06 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper phase, a sour face, a tremulous situation, aroma, ascension, assurance, beloved of God, blaming, bring a smile, cracked earth, crediting, deeper the pain, diffuse, ditch of depression, dr robert h schuller, draws back the curtain, essential for survival, eternal life, faithful, force, friend of Jesus, give thanks to Almighty God, gives us the victory, God is good, God's grace, God's great earth, goodness, harder the fall, heartache, heated words, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, Jesus Christ, lend healing, lose a loved one, LOVE, love of Christ, maturity, negative things, negative times, non-acceptance of Christ, not totally alone, omnipotence, perish, pierce today's darkness, positive prayer, positive thoughts, problems, promise of eternal life, promises, raise the level of our faith, relationship with god, resurrection, reunited, sacrificial death, salvation, saved, seed of faith, share, slippery step, soften a hard heart, standing firm, strife, sweet fragrance, thank you, Thanks be to God, the Father of love, the raging storm, there to help us, through our Lord, tomorrow's light, tomorrows, triumph in Christ, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vital element, war, worry, worse the loss
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ah mih people, welcome to another day on God’s great earth! Oh, I know that we will be surrounded by numerous problems and everyday we hear of more and more foolish strife, war and heated words in our society, but that’s no reason not to give thanks to Almighty God for the good things He’s done, is doing, and will do in our individual lives. Yeh friends, telling God, ‘Thank You,’ is essential for our very survival.
Now I’m going to share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional that I’m pretty sure I’ve never shared before. I don’t know why, if it was just too long and didn’t lend itself to useful paraphrasing, but to day I’m going to share the entire thing, because I believe it’s ever so important for believers in these violent and negative times to understand.
So here goes. In the first place it is titled: ‘Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!’ So you know it’s all about thanking God.
And Gramps Schuller says: ‘When you lose a LOVED one, there is a way to thank God. You can thank Him for the promise of eternal life. You can thank Him for the assurance that someday you will be reunited with the one you’ve lost. The worse the loss, the harder the fall, the deeper the pain – the more you need to say, “Thank You, Lord!”
Thank You, Lord! is the force that draws back the curtains, letting tomorrow’s light pierce today’s darkness. Thank You, Lord! is the first slippery step back up from the ditch of depression. Thank You, Lord! is the seed of faith planted in the dry, cracked earth. When you least feel like doing it – say Thank You, Lord!
You don’t say Thank You to God because you are crediting or blaming Him for your heartache. NO! Nothing could be further from the truth! God is good! He is the Father of LOVE and goodness! Most of the time we make our own heartache. Why then do we say Thank You, Lord, in the midst of the raging storm?
We say Thank You, Lord, that you’re still there to help us! Thank You, Lord, that I’m not totally alone! Thank You, Lord for the help you will send me. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for tomorrows that are sure to come. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! It’s a vital element of positive prayer.’
Oh friends, I do hope that Gramps Schuller’s words on the importance of saying ‘Thank You,’ to God, have resonated and reverberated in us, and will continue to do so, because if we want to have positive thoughts and actions, we first have to use positive words, in spite of our circumstances. And there are no simpler and yet more positive words than those two: ‘Thank You!’
In our crazy, confused and troubled world, when said to others, they can diffuse a tremulous situation; soften a hard heart, lend healing to a broken one, and bring a smile to a sour face. And when we sincerely say them to God, we just raise the level of our faith and maturity.
Our relationship with our heavenly Father enters a deeper phase, because we are acknowledging His goodness and LOVE, His omnipotence and ability to control circumstances, both our own and the world’s. We are saying in effect, ‘heavenly Father we trust You, regardless of what’s happening in our lives and the world. We’re standing firm on Your promises, because we know that You are faithful and will keep EVERY promise that You’ve made.’
Now here is our Bit, which declares the thing that we ought to be most grateful for and give the most thanks for: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Yes my fellow believers, we can never be too thankful or grateful for the victory over death, hell, the grave and any other negative things, that Jesus has given us through His own sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension, through the never-ending grace of our heavenly Father.
And Bruh Paul further sates in his second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to (leads us in) triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour (fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ, in (among) them that are saved, and in (among) them that perish.’ (2 cor.2:14-15)
Oh friends, are we ever a sweet fragrance to God when we accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and wisely accept His free offer of salvation and eternal life, and thus will not be relegated to the foolish group that will perish because of their non-acceptance of Christ. He doesn’t want anything more than that. So, with His awesome help, let’s do our best to bring others to that realization nuh.
Now let’s go home declaring to the world who and whose we are in our Tuesday Mantra. In full voice and heartfelt sincerity: ‘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!’
And if we are sincere, then let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE of Christ, as He so ardently desires. Much LOVE!
…LOVE unshared…is No LOVE at all…
05 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fine balance, a fool, a wise man, adrenaline, aura of love, be wary, boggles my imagination, communicate, communication, commute, confidence, control, dangerous, deceitful beauty, do the Lord's work, engrossed, enthusiasm, evil, forked tongue, friends, holds it back, humble servants, i-phones, idle chatter, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, labour, lethargic, lies, lifts our spirits, LOVE, loved one, lovers, man's evolution, mobile phone, modern technology, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, poverty, profit, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, salvation, slothful, spiritual armour, spoil our witness, steadfast faith, tablet, talk, technological devices, tends to penury, trust, truth, ungodly world, vents all his feelings, wisdom
Proverbs 14:23. In all labour there is profit: but the talk (idle chatter) of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty).
