26 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Christ, a modicum of circumspection, Abraham Issac Jacob, anxious lives, aura of love, bring my soul out of prison, Christians, complaining, confidence, cower, deal bountifully, deliver me, do not be afraid, enthusiasm, evil minions, faith, faith can move mountains, fake it, fear not, fearful, fellowship, friends, further ado, gay abandon, grumbling, He is my refuge, holy spirit, humble servants, I will say of the Lord, in him will I trust, invincible, Jesus, lays waste, lazy, leggo beasts, lies, like a man, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, lustful pleasure, mature, measure up, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Monday Morning Blues, my fortess, my god, my portion, noondays, persecutors, pestilence, presence of god, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, scriptures, security, servants, shield, smell the roses, snare of the fowler, spiritual armour, stand your bounce, steadfast faith, take refuge, the land of the living, the secret place, the shadow of the Almighty, the weekend, trust, truth, under his wings, ungodly world, wake up, wisdom
Psalm 91:2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
So Monday has finally rolled around again my people. Hn! I do hope that we are prepared for it, and there will not be a set of grumbling, complaining and cursing because we are too tired, or lazy to get up. It’s high time that we mature and begin greeting Monday as, or almost as joyfully as Friday.
But unfortunately that will not happen until we treat the weekend with a modicum of circumspection and stop behaving like leggo beasts, wanting to cram every last bit of lustful pleasure into the two days.
Anyway, as they say, a word to the wise is sufficient. So if you don’t want to measure up and behave like a true follower of Christ, then there’s nothing anyone can do about it. You will just have to stand your bounce, hopefully like a man. Nuff said.
Therefore, without further ado, let’s get right into our antidote for those Monday morning blues, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. And let’s sing it in harmony, with enthusiasm and gay abandon. Remember we need to please Jesus, our august choirmaster, so even if you don’t truly feel it, then fake it, and it will become real enough eventually. (smile)
As one now, let’s blast it out. ‘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!’
Good show mih breddren, good show! You can see that Jesus was pleased judging by the light in His eyes and the smile on His handsome face. I was also quite surprised by the good show we put on. All praise and thanks be to God!
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ Oh friends, what a powerful testimony! The psalmist is ever so confident in the security that his God provides – his refuge and fortress.
Wow! It reminds us of another psalmist who made that bold and confident statement, Bruh David in Psalm 142 – Thou art my refuge. ‘I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend (give heed) unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about (surround me); for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.’ (Ps.142:5-7)
Now the difference between the two psalms intrigues me. Although they both acknowledge God as their strong tower and place of refuge, Bruh David is here crying out for help, while the other psalmist is testifying to the fact with great confidence.
He begins the psalm thus: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place (the presence) of the Most High shall hide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Ps.91:1) And isn’t it wonderful to know my people that when you dwell in God’s presence, you are hidden under, safely covered under the magnificent spread of His powerful wings.
Then after our Bit, the psalmist continues. ‘Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (trapper of birds), and from the noisesome (perilous or deadly) pestilence. 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 neither by day; Nor 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 nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.’ (Ps.91:3-8)
What overwhelming confidence in the Lord our God! Oh friends, I wish we, today’s Christians, had even half as much confidence in our Creator and Provider. Then we’d certainly be a force on this earth to be reckoned with. But sadly, too many of us come nowhere near to such a level of trust, faith and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That’s why we live such fearful and anxious lives, when there is really no reason to do so.
How many times did Jesus tell us to fear not, do not be afraid eh, and given us His assurance that everything will be alright once we sincerely believed and trusted in Him? Several times! But yet still we cower in fear, and allow the evil minions of Lucifer to get away with murder; both literally and figuratively.
Oh my brethren, if we truly want to spread the good news of Jesus to all and sundry, to help His LOVE Revolution become successful, then we have to wake up and smell the roses, to stop being fearful and anxious, to stand strong and steadfast, be confident in the power of our God, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit that indwells us.
Otherwise our faith will be like a limp fish in a stormy sea, soon thrown mercilessly on the rocks and unceremoniously destroyed. And we certainly don’t want that to happen. So please, I’m imploring us to get into the scriptures, pray and fellowship, and build up our faith and confidence, so that we can take back our world from the wicked ones who now control it. This I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Much LOVE!
…faith can move mountains…but lack of faith means …the most you can do is walk around the mountain…
25 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, acknowledge God, all creatures great and small, all that glitters is not gold, All things bright and beautiful, all things wise and wonderful, artistry, birds, creatures of nature, deceptions, encouraging words, enticing words, evil doers, evil lifestyle, facade, faith, fear, fellowship, foolishness, fret not, fruits in the garden, glamour, glitter, gloat at our misfortune, glory hallelujah, glowing colours, God made them all, God's gift, in all thy ways, in the power of God, ingenuity, inherit the earth, jehovah god, Jesus, joyful songs, judgement, justice, knowledge of God, lean not unto thine own understanding, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make smooth thy paths, man's glory, Mother Nature, persuasive, praise and worship, Rest in the Lord, righteousness, schemes., seek ye first the kingdom of God, summer sun, sunset and morning, thanksgiving, the evil one, the noonday sun, to be happy in Jesus, trembling, trust and obey, trust in the Lord, wait patiently, wicked devices, wings, wisdom
Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.
