14 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pain in the neck, At the cross, bathed in its own blood, Christ's sacrificial death, come unto the knowledge of truth, desires that all men be saved, gave himself a ransom for all, he groaned upon a tree, he hath made him to be sin for us, his soul in anguish stood, I received my sight, isaac watts, it was there by faith, now I'm happy all the day, sacrifice of praise, salvation, technological worshipping, thankful for small mercies, the burden of my heart rolled away, the debt of love I owe, the wages of sin is death, there is no remission, we might be made the righteousness of God in him, where I first saw the light, who knew no sin, without the shedding of blood
2 Corinthians 5:21. 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.
Snow, snow, go away, and come back some other day! (smile) That’s what we would all like this Sunday morning my brethren, but let’s be thankful for small mercies, namely that we don’t have to journey out in it to get to church to sing praises and worship our wonderful God. Yes, this virtual and technological worshipping is a pain in the neck, but it’s certainly better than no worship at all.
So to show our thanks let’s begin by belting out this marvelous old hymn with lyrics by Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) and the chorus by Ralph E. Hudson (1843-1901) Yes friends, we talking about ‘At the Cross.’ What a wonderful hymn, for it speaks to our most wonderful gift; SALVATION! Glory be!
Let’s celebrate in song, our two blessed occasions nuh; when Christ was crucified for our sake and when we found Him and made Him our Lord and Saviour. Now, in an easy rocking tempo, with joy resounding from every note and word, let’s allow our sincere sacrifice of praise to be heard all over the world, and also in high heaven.
(Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) ‘Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!)
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine— And bathed in its own blood— While the firm mark of wrath divine, His Soul in anguish stood. (Refrain) Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree! (Refrain) Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.
(Refrain) Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears, Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. (Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give my self away ’Tis all that I can do. At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day! Now I am happy all the day…happy all the day…happy all the day…’
Oh my people, if you’re not happy all the day, then you don’t truly believe! Why you ask? Simply becauseour salvation was certainly earned at the Cross, for as the Good Book says: ‘For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Rom. 3:23) And what’s the consequence of sin? The Good Book also spells it out quite clearly. ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
And how is death changed into life? The Good Book also has the answer for that. ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without (the) shedding of blood (there) is no remission (forgiveness). (Heb. 9:22) That means friends, that all sinners were condemned to death from the very beginning of their lives because no animal or human blood was able to pay for us to have life anew. That could only be attained by the shedding of the blood of a sinless soul, and Jesus was the ONLY One around who could lay claim to that characteristic.
So what did Almighty God in His divine wisdom and incalculable LOVE do? ‘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. 5:21) Yes my people, God placed ALL of our sin on Jesus, so that He could pay the price for ALL sin for ALL time! Christ was guiltless and sinless, but the Father LOVED us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son for us. Oh my bredrin, which one of us would have given up our only son to be a sacrifice for a bunch of ingrates eh? None of us would have willingly done it, like the Father did!
So we should just be thankful and jump for joy and just fall all over ourselves to do Jesus’ bidding! Can you imagine the ‘sufferation’ He underwent on our behalf; the flogging, the crown of thorns on his head, the nails in His hands and feet, the spear in His side, crucified naked, the mocking, the shame, the resentment and hate that was thrown His way…all on our behalf? As the hymn says about Jesus bruised and battered body ‘bathed in its own blood…His soul in anguish stood…for crimes that I had done…’ Steups! Then we get up and spout a whole lot of foolishness and don’t take the whole thing as seriously as we ought.
And simple eyes-water is not good enough. Why? ‘But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away ‘Tis all that I can do.’ Yes friends, we can never repay Jesus’ sacrifice, the best that we can do is surrender our lives to Him and worship Him as our Lord and Saviour, LOVE Him with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, being ever so thankful for His saving grace. And John puts it thus in his first epistle. ‘And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2)
That means Christ’s sacrificial death satisfied the Father’s requirement, the justice needed to pay for sin, now and for all time. What more can we ask eh? And some of us might be wondering why the Lord did all of that? Bruh Paul explained it to Timothy. ‘Who will (desires to) have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.’ (1 Tim. 2:4-6)
Yes my fellow saints in Christ, Jesus’ sacrifice was proof that the Father wanted ALL to be converted. So he’s done His part, the rest is now up to us. Much LOVE!
…the foot of the cross…the best place to find Jesus…and lay your burdens down…
13 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a matter of maturity, Attitude is a choice, Beauty for Ashes, Blessed are the peacemakers, blind belief in authority, but oh so rewarding, can dispossess the child of God, characteristics that believers in Jesus should espouse, don't see the newly opened one, Donald Trump, exult, for my sake, for the spirit of heaviness, Friend Anselm, from glory to glory, gospel truth, great is your reward in heaven, Happiness is a choice, hateful and resentful division in the U.S, If God is real, if heaven is to be gained, if the Bible is true, it is tough living for Jesus, jubilation, Kindness is a choice, look so long at the closed door, LOVE, lying and deceitful rhetoric, my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness, no temporary earthly trouble, of growing in faith, Optimism is a choice, persecuted for righteousness sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, Respect is a choice, say all manner of evil falsely against you, Sermon on the Mount, so persecuted they the prophets before yo, the Beatitudes, the children of God, the eternal destiny of all things, the garment of praise, the greatest enemy of truth, the indispensable absolute truth, the inner state of mind and heart, the oil of joy for mourning, the pleasures of a late night, the prospect of eternal glory, the travesty of an early morning, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, true Christian discipleship, whatever you choose choose wisely, when men shall revile you, when one door of happiness closes
Matthew 5:12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Oh friends, this lazy, hazy, bleak looking Saturday morning in the winter of 2021 has begun a tad rough on the ole fella. (smile) Ah the pleasures of a late night…but the travesty of an early morning. But as the ole people would say, when you do not listen you will feel, and believe me, I am feeling now. (smile) But that’s neither here nor there, God’s work needs to be done, and I know that He will give me the strength and wisdom to do it in a good and sound manner. Why? Because He has faithfully promised: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor. 12:9a)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord told Bruh Paul after he had complained for the third time about a nagging and uncomfortable body problem. And that’s the promise He makes to all of us who are weak and pained; in our pain and weakness His strength and glory are shown forth. Please remember that in those times when you feel weak and in pain; the Lord’s grace will show out in you if you turn to Him in all sincerity. Enough preaching now though. And I know you’re thankful for that. (smile)
Let’s see what our friend Anselm had to say in his quotes this past week. And the first one, makes this dramatic statement. ‘Blind belief in authority is the greatest enemy of truth.’ Now that statement does have a lot of truth in it, but whether it’s the greatest enemy of truth, I don’t know. And we do have an exceptionally good recent example of it; the crowds of Americans who listened to the lying and deceitful rhetoric of Donald Trump and the other high up, powerful but oh so deceitful crooks around him, and blindly believed in the lies and deceits they so blatantly spouted. That is what has caused the wide, unamicable split, the hateful and resentful division we now have in the U.S. of A.
