27 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: autumn, Beelzebub, blessed, Bruh David, capture our minds, control our behaviour, cursed, cut down like the grass, destroyed, destruction to the workers of iniquity, do good, eternal life, evil, fat of lambs, focus, Fret not thyself over evildoers, friends, God's will, God's work, Holy God, hot sun, I lay down my life for the sheep, inherit the earth, iniquity, Joyce Meyer, North country, obedience, one fold, one shepherd, physical wealth, power, priority, pruning our thoughts, purveyors of wickedness, renounce evil, righteous man, salvation, saving souls, strength to the upright, summer-like weather, sumptuous fare, the arms of the wicked shall be broken, the good shepherd, the Lord be praised, the Lord upholds the righteous, the mind makes the man, the way of the Lord, the wicked shall perish, Tobago, trust in the Lord, truth, walking uprightly, watch your actions, watch your character, watch your habits, watch your thoughts, watch your words, where your treasure is there is your heart, wisdom, workers of iniquity, your destiny
Proverbs 10:29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Oh Friends, it looks like it’s going to be another Tobago day in the North Country, the fourth one in a row! (smile) That’s how my brother has been referring to the unseasonal warm, bare-back temperatures we’ve been recently having, with bright sunshine, no clouds obscuring God’s vast, beautiful, blue heaven, and a cool, gentle breeze as a most suitable topping to the sumptuous fare.
All of this after a less than stellar summer – I seem to be one of the few who liked it – and some fairly chilly weather before autumn had even begun. Now, in early autumn, which began on September 23, we’re having summer-like weather that was sadly lacking during the real summer months. But Friends, there’s not much we can do about that now nuh, just say the Lord be praised, and enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
I think sometimes we spend too much time talking about the weather, when our focus, our priority should be on God’s work; saving souls, or rather causing souls to come to Him, so that they can receive the most wonderful gifts available in the universe, namely, salvation and eternal life.
And as a prelude to our Bit, here is something that I think blends in nicely with it. I have shared it before, but like so much other stuff, it’s definitely worth sharing again; a refresher course if you like. (smile) I believe I got it from a Joyce Meyer magazine. The author appears to be anonymous, but his or her words do tell the gospel truth.
It wisely advises us to: ‘Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.’ Those are certainly words of wisdom and utmost truth, my brethren!
And I guess you can see how it ties in with our Bit. ‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.’ More gospel truth Friends! But then that’s all we deal with here at the Bit. (smile)
Anyhow, when we begin by pruning our thoughts, keeping them as godly as possible, then the process as explained above, leads us to habits that align with God’s Will. That means we walk uprightly, in obedience to His dictates, and thus enjoy His enormous strength and wonderful blessings. Yes my people, everything begins in the mind, with our thoughts, for the mind makes the man, directs his actions.
That’s why the ole crook Beelzebub always seeks to capture our minds, because then he can control our behaviour. And that’s also why Jesus said: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:21)
Wherever the things you delight in lie, then that’s where your heart, your focus will be. So to walk sincerely in God’s Will we MUST start out with godly thoughts, and the same goes for walking in disobedience, where ungodly thoughts will prosper.
Now let’s check out a couple scripture passages that lend credence to our Bit. Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 37 – the true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, 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. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness)…
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs (splendour of the meadows): they shall consume (vanish): into smoke shall they consume (vanish) away. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth (the land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed). (Ps.37:1-3, 16-22)
Oh Friends, Bruh David hit the nail on the head in that psalm! Wickedness might last for a season and amass much physical wealth and power, but eventually the purveyors of wickedness will be destroyed by our Holy God, who dislikes evil. So as Bruh David so wisely tells us, don’t fret when we see evil doers prospering, because they will soon be cut down and wither like grass in the hot sun.
Stay upright and obedient to God’s Will and you will be well rewarded. For as Jesus declares: ‘The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:13-16)
Oh my people, what a mighty promise! If you can’t take encouragement from that and live for Jesus, then I don’t know what else to say. So please, let’s listen to the voice of the Master, and walk upright in His Name, for doing so means we have attained to heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…our God detests evil so much…that He sacrificed His only Son…to get us to renounce it…
26 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a stronghold in the day of trouble, abstain from iniquity, after one time is two, banal existence, blessed, blessings, cheering up, curses, daily routine, darkness shall pursue his enemis, depart from iniquity, destruction, different, enlightenment, eventful and satisfying day, excitement, fellowship, flood, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, hum drum life, in all the wrong places, in Jesus' name, iniquity, Jeeves, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, new life, no work, nomadic experience, obey God, perspective, plenty play, predictability, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, reward, same old, seek to do evil, smile, stability, strength to the upright, take it to heart, take pleasure and comfort, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the congregation of the righteous, the foundation of god stands sure, The Lord is good, the Lord knows those that are His, the name of Christ, the party's over, the way of the Lord, the way of the ungodly shall perish, the weekend, the workers of iniquity, time to call it a day, topsy-turvy, trust, truth, unpredictable, walk obedient to God's will, walking contrary to God's will, wisdom, wisdom of the highest order, wonderful experience
Proverbs 10:29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Well… ‘The party’s over my friends. It’s time to call it a day…’
Yeh mih people, the party with my brother and his wife is unfortunately over. Steups! They moved on last evening, obviously after another eventful and satisfying day, to spend some time with other friends in a different part of the province.
Are they ever so blessed, getting to spend great times with different people in different areas! Certainly an interesting kind of nomadic holiday experience! (smile) That unfortunately means I’ve gone back to my staid, simple, hum drum life. (smile)
But I’m not complaining nuh, because I was blessed with a totally unexpected and wonderful experience over the last few days!
I guess the good Lord saw that the ole fella needed a bit of cheering up, of enlightenment, and/or a little reward for sincerely trying to walk in His Will, and sent my brother and his wife to inject some new life in my somewhat banal existence. Hn, hn! As the old people would say, after one time is two yes!
And it’s now time to get back to the same old, same old daily routine. But that’s what life is really all about yes my brethren; daily routine. Everyday cannot be totally different and be chocked full of excitement.