Aye mih breddren, it’s fellowship day! Glory Hallelujah! So here, in the Lord’s sanctuary, (smile) let’s start it off in the most appropriate fashion nuh with some praise and worship, because our awesome God LOVES nothing more than to hear our sincere and joyful songs of praise and thanksgiving.
This morning we’ll offer the sacrifice of praise through our wondrous rendition of the old but favourite hymn, ‘All things bright and beautiful.’ And as we raise our voices in glorious song, let’s picture in our mind’s eye, the objects and creations we’re singing about.
Please sing with me. ‘(Refrain) All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all. Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings: (Refrain)
The purple-headed mountain, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brighten up the sky: (Refrain) The cold wind in the winter, The pleasant summer sun, The ripe fruits in the garden, He made them ev’ry one: (Refrain)
The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water We gather ev’ry day: All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.’
And that’s the living truth my people! Our great God made everything! And made them so beautiful too, especially the things and creatures of nature! I do hope as you sang about the birds and the mountains, the rivers, trees etc. that you pictured each one in living colour and appreciated their beauty, because the Lord made them for our enjoyment and pleasure.
And those who don’t appreciate nature, its beautiful colours, artistry and ingenuity, will never fully understand or appreciate the wonder that is our magnificent God! That’s because ‘Mother Nature’ is God’s outstanding work of art, His greatest, most impressive canvas!
And having given thanks and praise and admired God’s handiwork, let’s now turn to His word, another aspect of His creation, this one meant for us to follow, to be obedient to, so that we can enjoy everlasting fellowship with Him.
Listen to the awesome advice of our Bit. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.’
Just imagine nuh friends, what a wonderful life we can live if we admire God’s artistry as well as put our sincere trust and faith in Him! Mama Yo! Nothing on earth could be better than that!
But I guess our sinful nature, plus the lies and deceptions of the evil one stop us from being able to enjoy all that Jehovah God has in store for us. We are fooled by the glitter and glamour that the world offers, when in reality it’s only a façade, a nice looking front for a decrepit, destructive, evil lifestyle.
Remember friends, all that glitters is not truly gold, and the world cruelly plays on our affection for bright, shiny things and toys. But my people, the wisdom of the world is not wisdom at all, but utter foolishness. True wisdom is God’s gift.
As Bruh Paul warned the Corinthians: ‘And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing (persuasive) words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. That your faith should not stand (be) in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.’ (1 Cor.2:3-5)
That’s why we need to trust in God and rely on Him for our needs. Jesus said it quite plainly that we should first seek God and His kingdom, then all our necessities would be met. (Matt.6:33)
But man’s wisdom tells us that we should be seeking our needs first. That’s wrong advice my brethren, so if you are currently trying to meet all your needs through your own efforts, then please stop it right now! It’s a fool’s wisdom and only serves to lead us down the garden path where the evil one can gloat at our misfortune.
Listen to Jeremiah as he expatiates on the theme, ‘Knowledge of God is man’s glory.’ ‘Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING –kindness, judgement (justice), and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24)
Remember yesterday we spoke about delighting ourselves in the Lord? Well LOVING-kindness, justice and righteousness are the things we ought to delight ourselves in if we are to please the Lord.
Now let’s go home with some mightily encouraging words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘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 sun.
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 upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:5-9)
Oh friends, that’s the best advice we can get this Sunday morning! So please let’s take it all to heart as we go out to fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary today, for it’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no better way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
23 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high calling, a quarrel, almighty god, arrived spiritually, at odds, autumn, believers, bowels of mercies, Christ forgave you, Christians, colours, compassion, concord, deficiencies, doesn't have a clue, faithfulness, fellowship, flaws, footseps of Christ, forbearing, forgiving, Friday chant, fun, generous help, giving thanks to god, glorious kingdom, God's help, God's universe, guidance, harmony, humbleness of mind, image of Christ, in one body, in the name of the Lord Jesus, in word or deed, kindness, know by instinct, like the ants, long-suffering, LOVE, mankind, meekness, metaphorically, perseverance, put on charity, qualities, reflection of Christ, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, safely through, sincerity, soul body and mind, spiritual maturity, tender mercies, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thank God, thankfulness, the beautiful season, the bond of perfectness, the crowning grace, the elect of god, the peace of God, the thinking machine, the weekend, truth, understanding, unity, virtues, weaknesses, whatsoever ye do, winter preparations, wisdom
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Ah friends, welcome to the second day of the 2016 autumn season! Autumn is the beautiful season, where the leaves turn all sorts of red and gold and brown and many different colours in between.
And would you believe that the tops of a couple of trees in my neighbour’s backyard are already quite yellow and a few others are already turning brown, even though we haven’t had a cold day as yet.
I guess the trees know something that we don’t, so like the ants, which are busy in the summer gathering their winter victuals, the trees are also making early winter preparations.
And who says God’s universe isn’t great eh? The trees and the other living things know by instinct when to do what, meanwhile, mankind, the supposed great thinking machine, oftimes doesn’t have a clue.
Anyway, I know many of you couldn’t care less about how nature operates naturally (smile), all you’re interested in is today’s Friday and you can joyfully shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend’s upon us at long last! It’ll soon be playtime! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
Oh friends, the weekend will continue to be the bane of our existence until we learn to use it properly, with moderation in all aspects of our doings. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us good guidance on how to apply ourselves over the next couple of days.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, that is the better way! And it ties in very nicely with our Bit. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Words of awesome truth and wisdom, my people! ALL we do and say, ought to reflect the characteristics and virtues of Christ, in thankfulness to Almighty God!
