07 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of justice, afflict willingly, affliction, anger, bear his yoke, believers, bitterness, body and soul, bring a chuckle, broken my teeth, can't make ends meet, cantankerousness, cast off, cautious, come hell or high water, compassions, confusion, covered me with ashes, drunken, earthiness, enthusiasm, exasperated, fail not, faithfulness, fellowship, Friday chant, from peace, frustrated, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, gall, get discouraged, give up, gravel stones, hang in there, hang-ups, have a good time, have I hope, heartache, hope, humbled, immortal words, in his youth, intelligentsia, Jeremiah, labouring for massa, Lamentations, lift the burdens, lift the spirit, misery, new every morning, news headlines, not consumed, nothing uplifting, on his sleeve, out on the limb, party for so, perished, piddling wages, punish us, refeshed, relaxation, removed my soul, renewed, resentment, rest, sinful souls, sinless life, sins, strength, strife, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the big-wigs, The Lord is good, the Lord's mercies, the salvation of the Lord, the soul that seeks him, the summer finish, the workingman, this I recall to mind, wait for him, war, wears his emotions, weekends, with mankind, wormwood
Lamentations 3:21. This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.
Aye friends, yuh ever wake up in the morning and just feel tired, exasperated and frustrated with mankind? Well that’s the way I feel this morning. Before I begin writing the Bit, I usually take a gander at the news headlines to get some idea of what’s happening around the world…
And…oh Lord…it’s only strife, anger, war, resentment and hatred! Nothing uplifting! Unless the newsmongers don’t consider anything uplifting to be news! But it’s just so much confusion and ‘cantankerousness’ that it leaves the spirit longing for the day the Lord shuts it all down.
But yuh know what? It’s Friday, and it’s the big-wigs who are causing all the heartache, but the workingman does have something to say that will bring a chuckle to the soul and lift the spirit some. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And though the summer finish and school start back, and the long holiday weekends done for now, we still going to have a good time on the weekends!
Why? Because that’s the only time we have to have a good time! The rest of the week we labouring for massa for piddling, can’t make ends meet wages. So when we get the chance, come hell or high water, we certainly going to party for so, and say, ‘In yuh face massa! Stop we now nuh! But he can’t! That’s why we have to say Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah friends, there’s a certain kind of earthiness in the workingman that you can’t beat. He just lays it out there bare, fair and square. Meanwhile we, the supposed intelligentsia, make such a fuss, have so many unnecessary hang-ups, that we make our own lives more difficult than they need to be.
Yes, the workingman does tend to go too far out on the limb, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve. Hopefully, we believers are a li’l more cautious, but still capable of real and true emotion, and show it when it’s necessary. And right now is one of those times, as we declare our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm as the workingman sang his song.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes friends, our intentions are different from the workingman, but our enthusiasm for the things of Jesus should be just as great, if not greater! And I’m chuckling here mih people, because I don’t know where all of this is leading to, but the Lord must have a purpose for it all. Let’s see if we can find it…
Glory to God, I found it! I just opened the Good Book and it opened right to the page with these immortal words of Jeremiah in his soulful Lamentations. ‘He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace:
I forgat prosperity (good). And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled (bowed down) in me.’ (Lam.3:15-20)
Ah mih breddren, Jeremiah did have a pretty rough time in trying to bring his people to the Lord. But yuh know what? In his reminiscence, he rightly and sagely concludes. ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.’ (Lam.3:21-28)
And Jeremiah did bear the Lord’s yoke in his youth, as did many of us believers. So friends, even though we might be going through a pretty difficult time, there’s no reason to get discouraged and give up, because as Jerry says, the Lord is good to those who seek Him and wait on Him.
And later on he further declares: ‘For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly (with delight), nor grieve the children of men.’ (Lam.3:31-33) Yeh, friends, though our God is a God of justice, He is also a God of great mercy; He does not take delight in afflicting us. He will punish us for our sins, but nowhere near what we deserve.
So please, I implore us this Friday morning, to not give up, even though you may not see a way out of your troubles. Remember that our God is the Creator of the universe and He ALWAYS finds a way. So put your trust and hope in Him, hang in there, and eventually, in His time and manner, He will lift the burdens from your soul. He has done it for countless other saints. He will do it for you too…just have faith and hang in there. Much LOVE!