And that is what the world cannot seem to understand, that’s why we’re always seeking and searching for excitement, oftimes in all the wrong places. But what we really need to learn, is how to take pleasure and comfort from our daily, often bland and unexciting routine.
And believe me, there is joy, pleasure and comfort in knowing that our days will be generally the same, without a lot of topsy turvy, unpredictable stuff to drive us crazy. The world’s driving us crazy enough as it is with its unpredictability. We now need some stabilty and predictability. (smile)
And speaking of that Friends, yuh know today is Friday…?
And suddenly the joyous shouts ring out: ‘Oh Lord, I completely forgot that yes! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday…and the weekend looms big and bright and beautiful! No work…and plenty play. Thank you ever so much Lord that it’s Friday!’
Now hold down here a minute mih breddren. Please don’t get too carried away with the worldly thoughts of the weekend, you have to get your God involved there too. As Jeeves would say, just a modicum of circumspection please. (smile)
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday chant, so that we can bring the weekend into a better and brighter perspective. As one chanter 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.’
Now that’s more like how we should view and approach the weekend.
And finally, turning to our Bit, we gratefully and proudly proclaim the wise and encouraging words of Cousin Sol. ‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.’
No doubt about that my brethren! All those who seek to walk uprightly, to walk obedient to God’s Will, will surely be blessed with His strength, because that’s just a natural consequence of walking in His Will. The opposite of that is also true: those who seek to do evil, to walk outside of His Will, will be eventually destroyed. It’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately though Friends, the majority of mankind doesn’t seem to believe that overwhelming truth, and continue to foolishly walk, in fact relish in walking contrary to God’s Will.
Now let’s look at some other scriptures that try to drive home that point. And right in Psalm 1, we have the psalmist stating quite simply and straightforwardly: ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:5-6)
Meanwhile, the prophet Nahum boldly declares: ‘The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning (overwhelming) flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.’ (Nah.1:7-8)
How much more do we need to hear and see eh Friends, before we change from our wicked ways?
And we’ll end with this daring, but ever so true proclamation from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ (2 Tim.2:19)
Ah mih people, that’s the best advice we can receive on this Friday morning, another beautiful summer’s day in late September!
So please, let’s take it to heart nuh, let’s show our great wisdom by doing our best to abstain from iniquity and walk in God’s Will, so that we can receive His wonderful blessings instead of His curses and eventual destruction. For that’s truly wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) is wont to say…the best way to live this earthly life…is simply to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…indisputable truth…
25 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a hard row to hoe, a token of a covenant, accepting Jesus, almighty god, ambassadors, awesome, be strong and courageous, beautiful rainbow, benefits, blessing, blot of a curse, clouds of darkness, confusion of tongues, courage, covenant, Creator of the universe, demonic purposes, enlightening, ever-faithful God, everlasting covenant, evil, evil cohorts, exile, faith, feeling of relief, fires of evil, floundering ship, for our children's sake, get with the programme, glimmered in the bright sunlight, God has my back, God's creation, God's ever-loving embrace, God's great heaven, God's little Acre, God's people, God-like wonder, good things God's promised, have the world by the throat, I set my bow in the cloud, illuminating, in living colour, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrifice, leading and guiding, live in the fleah, living God, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Love conquers all, Lucifer, man's evil nature, mockery, Niagara Falls, no need to fear, Noah, obedient to God's will, passion, peace, planet earth, rainbow, sign, signs and wonders, strangling, swirling water, thank you heavenly Father, the Good Book, the Great Flood, the last breath of life, the LOVE of Jesus christ, the Love Revolution, the One and Only One, the spirit, the tower of babel, to further God's glorious kingdom, Tobago, total destruction, troubled times, unconditional LOVE, wake up and smell the coffee, walk seriously with God, waste of time, we praise and bless your holy name, wisdom, wonder of God, working diligently, worthwhile, Wow, you can never go home again
Genesis 9:13. I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and the earth.
Mornin’ Neighbuhs! LOVE and peace and wisdom be unto you all this blessed day that our wonderful God has provided! Let’s be strong and courageous and enjoy it in Jesus’ name, because that’s why it was given to us.
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank you heavenly Father for allowing us to see another marvellous day on planet earth, and we will strive to be obedient to your will. We praise and bless your Holy Name! Amen.’
And Friends, yuh better believe that the ole fella thoroughly enjoyed yesterday. I took my brother and his wife to see that great wonder of God and tourist attraction – Niagara Falls. And it’s interesting that what seems to amaze them most is the vast expanse of land and water that is Canada.
Oh they enjoyed it all, but coming from the small, but oh so beautiful island of Tobago, God’s Little Acre – you know I had to throw that in there (smile) – and seeing for the first time the vastness of God’s creation, especially as believers, it will have a noticeable impact on you.
Even me, who has been here for over forty years, I still get a jolt of God-like wonder when I behold the Creator’s vast and beautiful expanse of nature.
But mih people, what thrilled and excited me the most yesterday is that through the mist of the swirling water of the falls on the American side, a small but ever so beautiful rainbow glimmered in the bright sunlight!
When I first saw it, my spirit responded with a silent but powerful exclamation of ‘Wow!’ And note, it wasn’t a big one arcing through the whole sky, but just over the falls itself.
Ah mih people, how could I not believe and have faith and courage and all the other good things that our great God has promised eh, when He so plainly shows me His signs and wonders?
Hear the Creator’s promise to Noah after the Great Flood that was supposed to wash away man’s evil nature, but unfortunately didn’t, and culminated in the building of the Tower of Babel and God causing the confusion of tongues. (Gen.11:1-3,7)
‘And God said, This is the token (sign) of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and thee and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow (rainbow) shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow (rainbow) shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.’ (Gen.9:12-16)
Oh Friends, rainbows are few and far between these days, and whenever I see one, I take it as a personal blessing, a personal message from my ever-faithful God, that things will be all right, there’s no need to fear, He has my back, I’m safe and protected in His ever-LOVING embrace, and He will make my way clear, despite the bumps and pot-holes in the road.
