10 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, a prayer for cleansing, a right spirit, adultery, Alzheimer's, ascend up into heaven, awareness of God, Bathsheba, blessings, boomer generation, church, depart in peace, discernment, encouragement, eternally in God's presence, faith, fellowship, flee from thy presence, foolish, for our good, friends, Glen Campbell, God's directive, gospel truth, hardhearted, hellfire and brimstone, hide thy face from my sins, holy spirit, I will give thee rest, if I take the wings of the morning, iniquities, joy, like pulling teeth, LOVE, make me to hear joy and gladness, make my bed in hell, mercy, murder, my presence shall go with thee, night shineth as day, northern climes, obediently doing God's will, old-fashioned worship, other believers, praise, protective blanket, purge me with hyssop, rejoice, revitalization, Robert H Sculler, salvation, sanctuary, sinners converted, strong and steadfast, stubborn, thank you heavenly Father, the Lord's Day, the uttermost parts of the sea, thy hand lead me, thy right hand hold me, to face tomorrow, transgressors, Uriah, wash me, we can't run from God, whiter than snow, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom, worship, youth
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Awright my fellow believers, it’s the first day of the week; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, that means we need to be making our way to church at some stage of the day, to praise and worship and rejoice and fellowship with other believers. Now that’s not my directive, but our God’s. (Ex.20:8-11)
So if we want to be truly obedient then we will gladly do His will and don’t behave like it’s pulling teeth, like we’re being forced to go, and if we don’t, hellfire and brimstone might fall down on us. Now it just might… (smile)
But please remember friends, this is for our good, not for God’s. He already has all He wants, and whether we praise and worship Him or not, will not change His situation, but it will surely change ours.
So let’s stop being, stubborn, hardhearted and foolish and get ourselves to the Lord’s sanctuary, so that we can receive His blessings, mercy, encouragement, LOVE and revitalization to face tomorrow and the rest of the week strong and steadfast.
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! All power and glory be unto Him!’
Ah mih people, what’s happening to our faith today eh? There seems to be more churches of different denominations, or no denomination, than ever before, but overall the total number of worshippers doesn’t seem to be increasing that much. What seems to be happening is that believers are leaving one church for another, so while some churches are packed to capacity, others are almost empty, especially of the youth of our society.
It also seems that the youth of today can’t handle the staid, dirge-like, old fashioned worship of the established churches, and when they do go to church are opting for the more modern, new-fangled style of worship. Now that is something the established churches will have to figure out if they intend to survive this boomer generation. They’ll definitely have to invoke God’s wisdom and discernment to fix that problem.
But enough preamble, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
Oh friends, whenever we sincerely seek the Lord and diligently try to be obedient to His will, His presence surrounds us like a warm, protective blanket in the heart of winter. Hn! Many of us could use one of those blankets right about now, as the cold weather refuses to depart in peace from the northern climes. (smile)
Now let’s turn to some scripture to corroborate the words of our Bit. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 51 – A prayer for cleansing – after Nathan the prophet had draped him up for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.
He cries out to God for mercy and cleansing, admitting his sin: ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (Ps.51:7-13)
Oh precious people, can you imagine the state Bruh David must have been in when he realized that God had marked his selfish and foolish abominations, after He had been so good and generous to him. Note his words in verse 11: ‘Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.’ He knew how essential it was to be in God’s presence, with His Holy Spirit leading him. Without those two things, he might as well be dead.
And on a more current and sadder note, I recently read in the newspapers about Glen Campbell’s losing fight with Alzheimer’s disease. We all remember him from his hit making days, with songs like ‘Rhinestone Cowboy, By the time I get to Phoenix,’ and my personal favourite ‘Gentle on my mind.’
Now, at age 79, he’s living in a memory care community in Nashville, apparently not even able to play the guitar anymore. How sad. But his wife Kim had this to say: ‘Faith has always been the central part of our relationship. I’m so pleased that as Glen has entered the later stages of this illness, it’s evident that he has retained his awareness of God.
There have been times when he’d walk over to the window and look at the beautiful trees outside, and he’d just raise his hands and say, “Thank you, heavenly father.” He could barely speak at all, but he could come up with “We’re so blessed,” or “Thank you heavenly father.”
That really comforts me to know that he has that sense of God’s presence in his life, that he’s not alone, even if I’m not right next to him.’
And all God’s people said, ‘Amen.’
Let’s hope and pray friends, that any of us who head down that sad and lonely road, will also feel the comforting presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, even though we can’t put it into words.
Now let’s end with these immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God. And every time I read the words or hear it spoken, I remember the most memorable reading of it I’ve ever heard, that by Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) one day from the Crystal Cathedral. The way he acted it out, it got stuck in my mind forever.
Listen to these most appropriate words. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall cover (fall on, hide) me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps.139:7-12)
And all of that is gospel truth friends! We can’t run nor hide from God, even if we are foolish enough to try. So please, today, let’s go about obediently doing His will nuh, for it’s in our best interest to do so. Much LOVE!
…to be eternally in God’s awesome presence…is why we were created…
09 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A journey of love, a man after God's heart, a man of God, a second cahnce, an integral part of our lives, anger, basking in the Father's presence, be of good courage, blessed be the Lord, Christian's desire, climate change, cold, compromise, courage, disobedience, doubt, fear, hate, he shall strengthen your heart, how great is thy goodness, I will give thee rest, Jonah, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Moses, my presence shall go with thee, negativity, Nineveh, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pray, prayer, prophet, provider, rainy, repenting, reproach, responsibilities, rewards the proud doer, Saint of the Little Flower, secret of thy presence, seek God's face, shame, snowy, spring, St. Therese, strife, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator, the First and the Last, the irony of it all, the Lord preserves the faithful, the Lord's presence, trials, tribulations, troubled times, trust, vocation, walk in your steps, wet, winter, wisdom
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And then it was Saturday, and the next couple days in my area are supposed to be cold and snowy and wet and rainy. Steups! Whatever happened to that thing called spring eh? In winter we didn’t get any snow, and now in what’s supposed to be spring, it’s too often cold and snowy! Chuh! And yet they insist that climate change is not real.
