01 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fact of life, a fait accompli, adrenalin, alive and kicking, an easy row to hoe, aura of love, be dead with Christ, be wise, but after the Spirit, children of God, chutzpah, committment, confidence, conquerors, diligently, dominion, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, faithfully, friends, get with the programme, glorious kingdom, Glory be, guidance, gusto, high-fived, holy spirit, humble servants, identification with Christ, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, lifestyle, living for Jesus, LOVE, lusts, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal body, natures, no condemnation, Oh Lord God Almighty, outcasts, prodigal children, rejuvenation of spirit, rewards, right living, right thinking, righteousness., safety, separation from sin, shedding of jesus' blood, sins, sourpusses, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thanks, the bondage of sin, things of the flesh, to them which are in Christ Jesus, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, wake up, walk not after the flesh, wiles, wisdom
Romans:8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Well Friends, that wonderful day we call Monday has rolled around once again! Wow!
And yuh know what? I’ve just finished reading the obits and I didn’t see any of our names there. That means we’re still alive and kicking and the Lord still has wonderful plans for our earthly lives! Glory Be! Yes mih people, all glory to our wonderful God and Heavenly Father!
And I do hope that when we got up we gave Him some much appreciated thanks for getting us safely through the night and asked for His safety and guidance as we begin another week of work.
And all you sourpusses out there, who are still miserable and complaining when Monday comes, wake up and be wise nuh. There’s not much we can do about it, so we might as well accept it as a fait accompli, a fact of life and get with the programme. (smile) You’re only making yourself and those around you miserable unnecessarily.
And now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, (smile) let’s get to singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which is guaranteed to get our spirits up and our adrenalin running. As one big choir now, with much gusto and plenty chutzpah:
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was most excellent Friends! One of the best renditions we’ve done in long while. Our august choirmaster Jesus, was very proud of us, so much so that He even high-fived the Father, saying with a big grin, ‘That’s my people!’ (smile) Yes Friends, that sort of thing goes on in heaven when we do excellently down here on earth.
So let’s get out there and work diligently and faithfully on Jesus’ behalf nuh, so that we can raise some more joy in heaven. And all God’s people said a loud and sincere: ‘Yes, let’s do it!’
But you know what my brethren? Before we can do ought for Jesus, we have to first read, mark, believe, digest and put our Bit into practice. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’
That’s the absolute truth! We are powerless until we truly believe that our sins have been paid for by the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross. That means we have been set free from the bondage of sin and are no longer condemned. The Father no longer considers us unseemly outcasts, but prodigal children who have finally come to their senses and have returned to the family home.
Obviously He welcomes us with open arms and there is much celebration in heaven when a wayward child returns to the roost. But then we have to learn to give up the old lifestyle we originally embraced and take up the new one that’s prescribed by Jesus. That’s walking not after the things of the flesh, the lusts of this world, but being led and guided by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God which comes to indwell us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Oh my people, living for Jesus, resisting and rejecting the evil, as well as the material and worthless things of the world, is not an easy row to hoe, but believe me, the rewards are well worth the effort.
Now let’s look at some scripture that ties in admirably with our Bit. This is Bruh Paul writing earlier on in the epistle to the Romans. ‘Now if we be dead (died) with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once (once and for all): but that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Likewise reckon ye (consider) also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield (present) ye your members as instruments (weapons) of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield (present) yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments (weapons) of righteousness unto God.’ (Rom.6:8-13)
Yeh Friends, I know that’s a mouthful from Bruh Paul, but here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘6:11. Reckon (Gr. logizesthe, “reckon, take into account, calculate”). The believer is to calculate all the facts as to his identification with Christ and his separation from sin, then live accordingly.’
‘6:12. Let not (lit, “stop letting”). The believer is to stop letting sin have mastery over his life.’ ‘6:13. Neither yield ye (lit. “stop presenting”): In the day to day confrontation with sin, stop giving in. But yield (lit. “present yourselves”): Paul calls for a determined commitment.’
Ah Friends, we all know that the things of the world are bright and flashy and tend to attract and drive our sinful nature, but if we want to be true disciples of Jesus, we have to make a special effort to reject sin and all that it stands for. And our God is so wonderful and well organized that He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us to enable us to do it.
The problem though is that we have to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, because He will not force His will on us. That means it’s up to us to get serious and buckle down to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, if we’re to be truly children of God. Let’s wake up to right thinking and right living nuh my people, for that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…humans struggle with two natures…one that tends toward sin and the things of the world…and another that looks to righteousness and the things of God…the latter is by far the much better one to adopt…
25 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a mirror image, abundantly pardon, arrogance, brimstone and fire, celebrate, confidence, deceiver, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enemies, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, for free, forgive their sin, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, God is faithful, gospel truth, gracious, heal their land, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the way, invitation, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, like pulling teeth, long-suffering, LOVE, Lucifer, Memorial Day, merciful God, mercy, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, my people which are called by my name, no man comes to the Father but by me, Noah, Oh Lord God Almighty, patient, plenty rope, pray, pride, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, repentance, rest, righteousness., sacrifice, salvation, save his soul, seek my face, seek ye the Lord, serve a useful purpose, shall humble themselves, spiritual armour, spunk, steadfast faith, taunts, the earth was corrupt, the Great Flood, the table's turned, then will I hear from heaven, transgressions, truth, turn away from their wicked ways, turnabout is fair play, ungodly world, victory, violence, when a man's ways please the Lord, wicked nature, wiles, wisdom, worship our Creator
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Come on people, it’s Monday; time to rise and shine and get with the programme!