So blind belief in authority does carry serious negative problems to overall truth. And the second quote proudly proclaims: ‘Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.’ And you really can’t find any problems with that statement nuh my people, for it’s totally true. All those characteristics are choices that one must make if you want to embrace them.
And furthermore, they are all characteristics that the believer in Jesus Christ ought to espouse, because they are all a part of his philosophy, a part of His wonderful gospel! That means choices are an invaluable part of our life, we can’t get away from them, but the essence of the whole thing is that we must be sure to choose wisely, for unwise decisions usually cause, or bring dire consequences, even life-changing, lifetime ones. And having said that, I would be amiss not to tell us that the best choice we can ever make in this life is to believe in Jesus Christ, make him our Lord and Saviour and follow him from now until eternity!
And interestingly enough, that last quote segues nicely into this next one. ‘When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow saints in Christ! Although we know that when the Lord closes one door He usually opens another, we get so caught up in what we might have lost, that we fail to realize and recognize the better things that the Lord is offering in the new situation.
I guess that’s just a normal human reflex action. We miss the good things we lose, more than we look forward to the better things that are ahead. But let’s not beat up ourselves over that fact nuh because mourning and grief over the lost all takes time. But we do have to make sure that we don’t make that sad time too long since it would just break us up even further. Remember the Lord doesn’t close doors on us, unless he has better ones to open. And when those doors close in future, let’s contemplate the promise He made to His people, Israel, through the prophet Isaiah so long ago; ‘to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’ (Is: 61:3)
But as sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘You can’t get the beauty until you give up the ashes.’ And that’s oh so true. We have to turn away from the closed door, though it may be sad and hard, else we’ll never see the newly opened one. It’s all a matter of maturity, of growing in God’s Spirit, of being lifted up from glory to glory!
And the last quote trumpets this eternal truth: ‘Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.’ And yes, that’s an indisputable fact! If mankind would only change its evil, wicked, inhumane and unjust ways, this world would be such a wonderful place! But I guess that’s never going to happen, at least until Jesus sets up His kingdom here on earth.
In the meanwhile though, He expects his faithful and sincere followers to exhibit those magnificent tendencies of truth, compassion, honesty and justice, and to stand up forcefully against the powers of greed, inhumanity, injustice and all the other negative things that make life so difficult for so much of mankind. And I believe the best way to close today is with some memorable words of Jesus taken from His Sermon on the Mount., the opening of His earthly ministry.
And it’s worthwhile to note that He began with the Beatitudes, statements that the scholars explain ‘deal with the inner state of mind and heart that is the indispensable absolute truth of true Christian discipleship. It delineates the outward manifestations of character and conduct of true believers and genuine disciples… It’s a life of grace and glory, which comes from God alone.’
So let’s listen to these last few Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.’ (Matt. 5:9-12)
Oh friends, it is tough living for Jesus, but oh so rewarding. Hear the scholars as they explain just why living for Jesus is the most glorious thing we can do in this life. ‘5:12. Rejoice is the command that grows out of the blessedness of the believer. The phrase “Rejoice and be exceeding glad,” means even more, exult (triumph, jubilation)! Great is your reward in heaven focusses attention on the eternal destiny of all things. If God is as real as He claims, if the Bible is true, if heaven is to be gained, then no temporary earthly trouble or persecution can dispossess the child of God of joy in the prospect of the eternal glory that lies ahead.’
Let’s think on that nuh this Saturday my precious people. Much LOVE!
…blessed are those who believe in Jesus…and follow His example…
12 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith, amidst all the confusion, be of good cheer, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, distress, don't give up, drive me crazy, every tongue that speaks ill of us, facing uphill battles, faith is belief in action, faithful believers, famine, Friday chant, I am persuaded, I give up, i have overcome the world, in all these things, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, keep walking in His awesome love, money in short supply, nakedness, neither death, no job, no weapon formed against us will prosper, nor angels, nor life, nothing has changed, obey the rules, omnipotent help, our sinful world, persecution, racial strife, raise our faith, reassure us of the goodness of God, sending the children back to school, separate us from the love of God, talk to the Lord, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the only way to handle difficulties, the ordinary workingman, the virus still running rampant, these things I have spoken unto you, things too conflicting, through him that loved us, tribulation, unrest in the streets, unused faith is a waste of time, use the pandemic, wake up and smell the coffee, walked with Christ beside you, walking with Christ, we are more than conquerors, we still on lockdown, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us.
Welcome to Friday; somewhat snowy and blustery, but all a part of the winter system. Hope I think so when I have to go out the street later. (smile) So how’s your day going so far eh? I hope for those of you in my time zone it’s begun on a good note, and for those of you whose day is almost ending, hoping that you had a good one, despite whatever difficulties you encountered, as you walked with Christ beside you all the way.
Oh my people, I shouldn’t have to remind us, but I will, (smile) that walking with Christ is the ONLY way to handle, to mitigate some of the troubles and difficulties we’ll experience in this evil and dangerous world. Remember Jesus promised that we’d have problems, but once we’re walking with him, things would be all right. Here’s what He said: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes friends, we all know that scripture, but do we really consider it when hard times come against us? That is the question. Do we remember promises like that when we’re facing uphill battles and need reassurance? I hope so, because that’s what those scriptures are for; to reassure us of the goodness of God and His promise to work things out eventually for the good of all those who LOVE Him, and sincerely try to do His will.
