11 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a hearty welcome, a man sent from god, a pattern of success, action movement, another brand new day, anxiety, awe, be on our p's and q's, bear witness, born not of blood, Christ's birth, christianity, Christmas, commercialism, David Thomas, encouraging, excitement, faith, fear, fear not, feel the action of God flowing through us, fight the enemy, forgiveness, friends, fruitful life, full of grace and truth, gain footholds, glory hallelujah, go overboard, heavenly rewards, human form, In the beginning was the Word, indisputable truth, infiltrate our lives, inroads, Jesus Christ, John, keep plugging and plodding on, leading, live a successful life, lot of chances, loving kindness, lustful desires, magnificent and magnanimous God, minding our business, miracle, miraculous birth of Jesus christ, never be thnkful enough, never-ending mercy, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, power to become the sons of God, power. material things, redeeming sacrifice, respect, reverence, Scrip-Bit family, se;fless act, surrender, Thank you Jesus, Thank You Lord, the biography of souls, the Holy Spirit, the Life. the Light, the light of men, the light shines in the darkness, the most radiant pages in the biography of souls, the Son of God, the things of the world, the Truth, the Way, the will of God, the will of man, the will of the flesh, the Word was God, the word was made flesh, the Word was with God, true believers, trust, ungodly and evil world, unselfish and noble actions, we love you, we shall rejoice and be glad in it, we will follow you to the ends of the earth, wonder, wonders of your glory, worldly trappings, worry, writing from the heart
John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Well a warm and hearty Thursday welcome to all you Friends and Scrip-Bit family members out there in this ungodly and evil world. Fear not, for our wonderful God has provided us with another brand new day filled with His never-ending mercy, forgiveness and LOVING-kindness.
Wow! What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity we serve and worship! And all God’s children declared a loud and lusty: ‘Thank You Lord for giving us this new day, filled with all the wonders of your glory! We will praise Your Holy Name and rejoice and be glad in it, just as you desire us to! Amen!’
Yes Friends, it’s time to just keep pressing on and feel the action of God flowing through our lives in a pattern of success. And here’s a quote attributed to one David Thomas. Now I’m not sure which David Thomas it is, because there are so many around.
However, the quote is remarkable and can stand on its own, and highlights and reflects the kind of success we’re talking about. It simply says: ‘Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.’
And that surely is indisputable truth my brethren! For our lives usually shine brighter and brightest when we do unselfish and noble acts, regardless of how small or insignificant they may seem. And even better yet, our heavenly Father notes them and heavenly rewards are attached to our names. Nothing could be better than that my people!
And we wouldn’t be true believers if we failed to mention the most unselfish act ever done in this whole wide world; that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, leaving His comfortable home in heaven to come to earth in human form and offer His holy and sinless life as a redeeming sacrifice for us and our abominable sins.
And all Jesus’ followers cried out: ‘Thank You Jesus! We LOVE You! And we will follow You to the ends of the earth!’
Oh Friends, for that selfless act on Jesus’ part, we can never be thankful enough; there’s nothing we can ever do to repay that selflessness. But there again, Jesus doesn’t want our thanks so much in words, but more in deeds, for His movement, Christianity, is action oriented.
He wants us to believe in Him, that He is indeed the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Light of this evil and sinful world, and live the way He prescribes. Unfortunately though, His way of living runs counter to that of the world, which glorifies power, material things and lustful desires.
And sadly too, a lot of mankind are more enamoured with the things of the world than with those of Jesus. So what are we believers to do eh? Simply keep plugging and plodding on my brethren, and our great and generous God will give us everything we need to live a successful life and fight the enemy.
There’s not supposed to be any fear, worry or anxiety that keeps us from living a right and fruitful life that glorifies Him and helps us bring others to Him. But then again, these are not always easy things to do, especially in the kind of selfish, greedy and ungodly world in which we now live.
Those things take time, faith, trust and sure surrender. So we need to be always on our p’s and q’s, minding our business, not allowing the enemy to make any inroads into our lives.
And this season of Christmas is one of those times when we tend to go overboard and give the enemy a lot of chances to infiltrate our lives and gain footholds therein.
How you ask? By paying too much attention to the worldly trappings which surround it, and not enough to the cause of and reason for it; the wonderful and miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Oh Friends, I’m chuckling here because I have no idea where this is going. I don’t even have a Bit as yet. It’s one of those days that I like, when I’m writing from the heart, writing what I believe the Holy Spirit of God is leading and encouraging me to write.
So hearkening back to our last point, that of paying more attention to the worldly trappings of Christmas than the real cause for it, Jesus’ birth, I admonish us to try and change the balance in that equation. Let’s tone down the commercialism aspect of the situation, which sadly is being increased every year.
Instead, let’s allow the wonder, the excitement and miracle of Christ’s birth to be number one in our spirits, rather than the presents, food, and other trimmings. We obviously can’t disregard the latter stuff, but instead let’s raise up the former to the prominence that it deserves nuh.
For, remember without the birth of Christ, there’d be no Christmas, and thus no family gatherings and celebrations, no gifts, no food, nothing but another uneventful day.
And I think I’ve said my piece, (smile) now let’s see if I can find an appropriate Bit for all that. Soon come!
Oh Friends, it took les than two minutes. Glory Hallelujah! I was just led to share this most important section of scripture in its entirety. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:1-14)
Oh Friends, that says it all; all about Jesus! And the season we’re now celebrating, Christmas, is when that Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the birth of that Light, the birth of the Word that was God, the birth of Jesus Christ!
So please, please let’s show the proper respect, reverence and awe to such an exceptional and miraculous event. Much LOVE!