I took yesterday’s rainbow as a sign that God was mightily pleased that my brother and I had hooked up so wonderfully, and that we were both working diligently to further His glorious kingdom!
That reminds me of two years ago when I returned to Tobago after thirty years in exile. The first thing I espied as the small plane took of from Trinidad, heading for Tobago, was a big, beautiful rainbow arcing through God’s great heaven.
And it just brought a mighty, but ever so grateful feeling of relief over me, because I knew then that everything would be all right, that the saying you can never go home again wasn’t true, once Almighty God was involved, leading and guiding your way!
And my first visit to Tobago, after such a long time, was indeed beautiful, as it obviously would, if orchestrated by the Creator of the universe. And believe me people, the second visit, earlier this year, was even better! Mama Mia! Can’t wait to experience the next one! (smile)
That’s why I keep telling us, that though walking seriously with God is often a hard row to hoe, the benefits, the blessings and the awesome, unconditional LOVE of our heavenly Father makes it all worthwhile!
I don’t know what else to say to convince you all nuh. The Good Book tells you about people long dead and otherwise, but Friends, I’m giving it to you live and in the flesh, in living colour, from a living God, the One and Only One!
So you have it both from the ones that have gone before, and also from the ones alive and kicking all around you right now, so what’s preventing you from accepting Jesus Christ as your true Lord and Saviour eh?
Believe me people, in these seriously troubled times, the only thing that will, or can save our world from total destruction is the LOVE of Jesus Christ, the rising up and flourishing of His LOVE Revolution, because Lucifer and his evil cohorts now have our beautiful world by the throat, gradually strangling it, trying to squeeze out the last breath of life in it for evil, demonic purposes.
Are we going to allow them to do that, my fellow believers? I certainly hope not!
Please remember that Jesus is depending on us, His workers, His ambassadors, to right the floundering ship that’s our world. So please, I implore us, let’s get a move on nuh, let’s get with the programme!
Do you know, or do you realize that right now, Jesus isn’t too thrilled with us, because we’re allowing the evil forces to take Him out of the world He created and died to save, without even a decent effort on our part. Chuh! Just like we don’t like others to force us out of stuff that we created, Jesus doesn’t like been forced out of His creation.
So again, I plead, let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh! The fires of evil are spreading their dreadful tentacles all over the world with much haste, and we desperately need to combat them before they totally overtake us. And if they do, that would make Jesus’ sacrifice a mockery, a complete waste of time.
Do we want the blot of that curse on our generation? Certainly not!
So let’s get serious about the LOVE Revolution, and instead of evil spreading like wildfire, let’s have LOVE! Let’s allow the LOVE of Jesus Christ to lift the heavy clouds of darkness and evil from our world, and replace it with His bright, illuminating and enlightening light…for our children’s sake Friends! Much LOVE!
…LOVE CONQUERS ALL…
P.S. Hope it makes sense yes people, but that’s just where the Spirit led me today. And yuh know what happens once the passion in the ole fella is set free. (smile) Much LOVE!
24 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, abundant life, adventurous, all should come to salvation, all thanks and praise to god, amazement, and have it more abundantly, as I have loved you, Bless His Holy Name, blessings, bondage of sin, Bruh Paul, busy society, came together to break bread, celebrate the life death and resurrection of Jesus, collective family, cut-throat, do whatsoever I command you, enjoy each other's company, eternal optimist, everybody's doing their own thing, exciting life, faith, family life, family togetherness, favour, fellow believers, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, forgiveness, friends, get together, God's greatest desire, God's promised to work things out for our good, grace, greater love hath no man, greedy, hope, hurts my heart, I am come that they might have life, in exile, influence of Jesus, interesting, Jeus reigns supreme, joy, laughter, lay down his life for his friends, LOVE, love and togetherness, LOVE one another, mercy, merriment, obedient to God's will, opportunity, our Creator and sure Provider, overflowing grace, personal experience, physical treasure and pleasures, pick sense from nonsense, sacrificed Jesus, selfish, sins, some of the best days of my life, Son Jesus, soulful, spiritual enlightenment, such a blast, sufferation, tenderness, the first day of the week, the Good Lord, the greatest of these is love, the thief comes to steal, there am I in the midst of them, to go to be late is to be up early, undying LOVE, unending wisdom, ungrateful, unworthy, wisdom, wonder
John 10:10. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Oh Friends, it’s been a Willie Shakespeare kind of night, in the sense of when he says in one of his plays – don’t remember which one – to go to bed late is to be up early. Hn, Hn! Well I was up very early because I went to bed very late, around 3:30 a.m. (smile)
Anyway mih people, what I want to say is that the last couple of days can be numbered amongst some of the best of my life. That’s because it’s the first time my brother and I have spent so much time continually together.
We were always Friends, but never hung out much together, and the thirty years I spent away from Tobago, in exile in the North Country, obviously reduced those opportunities.
However mih breddren, the Good Lord, our Creator and sure Provider, in His usual mysterious way, in His unending wisdom and overflowing grace, thirty odd years later has provided a surprise get together. Mama Mia! All thanks and praise to Him!
One day, a couple weeks ago, right out of the blue, I received an e-mail from my niece saying that her parents were coming to Canada. And they’ve been here with us the last two days, and oh my people, it’s been such a blast!
There hasn’t been that much laughter, merriment and family togetherness in the house for a while, because in this busy society everybody is usually off doing their own thing. But yuh know what Friends?
These last couple of days have shown me what Jesus truly means when He says in our Bit: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’
It’s family life Friends, family togetherness He was talking about. That’s basically it. When family and friends and fellow believers get together and enjoy each other’s company under the overwhelming influence of Jesus, then life truly is graced and gifted with abundance.
I don’t believe Jesus was referring so much to the abundance of physical treasure and pleasures, but more to the abundance of soulful and spiritual enlightenment. And again we see Jesus emphasizing togetherness, when He says: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20)
And what we often forget, especially in this current selfish, cut-throat, greedy society, is that God’s greatest desire is that ALL should come to salvation; that we should live as ONE, in LOVE, joy and tenderness towards each other, as a part of His one, big, collective family. Otherwise He wouldn’t have sacrificed His One Son Jesus, to pay the price for our abominable sins.