So please, I implore us, in these rough and uncertain times, to keep the promises of our God front and centre in our lives, so we can use them to raise our faith and keep walking in His awesome and amazing LOVE! Otherwise, our supposed faith is just a waste of time. It doesn’t make sense having faith if you don’t use it positively. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s see what the ordinary workingman has to say today nuh. And he is somewhat crochety. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes, and I’m still alive, though just barely. And I don’t know what you all expect me to say nuh. Nothing has changed in the last little while; we still on lockdown, I still don’t have no job, money in short supply, the virus an’ them still running rampant all over the world…So what new thing all yuh expect me to say eh?
Oh, they thinking about sending some of the children back to school…when? I don’t know, and don’t really understand why everybody want them to go back to school. If big people can’t handle the situation, how yuh expect children to handle it in such crowed schools like we have eh?
Steups! I just give up yes! Things too conflicting, yuh getting all sorts of different information from different people, and everybody claiming that theirs is the truth. So what’s an ordinary body to do eh? I don’t know about nobody else nuh, but me, I’m just going to keep me peace, and do the best I can with what I have. That is provided this lock up home situation don’t drive me crazy before we get the situation under control. Until then, I’ll just have to thank God and ask Him to keep me and mine safe oui.’
Ah mih bredrin, I think that’s the best advice for all of us yes; don’t give up, obey the rules as best we can, don’t put ourselves in any untenable situations, and talk to the Lord in all sincerity about the situation. It’s all in His hands friends, and He’s promised that this too shall pass, and also that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that speaks ill of us will be condemned. (Is. 54:17)
And Bruh Paul has also reminded us of our divine heritage with these words. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom. 8:35, 37-39) And all of God’s children said a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
Yes friends, I do hope that we are all truly persuaded that NOTHING will separate us from God’s LOVE, because if we don’t, then our faith is again a waste of time and crapaud will smoke we pipe. And having said all that, let’s do the first thing we ought to do each and every day, and when we are in troubled times, turn to God in sincere prayer. And some of you might be wondering why I keep talking about sincerity, but that’s simply because the Lord doesn’t just hear our words, but checks the motives, the sincerity of our hearts before He considers our requests.
So with sincere hearts (smile) let’s lift up our Friday Chant to heaven. As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And now that we’ve shown our hearts to be sincere, let’s show the world that we are truly faithful believers in Christ Jesus and handle the situation as we ought to! Much LOVE!
…faith is belief in action…so let’s get some serious action going nuh…to show some serious faith…
11 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a marathon race, a new day, at the right hand of the throne of God, clothing, courage, creativity, curse, despising the shame, divine protection, embrace all the promises of God, enables us to run our race, endurance, endured the cross, euphoria, examples of the champions, excessive body weight, faint in your minds, favour, finished the course, focus on Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, gain a strength and sense of purpose, give God some thanks and praises, heroes of faith, I want to jump and shout for joy, is set down, it feels so good to be alive, Jesus blazed the trail, Jesus is the best example, lay aside every weight, lest ye be wearied, let us run with patience, lift us from glory to glory, living by faith, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, negative word, promotion, prosper, rise to a higher level of humanity, seeing we are compassed, sing praises to my Lord and Saviour, so great a cloud of witnesses, succeed, the author and finisher of our faith, the extraordinary feeling, the feeling of peace and calm, the race that is set before us, the sin which so easily ensnares us, Thursday Blessings
Hebrews 12:1b. …let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.
It’s a new day people, so graciously granted to us by our heavenly Father, so let’s give Him some thanks and praise for it nuh, and promise to enjoy it to the fullest, while doing His awesome will! Yes friends, it feels so good to be alive on this Thursday morning, that despite all my difficulties, I still want to jump and shout for joy and sing praises to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! Hope you are also experiencing the same extraordinary feeling, because it is not a normal emotion that the world, that unbelievers can experience.
That feeling of peace and calm, of LOVE and goodwill to our fellow beings, even when we are in the midst of a dreadful storm ourselves! And that feeling of euphoria, even in the darkest times is only possible when Jesus has first place in our lives. When we focus on Him, our lives take on a different quality, we rise to a higher level of humanity, we gain a strength and sense of purpose that enables us to run the race that our Creator has set out for us.
Yes friends, when we embrace all the promises that our God has made down through the ages, we are then able to rise to the occasion, and allow Him to lift us from glory to glory, ever becoming more faithful and Christlike as we live this earthly life. And these awesome words from the Good Book epitomize all that I’m saying. The author of Hebrews, which resonate like the words of Bruh Paul, but which some scholars doubt, gives us this news of great assurance about running our race.
‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance) the race that is set before us.’ (Heb. 12:1) And I guess it’s only appropriate that I enclose the lengthy, but excellent explanation the scholars provide on that verse, so that we will get the real meaning and understand it perfectly. (smile)
‘12:1. The present exhortation to run finds its basis in the examples of the champions mentioned in chapter eleven. These heroes of the faith are like a cloud of witnesses. As “witnesses” (Gr. marturon) they are sometimes regarded as spectators (Gr. theatai) or as martyrs; yet the Greek word should be understood as referring simply to those who testify or witness. The emphasis is on the witness provided by their living by faith.
This race of faith is described by three modifying statements. First, it is to be run by laying aside every weight. This refers to impediments that weigh one down, whether clothing or excessive body weight. These things are not inherently wrong, but for the diligent runner, or the faithful Christian they must be removed.
Second, it is to be run by putting off the entangling sin. This seems to refer to the one sin above all others that defeats a Christian. This may be a different sin for each individual. Third, it is to be run with patience (Gr. hypomones). Since patience is not an attribute commonly associated with running, this word would be better translated as endurance. Endurance and persistence have been on the author’s mind since the end of chapter 10 (cf. 10:32, 36-38, 11:13).’