Yeh friends, it’s white and beautiful out there, but please don’t be fooled by that beauty, because it’s a deceitful beauty, worse than the hissing forked tongue of a viper! At least you can see and/or hear the viper, but one never knows what the snow has hidden underneath that beautiful appearance.
So after all the white stuff that fell yesterday, please be careful on the roads this morning, because it’s definitely going to be a mess out there. The commute to work will be even longer and more dangerous than normal, so, if possible, please leave home earlier than usual, and be wary of the other drivers on the road.
Now, to get some much needed adrenaline flowing through our body this cold and snowy Monday morning, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which always works wonders on us.
With plenty gusto 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!’
Wow! That surely lifts our spirits. But be careful now, don’t let that rush of adrenaline make us go overboard, become too self-confident and screw up on the other side of the ledger. (smile) Oh yes, we are indeed capable of moving swiftly from one end of the spectrum to the other with a burst of adrenaline; from being slothful and lethargic, to being swift and overconfident.
That brings us to an interesting, but ever so true Bit, taken from the wise words of Cousin Sol.‘ In all labour there is profit: but the talk (idle chatter) of the lips tendeth only to penury (poverty).’ There is no doubt whatsoever my people, about the truth and wisdom in those few words.
And there is no better example of it than our current society. I doubt that there has ever been an age of man’s evolution where there has been so little enthusiasm for work and so much idle chatter like there is right now. And we can lay it all at the feet of modern technology.
We certainly have the ability to communicate better and faster, but the meat of the meal, the underlying substance of what we have to communicate has not improved or increased in like manner. We now talk more nonsense than we talked before, and too many of us just talk for talk sake.
But an interesting side to all of that, another sad fall out from our increased power of communication, is that we might communicate more through technological devices, but we don’t actually talk to each other as much as we should. I’m sure you’ve seen a group of supposed friends, at say a restaurant together, but nobody is talking to nobody, because they are all busy doing whatever on their latest model of communication technology.
I’ve even seen LOVERS, more engrossed in their tablet or I-phones than in their supposed LOVED one. Now that just boggles my imagination. Have things changed since my time? Am I missing something? I remember in my time, your full concentration would be on your LOVED one. You didn’t want to take your eyes off of them. You listened intently to every word they said. Steups! Now they don’t even seem to talk to each other.
Ah mih people, NO talk is just as bad as TOO MUCH talk! It could even be worse, since you won’t even know what the other person is thinking. And please don’t tell me about communicating through the technological devices when you’re in the same space as the other person.
And another anomaly that has arisen from this communication revolution is that what began as having a mobile phone, so you could talk anytime and anywhere, has now morphed into having a technological device to use for sending messages. Many people don’t even use the phone aspect of the device any more.
Ah Lord eh! But who am I to fight it eh? All I know is that I won’t let it control me like it does so many of us. And we’ll end today with another interesting take on our Bit from Cousin Sol. ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in (holds it back) till afterward.’ (Prov.29:11)
Please friends, as we go out today, to do the Lord’s work, let’s ask Him to help us to be wise and not be foolish, and thus spoil our witness for Him. Much LOVE!
…there’s a fine balance between…what we talk…and how much we talk…
04 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lively hope, a new stage of life, a thousand ages, an ever rolling stream, an offer, as a dream dies, as for me and mine, begotten us, blessed be God, born again, born of the flesh, born of the Spirit, bursting with joy, committments, confidence assurance, confidently declare, defense, does not fade, dwelt secure, earth received its frame, eternal home, everlasting ensless years, evil cohorts, exalt, excluded from heaven, Father of our Lord, fellowship, flesh, fly forgotten, from the dead, gather, glorify, God's Holy Name, gospel truth, guarded by God, hope, humble, in order stood, incorruptible, inheritance, Isacc Watts, Jesus Christ, kept, Lamb's book of life, living truth, LOVE, Lucifer, melted ur hearts, mercy, never sleeps, Nicodemus, omnipotent deity, Our god, our guide, our help in ages past, Peter, praise, prayer, presence of god, reaerved in heaven, resurrection of Jesus Christ, revealed, riding shotgun, sacrifice of praise, saints, separation from God, shadow of thy throne, shaleter, sin, sincere hearts, snow, song, spirit, spiritual birth, strength, sufficent, Sunday, the future, the hills, the kingdom of God, the last time, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, the power of Godfaith, the rising sun, the watch that ensd the night, time, Toronto, trust in jesus, undefiled, untainted, upcoming week, vigil, worship
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively (living, constant) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Well my faithful brethren, it’s Sunday once again, the Lord’s Day, and with it come certain commitments: namely to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary in true fellowship to praise and worship Him with humble and sincere hearts. And though we are scheduled to get a bundle of snow in the Toronto area today, we must not let that stop us from gathering in the Lord’s sanctuary to exalt and glorify His holy name and receive His strength, confidence and assurance for the upcoming week.
Glory to God my people! When believers get together to worship the Lord…Chuh! There’s nothing on earth like it. We sing and dance and pray and praise and listen to His awesome word that’s indisputable truth! Wow! How could any other gathering beat that eh?
And as always, we shall open today’s proceedings with song. The Lord likes prayer, but I believe He is partial and sentimental to getting His glory and praise delivered in song. (smile) And that’s exactly how all the elders and other heavenly populace constantly praise Him. So let’s do just that by offering up a sacrifice of praise with our lips as we sincerely belt out the old Isaacs Watts favourite, ‘Our God, our Help in ages past.’
And please note, it seems like Isaac wrote it as ‘Our God,’ and not ‘O,’ or ‘Oh God,’ as has become popular. And as our voices rise to heaven in sweet song, let’s consider each word and sentiment we sing and realize, admit that they are gospel truth.