And believe me people, Jesus did pay and enormous, a terribly high price to free us from the bondage of sin. Every time I consider what He went through to save us unworthy, ungrateful wretches, the very thought of His immense ‘sufferation’ hurts my heart.
But then, on the other side of the equation, I’m oh so thankful and grateful that He paid that exacting price, because it shows that the Father and Him truly LOVED, and still LOVES me!
This brings to mind Jesus’ directive: ‘This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ (John 12-14)
Then He went out and did exactly that – sacrificed Himself on the cross for us. Bless His Holy Name!
But please remember that one proviso: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ So if we’re not obedient to the will of Jesus, then we’re not His friends.
And sadly, that means a great proportion of mankind are not friends of Jesus, since we have so rudely and foolishly removed Him from all areas of our lives; at home, at work, at school and at play.
But Friends, Jesus is the eternal optimist. He believed in the saying that if you build it, they will come. So He died to give us the wonderful opportunity to come to Him in LOVE and togetherness.
And staying with that theme of togetherness and abundant life, let’s look at a scripture that appropriately describes it. It deals with Bruh Paul at Troas. ‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached (spoke) unto them, ready to depart on the morrow (the next day); and continued his speech (message) until midnight.’ (Acts 20:7)
Again, it was a coming together of the disciples to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Oh my fellow believers, there can be no greater joy than when Jesus is amongst, reigns supreme in the lives of a group of people! That’s when the abundant life truly kicks in, and why we need to take togetherness more seriously than we currently do, both as family and fellow believers.
Oh my people, being obedient to Jesus so that you can be numbered amongst His friends, is not always easy. In fact it can be very rough at times, when the Lord chooses to test us. But remember that He’s promised to ALWAYS work things out for our good.
And I can tell you from personal experience, that if you sincerely try to live obedient to God, then you WILL certainly lead an interesting, adventurous and exciting life, filled with wonder and amazement!
And how can we not eh, when our lives are constantly connected to: God’s Faith, God’s Grace, God’s Favour, God’s Blessings, God’s Mercy, God’s Forgiveness, and God’s undying LOVE!
So please my brethren, let’s get our acts together, and COME TOGETHER IN LOVE AND OBEDIENCE TO JESUS! That’s the wisdom of all the ages! Much LOVE!
…and now abideth…faith…hope…LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE…
P.S. Oh Friends, I surely hope that this Bit makes sense yes, stands together as a structural whole. But even if it doesn’t, I know that you all are smart enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
23 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a waste of words and valuable time, acclamation, according to His will, action, All State, almighty god, an unfaithful man is useless, bad tooth, believe on the name of the Son of God, blessed, break free from a limited mindset, breath of life, Bruh David, Bubba Joel, cast not away your confidence, chagrin, confidence in God, confidence in man, Cousin Sol, Creator of the universe, crooked society, dawning of another new day, day to day activities of life, declaration of faith, destined to be a barrier breaker, destiny, don't put confidence in princes, endurance, enlarge my vision, ever-loving ever-faithful God, everlasting arms, every area of my life, experience god's favour, extenuating circumstances, foot out of joint, fraudulent, fulfilling God's purpose, girded with power, God always works on our behalf, God hears us, God's people, Hebrews, hold your horses, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Joel Osteen, joy, laughter, lord of hosts, LOVE, memories, memories for the future, misfortune, mortal man, omnipotent and loving god, patience, perseverance, potential, Praise the Lord, protective wings, receive the promise, recompense of reward, reminiscences, reward, righteousness., safe hands, seeds of greatness, smile, stills the noise of the seas, sweet Tobago, talent, than to trust in man, thanks and praise, the ends of the earth, the goodness of god's house, the Holy Spirit, the nitty gritty, time of trouble, to the glory of God's Holy Name, Today is my day, trust in Almighty God, tumult oof the people, uncontainable, unfaithful man, when you don't hear you feel, will of God, wisdom, wisdom of life, words without action
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Oh Friends, it’s the dawning of another new day in Paradise – a godly Tuesday morning Wow! So the day has already dawned, so big deal! (smile) And if you’re still alive, please give God some thanks and praise for instilling and keeping that breath of life in your mortal body.
And having done that, I want to remind us, as Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) says, that ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ Yes Friends, it’s my day, your day, our Day! God blessed us with it so that we could live it abundantly, all to the glory of His Holy Name. Now we’ve done this before, but I believe it’s time for us to do it again.
So let’s make this acclamation, this declaration of faith, per Bubba Joel. Please declare with me: ‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me.
Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision. Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today, I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’
And all God’s people said a loud and joyful, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’
Believe it my brethren, and then please, let’s put it into action, because words without action are simply a waste of both words and valuable time.
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
I think today is the last day for that particular scripture, but obviously I can’t promise it, since there are so many scripture passages that encourage and promote trust in Almighty God instead of man, that one never knows where the Holy Spirit will guide us. (smile)
So those of you who like to have a new Bit everyday, just hold on to your horses, and remember that your wonderful, ever-LOVING, ever-faithful God ALWAYS works on your behalf, for your good, regardless of the prevailing circumstances. And who knows, He might just be trying to teach you patience with the continuation of this particular Bit. (smile)
Now let’s delve into a few more scripture passages that ever so wisely and strongly advise us to put our all, our utmost trust, faith and confidence in Almighty God.
Let’s begin with the wisdom of Cousin Sol from Proverbs 25. ‘Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken (bad) tooth, and a foot out of joint.’ (Prov.25:19)
Ah mih people, those words are ever so true! And I like how Cousin Sol brings it right down to the nitty gritty, down to the practical, day-to-day activities of life.
And the scholars’ add their two cents worth by saying: ’25:19. Faith is only as good as its object, and an unfaithful man is useless.’
All of us have had some bad experiences with that kind of thing, but yet we continue to place undue faith and trust in unfaithful and untrustworthy mankind, instead of Jehovah God, our Creator and Provider.