… the trappings of Christmas are not as important as the reason for Christmas…the birth of Christ…for without Christ’s birth…there’d be no Christmas…and would that be a sad thing…
21 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, all things work together for good, anxiety, appealing to love in power, background, believe, believing, blessed, bounden duty, bring them to Jesus, buckle down, buoyed, calamity, Calvary, Christian, comfort, comforted, Corville Peters, eternal source of love, ever-faithful God, ever-LOVING God, everlasting guidance, evil, evil world, expected end, faith, faithfulness of our wonderful God, fear, foreground, forgiveness, friendliness, fulfilment, further God's glorious kingdom, God cares for us, God intereceding, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's mysterious moving, gospel truth, guidance, guided, have life more abundantly, healed, help, holy, holy spirit, hurting, hurts my heart, indisputable, Jamaican origin, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, joy, kindness, life haapens to even the best of us, Live at the Cross, living our lives to the full, LOVE, mercy, oh what a joy, omnipotent deity, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, peace, ponder, prayer, prayer is love in need, purpose, put our best foot forward, renew their lapsed committment, sacrificing His life, Scrip-Bit, search for me with all your heart, sinless, smile, stand strong and steadfast, sustenance, the affairs of my life, the called, the elect, the One and Only Living God, the strength, the thoughts that I think towards you, to them called according to His purpose, to them that love God, Top o' the morn, trust, try my best to live for Him, undeniable, watched, when you pray to me, wisdom, worry, you shall find me, you shall seek me
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for Good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well Friends, family, neighbours and strangers, top o’ this fine autumn Tuesday morn to all of you! And the question this morning is; are we living our lives to the full, is their sufficient joy and peace in our lives?
And if not, why not? Because that is one of the reasons our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave for coming to earth and sacrificing His holy and sinless life on our behalf; that we might have life, enjoy it more abundantly, without fear and worry and anxiety. (John 10:10)
And if we aren’t doing that, then something is seriously wrong somewhere in our lives. We need to investigate it and turn it around, sooner rather than later, so that we can get the full benefit of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
And speaking of the cross, I heard a great line on the t.v. programme ‘At the Cross Live,’ last night that deals with prayer. And it says: ‘Prayer is LOVE in need, appealing to LOVE in power!’
Now isn’t that a wonderful definition? It certainly is! We, the folks of earthly LOVE, in need of sustenance and fulfillment down here, are appealing, are crying out to the eternal source of LOVE, our omnipotent Deity!
That brings me to a recent interesting happening in my life. Well every week I tape some religious programmes and watch them at my leisure. A couple months ago though, I suddenly saw this programme ‘At the Cross Live’ showing up as being recorded on my PVR.
Now I’d never even heard of the programme before, and so I queried myself as to what it was and how it came to be recorded? All of my immediate family members denied doing it, but Sunday after Sunday it showed up as being recorded. One day I finally decided to check it out…
And oh what a joy it’s been my people! It’s a late night, early Sunday morning Christian based talk show, or rather help line that comes on on one of the Christian t.v. channels. I don’t even know which one. (smile) A gentleman of Jamaican origin named Corville Peters hosts it, for two and a half hours from 1 to 3:30 a.m.
And Friends, what really grabs me about the programme is the sad state of some of the people who call in asking for help through prayer and guidance. Oh my fellow believers, there are innumerable numbers of our fellow man out there in this troubled world who are hurting in a terrible way!
Sometimes it just hearts my heart to hear the low, joyless, frustrated, painful lives they’re leading. And I must say that Corville does an excellent job of trying to comfort them and either bring them to Jesus for the first time, or renew their lapsed commitment to Him.
My point here people, is that if it wasn’t me, or any one of my family members who set the programme to record every Sunday morning – only for the first hour though – then it had to be the hand of our heavenly Father interceding in the affairs of my life, leading me to a programme that He desires me to watch!
That’s the only explanation I can come up with Friends. So how can I not believe eh, and with believing, try my best to live for Him? It just doesn’t make sense any other way.
So my fellow believers, I ask us all today, to please have faith, please stand strong and steadfast in the strength and LOVE and faithfulness of our wonderful God, because He does care for us, and is constantly moving in our lives in ways we might not understand, or even see.
But be assured that we are being closely watched, guided, blessed, comforted and healed by the ONE and ONLY LIVING GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And I know that those sort of seemingly unexplainable situations don’t only occur in my life, but in the lives of ALL believers! All of us have undergone moments of thought and ‘ponderation’ – I just like the word because it conveys a higher level of pondering (smile) – when certain unexplainable happenings happen in our lives.
That’s God, my brethren, our heavenly Father, moving in our lives in His usual mysterious manner, to put into effect His just as usual mysterious purpose, so that He can successfully work out the plan, the good plan, the good thoughts that He has towards us, as verified in Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.
Oh Friends, I might as well quote those scriptures and use one as our Bit, since I don’t have one as yet, and I’ve just been talking off the top of my head, (smile) allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me.
Oh my people, that’s the beauty of writing this Scrip-Bit! Most days I don’t know where the Lord wants to lead me, but when the time comes for writing, He ALWAYS guides me to something or some place, though not always without some effort on my part! That’s why I can sincerely talk about faith, trust and hope in His everlasting guidance.
Anyway, enough of my prattling, here are the scripture passages, beginning with Jeremiah’s great proclamation and promise on behalf of our ever-faithful, ever-LOVING God.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken (listen) unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jer.29:11-13)
What wonderful promises my brethren! Promises on which we can stand steadfast and strong!
Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he corroborates Jeremiah’s promises to the early church at Rome. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.28:8)
Yes Friends, that’s indisputable, undeniable, gospel truth!
Now here is an interesting explanation of that verse from the scholars. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
And yes my brethren, we are ‘the called, ‘the elect!’ So let’s go out into the unfriendly, evil world today, knowing that fact, being buoyed and encouraged by it, and thus putting our best foot forward, by showing friendliness, kindness, LOVE, joy, peace, mercy and forgiveness, to further God’s great and glorious kingdom!
That’s not only true wisdom, but also our bounden duty. So let’s buckle down and do it nuh! Much LOVE!
…if we sit and ponder for a moment…we’ll certainly see many instances of God moving in our lives…both in the background and foreground…
P.S. It’s late…and long… and I think certainly worthwhile… but life happens to even the best of us. (smile) Much LOVE!