But some of our Friends in the U.S. laugh and declare: ‘Not today my brother! Today is our Memorial Day holiday, and that means no work today, period! Just like you had your Victoria Day holiday last weekend and laughed at us lowly plebs who had to go to work down here, well the table’s turned now.
It’s time for us to celebrate while you go out and labour. As they say, turnabout is fair play, or something to that effect. Hn, hn! But we do wish you the best in all your labouring today. (smile)
Yes Friends, our U.S. brethren are putting it to us today. But we can handle it. So to show that there are no hard feelings, and to help all those who have to go out and labour, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with spunk and powerful, positive thoughts of victory.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was spunky enough, but obviously the loudest voices were those of our U.S. brethren. They could afford to sing loud and lustily because they have a whole day of celebration in front of them. But as I said last week, let’s remember to keep Granny’s advice front and centre in our hearts and minds; ‘drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ For the ole deceiver, Lucifer is out there just prowling for anyone he can latch on to. And we certainly don’t want that to be any of us.
Now let’s turn to our oh so important Bit, one that can make the difference between eternal live in heaven, or everlasting death and damnation in Hades. ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
Oh Friends, what a wonderful invitation from a gracious and merciful God! But from day one, our wicked nature, pride and arrogance seems to have been our downfall, as we’ll see when we deal with the last of the four things we need to do for God to hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land, which we desperately need.
Way back when, in the time of Noah, the Bible declares: ‘The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way on earth.’ (Gen.6:11-12)
Ah mih people, it was just a mirror image of today’s world! And what did God do? He caused the great flood and destroyed all the inhabitants, beside Noah and his family. Now doesn’t that say something to us; that it’s possible for Him to wipe out everybody again? Obviously we don’t seem to think so. But remember our God is a faithful God, who keeps His promises, and He promised that the next time would be with brimstone and fire, not water.
Meanwhile Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ (Prov.16:7)
Oh Friends, that ought to have us just crawling over each other to make our ways please the Lord. But that’s certainly not happening. In these supposedly modern times, it’s like pulling teeth to get people to truly worship our Creator. But our God is so patient and long-suffering that He gives us plenty of rope, hoping against hope that we will not hang ourselves.
Hear His free offer of mercy to all, through the prophet Isaiah. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:6-7)
And again in Jeremiah, the Lord offers mercy and forgiveness for repentance. ‘Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive (preserve himself). Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.’ (Ezek. 18:27-28)
Ah mih breddren, what else do we want the Lord to do eh? How often must He offer the same thing and we refuse His wonderful offer? All down through the ages He’s offered us forgiveness for repentance, but we’re too stubborn and proud to accept it. He even gave us His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins, and yet we still don’t think it wise to be obedient to His dictates. That’s a fool’s wisdom my Friends.
Anyway people, we’re running out of space and time, so we’ll continue this dialogue tomorrow, the Lord in favour. In the meanwhile, let’s end with these words of absolute truth from Jesus, which says it all. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
Now my wise Friends, (smile) let’s go and ponder that statement, and with Jesus’ help, bring our lives into line with it, for that is the wisdom of all wisdom. Much LOVE!
…evil and sin should never be so rampant in our world…when genuine forgiveness, mercy and salvation… are so readily available…for free to boot…
12 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a refuge, aura of love, blessings, Bruh David, busyness, confidence, death, enthusiasm, faith, for we walk by faith not by sight, further God's glorious kingdom, heart attack, holy spirit, humble servants, I hope in thy word, invincible, Jesus Christ, lies, longevity, LOVE, loving kindness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, rejuvenation of spirit, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God, Selah, six feet under, songs of deliverance, sons of Korah, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, stress, stronghold, taunts, things of the world, thou art my hiding place and my shield, trust, we will not fear, wiles, wisdom, words of faith
Psalm 119:114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Well hello there mih breddren! The big, beautiful day called Monday is here! (smile) That means it’s time to be up and about Jesus’ business. If you rested over the weekend, as you were supposed to, then getting up and out should be no problem.
Oh I know it’s not as easy as it sounds with all the busyness that our world now contains, but that’s why it’s even more important for us to control that busyness and get sufficient rest and rejuvenation.
Ah mih people, though I tend to be a bit lighthearted about it, looking after ourselves is no joke, it’s a very serious matter. It’s a proven fact that being on the go continually with insufficient rest and relaxation and improper eating habits produces stress, and stress is one of the biggest killers nowadays.
And unfortunately it’s no respecter of people, so whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, if you don’t look after yourself properly, you are a very high risk candidate for stress related problems. Now those problems can range anywhere from a mild headache or tiredness to numerous other health problems, even to a heart attack and sudden death.
And the sad part of the matter is that a lot of problems diagnosed as one illness or another, generally originate from stress. It’s also been proven that this generation gets much less rest and is much busier than any that’s gone before it. So please let’s get serious about the matter and do something constructive about it nuh.