…if the Lord gave His Son’s sinless life for our sinful souls…why would he withhold anything else from us eh…
06 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shout of praise, abundance, all those that seek thee, believers, bless the Lord, boast in the Lord, call meblessed, cast out a demon, compassionate heart, confessed, contented inside, continually be in my mouth, courage, curse, divine protection, done great things, Ephesus, exalt his name together, filled the hungry, from generation to generation, generous God, good health, good things, gratitude, great faith, Greeks, handmaiden, hear and be glad, heat-wave, highest accolade, holy is his name, internal strength, Jesus was magnified, Jews, knowing a man, loud and proud, love thy salvation, low estate, magnificent and magnanimous God, magnify the Lord with me, magnifying god, Mary, mercy, Mother of Christ, my soul doth magnify the Lord, negative word, on them that fear him, praiseworthy thing, pregnant, presence of the Holy spirit, promotion, put down the mighty, rejoice and be gald, rejoice and be glad, say continually, scattered the proud, self-control, self-discipline, seven sons of Sceva, share our blessings, showed their deeds, success, talent, thanskgiving, the humble, the imagination of their hearts, the Lord be magnified, the Magnificat, the Messiah, the Son of God, Thursday Blessings, vitriol, wisdom
Psalm 34:3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
It’s a cloudy Thursday morning in my neck of the woods…but we’ll take it. Anything to lessen the heat wave we’ve been suffering for the last few days. A li’l rain fell last night, but we can surely use some more. But regardless of the outside circumstances or situations, we believers are settled, comforted and contented inside, thanks to the presence of the Holy Spirit residing within us. Give our great and generous God a shout of praise for that!
And I don’t know why, but as I got up this morning I just felt the need to glorify and exalt our God more than usual. So please friends, in the immortal words of Bruh David: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.’
Now that’s the most praiseworthy thing we can do my brethren! Magnifying our magnificent and magnanimous God is about the highest accolade we can receive. In fact, that’s one of the reasons He created us; to exalt and magnify, praise Him and come before Him with sincere gratitude and thanksgiving.
Bruh David says it well before our Bit. He opens the psalm thus: ‘I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.’ (Ps.34:1-2)
Wow friends! If we could only say those words too and sincerely mean them, how wonderful our lives would be eh! For the only thing we ought to boast of in our earthly journey is in the Lord our God! And note how Bruh David says when the humble hear us boasting in the Lord they are glad. That just goes to show how significant our praising God can be.
And we experience that fully in the ‘Magnificat,’ the famous words of Mary, Christ’s mother, when she received the glorious news that she was the blessed one, chosen to bear the Son of God, the Messiah. Once everything had been explained to her, she joyfully burst out: ‘My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate (lowly state) of his handmaiden (maid servant): for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats (thrones), and exalted them of low degree (the lowly). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen (helped) his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Ah friends, many of us believe that Mary was simply a pimply-faced teenager with not much sense. But from those words above and the way she handled the situation when told she would bear a child without knowing a man, especially when she was already engaged to be married, it shows she had a decent knowledge of the scriptures and a great faith.
Can you imagine the vitriol she faced in the restrictive Jewish society when it became known she was pregnant without being married? She must have had a very strong internal strength for one of such tender age. I guess that’s why the Lord chose her.
And Bruh David continues to encourage us to magnify our wonderful God in Psalm 40 – Praise for answered prayer. ‘Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as LOVE thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.’ (Ps.40:16)
Oh friends, if you LOVE the Lord’s salvation, then say it with me nuh, loud and proud: ‘THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED!’ Wow! Doesn’t that just touch a holy chord in thy soul? (smile) It surely does in mine!
Now here is an interesting instance when the Lord’s name was magnified. Bruh Paul was in Ephesus, doing miracles and casting out demons, and the seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, tried to cast out a demon. ‘And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.’ (Acts 19:15-18)
Yuh see friends how it backfires on us when we try to do evil in the Lord’s name, or something we’re not qualified to do? Now let’s go home shouting for joy, magnifying our God, declaring His wondrous Thursday Blessings. In all truth and sincerity now: ‘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!’
And if we’re true believers, then we WILL go out and share those blessings with others, as Jesus meant for us to do. Much LOVE!
…magnifying God…not only lifts up His name…but also lifts up our souls and spirits…
05 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, alive, another blessed day, Bless His Holy Name, boundaries, cast us off, chain, chisel, cleanse, comforting knowledge, comforts, Counselor, crash, crucifixion, crush, directed the Lord's Spirit, do god's work, do the will of who sent me, encourages, eternal future, ever-loving deity, finish his work, flood, free from outside influence, get away with nonsense, gives us chances, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God will exist forever, God's freedom, grasp anew, halfway home, He is the greatest, He is worthy, he went away again, I AM, if this cup may not pass away, inconsistency, independence, intentions, Jesus' darkest hour, justice, kicking, kind, knowledge, looking forward to, loving, melt, melt you with my love, method of Achievement, mine, Moses, my food, my love, nature, not looking back, o my father, One Year Book of Bible promises, our intention, our priority, planet earth, Praise the Lord, prayed, rebellion, resentment, rules, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-centredness, stifle fears, taught him, thanks and praise, the breath of God, the burning bush, the created, the creation, the Creator, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Good Lord, the method, the path of judgement, the Samaritan woman, the same, the second time, the well of Jacob, thy will be done, turn our lives around, understanding, unless I drink it, volition, Wednesday Wail, who is the boss, with my blood, with myself
Matthew 26:42. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.