But as the old people would so rightfully say: when you don’t hear, yuh certainly going to feel. And that’s especially true in this current unreliable, fraudulent and crooked society in which we live.
And from 1 John, we learn: ‘These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of him.’ (1 John 1:13-15)
Oh my fellow believers how could it get any better than that eh? NO WAY JOSE! (smile)
Then Bruh David declares it thus in Psalm 65 – God is powerful in nature. ‘Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
By terrible (awesome) things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Which by his strength setteth fast (established) the mountains; being girded with power: which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.’ (Ps.65:4-7)
Now tell me Friends, why do we put overmuch trust and confidence in mortal man, when we have such an omnipotent and LOVING God eh? We shouldn’t, but unfortunately, for whatever reasons, we still do, much to our misfortune and personal chagrin.
And we’ll close, end this Bit (smile) with wise words from Hebrews, words we all know, but don’t follow as much as we should. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes my people, the Lord of hosts created us and provides for us, and is still the most powerful and caring force in the universe! So please let’s show our wisdom, faith, trust and confidence in Him nuh, by solidly leaning on His exceedingly strong, everlasting arms, and safely sheltering under His awesome protective wings. Now that is the true wisdom of life! Much LOVE!
…All State Insurance might claim to have safe hands…but until you check out Jehovah God…you’ll never know what truly safe hands are…
P.S. Oh Friends, it sure was a smiley kind of day today…and why shouldn’t it be eh, since my half-brother and his wife are visiting from sweet Tobago. That means there was plenty laughter and joy in the house yesterday, which obviously led to a late night, filled with reminiscences of the past and the making of new memories for the future.
And that joy and laughter will undoubtedly continue over the next few days of their visit. My sincerest apologies for the lateness of the Bit, but as you can very well see, there are extenuating circumstances for it. (smile) Much LOVE!
22 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burning desire in our souls, a fountain of life, a new song in my mouth, a place of refuge, a sense of purpose, a shout of praise, adrenalin, aura of love, come up over our problems, complaints, confidence, confidence in man, confidence in princes, Creator of the universe, destiny, disappointed, enthusiasm, faithful help of Jesus, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, glory, God endures from generation to generation, grace, groans, here today gone tomorrow, holy spirit, humble servants, ignite our spirits, in good hands, in the fear of the Lord, it is better to trust in the Lord, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, keeping lives and families together, kindle a fire, lies, light up the universe with song, lord of hosts, LOVE, loving god, lustful appetites, moans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal man, Oh Lord God Almighty, omnipotent god, proud, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, the breath of life, the duty of man, the first, the last, The Lord God is a sun and shield, the snares of death, them that walk uprightly, trust, truth, ungodly world, vim and vigour, weary souls, whimper, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, wise decisions, zenith
Psalm 118:8-9. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Oh Friends, that day that many of us have been dreading, and a few of us longing for, is finally here! Yes, it’s Monday! Give the Lord a shout of praise for that nuh!
And you better believe that the shout was a mere whimper in comparison to the moans and groans and complaints. (smile) That means that many of us still did not prepare properly yesterday for today, consequently the whining is plentiful this Monday morning.
But my people we have no choice, if we want to eat and have a roof over our heads, then we must work. So let’s be up and at ‘em nuh. Let’s have the sense of purpose that Jesus had, and desires all His followers to also have, whereby we come up over our problems with His faithful help, rather than endlessly whine and complain.
And to assist us in doing that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much vim and vigour. Let’s kindle a fire, a burning desire in our souls to get out there and do His bidding. As one harmonious body now, let’s light up the universe with song:
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Not bad at all Friends, not bad at all! Sufficient to ignite our spirits and cause the adrenalin to bubble up and flow like a lively stream just skipping along delightedly over its bed unconcerned, not worrying where it was going, or how and when it would get there, because it knew that it was in in good hands, the hands of its Creator. So too should we be my people.
And with that we’ll segue into our Bit. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’
Yes my brethren, confidence is a helluva thing, and it’s oh so important where we put it, and where we get it from! And the psalmist is definitely right when he declares that the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Provider, is the most appropriate personage in whom to place our trust and confidence, rather than in mortal man, be they lowly or powerful.
And it’s a very logical conclusion since mortal man does not control the universe, has no effective control even over his own destiny. He’s here today and gone tomorrow, blown away in the wind and forgotten, like the dust from which he was formed. He has no control over the breath of life in his finite body, which was breathed into him by the infinite Jehovah God, His Maker.
So why should we put our confidence and trust in such a flimsy and unsure body eh? Meanwhile, as the scriptures tell us, the Lord, our omnipotent God, endures from generation to generation. He was the FIRST, and He will be the LAST! No doubt about that my fellow believers!
Now let’s check out some scriptures that wisely advise us to put our trust and confidence in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And we’ll get the ball rolling with some wise words from Cousin Sol. ‘In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart (turn one away) from the snares of death.’ (Prov.14:26-27)
And in my humble existence Friends, I can find nothing to dispute the truth of those words.
Meanwhile, the sons of Korah staunchly declare in Psalm 84: ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12)
Oh my brethren, in my three score and odd years, I’ve found no reason to doubt those words either.
Now listen to Bruh David expound on God’s goodness and power from Psalm 40 – praise for answered prayer. ‘And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee (recounted): if I would declare them, they are more than can be numbered.’ (Ps.40:3-5)
Now Friends, if we have a powerful and trustworthy Deity like that looking after our affairs, then why should we trust relatively powerless and unwise mortal man eh? No reason whatsoever my people.
But unfortunately, a lot of us can’t believe what we don’t see and/or feel, and are also greatly influenced by the lustful appetites of the world. Therefore we still put our sincere trust and confidence in wicked mortal man, though we are disappointed by him most of the time.