In other words, we must try to always walk in the footsteps of Jesus! Oh, I know those are exceedingly big steps for us to fill, but with Gods help and our faithfulness and sincerity and perseverance, we can accomplish a sufficiently high calling.
And today we’ll check out the Christian virtues that Bruh Paul spoke of before our Bit. ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (tender mercies), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering;
Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.’ (Col.3:12-15)
Oh my people, those things are so important in a Christian’s life that Bruh Paul included them in almost all of his epistles. Now here are some explanations from the scholars on those verses.
‘3”12. Put on literally means to “dress oneself” (with clothes); here, used metaphorically, it means to take on or assume certain virtues and qualities. Bowels of mercies means heartfelt compassion.’
‘3:13. The fact of believers being urged to assume the virtues of verse 12 signifies that none has yet “arrived” spiritually. As the believer is developing these virtues, he must be forbearing and forgiving toward his fellow church member.
For his Christian brother is also in the process of acquiring the virtues of verse 12 and therefore retains some flaws, deficiencies, and weaknesses. Hence the need of forbearance and forgiveness.’
‘3:14. Charity is LOVE, here called the bond of perfectness. LOVE is the crowning grace completing the list of virtues required for perfectness or spiritual maturity. As a “bond” it binds all other virtues together in harmony and unity.’
‘3:15. The peace of God is the harmony and concord created by God among His people. It is to rule. The Greek verb means to act as an umpire who makes decisions in an athletic contest.
Thus, let the peace of God rule in your hearts means that when believers are at odds with each other, whatever course of action best maintains peace and fosters harmony is the course to be taken.’
There it is my people! And I do hope that we all now have a better understanding of what it means and takes to be a true Christian, and to therefore grow and mature in Christ-like behaviour.
Remember all that we’re going through, is meant to bring us closer to a true reflection of Christ. Our wonderful God desires to see the image and behaviour of Christ in ALL of His people, that is the eternal goal.
So as we go about our business today, please let’s take time to think about what we do and say, be quick to hear and slow to speak, and make sure that all our words and actions positively and LOVINGLY reflect the true image of Christ, for then we’ll be showing true wisdom and Christian behaviour. Much LOVE!
…LOVE…the crowning glory of God…
22 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a positive outlook on life, a sound mind, abundance, all to the glory of God, be sober, boldfaced, charity, Christian faith, clear direction for my life, comforting light, comforts, Corinth, courage, creativity, curse, deity, disobedience, divide and conquer, divine protection, do all in the name of Jesus, dominion, drink, eat, faith, family, favour, fear and worry, foolish, friends, fulfillment, Gentiles, giving thanks to god, glory to God, God's grace, God's supernatural wisdom, grudging, grumbling, guidance, health, hospitality, in all things, in the name of Jesus, in word or deed, indisputable truth, individual's choice, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Jews, lackadaisical behaviour, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, manifold grace of God, mature, minister, Most High God, multitude of sins, negative word, obedience, offense, oracles of god, our Lord and Saviour, please all men, power, praise Your Holy Name, profit, promotion, prosper, raise our spirits, reassurance, received the gift, self-control, self-discipline, self-loathing, sinful times, stewards, strong will, success, supernatural strength, talent, Thank You Lord, the church of God, the Good Book, the Holy Trinity, the SON, the Son is always shining brightly, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, two cents worth, uplifts, watch unto prayer, whatsoever ye do, wisdom
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Well friends, another apparently beautiful day has dawned in my neighbourhood, and for it we give much thanks! However, if the weather in your area isn’t so wonderful, then please don’t be overly concerned because the Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is ALWAYS shining His brilliant and comforting light on and in us… Glory to God!
That means less fear and worry in our lives as we experience each new day, remembering the reassurance of the Good Book. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) And that’s indisputable truth my believing brethren!
Now, let’s further raise our spirits and our faith by declaring our Thursday Blessings in a strong voice, filled with enthusiasm and conviction, for remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken over someone.
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!’
Ah mih people, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! No other faith uplifts and comforts its believers like the Christian faith!
And all God’s children gratefully declared a loud and sincere, ‘Thank You Lord! We truly LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
Now to turn those words into reality, we need to follow the wise and most worthy advice of Bruh Paul to the Colossians, found in our Bit. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Yes friends, the only way we can truly show our faithfulness to the Most High God Jehovah is by letting our words and actions reflect the character of Jesus with sincere thankfulness. And Bruh Paul wrote basically the same thing to the church at Corinth.
‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.’ (1 Cor.10:31-33).
Ah mih people, the basic reason behind ALL that we say and do, ought to be to glorify God in some form and fashion! Remember, that’s why He created us. And Peter adds his two cents worth (smile) as he talks about being good stewards of God’s grace.
‘But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling). As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances) of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen’ (1 Pet.4:7-11)
Oh how I wish that more of us supposed Christians would follow that sound advice. But as you see, it means giving up our pleasure and profit for others, and that’s still a rather difficult thing for many Christians to do, especially in these very ungodly and sinful times.