As one earthly host now: ‘Our God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, our Shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal Home. Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure. Before the hills in order stood or earth received its frame, from everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an ev’ning gone, short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun. Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op’ning day. Our God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, be Thou our Guide while life shall last, and our eternal Home!’
Yes friends, EVERY sentiment we just sang there is the living truth, and I hope it just melted our hearts, but simultaneously had it bursting with joy and LOVE for our wonderful God!
No wonder Peter could so confidently declare in our Bit and following: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively (living, constant) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’ (1 Pet.1:3-5)
Oh friends, if there is one thing we’re certain of is hope of salvation because of Jesus’ resurrection! Glory Be! Now listen to the scholars: ‘1:3-5. The portrayal of salvation looks to the future. The author of salvation is portrayed as the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The work of salvation (vs.3-5) is described as to its effect.
Hath begotten us again refers to a new stage of life that begins at salvation. This lively hope has no element of uncertainty, for it is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The believer’s inheritance is described as incorruptible, imperishable or indestructible, and undefiled (i.e., morally untainted).
That fadeth not away, means it is not subject to the ravages of time. Further it is reserved, that is, it has been preserved in the past and still is in heaven. Kept is a present passive participle – we are secure because we are continually guarded by God, who never relaxes His vigil. Salvation here refers to final salvation, that is, deliverance from the presence of sin, and into the presence of God.’
How could it get any better than that eh my people? When we place our sincere trust in Jesus we end up in a new stage of life, salvation, with an assured inheritance that cannot be corrupted, does not deteriorate, is morally untainted, and is specially reserved for us in heaven! And on top of all that, we are guarded night and day by an omnipotent Deity, who never sleeps.
Mama Mia! Now I don’t know about anybody else nuh, but to me, that’s an offer I cannot refuse! And I do hope that ALL of you reading today’s Bit will feel the same way, because the other option is a terrible one; separation from God, and companionship with the evil Lucifer and his legion of evil cohorts.
But to get that lively hope friends, we need to be born again. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3)
And when Nicodemus looked puzzled and asked about physically entering again into one’s mother’s womb, and being born again, Jesus clarified it for him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6)
So friends, if we are not born of the Spirit, have a supernatural spiritual birth in the name of Jesus, most likely we will be excluded from heaven. And that is certainly the worst thing that could ever happen to a human being. So please be warned, and wisely take the necessary steps to assure that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, for therein lies salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…brother…we are definitely riding shotgun with Jesus…
03 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Anselm, aspire, be afraid, for a better tomorrow, friends, God said, Let there be light, living for Jesus, nothing is impossible, positive, Saturday, shake it rough, there was light, think big, to inpsire
Genesis 1:3. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
And then it was Saturday, your day to do as you please… Hn! Some sniff. Do as I please eh? You don’t see the amount of clothes waiting to be washed; the children to be cleaned and fed; the groceries that need to be made…?
Yeh mih people, for some of us the weekend is just as busy as the weekday, the work is at home though, doing the things we don’t have time to do during the week. But that’s just a product of our ever so busy society and the contrary lives we’re forced to live.
But friends, if we’re living for Jesus, then we won’t shake it so rough, because He will lend a hand in all our doings, if we allow Him to. He just wants to get involved in whatever we do. That’s just the kind of guy He is. So hopefully, you’ll let Jesus into your life this morning and allow Him to help you with your chores. That’s wisdom at it’s best.
And since today is Saturday, let’s see what other words of wisdom our friend Anselm provided for us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first quote is one of enormous wisdom: ‘Begin each day with a grateful heart.’ Oh friends, oh friends, there’s no better advice than that, especially as Christians! Christ has done so much for us, and still wants to do more, that we’d be foolish not to begin each day showing our gratefulness.
Then the next one states: ‘Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could go right.’ That’s more excellent advice my people. The Good Book tells us on numerous occasions, not to fear or be afraid. In other words, think positively, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Why think negatively when the Creator and Controller of the universe is in your corner eh?
And ‘As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.’ You might as well. What’s the purpose of thinking small, when you can think big? Our God is a big and expansive God, and He has big plans for each of us, so we’ll be wasting His assets and attributes if we keep thinking puny thoughts.
And that quote segues nicely to this last one. ‘Nothing is impossible, the word it self says I’m possible.’ And that’s the awesome truth! Glory to God my fellow believers!
Oh my brethren, the word of God is the most powerful tool in the universe! And it has to be if God spoke the world into existence as our Bit declares. ‘And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.’
That’s why we are cautioned to be very careful with our words, because they not only have tremendous power, but we will also pay for any wrong ones later on. So God spoke the day and night into existence on the first day.
Then on the second, He said: ‘Let there be a firmament (an expanse) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’(Gen.1:6) So He made the heavens and the seas.
Then on the third day, He proclaimed: ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:9)
And on the fourth day, ‘God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:14-15)
Then on the fifth day, ‘God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, (abound with an abundance of living creatures), and fowl that they may fly (and let birds fly) above the earth in the open firmament of heaven (across the face of the expanse of heaven). (Gen.1:20) So God made fish in the sea and birds in the air.
Then on the sixth day, He made animals on earth and mankind after His own image. (Gen:1:24-31) The only thing God did not directly speak into existence was man. Instead He took the dirt of the earth and formed Him from it, possibly to remind us of where we came from and to what we will return. But everything else God simply spoke them into existence. And if that doesn’t prove how mighty the word of the Lord is, then I don’t know what will.