Oh Friends, if we ever hope to turn this evil and ungodly world around, then we have to start making wise decisions. And the first and wisest of them all is to stop trusting in untrustworthy man and begin trusting in a faithful and LOVING God. That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…to trust…to trust…and yet to trust in Almighty God…that is the duty of man…
20 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double-minded man is unstable, abundantly, ask in faith, awe-filled reverence towards God, blessings, brand new day, Christian maturity, commandments, Creator, dance and sing, doubting, evil and ungodly world, focusing on God, fount of wisdom, Glory Halleujah, God's praise endures for ever, God's Word, gold, gospel truth, jehovah god, Jesus came that we might have life, jump for joy, knowledge, LOVE, mercies, mortal man, ONE body in Christ, perverse things, perversity, praise and glory, praise and thanks, prudence, purpose for our lives, reading the Bible, reward for heeding wisdom, silver, the beginning of wisdom, the breath of life, the fear of the Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the living God, the Spirit of Holy God, the straight and narrow road, this is the day the Lord has made, to do evil, truth, understanding, wake up and smell the coffee, wavering, we shall rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, wisdom is better than rubies
Psalm 111:10. The fear of the Lord (an awe-filled reverence toward the Lord) is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Well Friends, it’s another brand new day that we’ve been privileged to see! Wow! All praise and glory that our wonderful God has not taken away the breath of life from us! And for that, we shall indeed be very thankful!
That means He still has some purpose for our lives here on planet earth, so let’s offer up all the praise and thanks we can, and as one joyful body in Christ, sincerely declare: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we shall all rejoice and be glad in it!’
And that’s exactly how it ought to be my people, because the Lord gave us life so that we could be joyful and enjoy it. What did Jesus say? That He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Therefore we ought to rejoice and give thanks each and every day that we open our eyes and discover that the awesome breath of life, the Spirit of Holy God is still flowing through our mortal bodies.
So what are we waiting for eh Friends? Let’s jump for joy, dance and sing, and give thanks and praise to our wonderful Creator for all the blessings and mercies He’s continually showering down on us!
And let’s also take our Bit to heart. ‘The fear of the Lord (an awe-filled reverence toward the Lord) is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever,’
Oh my brethren, when we do that, then we’ll know that we are on the right track, because having a sincere reverence towards Almighty God is the first step to Christian maturity, to true wisdom and understanding!
It’s a two pronged instrument my people; fear the Lord and keep His commandments, then you’ll be on the right road, the straight and narrow one, to wisdom and understanding. That’s because true wisdom and understanding emanate directly from Jehovah God! He is the fount of it all!
And how do we access that wisdom and understanding? By focusing on God and reading the Good Book! For the Bible is God’s Word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it, we will find God’s wisdom on its pages. And furthermore, please remember that ONE TRUTH from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man. Glory Hallelujah!
That’s why James tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Now that’s the gospel truth my brethren! For whatever situation we’re facing, to come up over it wisely, we need to go to God, who is so generous, and without reproach too. But we have to do it in strong and constant faith, not in a wishy-washy, wavering, neither here nor there attitude.
And that’s why so many of us are so lost in this evil and ungodly world. We either completely refuse to go to God, and go to mortal man instead, foolishly figuring that he, who cannot control his own days, has the answers. Or we go to God without true faith and confidence.
I like how Cousin Sol declares it in chapter 8 of Proverbs – wisdom is everlasting. ‘O ye simple, understand wisdom (prudence): and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart…. Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.’ (Prov.8:5,10-11)
Awesome truth my fellow believers! And here is the reward for heeding wisdom. ‘When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward (perverse) things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the forwardness (perversity) of the wicked.’ (Prov.2:10-14)
Now Friends, I’m sure that all of us would dearly LOVE to walk that upright kind of path in our lives. And we can all do it, if we embrace the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with reverence and sincerity, while following His commandments as best we can, making praise and thanksgiving an essential and integral part of our existence.
And we’ll go home with these fateful words of the Preacher: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl.12:13-14)
Oh Friends, those are words of absolute and indisputable truth! So let’s get our act together nuh man; let’s seek true wisdom and understanding by sincerely serving and worshipping the wonderful God of our forefathers. For there’s none else like Him; a living, faithful, generous, merciful, forgiving, ever-LOVING and omnipotent God!
So if we want to have a truly enjoyable life, then let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh people! (smile) Hn, hn! It’s been a while since I last heard that expression. But a couple of days ago, I heard my sister-in-law use it, and it reminded me of when my grandfather Bill, would boil his coffee every morning in the orange juice tin, you’d stay down the street and smell it.
So let’s inhale that refreshing aroma this Saturday morning nuh mih breddren, and take a strong and faithful stand with and for Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…Praise ye the Lord…shout Hallelujah…I will praise the Lord with my whole heart…in the assembly of the upright…and in the congregation… (Ps.111:1)
19 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pleasant dream, blessed, bondage of labour, cause his face to shine on us, commandments, communicated with our Creator, Cousin Sol, crown of glory, dark and dreary night, depart from evil, diligently seek wisdom, drift aimlessly, father of patience, fear of the Lord, fellowship, fools despise wisdom, forgiving, fount of all wisdom, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous, generous help, God's gift, good understanding, goodly shepherd, goodness, grace, greetings, honour, illuminating sunshine of Jesus, in league with God, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Job, knowledge, lost sheep, LOVE, Loving Deity, lustful worldly activities, magnanimous, may the Lord bless and keep us, merciful, ornamnet of grace, our Lord and Saviour, permeate our souls, powerful, rejuvenation, relaxation, rest, right perspective, salutations, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Holy One, the Lord's praise endures for ever, the peace that surpasses all understanding, the reverence of God, the weekend, time for partying, understanding, ungodly world, wisdom, wisdom of a fool, wise
Psalm 111:10. The fear of the Lord (an awe-filled reverence toward the Lord) is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Greetings and salutations my people, on this new and blessed day of September 2014! Tell me, have you communicated with your Creator as yet for today?
Well, if you haven’t, then take a moment now to tell Him thanks for bringing you safely through the dark and dreary night, into the bright and illuminating sunshine of His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Then you can boldly and sincerely declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God that the weekend is upon us, and we’ll soon be free from the bondage of labour… if only for a couple of days! Indeed, we must thank God that it’s Friday!’