07 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man sharpens the countenance of his friend, a man with many friends comes to ruin, a perverse man sows strife, adversity, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxiety, beating him down emotionally, bless them that curse you, blessings, call on god for help, Calvary, come unto me, encouragement, fear, forgiveness, friend, friends, friendships, God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, God's wrath was kindled, gospel truth, gossip, gossip destroys friendships, greater love hath no man, grief, Healer, Helper, how good is our God, I am meek (gentle) in heart, I will give you rest, iron sharpens iron, Jesus is our be all and end all, Job, keep our focus on god, LOVE, Love your enemies, make a positive difference, mercies, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, offer burnt offerings, one more day, praise God, pray for them which use you, prayed for his friends, praying for others, redeem, repent, servants, serve God dilgently, sins, sons of the Father, sorrow, stand strong in Christ, strife, take my yoke upon you, that a man lay down his life for his friends, the Good Book, the great invitation, the poor is hated by his neightbour, the rich have many friends, wealth makes many friends, words of comfort, worry, you shall find rest unto your souls
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
One more day Friends, one more day! Wow! We’ve been granted life anew for another day, so let’s use it wisely please. Let’s use it like the present God desires it to be, with all the new mercies, blessings, forgiveness and LOVE that He’s showering down on us.
Let’s keep our focus on God: praise and serve Him diligently and sincerely, and do the works He desires of us. He has given us all we need to accomplish the tasks on our task sheets, so there should be no serious problems involved.
But if perchance, one does crop up, we have the freedom, or rather we’re expected to call on Him for assistance, which He’ll never refuse, once we’re sincere. For as Jesus says in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
So my fellow believers, with those words of comfort and encouragement bubbling in our souls, let’s not allow anything or anyone to cause us anxiety, fear or worry today. Let’s stand strong in the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, and try our very best to make a positive difference in this crazy, troubled world in which we now live.
That’s what Jesus desires of us! And remember that He is indeed our be all and end all! He is our Healer, our Helper, our Redeemer and our Friend! What more can we ask eh? Nothing really.
So let’s look at our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
And it’s worth repeating and remembering that after He spoke those purposeful words, He went out and died for us at Calvary… as Friends, not servants.
And we’ll continue looking at the interplay of ‘friends and friendships’ as found in the Good Book. Then there was Job and his supposed friends. They ostensibly came to comfort him in his sorrow and grief, but unfortunately ended up beating him down emotionally, claiming that his hidden sins had caused his disastrous experience.
And God’s wrath was kindled against them, because they had not spoken rightly of Him as His servant Job had done, and He commanded them to repent and offer burnt offerings. (Job 42:7-9)
But hear this: ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.’ (Job 42:10)
Yes my people, the Lord turned Job’s adversity around when he prayed for his friends, and also worked some serious miracles on his behalf, blessing him with twice as much as he had lost. Oh how good our God is to us!
That brings us to this rather important point; the importance of praying for others, even when they’ve done us wrong. I know that’s sometimes pretty hard to do, but it’s required of believers.
Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be children (sons) of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt.5:44-45)
So if you ought to pray for your enemies, it’s logical to assume that you ought to pray for your friends and fellow believers too. (smile)
Now let’s look at some wisdom of Cousin Sol, re ‘friends and friendships’ as divined in Proverbs. He declares first of all that: ‘The poor is hated even of (by) his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends (the LOVERS of the rich are many).’ (Prov.14:20)
And isn’t that the gospel truth! The scholars explain it thus: ’14:20-21. Social standing is improved with riches, but the good neighbour will have concern for all, regardless of their status.’ That’s how it ought to be, but sadly in this topsy-turvy world of ours, we still look down on the poor and up at the rich.
And here’s a fitting companion to that Proverb. ‘Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour (friend).’ (Prov.19:4)
And we see that everyday. Many of us have also experienced it. When times are good and we are rolling in plenty, we have plenty supposed friends around us, but as soon as the good times stop flowing, they all disappear.
Now listen to these Proverbs. ‘A froward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.16:28) Or as the scholars say: ’16:28. Gossip destroys friendships.’ That we all know and have experienced too.
Here is a companion to that one. ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.17:9) More reflections on gossip.
Then we have this bit of wisdom. ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly (may come to ruin): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov.18:24)
The scholars explain that this way: ’18:24. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly may also be translated, “A man of many friends comes to ruin.” In other words, a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial relationships. Far better it is to have genuine friends who become like family and LOVE at all times. (17:17).’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my people! It surely is!
And we’ll close with this priceless gem of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov.27:17)
Mama Mia! Wisdom from heaven Friends!
The scholars explain it thus: ’27:17. As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal friendship.’
Now that’s the kind of friends we need to have and need to be! Friends, who encourage, comfort, exhort, educate and uplift each other in as many walks of life as possible.
So let’s go out today and be that kind of friend nuh mih people. It could only make our world a better place for our children and us. Much LOVE!
…the fewer the friends…the less possibility of strife and troublesome friendships…
13 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the earth shall fear God, almighty god, always on the go, anger, anxiety, at the beck and call, ball is in our court, bless us, blessings, busy with work, Calvary, confidence, down time, dress, education, Elohim, evil, faithful, feeding frenzy, frustration, generous father, glorify the mediocre, God be merciful unto us, godly attention, gratefulness, greedy business people, harbinger, heavenly wisdom, high standards, in the swing of things, Jesus Christ, judge the people righteously, Labour Day, let the nations be glad, let the people praise thee, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving, low standards, may God cause his face to shine on us, modern conveniences, money, morals, no separation between work home and play, obdeience, old rugged cross, only one superstar, our imagination playing tricks on us, patient, pedestals, perception, reconciled to God, resentment, rudeness, salvation, saving health, seamless continuum, Selah, selfishness, sincerity, sing for joy, sit and relax, social happenings, societies flourish, spare time, technological innovations, technology monster, tension, thanskgiving, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, wonderful opportunity, work ethic, worry, Yahweh
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
Aye Friends, do you realize that we’re already in the middle of September…and it was just last week we celebrated Labour Day? (smile) Ah brother! The days they surely seem to be passing rather quickly. I don’t know if time is actually speeding up, or it’s simply our perception that it’s going by faster; just our imagination playing tricks on us. (smile)
If I were to guess though, I’d say that it’s our imagination playing tricks on us. Our days have become so busy with work and looking after home and family and the myriad of things those tasks entail, including the presence of worry and anxiety, that the time just speeds away on us before we even realize what’s really happening.
Even a generation ago, our lives weren’t so busy. What’s happened eh? Unlike what we were led to expect and believe, in spite of all the technological innovations and modern conveniences, we seem to have lees spare time, less down time where we can just sit and relax. It seems like we’re always on the go.