That’s why the old saying that sticks and stones may hurt us but words never will is rubbish. Words have the power to hurt us more than sticks and stones. We usually recover from physical hurts with the passage of time, but emotional hurts don’t necessarily heal as time goes by. Consequently, we have to be very careful of the words we speak to each other.
And that’s why the world is in such an unholy uproar these days; people are talking too much and using too many inflammatory words. Negative and hateful talk is so rampant in our world, that those who talk of LOVE and positive situations are usually drowned out by the negativity.
But friends, that is what we as believers in Christ are called to do; speak positive words of LOVE and caring, so that God’s kingdom can take root here on earth. Please let’s do that, and thus warm the cockles of Jesus’ heart nuh. Much LOVE!
…the word…the word…all power is in the word…
02 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful morning, a hard spell, a letdown in behaviour, a new creature, all things are become new, ambassadors, an heir with Christ, be in christ, be reconciled to God, be sin for us, behalf, believers, beseech, boundaries, cause havoc, come to Jesus, daily bread, disobedient, drive us hard, earthly purpose, enjoy the fruits of his labour, eternal life, extremes, fellowship, forgave us our sins, free offer of grace, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, glory to God, God was in Christ, good and faithful servant, good examples, grace, implore, imputing, in Christ's stead, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, King Solomon, lay down their burdens, living for Christ, made righteous in Christ, magnificent and magnanimous God, massa, mercy, my neck of the woods, old things are passed away, on the lookout, our Lord and Saviour, raison d'etre, real devil, reason for living, rebellious children, reconciled, reconciliation, reconciling the world, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, salvation, serve, sins, song of freedom, speak well of christ, standards of Jesus, take up their cross, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the enemy, the ministry of reconciliation, the SON, the sun is shining, the weekend, the working man, to show us the way, trespasses, walk worthy of Christ, we time, week of work, well done, who knew no sin, worship, worthwhile witnesses
2 Corinthians 5:20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.
Oh friends, it’s a beautiful morning in my neck of the woods! Oh the snow is still on the ground, and it’s cold, but at least the Sun is shining brightly, and we know that the SON is always out there in all of His splendour, burning brightly to show us the way! Wow! That makes it a beautiful day indeed!
And the workingman is also out there singing his song of freedom: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The massa really drive we hard this week boy! Don’t know what got in his craw nuh, but he was a real devil, more so than usual. But is one thing he can’t stop is it being Friday and therefore the weekend…and we free!
Mama Mia! Is we time to do whatever we want with it now. And yuh better believe we going to do just that; whatever, whenever and however for the two lousy days we have off. What did the wise King Solomon say? Something about a man have a right to enjoy the fruits of his hard labour…Well we certainly going to enjoy them fruits this weekend! Thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Yeh mih people, I know that many of us are also thanking the Lord for Fridays and weekends after a hard spell at work this week. But as believers we have a different take on it; we don’t go to extremes, as the workingman likes to do. We have some boundaries set by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as reflected in our Friday Chant.
Let’s declare it now in strong voice with sincere conviction nuh. ‘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!’
Ah mih breddren, that’s more like it! We need to keep the work and excellent standards of Jesus uppermost in our minds at all times, for the enemy is always on the lookout for a letdown in our behaviour, so he can slip in and cause havoc. That coincides very well with the Daily Bread Thought for the Day, which says: ‘When others see us, may what they see, speak well of the Saviour.’
Oh friends, that’s our raison d’etre; our earthly purpose, our reason for living; to be worthwhile witnesses, ambassadors of Jesus, so that others will want to come to Him to lay down their heavy burdens and receive His free offer of grace, which then translates into salvation and eternal life!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray (implore) you in Christ’s stead (behalf), be ye reconciled to God.’ Yeh friends, Bruh Paul is imploring the Corinthians to stick with the reconciliation they had recently received, and be good witnesses to others for Christ.
Why? ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit (that is), that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation…For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor.5:17-19; 21)
Ah mih people, what a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship! Just think about it nuh! The Lord, while we were yet sinners, sent His son to die on the cross for us, so that He could justify bringing us back into His fold, reconciling us to Himself. He forgave us of our sins, putting them all on His sinless Son, so He could make us righteous. Wow! Glory to God!
Would any of us do that, take our righteous son and make Him a scapegoat, a sacrifice for a bunch of worthless, ungrateful sinners? Very unlikely! But that’s what God did for us, and it just shows the great and undying affection He has for us, His disobedient, rebellious children.
So therefore, in light of all that; being a new creation, having our sins forgiven, being made righteous in Christ and reconciled to God, having a new status as a child of God and an heir with Christ, why is it so difficult for us to walk worthy of Christ eh?
That should be a no-brainer friends! We ought to be so grateful for all He’s done for us, that being a good witness and ambassador for Him should just come naturally.
So today, my believing brethren, like Bruh Paul implored the Corinthians, likewise, I am imploring us to come up strong for Christ, let people see His reflection in our everyday lives, be good examples of His grace and mercy.
Yuh know we can talk a whole lotta talk, but it’s only through our life example that others will want to rush to His always open and ever-welcoming arms to lay down their burdens and take up their cross and follow Him.
If we want Jesus to welcome us to heaven with a ‘well done, good and faithful servant,’ then that’s how we need to live our earthly lives. Much LOVE!
