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vv. 23-28)
The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training. (1 Chr.15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr.5:12; 29-30)’
Oh Friends, I know it’s hard to just grin and bear the blatant extravagance and boasting of the wicked. Yuh see even the deeply religious and spiritual man Asaph had a hard time not falling into Lucifer’s sinful trap. But please note how he got out of it; by going to the Lord’s sanctuary and immersing himself in the Word and finally realizing the destructive end of the wicked.
‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).’ (Ps.73:27)
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So please stand strong and not let envy and jealousy of the evildoers cause you to stumble and fall, for our wonderful God has promised so much more to those who wait on Him.
Listen to how the palmist puts it in Psalm 130, superscripted, My soul waiteth for the Lord. ‘If thou Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps.130:3-6)
Now that’s how we should behave my brethren! Watch and wait for the Lord with hungry hope and heart-filled faith! Let the wicked enjoy their earthly benefits, which will perish with them. Let’s say like Bruh David in Psalm 86, titled, ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord.’
He solemnly declares: ‘Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:4-5)
That’s definitely, undeniable, irrevocable, everlasting truth my people!
So please, let’s not allow the flimsy and flashy baubles and bangles of the world to excite our sinful flesh and tear us away from what is true and full of substance; the Lord God Jehovah and His Word. If we stand strong, in due time we’ll be even better rewarded than the wicked, and with everlasting rewards too.
Now let’s go out with the wisest words that Asaph wrote in Psalm 73: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28)
And all God’s people gave a joyous shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!
…when Lucifer tries to control out lustful eyes…that’s the time to give Jesus full control of our faith filled hearts…
25 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all is vanity, be happy with your lot, choose Jesus, God's always victorious, God's faithfulness, God's in control, God's judgement, God's on His throne, God's promise, honour, injustice, innuendo, justice, lies, Lucifer's jealousy, most important decision, omnipotent god, righteousness., sagging spirits, senseless beasts, soaring spirits, spirituality, time for every purpose, time for every work, timely reminder, understanding, unseasonal weather, wickedness, wiles
Psalm 49:20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Oh my people, blessed greetings to you and yours on this chilly May morn! Yes it’s somewhat chilly in my neck of the woods. The weather’s been playing games with us, moving from a high of twenty something degrees celsius a week ago, to the low and mid teens this past week. But I guess much of North America has recently been plagued by unseasonal snow, wind, rain and deadly tornados.
But not to worry, for Almighty God is still on His heavenly throne, still in total control, and nothing happens in this world without His approval. So if you feel somewhat challenged today, please turn to Him and pour out all your heartfelt fears, frustrations and anxieties. He will hear your pleas and respond in the appropriate fashion at the right time.
And this seems to be a very good time to remind us of God’s Promise, the poem I shared a couple weeks back, for there’s nothing that lifts our sagging spirits as a timely reminder of the many wonderful promises our God has made us, and is ever so faithful to fulfill.
So read on dear Friends and let our spirits soar. ‘I will not fear; God is always with me. I will not doubt; God is always in control. I will not despair; God is always good. I will not falter; God is always watching. I will not fail; God is always victorious.’
Yes my Friends, our God is ALWAYS VICTORIOUS!
Please remember that when the enemy comes a-calling, demeans and bad talks our wonderful and omnipotent God. It’s just pure jealousy, because he’s been spayed, neutered, declawed and defanged by Jesus’ victory over death and the grave, and all he can do now is bat his toothless gums together and try to scare us with his snide, nasty remarks, for he’s lost whatever little power he ever had over believers. He can’t harm us, unless we allow him to. Remember that.
Now let’s look at our Bit: ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’
Oh my brethren, that is the foolish man who listens to Lucifer and falls for his lies, wiles and innuendo. Though he has earthly wealth and power, he is without true understanding of the ways of Almighty God. Thus he perishes as the senseless beasts, without any hope of a positive life after his earthly death.
