23 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bridle for the ass, a glorious future, a horse of a different colour, a rod for the fool's back, a whip for the horse, as the horse, as the mule, be with Jesus, Behold, better late than never, blaspheming God's name, breath of life, death throes, deliver their soul from death, depart from evil, desires life, destroy our lives, do good, doing our own thing, dread, embracing God, excessive heat, fires, glad to be alive, God will never let us down, greatest desire, guide thee with mine eye, hands on the plough, Hawaiian volcano, he that keeps Israel, herd mentality, hope in his mercy, in His own time, instruct, joy, keep them alive in famine, keep them in our prayers, keep thy tongue from evil, lava, loves many days, Maria Goff, need bit and bridle, neither slumber nor sleep, not getting burned again, not looking back, obsessing, off kilter, once burned twice shy, one of those days, plumes of steam, pursue it, seek peace, surrender our will, teach thee, thanksgiving, the eye of the Lord, the face of the Lord, the Lord hears, the righteous cry, them that fear him, thy lips from guile, wait patiently, Wednesday Wail, when the fire comes, wisdom, with expectancy
Psalm 33:18. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.
Ah friends, it’s just one of those days. Life interspersed itself into my circumstances, as it so often likes to do and threw everything off kilter, that’s why I’m only now writing the Bit at ten o’clock. But not to worry, as they say better late than never. (smile)
And I have an interesting quote to share from a lady named Maria Goff, from her book, ‘Once Burned Twice Shy.’ And Maria tells us that ‘It won’t be the fires that destroy our lives and our faith. It will be the obsessing over not getting burned again.’
How true that seems when we look at the way our society obsesses over stuff. We get that herd mentality over a particular thing, and then it’s ever so hard to break it. Dread of things to come, many of which never come, plays a large part in our current society. But friends, as believers, we know that when the fire comes, we won’t be around to get burned. So there is nothing for us to be worried about, much less to obsess over. (smile)
But on a more serious note, the fire, lava from the volcano in Hawaii is causing serous problems; it’s run through the jungles down to the sea, causing tremendous plumes of steam with excessive heat to rise into the atmosphere. It’s not even safe to go to the beach.
Ah Lord eh! As the ole people would say, when it’s not one thing it’s another. But thankfully it has not exploded in a serious explosion just yet. Now that would be a horse of an entirely different colour. Let’s keep them in our prayers.
And our Bit today is one of great assurance. ‘Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.’ Yes friends, that is ever so true! The psalmist tells us in Psalm 121: ‘He that keepeth thee, will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.’ (Ps.121:3b-4)
Oh how wonderful is our God, that He never slumbers nor sleeps so that he can keep a watchful eye over us! ‘To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.’ (Ps.33:19)
I don’t think there is any more we can ask of our God nuh my people. We just have to surrender our will to His and wait patiently, with expectancy, for Him to do His thing in His own time. One thing we’re sure of though, is that He will NEVER let us down, and will eventually cause everything to work in our favour. And Job concurs with the words of our Bit. ‘He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous:’ (Job 36:7a)
Meanwhile, we have these immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 33: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.’ (Ps.32:8-9)
Ah mih people, how often has our God promised and admonished us as to the way we ought to behave eh? Numerous times! But do we listen? Not really. We still insist on doing our own thing, even when that is not successful. We end up like the horse and the mule, which need a bit and bridle to guide them in the right paths.
And I’m chuckling here as I discover this bit of wisdom on the topic from Cousin Sol. ‘A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass (donkey), and a rod for the fool’s back.’ (Prov.26:3)
Oh friends, so many of us need a rod for our backs in these end times, because so many of us are behaving so foolishly! Turning away from the Lord, blaspheming His holy name, trying to run Him out of our society. No wonder our society is in the death throes that it’s in!
Please, let’s listen to Bruh David and do as he recommends. ‘What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps.34:12-14)
And you ask why should we follow that advice? Because, ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off (destroy) the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.’ (Ps.34:15-17)
It couldn’t get any plainer than that my people. So why don’t we just show our great wisdom by embracing our wonderful God with joy and thanksgiving nuh? It’s oh so easy to do!
And now, for those of us who choose to do so, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our true and ever-improving position with Jesus. As one voice, with a strong sense of purpose and sincere heart: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah mih people, what a great joy it is to be involved with Jesus! Life just doesn’t get any better than when we are a member of His fold! And the future will be even more glorious than we can think or imagine! Much LOVE!