But anyway, whether it is real or not, we believers in Jesus Christ don’t have to let it worry us. Oh yes, the weather will become irascible like many of us, (smile) but we can’t afford to allow that to dictate our lives, that ought to be done by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
So to help us handle all the unwanted stuff we have to handle, let’s pray this prayer taken from a Devotional titled ‘A Journey of LOVE. Walking with St. Therese of Liseux’ – The Saint of the Little Flower. I’ve shared it before, but in these troubled times, times of hate and anger and doubt and all the negative stuff that’s predominant in our world, we need something to counteract that negativity.
And the only thing able to do that is LOVE, and we have been assigned the vocation of LOVE. So let’s pray for help in our vocation. Please pray with me: ‘Jesus, I desire above all else to centre my life in you. Only you can give me the courage to face up to my responsibilities, to be compassionate and forgiving, to let go of what is not important and to embrace what is important.
I am called to accept and to cherish your LOVE for me and to allow your LOVE to go out from me to all your people, Help me to walk in your steps without compromise and to be open to your presence in all of the people I meet. I make my prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.’
Yes friends, the irony of it all is that we cannot do God’s work without God’s help! And the most effective way to receive that help is through prayer. The Lord has promised that when we diligently and sincerely seek Him, He will be found by us. That’s why prayer is so important in a believer’s life.
That’s also why Bruh Paul told the Ephesians to pray ALWAYS; (Eph.6:18) the Thessalonians to pray WITHOUT CEASING; (1 Thess.5:17) and his young protégé Timothy to pray EVERYWHERE. (1 Tim:2:8) So to all intents and purposes, prayer MUST BE an integral part of a believer’s life, because in doing so we will always be in the presence of God, which is ever so important for our earthly journey.
Moses, one of God’s greatest prophets was adamant about not continuing the journey through the wilderness if the Lord’s presence was not going to be with him. That is even after God promised in our Bit: ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
Ah mih people, without God’s wonderful presence in our lives, innumerable trials and tribulations will come our way, from which we’ll have little or no leeway to escape. However, when we are basking in the Father’s presence, we are assured of His help to get through the difficulties, though not necessarily complete escape.
That’s because He has promised to work everything out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom.8:28) And if there’s one thing we can rest comfortably on, is that our ever-faithful God NEVER reneges on His promises.
Now let’s look at some scripture that exalts the glory and wisdom of being in God’s presence. And we can’t talk about that without including words from Bruh David’s heartfelt declarations. This comes from Psalm 31 – In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.
‘Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence (secret place) from the pride (plots) of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion (shelter) from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. O LOVE the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart.’ (Ps.31:19-24)
And we can’t argue with Bruh David because in spite of his mistakes, he was still considered a man after God’s own heart, so intense was His longing for Him.
Meanwhile, in Jeremiah, when the Lord is dealing with the false prophets, He promises: ‘Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence. And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’(Jer.23:39-40)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of thing that happens when we are cast out of God’s presence. Please pray that it never happens to us. And we’ll end with this great example from the prophet Jonah.
The Lord had said to Jonah: ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry (out) against it: for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.’ (Jon.1:2-3)
Now how foolish was that eh my brethren? As a prophet, a man of God, Jonah should have known better than that. And we all know the story of the terrible storm that arose, due to Jonah’s disobedience, and how he was thrown overboard and spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish, before coming to his senses and repenting. And the Lord in His great mercy and LOVING-kindness forgave him and gave him a second chance.
Oh my fellow believers, fleeing from the Lord is not easy if He doesn’t want us to flee. But why should we want to flee from Him anyhow eh, when He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Creator and Provider of all? That’s certainly not wisdom. So please, let’s be wise today and seek the Lord’s presence rather than try to flee from it. Much LOVE!
…the Christian’s desire ought to be…to continually seek God’s face…and to continually bask in His presence…
08 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amazing grace, angry with God, another week of work, at my right hand, baubles and bangles, blessing, Bruh David, calm, Christians, cling to Jesus, corruption, exhilaration, extremes, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fullness of joy, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, god moves in mysterious ways, gunman, hope, I shall not be moved, I will give thee rest, in the presence of God, Jesus Christ, joy, leave my soul in hell, licentiousness, LOVE, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, my presence shall go with thee, needin God, not afraid of death, our redeemer, partying, pleasures, praise, preservation, promises, PTSD, relaxation, rest, rest in hope, sanctity of life, set the Lord before me, stand strong, stood stock still, surrogate sister, testimony, Thank God it's Friday, the Creator of the universe, the Lord will see you through, the path of life, thine Holy One, threatened, travelled down that path, wisdom, worship
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
‘Friday, Friday, Fridayyy! Thank God it’s Friday! That means the weekend is here and we going to party down the place! No more slaving in unsanitary conditions for a measly wage. It’s Friday! Thank God for that yes!’
Yeh friends, that’s the general cry I hear as I come out this Friday morning. And truthfully, you can’t blame people if they feel that exhilaration at the prospect of two days off from the conditions under which some of them labour.
But going to the other extreme, excessive partying and licentiousness, is not the answer either. In many cases, the other extreme is just as bad as the first. What we need is to have a balanced attitude towards life, and I believe that our Friday Chant provides that, so let’s chant it nuh, with sincerity and courage.
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.’
Yes my brethren, we need the full treatment; rest, relaxation, fun, praise and worship, if we are going to back out the next week and work diligently for Jesus again.