And unfortunately the only way for us, and consequently Christ’s church to grow and mature, is by us steadfastly following the advice given above by both apostles. If we keep on allowing the enemy to divide and conquer us, to fill us with fear, self-loathing, or simply uninterested, lackadaisical behaviour, then we’ll always be at their mercy, and Christ’s church will continue to be weighed down with dissension and disunity, as it currently is.
Obviously that’s not pleasing to the Holy Trinity, our Godhead. And if we’re not pleasing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we’re not doing what we were created to do – as simple as that. Then we cannot expect to be blessed with all the good things and times that have been placed in store for us.
That, however, doesn’t stop some of the more boldfaced and foolish of us from still expecting heavenly blessings, although they are living in the lusts of the flesh and not in the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. (smile)
Anyway friends, the long and short of the story is that as true believers we need to make sure that our words and actions glorify God, by falling into line with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. That’s what is known as heavenly wisdom, wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…obedience brings blessings…disobedience brings curses…it’s the individual’s choice…
21 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's life, admonishing, alive and kicking, begin to bless, begin to do, beneficial influence, blessed children, blessings, boring, bow down, celebrity status, celebrity worship, Christ's Church, Christian virtues, Commonplace Days, Creator of the universe, daily drain, day-by-day drudgery, DETERMINATION, direction, dissension, disunity, divine inspiration, drudgery, dwell together, enthusiasm, exciting, false impression, family in Jesus, fertile soil, fixed securely, foolish waiting for, forbearing, forgive me, friends, giving thanks to god, glamourless duties, glamourous, glory to God, God's people, godly ambassadors, good morning, grace, halfway home, hymns, in the name of the Lord Jesus, in vogue, in word or deed, indwelling word of Christ, Jehovah, lift up the wualities, living for Jesus, loving, money, mundane, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, peaceful, power, privilege, psalms, purpose, pushing on, quiet me, Ruth Harms Calkin, same old, sense of purpose, spiritual songs, spoon feed, strife, tasks, teaching, thank God, the breath of life, the Most High God, the way life is, the word of Christ, to a glorious future with Jesus, trite, true believers, unique fashion, unity, virtues, Wednesday Wail, whimper, whine, wisdom, work hard, worship
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
And a most enthusiastic ‘Good morning’ to you my friends and family in Jesus Christ!
It is indeed a good morning, meaning that we are alive and kicking, and regardless of our feelings and circumstances, we don’t have to let them control us because we are the blessed children of the Most High God Jehovah, the Creator of the universe and all therein, and He looks after each one of us in His own unique fashion. Glory to God!
And I just had to share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin because it is so appropriate for most of us. It’s titled ‘Commonplace Days.’
Read with me. ‘Lord of my commonplace days Forgive me for foolishly waiting for “divine inspiration” Before moving in on the tasks Personally assigned to me. Hopefully I am learning To face with greater determination The day-by-day drudgery The trite, mundane tasks The pushing-pulling glamourless duties.
Lord, even when I think I’m getting no place Keep me pushing on and on With purpose and direction. Grab my heart and quiet me When I begin to whine and whimper. Despite the daily drain I think I see it more clearly now: It is only when I begin to do That you begin to bless.’
Ah mih people, it’s all so true! It certainly reflects the lives of most of us; the daily drudgery and same old, same old glamourless tasks by which we make our living. But please don’t allow it get us down, because it’s simply the way life is. Everyday can’t be exciting and glamorous, for too much of that will eventually get boring and mundane too.
So please don’t be fooled by the celebrity worship that’s currently in vogue, because even the true celebrities, not the hangers’ on, have to bow down and work hard at sometime or other if they want to keep their celebrity status intact.
Remember friends, they are people just like us, only with a little more money, power and privilege. And besides, what passes for glamour today is only an outward show, often used to give a false impression.
Now today is Wednesday, so let’s turn to our Wednesday Wail and wail it with sincerity, enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose.
Wailing: ‘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, every Wednesday that declaration truly wakes me up! It has me being sincerely thankful for the breath of life that’s flowing through my body, and reminds me of what is truly important; keeping my hands to the plough and looking forward to the wonderful future that Jesus has planned for His followers.
And I sure hope you all feel the same way too, otherwise you’d be missing out on the most wonderful times in your lives which come from living for and with Jesus.
All glory be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour who sacrificed His sinless lives for us! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
That brings us to our Bit, which is also the Bible Promise for our poem above. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Oh friends, that’s the summation of Bruh Paul’s advice to the Colossians as he talked to them about Christian virtues. And believe me, we couldn’t get any better advice than that for living this earthly life.
And the scholars tell us: ‘3:17. The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (v.16), but it is also to control all areas of a Christian’s life.’
Yeh friends, what’s the purpose of God’s word and Spirit indwelling us, if they don’t control our lives eh? None whatsoever!
And I’m going to spoon feed you all today (smile). Here is verse 16, as mentioned above. ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col.3:16)
Ah mih breddren, I only wish that we could truly do that on a much wider scale than is currently been done, for then our world would definitely be a much better place.
And the scholars have this to say about that verse. ‘3:16. When believers are forbearing (v.13), and LOVING (v.14) toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (v.15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’
But sadly, the church in its current state is not very fertile soil because we are not as forbearing, LOVING, and as peaceful with each other as we ought to be. There’s just way too much disunity, dissension and strife in the church.