Very few of us really like to get up and go to work on Mondays, but we just have to, because that’s the nature of our society. Therefore Friends, let’s be wise and give ourselves the best chance possible chance of longevity, for success by the world’s standards are not really all that they are advertised to be.
And furthermore, when we’re hospitalized, or six feet under, those worldly things that we’ve literally killed ourselves to get, will be of no use to us. We cannot take them with us to the hospital or to the grave. Remember what our Lord and Saviour Jesus said; ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes Friends, seek the things of God first, and He will bless you with the things of the world that you need. End of sermon! (smile)
Now, since many of us are suffering from the ill effects of the weekend, let’s raise our spirits by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much gusto as we can generate.
As one harmonious body now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah Friends that wasn’t bad, but not as good as it could be if we had rested properly. (smile) But the Lord won’t hold that against us, because He LOVES us however we are.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, a beautiful and encouraging verse from the longest chapter in the Good Book; Psalm 119. ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.’
Oh my people, so many others have uttered sentiments of that nature that they must be substantial truth to it. If the Lord is our God, our Creator and Provider, then it stands to reason that He is powerful and of a generous nature, so what better place to look for help and succour eh?
Not to mention that His Word encourages us to come to Him for all our needs. And who should know that better than Bruh David eh, with all the problems he faced, but was wonderfully provided for by the Lord?
Let’s listen to some of Bruh David’s words on the subject, beginning in Psalm 9 – Praise for God’s justice. ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.9:9-10)
Strong and true words my brethren! Now hear this gem of faith from Bruh David’s Maschil (contemplation) – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps.32:7
Note Friends, Bruh David is talking there from personal experience, not hearsay. And this now from the sons of Korah: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:1-3)
Powerful words of faith my people! And the good thing about it is that it’s all true, because our great God has proven it time and time again, and will continue to do so even through to eternity!
It is therefore in our best interest to come to serious and mature faith in the Lord God Almighty if we desire the kind of protection that the Old Testament people had, and Jesus died to give us even more. You can never have too much of a good thing! Now may the Lord bless and keep us safely as we go out today to do His work in faith, trust, truth and LOVE!
Much LOVE!…for we walk by faith…not by sight… (2 Cor.5:7)
03 Nov 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, basked in god's love and peace, battle the infidel, be gracious to me, be sober, blessed be God, blessings, Bruh David, confidence, deleted expletives, earthly arsenal, enthusiasm, eternal life, exalts, extols, fear God, fellowshipped, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, gave thanks and praise, give us His peace which passes all understanding, God is so wonderful, God will forgive us, godly wisdom, going from bad to worse, gospel truth, have mercy upon me, hear me when I call, hear my prayer, I cried unto him with my mouth, invincible, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, may the Lord bless and keep us, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, most mighty weapon, most valuable commodity, O God of my righteousness, our flesh is weak, our spirits are willing, peace, peaceful communication, pilgrim's journey, pour out any invective, power of prayer, prayer, prayer power, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., so-so, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the efficacy of prayer, the end of all things is at hand, the Good Book, the great works of God, the most powerful force in the universe, the need for prayer, the result of prayer is life, the voice of my prayer, thou relieved me when I was in distress, till we meet again, ungodly world, watch unto prayer, wiles, wisdom, worshipped, worthwhile inroads, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 4:1. Hear me when I call , O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.
Awright Friends, here’s today’s good news: that day which we all tend to dislike, despise and shout out all sorts of deleted expletives at….well it has rolled around again.
Yes, my people, it’s Monday once again; a big, bright, bold, beautiful, juicy, edible Monday! (smile) So please don’t pour out any invective at it, just nibble quietly on its tantalizing parts, as we do whatever is necessary to get ourselves to go out and labour.
And if we worshipped and fellowshipped and gave thanks and praise to Almighty God yesterday, and wisely basked in His LOVE and peace, then getting ourselves together shouldn’t be too hard to do, because our spirits would already have been prepared to go out and battle the infidel this morning.
But regardless of what action we took yesterday, useful or harmful, let’s ratchet up our desire for Jesus this morning by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with all the oomph and Christ-like enthusiasm we can muster.
So in strong, harmonious and melodic voice, let’s sing. ‘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!’
Steupssss! What was that eh mh people? That was only a so-so rendition. Too many hoarse, out of tune, off key voices! What with all the rehearsals and the reminders to practice on your own, we should be doing much better by now.
But as the old people would say, like we going from bad to worse! And that’s no lie! But it is certainly unacceptable. Even Jesus had to shake His head in concern for our poor performance.
But yuh know what Friends, our God is so wonderful, that He will forgive us, because He knows that we are sincerely trying, that our spirits are willing but our flesh is weak. So please, let’s not get down on ourselves. Instead, let’s cry out to Him in the words of our Bit, like Bruh David did in his time of need and anguish.
‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’
Ah my people, the power of prayer is the most valuable commodity, as well as the mightiest weapon in our earthly arsenal! That’s because it connects us to the most powerful force in the universe; Jehovah God, its Creator and Controller!
Now here’s another instance from the Good Book, where our Poster Boy, Jesus Christ, our supreme example of the need for, and the efficacy and effectiveness of prayer, shrugs off everything else and gets quiet with the Father.