Yesterday we looked at some scripture pertaining to that topic, and today we’ll look at some more. To further help us make the most important decision of our earthly lives – following Christ – let’s hear from Cousin Sol in Ecclesiastes 3, where he talks about God judges both the righteous and the wicked.
‘And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, that wickedness was there (in the place of justice there was wickedness); and (in) the place of righteousness, that iniquity (wickedness) was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose (matter in which one delights) and for every work.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest (test) them, and that they might see that they themselves are (like) beasts. For that which befalleth (happens to) the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence (advantage) above a beast: for all is vanity.’ (Eccl.3:16-19)
So Friends, back then, Cousin Sol saw injustice in the courts where justice should have prevailed. Sadly, our court system today is similarly as unjust. Moreover, he was sure that God’s justice would be forthcoming, though the casual observer could not see it.
But though man and beast seem to simply return to the dust from whence they came, the spirit of man goes back to God for judgement, as he later declares. ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ (Eccl.12:7)
And the scholars proclaim that ‘God does not clearly reveal to man all the events that will occur after him, therefore, man should be happy with the lot assigned to him by God. (v.22)’
Now hear Cousin Sol tell it. ‘All go unto one place; all are of dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth (knows whether) the spirit of man that goeth upward (goes upward), and (whether) the spirit of the beast that goeth (goes) downward to the earth?
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion (heritage): for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?’ (Eccl.3:20-22)
So Friends, the facts are before us. Jesus came later and clarified some stuff, but it’s still all a matter of personal belief. The choice is ours. Let’s hope though that we all make the right choice; JESUS, FOR THAT’S THE WISDOM OF THE AGES! Much LOVE!
…I choose JESUS…because HE’S THE TRUTH…THE LIGHT…THE LIFE…AND THE ONLY WAY…
27 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: action, awesome truth, believers, blooming flowers, buzzing bees, Christ, covenant, death defeated, Easter Sunday, eternity, ever-LOVING God, exploits, faithful, flattery, flora and fauna, followers of Christ, glory hallelujah, Good Friday, green grass, holy spirit, Holy Week, ill-gotten gains, leave a mark, LOVE Revolution, make a difference, Most High God, new life, only true God, Praise the Lord, prophecy, rejuvenation, resurrection, sacrifice, scripture, singing birds, sound mind, spirituality, spring, strength, sunshine, the Good Book, unity, wickedness
Daniel 11:32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
Oh Friends, at last, at long last, we had a day yesterday akin to, that bore some resemblance to spring! Now it was still a tad nippy with a noticeable wind blowing, but you could feel the difference in the atmosphere. I can’t think of a suitable analogy at the moment, but it’s like one of those things you can’t exactly put your hands or mind on, however you just know, you can feel the difference in your spirit. The sunshine was decent, people were walking around in shirtsleeves, and there was even water running in the drains from the thawing of the snow. Wow! And all God’s people in the northern climes gave out a joyous shout of, ‘Glory Hallelujah! Spring is here at last! Thank You Lord!’ Yeh mih people, rejuvenation of the earth up north is just around the corner; wet earth, green grass, blooming flowers, budding green leaves, singing birds, buzzing bees, lots of flora and fauna, all for real. And isn’t it wonderful that it’s all happening just when our souls and spirits are also being rejuvenated by a sacrificed Christ, who will winter in the grave for three days, from this Friday, Good Friday, then is going to rise majestically, like spring time, on this Sunday, Easter Sunday, to proclaim new life for the faithful for all eternity? It sure is! Oh Friends, I get so emotional when I think about it all, that I just have to keep reminding us of the wonderful and ever-LOVING God that we serve and worship. What other supposed deity has ever come close to the standards of our Holy Trinity eh? NONE my brethren, NONE! And NONE will ever come close, because our Godhead is the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD IN EXISTENCE! And all God’s children sang out loud and clear: ‘Praise the Lord, for He is indeed a wonderful God, worthy to be served and praised!’ And in this Holy Week of 2013 Friends, we need to buckle down, to get real serious about the work Christ has called us to do. As our Bit so rightly declares: ‘And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt (pollute) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits (take action).’ That comes from Daniel’s prophecy, re the scholars: ‘an amazing summary of about two hundred years of the history of the wars between Egypt and Syria that took place during the fourth through the second centuries B.C, All of these prophecies, however, were written by Daniel in the sixth century B.C.’ That’s at least a couple hundred years before the wars actually begun, solidifying the Good Book and its contents as a vehicle, a testimony of awesome truth! However Friends, we are also experiencing hard and troubled times, Life’s not getting any easier, in fact it’s getting more difficult day by day as we trundle along in our evil, ungodly ways. And it’s getting even shorter for those of us moving up the ladder of age. That means, if we want to leave a mark in this world, to make a difference as is required of us, then my brethren, we have to get serious and get our action going NOW! Tomorrow will be too late! The believers in Christ have to transform themselves into followers, meaning DO as Christ desires, not merely talk about it. Oh Friends, I don’t know how to truly galvanize us Christians to action nuh, but I know that we do need to become much more action oriented than we currently are. We need to begin seriously fighting back against the evil powers, both physical and spiritual, that are currently controlling our world. I know that saying it and doing it are two different things, and the doing is much harder. But then we need to remember that we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit of the Most High God Jehovah, Creator of the universe and all therein, which means that we have the most powerful force in the universe right in our own backyard, so to speak. And don’t forget the scripture that so rightly and reassuringly tells us that ‘greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’ (1 John 4:4b) And that’s gospel truth Friends: Jesus is indeed greater than Beelzebub! So we have no real excuse for our tardiness or inaction in moving the LOVE Revolution along, because the scripture also tells us: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) So what are we waiting for to rise up and take back what rightfully belongs to our God eh my people? It only needs our willingness now to do it. Obviously it won’t be easy, because Lucifer and his evil cronies won’t give up their ill-gotten gains without a serious fight. But as I’ve just pointed out, we have all the tools to take it away, we just need to unite, be of the same mind, have one true purpose. And unfortunately, until we seriously make a move towards Christian unity, Lucifer and his buddies will remain enthroned, continuing the successful strategy of dividing and conquering us. Oh my brethren, today I’m calling on all true believers in Christ to become followers, to unite as He desires us to do, then to get some serious action going, so we can ignite a flame over the whole world and thus ensure the success of the LOVE Revolution that our God requires us to instigate and WIN! And what better time to do it than this Easter Season, the most important time in the history of our Church, when Christ defeated death, Lucifer and the grave, and rose to glory, taking us with Him. Oh my people, Jesus requires us now to step up to the plate and fight a strong, steadfast and faithful fight, like He did in His time here on earth, and is now doing on our behalf in heaven. Please, let’s not disappoint Him and allow all His sacrifice to go to waste. I pray that today we’ll all hear this message, ponder it sincerely in our hearts, minds and souls, then rise up as one and retake our Father’s inheritance. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Much LOVE!…true unity, real LOVE and much action…are the necessary ingredients…for the success of Jesus’ LOVE Revolution…
07 Feb 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: darkness, discernment, do right, evil minions, excited believers, eyes of God, fellow believers, God's infinite wisdom, gospel truth, grin and bear it, grow old together, light, LOVE Revolution, peace and LOVE of Jesus, repent, search our hearts, spirituality, surrendered to God, Thanks Lord, the best is yet to come, the living Word, wake up, wickedness, wise money, witness for Jesus
Job 34:21. For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