Now there’s no separation between work, home and play, they all seem to have morphed into one seamless continuum. With our wonderful technological devices we now work everywhere; at home, at work and at play. We’re now constantly at the beck and call of the technology monster and its feeding frenzy. If we’re not constantly in touch with the social happenings then we feel lost and behind the times, not in the swing of things.
And sadly, that feeling is perpetrated by the greedy business people who are just out to grab whatever they can from us, without caring even one iota about our situations. It’s all about the money. That’s a big part of the reason for the unnecessary tension, frustration, resentment, anger, selfishness and rudeness in our current society.
Our standards, including morals, work ethic, dress, education and otherwise have fallen so low, that now we glorify as superior, of superstar status, what was once considered mediocre, and even of no account. And yet we expect to flourish.
How foolish of us Friends, for societies only flourish when truly high standards are the norm, not the exception. As standards fall, so do the societies themselves. And if you don’t believe me, just check out man’s history that’s littered with so many examples.
And before we go any further my people, let me remind us that there’s ONLY ONE SUPERSTAR in this evil, ungodly world – that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And don’t you forget it! Stop buying into the nonsense that the world is selling us; putting people on pedestals who can’t even run their lives properly.
Anyway, that’s enough pontification from me for today. (smile) Let’s see what our Bit has to say: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.’
And yuh better believe my brethren that we desperately need such godly attention today, right now, if we’re ever going to turn this wicked and ungodly society around. As the psalmist so wisely and truthfully continues: ‘That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health (salvation) among all nations.’ (Ps.67:2)
But for that to happen, the psalmist tells us: ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Let all the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase (give her produce); and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.’ (Ps.67:3-7)
Yes Friends, without God’s blessings, we’re doomed, and we won’t get God’s blessings unless and until we praise and worship Him in faithful obedience and trust.
And according to the scholars: ‘Psalm 67. This national psalm of thanksgiving expresses the gratefulness of the people to their God and their confidence in His continued blessings. The point of the psalm seems to be that God’s blessing on Israel is only a harbinger of divine blessings for the entire world.
This universal outlook is revealed not only by the explicit statement of the final verse, but by the exclusive preference of the general word for God, Elohim, to the complete exclusion of the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh.’
So you can see Friends, from early on, God planned to have the entire world, His entire creation, bowing at His feet, praising and worshipping Him, while He showers them with untold blessings and mercies. Unfortunately though, that plan has gone somewhat awry, because of our rebellious and disobedient nature.
But He’s such a LOVING, generous and patient Father, that He gave us a second chance by sending Jesus to die on the old rugged cross at Calvary, so that we could be reconciled to Him. What a marvellous Deity!
That means the ball is now in our court, my people. It’s now up to us to embrace the lifeline that He’s thrown out to us through His son Jesus. Please, let’s show heavenly wisdom and grab hold of the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to us.
And now, may the Lord bless and keep us and cause His face to shine upon us as we praise and worship Him in all truth and sincerity. Much LOVE!
…as the praise and worship of Almighty God increases…so will the blessings and mercies that are showered down upon earth…
12 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a future and a hope, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, advice, all the right places, anxiety, ask and it shall be given to you, ask for help, ask god for help, believers, blessings, bread, calamity, come up over our problems, confidence, deflate like a balloon, evil, faith, faithfully, fellowship, fervent prayer, fish, frenzy, frequent prayer, fret, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Glory Halleujah, God's plan for our lives, hello there mih lovelies, hope, hot air, if any of you lack wisdom, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, Jesus, knock and it shall be opened, LOVE, nature of the human animal, no excuse for failure, not an easy task, peace, perseverance, political outlook, poor economic situation, prayer, pressure, problems, promise of Almighty God, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejuvenate ourselves, relaxation, renewed, sanctified, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, serpent, serve and worship God sincerely, spiritual success, standing steadfast and strong for Jesus, stone, strain, stress, stressful and anxious society, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, Thank God the weekend is here, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the Lord of the universe, the weekend, things of the world, thoughts of peace, troubled times, trust, truth, wisdom, without reproach, worry, zenith
James 1:5. 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.
Well hello there mih lovelies! The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived… it’s Friday!
And I hear all sorts of ‘Glory Hallelujahs; TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Don’t know what I’d do if I had to work another day nuh! Thank God the weekend is finally here and I can get some rest!’
Ah Friends, it’s certainly amusing, and somewhat instructive, how we suddenly deflate like a balloon come Friday. All the hot air, stress, strain and anxiety seem to just suddenly dwindle at the thought of a couple days off.
But I guess that’s the nature of the human animal in conjunction with the stressful and anxious society in which we now live. Confidence also seems to be at an all time low, with people worried about jobs, families and their livelihoods in general, due to the poor economic and political outlook today.
But my people please remember that as believers, we’ve been sanctified, made a people apart, where we don’t have to fret and worry because Jesus, the Lord of the universe is looking out for us. So let’s show our great faith and trust in Him by standing steadfast and strong nuh, despite the frenzy that’s surrounding us.
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with feeling, so that we’ll be enabled to come up over our problems this weekend. All together 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.’
Yeh mih breddren, in these crazy and troubled times we need to rejuvenate ourselves frequently so that we can handle the enormous pressure that is coming at us each and every day.
It’s definitely not an easy task, but as I said above, as believers, we have Jesus, the Lord of the universe leading and guiding our every step, and when problems arise we ought to have the confidence to go to him in prayer and ask for help.
As our Bit rightly and wisely tells us: ‘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.’
That’s indisputable truth, my Friends! That’s the beauty of being seriously involved with Jesus, making Him your Lord and Saviour, of surrendering your very life to Him and letting Him put in place the wonderful plan He has for your life.
Remember what He says, the promise He makes in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer.29:11)
Yes my people, our wonderful God only has wonderful thoughts and plans towards us! Why else would He shower us with new mercies and blessings everyday eh? But having said that, it is now our responsibility to live up to our promise, to serve and worship Him faithfully, so that we can acquire all that He has in store for us.
Our Bit instructs us to ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach. And that’s wonderful advice my Friends. Jesus also instructed us to do the same thing when He lived here on earth with us.
‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:7-11)
Oh mih people, mih people, how can we refute or ignore such wisdom eh? We’d be very foolish to do so! Unfortunately however, a lot of us still do that foolishness, lured by the glimmer and glamour of the things of the world. But as we keep saying my brethren, that’s a fool’s wisdom!