After He heals a leper and His fame is so noised abroad that multitudes begin coming to Him for healing, what does He do? ‘And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16)
Yes my brethren, even Jesus had to renew His spirit through peaceful communication with His heavenly Father. And that only highlights our desperate need for the same, especially since we’re of such sinful nature.
Now listen to these verses on prayer from Psalm 66, which extols the great works of God. The psalmist wisely cries out in testimony: ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised, exalted) with my tongue.
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.’ (Ps.66:16-20)
Ah Friends, what godly wisdom is ensconced therein! Please let’s show our own wisdom and accept it; write it indelibly in our hearts, souls and minds, so that we can, and will have prayer power always at hand!
And here’s a most appropriate ending from Peter. ‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.’ (1 Pet.4:7) That’s gospel truth Friends!
So till we meet again, may the Lord bless and keep us safe on our pilgrim’s journey; may He shine His radiant countenance upon us and give us His peace which passes all mortal understanding, and the wisdom to come to Him in prayer at ALL times, be they good or bad. Much LOVE!
…the result of prayer is life… (St. Francis of Assisi)
P.S. Chuh! I was less than perfect yesterday when I gave the reading for the poem ‘Enormous Rewards’ as being Ephesians 5:20. It should have been 3:20: ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’
Now that’s a much more appropriate scripture. I never felt right about it yesterday, but figured if that’s what the author said, who was I to question it? Then today I was drawn to the poem and discovered my error. Please accept my humble apology. The ole fella is only human…and getting on in age too, so he’s not as mentally nimble as he once was, or his eyesight as good. (smile) Much LOVE!
13 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: appreciation, aura of love, be not far from me, blessed land, blessings, bounden duty, confidence, courage, diligently, do good, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, evil cohorts, faithfully, feed the fire that's burning for Jesus, fight the good fight, for there is none to help, for trouble is near, friends, from sea to shining sea, further God's glorious kingdom, generous, glory, grace, Granny's advice, guidance, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, he that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep, help, holy spirit, honour, humble servants, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, Jesus Christ, joyful celebration, keeping lives and families together, lies, Lord God of Abraham, Lord God of Abrahm Isaac and Jacob, LOVE, Lucifer, magnanimous god, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my help comes from the Lord, omnipotent, Praise the Lord, prosperity, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, saviour, serving, sincere thanks, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, taunte, thanks and praise, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord is thy keeper, true wisdom, trust, trust in the Lord, trustworthy source of help, truth, undying gratitude, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, worshipping
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
Well a Happy Thanksgiving Monday to all Canada! May we rejoice in the blessings of our omnipotent and magnanimous God, and celebrate this joyful day with much thanks and praise, seeing that He has been so generous to us over this past year!
Yes Friends, we are living in a very blessed land, and to continue to do so, we need to continue faithfully worshipping and diligently serving the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because it is He who provides the opportunities for our prosperity. Without His help and guidance, we are nothing! Let’s never forget that.
So today, let’s join together in joyful celebration, all over this glorious land, from sea to shining sea, raising our sincere thanks and undying gratitude to heaven, so that the Father can hear and see our true appreciation of all His mercy, grace and LOVE!
And my brethren, please remember the many in our society who don’t have as much as we do, and as the Good Book says: ‘send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh.8:10)
Yes Friends, we need to remember those who don’t have, as well as those who have to go out and labour today, while we celebrate. That means they need the help of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to boost their confidence and courage, before they face the evil world that’s lying in wait for them.
Therefore, as one voice, let’s belt it out in sweet harmony and awesome power. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh Friends, that was a most beautiful rendition! However, I strongly suspect that the loudest and most harmonious voices belonged to those who don’t have to go to work today. (smile) And I really can’t give you wrong for being so elated. But please, please remember Granny’s sage advice: ‘Sonny boy… drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’
And that’s no joke my people, because it’s when we are celebrating that we are the most susceptible to the wiles and leis of Lucifer and his evil cohorts. And for those of you who have to go out and labour; may the Lord strengthen your spirits, raise up all that you need to fight the good fight in His Holy Name!
Now let’s turn to our Bit, for this last time in the series of messages on HELP. ‘Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’
And for the last few days we’ve been coming up with scripture passages which proclaim that the Lord God Almighty is the ONLY truly trustworthy source of HELP in this universe, for man’s help is often unreliable and deceitful. And we’re going to try and keep it short this morning … and a whole lot of ‘Thank You Lord!’ went flying up to heaven. (smile)
Oh Friends, it’s not that I like being long-winded, it just happens that way. There’s usually so much to write and when the passion grips me, I just can’t help myself! Anyway, as I was saying we’re going to keep it short by simply quoting Psalm 121 – God’s sustaining power, since it’s very appropriate.