And we’ve got plenty to say this morning – when don’t we eh – (smile) so let’s get to our Bit right away. ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
That’s a sincere promise from our heavenly Father, and we know that He NEVER breaks His promises.
Now listen to this story. I opened up my computer late last night and received this sad information from one of my surrogate sisters in Jamaica. Apparently a gunman recently accosted her one midday as she came home from the supermarket, put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her.
To make matters worse, it was on the anniversary of her mother’s death and she had put on a set of bangles belonging to her mother.
Surprisingly, she says, she stood stock-still and did not move. She also discovered that she was not afraid of death, and she remained calm, while telling the Lord that her children were not yet ready to do without her.
The gunman in the meanwhile burst off a chain from around her neck, took her bangles and rings, and after threatening to kill her simply left. Now they claim that she’s suffering from PTSD, but she’s claiming that the Lord will see her through…and He will. Glory to God!
Only thing is that at first she was somewhat angry with God, but is now realizing that her life was the most important thing – of course it was! The few baubles and bangles that the gunman stole can never compare to the sanctity and preservation of her life.
She also considered that her mother might have been protecting her through her bangles, and last Sunday, at church she got up and sang her mother’s favourite song, which included a verse of ‘Amazing Grace.’ What a powerful testimony friends!
And would you believe that she was not going to tell me about her shocking, near death experience. But as I keep saying, our God moves in mysterious ways, and I believe, yesterday, when I wrote about the importance of being in His presence, it worked on her heart and she decided to tell me.
Thanks for sharing Sis, but you can’t keep those kinds of things from the ole fella. You know if something untoward happens to any of you, it will affect him greatly.
But my people, you see what can happen when you seriously and sincerely stand strong with Almighty God. He will stand strong and steadfast with you too in your time of need. You’ll note how she was calm and not afraid. That’s because the Lord’s presence was surrounding her.
Her faith made her strong, and wise too by not fighting or struggling with the gunman. He was possibly more afraid than she was.
But friends, it all points out to us the absolute necessity of continually being in God’s presence, of walking and talking with Him, for we never know when some action like that above will occur and have us desperately needing Him.
But look at what life has come to eh! Even in your own home, in the middle of the day, yuh not safe! Ah Lord eh! And the sad part is that it’s not getting any better, but worse. It’s a good thing that we Christians have the Creator of the universe looking out for us yes!
And we’ll end with these wonderful words of testimony from Bruh David as he seeks preservation and blessing in Psalm 16, from the wonderful God of his fathers. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’(Ps.16:8-11)
Yes my brethren, we can also sing the same song because our Redeemer, Jesus Christ has travelled down that same path and paved the way for us. Let’s wisely cling to Him and His ways nuh, for that’s wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…oh what unspeakable joy there is in the Saviour’s presence…
07 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed life, a true believer, Abel, abundance, Amazing grace, believe in your dreams, Cain, care, circumstances, compassion, crapaud smoke we pipe, despairing thoughts, destined to do well, Dr. Robert H. Schuler, exile, faith, family, fear, forgiveness, found grace in your sight, fugitive, glory hallelujah, God's beloved children, grace, have faith in your faith, have the world by its tail, hopes, humanity, hurts, I know thee by name, I will give thee rest, ice on summer seas, kindness, LOVE, mercy, Moses, Most High God Jehovah, my presence shall go with thee, our earthly condition, our eyes of faith, peace of mind, peaceful, placid, praise Your Holy Name, problems, punishment, Scrip-Bit, set a mark, terroe, the dawning of day, the face of the earth, the flash of lightning, the heavenly realm, the land of Nod, the morning dew, the noonday sun, the presence of God, the Promised Land, the troubled heart, trust, truth, vagabond, wisdom
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Well hello there my beautiful Scrip-Bit family! How you all doing this wet and windy morning in the first week of April eh? I do hope that you all are doing fine, despite the problems that are hovering over you, for we are the beloved children of the Most High God Jehovah and are destined to do well, regardless of our circumstances. Glory Hallelujah!
Yes friends, as God’s intimate family we have been promised a blessed life, filled with our heavenly Father’s grace, mercy, truth, care, compassion, forgiveness and abundance. So please let’s not allow our circumstances to rule us, let’s rise above them instead and live in the heavenly realm, through our eyes of faith, not worrying about our earthly condition.
And here is some encouragement and advice from Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) for when we are traversing the fearful valley of the shadow of death, taken from his Hours of Power Devotional.
He says: ‘Peace of mind comes to the person who feels the presence of God…. Nothing can stop the man who feels the presence of God in his life. Terror is like morning dew in a noonday sun. Fear is ice on summer seas. The tense, trembling, troubled heart becomes as placid and peaceful as water in an inland lake moments before the dawning of day….
Don’t trust the clouds – trust the sunshine. Don’t set your compass by the flash of lightning – set it by the stars. Trust the sun – don’t trust the shadows. Believe in your dreams – don’t believe in your despairing thoughts. Have faith in your faith – and doubt in your doubts. Trust in your hopes – never trust in your hurts.’
Ah mih breddren, what wonderful words of advice and encouragement! And I particularly like the positive aspect of the last few lines: ‘Believe in your dreams… have faith in your faith… trust in your hopes…’
Oh friends, when we sincerely and diligently do those three things, we have nothing to worry about, for we will then have the world by its tail, with the presence of God richly dwelling in us. Nothing can be more beautiful and peaceful than God’s presence in all our doings!
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Father for Your wonderful and peaceful presence in our lives! We couldn’t face this evil world positively without Your amazing grace! We LOVE You and praise Your Holy Name! Amen!’
And today friends, we’re going to look at two instances of how God’s presence with us is ever so important. And we’ll begin with the passage from Exodus that includes our Bit, when Moses prays for God’s presence.