…truly living for Christ…means truly trying to be a good example to others…
01 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful place, a brand new day, a compassionate heart, a dime a dozen, a low ebb, advances in technology, amenities, an ugly place, as white as snow, Ash Wednesday, Auld Lang Syne, bask in the sunshine, be as scarlet, began from scratch, blessings, blood guiltiness, bounden duty, building, called according to His purpose, Carnival, children, close harmony, come now, communicate with Him, crying out, curse, destroying, destruction, devoured by the sword, dissension, disunity, everlasting goodness, evil world, evildoers, faith, favour, forgive, future generations, gives the world hope, God's invitation, goodies, hate, health, heavenly Father, hope, in good faith, Isaiah, left overs, let us reason together, LOVE, Love the Lord, made specially for today, magnificent and magnanimous God, negative word, new mercies, New Year's resolution, one thing, personal relations, positive outlook, prosper, ready to cleanse, reasoning together, rebel, red like crimson, refuse, repentance, repenting, see a better world, shall be as wool, share our blessings, sins, standard of life, strife, strong conviction, succeed, talking to each other, the future, the good of the land, the mouth of the Lord, those who love him, Thursday's Blessings, turning to god, turns the world, Valentine's day, walking closer with Christ, war, willy-nilly, wisdom, worm
Isaiah 1:18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Welcome, welcome, one and all to a brand new day in God’s great universe! And it’s not only a new day, but also one filled with new mercies and blessings from our heavenly Father, stuff he made specially for today.
He threw out all the left overs from yesterday and began from scratch this morning, so those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose can bask in the sunshine of His everlasting goodness.
Wow! What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity we serve and worship my brethren! But remember YOU have to communicate with HIM, to get those goodies! He doesn’t just hand them out willy-nilly. (smile)
And would you also believe that today is the 1st of February? Brother! We were just singing Auld Lang Syne a few days ago, welcoming the New Year, now we’re already hot into the bacchanalian bash called Carnival, with Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day falling the same time in two weeks. Is the year flying by or what?
Let’s hope that we all are keeping our New Year’s resolution, that of walking ever closer with Christ this year, strong and in good order, because that’s the only way we will be successful in this crazy, troubled, war-like, evil world.
And you know friends, the ‘One thing that turns the world from an ugly place to a beautiful place is LOVE. LOVE gives the world hope!’ And is that ever so true my people. Without LOVE permeating our hearts and souls, we simply have no hope, since hate is all about destroying, but LOVE is about building; building together in close harmony.
But sadly, if we look around our world right now, there is very little, if any building, everywhere is simply destruction, both manmade and natural. How does that augur for the future of our planet eh? It’s not very encouraging. If we keep on destroying everything in our path, the future generations will be left with nothing.
Is that what we want for our children, and our children’s children? Even the evildoers will answer no to that question, but none of us are doing anything substantial to stop if from coming to pass. That’s why we’re crying out now, in our Bit, like the prophet Isaiah did on the Lord’s behalf, many centuries ago to the Israelites.
‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’
Yeh friends, it’s all about mankind sitting down and reasoning together if we want to see a better world. And the two verses after our Bit clearly spell out the consequences of not doing so. ‘If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured by the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:19-20)
Oh my people, we don’t have to wait for the Lord to tell us that. It’s written ever so plainly in our behaviour, where there’s so much dissension and disunity, even amongst family, much less between countries. Consequently, strife is all-pervasive, and wars are a dime a dozen. It’s easier to pick out where there is no strife than where there is strife, because there are so much fewer of the former. That’s to tell you how bad it is.
But turning back to our Bit. Let’s get some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God. Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their blood guiltiness before God.
The term ‘crimson’ also means “worm,” referring to the colourfast red dye of the scarlet worm. The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who will turn to Him.’
Oh mih breddren, from way back then, our wonderful God was prepared to forgive sins to those who turned in repentance to Him, and today He is still in the forgiving business. All we have to do is turn to Him in true repentance. Are we willing to do that so our world and our children can enjoy a better standard of life in the future?
I do hope so, because with all the amenities and advances in technology we now have, the most important aspect of our society, personal relations between humans is at a low ebb, and until we fix that, nothing else will make life any better.
Now, for those of us who choose to LOVE the Lord and obey Him, let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings. In full voice and strong conviction: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and do our bounden duty; share those blessings with others, as Jesus desires. Much LOVE!
…only by talking to each other…in good faith…will our world ever improve…
31 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's life, aches and pains, afraid to pray, all decisions, an integral part, and not faint, answer prayer, apostles, behind the eight ball, bellyaching, cold weather, communicating with God, consulting the Father, Creator of the universe, curse God, deliberations, direct line of communication, disciples, discouraged, ear heard, eye hath not seen, eyes focused, eyes looking straight ahead, fed the five thousand, fit the direction, for those who love Him, give up on Him, gospel truths, grin and bear it, halfway home, hands securely on the plough, he chose twelve, important decisions, in constant contact, in His own time, in the morning, into a solitary place, Jesus, Jesus went out, made time, miracles, most important aspect, most powerful medium, not looking back, Oswald Chambers, other plans, our benefit, pray everywhere, pray for the wrong things, pray without ceasing, pray your way, prayer, prayer imparts, praying always, refuse to pray, rising before day, snowy day, thank God, the breath of life, the future promise, the heart of man, the power to walk, the things God hath prepared, the urge to do wrong, there prayed, to a glorious future with Christ, too busy, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
Mark 1:35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.
Ah friends, it’s one of those days when you start out behind the eight ball. I went to bed fairly early, but `woke up late with my back aching like crazy. I don’t understand it nuh. The body calls for rest, but when I rest the body for any decent length of time, I wake up with more aches and pains than I went to bed with. Chuh! It’s just not right! (smile)
Then it looks like we’re going to have a bleak snowy day with temps in the minus something or other. Steups! And to make matters worse, I happened to glimpse the weather forecast for T&T and it was projected to be plus thirty. That’s where I ought to be!