There you have it friends, our race is all about faith, learning from the faithful exploits of those who have gone before us and setting glorious examples, glorious witness and testimony for those who are coming after us. And remember our race is not a sprint, but a marathon, and those require much endurance and strength, both physical and spiritual, that’s why we need to practice, and practice seriously if we truly desire to win our individual races. And friends, the ability to do that is certainly enhanced when Jesus is our focus, cause remember we can do all things through Him, who strengthens us.
Thus, the second verse of Hebrews 12 boldly continues: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) Oh my people, that verse is key, for it is Jesus who began our faith and completed the first race in it.
And the scholars declare it thus: ‘12:2. Just as verse 1 establishes some qualities for the entrance into and the actual running of life’s race, so verse 2 directs one’s eyes to the finish line. Jesus is the author and finisher in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’
That makes Him the best example to follow in running our race. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin.’ (Heb. 12:3-4)
And the scholars explain: ‘12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.’ Make no doubt about that my brethren! Jesus is the example that our heavenly Father wants us to emulate. Yes, He knows that it won’t be easy, but that’s why He has blessed us so profusely with all the parts and trappings to be successful.
And let’s thank our lucky stars, or should I say, our heavenly Father, (smile) that very few of us will have to undergo and endure the sad and brutal punishment that Jesus endured for our sinful sakes. That means we need to show gratitude by putting our best foot forward in supporting and promoting His wonderful cause. And He’s so magnificent and magnanimous that He’s even given us the tools to help us do His work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. Wow! So let’s remind ourselves of them as we go home this bright but cold Thursday morning nuh.
As one strong, confident but humble voice. ‘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 every day! Amen!’
And having declared them, let’s now go out, or stay in, or whatever, and share them with others, use them to benefit others, just as magnanimously as Christ has done with and for us. Much LOVE!
…the Lord knew we needed help in witnessing…that’s why He provided so many good examples…the best being Jesus…
10 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be careful for nothing, come to God by faith, conflicting information, deflect the fiery darts of the enemy, endure to the end, follow the rules, halfway home, hands are on the plough, hard to develop confidence, I am the way the truth and the life, let not your heart be troubled, more powerful than a two-edged sword, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my peace I give unto you, new variants, no human being is at peace, not as the world giveth, not knowing when it will end, not looking back at the past, Peace i leave with you, praying sincerely for al the saints, put on the whole armour of God, return to normal, sandals of peace, second wind, shall keep your hearts and minds, stand, struggling in all categories of life, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the breath of life, the helmet of salvation, the mighty word of God, the Number One Mover and Shaker, the peace of God, the Prince of Peace, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, through Christ Jesus, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, which passeth all understanding, with thanksgiving, Yahweh
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid.
And then it was Wednesday, that invaluable mid-week day, that gives us our second wind, that is, when many of us had jobs to go to. But sadly, nowadays, jobs are few and far between compared to what they were a year ago. And many of us are struggling in all categories of life; financial, emotional, mental…and what have you.
But what’s truly worrisome is not knowing, having no idea whatsoever when the situation will end and return to some sort of normal. It’s not so bad when we have something, a defined timeline to look forward to, but with the ensuing confusion of continuing infections, new variants of the virus, plus shortages of vaccines and all kinds of conflicting information it’s hard to develop any confidence in the eventual outcome.
So what are we to do eh? The best thing seems to be to follow the rules laid out by the government, remember they are for our safety and protection, ignoring them isn’t going to help, regardless of what the naysayers say. It’s only going to make you more vulnerable to whatever illness is out there. Please look at the many people who didn’t believe the virus was real then caught it. Many died, but the blessed ones that survived, now have a different, more sensible, perspective on the whole situation. Please don’t wait to contract the virus before you get sensible.
And while taking the necessary precautions, put your faith in Christ Jesus, or try and raise it to a higher level, and then stand! Stand strong by putting on the armour of Christ found in Ephesians 6:13-18; namely the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, with sandals of peace on your feet, the helmet of salvation on your head, the shield of faith in one hand to deflect the fiery darts of the enemy, and the sword of the Spirit, the mighty word of God, more powerful than a two-edged sword, in the other hand, then praying sincerely for all the saints.
Yes mih bredrin, you need to stand firm in your belief and faith in these dangerous and trying times, because whatever happens, Jesus will still be there when the world finds some kind of relief from our present adversity. Glory be my people! That’s the ONE constant we have in this world my friends: JESUS! YAHEWEH! IMMANUEL! The PRINCE of PEACE! And if you don’t have Him in your life, then you are missing out on the most amazing situation possible in this life.
Oh friends, if you don’t know Jesus as the Number One Mover and Shaker in your life then you are missing out big time! Why is that you ask? Simply because we were not made for this earth but for heaven, and you can only get to heaven through Jesus. As He so truthfully proclaimed to His disciples: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) And you better had believe that, for regardless of your wealth and accomplishments in this world, there will always be an unsatisfied part of you until you receive Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of your life.
As St. Augustine reputedly said: ‘No human being is really at peace until he has come to God by faith.’ And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren. Until Christ fills up that li’l space in your soul that the Lord, your Creator made especially for His presence, you will never know true peace. And what’s true peace you ask? Well it’s the peace of Jesus obviously. Hear how Jesus states it nuh: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Wow mih people! Yuh see that’s an entirely different kind of peace than what this crazy, evil and disaster filled world gives! And Bruh Paul said it this way to the church at Philippi: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) And though it’s not always easy to do, do it we must, if we are to achieve godly success.
Now here are some important explanations from the scholars on those two verses. ‘4:6. Be careful for nothing means “don’t worry about anything.’ The Lord’s nearness (vs. 5b) leads Paul to forbid his readers from worrying. This is no summons to irresponsibility or an invitation to dismiss legitimate concern. The solution to undue anxiety is prayer in every thing, “in any matter of life.” The way to be free of anxiety is to be prayerful about everything. While God is eager to hear our requests, they are to be accompanied with thanksgiving.’ And so they should be my fellow saints in Christ.
‘4:7. The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it. Shall keep means “shall guard.” This is a military term for a sentinel standing guard duty. As Philippi was guarded by a Roman garrison, and its citizens were accustomed to seeing soldiers protecting the city, this word would be especially appreciated by the readers.’