‘And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou will send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.’ (Ex.33:12-17)
Ah friends, Moses recognized the importance of God’s presence with them, if they were ever to traverse the wilderness safely then enter the Promised Land and successfully conquer it. And God recognized the validity of Moses’ argument and agreed to do as he asked.
Note that Moses even told the Lord that if He wasn’t going to go with them, then He shouldn’t bother to send them up. Such was the importance of God’s presence. And so it is in all our lives my fellow brethren in Christ. If the Lord’s presence isn’t with us, then we’re in for an even rougher time than normal.
And even before Moses, we have another example of how God’s presence, is, was, and will always be important to us. Listen to what happened to Cain after he killed his brother Abel. The Lord cursed Cain for his evil deed.
‘When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod (lit. Wandering), on the east of Eden.’ (Gen.4:12-16)
Ah mih people, yuh see what happens to us when we are shut out of the Lord’s presence? Nothing good comes of that friends. But even in his exile, the Lord showed grace and kindness to Cain, by setting a mark on him, that people wouldn’t kill him.
And the scholars add this explanation. ‘4:16. This portrays the direction of fallen and unsaved humanity into exile from God, without hope in the world, “wandering aimlessly” about.’
Now that, my fellow believers in Christ, we cannot afford to let happen to us, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe! So let’s continually keep seeking the Lord’s presence in our lives nuh, for that is a mark of eternal and everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…to be in God’s presence continually…is the mark of a true believer…
06 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cup of water, a millstone were hanged about his neck, absolutely nothing, assurance, At the cross, beloved, cast into the sea, Christian friends, diligence, diligent, faith, followers, foolish thinking, from pillar to post, glory, Glory be, God is not unrighteous, God's concern, hope, I am halfway home, I bow my knee, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, imitators, in my name, inasmuch as ye have done it, inherit the promises, labour of LOVE, LOVE, ministered to the saints, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no greater love, O Lord you've searched me, our usual allotment, overcome the grave, passionately, patience, pick sense from nonsense, pickup the baton, pride, render sincere service, reward, run a race, running away from Jesus, sacrifice of praise, salvation, slothful, snow, spring, steadfast, the breath of life, the king shall answer, the loving care and compassion of God, the loving fold of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, under the weather, unto one of the least of these, verily I say unto you, Wednesday Wail, what can separate me now, wisdom, words of encouragement, ye belong to Christ, ye have done it unto me, you know my way, you shield my way, your blood was shed for me
Matthew 25:40. And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Aye mih people, the ole fella’s a tad under the weather this morning, having run around from pillar to post yesterday trying to accomplish some errands, then a meeting in the church in the evening just set back all my other stuff and made it a rather late night, or rather early morning. (smile) I’ve got to learn that I’m not as young and strong as I used to be.
Hn! But talking about under the weather, that veritable element is being rather disgusting this April morning. When I went to bed, sometime after three, it was dry and beautiful outside. But when I get up at nine, it’s white as snow and that foolish stuff is pelting down like rain!
Steups! What’s with that eh? That’s the second time in as many days. Chuh! I thought now was supposed to be spring. However, it seems that because we didn’t get our usual allotment during the winter months, we’re getting it during the springtime.
But yuh know what friends? All that stuff is immaterial when placed beside the LOVING care and compassion of our wonderful God! Glory Be!
So to honour Him and get ourselves ready to hear his Word, let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise and worship by singing two verses of the old and glorious hymn, ‘At the Cross.’
Please sing with me. ‘Oh Lord You’ve searched me You know my way Even when I fail You I know You LOVE me Your holy presence Surrounding me In every season I know You LOVE me I know You LOVE me At the cross I bow my knee Where Your blood was shed for me There’s no greater LOVE than this
You have overcome the grave Your glory fills the highest place What can separate me now You go before me You shield my way Your hand upholds me I know You LOVE me At the cross I bow my knee Where Your blood was shed for me There’s no greater LOVE than this You have overcome the grave Your glory fills the highest place What can separate me now?’
And the answer to that poignant question my precious believers in Christ is as always: ‘ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!’
Yes my brethren, once we’re ensconced in the LOVING fold of God, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING can ever take us out or steal us away! That’s just the way it is!
And since today is Wednesday, let’s do some wailing nuh. (smile) As one wailer now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah friends, I might be a tad under the weather, and the weather outside might be unkind, but I’m ever so glad to be alive this Wednesday morning, basking in the LOVE of my Saviour Jesus, holding steady to my furrow and looking forward to an even more wonderful future with my friend and brother.
Oh glory to God! Nothing can be better than that my fellow believers! So please let’s grasp the eternal and everlasting lifeline that Jesus has thrown out to us, and hold on tightly to all that He has to offer!
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’
Yes my fellow Christians, we need to render sincere service to the poor and needy as our Lord and Saviour did.
I like how Mark puts it in his gospel. ‘For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend (cause to stumble) one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.’ (Mark 9:41-42)
Oh my people, yuh see what can, and will happen to us if we, through excessive pride and foolish thinking, refuse to serve our fellow man!
Our God is not only concerned with the big things that impinge, that impact our lives, but also on the small and everyday matters that we have to deal with. In fact He’s concerned about EVERYTHING that concerns us. That’s just the kind of God He is.
But we need to let Him into our lives before He can help us. And that’s the number ONE problem today! Too many people are running away from Jesus rather than into His ever-LOVING arms. That’s just not right or wise my brethren. But I digress.