Listen to these comforting and encouraging words of the psalmist: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hill (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and coming in from this time forth, and even for ever more.’ (Ps.122:1-8)
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Yes my people, those are words of undisputable truth! So I implore us, that whatever we do today, to allow them to feed the fire that’s burning for Jesus in our souls, that we might further His oh so necessary LOVE Revolution, and bring even greater glory and honour to our heavenly Father, for that is our bounden duty, as well as true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…trust in the Lord and do good…so shalt thou dwell in the land…and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness)… (Ps.37:3)
06 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's heart, as a man speaks to his friend, aura of love, chutzpah, dignity, enemy's taunts, enthusiasm, face to face, faithfulness, friends, friendship, further God's glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, golden calf, Gordon Lightfoot, gospel truth, greater love hath no man, holy spirit, humble servants, idol of worship, impatience, integrity, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, jobs, Joshua, leave all the consequences to Him, lies, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Moses, obey God, omnipotent, passion of Jesus, pillar of cloud, rainy days and Mondays, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, serve a useful purpose, spirit of the living god, spiritual armour, spirituality, steadfast faith, stubbornness, tabernacle, Ten Commandments, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, than to lay down his life for his friends, the Good Book, the Lord spake unto Moses, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Oh Friends, like the world renowned Canadian balladeer, Gordon Lightfoot says in his old song: ‘Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.’ And it looks like we’re going to have a rainy day Monday today.
But you know what? We don’t have to let those rainy day Mondays, or any other kind of days, get us down, because we have the omnipotent Spirit of the Living God, and the unbridled passion of Jesus living within us, and they can certainly drive away every fear and care! And that’s the gospel truth my people, as so many of us can testify to!
So when you get up this morning and come face to face with the gloomy, rainy, chilly weather, please don’t get too upset. It’s just one of those days where the sailing might not be as smooth as you like, but remember Jesus is in the boat with you, and if things get really bad, He will rise and calm the storm.
Consequently, on this rainy October morn, let’s all say a loud and cheerful, ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday, and we’re alive to tell the tale!’ (smile) Now before anybody starts chirping and calling me crazy, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty chutzpah, so that the dark clouds hanging over our spirits will disappear.
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!’
Wow Friends! That was particularly good for such a rainy, miserable Monday! (smile) That means our faith is getting stronger with each passing day. Glory Hallelujah! And now with our motors running smoothly, let’s get out and show the enemy what’s what, in Jesus’ name.
All the while not forgetting those momentous words that Jesus spoke in our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
And today we’ll continue looking at Bible verses re friends and friendship, beginning with a couple more Friends of God. Here’s what the Good Book says about Moses, after the Israelites, in their impatience and stubbornness had made the golden calf as an idol of worship, (Ex.32) while Moses was up the mountain getting the Ten Commandments.
The Lord commanded him to move the tabernacle from out of the camp, calling it the Tabernacle of the congregation. ‘And it came to pass, that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
And it came to pass, when Moses went out into the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.’ (Ex.33:7-11)
Yes my brethren, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face like a friend, with trust, dignity, faithfulness and integrity! Those are the qualities inherent in true friends. Do we possess those qualities, and do those we consider our friends, possess them? That’s of the utmost importance in these crucial and critical times. Therefore we need to be very careful who we let into our inner sanctuary.
That brings us to another Friend of God, Bruh David. The Lord valued Bruh David so highly that after Saul had done wrong by usurping the priest’s duties and offering burnt offerings, (1 Sam.13:9-10) Samuel told him. ‘But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.’ (1 Sam.13:14)
Bruh David was described as a man after God’s own heart! Wow! Can you imagine that my people? And note, at a very tender age too. As far as I’m concerned, there can be no higher accolade given to a mortal man. That’s better than being called a friend, because friends don’t always agree or see things the same way. But when you have the heart of God, it means you continually see things the way He does.
And what’s important to notice in those relationships my fellow believers, is that neither man was an angel; Moses was considered a murderer and Bruh David an adulterer, but they still found favour in God’s eyes, that means there’s hope for all of us yet. (smile)
And we’ll stop there for today… don’t want to disrupt your busy, short attention spans and schedules. (smile) So till we meet again tomorrow, the Lord willing, let’s just go out and sincerely and diligently do our best nuh, because that’s all the Lord asks of us. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…the best way to live life… is to simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…and that’s indisputable truth…
29 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a standing O, Aaron, Adam and Eve, aura of love, Beelzebub, blessings, bondage, confidence, conquerors, consigened to the trash heap, Creator of the universe, death, deceits, destruction, destruction unto them, dismantling god, disobedience, evil, faith, fathom the gravity, foolish pride, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, Glory Halleujah, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, humble servants, I have redeemed them, inroads into the enemy's ranks, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, jobs, keep on pushing for Jesus, largesse, lies, look a gift horse in the mouth, Miriam, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, new wisdom, obeying God, Oh Lord God Almighty, one and only living God, Praise the Lord, prosperous, raise our passion for Jesus, raise the roof of heaven, rebellion, rejuvenation of spirit, reprisals, righteousness., shuddering with fear, sinful nature, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stubborn, sunshine and saltwater, taunts, testify, therapeutic remedy, they have fled from me, they have spoken lies against me, they have transgressed against me, Tobago day, too big for their britches, trust, truth, uesful purpose, understand the reality, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, woe unto them
Hosea 7:13. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
Oh Friends, these Tobago days are surely wonderful yes! (smile) And another one seems to be in the offing this blessed Monday morning. I don’t know if it’s my brother who brought them when he came, but he’s been dreading the cold even before he arrived. Hn, hn! However, so far, I don’t think he’s experienced one really cold day yet, for they have been mostly Tobago days.