And it should also be greatly appreciated by us too my people, because in these dark and dreadful times we do need to have a higher power guarding us. So friends, I sincerely hope that I have given us some good food for thought with these few words (smile). Now let’s sit down and ponder the ramifications of them all nuh, and hopefully we’ll all get sensible, see the wisdom in them and wisely and enthusiastically reach out for Jesus and all the wonderful things He brings to a soul that accepts Him as its Lord and Saviour.
And for those of us who have already decided on that line of action, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Wow! What a position!
So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 we all know that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or even imagine! Much LOVE!
…if it’s true peace you’re seeking…then Jesus Christ is the ONLY place you’ll find it…
09 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comparative scenario, a teacher of the Gentiles, against that day, and now abideth faith hope love, are freely - inseparably mine, artificial intelligence, become lazy and standards fall, disobedient degenerates, earthly life, eternal salvation, for I know whom I have believed, God won't allow any interlopers, he is able to keep, His thoughts toward me, I am persuaded, I do know, in god's eyes, in that critical stage right now, inscribed me. in the palms of your hands, lazy and pampered, lose our minds bodies and souls, love your God with all you have, Love your neighbour as yourself, now and throughout all eternity, One Year Book of Bible promises, our relationship with God, our robot friends, pandemic difficulties, prosperous and successful, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love with the world, start manipulating us, technological society, that which I have committed unto him, the beloved of God, the greatest of these is love, the history of mankind, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, thoughts of kindness and mercy, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra
2 Timothy 1:12a. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
Well a good Tuesday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family. It’s a tad snowy, but not too bad. And we need to remember that it’s winter in my neighbourhood and that’s what happens in winter; it gets cold and it snows. (smile) And I’m happy to say that after a couple of weeks and much dinero, I’m back on my desktop in my basement office again. But chuh! It’s taken a long while to set it back up. Ah, this technological society eh? It will be the ruin of us, in more ways than one, especially when our A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) gets so good that our robot friends start manipulating us, instead of the other way around.
Yes friends, at some stage of the game, we’re going to get so lazy and pampered by all the stuff that A.I does for us that we’ll completely lose our minds, bodies and souls to it. It’s already happening. I see it when I send messages on What’s App, I don’t have to type in everything, like they read my mind, and on some things they are even more accurate than me. (smile)
Now there is a comparative scenario, our relationship with our God, our Creator. The big difference here is that God is very vigilant and protective of His realm and won’t allow any interlopers whatsoever. So though we try, like Satan did, to use Him for our own ends, it won’t work. He might allow us some leeway, but take over, NO WAY Jose!
We, on the other hand, want to just relax and enjoy life as easily as possible, so every day we are turning over some of our power to other sources. This in no way augurs good for the future, for as the ole people would say, when you don’t use it, you lose it. And that’s gospel truth my people. When we don’t use our faculties we lose them, they keep diminishing until they atrophy completely.
But that’s the history of mankind, of the many powerful and wise societies that have inhabited our planet. Once they get prosperous and successful, they become lazy and their standards fall…and keep falling until the society is no longer a powerhouse or of any international importance. And we are in that critical stage right now, the only difference being that we are inventing machines, not people, to take over. And with the pandemic difficulties and the host of other problems in our world, I don’t know what the eventual outcome will be.
But friends, there is some stuff ‘I Do Know.’ And that’s the title of the poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I know that you also know these things, so please declare them with me. ‘There is much I cannot begin to fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God.
But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists. I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands. I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know.’
Oh my people, I do hope that we know that we know those things yes, else we’re completely lost, now and forever! If we don’t know the Father’s wonderful and unconditional LOVE, not confidently or consistently steeped in it, then we can’t be a part of the Son’s awesome life, or experience the amazing power of the Holy Spirit. Yes friends, it all begins with the LOVE of the Father, Him wanting to justly reclaim and reconcile us to Himself, then flows through to the other two aspects of our triune Deity.
And we see that so plainly in the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) That’s oh so important to know and believe my friends, for it truly shows the extent of God’s LOVE for His disobedient creation. And I don’t know why it’s so hard for some of us to believe in God’s mighty LOVE nuh, for why else would He send His Son to die on the cross for a bunch of disobedient degenerates eh? It had to be LOVE, the greatest emotion in His arsenal.
How did Bruh Paul put it to the church at Corinth? ‘And now abideth faith, hope, LOVE, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.’ (1 Cor. 13:13) And so it is my brethren. That’s why Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to LOVE your God with all you have, and to LOVE your neighbour as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-40)
But coming back to the poem above and what we do know, Bruh Paul says it quite assuredly in the Bible Promise that’s associated with the poem. This is his assurance to Timothy. ‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Oh my fellow believers, we too need to be that assured, not ashamed and very persuaded (smile) that whatever we’ve committed to Jesus, our earthly life, as well as our eternal salvation, that He can keep and guard them to the day when we stand before Him in judgment. That’s the great difference between believers and unbelievers; we are assured that Christ can do all that He says!
And Peter tells us thus: ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19) Wow, mih bredrin! If our Creator isn’t LOVING and faithful, who is then eh? And because we know whom we have believed and are not ashamed of, we can go home declaring (aw shucks) who and whose we are through our Tuesday Mantra.
Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So let’s go and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…if you are ashamed…and not assured…then you don’t truly believe…
P.S. Not all my fault that it’s late. I also had a doctor’s telephone consultation thrown into the mix. And as wonderful believers, I know you all understand. (smile) Much LOVE!