…to be with Jesus forever…ought to be every human’s greatest desire…
21 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abject fear, approach to God, assurance, aura of love, awe, boldness, casual, celebrating, Christians, confidence, dominant characteristic, dread of punishment, drunk or sober, enthusiasm, eternal rejection, evil, faith, fear, flippant, friends, God is LOVE, Granny's warning, herein is love, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, long weekend, LOVE, mind yuh business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no fear in love, not made perfect, on a tight reign, out of the loop, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, respect, rest, reverence, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, supremacy of love, taunts, the day of judgement, the greatest of these, the Spirit of the Son, torment, trust, truth, ungodly world, veneration, Victoria Day, weary souls, wiles, wisdom
1 John 4:18. There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.
And then it was Monday; Monday of a long weekend in the British Commonwealth of nations celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday! And to tell you how far I am out of the loop, I did not even realize that this was a long weekend until yesterday. Hn! Life surely passes you by when you’re having fun! (smile)
That means a lot of people around the world aren’t working today, but are at home or wherever celebrating, which means we also have to invoke Granny’s warning for all believers. ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business. And don’t give the devil any chance at all to get into your life!’
And a lot of stuff is going to be happening in the North Country today, especially with the glorious sunshine out there. Let’s hope the Spirit of the SON keeps us on a tight rein. (smile)
But since in many parts of the universe life and work go on as normal this Monday morning, we need to encourage those who have to labour while we play. So let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help them gather themselves together.
In strong voice 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!’
And as usual on a day like today, many of the voices that were the strongest were also harsh and out of sorts from the exuberance of the holiday weekend. (smile) But that’s just life; we’re always more enthusiastic when we don’t have to get involved in an unwanted task.
And today we want to look at an important verse of scripture from John’s first epistle: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’
Oh friends, those two words, ‘fear’ and ‘LOVE’ rule most of our lives. Earlier on John declares: ‘And we have known and believed the LOVE that God hath to us. God is LOVE; and he that dwelleth (abides) in LOVE dwelleth (abides) in God, and God in him.’ (1 John 4:16)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘4:16. John, like Paul (1 Cor.13:13), stresses the supremacy of LOVE as a characteristic of God, and therefore as a dominant characteristic of the true believer.’ That means if true LOVE isn’t one of our dominant characteristics, then we’re not truly into God, and vice versa.
And John continues: ‘Herein is our LOVE made perfect (LOVE is made perfect among us), that we may have boldness in the day of judgement: because as he is, so are we in this world.’ (1 John 4:17)
Now hear the scholars. ‘4:17. Herein points back to verse 16. By dwelling in LOVE, and thus having God dwelling in him, the believer gains the priceless assurance that he need not fear the coming judgement. This is our assurance, if we LOVE in this world as He does.’
Yes my people, we need God’s LOVE dwelling in us, if we are to walk this earth reassured and without fear of the days to come. And why is that? Because as our Bit says: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear.’ So if you have LOVE, you won’t fear, and if you have fear, you can’t have LOVE. As simple as that!
And the scholars explain: ‘4:18. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete. Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us (see Acts 10:35; 13:26; 2 Cor.7:1; Eph.5:21; Phil,2:12; 1 Pet.1:17). Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’
Ah mih people, I think we should all take a few minutes and look at those scriptures, I just did, as they all drive home the point that though we should not fear God in the sense of having personal courage to come to Him with confidence, we definitely need to show Him deserved reverence, honour and admiration.
And as the definition of reverence declares: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe and veneration. Yeh friends, that’s how our God must be to us. Much LOVE!
…and now abideth faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor.13:13)
18 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thief in the night, a thousand shall fall, adversity, barriers, be prepared, boundaries, damnation, drinking, eating, faith, followers of Jesus, for our good, Friday chant, full steam ahead, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, He is my refuge, hellfire, I will say of the Lord, in him will I trust, in his essence, in Jesus name, in perspective, Jesus is coming back, lustful flesh, my fortress, my god, on the outside looking in, on top of stuff, open arms, our earthly purpose, Our god, our wits about us, pestilence, pilgrim, plugged nickel, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, save us, security, sense of purpose, surrender, take refuge, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, thanks and praise, the reward of the wicked, the weekend, the works of Jesus, thy shield, to the max, toehold, too late, trust, truth, under his wings, walk in darkness, week of work, whatever catches your fancy, wisdom, workingman
Psalm 91:2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Aye friends, sorry the Bit’s somewhat late, but the ole fella’s definitely not in great shape this morning. I got up late and not feeling too hot either. But here we are, with the help of the Good Lord journeying on like a good pilgrim (smile).
And it’s Friday, so you know the workingman is in his essence, shouting out loud to all and sundry: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday at last! The weekend…the weekend…it here finally! So let the party begin; eating and drinking and whatever catches your fancy! Massa had he time all week; is our time now, so live it up to the max! Thank God for Friday and weekends yes, otherwise our lives wouldn’t be worth the proverbial plugged nickel!’
And wouldn’t the enemy like us to take that advice. Just to let it all hang out and do whatever our lustful flesh dictates. Hn! But as followers of Jesus, we’re smarter than that. We know that we need to keep everything in perspective and don’t go overboard on anything, because that would just be inviting the enemy to enter our lives and get some kind of toehold.