Anyway, whatever the reason that God’s blessing us with such lovely weather at the end of September, let’s just enjoy it, be thankful and say, ‘Praise the Lord! Glory Hallelujah!’ Yes, let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. The only thing I’m missing now is the salt water, that great therapeutic remedy!
Chuh! But them’s the breaks, we can’t have everything we desire. And I know that someday soon, I’ll have both the sunshine and saltwater to cleanse and heal my aching body and bones. We got to have faith Friends! (smile)
So with all these good things we have going for us, let’s now raise our passion in, and for Jesus by bursting out in song, by sending up a marvellous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, one that will raise the roof of heaven and also have Beelzebub shaking and shuddering with fear in his evil, muddy boots.
All together now, in loud harmonious voice! ‘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 was wonderful, my fellow believers! We didn’t quite raise heaven’s roof, but we did get a standing ‘O’ from heaven’s host, and had the evil one quaking in his boots. Now let’s go out into the ungodly world that surrounds us and keep on pushing, pushing for Jesus!
Let us not allow our Creator and our God to truthfully say about us: ‘Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.’
Oh my brethren, I use to wonder how the Israelites could rebel against God after He had done so much for them. But having watched our once godly society change over the last thirty or so years, I can now understand it. Prosperity certainly breeds pride and self-centredness!
And that’s exactly what happened to both the Israelite and our societies: we got prosperous by obeying God, but then, foolishly, like Adam and Eve, we listened to the lies and deceits of the enemy which suggested that the prosperity was all our own doing and began dismantling Jehovah God from our society.
But Friends, that couldn’t be any further from the truth than disobedience won’t bring serious reprisals! The Israelites experienced it, several times too, and we’re now experiencing it too. The difference though, is that the Israelites were smart enough to eventually recognize from whence their largesse had truly come.
Right now though, I’m not sure that we have even begun to understand the reality, to fathom the gravity of our situation, much less to consider and find a way to change it.
Oh Friends, I keep telling us that the history books are full of societies who made it big on God’s back, but then got too big for their breeches and were then unceremoniously consigned to the trash heap of history by their omnipotent Creator.
And just as the Lord contended with Israel back then, unable to understand their disobedience, I believe He’s also contending with us today, asking the question: ‘O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants (bondage); and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.’ (Mic.6:3-4)
And yuh know what Friends, just like Israel was unable to testify against God with any serious slights, likewise we have no real grounds for rebellion and disobedience against Him besides a sinful stubborn nature and foolish pride.
So today my brethren, for the sake of our descendants, let’s cast off that unwise behaviour nuh, which is only leading us closer to death and destruction, and begin flaunting a new wisdom, like the Israelites did, return to sincerely serving and worshipping the One and Only Living God: He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Now that’s truly wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God…for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth… (Deut.8:18a)
22 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burning desire in our souls, a fountain of life, a new song in my mouth, a place of refuge, a sense of purpose, a shout of praise, adrenalin, aura of love, come up over our problems, complaints, confidence, confidence in man, confidence in princes, Creator of the universe, destiny, disappointed, enthusiasm, faithful help of Jesus, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, glory, God endures from generation to generation, grace, groans, here today gone tomorrow, holy spirit, humble servants, ignite our spirits, in good hands, in the fear of the Lord, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, keeping lives and families together, kindle a fire, lies, light up the universe with song, lord of hosts, LOVE, loving god, lustful appetites, moans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal man, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent god, proud, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the breath of life, the duty of man, the first, the last, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the snares of death, them that walk uprightly, trust, truth, ungodly world, vim and vigour, weary souls, whimper, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wise decisions, zenith
Psalm 118:8-9. 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.
Oh Friends, that day that many of us have been dreading, and a few of us longing for, is finally here! Yes, it’s Monday! Give the Lord a shout of praise for that nuh!
And you better believe that the shout was a mere whimper in comparison to the moans and groans and complaints. (smile) That means that many of us still did not prepare properly yesterday for today, consequently the whining is plentiful this Monday morning.
But my people we have no choice, if we want to eat and have a roof over our heads, then we must work. So let’s be up and at ‘em nuh. Let’s have the sense of purpose that Jesus had, and desires all His followers to also have, whereby we come up over our problems with His faithful help, rather than endlessly whine and complain.
And to assist us in doing that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much vim and vigour. Let’s kindle a fire, a burning desire in our souls to get out there and do His bidding. As one harmonious body now, let’s light up the universe with song:
‘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!’
Not bad at all Friends, not bad at all! Sufficient to ignite our spirits and cause the adrenalin to bubble up and flow like a lively stream just skipping along delightedly over its bed unconcerned, not worrying where it was going, or how and when it would get there, because it knew that it was in in good hands, the hands of its Creator. So too should we be my people.
And with that we’ll segue into our Bit. ‘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.’
Yes my brethren, confidence is a helluva thing, and it’s oh so important where we put it, and where we get it from! And the psalmist is definitely right when he declares that the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider, is the most appropriate personage in whom to place our trust and confidence, rather than in mortal man, be they lowly or powerful.