08 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and have good success, answer our prayers, as I was with Moses, be strong and of a good courage, be thou strong and very courageous, but of power love and a sound mind, day and night, divided, ease their suffering, fear not, forgive us, God has not given us a spirit of fear, grace and mercy, have I not commanded thee, heal our land, hear our prayer, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, Jehovah Rapha, mass confusion, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, more evil than the evil one, more hateful than the unbelievers, more interested in the things of the world, omnipotent god, our Father who art in heaven, resentful, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sincere repentance, sincerely living for God, so will I be with thee, standing in faith, the basic necessities are in short supply, the God who heals, the Lord thy God goeth before thee, the Lord thy God is with thee, the Lord's faithfulness, the weekly work cycle, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, this book of the law, thou shalt meditate therein, to do according to all the law, to the right hand or to the left, turn not from it, turned everything topsy-turvy, when we humble ourselves, when will the pandemic end, wise guidance and direction
Joshua 1:5. As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
And the weekly work cycle begins again…for those who have jobs that is, and are not sick from the Covid-19 virus. What a way Monday has changed in the last year eh? Back then we would wake up grouchy and miserable, annoyed that we had to go to work in the cold, winter morning. But today, although we are still waking up miserable and grouchy on a Monday morning, (smile) it’s for very different reasons.
Now we’re wondering when the pandemic will end, do we still have a job, will we be able to work from home so we can escape the virus? On top of all that, money, food, clothing and the basic necessities are in short supply, so many of us are also very anxious about how we will get through this day. Yeh friends, what a difference a year makes! The pandemic has turned everything topsy-turvy, upside down, and many of us don’t know if we’re coming or going.
But we believers in Christ Jesus ought to know that, for from way back when, our wonderful and omnipotent God has promised never to leave nor forsake us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to His word. When Moses was about to die, he spoke these encouraging and reassuring words to the people of Israel. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them (your enemies): for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6)
And Moses commissioned Joshua to be the new leader, calling him in front of all the people, and saying unto him. ‘Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the Lord hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit. 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.’ (Deut. 31:7-8)
Yes friends, Joshua and the people were encouraged by Moses of the Lord’s faithfulness towards His chosen people. And so should we be also encouraged in the Lord, because we are His children through adoption because we believe in His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What amuses me though, but also encourages me, is how the Lord also spoke to Joshua after Moses died, promising that He would be with him just like he was with Moses, and nobody would stand up against him all his life. ‘As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5)
That just shows how important the situation was to the Lord. But then He issued some direct warnings to Joshua, amongst them this reiterated one: ‘Be strong and of a good courage…Only be thou strong and very courageous to do according to all the law…turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth: but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written there: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:6-8)
Oh my people, that is the basic foundation of our faith: meditating on God’s word and obeying it! That’s how we become successful and prosperous. But just like the Israelites back then, we’re not obeying God’s command, so no wonder we’re not prosperous and successful. And just for good measure, the Lord pounded it Joshua’s head one more time. ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
Oh friends, oh friends, how often must the Lord pound it into our heads too, before we begin to follow His commands eh? Look at the state of Christianity nuh! We’re more evil than the evil one, if that’s possible, more divided, resentful and hateful than the unbelievers. Not reading and meditating on the Good Book sufficiently, more interested in the things of the world than the things of God! Yet we expect to be successful. Steups! Now here’s this scripture that puts it in a nutshell. The words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
Yes my fellow saints, that’s what our wonderful God has given us; power, LOVE, and discipline, the basic things we need to be victorious, along with knowing and keeping His word. So let’s wise up nuh, bring our ways and lives into agreement with His word and will, so that we can be successful and prosperous. And the first step in doing that is turning to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, sincerely pouring out our hearts, seeking grace and mercy.
So altogether, in confident voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now we have to seriously read, meditate and live according to God’s word, if we want to be successful and prosperous. Much LOVE!
…real success and prosperity…only come from sincerely living for God…
07 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about the tough rows that I've hoed, be in good health, because my cup has overflowed, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessings, bring forth fruit in old age, cause I'm happy anyhow, children of God, divine wisdom, Drinking from my Saucer, fat and and flourishing, grow like a cedar in Lebanon, he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, her leaf shall be green, I don't worry about that much, I'm reaping better than I sow, I've got a friend in jesus, I've never made a fortune, in the name of Jesus, in the presence of mine enemies, Javed, Javenius Walker, Lord hlep me not to grumble, LOVE, may I never be too busy, my cup runneth over, my faith wore sometimes thin, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, never give up, prosper, put our trust in God, seek after righteousness, shall not be careful in the year of drought, shall not see when heat comes, sometimes the going's rouch, spreadeth out her roots by the river, that makes me rich enough, the Lord is upright, the Lord's Day, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, there is no unrighteousness in him, thou anointest my head with oil, thou preparest a table before me, time for giving thanks and praise, time for worship, to help others bear their load, whose hope the Lord is
Psalm 23:5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.
Sunday morning, Sunday morning; time for worship, time for giving thanks and praise on the Lord’s Day! And though it’s still only through technological means with no physical gathering, we don’t care, because we can worship our wonderful God through virtual reality just as well as in person…well, it does lack something, (smile) but it serves the purpose. It’s definitely better than no worship at all. So let’s get right to some praiseful singing. And this morning’s song is one we did some time ago, that I find so glorious and true. It’s something done by the artist called Javed, (Javenius Walker) and titled ‘Drinking From My Saucer.’
Wow! I wonder how many of you remember when tea was served in cups with saucers to hold the overflow or spillage. And sometimes when the tea was too hot, you’d pour it into to your saucer and drink it from that, as it would cool faster on the broader surface. You couldn’t put out a cup without a matching saucer. But that was many moons ago. Children nowadays don’t even know what’s a saucer. Anyway, that’s where the idea for this song comes from. So in a rich, soulful, sincere voice of sacrificial praise, let’s sing.
‘Intro: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts souls, bodies and minds. It’s to Your throne we come, with praise and thanksgiving for your many blessings. (Verse: I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably not Too Late Now, Oh, but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again, So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed.’
(Monologue: ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’
(Verse: And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough, I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed… ‘
Oh friends, indeed our cups have overflowed with the many blessings that the Lord has showered down on us His children! And if we refuse to acknowledge that, then we’re unworthy to be called children of God! I know I’ve been so blessed, that if I only open my mouth to complain the Lord will just take them away, because I have no reason whatsoever for complaining, although complaining is something we do so well in our wealthy society.