Alive! Alive and kicking mih breddren! Yea! The Good Lord has seen it fit to allow us to see another blessed day on His wonderful Planet Earth! Glory be! That means He still has stuff for us to do down here. So let’s go out willingly and do His work today nuh! Make it our priority this Wednesday, as it ought to be!
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His holy Name, for He is indeed worthy of much thanks and praise! Amen!’
Yeh mih people, our God is indeed a great and powerful God, but also an ever-LOVING and caring deity. That means He doesn’t just cast us off, even when we deserve casting aside. But He works with us, encourages and comforts us, gives us second, third, fourth and even fifth chances to turn our lives around. No other supposed deity does that! That’s why He is indeed the GREATEST!
But though He’s LOVING and kind and all that, He still has rules and boundaries and will not allow us to get away with too much nonsense. I’m reminded of that by this piece in our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled ‘Method of Achievement.’
Please pray with me. ‘I said to You: Lord, crush my resentment Chisel my rebellion Chain my self-centredness Crash my inconsistency Stifle my fears. You said to me: I will cleanse you with My blood I will melt you with My LOVE I will flood you with Myself Until you grasp anew – Our intention is the same But the method is Mine.’
Glory be mih people! The method is certainly God’s! He will do whatever we want, but it will be His way, according to His will, and His time! He’s just reminding us who is the Boss! Who is the Creator and the Created! And though He is indeed our Friend, our BEST Friend, He is also our Lord, our God, our Maker and Master, so we have to know our place! Amen!
Even Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour acknowledged that the Father’s will was most important. As He says in our Bit, when He was anguished in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion. ‘He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’
Yeh friends, even in Jesus’ darkest hour, He acknowledged that the Father’s will was uppermost. And all through His earthly sojourn He never claimed that He was here to do His will, but always the Father’s. Listen to His reply to the disciples when they offered Him food at the well of Jacob, after He had spoken to the Samaritan woman. ‘Jesus saith unto them, My meat (food) is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.’ (John 4:34)
Ah my brethren, doing the Father’s will should also be our main job on this Planet Earth! He made us, created us for His purpose and if we’re truly faithful, we’ll do what He desires. He has a plan for every life He creates, and it’s our duty to talk to Him and find out what He desires of us personally.
And the scripture promise for our poem today was this interesting passage from Isaiah. ‘Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him the path of judgement (justice), and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?’ (Is.40:13-14)
And the simple answer to that friends is NOBODY! It was ALL His own doing!
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation re the Freedom of God. ’40:13. God is the only Being in the universe that possesses independence from the Creation. The only limits to God’s freedom are in His own nature and attributes. He is unlimited in His existence. Because His existence relates to His nature rather than His will, God will exist forever. He who exists by reason of His nature rather than His volition must have existed – and must continue to exist – forever.
Illustration: When God revealed His nature to Moses at the burning bush, He called Himself “I AM” (Ex.3:13-15). This name emphasizes God’s self-existence, the fact that He has always existed and always will. Application: Neither anyone nor any outside force will affect God’s relationship to us. He will deal with us according to His nature because He is free from outside influence. (First ref. Gen.6:17; Primary Ref. Is.40:13; cf. Rom.12.1).’
Ah friends, that might be somewhat confusing to some of us, but my favourite part is that nothing or no one will influence God’s relationship with us. Yayyyy! Glory to God! Now, having said all of that, let’s go home rejoicing, declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our position in Christ Jesus!
So in strong voice, with sincere hearts, let’s wail mih breddren! ‘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 as always, I can’t help but think that the eternal future with Jesus will be even more glorious than we can hope or imagine! Much LOVE!
…God is…was…and always will be…that’s comforting knowledge to the believer…
04 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of dread, a negative disposition, an internal alarm, an uneasy feeling, back to school, be not afraid, be of good cheer, be strong, beloved of God, boosts us up, calmness, Christians, courage, do it afraid, Dr. Charles Stanley, face opposition, faith, fear, fear not, fearlessness, firmness, followers of jehovah God, frequent visitor, hate, He goes with thee, he will not fail nor forsake thee, holy spirit, hurry, i have overcome the world, imminent danger, in the world, indisputable truth, It is I, jittery, Joyce Meyer, Labour Day, let not your heart be troubled, meet danger, nervous, no need to fear, nor be afraid, of a good courage, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, peace, productive life, quality of mind or spirit, quench fear, rain, resentment, share His love, strengthen thine heart, strife, the challenges of life, the Lord thy God, to give you the kingdom, tribulation, Tuesday Mantra, wait in faith on the Lord, worry, your Father's good pleasure
Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.