So we’ve set up boundaries and barriers to enable us to stay within the protected areas. That’s why our Friday Chant is not as explosive as the workingman’s song. Let’s declare it now nuh, with sincere enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh friends, as believers, we need to keep ourselves in good functioning mode, keep on top of stuff, so that we can work the works of Jesus at a moment’s notice. We do need to be refreshed and renewed, but never to lose sight of our earthly purpose.
And to help us do that, here is this refreshing and reassuring verse of scripture enshrined as Today’s Bit. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’
Oh friends, oh friends, what a position of trust, faith and total surrender! It’s the best decision we can make in this life as per our security! Listen as the psalmist continues the security features of God’s network.
‘He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield). Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Not for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come night thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.’ (Ps.91:4-8)
Yeh mih people, that’s the kind of security that our God provides. Now that doesn’t mean we will never see any kind of adversity, absolutely not! But it does mean that we will not live this live as fearful namby-pambys, and whenever adversity comes, we will be able to bear up under it with the Lord’s help, because He has faithfully promised to work everything out eventually for our good.
And that’s the reassurance we have in His awesome word. No other faith or religion even promises anything like that, much less are able to deliver it like the Lord can. Give glory to His precious and holy name my people! For He is the one who made us, who saved us, and still LOVES us despite our undeserving nature!
What a mighty God we serve and worship! Give Him thanks and praise all day long, for what He’s done, is doing, and has faithfully promised to do for us in the future! How can we not sincerely LOVE and adore Him eh people? I can’t understand why we are trying so hard to get Him out of our lives and our society when He is the ONLY ONE who can save us from hellfire and damnation.
If we had our wits about us, we’d be running instead full steam ahead to His open, waiting LOVING arms, because He is indeed our fortress, our refuge and our God!
Oh my brethren, let’s wake up and smell whatever we need to smell before it’s too late nuh! Jesus is coming back some time soon, when, we’re not sure, but like a thief in the night He can come at any time. And the sad part is that when He comes, all bets are over. There will be no more time for changing our minds and we’ll just end up unfortunately on the outside looking in.
And I’ve said it often enough, that will be the worst place for a human to be, come the time of Jesus. So let’s get wise and be prepared nuh, that we will be ready for whenever He comes, even if it’s today. That’s wisdom at its greatest height. Much LOVE!
…the only thing that really matters…we’re prepared when Jesus comes…
14 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, abomination to God, adrenaline, asaph, aura of love, cease from anger, choose none of his ways, commit thy way, confidence, conquerors, continually be reminded of, delight thyself in the Lord, desires of your heart, do good, earthly riches, enthusiasm, envious, envious at the foolish, envy not, eternal life, evil doers, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, God is good, gospel truth, heavenly glory, holy spirit, humble servants, I almost stumbled, inherit the earth, invincible, Jesus, jobs. wiles, joy, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, perverse person, plan your weekends, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, sinful souls, sold their souls, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the Good Book, the oppressor, the prosperity of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, ungodly world, wait on the Lord, warned against, wisdom, wither as the green herb
Proverbs 3:31. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.
Well friends, it’s such a glorious Monday morning that we should have no problem getting up and going out to meet the new work week. Hn! And I hear some of you sourly say, ‘Yeh, no problem eh? Well talk for yourself yes, but I have a problem every week getting up on a Monday morning.’ And I’ll reply ‘that’s because you don’t plan your weekends properly.’
Anyhow, for whatever ails us this Monday morning, we have the sure antidote for it; our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so let’s sing it with much gusto nuh, so that it can uplift our souls and spirits.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And now that the adrenaline is coursing through our veins, we should be able to ramp up our efforts on behalf of Jesus without a problem. (smile) And today we have an interesting Bit from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.’
Yeh friends, it’s something we’ve been continually warned against throughout the Good Book, but also something we need to be continually reminded of, because the pull of the oppressor and his wicked ways are so strong on our naturally sinful souls.
And for our benefit, Cousin Sol continues: ‘For the forward (perverse person) is abomination to the Lord: but his secret (secret council) is with the righteous.’ (Prov.3:32) And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers! And if you think Cousin Sol’s words are not strong enough for you, then listen to Bruh David’s on the subject; words that we know and quote, and yet still don’t follow enough.
‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps.37:1) How often have those words been preached to us eh friends, yet we keep on doing exactly what they warn us not to do.
Oh, I know the world and its evil doings are powerful, and though the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is stronger than the world, it’s not going to override our desires. It’s our job to heed the guidance of the Lord’s Spirit if we want to do His will.
That’s why Bruh David advises: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
And friends, if Bruh David’s words don’t grab you, then listen to these of Asaph, the psalmist, who almost fell into the trap. ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps.73:1-3)
Ah mih people, we all know it’s hard to see the wicked prosper and some of the righteous suffer unfairly. But please, please, I implore us not to fall for the lies of the world, because as the Good Book says, the wicked will eventually be destroyed and the righteous shall take over their wealth.