And I just LOVE the words of the song. They are simple, but truthful and right to the point. So even if I’m not wealthy in personal possessions, that doesn’t bother me, because I’m still happy. And as believers, we don’t need worldly riches to make us happy, at least we ought not to. (smile) And anyway, as we go along the sometimes rough paths of life, with Jesus as our friend, we usually reap more and better than we sow.
That’s why Bruh David could write so emphatically in Psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd. ‘Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over.’ (Ps, 23:5) Yes mih people, when we walk sincerely with Jesus, that’s the kind of life we enjoy. It’s not easy, but it’s oh so rewarding and adventurous!
I’m also reminded there of these awesome verses in Psalm 92, where it talks about the righteous man: ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing (plump and green); To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps. 92:12-15)
Now why would we want to be anything other than righteous eh? And as the song further states, when things go wrong and our faith ebbs, as we pray and remember the promises of our wonderful God and all that He’s done for us in the past, suddenly the dark clouds break and the sun peeps through and our lives once more return to some semblance of normalcy, but with a stronger anointing of faith!
And this magnificent and reassuring scripture from Jeremiah, says it in spades. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Even more reason to be righteous and trust in the Lord!
So my fellow saints, in these tough and trying times, let’s promise to seek after righteousness nuh, like Jesus desires of us; put out trust in God, help others bear their load in His name, and not grumble and complain when things get a li’l tough, as they will occasionally do. That way we will always be assured of drinking from our saucers, because our cups are overflowing with divine blessings. That’s divine wisdom! Much LOVE!
…God’s children don’t run down blessings…blessings run them down…
06 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a part of the problem, an insurrectionist, be in full possession of all the facts, be in the world, be of good cheer, be very careful in our criticism, but not of the world, can lead a lot of people astray, chosen the side of the oppressor, Christ has overcome the world, consider ways to right the wrongs, disinformation, disturbing the rulers' easy life, draw your own conclusions, for my name's sake, for this reason, half tuths, has been resurrected, he hath showed thee, hearsay, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually, I love T&T more than any other country, if they have persecuted me, it is dangerous to be right, labelled a traitor, learn to do good, lies, like o social media, look to Jesus, LOVE, love mercy, morally treasonable to the T&T public, neutral in situations of injustice, never know the full story, no criticism of the Prime Minister, not a part of the solution, our friend Anselm, our sense of injustice should rise up, pass over judgement, plead for the wido, release the captive slaves, right is always stronger than might, right or wrong, Scrip-Bit friends and family, seek justice, the aplomb of Jesus, the LOVE of God, the servant is not greater than his lord, the unsound opinions of others, the wages of sin is death, there can be no forgiveness of sins, they will also persecute you, this real moron thing - thinking, to do justly, unpatriotic and servile, walk humbly with thy God, what doth the Lord require of thee, what is good, when the established authorities are wrong, without the shedding of blood, woe unto you Pharisees
John 15:20a. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you:
And a good, lazy Saturday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family, wherever you are in God’s great universe! Hope that you are having better weather than my snow-bound, bleak neighbourhood, but it’s all a part of life in this great country of Canada, so we’ll handle it with the aplomb of Jesus. (smile)
Anyway, there’s some good news to share today; our friend Anselm has been resurrected. Yes, he’s risen from whatever ailed him, and he’s sent us a full slate of quotes this week. A couple of them though are so highly politicized that I have no answer for them, so I’ll just throw them out there and let you draw your own conclusions. And we’ll get those out of the way early.
The first one says: ‘I LOVE Trinidad and Tobago more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.’ Yes, Anselm was born in T&T and apparently he still has a great affection for it, but what am I supposed to say about his claim that he has the right to criticize her in perpetuity eh?
I don’t know if you LOVE a country a lot that it gives you the right to criticize it. What I do know though is that we need to be very careful in our criticism, especially in these times of much negative opinions and criticism on all sorts of fronts, because most of us never know the full story behind whatever we are criticizing.
So although our criticism might look good and sound true, ofttimes it’s not the whole truth or even much of the truth and consequently can lead a lot of people astray, just like what’s happening on social media today with all the lies, half-truths and disinformation being bandied about there. It’s so bad in the U.S, that it’s causing rebellious tendencies there. So please be very careful with your criticism.
Then there’s this: ‘To announce that there must be no criticism of the Prime Minister, or that we are to stand by the Prime Minister, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the Trinidad and Tobago public.’ There we go again with the criticism regarding T&T. Brother Anselm must be in a real T&T frame of mind! (smile)
And again, all I can say is that our criticism must be fair, honest and truthful, though standing by the leader of a country, even when they are wrong, is not doing the country any positive service, just making matters worse. That’s been recently proven right down in the U.S of A, with ex-President Donald Trump making so many incorrect, lying and prejudicial statements that it has caused a large division and much disunity in the country.
Now listen to this one: ‘I do this real moron thing, and it’s called thinking. And apparently I’m not a very good Trinbagonian because I like to form my own opinions.’ My buddy Anselm seems intent on getting me into trouble with my fellow Trinbagonians. (smile) But thinking is a good thing, more of us should try it. (smile)
However, it’s also possible to overthink a situation, which could lead to personal opinions that are not welcomed by others. And again, let me remind us that before we form opinions, or better yet mouth them, we must be in full possession of all the facts. Sadly though, especially in governmental circles, the real truth, the true facts, are very difficult for the ordinary citizen to gather. All we usually get is a lot of hearsay and the unsound opinions of others.
Now don’t think that the other two quotes aren’t politically inclined nuh, but they can be handled biblically. And this is the first of the last two. ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.’
That last part is obvious; the oppressed are never impressed with neutrality. The first part is a tad trickier, although as a believer, once we see injustice our sense of justice should rise up and cause us to consider ways to right the obvious wrongs. How does the saying go? If you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem.
Likewise, if you see injustice been perpetrated and you say or do nothing, for whatever reason, it will certainly appear that you are on the side of the oppressor. But friends and followers of Jesus, we have been instructed by Jesus Himself to follow justice and to right wrongs wherever possible.