That’s why I’m imploring us today to improve, to lift up the qualities that are needed in us, and consequently Christ’s church, so that we can be the true believers, the godly ambassadors that we’re supposed to be, for that is the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…only when Christians dwell together in true unity…is Christ’s church truly blessed…
13 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be of good courage, be strong and of a good courage, believed to see, Bible promise, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, captivated by, Christians, competitive goals, confession, courage, defeated by, enthusiasm, erred, eternal life, faith, fight the good fight of faith, Financial Adviser, foolish, fountain, friend of Jesus, futile, goading competition, God's plan, godliness, greediness, he shall strengthen thine heart, I am the light of the world, I had fainted, in the land of the living, Jesus Christ, joyful, keep up with the Joneses, life's goal, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, LOVE of God, LOVE of Money, lure of the world, lustful pleasures, material possessions, meekness, negatives, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, pierced themselves, positive spirit, rich, righteousness, rotting carcasses, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first, share His love, spiritual life, spiritual realm, strain, strayed from the faith, stress, the beloved of God, the goodness of the Lord, the lack of money, the light of life, the lure of money, the root of all evil, this is the day the Lord has made, trials, tribulations, true believers, truthful word of God, Tuesday Mantra, unbelievers, wait on the Lord, walk in darkness, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom
Joshua 1:6a. Be strong and of a good courage…
Well friends, it’s Tuesday, the day after Monday. (smile) Hope you had a good Monday, but even if you didn’t, it’s time to let it go into the past where it belongs and greet today with new enthusiasm and faith, by declaring, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.’ Yes my people, it’s the only way to keep a joyful, positive spirit in these end times.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s ever so timely for many of us Christians, as well as unbelievers. It’s simply titled ‘Seek First.’
And it says: ‘O Lord How futile, how foolish To attempt to keep up with the Joneses On the gold-studded ladder of success. Even if we make it (Setting high, competitive goals) We awake one dismal morning To discover the Smiths have bypassed the Joneses So it starts again – the goading competition.
God, Your objective is far more rewarding. You want us to “keep up” with Your Plan For our individual lives. “Seek first the Kingdom of God” Is Your shining word to us. Forgive us for moments and days (Even months) When our LOVE of money Has exceeded our LOVE for You.
Please, God Be our Financial Advisor And deliver us from a thousand “if onlys.” May we never be defeated By the lack of money Or captivated by the lure of it.’
Oh my brethren, in this ever more greedy, selfish and competitive world, that is the path a lot of us are following; the lure of money and material possessions. But our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has in no uncertain terms told us: ‘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, if we first seek the spiritual realm, then the material will be forthcoming to us. And the Bible promise used for that poem is one we know all too well, but still neglect to follow properly. Listen up to these monumental words of Bruh Paul to Timothy.
‘And having food and raiment (clothing) let us be therewith content. But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:8-10)
Oh my people, the world is strewn with the rotting carcasses of so many of us who have made being rich in money and material things our life’s goal. It’s certainly not a goal that’s worth striving after because it causes too much stress and strain and invites too many negatives in our lives.
However, as Bruh Paul continues to Timothy: ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things: and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) with a good profession (confession) before many witnesses.’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)
Yeh friends, as true believers in Christ, that is the path we ought to follow. But unfortunately, the lure of the world, its material possessions, and lustful pleasures are so strong that we can easily get caught up in them. That’s why our Bit is so important in these times of much agitation. ‘Be strong and of a good courage…’
It doesn’t have many words, but it says a whole lot in terms of our spiritual life. Without strength and courage we won’t be able to withstand the attacks of the evil one. And that spiritual strength and courage can only be gotten by having the truthful word of God dwelling securely in our souls.
As Jesus said: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) Oh my people, are we walking in the light of Jesus or the darkness of the world? For all our sakes, I sincerely hope it’s the latter, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe (ours will be a very rough landing).
Now let’s look at a scripture that encourages us to seek the Lord’s strength. And nobody exemplified that more than Bruh David. Hear him: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Bruh David was anointed king of Israel in his teenaged years, but never got to sit upon the throne until many years later, after going through many trials and tribulations not of his own making. He only succeeded by staying strong in his faith in the God of his forefathers. And that’s the only way we will succeed too my friends.
Now let’s go home by declaring our Tuesday Mantra with lots of conviction and passion, because, without conviction and passion in our lives we are just like the living dead.
All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So having said all of that, let’s now go out and behave like the beloved of God and share the LOVE of our friend Jesus with the rest of the world. That’s wisdom of untold dimensions! Much LOVE!
…the only fountain of true strength…is that which is found in Jesus…
12 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive attitude, a reserve of scriptures, Abraham, ambassadors for Christ, an anchor, antidote, aura of love, be strong and of a good courage, be strong in the power of God, blessed be the Lord, Christian behaviour, confidence, conquerors, dispositions, enthusiasm, evil, evil tide, faith, fear not, fellowship, friends, fun, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grace, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I am helped, I will praise him with my song, invincible, Jesus Christ, Joshua, joy, lies, LOVE, make a difference, meditation, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my heart trusted in him, my supplications, nor be dismayed, peace, positive action, promise of God, reading God's Word, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, reward, salvation, Sarah's womb, spiritual armour, stand strong and steadfast, steadfast faith, taunts, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, The Lord is my strength, the sun stand still, truth, ungodly world, Venice, we reap what we sow, wiles, wisdom
Joshua 1:6a. Be strong and of a good courage…
And then it was Monday – the day that we all dread! However, a few hardy and smart souls were heard to declare ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday and the new workweek begins! Thank God for Mondays yes!’