So in closing, let’s be further reminded by the encouraging words of Bruh David. ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:7-9)
Please, let’s bury those words in our hearts and souls, so that we can remember them and put them into action when the evil one comes against us. Much LOVE!
…the wicked have sold their souls for earthly riches…the righteous have sold theirs for heavenly glory…
10 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better person, a compassionate heart, a different person, a majority, a proven winner, a worse person, adversity, affirmation, almighty god, angry, as the brightness of the firmament, bat of an eyelash, bitter, build my faith, closer to God, common sense, courage, creativity, curse, cynical, disaster, disillusioned, divine protection, dr robert h schuller, drive me away from God, emblazon, end times, faith, faithfulness, good friends, good health, gospel truth, Hawaiian people, hope, Hosea, Hour of Power Devotional, imprisoned by hope, keep on praying, keep trucking on, lead you to God, left out, Let your problem, LOVE, loving-kindness, mental billboards, mercy, more patient, my attitude, negative attitude, negative word, never give up, pouts, prisoners of hope, prosper, rebuked by God, restore double, run away and hide, shatter my faith, shine, showers, sins, sour, stars for ever, stronger, succeed, success, take it to God, talent, the wise, this problem is past, Thursday's Blessings, turn many to righteousness, turn to God, turn to the stronghold, untapped resources, vision of Daniel, volcanic activity, wait on God., wisdom, wiser, you and god, Zechariah
Zechariah 9:12. Turn ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.
Well mih people, we might not have as nice a day as the last few, because they’ve called for showers, and we did have a small thunder squall earlier in the morning, but yuh know what? Right now, though it’s somewhat cloudy, the Sun is fighting valiantly to come out and shine, shine, shine! Yeh it does look hopeful out there. And yuh know the SON is always out there doing His thing! So no need to worry on that side of the ledger. (smile)
Unfortunately however, those people in Hawaii are experiencing more volcanic activity, so let’s keep up our prayers for them, that the whole thing will soon settle down without further disruption and disaster.
Now here is something from Gramps Schuler’s (Dr. Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. It gives us a very good insight into problems, and is appropriately titled: ‘Let Your Problem Lead You to God.’
Gramps Schuller writes: ‘No problem leaves you where it found you. Read this affirmation out loud: “I will be a different person when this problem is past. I will be a wiser, stronger, more patient person; or I will be sour, cynical, bitter, disillusioned, and angry. It all depends on what I do with this problem.
Each problem can make me a better person or a worse person. It can bring me closer to God, or it can drive me away from God. It can build my faith or it can shatter my faith. It all depends on my attitude. I intend to be a better person when this problem leaves me than I was when it met me.” There are vast untapped resources of faith and talent that can only be discovered in adversity.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! It’s unfortunate, but the fact is that only through adversity can we build or discover true faith. And when adversity comes, the way we handle it will indeed make us a better or worse person. If we try to run away from it and hide, or adopt a completely negative attitude, then it will eat us up faster than the bat of an eyelash.
But if we keep our peace and recognize that the problem is bigger than us and take it to God, then we’re already in the driver’s seat! Glory to God! Remember friends that you and God are a majority in EVERY situation, and with Him by your side, you can win every battle.
If you are a wise believer, then taking your problems to God is a no-brainer, because that’s what He has asked us to do. He wants to be involved in EVERY situation in our lives, big, small or otherwise! And if we don’t involve Him in everything, He feels left out and pouts, just like we do, when we’re not invited in. (smile)
Oh friends, we cannot pick and choose which situations in our life to allow God into, that’s why I’ve chosen this encouraging scripture from the prophet Zechariah, as he talks about Zion’s future king, to be our Bit today. ‘Turn ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’
Oh my people, what wonderful advice! And though it was given thousands of years ago, it’s still as pertinent today as it was back then. It only makes sense to turn to whatever is strong in our lives, not what is weak. And the strongest thing there is, is Almighty God, so why wouldn’t we turn to Him in all wisdom eh?
But what I like most about that passage of scripture is the phrase, ‘prisoners of hope!’ Wow! It sounds like the perfect name for believers. Imprisoned by hope in Jesus Christ, we just keep trucking on in faith and never give up! I think it’s high time we emblazon that phrase on our mental billboards, and truly begin considering ourselves as prisoners of hope. We can never go wrong if we do.
And yuh see what happens when we do behave as prisoners of hope? The Lord renders double unto us. He blesses us even more than He has already. So why not become a true prisoner of hope then eh my people? Wisdom and common sense demand it!
And now, I just want to add a couple of obscure scriptures that most of us might not know, but which encourage us to turn to God. Listen to Hosea, as he talks about Ephraim’s sins being rebuked by God. ‘Even the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is his memorial. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy (LOVING-kindness, faithfulness) and judgement (justice), and wait on thy God continually.’ (Hos.12:5-6) Now that’s a proven winner!