Now check out this info from the scholars: ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer.
Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (v.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
What more can I say eh Friends? Not a whole lot, because we have already been given everything we need to succeed in this world, we just have reach out with faith and prayer and take hold of it.
And we’ll close with this poignant promise of Almighty God, through Jeremiah, on the topic of coming to Him in sincere prayer. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:12-13)
Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that! So today, let’s take that promise of our most faithful God to heart and diligently seek Him, truly search for Him with all our hearts, so that we may be comforted, consoled, lead and guided successfully in all our endeavours. Now that’s indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…the only way to truly find God…is to keep looking for Him…in all the right places…
29 Aug 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shock of corn, afraid of destruction, allergies, anxiety, arrogance, be at peace with the beasts of the field, be in league, behold the beauty of the Lord, blessing, chant our Friday Chant, come to thy grave in a full age, desperate yearning, disagree, dwell in the house of the Lord, Eliphaz, encouraging words, everlasting joy, evil schemes, evil way, faith, famine, fear, fellowship, fight, freedom from work, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, gentle reminder, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, God's goodness, has our back, hate, have a covenant, he shall redeem thee from death, in Jesus' name, in the time of trouble, joys, loss of interest, LOVE, love and cherish each other, lustful and evil things of the world, mercy, my hiding place, no evil shall touch thee, our heavenly Father, perverse mouth, plentiful, plots, preserve me from trouble, pride, prideful, proud, put that in your pipe and smoke it, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, right path, safe keeping, schemes., scourge of the tongue, secret place, shelter, smiley face, songs of deliverance, spirit of unity, strife-filled words, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanks for getting me through another week of work, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, the Lord is my light and salvation, the stones of the field, the strife of tongues, the upcoming weekend, thy descendants shall be great, trust, walk worthily of Jesus, wisdom, worry
Psalm 31:20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots and schemes) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… the day that has morphed into one which the workers, as well as the non-workers, have come to look forward to with a desperate yearning. It’s a day we now glorify with the dubious moniker, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’
And though looking forward to Fridays, after which we get some freedom from work, isn’t in itself a bad thing, I believe that because we place such emphasis on it, we consequently end up with a loss of interest, and therefore productivity and enjoyment of the other days in the workweek.
So please, let’s cut back a little on the glorification of Friday nuh, and thus increase our joy and achievements in the more under appreciative days from Monday to Thursday. Why do you think the Lord made them all? It’s for us to enjoy them all!
And for those of you who think I’m mad, crazy, or just plain foolish and stupid for making that suggestion, I’m truly sorry for you all, because you don’t know the joys you’re missing by concentrating on the coming of Friday.
Anyway, we’re not here to fight and disagree, but to LOVE and cherish each other in Jesus’ name, so in the spirit of unity, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can see the right and proper way to picture the upcoming weekend.
Chanting… ‘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 please let that guide us on the right path for the weekend. And our Bit for today is the same as yesterday. Today though, we’ll focus more on God’s safe keeping of His people, rather than the proud and prideful aspect which we concentrated on yesterday.
But before we get to that, allow me to quote one scripture on the prideful aspect that I didn’t get in yesterday. It comes from the wisdom of Cousin Sol. ‘The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward (perverse) mouth, do I hate.’ (Prov.8:13)
Oh my people, that’s just a gentle reminder of the distaste the Lord holds for the lustful and evil things of the world. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! (smile)
Wow! Is that really the first smiley face for the day? Chuh! We have to do better than that. Please excuse the sneezing, (smile) my allergies seem to be acting up.
And now our Bit ought to bring not only a smile to our faces, but rather a deep and everlasting joy to our hearts, souls, bodies and minds! ‘Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (the secret place) from the pride (plots and schemes) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues.’
Oh my brethren, that’s what happens when we place our sincere trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! He shelters us from the plots, plans and evil schemes of wicked men, along with their strife-filled words.
What a joy and blessing it is to know that our heavenly Father has our back! That’s why Bruh David was ever adamant about it. Hear him from Psalm 27 – the Lord is my light and my salvation.
‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (delightfulness) of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle, shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock.’ (Ps.27:4-5)
And now listen to his convincing declaration in Psalm 32 – the blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah.’ (Ps.27:7)
Oh my people, a body couldn’t get any surer and more convinced of God’s goodness, mercy and safe keeping than that!
Now let’s close with some thoughtful and encouraging words on the subject from Eliphaz, as he rebukes his buddy Job. ‘Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up, he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power (hand) of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. For thou shalt be in league (have a covenant) with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle (tent) shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin (find nothing amiss).
Thou shalt know also that thy seed (descendants) shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth (many, plentiful). Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it (for yourself) for thy good.’ (Job 5:17-27)
And that says it all Friends! Know it for yourself, for your good, that whatever happens, our great and wonderful God will look after us, through both the good and bad times! You can take that to the bank like money! (smile)
Now please let’s go forth this fateful Friday morning, the last one in August 2014, the one so fittingly before the long Labour Day weekend, and walk worthily of Jesus, for that’s all He desires of us, and furthermore, it’s wisdom at its everlasting best! Much LOVE!
…when Jesus truly comes into our hearts…He drives out all fear, worry and anxiety…
P.S. It’s long and late, but sweet, provocative, heartwarming and encouraging nuh! (smile) And would you believe that just as I was about to send out the Bit, the foolish, so and so computer froze on me, and I had to waste even more time on rebooting! Oh Lord eh! The trials we have to bear to do the Lord’s work! (smile) Much LOVE!
12 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blaze of glory, all is well with my soul, almighty god, anger, anxiety, benefits of prayer, call for the church elders, Calvary's cross, Christ-like character, Christians, communicating with God, confidence, crucifixion, disservice, don't hang our heads and cry, don't lose confidence in God, Elijah, Everly Brothers, faith, faithful leader, fervent prayer, giver of all good things, God has heard my prayer, God hears and answers prayer, God loved us, God's great earth, good morning, he aven gave rain, heavenly fountain, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Jesus died on the cross for us, joyful shout, lift up our hearts and heads, LOVE, negative forces, negative thing, negativity, pass through the fire, Praise be to god, prayer, prayer of faith, put aside fear, reconciled to God, reconciliation, refined, resentment, resurrection, righteous man, sacrifice, sacrificial death, saviour, saviour jesus, sinful life, sing psalms, sinless life, sins, sub-par lives, testimony, tests, the earth brought forth fruit, the power of prayer, Tom Dooley, trials, tribulations, troubling our tender souls, trust, worry
Psalm 66:19. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Good morning, good morning! Yes Friends, we’re wishing you a good morning and a wonderful day on God’s great earth!