And I’m not worried, because I know that I’ll be there at some stage of the game, but right now, the Lord in His awesome wisdom has other plans for my life in the cold weather, so I’ll just have to grin and bear it, while keeping my eyes focused on the future promise.
Enough of my bellyaching though, here are a couple of more important things for us to concentrate on. The first is a Daily Bread Thought for the day, which says: ‘Pray your way past the urge to do wrong.’ And the second comes from the great Christian writer, Oswald Chambers, who tells us that: ‘Prayer imparts the power to walk and not faint.’
Both those sayings are gospel truths my brethren and wisdom of enormous proportions. Why? Because prayer is the most powerful medium on God’s great earth! It’s the direct line of communication with the Creator of the universe! It couldn’t get any better than that.
Our problem is that we either refuse to pray, are afraid to pray, or pray for the wrong things, and when we don’t get them, we get discouraged and curse God and give up on Him. But remember God never promised to answer every prayer right away. He answers them in His own time and if they fit the direction He wants us to go.
Oh friends, prayer is possibly the most important aspect of a believer’s life. Because that’ how we communicate with Almighty God. Look at Jesus, who though He was God Himself, still chose to live His earthly life through strong and consistent communication with His heavenly Father.
As the Good Book says in our Bit: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ He never made important decisions without consulting the Father.
Apparently on that occasion He was considering whether to continue preaching the gospel as the focal point of His ministry, which wasn’t being received too well, or to focus on the miracles aspects, which the people were lapping up. But He never left the Father out of His deliberations. And most important He ALWAYS made time to do it.
We claim to be too busy to talk our Creator, which in reality friends is nonsense. We find or make time to do every other worldly thing that seems important to us though. Whether we make time or not, just goes to show how important we consider communicating with the Father is to us.
But friends, if we want to have good communication with God, we have to make time to talk to Him, regardless of what else is happening in our lives. Look at Jesus again. After He fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, (Matt.14:15-21), He sent the disciples away on a ship over the lake.
‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart (by himself) to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.’ (Matt.14:23) Yuh see friends, Jesus MADE TIME to be with God. Look at this other example of Jesus’ full prayer life. This happened just before He chose the 12 disciples.
‘And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles.’ (Luke 6:12-13) Another example of Jesus consulting His Father before making big decisions.
But friends, the Lord doesn’t only want us to communicate with Him on big decisions, but on ALL decisions, be they big or small. That means He desires to be an integral part of our everyday lives. Whatever we’re doing, He wants to be involved in it.
That’s why Bruh Paul in his writings talks about praying always, (Eph.6:18); praying without ceasing (1 Thess.5:17); and praying everywhere (1 Tim.2:8) The Lord wants to be in constant contact with us, and prayer is how He does it. So let’s be wise and MAKE TIME to communicate with Him nuh. It’s for our benefit, not His.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, a prayer that shows how connected we are with our God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In one strong and sincere voice 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!’
And yuh know what friends, our puny minds can’t even begin to comprehend the future that really awaits us. We know it’s going to be glorious, but just how glorious, we have no true idea. But hang in there, and we’ll find out eventually. Much LOVE!
…eye hath not seen…nor ear heard…neither have entered into the heart of man…the things which God hath prepared…for them that LOVE him… (1 Cor.2:9)
30 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a million diamonds, a vain thing, answer him, be not afraid, beauty is deceptive, believe in God, believe in love, beloved of God, brilliant light, chariots, Cross of Calvary, deceptive, deliver their soul, deliverence is of the Lord, do not tremble, Egypt, enemy, faith, faith to believe, faithfully promised, false hope, fear not, friend of Jesus, gospel truth, great deceiver, hang in there, help, holy heaven, hope, hope in his mercy, hurry, in horse, in the background, Isaiah, keep them alive, let not your hearts faint, LOVE, Lucifer, mercy, Moses, motorists, multitude of host, octopus arms, our heart shall rejoice, pedestrians, pristine, rely on horses, remember the name of the Lord our God, rough time, sacrifice, safety, saving strength, shield, silent, sincere belief, snow, succumb, temptation, the eye of the Lord, the good of those who love Him, the Lord gives the victory, the Lord saves His anointed, the Lord thy God is with thee, to His purpose, trust completely, trust in chariots, trusted in his holy name, Tuesday Mantra, virginal, woe to them, work all things, worry
Psalm 20:7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
And it all looks so beautiful; the pristine white powder spread all over the land, unsullied by humans, virginal, you’d say! And when the sun shines against it, it gives off a brilliant light…like a million diamonds!
But all that beauty is deceptive friends, for the snow, like our number one enemy, Lucifer is a great deceiver. It takes you in with its beauty, and when you succumb to the temptation, it snakes out its octopus arms and ties you up ten ways from Sunday! (smile)
Yeh friends, we’ve been hit with another snowstorm, but that’s what winter is all about. But all jokes aside, please be careful if you have to go out in it, because though it looks beautiful, it can be very dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists.
Now here is a li’l something from someone and somewhere that I can’t remember, but it ought to be the gospel truth if you are a believer. It says: ‘I believe in the sun, even when I don’t see it. I believe in LOVE, even when I don’t see it. I believe in God, even when He is silent.’
Yeh mih people, God is often silent in our lives, but that doesn’t mean He is not around us and we should give up on Him. It just means that He is working on stuff in the background, and when He is ready, we will hear from Him, loud and clear.