And lastly, these most encouraging words from the vision of Daniel re the time of the end. ‘And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.’ (Dan. 12:3)
Oh my brethren, what a wonderful promise! And since we consider these times, the end times, what better way to go than by being wise and shining brightly and turning others to Christ! Mama Mia! That verse surely excited me! (smile)
Now, since we are wise, and are prisoners of hope, let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, all that the Lord has given us for being so smart. Hn, hn! Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life!
I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
What a wonderful God we serve and worship! But remember people, that’s not all for us, but also to share with the less fortunate. So let’s go and do that now nuh. Much LOVE!
…if you’ve got to be a prisoner…there’s none better…than being one of hope in Almighty God…
07 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, adversity, against the covenant, another glorious day, apostasy, aura of love, birth of Christ, blasphemous, boasters, confidence, corrupt, corruption, covetous, Daniel, disobedient to parents, do exploits, do wickedly, encouragement, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, face the world, false accusers, falsehood, flatteries, fleshly lusts, future times, glory to God, God pleasers, haughty, Hawaii, help, high-minded, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, kings of the north and south, lies, LOVE, lovers of self, men pleasers, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, money lovers, perilous times, pleasures, polluted, prayers, proud, regeneration of nature, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, shall be strong, slanderers, spirits rising, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take action, take the fight, taunts, the grass growing green. buds blossoming, the last days, the SON, the Sun, those who know their God, to do God's work, to the enemy, traitors, trust, truth, ungodly world, unholy, vision, volcanic eruption, wiles, wisdom, without self control
Daniel 11:32. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).
Ah friends, another glorious day is in the offing in my neighbourhood! You know it couldn’t get any better when both the Sun and the SON are in most brilliant mode, with the grass growing green and lush and the buds blossoming on the trees. Wow friends! That means the yearly regeneration of nature is on its way! We couldn’t ask for better encouragement to get out and face today. Glory to our great God!
Unfortunately though, not all neighbourhoods are experiencing such regeneration, some like ones in Hawaii are instead experiencing degeneration and disaster due to the recent eruption of the Kilauea volcano and all the ensuing adversity such activity brings. And it seems to be still in active mode, which could mean anything. So let’s remember those people in our prayers and offer whatever help we can.
Now it’s time to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, to raise up our spirits and acknowledge the Lord God Jehovah as our Creator and Guiding Light.
In full voice 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!’
Yeh friends, if we were sincere there, then the Lord will not turn down our requests, we will feel the adrenaline coursing swiftly through our bodies and our spirits rising, heavenly enthused (smile) to do God’s work. That’s the awesome power of sincere prayer!
And today we’ll look at a scripture that many of us don’t even know, but which is an important part of the prophecy for our world. It comes from Daniel, when the Lord revealed the vision of future times to him. This piece deals with the kings of the north and south roaming through the earth to cause havoc.
It says in our Bit: ‘And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt (polluted) by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’
And my people, if ever there was a time for that scripture to be invoked, is right now, what with the corruption and evil and falsehood that is currently being perpetrated in our world! It’s a time when we have become men pleasers rather than God pleasers, and only want to hear what’s good to satisfy our fleshly lusts.
Bruh Paul says it best when talking to Timothy about the coming apostasy (renunciation of one’s religion). ‘This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers (irreconcilable), false accusers (slanderers), incontinent (without self-control), fierce (brutal) despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (mere religion without power or spiritual life) from such turn away.’ (2 Tim.3:1-5)
Oh friends, it’s as though Bruh Paul is living in today’s world, he’s got the picture of it so right! All that he says is happening, in these what we consider the last times. And the scholars explain: ‘3:1-4. The last days began with the birth of Christ and will culminate in Christ’s return to the earth to set up His kingdom. The prediction of perilous times indicates that apostasy will characterize the final days of the church age.’
But with all that being acknowledged, you know what friends? As Daniel says in our Bit, ‘but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits (take action).’ And that’s where we, the people of God come in. It behooves us now to stand strong and do exploits in the Lord’s name! It’s time to take the fight to the enemy, rather than sitting and waiting for him to come to us.
Oh my fellow believers, we’re so blessed, with sins forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus, with salvation and eternal life faithfully promised, let’s not waste all that Jesus went through nuh, let’s be up and doing, for that’s what He desires of us. Much LOVE!