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can have the right perspective on how to use the weekend. ‘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, it’s very important that we view the weekend in the right manner; as a time of rest and rejuvenation, not merely a time for partying and engaging in other lustful worldly activities. Remember, when you use the weekend properly, then the new work week unfolds calmly and smoothly, like a pleasant dream. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit: ‘The fear of the Lord (an awe-filled reverence toward the Lord) is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.’
Oh Friends, those words are ever so true! If the reverence of God doesn’t permeate our souls, then we’ll drift aimlessly for ever, like lost sheep in the dry and waterless wilderness, without a goodly shepherd to look after us.
But when we truly reverence our great and wonderful God, then we see Him for who and what He really is: a wise, powerful, merciful, forgiving and LOVING Deity, generous and magnanimous to a fault. As so many other men of God have stated, that’s where all wisdom begins, my brethren!
Now let’s have a quick look at some of the scriptures that tell us so, beginning with the father of patience, Job, as he talks about wisdom being God’s gift. After asking the profound question: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?’ (Job 28:12) He goes on to detail where it cannot be found. (Job 28:13-21)
Then he finally declares: ‘And unto man he (God) said, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’ (Job 28:28)
And if you don’t believe Job, then listen to Cousin Sol, proclaimed the wisest man ever. ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the (principal) beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7)
Yes my people, when we submit to Almighty God with a healthy fear of awe and reverence, then our eyes, hearts, minds and souls are opened, and we are able to discern wisdom and truth and knowledge, as decreed by our heavenly Father, not as the evil and ungodly world considers it.
And Cousin Sol later on, again wisely informs us on the subject: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (Holy One) is understanding.’ (Prov.9:10)
Oh my brethren, it’s therefore obvious that true wisdom and knowledge and understanding are all tied up with knowing our Creator, and unless we are in solid league with Jehovah God, the ONE who created the universe and all therein, we cannot attain to those things.
And as Cousin Sol seriously warns us: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou doest embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9)
Yes my Friends, that’s what happens when we diligently seek wisdom; she just overwhelms us with goodness! So why aren’t more of us seeking it eh; godly wisdom that is, not the wisdom of the world?
I guess because too many of us tend to turn away from anything that smacks of God. And that definitely is not true or real wisdom my people! It’s the wisdom of a fool, for they despise true wisdom and instruction, as Cousin Sol says earlier.
And on that note we’ll close for today, because the rest of what I have to say will definitely make the Bit too long, and I know that our attention span is short on most days, but especially so on Fridays, when the weekend beckons. (smile)
So may the Lord bless and keep us as we walk faithfully with Him today, and may he cause His favour to shine on us, and give us His wisdom and peace that passes all understanding. Much LOVE!
…how can a mortal human ever attain wisdom…without a true and stable connection to the fount of all wisdom…the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…
16 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all praise and thanks to God, allergies, awesome, better late than never, blessings, boggles my imagination, born again, born of water and the Spirit, brought men to christ, Bruh Paul's conversion, by faith in christ Jesus, Calvary, children of God, christ jesus, church at Corinth, comforting, compliance with God's word, condemn the sinner, conversion, covenant, curse of the law, Damascus, declared righteous, divinely intended purpose, endowed us with physical life, enter into the kingdom of god, eternal life, ever so faithful and kind, ever-Loving, evil, externalism, faith, Galatians, generous, glorious, Glory Halleujah, God's Spirit, good, good measure, gung ho, healing, helping, holy, holy spirit, internalism, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, just, justified, keeping our focus on God, Law of Moses, learning, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, magnanimous, manifestations, medication, mercies, minister of the New Testament, miracles, Mosaic covenant, Nicodemus, our sufficency is of God, precious blood of Jesus christ, reconciled, redeemed, righteousness., runny nose, schoolmaster, sleep inducing, spiritual blessings, Stephen, sufficient of ourselves, teaching, that which is born of the flesh, that which is born of the spirit, the flesh profits nothing, the Holy Spirit, the letter kills, the spirit gives life, Triune God, true believer, truth, ultimate wisdom, understanding of the scripture, wisdom, words of jesus, worker bee
John 6:63. It is the spirit that quickneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Aye Friends, the ole fella’s in a bit of a rough shape this Tuesday morning. Last night my allergies, or the cold, or some similar malady had me sneezing and sniffling with a runny nose thrown in for good measure. (smile)
So I took some relief medication, which though it eased up the nasal situation, it was also sleep inducing, which therefore made it somewhat difficult to get up at an early hour. But as they say, better late than never! (smile)
And the ole fella’s up now, gung ho and ready to go; not a hundred percent fit, but feeling much better than when I went to bed last night, or rather early this morning. (smile) All praise and thanks to our ever-Loving, healing and comforting God!
Ah my people, when I consider all the blessings and mercies that our magnanimous and generous God daily bestows on us, it just boggles my imagination and fills my heart, body, soul and mind with the urge to greatly praise Him! He is ever so faithful and kind…
But I don’t really need to tell you all that eh, because if you’re a true believer, you will already have discovered that by the way He operates in your own life.
And all God’s children gave out a loud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All thanks and praise be to Jehovah God, who has redeemed us from sin, and reconciled us to Himself, through the precious blood of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that was shed on Calvary’s hill for our benefit!’
And isn’t that a most glorious and awesome truth my brethren? It surely is!
Now let’s have a look at some more wise and truthful words, words of Jesus, in our Bit. ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’
And we saw yesterday where it was God’s Spirit that actually endowed us with physical life. (Gen.2:7) And that Bruh Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, as well as Stephen’s wisdom and miracles were figurative manifestations of the way the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
I guess we can compare the Holy Spirit to the worker bee in a hive; He is the one who carries out the actual work or deeds in our Triune God.
Hear how Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Corinth: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able (sufficient as) ministers of the new testament (covenant)’ not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.’ (2 Cor.3:5-6)
Words of absolute truth my brethren!
And the scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘3:6. The new testament (lit. New Covenant) is both new in time (not being inaugurated until Christ – Matt.26:28; Luke 22:7-23; 1 Cor.11:25; Heb.8:8) and new in quality (providing better spiritual blessings than did the old Mosaic covenant).