Ah friends, the numbers are only a few now, but every week they are growing, and sometime in the future the revolution will be accomplished. (smile)
Now here is an interesting quote from Renier Giustina Michiel (1755-1832), a Venetian noblewoman, who held one of the most vigorous literary salons in Venice. Her interests included literature, science, and local history and culture. And why I find it interesting is because it’s so apropos to what we’re talking about.
She says, ‘The world improves people according to the dispositions they bring into it.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren. Those of us who are happy to see Monday come around, obviously do better, especially on a Monday, than those who are sour and displeased about it.
As the renowned principle declares: we only reap what we sow. So if we sow complaining and dissatisfaction, that is what we’ll get on the other side. Meanwhile an agreeable and positive attitude will bring an agreeable and positive reward.
Anyway, we have the antidote for our negative Monday morning attitude, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s sing it without further ado, putting our all into it, so that Jesus, our choirmaster will be pleased.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all friends! A beautiful smile lit up Jesus’ handsome face, which means He was obviously pleased with today’s rendition.
So, having our engines revving and running smoothly, please lets get out and show the world what true Christian behaviour ought to be like, be good, worthwhile ambassadors for our wonderful Lord and Saviour.
And it all jives with out Bit: ‘Be strong and of a good courage…’
Yes my people, in these turbulent and unsettled times, believers need to stand strong and steadfast in their faith, otherwise the enemy will just beat us down without remorse. And the best way to do that is to have a reserve of appropriate scriptures lined up to declare when the going gets rough.
Let’s check out some of them nuh, starting with Joshua, when he addressed the Israelites after they defeated the Amorites, that time the Lord made the sun stand still so that they could complete their victory. (Josh.10:12-14)
‘And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of a good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.’ (Josh.10:25)
Oh friends, that same scripture applies to us today! The Lord our great and mighty God will fight for us against our enemies, once we stand strong and steadfast in our faith.
Now hear Bruh David from Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help. ‘Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’ (Ps.28:6-7)
Yes mih people, Jehovah God is indeed our protector! There’s none like Him: neither in might, power nor grace! And we’d be foolish to place our trust anywhere else.
And we’ll end with these words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome, re God’s promise to Abraham of a multitude of descendants from his own loins. ‘And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
He staggered (wavered) not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.’ (Rom.4:19-21)
Oh friends, that is the kind of faith we need in these last days! We need to be totally convinced that whatever our great God promises, He is able to deliver, regardless of the circumstances! Otherwise we’re without an anchor to keep us steady, and can be easily washed away by the evil tide that’s currently controlling our world.
So please, let’s develop that faith nuh, by reading God’s Word, meditating on it, praying for His strength and guidance, and doing our best to put it all into positive action, so that we can make a positive and meaningful difference in our world. Much LOVE!
…be strong in the power of God…our Creator…our Provider…and our strong fortress…
11 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 9/11, a clean spirit, a life of joy and peace, a right heart, a strong tower, Amazing grace, angry, as long as life endures, be forever mine, be strong and of a good courage, Christians, confession, contrite hearts, creation, Creator, dangers, devour my flesh, disobedience, dissolve like snow, earthly pilgrimage, encouraging word, enemies, eternal life, foes, forbear to shine, forgiveness, found, grace, guidance, holy spirit, hope.my shield, humble, I will be confident, Jesus Christ, joy, lost, mercy, minister, mortal life, my fears relieved, my hope secures, my portion, my salvation, now I see, of whom shall I be afraid, our Lord and Saviour, peace, protection, receptive to God's word, repentance, sacrifices of praise, salvation, snares, soften our hearts, strength, strife filled, taught my heart to fear, thanksgiving, that saved a wretch like me, the hour I first believed, the law of the Lord, the Living Lord, the Lord is my light, the Lord's Day, the name of the Lord, the only one, the wicked, toils, transgressions, understanding, walk of faith, was blind, whom shall I fear, will lead me home, wisdom, within the veil, World Trade Centre, worship
Joshua 1:6a. Be strong and of a good courage…
Well friends, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, so let’s have church nuh! (smile) It is only mete and right that we should do so on this day. And as always, the best way to begin church is by offering up our sacrifices of praise and worship and thanksgiving, to soften our hearts, get us receptive to receive the Lord’s Holy Word.
And we’ll do that by singing one of our all-time favourite songs of praise, ‘Amazing Grace.’ Let’s make the Lord know that we are serious here today by raising heaven’s roof with a magnificent rendition.
All together now: ‘Amazing grace! How sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found Was blind, but now I see.’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, We have already come; ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine’
Oh my brethren that was wonderful! The Lord had to sit up and take notice!
Now let’s pray; ‘Oh merciful Father, we come to you this day with humble and contrite hearts and spirits, offering confession and repentance for our recent transgressions. We sincerely pray that you will forgive us our disobedience and restore a right heart and clean spirit in us.
Please strengthen and encourage us, so that we can go out and successfully minister to others, letting them know of your wonderful, mercy, grace, forgiveness and salvation, so that they can come to you and be granted eternal life. This we pray in the holy name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!’
And now let’s have a moment’s silence in remembrance of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York….