And it’s a very logical conclusion since mortal man does not control the universe, has no effective control even over his own destiny. He’s here today and gone tomorrow, blown away in the wind and forgotten, like the dust from which he was formed. He has no control over the breath of life in his finite body, which was breathed into him by the infinite Jehovah God, His Maker.
So why should we put our confidence and trust in such a flimsy and unsure body eh? Meanwhile, as the scriptures tell us, the Lord, our omnipotent God, endures from generation to generation. He was the FIRST, and He will be the LAST! No doubt about that my fellow believers!
Now let’s check out some scriptures that wisely advise us to put our trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And we’ll get the ball rolling with some wise words from Cousin Sol. ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart (turn one away) from the snares of death.’ (Prov.14:26-27)
And in my humble existence Friends, I can find nothing to dispute the truth of those words.
Meanwhile, the sons of Korah staunchly declare in Psalm 84: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12)
Oh my brethren, in my three score and odd years, I’ve found no reason to doubt those words either.
Now listen to Bruh David expound on God’s goodness and power from Psalm 40 – praise for answered prayer. ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee (recounted): if I would declare them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps.40:3-5)
Now Friends, if we have a powerful and trustworthy Deity like that looking after our affairs, then why should we trust relatively powerless and unwise mortal man eh? No reason whatsoever my people.
But unfortunately, a lot of us can’t believe what we don’t see and/or feel, and are also greatly influenced by the lustful appetites of the world. Therefore we still put our sincere trust and confidence in wicked mortal man, though we are disappointed by him most of the time.
Oh Friends, if we ever hope to turn this evil and ungodly world around, then we have to start making wise decisions. And the first and wisest of them all is to stop trusting in untrustworthy man and begin trusting in a faithful and LOVING God. That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…to trust…to trust…and yet to trust in Almighty God…that is the duty of man…
04 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, Caribana, christianity, cry out for mercy, do unto others as you want them to do to you, doctrine, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, fellowship, forgive your trespasses, forgiveness, friends, frogive men their trespasses, further God's glorious kingdom, golden rule, harmonious choir, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, hypocrites, inner motives, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judge not, long weekend, LOVE, make Jesus proud, mercy, Monday, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, new week of work, Ontario, party like there's no tomorrow, pound of flesh, prejudicial info, refuse to forgive, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, Scrip-Bit followers, selfishness, smile, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the shoe is on the other foot, tomorrow, trespasses, ungodly world, what you give out you will get back, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 6:15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Aye Friends, it’s Monday… and the ole back is aching from too much rest. (smile) It’s also late enough that many of you are already up and out the door to begin a new week of work.
Luckily though, for us here in Ontario, it’s a civic holiday, so many places are closed and the Caribana celebrations are moving ahead full throttle, with all sorts of activities scheduled for today, before it finally winds down tonight.
That means most of you out of the province couldn’t care less, because you can’t join in the fun and frolic. (smile) But don’t feel too badly, for not all of us are participating in the festivities. I for one, will most likely spend another quiet day at home with the Duchess, hopefully catching up on some paperwork I’ve been shunning for the last few days.
Anyway, let’s acknowledge the concerns of the majority and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much enthusiasm, even you Scrip-Bit followers here in Ontario, whose eyes may be bleary and voices scratchy from too much partying over the weekend. (smile)
Please encourage your brothers and sisters who have to go out and labour today, while we can party like there’s no tomorrow. Don’t forget though, that our tomorrow will come tomorrow, Tuesday, when we have to get ourselves into the work arena after this long, exhausting weekend. So please be careful today, don’t overdo it.
Now let’s sing our song like the big harmonious choir we are: ‘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 was fantastic Friends! Even the bleary eyed, scratchy voiced Ontarians sounded good! (smile) Now let’s run with that enthusiasm and passion all day long, in whatever we do, and make Jesus proud.
That brings us to our Bit. And it’s interesting how Matthew has Jesus tacking on these most important verses right after teaching us the Lord’s Prayer. I guess that’s because all of what went before is immaterial, if we don’t follow these dictates.
‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’
Ah my fellow believers, those two verses are extremely important in the proper functioning of Christianity. The doctrine is so simple, and so powerful… but yet we ignore it…obviously at our peril. What’s so difficult to understand about, ‘Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Don’t forgive, and you won’t be forgiven eh?’
Now it’s not always easy to forgive, but many of us REFUSE to forgive, and instead are always looking for our pound of flesh in return. However, when the shoe is on the other foot, we all are quick to cry out for mercy and forgiveness.
Unfortunately Friends, it doesn’t work like that. Jesus says it again in the next chapter of Matthew, though in a slightly different form. ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt.7:1-2)
And here we have some pertinent info from the scholars. ‘7:1-4. Judge not refers to an unfavorable and condemnatory judgement. This does not mean that a Christian should never exercise judgement of any kind under any circumstances.
The point being made here is that we are not to judge the inner motives of another. We are not to render a verdict based upon prejudicial information.
Nor are we to use ourselves as the standard of judgement for with what…ye mete (measure) you shall be judged. That ye be not judged refers to the ultimate judgement of God rather than our own judgement.’
It’s all so simple my brethren; whatever you give out, will, generally speaking, be the same that you receive. Jesus even went further, broke it down to the nitty gritty and gave us what we call ‘the golden rule. ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.’ (Matt.7:12)
Ah mih people, it couldn’t be put any simpler and/or clearer than that! But somehow or the other, that message is completely lost in today’s world, where selfishness and the I, myself and me principle are the prevailing standards and culture of this age.