As He said to the Pharisees. ‘But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over (neglect) judgement (justice) and the LOVE of God: These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone (without neglecting the others).’ (Luke 11:42)
Yes friends, our God is a God of justice. Why do you think He sacrificed Jesus to pay for our sin debt eh? Because His just character would not allow sin to be forgiven without full payment, for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), and without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. (Heb. 9:22)
And these two scriptures tell the story in spades. ‘Learn to do well (good); seek judgement (justice), relieve the oppressed (correct oppression), judge (bring justice to) the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:17) And Micah, puts it very plainly. ‘He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly (justice), and to LOVE mercy (kindness), and to walk humbly with thy God.’ (Mic. 6:8)
And that brings us to our last quote: ‘It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.’ And that’s oh so true! Jesus is also a very good example of that. He came to earth to bring justice and salvation, to heal the sick, care for the poor and release the captive slaves of darkness. All these things went against the very grain of the both the ruling Romans and their Jewish lackeys.
So what happened? Jesus found Himself on the wrong side of the authorities because His philosophy did not match theirs. Consequently, although He had done no wrong, but simply because He was disturbing the rulers’ easy life, He was labelled a traitor, an insurrectionist and quickly removed from their sight by crucifixion.
Please note too friends, that as believers in, and followers of Christ, we are often on the wrong side of the authorities, so we too can also expect persecution and problems just because of that. Jesus warned His disciples, and consequently us, of the world’s hatred.
‘Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they kept my saying, they will keep yours too. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.’ (John 15:20-21)
That brings it all to the forefront my brethren. Remember, we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world, and that very fact alone will cause us problems. So be prepared, but also remember that Christ has already overcome the world, so please be of good cheer. Much LOVE!
…eventually…right is always stronger than might…so in wisdom…please look to Jesus…
05 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon of light, a means of restoring faith, a vaccine, an alluring winter scene, be responsible, being at home unemployed, believers in Christ, Covid-19 virus, faithful believers, Friday chant, glorify your father in heaven, God's enduring faithfulness, good candidates, handle the situation properly, keeping the children in limbo, leaders arguing, Let your light so shine before men, natural treasures, not obeying the rules, our sinful world, people still getting sick, racial strife, ramp up our faith, reaffirm our belief, romanticizing the snow, show the world, stay safe, still alive, surrender to His will, TGIF!, thank God for small mercies, Thank God is Friday, the efficacy of Jesus, the fruitfulness of beleiving in Him, the ordinary workingman, the promises of God's goodness, the whole thing is a joke, they may see your good works, to confuffle the situation, to offer help and encouragment, to show the way, trusting faith, unrest in the streets, variants, virginal scene, wake up and smell the coffee, when is all the confusion going to finish, wise guidance
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.
Well people, instead of melting, as most of us wished, the snow added another layer during the night. Not a terrible amount, but enough to confuffle the situation, and the strong wind I hear blowing out there, isn’t helping matters either. But all of that is to be expected during the Canadian winter months.
It’s also one of her many natural treasures; you can’t beat a beautiful, alluring winter scene with everything covered in white. Although it’s cold, and you may hate trudging through it, you simply cannot overlook the beauty of such an unspoiled, virginal scene. Yeh, it still amazes me when I see a new snowfall with everything covered in a blanket of unsullied white.
But enough of my romanticizing about the snow, especially since I may have to go out in it later. (smile) It’s Friday, so let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say about life nuh.
And he opens with a weak and unenthusiastic: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Not so much because the weekend coming up and I’d be off work for a couple of days, but more so because I’m still alive, though not kicking so heartily, after all this time of being at home unemployed. Ah Lord eh? When is all the confusion going to finish eh?
People still getting sick by the handful, because they still not obeying the rules. And now ah hear they have variants too, different strains of the original Covid, that even more dangerous. So what’s going to happen with them now eh? More confusion I guess.
And though they claim to now have a vaccine, it doesn’t seem to be making much difference, because the system either too slow and not well designed and they don’t seem to have enough vaccine either. And yuh still have leaders arguing and bickering with one another and can’t get their act together.
What a bam bam, what a fiasco this whole Covid business has turned in to eh. Steups! They can’t even make up their minds about the children going back to school. Is either they going or they not going, stop keeping the children in limbo.
And to think that we here in Ontario believe that we handling the situation better than many other places! Brother! I wouldn’t like to see how those other places handling it nuh. But what to do eh? Yuh just have to grin and bear it yes, and do yuh best to keep you and yuh family safe, and look out for the plenty fools it have out there who think the whole thing is a joke.
I really don’t see how you could consider people getting sick so easily…and dying so quickly and agonizing as a joke nuh. But thank God for small mercies oui! So far he keeping me and mine safe, and I pray that He continue to do so.’
Ah friends, it is indeed a rough situation all over the world. We had enough other problems before Covid, but now that has intensified everything, spreading more fear and uncertainty than we need, and more than many of us can handle. And, fortunately, or unfortunately, it’s left to us believers in Christ to show the way, because we have, or are supposed to have, the spiritual tools to handle the situation.
We talking about a strong faith in Christ and sincere belief in His promises, with which we need to lead the way in these turbulent times. No, it won’t be easy, but we have promises of God’s goodness and His enduring faithfulness that make us good candidates to offer help and encouragement to others.
We talk about being able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us, (Phil. 4:13) and that the Lord will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) Well now is the time to stand securely on those promises and the many others we have in our arsenal.
It’s time to ramp up our faith and show the world the efficacy of Jesus; the effectiveness, the productiveness and fruitfulness of believing in Him, His great leadership, His fatherly comfort in the time of storm. That’s our earthly purpose friends. This is the time when we are called to lead by godly example.
The scriptures tell us that we believers are expected to be the salt and light of this dark and evil world. So what are we doing about it eh? Not enough I believe. Let’s listen to these fateful, but simple words of Jesus one more time and reaffirm our belief and surrender to do His will nuh. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
Yes friends, that’s what needed of us right now; a beacon of light and good works to glorify God and thus lead others to Him. And the best way to always begin is with prayer. So let’s offer up our Friday Chant which encompasses our hopes and fears, our dreams and expectations.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now it’s time for us to show ourselves as faithful believers and handle the situation properly! Much LOVE!
…to sincerely serve Jesus…or not…that is the question…
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