Ah Lord eh, what a horrific disaster! But unfortunately our world is currently being dominated by disasters each and every day, that’s why as Christians we need more than ever to embrace the words of our Bit: ‘Be strong and of a good courage…’
Yes friends, now is when we truly need the guidance and strength that the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling in us provides. But it won’t provide anything unless we listen closely and follow its lead. It all depends on us as individuals.
Our world is so angry and strife-filled that we can’t make it through with man’s help alone, we need heavenly assistance to make it through these difficult times. And we can only get that when we put our sincere faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Living Lord who died on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins.
Oh my people, Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can help us be successful in these trying times, in these last days!
Now let’s look at some scriptures that keep us strong and encouraged. And we’ll begin with the opening words of Bruh David from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Say it with me people: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps.27:1-3)
Yes my fellow believers, we need to write scriptures like that indelibly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls so that we can be confident in our walk of faith.
Now hear the words Bruh David spoke to Cousin Sol when he entrusted him with building the Lord’s temple. ‘Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.
Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgements which the Lord charged (commanded) Moses with concerning Israel: be strong and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.’ (1 Chr.22: 12-13)
Oh friends, those are the kinds of word we should be paying heed to, as well as imparting to our children, so that the word of the Lord, His strength and encouragement can be passed down to future generations, because that’s the only way Christianity will survive.
And we’ll end today with this encouraging word from Cousin Sol. ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe (is set on high).’ (Prov.18:10)
And for good measure, the scholars tell us.’18:10. The righteous find protection in the Lord.’ Now that’s everlasting truth my people!
So today, please, let’s turn to our high tower, our rock, our strength, our fortress, the Lord God Jehovah, He of Abraham Isaac and Jacob so that we can find strength, encouragement, enthusiasm, LOVE, mercy and grace to successfully complete our earthly pilgrimage! For that is the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…only the Creator can truly sustain the creation…
P.S. Ah friends, please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella has been sick for the last few days and did not get up early enough to write it before going to church. But as they say, better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
07 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new creature, abundant life, actions, all-out effort, be friendly, blessed day, break the chains, Christ, christ lives in me, Christian Manifesto, crucified, crucified with Christ, delivered from guilt, dr robert h schuller, faithfully serving, freed from sin, freedom, freedom from sin, gave himself for me, glorious future with christ, glory hallelujah, God-given, golden words of advice, halfway home, hands on the plough, happiness, hitching your wagon to a star, holy spirit, Hour of Power Devotional, I live, I live by faith, in the flesh, in the likeness of his death, in the likeness of his resurrection, inoperative, joy, laziness, lazy attitude, living for Christ, LOVE, make a positive difference, newness of life, old things are passed away, people of excellence, praise, price of success, rewards, slaves to sin, source of power, strength, Thanks be to God, the breath of life, the foundation of wisdom, the highest joy of life, the music of the soul, the road to happiness, the ruling passion, the secret of youth, the Son of God, time to dream, time to laugh, time to love, time to play, time to read, time to think, time to work, to serve Christ, understanding, united, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, words, you reap what you sow
Galatians 2:20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (by faith in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.
Ah mih people, it’s another God-given, blessed day in our lives! All praise and thanks be to our great and generous God!
The first thing I want to do is to apologize for the error in the dates in yesterday’s titles. I know that many of you missed it, but that’s what comes from laziness, meaning copying the titles from the day before and not remembering to change the dates. One title says the 6th while the other says the 5th.
Chuh! It annoys me when I make those lazy attitude errors, but as we all know, you only reap what you sow. So if you sow laziness, errors and mistakes are what you’ll reap. (smile)
However, on the good side of the ledger, let me now share some wonderful advice from an anonymous Irishman, taken from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I believe I’ve shared it before, but as we say, when it’s nice, we can share it twice, or even thrice. (smile).
And the golden words of advice are: ‘Take time to work, it is the price of success. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to play it is the secret of youth. Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom. Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness. Take time to dream, it’s hitching your wagon to a star. Take time to LOVE, it is the highest joy of life. Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul.’
Oh friends, those are not only wise words for the ordinary man, but they also sound like the Christian Manifesto! For those are all the things that a true, Jesus –LOVING and faithfully serving Christian ought to be following, if we sincerely hope to make a positive difference in this crazy, misguided, corrupt, and evil world.
The truth is though, we can only do those things properly if and when we have Jesus in us and we are in Him. Hence our Bit. ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of (by faith in) the Son of God, who LOVED me, and gave himself for me.’
Ah mih breddren, what a joy it is when Christ is the ruling passion in our lives! First of all He gave His holy and sinless life as a sacrifice, so that we could be saved by the generous grace of God! Then, when His Holy Spirit indwells us, He gives us, strength, wisdom, understanding, and all the other wonderful things we enjoy in association with Him.
No wonder Bruh Paul could make the powerful and true statement he makes in our Bit! If we allow our old, sinful selves to be crucified with Christ, that means we will also be resurrected with Him in a new life, with Him living in us and we in Him. Glory Hallelujah!