So let’s end with these wonderful words of encouragement from Bruh Paul in Hebrews. ‘But beloved, we are persuaded (confident of) better things of (concerning) you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of LOVE, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful (sluggish, lazy), but followers (imitators) of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.’ (Heb.6:9-12)
And that my friends is my sincere wish and prayer for all of us today. Please, please, let’s passionately pick up the baton and run a good, steadfast and diligent race with it nuh. For that’s the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…one can’t win a race and get a reward…unless one runs in it…with diligence, steadfastness, and a strong sense of purpose…
P.S. It’s late and long, and I do hope it makes sense. But in any case, I know that my wise, wonderful and faithful Christian friends can pick sense from nonsense. (smile) Much LOVE!
05 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Prophet, a righteous man, a servant, brothers and sisters with Christ, Christian, done it to one of the least, eternal separation from God, evil and ungodly world, feed the hungry, friend, glory to God, goats, Helper, honour god, hungry, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my Friends Jesus, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in prison, insignificant, mercy, naked, oppresses the poor, orphans, promises, put a smile in our hearts, receives me, receives you, reward, salvation, save the lost, share His love with the world, share in the labour, sheep., sick, smallest service, stranger, suffering, the children of men, the king shall answer, the left hand of christ, the lost, the needy, the way to salvation, thirsty, Tuesday Mantra, widows, you have done it unto me
Matthew 25:40. And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Ah friends, thankfully the mess and muck of yesterday’s precipitation should have been mostly cleared away from the roads, so the trip to work this morning shouldn’t be that bad. But it’s cold, beastly cold, so please dress warmly, possibly your long johns (smile).
Then let’s put a smile in our hearts which shows up on our faces and our conduct as we face the evil and godless world and evoke the gospel of Christ, and hopefully bring others to the truthful realization that He ONLY, is the way to salvation.
And since today is Tuesday, it’s only mete and right that we declare our Tuesday Mantra. So as one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen’
Oh yeah, my brethren! We are indeed not what we do or what people say about us, but the beloved children of God! Glory Hallelujah. Once we believe in Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, we are immediately adopted into God’s fold and become joint heirs of the kingdom with Christ.
What a bam bam! Joint heirs of the kingdom of God with Christ… Mama yo! Nothing could be better than that my people! So please let’s stop allowing the world to define us and have us foolishly running around like chickens with our heads cut off to live up to its standards.
Remember we are working for our FRIEND Jesus to share His LOVE with a sinful world! That’s what defines us. Now I want to share something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Walking Together.’
And it says: ‘It would be sheer mockery, Lord It would be subtle hypocrisy For me to kneel Anguished and weeping Before Your cross Unless – As I walk with You now Down my personal Emmaus Road I introduce You With singing joy To the broken and bound The weary and worn The depressed and defeated Whom we meet on the way. And, Lord, I observe That as we walk together Foot traffic thickens.’
Oh friends, what glorious truth! As we walk together with Christ along our earthly path, and we meet the broken and needy and share the good news of Christ’s gospel with them, as well as any material help we can offer, we are indeed joined by others in our journey and Christ is indeed more glorified.
Remember Christ said that He came to save the lost, to feed the hungry, to heal the sick and broken, and take care of the stranger, the widows and orphans. So it is necessary that we too, as brothers and sisters with Christ, look after the lost and needy.
That’s why in our Bit, and also the Bible promise for the poem above Jesus declared: ‘And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’
Yes my fellow believers, it’s all about how we react to those who are suffering in this ungodly and evil world! If we spread Christ’s message and His material benefits amongst them, then we’ll be set on His right hand with the sheep… Oh glory to God for His goodness to the children of men!
But if we spurn and/or ignore the lost and needy, regardless of all our other so-called good deeds, we’ll end up on Christ’s left hand with the goats… How sad! Because hear what He’ll say to that group. ‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me no meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.’ (Matt.25:41-43)
Brother! We certainly don’t want to be in that lot my precious people, because as we keep saying, eternal separation from Almighty God is the worst thing that can happen to a human soul.
And Jesus spelled it out earlier on in Matthew when talking about rewards. ‘He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.’ (Matt.10:40-42) What glorious promises my brethren!
And the scholars have this to say about those verses. ’10:41-42. In the name of a prophet (i.e., “as a prophet”). The meaning of this statement is that those who are not prophets themselves may share in the labour and reward of the prophets by willingly supporting their ministry. One of these little ones is a reference to the fact that even the smallest service done to the most insignificant of Christ’s servants shall be rewarded by the Lord Himself.’
Oh friends, yuh see that living and working for Jesus is not rocket science, but simply letting the goodness of our hearts flow to others, especially those in need!
And we’ll end with these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘He that oppresseth the poor (needy) reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor (needy).’ (Prov.14:31.’
Yes my people, when we honour the needy, we honour our God and Maker. So please let’s go out and do that with a sincere heart today nuh, and thus help our cause in Jesus’ eyes. That’s nothing but the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…being a Christian means…being a servant…a helper…a friend to the poor and needy…
04 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of the Most High God, aura of love, be likened unto the Lord, care, Christian, compassion, confidence, Creator of the universe, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternal separation from God, Ethan the Ezrahite, friends, from the rising of the sun, fun, glorious kingdom, God is to be feared, gospel truth, greater toronto area, holy spirit, humble servants, icy, inroads into the enemy's ranks, invincible, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, lies, lifts the needy out of the dunghill, Lord and Master of all, LOVE, meet the enemy in battle, mercy, might and glory, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pay me now or pay me later, peace, Praise the Lord, purpose of life, Rahab, raises up the poor, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, slippery, snowy, spiritual armour, spring, steadfast faith, the assembly of saints, the heathen, the Lamb's Book of Life, the Maytag man, the sons of the mighty, thy strong arm, trust, truth, ungodly world, wake up call, weary souls, wet, who can be compared to God, wisdom
Psalm 89:6. For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?
Oh precious people living in the Greater Toronto area, please be careful as you go out to work this Monday Morning because it’s wet, snowy, icy and slippery! Ah Lord eh! I thought now was supposed to be spring. But I guess since we did not get much snow during the official winter season we’re getting some now.