And although life might not be all that we want or expect, it sure beats anything else that we currently know. So let’s put aside the fear, the worry, the anxiety, the anger, resentment or whatever other negative thing is troubling our tender souls.
Remember that God is always working on, in and for us, trying to make us better people, more Christ-like in character and that includes all sorts of testing, trials, tribulations and being passed through the fire so that we can be refined and brought to the state that He’s prepared for us.
Wow! What a speech! (smile) But it’s all true. So this Saturday morning, regardless of whatever is wrong, let’s not get down on ourselves. Let’s not lose confidence in Almighty God, who LOVED us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross at Calvary, so that we could be brought back into His ever-loving fold, reconciled to Him.
That, my Friends, is the greatest gift that mankind has ever been given, and it’s set to all play out in the coming week, Holy Week, beginning with Christ’s crucifixion and ending in a blaze of glory with His resurrection!
And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of ‘Praise be to Almighty God, the giver of all good things to His chosen people!’
So let’s not hang our heads down like Tom Dooley and cry, (smile) – the old Everly Brothers song of the same name – but let’s lift up our heads and hearts proudly, with confidence, faith and trust in our faithful leader and Saviour Jesus Christ because that’s why He sacrificed His sinless life for our sinful ones. If we just give in to the negative forces and circumstances around us, then we’ll be doing Him a great disservice, making a mockery of His sacrificial death.
Right now is possibly the best time of year to be a Christian, just before Easter, when Jesus turned the whole world upside down with His wondrous doings! It’s a real confidence builder and booster! So sit up, look up, put a smile in your heart and on your face, and take pride in being a child of the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, Creator of the universe and all therein!
And in this calamitous and ungodly world, we need to get even closer to God than we currently are. That means going to Him in prayer, the most effective way of communicating with Him. And it still surprises me that many Christians don’t truly believe or understand the power of prayer! That’s why, as I said a couple of days ago, so many supposed Christians still lead sub-par lives. That’s why we have been inspired to write these messages on the positive power of prayer.
And our Bit is a wonderful example of the workings of prayer in a Christian’s life. The psalmist showed no doubt or hesitation when he declared: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’
Yes my brethren, God does hear and answer our sincere prayers! And today we’ll share one unbroken passage of scripture which encapsulates all that prayer is and does.
Listen to James enunciate on the benefits of prayer. ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful) let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, (the prayer produced by that faith will heal), and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.
Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are (with a nature like ours), and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth (land) by the space of (for) three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’ (James 5:13-18)
What a testimony for prayer my people! And I’ll add my own small testimony here. Before I began writing the Bit, I was feeling lousy both emotionally and physically, and knew I couldn’t write the Bit in that condition, so I read some uplifting stuff and floated some prayers up to heaven asking for strength and guidance to write a good Bit.
And Friends, though I expected a positive response, I was truly surprised when I began writing and everything just flowed like water from a fountain – a heavenly fountain that is. I didn’t even need to do a rough draft, as I do most of the time.
Now that couldn’t have been just my natural powers. And though I’m still feeling the effects of the cold, Friends, I’m here, and very happy to tell you, that all is now well with my soul! (smile) Please believe in prayer, for it does work wonders in a believer’s life! Much LOVE!
…to pray…to pray…and yet to pray…that is the only way…
05 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, anxious, behaviour, bread, bread of life, bright and bouncy, clothes, come to faith, Creator, daily appearence, daily bread, daily needs, daily provision, dangerous tendency, deceitful, deprive oneself, distracted, distrust God, don't worry, drink, eat, excessive manner, exuberant, faith, faithfully doing God's will, few possessions, food, frail and fallible man, friends, gracious, heavenly Father, indispensable, inner mental stability, insecurity, Israelites, joy of the lord, lack, little faith, look a gift horse in the mouth, look God-ward, loving, low in spirit, Lucifer, manna, material possessions, material things, not worthy of god, Old Testament, Praise the Lord, promises, purpose, raiment, serve one master, spiritual blessings, strength, the Lord's prayer, true bread from heaven, undeniable truth, wear, worry
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s feeling a bit down this morning, and I can’t figure out why. There’s no good reason for it, cause I had a good sleep, so I’m feeling fresh, and I even did some other stuff that I’ve been putting off. But now that I’ve come to write the Bit, the spirit isn’t as bright and bouncy as it should be.
But don’t worry, for as I write, it’s getting there, I’m a-chuckling now, and by the time I find something to write about, the joy of the Lord, my strength, would surely have kicked that deceitful Lucifer out of my mind.
So let’s see what our wonderful God wants us to hear about His Word, this supposed fall morning, one which the forecasters claim will reach a high around 15 celsius in my area.
Mama Mia! That’s spring, not fall! But we’ll take it, remembering not to look a gift horse in the mouth. (smile) Anyway, soon come, going to find a Bit.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella’s back, some fifteen minutes later, exuberant, filled with joy and purpose! Praise the Lord! For it would seem that He wants us to continue looking at His gracious and LOVING promises. And today, in particular, the one where He’s promised to meet our daily needs.
That’s where Jesus, after talking about only being able to serve one master at a time (Matt.6:24) He declares in our Bit. ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’
And that’s the undeniable truth my brethren!
Now listen to the scholars’ take on that. ‘6:25. Jesus now deals with the equally dangerous tendency of those who have few possessions: worry. Take no thought (Gr. me merimnao) means “Do not be anxious.” This word means to be so disturbed about material needs that we distrust God and are distracted from faithfully doing His will. Anxious care is the direct opposite of faith.
Therefore, even the poor are not to worry needlessly about what they should eat, drink, or wear. The question Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment? indicates that inner mental stability must come from the spirit of a man and not from outward physical provisions. To set one’s heart on material possessions, or to worry about the lack of them is to live in perpetual insecurity and deprive oneself of the spiritual blessings of God.’