…if the supposed people of God don’t stand strong…and fight the enemy…then who will eh…
03 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, abundance, among the stars, as the eagle, charles stanley, compassionate heart, courage, creativity, curse, disobedient, divine protection, doh-care times, doom, drcisions, dwell in the clfts of the rock, Edom, egoistic, Esau, every area of life, everything we do, exalt thyself, faithful followers, full benefit, get too full of myself, God;s magnanimity, has deceived thee, haughty, hope, humbled me, I will bring thee down, in our relationships, in the midst of our entire being, Jacob, join with God, Judah, keep god at the centre of our universe, like puppets, LOVE, mountain stronghold, negative word, no respect, Obadiah, our finances, our planse, pick and choose, positive outlook, pride, prideful, prophecy, prosperity, proud, proud perches, pulls our strings, puny efforts, renewal of nature, rough, saith the Lord, say, security, selfish, set thy nest, share the blessing, smell the roses, spring time, stop trying to box God out, talent, that says in his heart, the God of their forefathers, the land of the living, the Lord God Almighty, the pride of thine heart, think, Thursday Blessings, upgrading our walk with God, wake up, welcome Him wholeheartedly, who shall bring me down, whose haitation is high, winter slumber, wisdom
Obadiah 1:3. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
Ah friends, one more day in the land of the living! Hope today though will be better than yesterday. We won’t get into the ramifications, but yesterday was rough, to put it mildly. I guess the Lord figured I had come through the operation too smoothly, without any real pain or such, and He didn’t want me to get too full of myself, so He humbled me in a way that only He can do. (smile)
And now that I’m completely humbled, it’s time to move on with getting better. And how do we do that? By upgrading our walk with God. And here are some tips from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) on how to do that. He strongly advises that we keep God at the centre of our universe, of our thinking: in everything we do, everything we say, everything we think, in our relationships, our finances, our plans, and EVERY area of life.
Yes, faithful followers of God, the Almighty MUST be in the midst of our entire being. Nothing else is acceptable in His sight. We can’t pick and choose what areas we’ll allow Him into, as we are wont to do. He wants to be involved in EVERYTHING! Even the smallest and most inconspicuous decisions.
So it’s time we stop trying to box Him out of certain areas and things of our lives, and just welcome Him wholeheartedly into every area. That’s the ONLY way we will ever get the full benefit of His magnanimity!
That brings us to our Bit for today, a rather appropriate scripture from the prophet Obadiah, for these proud, egotistic, selfish and doh-care times. It was originally meant for the people of Edom (Esau) because of his actions against his brother Judah (Jacob).
The theme of the prophecy is the doom of Edom, and consequently, our doom, if we keep going the way we currently are. ‘The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?’
Before we get into the Bit though, here is some background info to help us. ‘1 Edom refers to the territory settled by Esau’s descendants. It is a mountainous desert extending for about one hundred miles from the wadi Zered to the Gulf of Aqaba. The Edomites enjoyed the security of their mountain stronghold and the prosperity obtained by taxing caravans travelling through their territory.’
So now we know the setting for Obadiah’s statement. The Edomites figured they were safe and secure in their mountainous lairs, so their prosperity and pride turned them away from the God of their forefathers, just like those things are doing to us today. So many of us today are prideful and haughty and have no respect for man nor God, foolishly figuring that no one can bring us down from our proud perches.
But friends, that’s a fool’s wisdom. There is always some man or woman who can bring us down from our haughty heights. And if a fellow human being isn’t able to do it, then the Lord God Almighty, our Creator can, and will certainly do so, whenever He is ready.
And as always, He clearly and plainly states His intentions, but like the fools we are, we never seem to take Him seriously. Hear the verse after our Bit. ‘Though thou exalt thyself as (high as) the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.’ (Obad.1:4)
And the scholars explain: ‘4. Though thou set thy nest among the stars: This figure of speech emphasizes the inaccessibility and natural security of their city. However their natural security is no match for God’s determination.’ And that is what we have to realize my people. Our puny efforts at security and safety are no match for our Creator’s ability. Yet we still try to foolishly disregard Him and His laws.
Oh friends, oh friends, the only thing that makes any sense is to join with God, not turn or run away from Him, since He is both wiser and more powerful than any or all of us together. We keep forgetting that He created us, and still pulls our strings. In His hands we can be like puppets, if He so desires.
So let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh, in this most appropriate time for such activity, the renewal of nature, spring time. Let’s awaken from our winter slumber and call on the name of God in all wisdom and truth nuh, for that’s what our plagued world desperately needs.
And yuh see friends, though we are so disobedient, our wonderful God still blesses us with abundant blessings as set out in our Thursday Blessings. Let’s shout them out: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And having all of that, let’s go out now and share it with the less fortunate nuh, for that is what Jesus desires of us, why He blessed us so abundantly in the first place. Much LOVE!
…the first rule of a blessing…is to share it…
30 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's arsenal, a righteous man, afflicted, armour of god, aura of love, called by my name, Confess your faults, Creator of the universe, dangerous, debtors, debts, difficult, doubting, enthusiasm, evil prevalent, faith, families, fervent prayer, forgive their sin, further your glorious kingdom, heal their land, humble servants, humble themselves, I will hear from heaven, jobs, lies, lifting up holy hnads, men pray every where, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my people, Our Father, pray, rejuvenation of spirit, repentance, save the sick, seek my face, sin, sing psalms, temptation, the power of prayer, the prayer of faith, turn from their wicked ways, unfair, vitlaity, weary souls, wiles, wisdom, without wrath
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
And then it was Monday again…so I guess most of you readers are already at work, struggling after a partying weekend…but not my people, because we know better than that. (smile) Uncharacteristically though, I’ve been sleeping through most of the day. I guess the ole bod needs the rest. I’m not doing badly though, should be out of here tomorrow.