As Bruh Paul says in his letter to the church at Rome, when talking about freedom from sin’s power. ‘For if we have been planted together (united) in the likeness of his death, we (certainly) shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed (rendered inoperative), that henceforth we should not serve (be slaves to) sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.’ (Rom.6:5-7)
Yes my brethren, isn’t it wonderful that when we die to self, we are raised with Christ in newness of life! ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are made new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) That’s Bruh Paul talking about us to the Corinthians! (smile)
Now here are some explanations from the scholars on the earlier verses from Romans. ‘6:6. Our old man: This is our old self, the person we were before we were crucified with Christ. Might be destroyed (lit. “rendered inoperative”). The believer now has the power to serve Christ instead of his old master, sin.’
‘6:7. Freed from sin: The believer has been delivered from the guilt and penalty of sin and is set free to serve Christ.’
And believe me friends, nothing is more interesting and wonderful than serving Christ! It’s not easy, but it makes us people of excellence… and brother, let me tell you, the rewards are certainly worth it!
So why aren’t we supposed Christians doing better than we are eh? I’m not sure, but maybe, just maybe it’s because we don’t truly believe all that we read and hear, re Jesus, and thus we don’t put our all-out effort into living for Him. And on top of that, the material things and ways of the world still exert a powerful pull on us, and keep us wanting what the world offers.
Anyway my people, it’s time for us to break those chains that the world still have us bound and wrapped up in, else we’ll never really enjoy the freedom, the LOVE, the joy, the abundant life that Christ died for us to have.
Now let’s go home joyfully and sincerely declaring our Wednesday Wail. No I haven’t forgotten it. (smile)
Wailing as one: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And having so gloriously declared that, now let’s go out and put it all into action nuh, make it reality and not just a bunch of insincere words. Much LOVE!
…the words and actions of a true believer…ought to show Jesus truly living in them…
05 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a right spirit, aura of love, Bathsheba, broken spirit, burnt offering, cast me not away, celebration, confidence, consequences, contrite heart, create in me a clean heart, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, eternal life, forgiveness, friends, Granny's advice, holy spirit, humble servants, inhumane actions, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Labour Day, lies, LOVE, make me to hear joy, mercy, ministry, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my mouth shall show forth thy praise, Nathan, New Testament, obey God, open thou my lips, purge me with hyssop, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, sacrifices of God, salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, thanksgiving, the nature of the beast, ungodly world, wash me, whiter than snow, wisdom
Psalm 51:15. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’
Oh my beautiful people, I’m sure that this morning most of us are joyfully declaring: ‘TGIM! Thank God it’s Monday!’ The only problem is that we’re not declaring it because we’re excited and enthusiastic to go to work, but because we don’t have to go to work this Labour Day Monday.
Hn, hn! We certainly are something else yes! But what to do eh? That’s obviously the nature of the beast. However, unfortunately in this 24/7 society, some of us do have to go to work to keep the essential services running smoothly and allow our highly technological world to function properly and allow us to keep on enjoying all our wonderful amenities.
That means there is still the need for us to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have to go out and labour on this Labour Day Monday, which was originally a celebration of the gains made in reducing the work week and other inhumane actions that were then sinfully perpetrated by the management class. However most of that has now been forgotten, and it’s just an occasion to party.
So in clarity and harmony 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!’
Ah friends, the voices were strong, but raucous and not harmonious. That’s because the ones who have the day off were the loudest, and they have already been celebrating, so their voices are a bit hoarse. I could see Jesus simply shaking His head and smiling, knowing full well the reason for the poor rendition. But nonetheless we’ll persevere, because through Jesus, who strengthens us, we can do infinitely anything and everything! (Phil. 4:13)
And so, we come to our Bit. ‘O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.’ Yes my people, that’s a very good line for us to follow. These words were written by Bruh David after the prophet Nathan draped him up over his sinfulness with Bathsheba. Having acknowledged his wrongdoing and pleading for mercy and forgiveness, Bruh David prays for inner renewal.
‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then shall I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.’ (Ps.51:7-14)
Ah friends, Bruh David finally realizes the utter stupidity of his lustful liaison with Bathsheba, and having asked for cleansing, he then promises ministry and thanksgiving. And I have to chuckle, because like so many of us Bruh David obviously never considered the consequences of his sinful actions before he did them. But having eventually being found out, he had no qualms in confessing them and asking for God’s pardon.
Likewise, we should not be too proud to ask for cleansing and healing when our iniquities are brought to light. As Bruh David declares after our Bit: ‘For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.’ (Ps.51:16-17)
Yes my brethren, that’s what the Lord expects from us when we come to Him for forgiveness and mercy; humility and brokenness.
The scholars tell us: ‘This passage clearly teaches that those who have failed God may be restored to the service of God.’ What wonderful news friends!
And we’ll end with these important words from the scholars: ‘The prayer take not thy Holy Spirit from me (v.11) need never be offered by a New Testament saint, since the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian permanently (1 Cor.6:19). David’s cry here may reflect only the fear, not the reality of losing the Spirit, and being rejected by God. Thus he asks God to restore the joy of his salvation, not salvation itself.’
Now that’s something to celebrate my people! Unlike the folks in the Old Testament who only received the Holy Spirit for specific purposes and periods of time, we, through the selfless sacrifice of Jesus, instead have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us continually, leading and guiding us along the straight and narrow path, making it much easier for us to be obedient to God’s word.
But please remember, the onus is still on us to follow the Spirit’s guidance. So as we enjoy the day, in whatever way, let’s not forget Granny’s golden advice, which covers every aspect and occasion of life. ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, please mind your business…’ Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say… the greatest wisdom is to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
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