Amen, mih breddren! They just told us in no uncertain terms. Now no one’s saying not be concerned or pay attention to our daily wants and needs, but the excessive manner in which some of us believers go about it is not worthy of our God and His promises.
And it will do us well to remember how our great God provided meat and manna for the Israelites for the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. (Ex.16:12-21) So why shouldn’t He be able to do the same for us eh?
And the scholars’ have an interesting note on manna that I’ll share. ’16:15. The manna literally means “What is it?” Not only was it remarkable for its size, shape, colour taste, and variety of uses (16:14, 23, 31; Num.11:7-8), but especially for its daily appearance at dawn, its tremendous abundance, its strange capacity for breeding worms at the end of each day, except the sixth, and its sudden and permanent disappearance as soon as the Israelites entered Canaan (Josh. 5:12).
It taught the people to look Godward for their daily bread, and it pointed toward the One who claimed to be the true bread from heaven, “even the bread of life” (John 6:32, 35).’
Oh my fellow believers, how I wish that there was some sure way to get us to look God-ward for our daily needs rather than towards frail and fallible man, as we so foolishly insist on doing!
We saw how the Lord provided the Israelites with more than enough food, but remember too that neither their clothes nor shoes ever wore out during their 40 year wandering in the wilderness. So meeting our daily needs is definitely not impossible for our omnipotent God!
As He asked Abraham so long ago, after promising to give him a son in his old age and Abraham and Sarah were somewhat sceptical. ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ (Ex.18:14)
No my people. NOTHING is too hard for our Creator and heavenly Father!
And the sad part is that we think it and talk it all the time, but obviously we don’t believe it deep down in our hearts, otherwise we still wouldn’t be worrying about what we’ll eat, drink and wear, every day of our lives. And to make matters even worse, most of us spout it every day, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus taught us. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ (Matt.6:11)
And as the scholars rightly note: ‘6:11. The section of petitions begins with the request to give us this day our daily bread. Bread (Gr. artos) may be applied to the provision of food in general. The term daily (Gr. epiousios) denotes “indispensable.”
The concept of daily provision of bread fits perfectly with the Old Testament example of the daily provision of manna to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness (Ex.16:14-15).’
Ah mih people, if the Deity we supposedly serve and worship could feed roughly 2 million people and tons of animals in the wilderness for numerous years, and not make their clothes wear out either, why can’t we believe that He’ll do the same for us eh?
And we also claim that He doesn’t change; the same today, yesterday and forever. So what’s the problem eh? It must lie with us. And as Sherlock Holmes would say to his sidekick: ‘Elementary my Dear Watson!’
My Friends, our reluctant behaviour just shows that our faith in Almighty God is simply not strong enough. That means we have to do something about it, improve it somehow or other, if we ever hope to truly come to faith in our Creator.
Let’s get to work on that right away nuh, preferably today, RIGHT NOW! Much LOVE!
…O ye of little faith…
23 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonition, almighty god, anxious, barren woman, best advice, blessed be the Lord's name, blessings, Daniel, darkness, deep and secret things, dilemma, dreams and visions, faith, fearful, forgiving, friends, God's mercies, going down of the moon, greatly to be praised, greatness of the Lord, help, his glory above the heavens, hope, house of god, humbles himself, in a rut, Israel, Jacob, Jesus, kicking a dead horse, knowledge, lead, light, LOVE, mental juices not flowing, merciful, might, mother of children, mysterious ways, Nebuchadnezzar's dream, needy, omnipotent, poor, portent, praise, praise His name, Praise the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, prayer, princes, promises of Abraham, righteousness., rising of the moon, rough times, seasons, seek something new, Sermon on the Mount, servants of god, servants of the lord, sing Hallelujah, struggles, sufficient, surrender, sustain in times of need, take it to heart, thanks, the kingdom of God, The Lord is good, The Lord's high above all nations, The Lord's name is great, the Lord's never let me down, the rising of the sun, things in heaven and earth, things of God, things of the world, times, to the going down of the sun, trouble, trust, truth, turn to God, understanding, vanity of idols, wisdom, wise, worry
Psalm 113:1. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s been in a rut for the past forty five minutes or so, looking for a Bit that he could get his mind around. Brother! I sure have been spoiled these last few days dealing with the promises of father Abraham, since I didn’t have to seek out something new to write on everyday.
Oh, I knew what I wanted to write about, but unfortunately the mental juices just weren’t flowing in that direction. And you know how sometimes we refuse to let an idea go, although it’s just not working for us. What is the saying, something like kicking a dead horse? Well that was my dilemma.
Possibly the Lord didn’t want me to write on that topic today. Who knows eh, with Him and His mysterious ways? However, I always had hope. My faith might not be as great as Abraham’s, but it’s strong enough to sustain me in times of need. Furthermore, the Lord’s never let me down before in all my struggles, so why should He now eh? I always knew that He would eventually lead me to something that pleased Him.
And that’s exactly what we have here from Psalm 113; God’s mercies are many. And indeed they are my people! So let’s get into our Bit, and do just as it says: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.’
Yes my brethren, the Lord’s name is indeed great and greatly to be praised! And as the psalmist continues: ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.’ (Ps.113:2-3)
And for those of you who work nights and sleep days and don’t see the sun, we can change that to: ‘from the rising of the moon to the going down of the same.’ (smile) But whatever time you are awake, the Lord’s name ought to be praised my brethren. And why is that you ask? Simple; because He’s great!
‘The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!’ (Ps.113:4-6)
And Friends, we all know the answer to both those questions is a plain and simple NOBODY!
And we ought also to praise Almighty God because He sincerely cares for the poor and needy. ‘He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill (the ash heap); That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh (causes) the barren (childless) woman to keep house (dwell in a home), and to be the mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.113:7-9)
Ah mih people, those are certainly most excellent reasons to praise our omnipotent, forgiving and merciful God! And if you want some more reasons, then listen to Daniel after the Lord revealed the secret of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him.