But let’s do what we have to do, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it’s prayer and is useful at any time of day or night. As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Glory be my people! Prayer is such a wonderful thing! It not only connects us to our Triune God Head, but it also uplifts our souls and spirits at the same time. What could be better than that eh? That’s why it’s the most important weapon in a believer’s arsenal. And it’s possibly why I am still alive and kicking today; because of all the pleading prayers you all made on my behalf.
So please, let us never belittle or downplay the power of prayer, especially since it’s the method the Creator chose for us to communicate with Him. As He says in our Bit today: ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’
And the scholars tell us: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4:8-1).’
And in these modern times where sin and evil are so prevalent, do we ever need to pray for help to overcome our numerous problems. That’s why in the New Testament we’re told so often about prayer and praying. Like Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That doesn’t necessarily mean every minute of every day, but on a regular basis. Prayer should just be a thought away from our minds. And Bruh Paul told Timothy that ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8)
Meanwhile James admonishes: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with the oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16)
Yuh see friends, prayer is helpful in every situation of our daily walk with Christ! Be it in the church or out of it. And Bruh Paul reminds us in Ephesians, that even when we put on the life-saving armour of God, we still need prayer to help us along. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18)
And the scholars explain: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means ‘being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’
Oh my people, I couldn’t have put it any better. And I believe the best way to end this refresher course on prayer is with the prayer that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ taught us. ‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen!’ (Matt.6:9-13)
Please friends and fellow believers, let’s remember to never belittle the power of prayer, instead, let’s wisely lift it up to the great heights that it is supposed to take in our lives nuh, because it’s all for our benefit. Much LOVE!
…to pray…and yet to pray…and to keep on praying…that is wisdom of the highest order…
29 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, a word to the wise, alive and kicking, be wise, blessed are they that keep my ways, consequences, disdain the rules, Emergency situation, feel sorry for myself, finds life, finds me, focusing your life, for a better tomorrow, future, hear instruction, hearken unto me, hitch your wagon, I'm going to press on, inspire us, Jesus, LOVE, love death, make progress, o ye children, on making a buck, operation was a success, perfect law of liberty, poverty of ambition, prayers, quotes from Anselm, refurbishment, rewards, riches, Saturday, shall be blessd, sin against God, sufficient, the Lord willing, the value of life, those who press on, time to complain, to something larger than yourself, tumour, value of wisdom, walking down the right path, wastes one hour of time, watching at my gates, wealth, willing to keep walking, wisdom, wonderful god, wrongs his own soul
Proverbs 8:32. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.
Well hello there mih loverlies! This is the ole fellow reporting from St. Mike’s alive and kicking, thanks to our great and wonderful God! Praise His Holy Name! Yes friends, I guess with all the prayers you all sent up to heaven on my behalf, the Lord had no option but to leave me down here. His very words were; ‘If you all want him down there so badly, you all might as well keep him. I can wait for him a li’l longer. (smile)
The operation appears to have been a success, except that it seemed to take a little longer than expected, because the tumour was tied up in some of the other organs, but you know I knew nothing about that, because I was out for the count. I am feeling not too bad now late in the evening, so I decided to write the Bit.
And as we know today is Saturday, so we have to look at some of the quotes from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And I think this first one refers perfectly to my current situation. ‘The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.’ And that is exactly what I intend to do; press on regardless, especially as the Lord has at last begun my refurbishment. (smile)
Then there is this one: ‘A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.’ That’s so true my brethren, life is short, so why waste any of it eh? This one is also true: ‘If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.’ But note, it needs the right path, and you’re supposed to keep on walking, not stop sometime when you get tired.
And as usual we’ve left the best for last: ‘Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.’ And friends that wagon you need to hitch yourself to, the one that is so much larger and better than you is simply Jesus!
There is nothing better nor larger than Him. And I know that all of you who are reading this know that’s true, that’s why you’ve hitched your wagon to His bright and everlasting star. That’s why Cousin Sol gives us this talk on the everlasting value of wisdom, starting with our Bit. ‘Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.’
And regardless of what wagon you hitch your star to, you will have to follow its rules and regulations, if you want to get ahead in its programme. And that goes for Jesus even more. As Cousin Sol continues: ‘Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not (do not disdain it).’ (Prov.8:33) But sadly a lot of us disdain the rules of Jesus and thus suffer the consequences, for there are always consequences to every action, good or bad.
However, Cousin Sol tells us that ‘Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For who findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me LOVE death.’(Prov.8:34-36) Yeh mih people, if we don’t like wisdom, then death is our friend, and that’s truly a sad reflection on us.