So my brethren, if you are going through a particularly rough time and you don’t seem to be seeing or hearing from God in your situation, please don’t fear and give up hope. For He has faithfully promised to never leave nor forsake us, and He NEVER will. He’s probably just testing your faith.
And remember He has also promised to work all things out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called to His purpose. So just hang in there, trust completely and faithfully in the One who sacrificed His life for us on the cross of Calvary. As I keep asking, if Christ could do make a sacrifice of such magnitude on our behalf, then why wouldn’t He help us in our trying times eh? No reason whatsoever my people!
Therefore, as Bruh David says so eloquently and faithfully in our Bit: ‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be!
And why is that? Because as Bruh David says before our Bit: ‘Now I know that the Lord saveth his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one); he will hear (answer) him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.’ (Ps.20:6) And that’s no lie friends! Our God will save those who depend and rely on Him, because He has promised to do just that.
Now let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning way back when Moses was teaching the people how to live under God’s law. ‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.20:1-4)
Oh precious people of God, it couldn’t get any simpler or clearer than that! When we come up against our enemies, we must remember that it is our God who is there to fight for us and save us. That part of the equation is entirely in our hands; we must have the faith to believe it, before it comes to pass.
Now hear Cousin Sol: ‘There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord.’ (Prov.21:30-31) Glory be, my fellow believers!
As the scholars explain: ’21:31. Military preparedness is useless apart from the Lord, who really gives the victory.’ And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Mean while Isaiah declares: ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help: and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!’ (Is.31:1) Yeh friends, Isaiah is decrying the ones who would seek Egypt for help, when God, not Egypt is the One who will defend Judah.
And finally these truthful words of the psalmist: ‘There is no king saved by a multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy,
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps.33:16-22)
Ahh, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra to the world and all therein, proudly letting them know who and whose we are.
In loud voice and sincere belief: ‘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!’
Wow! What a blessed life we lead my brethren! Now let’s go out and share Jesus and His extraordinary LOVE with the rest of the world. Much LOVE!
…without hope, faith and trust…LOVE is impossible…
29 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, all up in arms, aura of love, be wise, bombarded, boost our spirits, bring us out safely, calm, calmed the stormy waves, Christians, confidence, dangerous, difficult circumstances, do business, enthusiasm, faithful promises, fearful, go down to the sea, great waters, guidance, haven, he makes the storm a calm, hold our hands, holy spirit, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, Lake Ontario, let God be God, lies, like drunken men, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mount up to heaven, no suffering, O ye of little faith, promised, protection, quiet the storms, rebuked the winds, reel to and fro, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, ride it our, rough times, salvation, save us, scared, see, see us through the storms, shivering of timbers, sincerity, sinless life, solve our problems, Son of Almighty God, spiritual armour, stagger, stay strong, steadfast faith, storm, strong voice, struggling, sweet jesus, testify, the sea obey him, the sea of Galilee, the waves are still, the works of the Lord, they are glad, truth, trying times, ungodly world, useful purpose, we perish, weary souls, wisdom
Psalm 107:29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Oh mih people, I know that this Monday morning as many of us are struggling to get up and go to work under difficult circumstances, we are also asking; ‘Wherefore art thou sweet Jesus?’ You can include me in that lot. (smile) That’s because we expect Jesus to solve our every problem without any suffering on our part, or at least a minor amount.
But He never promised that there wouldn’t be rough times. In fact, He told us to expect them, even if it’s only because we believe in Him. What He did promise is that He would see us through the storms of life, hold our hands, and bring us out safely on the other side.
So let’s not get all up in arms against our Lord and Saviour if we are experiencing trying times this morning. Instead let’s put all our confidence in Him, in His faithful promises. For if He gave up His sinless life for us, why wouldn’t He help us through our dark times eh? And to help boost our spirits, let’s declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with strong voice and nuff sincerity.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, it never ceases to amaze me how that prayer can cause the adrenaline to flow and our spirits to be lifted! So let’s be wise and ride it out nuh, do our thing for Jesus, whatever it may be, and stay strong under His protection and guidance, for He is the ONLY One who can truly protect us from the storms of life.
Hear this telling and truthful scripture from Psalm 107 – God’s wonderful works to the children of men – that includes our Bit. ‘They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end (all their wisdom is swallowed up).
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet: so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.’ (Ps.107:23-30)
Yuh see friends, the seafarers knew exactly what the psalmist was talking about, because they experienced it all the time. And I too can testify to that scripture, as I got caught out on the stormy Lake Ontario some years ago, and believe me, it was indeed a frightening scene.
Out in the middle of the lake in a relatively small boat, surrounded by four scared, drunken men. Only the skipper and I were sober, as the boat dangled up and down between the great waves. But obviously the Lord calmed the stormy waves, and I am still here to tell the story.
I thought I had seen bad storms on the ocean, but that one on Lake Ontario took the cake. As I’ve said before, I’d read about the shivering of timbers on a boat in a storm, but that fateful day I experienced it in living colour. And let me tell you, it wasn’t one I’d like to experience again.
And the best way to end today’s Bit is with this actual story of Jesus as he crossed the Sea of Galilee in a boat with His disciples. On the way over a violent storm arose, but Jesus didn’t budge, he remained asleep. However, the disciples were scared out of their minds and ‘came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matthew 8:25-27)
Oh my fellow believers, we shouldn’t have to ask that question because we ought to know whom Jesus is – The Son of Almighty God, who made the universe and all therein, therefore He has control over it all. Consequently, He can also quiet the storms in our lives, if we would just let Him. Much LOVE!