Oh my fellow believers, our great God in His infinite wisdom and mercy has done it again.! Yes Friends, He’s blessed us with another day of life on this earth. And though the earth’s a mess, we believers have been given the honourable task of fixing it in Jesus’ Name. Isn’t that wonderful? But mih people, like every other project in life, if we’re not excited to do it, then we won’t give of our best. The same goes for the work of Jesus. If we’re not excited to live a life of faith, and good works in action, backed up by the Word, then we’re wasting our time and Jesus’ too. In the first place, it’s not an easy job, with Lucifer and all his evil minions fighting against us. In the second, only as much as we put out, will we get back. It’s the old story of you reap what you sow. And Friends, I don’t have to tell us that in these trying times our witness for Jesus, both in words and deeds is certainly not good enough! So today, let’s each one of us, search our hearts and ways, and see where we’re falling down on the job, and sincerely try to improve it nuh. That’s the only way we’ll ever improve the situation, ever get the LOVE Revolution really ‘revoluting.’ (smile) Anyway, I have a serious invitation for you, from the famous British poet and playwright, Robert Browning (1812-1889). And the invitation is to ‘Grow old along with me! The best is yet to come.’ And that’s gospel Friends! I’m finding these latter days to be the best days of my life. I’ve done most of what I’ve always wanted to do. Not necessarily to the level I’d hoped, but I now know how to do all the things I’ve imagined. I’ve achieved a fair state of economic well-being. My children are grown and on their own, and I’ve found a peace so peaceful in Jesus, that in spite of the problems I still encounter, I don’t worry about them no more. I do the best I can, then leave the rest to the Lord. That doesn’t mean I agree with all God’s decisions, or don’t have concerns, and oftimes serious ones too, but the difference now is that I’ve found a level of faith to truly believe that the Lord will bring me out of them, sometimes battered and bruised, but usually better off and with stronger faith than before. Having surrendered my soul to Him, all I can do nowadays is say ‘Thanks Lord,’ then grin and bear it as best I can. So my brethren, I’m asking us to grow old together in the peace and LOVE of Jesus. It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread! (smile) And why shouldn’t we, since it’s the wisest choice in light of our Bit? ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.’ If our God sees everything we do, then we’d be foolish to do stuff that doesn’t sit well with Him. For as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 15: ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.’ (Prov.15:3) It’s just like when we were young and wanted to do mischief, we’d try to hide from our parents. With them we could have been successful, because they couldn’t see us all the time. But even then, as they kept telling us, the things done in darkness usually come to light, and eventually they’d find out, and we’d pay the price. However Friends, the difference with our God is that we simply cannot hide from Him because He watches us ALL the time. So the wise money should be on doing good in His awesome, all seeing sight. Listen to how Jeremiah puts it in his prayer, re our God: ‘Great in counsel, and mighty in work (deeds): for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.’ (Jer.32:19) Oh my people, it couldn’t be any plainer than that. Yet we still insist on doing what we know is wrong, somehow hoping to get away with it. But hear how Hosea says it, re Israel’s rebellion against God. ‘When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered (uncovered), and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood (fraud); and the thief cometh in, and the troop (band) of robbers spoileth without (plunders outside). And they consider not (do not say) in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings (deeds) have beset (surrounded) them about; they are before my face.’ (Hos.7:1-2) And please remember Friends that the Lord has not changed, from day one to the end, He is and will be the same. So what makes us think that we’re so special eh, that our wrongdoings won’t be looked upon with judgement and justice like the Israelites of old? If the Lord can punish His chosen people, why would He spare us, some of the most ungodly and evil humans who ever walked the earth? And we’ll end with this poignant and powerful scripture that encapsulates all we’ve been talking about. It’s from Hebrews 4, re the present danger of unbelief. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from Him): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb.4:12-13) Now here’s the scholar’s explanation of those verses. ‘For the word of God: The reason given for one’s careful scrutiny of his life involves the reality that God is intently scrutinizing it. His word is quick (living). This word is first in the Greek and is the emphasis. God’s Word is not old or archaic; it is alive. It is not inept or inactive; it is powerful (active). It reaches into the inner secrets of man’s mind to discern even his thoughts and intents. Likewise, God’s eyes sees man as though he were naked, unable to hide behind excuses or pretense.’ Amen mih breddren! And if that doesn’t wise us up, then I really don’t know what will nuh. Much LOVE!…the awesome power of the Word…and the all seeing eyes of God…should cause us to wake up…repent…and do right…
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