Because the Good Book has given us so many promises when we follow the Lord seriously. Hear the Psalmist. ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth (lasts) for ever.’ (Ps.112:1-3)
What more can we ask eh good people of God? Nothing really, for God gives us all that we need when we stand strong with him. And we’ll close with some more wise words from James on the subject. ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (what he does).’ (James 2:25)
Oh friends, we must keep on hearing and doing the word if we want to be truly blessed. That’s wisdom at its highest! Thanks for all your prayers. You can see that the Lord answered them. (smile) And as I write this there’s an emergency situation in the bed to my right. Hope the gentleman makes it. Talk to you tomorrow, the Lord willing. Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise…is usually sufficient….
P.S. The gentleman next door did make it. Thanks to God and good and quick medical help. Much LOVE!
26 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gift from God, a servant of Christ, abundance, bad luck, be multiplied to you, be obedient, belief in Jesus christ, charles stanley, Commit thy way to the Lord, courage, creativity, curse, delight thyself in the Lord, divine power, do goo, dwell in the land, escaped the corruption, eternal life, evil world, expect something for nothing, faith, faithfulness, fruit of the Spirit, given to us, given us all things, glory, God's unmerited favour, godliness, good examples, grace, great and precious promises, holy spirit, Holy Trinity, is in the world, judgement, justice, licentious behaviour, light, lustful, mercy, negative situations, negative word, noonday, partakers of the divine nature, peace, personally testify, Peter, precious faith, promises, prosper, prosperous life, reward, righteousness, salt, salutation, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, share God's blessings, Standing on the promises of God, succeed, talent, testify, that pertain unto life, the desires of thine heart, the gift of God, the knowledge of god, the Lord's faithfulness, the wages of sin is death, third person, thou shalt be fed, through lust, Thursday Blessings, trust in the Lord, virtue, wisdom, you reap what you sow
2 Peter 1:4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Oh friends, this salutation seemed like the best way to begin today’s message, as it runs with our Bit. And if it was good enough for Peter, it’s good enough for me. (smile) Randy O’Brien, ‘a servant of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like (the same kind of) precious faith with us through the righteousness of (our) God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through (in) the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to (by) glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ (2 Peter 1:1-4)
Oh my fellow believers, you all hear that? Through our belief in Jesus Christ, we’ve been given ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, accompanied by ‘great and precious promises’ which help us get away, and stay away from the lustful and licentious behaviour of this evil world. Wow! What could be better than that eh friends? NOTHING REALLY!
The Lord has implanted His Holy Spirit to dwell in ALL believers, and the power of the third person of the Holy Trinity provides ALL that we need, or will ever need to be successful in this life. Please remember that, and seriously take hold of it nuh.
The fruit of the Spirit has already been planted in us, all we have to do now is ask the Lord to help us water and nurture them so that they can grow and show up in our lives, so that we can be good examples to the world, salt and light, and glorify and exalt His most precious and Holy Name! Glory be my brethren!
And we going to continue looking at some of God’s promises today. And this is one of my favourite, because I am currently living it. The immortal and oh so true words of Bruh David. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
Oh friends, if it’s one thing I can testify to is the Lord’s faithfulness. Although I’ve been going through a rough time medically this past year and a half, with no real relief in sight, you wouldn’t believe how the Lord has been blessing me during this time, surprisingly making some of the desires of my heart come to pass. Brother! Is he ever a wonderful God!
The problem with most of us is that we expect something for nothing – both from man and God. But that’s not real life my people! Generally speaking, you get back when and what you give. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say; ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.’ That’s just a fact of nature!
That brings us to this awesome but also frightening promise: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23) Yeh mih breddren, if you insist on following the sinful, lustful world, death will be your eventual reward.
However, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and do your best to be obedient to His rules and principles, then you will receive the most wonderful gift there is; that of salvation and everlasting life with Christ. As the scholars tell us: ‘6:23. Wages: Emphasizes what we deserve. Gift of God: Emphasizes God’s unmerited favour.’
Yuh see the difference friends? One is what you deserve; the other is mercy, giving you something good that you don’t deserve. And please remember that salvation is indeed a gift from God, we can’t do anything to deserve it. All the good works we do mean nothing unless we believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour, for that’s the way the Lord set it up, so that none of us could boast about our good works.
And that, I think, brings us to the end of these messages on the promises of God. I implore us to study them and take them to heart, because as Peter says, they’ve been given to us so that we can lead a good and prosperous life here on earth. Please don’t let them go to waste, and then complain about your bad luck and other negative situations. Then you only have yourself to blame.
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings which have been showered down on us because we have tried to be obedient to God’s law and have taken up and held on to His many generous promises. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life!
I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And one of God’s most important laws is for us to now go out and share those blessings with the less fortunate! Much LOVE!
…promises…promises…I’m standing on the promises of Christ my God…
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