…let God be God…in your life…that’s the only wise way to live…
28 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a ruin, able to withstand, anchor our hearts, beauty, blast, by faith alone, Christian, common sense, confidence, counsels of old, dark night of the soul, depressed, discouraged, distress, dreams, emptiness, encourage, faithfulness, fall on our knees, fallen on my knees, fellowship, fortified, get closer to God, God proved his love to me, God's Word, good ship, gospel tune, grace, grains of sand, Great Tribulation, heat, his eyes are watching me, immortal words, in my hand, Lawrence Chewning, lead me on, LOVE, nnedy, old, on the open sea, palace of strangers, poor, praise, Ray Boltz, refuge from the storm, rejuvenation, rest, reverence, ruthless nations, sabbatical, sacrifice of our lips, safe harbour, sanctuary of God, shadow from the heat, sheltered bay, sight unknown, sincerity, sorrowful time, storm, storm-filled lives, strength, Sunday, take my hand, take refuge, testify to the truth, the anchor holds, the Lord has made, the raging seas, the sails are torn, the ship is battered, the storms of life, the terrible ones, therapeutic help, this is the day, true believer, truth, visions, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wisdom, worship, year of sorrows, young
Isaiah 25:4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Ah friends, we’re sailing on the good ship Sunday, towards the sanctuary of God, where we will fall on our knees and praise and worship Him, give Him innumerable thanks, exalt His holy name and glorify Him without ceasing!
Wow! What a time we will have in the sanctuary as we fellowship with each other, encourage each other, hear God’s word and bury it deep in our hearts, and souls, and eventually leave the sanctuary fortified with His strength and confidence, able to withstand whatever comes against us. And please remember the immortal words of the psalmist; this is the day the Lord hath made, let us all rejoice and be glad in it! That’s both wisdom and common sense friends!
And as always, we’ll open the proceedings with worship in sweet song. This morning we’ll sing a Christian Gospel tune titled ‘The Anchor Holds.’ It was originally written by a pastor, songwriter called Lawrence Chewning. Apparently the year of 1992 became known as the year of sorrows for him and his family.
One sorrow after another hit them and finally Lawrence, depressed and discouraged, was left burnt out, so he took a six month sabbatical from his pastoring duties and during that time began playing the piano more, in an attempt to get closer to God. In this sorrowful time he read stuff about the long dark night of the soul, when it seems you just can’t find God anywhere, and also experienced that emptiness for a while.
Then, one day, in his many hours of playing the piano, he discovered that he was writing a song, a song that was coming from deep down in his soul. It was so touching that it provided him with therapeutic help in his depression and discouragement. But the song was some ten minutes long. However, a couple of years later, he offered the song to his friend, Christian singer songwriter, Ray Boltz, who edited and recorded it and made it a hit.
Ah friends, ‘The Anchor Holds’ is one of my favourite Gospel songs because I can testify to the truth of those immortal words. And if you’re a true believer, so too can you. So let’s offer it up through the sacrifice of our lips now nuh, with appropriate reverence and heartfelt sincerity. In glorious harmony: ‘I have journeyed Through the long dark night Out on the open sea By faith alone Sight unknown And yet His eyes were watching me (Chorus: The anchor holds Though the ship is battered The anchor holds Though the sails are torn)
I have fallen on my knees As I faced the raging seas The anchor holds In spite of the storm I’ve had visions I’ve had dreams I’ve even held them in my hand But I never knew They would slip right through Like they were only grains of sand (Chorus) I have been young But I am older now And there has been beauty these eyes have seen But it was in the night Through the storms of my life Oh that’s where God proved His LOVE to me.
(Chorus: The anchor holds Though the ship is battered The anchor holds Though the sails are torn. Ohhh yes, The anchor holds Though the ship is battered The anchor holds Though the sails are torn).’
Ah mih people what words of truth and encouragement! And it’s only when we are going through a stormy period in life that we can write such heartfelt words. You’ll notice too, that it’s during the storm that God proves His wonderful and unconditional LOVE to us, more so than when the seas are calm and quiet.
Because that’s when we need Him the most, when we discover that our efforts are too puny to withstand the storm that’s bruising and battering us. And only when we take refuge in His safe harbour, when we allow Him to anchor our hearts and souls in the sheltered bay that’s His awesome LOVE and grace that we truly find rest and rejuvenation for our troubled, storm-filled lives.
Oh what a wonderful God is our God! No wonder in Isaiah’s song of praise by the redeemed the survivors of the Great Tribulation exalt the Lord, lift their voices in praise to God for His protection. ‘O Lord, thou art my God: I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city an heap (a ruin); of a defensed (fortified) city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built (rebuilt).
Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible (ruthless) nations shall fear thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.’ (Is.25:1-4)
Yeh friends, our God runs things; He controls it all. So in your time of need, who are you going to call eh, who are you going to run to for refuge? Almighty God, if you are wise! As the old reggae song says, ‘You’ll run to the rock for rescue, but there will be no rock.’ But if you run to the Creator of the universe, you’ll find Him ready, willing and able to offer help.
As Isaiah prophesies about Jerusalem’s glorious future. ‘And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow (shade) in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert (shelter) from the storm and from rain.’ (Is.4:6)
Oh friends, there’s no better place to hunker down in stormy times than under the wings of our heavenly Father, just like chicks hide under the mother hen’s wings when it rains, for under there we are guaranteed safe passage through the storms of life. Much LOVE!
…through the heartache…through the storm…take my hand precious Lord…lead me on…
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