Letter, but of the spirit: This expression corresponds to the thought of verse 3 contrasting “ink” with the “Spirit.” The contrast is between the externalism inherent in the Old Covenant and the internalism inherent in the New Covenant.
The letter killeth: Since certain Jews in the assembly at Corinth were concerned with Paul’s defection from Moses’ law, Paul here explains his position. The best the law could do was condemn the sinner.
It is not here implied that the law of Moses was evil. On the contrary, it is holy, just, and good (Rom.7:12). This can be asserted because it brought men to the end of themselves to Christ (Gal.3:24).’
Oh my people, I sincerely hope that gives us a better understanding of the scripture, because that’s what we’re all about with the Bit; learning, teaching, helping to understand God’s Word and keeping our focus on Him.
And please check out the scriptures mentioned in the scholars’ explanation, because they offer a wealth of information. I just did, and consequently was inspired to quote the last scripture reference, that from Galatians.
‘Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified (declared righteous) by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a school-master (tutor), For ye are all the children (sons) of God by faith in Christ Jesus.’ (Gal.3:24-26)
Yes Friends, as the scholars say: ‘3:25. After one’s conversion to Christ, he is no longer under the curse of the law, as it has fulfilled its divinely intended purpose.’ That is, bringing us to the point where we become children of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.
Oh, I know I digressed there for a moment, but I just thought it necessary to interject those verses so that we could come to a better understanding of Bruh Paul’s words. And we’ll close with some more awesome words from Jesus, re the second part of our Bit: ‘the flesh profiteth nothing.’
Listen to Him expound to Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
The wind bloweth where it listeth (wishes); and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ (John 3:5-8)
More truth of the awesome, indisputable variety my people!
Now let’s take a few moments to ponder all that we have spoken about today, then try, with the help of God obviously, to make our lives better and brighter by bringing them into compliance with God’s Word and the wonderful plan He has for each human life He has created. That is the ultimate wisdom of the universe! Much LOVE!
…oh what a magnificent blessing it is…to have the Holy Spirit of God dwell within us…to have Him continually lead and guide us in righteousness…to have Him strengthen us with true faith and trust in Almighty God…then finally bring us to eternal life with our wonderful Lord and Saviour…Jesus Christ…
14 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Aaronic benediction, almighty god, blessings, cause his face to shine on us, christ jesus, Christ's spirit, come together as one body in Jesus, comfort, created the universe and all therein, deliver me, evil, faith, favour, fellowship, first day of the week, focus on Almighty God, forgiveness, gladness, glorify, God be merciful unto us, healing, joy, Lord and Saviour, lord of hosts, loving god, magnify, mercies, omnipotent, oppression of man, prayer for restoration, prayer of thy servant, psalm 119, psalm 67, psalm 80, rejuvenated, rested, restore us O god, rivers of water, Sabbath, save me, sincerity and truth, sing God's praises, strife-filled world, Sunday, teach me thy statutes, thanks and gratitude, thanksgiving, the Lord bless thee, the Lord's Day, the Most High God jehovah, trust, ungodly, we shall be saved, wisdom, words to live by, worship God
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
Well Friends, it’s the Lord’s Day, the Sabbath! The day on which He rested and rejuvenated Himself after creating the universe and all therein. Now it’s time for us to do the same. So let’s get ourselves to the Lord’s sanctuary today and fellowship with other believers; sing His praises, worship Him in sincerity and truth, giving Him the thanks and gratitude He so richly deserves.
Let there be joy and gladness in our hearts as we come together as one body in Christ Jesus, to glorify and magnify the Most High God Jehovah and receive His blessings, mercies, forgiveness, comfort, healing and strength to carry on in faith in this ungodly, strife-filled and evil world!
And as we celebrate this first day of the week with our focus on Almighty God, remember that the other days of the week will fall into easy lock-step with it, and enable us to have a better week than we would have had without that rejuvenation of Christ’s Spirit within us. The first day sets the tone for those that follow.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘God be merciful unto us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.’
Now yesterday we looked at what Psalm 67, the national psalm of thanksgiving itself said, today we’ll look at some other scriptures that invoke the same kind of blessed attitude.
And we’ll begin with the heartfelt words of Bruh David from Psalm 31, superscripted – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. ‘But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.’ (Ps. 31:14-16)
Words of true faith my people! Then in Psalm 80, a prayer for restoration, the psalmist Asaph feels so strongly about his belief that he repeats it three times in the psalm. ‘Turn us again (restore us), O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.’ (Ps.80:3, 7, 19)
And that is exactly what happens when our omnipotent and LOVING God causes His face to shine upon us my brethren…we are saved! No ifs, ands, or buts about it!
And from that great expose on God’s word, Psalm 119, comes these words: ‘Deliver (direct) me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Rivers of waters run down mine yes, because they (men) keep not thy law.’ (Ps.119:134-136)
Ah mih people, more entreaty for the Lord of hosts to shine His wonderful countenance upon His humble servants! That means there must be something sacred and powerful when the Lord shines His face upon His human creation. For even that mighty man of God, Daniel, invoked that in his prayer when he prayed for his people Israel, during the time of their captivity in Babylon.
‘Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause (be gracious) thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary (temple) that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.’ (Dan.9:17) Words to live by my fellow believers, words to certainly live by!
And here is where it all began, from the Aaronic benediction; that decreed by the Lord Himself, way back when the Israelites were making their way through the wilderness from slavery in Egypt to prosperity in the Promised Land.
‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee (look on you with favour), and give thee peace. And they shall put (invoke) my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.’ (Num.6:22-27)
There we have it my people; the Lord’s blessing upon His people Israel, and subsequently, with the coming of Jesus, for all those who believe in Him and honour Him as their Lord and Saviour.
There’s not much more to be said nuh Friends, except to advise us to go out and fellowship with other believers, get encouraged, rejuvenated and have the Lord’s countenance, His favour shine on us. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…to be blessed…to have the Lord’s radiance shine on us…oh what a privilege…oh what a joy…
P.S. No complaints today Friends, because it short and sweet! (smile) Much LOVE!
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