As the Maytag man used to say in his advertisement; ‘Pay me now, or pay me later,’ intimating that one way or another you’re going to pay. It looks like the same thing with the snow; you might get away for a while, but eventually that white stuff will come back to haunt you when you least expect it.
So friends, please leave home even earlier than normal, and please take your time, look out for the other drivers, because ofttimes they are the ones causing the problems. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and chutzpah. I know that the crappy weather will dampen your spirits, but we’ve got to rise above it and offer the sacrifice of praise with a fair measure of passion.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah friends, that wasn’t the greatest nuh. It wasn’t really bad, but it did not come up to the level of our recent renditions. Our choir master, Jesus wasn’t really displeased either, because He knows our frailties and our weaknesses and knows firsthand how we can wax hot and cold in relatively short periods of time. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our wonderful Bit. ‘For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?’
Yes my fellow believer, we might not be able to sing well this morning, but we do know that the answer to that question is ‘ABSOLUTELY NOBODY!’
Ah friends, when will the rest of the world wake up and realize that eh? When Jesus comes back in His full might and glory? Unfortunately it will be too late then, so we have to issue them a serious wake-up call right now my people. Let the heathen know that Jesus Christ is Lord and Master of ALL, and only through Him will true salvation and eternal life be accessed.
Anyone not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will face eternal separation from God, and that is certainly the worse fate than can ever befall a human being. Now hear how the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite continues after our Bit.
‘God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had (held) in reverence of all them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
Thou hast broken Rahab (Egypt) in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.’ (Ps.89: 7-11)
And we all know that as gospel truth, so how can any other being be greater than our God eh? No way Jose!
And furthermore, from Psalm 113 – God’s mercies are many – the psalmist proudly proclaims: ‘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. 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! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill (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 a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.113:2-9)
My sentiments exactly my brethren! A God who has mercy and looks down favourably on the poor and needy is definitely my kind of God!
Ah mih people, we’re going to end here today; make the message short and sweet. (smile) In any case, we know that our God is great, rather THE GREATEST, and greatly to be praised. We don’t have to prove that to anybody.
Nonetheless, let’s go out today, and by our words and conduct, let’s show the heathen how a child of the Most High, the One and Only God Jehovah operates out of LOVE, care and compassion, for it’s what our Lord and Saviour Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…to be a Christian…a servant of the Most High God…is the very essence and purpose of life and living…
03 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awe, awesome, be likened unto the Lord, Be merciful unto me O god, be still, by His stripes I am healed, call and answer, can be compared to the Lord, Charles jenkins, charles stanley, commune with your own heart, Creator, deliverer, ever-faithful, ever-true, fear the Lord, First Baptist Church, forever he will reign, free gift of grace, Gentiles, Giver of Salvation, grace, He can move mountains, he commanded, he spake, He's Holy, He's mighty, heals me when I'm broken, heathen, hide me from the rain, His chosen people, his own inheritance, holiness, humility, I am forgiven, I lift up my soul, impossible, in the mood, it stood fast, it was done, justice, keep me in the valley, LOVE, My god is awesome, oblations, plenteous in mercy, praise and worship, praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, Protector, provider, receptive to the Word, reverence, righteousness., sacrifice, sacrifice of praise, Saviour of the world, Selah, shed blood, sins, strength when I'm weak, Sunday, the counsel of the Lord, the cross of Calvary, the Lord's Day, the sons of the mighty, the thoughts of his heart, truth, who in heaven, wisdom
Psalm 89:6. For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?
Well friends, it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, the best day of the week! So let’s therefore begin it with some rather appropriate praise and worship nuh. Please sing with me, these ever-faithful and ever-true words of Charles Jenkins.
With pomp, and power and glory now: ‘My God is awesome, He can move mountains Keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain. My God is awesome, heals me when I’m broken Strength where I’ve been weakened, forever He will reign (repeat) My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
My God is awesome, Savior of the whole world Giver of salvation, by His stripes I am healed My God is awesome, today I am forgiven His grace is why I’m living, praise His holy name My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome My God is awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome.
He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, Awesome, Awesome, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, Awesome, Awesome, He’s Great, He’s Great, He’s Great, He’s Great, Awesome, Awesome He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, He’s mighty, Awesome, Awesome
Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer, Awesome, Awesome He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, He’s Holy, Awesome, Awesome Provider, Provider, Provider, Provider, Awesome, Awesome Protector, Protector, Protector, Protector, Awesome, Awesome
My God is awesome, He can move mountains Keep me in the valley, hide me from the rain My God is awesome, heals me when I’m broken Strength where I’ve been weakened, Praise His holy name!’
Good going friends! Our voices reached up to high heaven and celebrated the Father this spring time Sunday morning! He was most pleased with that sacrifice of praise! And aren’t those words of praise and might and power the absolute and awesome truth? They certainly are!
Sorry that the words don’t read as good as they sound when sung. (smile) And I recently heard the choir of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Uncle Charles’ (Charles Stanley) church and some gentleman sing it. And was it ever wonderful, marvelous and soul-touching. The sort of call and answer response between the choir and the gentleman was incredible. I guess I never paid much attention to his name because the music was so sweet. (smile)
And the great thing about opening with some praise and worship my people, is that it gets us in the mood, softens us up, so that we will be more receptive to the Word. So since you are softened up and receptive now (smile), let’s get to the Word, beginning with our Bit. ‘For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?’
Now that’s a great question my people, the answer to which is obviously a resounding ‘NO ONE!’
Ah my fellow believers, how can anyone be greater or more awesome than our God eh? It’s just IMPOSSIBLE!