Steups! How foolish can we get eh Friends? Apparently very foolish.
So on that most provocative and important note we’ll end today. Hopefully it will seep into our minds and consciousness, and give us cause and pause for thought.
Yes my people, I want us to ponder to day, consider very seriously our own reaction and behaviour to that golden rule. Do we practice it? And if so, how much, because it can easily lend itself to very selective times? However, it’s not meant to be selective, but general, to everybody, on every occasion!
So let’s analyze our lives today, and try to bring our lives into sync with that golden rule. For if we don’t, then we’re no better than the hypocrite Pharisees of old. And I’m sure we don’t want Jesus referring to us like how He referred to them.
So let’s get with it nuh, and do unto ALL others, as we would like ALL others to do unto us! That’s eternal wisdom my brethren! Much LOVE!
…the golden rule is the motto by which…EVERY believer ought to live his or her life…
21 Jul 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: aura of love, be not afraid, believe, blessings, Christ's ministry, complaining, confidence, Creator of the universe, denial of Jesus, disappointed, epitome, eternal life, evil, faith, for the works' sake, foundation of the church, further God's glorious kingdom, glorified, grin and bear it, harmony, holy spirit, inescapable, invincible, Israel, Jesus Christ, jobs, let not your heart be troubled, lies, limits of the world, LOVE, meet the enemy in battle, moan and groan, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious, New Testament, Oh Lord God Almighty, only believe, Peter, Poor Jesus, promise of Jesus' return, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, resources, rough copy, saved, serve a useful purpose, simple, spiritual armour, spiritual power, spunk, steadfast faith, straightforward, suck it up, taunts, tested, the only way to the Father, the Trinity, the way the truth and the life, trust, ungodly world, unsaved, value, whining, wiles, wisdom
Mark 5:36b. Be not afraid, only believe.
Well Friends, it’s Monday once again! Time to be up and at ‘em! Steups! I was up and at ‘em early enough, but just as I was almost finished, a power black out happened, and though I was saving the stuff, I still lost a fair amount of it.
And the sad and hurtful part is that I usually write a rough copy, but today I didn’t. Yuh see the method to my madness mih young daughter? She always laughs at me for doing a rough copy.
Anyway, my advice to you was to stop complaining and whining and get on with going to work in a fairly pleasant mood. But as the Lord would have it, I was tested before I even got done. Ah Lord eh! I’m laughing now, but believe me, I did moan and groan some back then.
However, as I keep telling us, I just have to suck it up, grin and bear it and start over. Hn! So without further ado, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty spunk and harmony, for I surely need something to boost my spirits. (smile)
‘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 was wonderful Friends! I was moved. Thanks. And I guess by now you’ve realized that I never finished all the scriptures that I wanted to yesterday, (smile) hence our Bit of Jesus’ few, simple, but powerful words again. ‘Be not afraid, only believe.’
And the first scripture I want to deal with comes from John 14, where Jesus is telling His disciples that He is the way, the ONLY WAY to the Father. The chapter opens thus: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ (John 14:1)
And the scholars say this about that verse. ’14:1. Let not your heart be troubled refers to Peter, Jesus just having told him of his imminent denial of His Lord (13:38). But the larger reference is to all the apostles, through whom Jesus is going to lay the foundation of the church.
His comfort also includes instruction about His departure, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the promise of spiritual power, of answered prayer, and of peace, but especially the promise of His return.’
But wouldn’t you know it, there is doubt and disbelief in the camp. Thomas questions Jesus about where He is going, and while trying to enlighten Thomas, about Him being the way the truth and the life, and if He had known Him he would also have known the Father, Philip says to Jesus: ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us.’ (John 14:8)
Poor Jesus, He must have been so disappointed with them, and goes on to lecture Philip. ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:9-14)
And we’ll end with some important and interesting explanations on those verses from the scholars. ’14:9. Seen me…seen the Father: There are no attributes of deity that the Son does not possess. This statement is most powerful. Everything that is true of God the Father is also true of the Son. The doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament may be inscrutable (wholly mysterious), but it is also inescapable.
14:11. Works’ sake: Jesus reiterates what He had said to the Pharisees (10:38), but here His words fall on receptive ears. The works have evidential value to the unsaved (to convince of the truth), and the saved (to assure of the truth).
14:12. Greater works: Greater in quantity, certainly not quality. Christ’s ministry was primarily to Israel. His followers were going to reach the limits of the world.
14:13-14. In my name means “as my agent.” The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (cf. 16:23-26) It is also linked here especially in the accomplishment of the “greater works.” The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.’
Oh my people, I do hope that we received and digested all that info from the scholars, because all those promises still stand today for us! Wow! Unlimited resources to do God’s work. Whichever employer ever offers that eh? None!
So let’s get it together this Monday morning nuh, let’s be wise and accept all that Jesus offers, so that we can be a powerful force in His name, in this evil and ungodly world. For that my Friends is the epitome of wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to believe or not to believe…some find it a difficult question…but the answer is simple and straightforward…BELIEVE…
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