‘Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge unto them that know (have) understanding:
He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.’ (Dan.2:20-23)
Oh Friends, how many more reasons do we need for praising our great God eh? He’s mighty and wise; controls the times and the seasons; raises up and removes kings; gives wisdom and knowledge to those who seek and deserve them. He also reveals to mankind, like He did with Daniel, the portent of dreams and visions, of secret things, and knows what the darkness contains, like our plentiful, deep, dark deeds. (smile)
So what more can we ask eh? The Lord God Jehovah is Lord and God over all! Therefore He deserves constant and unending praise, but that’s something, we the Lord’s supposed followers are sadly lacking in at this current time. Oh I know that the world’s in a sorry state, and our lives lack the certainty they had just a few years ago, which makes us somewhat fearful and anxious.
But my fellow believers that’s no reason for us to be more taken up with the things of the world – food, clothes, houses, jobs – than with the things of God, and thus cut down on our prayer and praise. Instead, it’s in the rough times that we most need to turn to God, cozy up to Him, not turn away, because He’s the ONE from whom all our help, all our blessings come.
And please remember Jesus’ admonition from the Sermon on the Mount: ‘(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:32-34)
Oh Friends, please, please, let’s take all of that to heart! It’s the best advice we can ever get. And to show our hope, trust, faith and surrender to Almighty God, let’s close with some appropriate praise from Psalm 135; The greatness of the Lord and the vanity of idols.
‘Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his particular (special) treasure. For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.’ (Ps.135:1-5)
And that, my fellow believers, is divine, gospel, undeniable, indisputable and any other truth there is! (smile) Much LOVE!
…Praise Him, praise Him…Glory Hallelujah…He is LOVE…He is LOVE…
03 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a snowflake in hell, anxiety, anxiety and worry, awesome truth, compelling, dark and dismal, darkness, experiences to boggle your imagination, fear, foreboding, frightful, God is a good god, God's faithfulness, I am a child, I cannot speak, important decisions, insufficient knowledge, jean paul richter, light, negative emotions, negative response, one of those days, overwhelmed, perceived problems, perseverance, rain, reassurance, sanctified, send me, sorrows, struggle, sunshine, that's life, throes of indecision, thunderclouds, tools, under the influence, uneducated argument, wisdom, worry
Jeremiah 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Oh Friends, today was one of those days when I had a hard time finding a Bit. I don’t know why, because all my senses were attuned and I felt physically fine. But I guess that’s life! We can’t always have it easy, otherwise we surely won’t appreciate it. A struggle seems necessary before we can enjoy any good times.
As they say, you can’t enjoy the sunshine until you’ve experienced the rain, neither light until you experience darkness, and we can continue with all the other positives, that we can’t truly appreciate until we go through the negatives.
Anyway, here’s an interesting quote from the German writer, Jean Paul Richter (1763-1825), which tells us that ‘Sorrows are like thunderclouds – in the distance they look black; over our heads scarcely gray.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? Like the thunderclouds that look dark, dismal and foreboding when they’re off in the distance, so too are many of our perceived problems. They seem frightful and compelling when they first appear, but usually when we truly get to dealing with them, we discover that they’re usually never as bad and fearful as they looked at the beginning.
That’s not to say that some of them can’t be truly loathsome and frightening, but generally most of our problems end up being not as bad as they first seem. That means we’re not to get frightened and overwhelmed when problems first appear.
We need to scrutinize them properly before doing anything, because if we get all anxious and worked up without knowing what they are really all about, then that anxiety and worry will most certainly prevent us from handling them properly.
Fear and other negative emotions detract from our ability to handle problems as well as life in general. That’s why we should try not to make any important decisions when we’re fearful, angry, or under the influence of any negative emotions.
Oh Friends, our God is really a good God yes! For up to just now, before that last sentence, I still didn’t have a Bit, but while thumbing through the Good Book, it opened at the beginning of Jeremiah, and these words called to me: ‘Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.’
And I had to laugh, because it reminded me of when the Lord put forward the Idea of the Bit to me, I gave a similar excuse. I chuckled and said I couldn’t do it because of my insufficient knowledge of His Word. But as we know, the Lord persisted and some seven years later, though I’m still not an expert on His Word, I’m much further ahead than I use to be.
Please note the Lord’s words to Jeremiah which brought forward his negative response. ‘Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee (set thee apart), and I ordained (appointed) thee a prophet unto the nations.’ (Jer.1:5)
Yuh see that Friends, Jerry’s call had been planned long before His birth! Like wise, the Lord has plans for all of us before we’re even conceived, and trying to wiggle out of them is usually futile and hopeless.
Now hear how the Lord handled Jerry’s reluctance. ‘But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.’ (Jer.1:7)
The Lord was having none of Jerry’s fear and anxiety. And to assuage his fear, He reassures him. ‘Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.1:8)
That’s the greatness and faithfulness of our God my people! He doesn’t just send us to do a job without any reassurance; He’s constantly with us, He has our back all the time.
‘Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down (tear down), and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.’ (Jer.1:9-10)
Please note too that He gave Jerry the tools, the words, to do the job He was sending him to do. That’s another great aspect of our God. He’ll never send us to do a job without giving us the necessary tools to do it. I can personally attest to that.
So if you happen to find yourself in such a situation today, where the Lord is calling you to do something, which in the natural you don’t seem qualified or able to do, don’t worry, just step up boldly to the plate. Do like Isaiah did, when the Lord asked: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.’ (Is.6:8)
Ah Friends, I’ll let you into a little secret; if the Lord truly wants to conscript you into His army, then like a snowflake in hell, you don’t stand a chance of getting away! He will get you one way or another. I can personally attest to that too, because I kept putting forth my uneducated argument, but He kept persevering.
Hn! And yuh see who finally won! Well I won too, because it changed my whole life, brought me much closer to Him.
And the Lord has a plan for each and every one of His children, whether He’s made it clear to us or not. So whether we’re in the throes of indecision now, or haven’t clearly heard His plan for us, please bear in mind that working for Him is the most interesting job in the universe.
It’s not always going to be wine, roses and song, but along the way, you’ll experience some experiences, large, small and in-between, that will boggle your imagination and make you truly believe. That again I can attest to from personal experience.
So please answer God’s call today, or whenever He calls, with a bold and confident, ‘Yes Lord, I will go. Send me.’ That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…when the Lord says jump…our immediate response should be…how high Lord…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I was doing some other stuff on the computer that took me longer than I expected. But as usual, better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
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