Listen to His attributes and then tell me if anyone, or anything, in the whole wide universe can match them. He can move mountains; He is a Healer, a Deliverer, a Protector, and a Provider. He can keep me safe in the valley of the shadow of death, hide me from the rain, and strengthen me when I’m weak.
He’s mighty, both in strength and war, and on top of all that He is the Saviour of the whole world, the Giver of Salvation by His blood that was shed on the cross of Calvary, by His free gift of grace all my sins are forgiven, by His stripes I am healed. And we haven’t even spoken about His holiness and righteousness, His truth and sense of justice…
And above all He is our Creator! That’s why we praise His holy name and expect Him to reign for ever! Yes friends, our God is truly AWESOME! No doubt about it!
Now hear the psalmist as he expatiates (smile) on the Lord’s greatness in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation. ‘Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen (nations, Gentiles) to nought: he maketh the devices (plans) of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.’ (Ps.33:8-12)
Yes precious people, our God is most excellent! And we are extremely blessed to be numbered amongst His chosen people! Please never forget that, and let’s behave like it, showing LOVE and care and compassion for others.
Now let’s close with these marvellous, memorable and true words of Bruh David from Psalm 86 – Teach me thy way, O Lord. ‘Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily (all day long). Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee…
Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord: and shall glorify thy name. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.’ (Ps.86:3-5, 8-10)
And all of that is indisputable, gospel truth my brethren! So this Sunday morning, as we get ready to go to the sanctuary to praise and worship and give thanks to our Most Awesome God, please let’s remember all the wonderful attributes He possesses, and make our oblations with proper awe and reverence and humility. For that’s wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…stand in awe…and sin not…commune with your own heart upon your bed…and be still…Selah… (Ps.4:4)
02 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive manner, a very present help in trouble, Anselm, Bible Study, Calder Hall, Christian faith, Christians, church going, cow foot, cry to keep going, dasheen bush soup, devotions, don't cry to give up, don't cry to quit, earthly sojourn, earthquakes, encouragement, eyes of faith, get a reward from it, glory, go crazy, God is my salvation, God is our refuge and strength, grin and bear it, gungo peas, hiding place, humble pleasure, imaginations, inspiration, Jesus, laughing, learn from our pain, LOVE, mettle of faith, Moses, part of human life, pigeon peas, Port of Spain, pour out your heart, salvation, Saul, Scarborough, serve the Lord, songs of love, sons of Korah, soup, stand up strong, testing, the earth be removed, the mountains be carried into the sea, the mountains shake, the potter's wheel, the rock of my strength, the waters roar, tidal waves, Tobago, tower of power, trust, truth, useful lessons
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.
Well friends, it’s Saturday and I’m just biding my time to go up Calder Hall and get some of the revitalizing and refreshing and energizing soup of Brother Kirby. Oh mih people, I can see those three big iron (Dutch) pots sitting on the fire under the tent, just filled with delicious tasting soup.
One containing pigeon peas, or as my Jamaican family calls it, gungo peas; then the other is bubbling with dasheen bush, and the last with a thick cow foot mixture, just guaranteed to set your palate right. Oh I know some of you will skin up your face at that last one, but truthfully, I believe that the cow foot is the most nourishing of the three kinds of soup.
So I’m dreaming, so big deal! That’s why the Lord gave us imaginations, and through the eyes of faith I’m seeing myself slurping back some of that nourishing and tasty Tobago soup, not too far in the distant future. Mama Yo! Tobago soup!
Yeh friends, the ole fella misses Tobago; the sunshine, the saltwater, the friends, the family, early morning devotions on the patio as the sun rises and the birds chorus their songs of LOVE, the church going and Bible Study, watching the ferries go back and forth from Scarborough to Port of Spain, not to mention the peaceful calm of the sea just breaking over the reef and washing up on to the rocky shore.
And I miss it even more, when up here, they are calling for rain and snow today and tomorrow. But what to do eh? Not much but grin and bear it, because this is where the Lord has me currently planted and that means He has work for me to do here. But one day, one day, provided the Lord is in favour, I know it will surely happen.
Now here is an interesting quote from our friend Anselm, as always inspiring us to aspire to a better tomorrow. This quote says: ‘Somebody came into my office crying. I said, “Look, don’t cry to give up! Cry to keep going!!” Don’t cry to quit! You already in pain, You already hurt! Get a reward from it!’
And you know that does make a whole lot of sense my brethren. As Christians we keep talking about the Lord testing us, teaching us useful lessons, putting us on His potter’s wheel and reshaping us, then putting us in the kiln to bake for a while to toughen us up.
Now that is all painful, but you know what? We need to always learn from our pain. And coincidentally, it’s just in the last few days I heard two preachers say the same thing. We must not waste our pain. What’s the point of bearing the pain if we don’t learn something from it, or as Anselm says: ‘Get a reward from it.’
Yes friends, a lot of us are hurting in some form and fashion, and none of us like to be hurting, but it’s an essential part of human life, especially the Christian faith, where we grow stronger and more Christ-like through painful situations. So since we cannot get around the hurt and pain of this mortal life, we might as well embrace it and use it for some useful purpose.
Just don’t ask me what and how? (smile) I have some here that I don’t understand the whys nor the wherefores, but when I figure it, out I’ll let you know.
Ah mih people, life just happens to us all, and we can only benefit by using it in a positive manner, and laughing some at our problems, otherwise we’ll go crazy in no time at all. And as Christians we have it better than anybody else, because as our Bit so truthfully and powerfully declares: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help (an abundantly available help) in trouble.’
And that is the gospel, the indisputable and irrevocable truth my brethren! Our God is our hiding place and our tower of power!
Consequently, the sons of Korah continue the psalm thus: ‘Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea: Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:2-3)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s how strong we ought to be, even with earthquakes and tidal waves surrounding us. Unfortunately, that’s not always possible or practical, but it is the pinnacle for which we ought to aim, since the Creator and Controller of the world is our heavenly Father, our refuge and our strength in time of trouble, and furthermore has promised never to leave or forsake us. What better place to put our trust and faith eh?
Now listen to Bruh David say it in his own inimitable style. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God: for expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62: 5-8)
Ah friends, there’s not much more that I can add to that. And we all know the painful but faithful life Bruh David lived. Some of his problems were of his own making, but others, like Saul hunting him down like a wild animal, was God’s way of testing him. It took him something like twenty years after he was anointed, to actually become king.
Likewise, some of our troubles are self inflicted, while others come to try our mettle of faith. And hopefully, like Bruh David, we will have the wherewithal to stand up strong and pass most of the tests, as the Lord desires of us.
Now let’s close with these awe inspiring words of Moses, as he exhorts the Israelites to obedience. ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh (a God so near) unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?’ (Deut.4:7)
And the truthful answer to that my brethren is a resounding ‘NO OTHER!’
So with all of that godly encouragement and inspiration, please let’s go out today, and every day henceforth, to LOVE and serve our Lord, and do His will with humble pleasure, as Jesus did in His earthly sojourn. It won’t be easy, but with God’s always available help, it’s doable. Much LOVE!
…with the Creator as our refuge and strength…Christians don’t need any other protectors or protection…
01 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advance God's kingdom, All Fool's Day, almighty god, another week of work, April Fool's day, be content, be diligent, Caleb, christianity, church leaders, cleave unto the Lord, covetousness, dilly-dally, do not be dismayed, dread noth, exodus, faith, fear not, fellowship, foothold, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's work, gospel, gospel truth, heartache, I will not fear, in a cloud by day, in fire by night, Joshua, keeper, Let your conversation, libertine actions, LOVE, Love the Lord, lustful, mercies, miracles, one man shall chase a thousand, pain, profligate, Promised Land, promises, reassuring thoughts, refreshed, renewed, repetition, rest, saviour, sorrow, stubborn minds, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Lord goes before thee, The Lord is my helper, the Lord will not fail thee, the Lord will not forsake thee, the weekend, trust, wander in the wilderness, witness, worldly pleasures
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well mih people, it’s Friday…
And my people tossed the ball back into my court thus: ‘Yes mih brother we know that. That is why we’ve been singing and praising and glorifying the Father by declaring ’TGIF! Thank God is Friday. The only better day than Friday is Sunday, the Lord’s Day. And we declare again: TGIF! Thank You Lord that it’s Friday, work is done for a couple days, and the long awaited weekend is finally here!’
Ah friends, I know how some of us desperately look forward to weekend, for whatever reason, but please note that we need to use it wisely, not only in profligate and libertine actions. (smile) And to improve our perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant.
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.’
Yes my brethren, that is more like how we should use our weekends; to facilitate renewal of our walk with God, not run away from Him in lustful worldly pleasures. And I know that those pleasures may seem so wonderful at the start, but trust me, I’m talking from experience here, (smile) in the long run they only bring pain and sorrow and heartache.
And please remember that today is April 1st, All Fool’s or April Fool’s Day, so please be wary and don’t allow the wily devil and his evil associates to play any tricks on us. For you know they will use any occasion whatsoever to get a foothold in our lives.
Now here are a few words of inspiration from a Reggae song I heard last night by Ras Zacahrri, something called ‘Jah is my keeper. And the chorus goes thus: ‘Jah is my keeper; He will hear me when I call. Jah is my saviour, He will catch me when I fall.’
And isn’t that the God awesome truth my fellow believers in Christ! Almighty God is indeed our keeper and will hear us when we call. He is also our Saviour amongst many other things, and will certainly catch us when we fall. So this Friday morning, please let’s plant those reassuring thoughts deep in our souls to help us face the day with faith and trust as we go about God’s work.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh friends, the amount of times Israel’s leaders said these words to them, and yet they did not listen. And unfortunately the same thing is happening today; the leaders of our churches are crying out this ever-faithful promise to us, but we are also ignoring it. I don’t know how to get it through our thick and stubborn minds, except possibly by repetition. So let’s look at a few of the times it was said to the Israelites.
Listen to Moses as he reflects on the time when they sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and only Joshua and Caleb voted to go in and take it over. ‘Then said I unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bear (carried) thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you the way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.’ (Deut.1:29-33)
Yeh mih people, can you believe it? After all the miracles and mercies the Lord showed the Israelites in their Exodus out of Egypt, when they came to the Promised Land they were sore afraid to go in and fight for it. Steups! That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died.
Now hear Joshua, as he encourages the people to refrain from mixing with the remnants of the nations God had destroyed to give them the Promised Land. ‘But cleave (cling, hold fast) unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
For the Lord hath driven out from before you (dispossessed) great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before (against) you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed (be diligent) therefore unto yourselves, that ye LOVE the Lord your God.’ (Josh.23:8-11)
Oh my people, that promise stands ever so true even to this very day! But like the hard-hearted, stubborn and fearful Israelites, we too refuse to take the message to heart, and simply dilly-dally on the outskirts of true Christianity.
Consequently friends, because we don’t stand as strong as we should on God’s irrevocable and faithful promises, our lives don’t amount to as much as they should. And therefore too, our witness is not as forthright and palpable as it ought to be.
So the long and short of the story is that Christianity is not as strong and powerful as it should be. What a sad reckoning!
And we’ll close with these words from Hebrews, where Bruh Paul talks about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb.13:5-6)
And there we have it friends, the living truth of the gospel! Please, I implore us, let’s take it boldly and use it wisely to advance God’s kingdom as our bounden duty calls us to do! For that’s wisdom that cannot be bought or had anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God can only be truly attained…when the trust in God is truly overwhelming…
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