And then it was the Tuesday after the Labour Day weekend; time to go back to school and work! And it seems like it’s going to be another hot, hazy and humid day in my neighbourhood. But we’ll take it, though some of the promised rain would be nice. However, we can’t blame the weather forecasters too much, because with the screwed up climate we have nowadays, their predictions can easily be thrown off.
Anyway, today we’re going to talk about two words that play a very big part in our lives, both as normal humans and Christian believers. Those words are FEAR and COURAGE! First up are a couple of definitions of those words from Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) Here’s what he says about Fear.
‘Fear – An uneasy feeling, a feeling of dread…an internal alarm that goes off inside of us when we are feeling imminent danger; feel threatened, or feel helpless to avoid or change it.’ In other words, Fear seems to be a negative disposition; one that has us nervous and jittery, feeling weak, especially when we can’t do anything about the prevailing circumstances.
As per Courage, Uncle Charles says: ‘Courage: The quality of mind or spirit enabling us to meet danger, face opposition, or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness and firmness.’ Courage then boosts us up, makes us strong, has us feeling we can do whatever it takes to meet a certain situation.
But for whatever it’s worth, both of those emotions play a very large part in our lives. These days with our world in such a sorry state of war, resentment, anger, hate and strife, fear is very common and a frequent visitor to too many of us. And it takes a lot of courage to ignore that kind of stuff and move on with a positive and productive life.
Now we all entertain fear at some time or other in our lives, but as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, we need to do it afraid. So courage isn’t necessarily not having fear, but also doing whatever we need to do while being fearful or afraid.
And one of the first directives Moses gave to the Israelites when he was dying are the words contained in our Bit. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’
What a magnificent promise my brethren! And when the Israelites held to it, they were fine, and when they didn’t they suffered serious harm. And I’d like you to know that that promise still holds true even to this day, so many thousands of years later.
And on the death of Moses, the Lord God Himself even reiterated it to Joshua after making him leader of the Israelites. ‘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)
That seems to intimate that followers of Jehovah God should not be afraid of anything or anyone that comes against them because their great, powerful and caring God is always with them wherever they may go. And that’s the indisputable truth friends: our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God is all over, all the time! His eyes are always on us, as He walks, before, behind and beside us.
So there’s no need to fear. We can be sometimes anxious, but definitely not fearful. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus with the ultimate word on the situation. ‘Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32)
And Jesus was always cheering up His followers, advising them to have courage. Listen to him as He came walking on the water towards His scared disciples on the boat. ‘Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid.’ (Matt.14:27)
And hear Him again when He tells them He’s going back to heaven and promises to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide them. ‘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 let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
And later on He again warns them: ‘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 (take courage); I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) That’s the faithful promise of our Lord and Saviour, my people! Powerful words for us to hold on to securely and courageously live by! If you’re a true believer, that’s the ONLY way to live!
And Bruh David adds his two cents worth (smile) ‘Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:14) More invaluable advice my brethren! So please take it. But now it’s time to go home, and we’ll do so declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
In strong voice with sincere hearts now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So what are we waiting for eh? Let’s go out and do as we just declared. Much LOVE!
…faith in Jesus…that’s the only thing that will quench…fear of the world…
03 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living example, a persecutor of the church, action plan, aura of love, back to where we were, bad judgement, birthright, brave souls, Christ-like stuff, confidence, consider one another, decent wages, discipline, drunk or sober mind your business, employers, enthusiasm, epitome, evil, faithful is he who calls you, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God's faithfulness, good works, gospel truth, guidance, half a chance, He is faithful that promised, his compassions fail not, hold fast, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in spades, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, judged the book by the cover, keep you from evil, keeps faith lifted, Labour Day, lies, LOVE, make known God's faithfulness, man's inhumanity to man, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious ways, new every morning, no souls, oppressor, paid vacations, peace, Pinkertons, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, sing of the Lord's mercies, sit on your fannies, spiritual armour, stand up strong, steadfast faith, stir up LOVE, testify to, the error of my ways, the Lord's mercies, the profession of faith, things of the world, to all generations, trust, truth, ungodly world, Unions, winning rights, wisdom, with my mouth, without wavering, working conditions
1 Thessalonians 5:24. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Ah friends, our God does move in mysterious ways yes! He proved it to me one more time this evening, as my path happened to cross with a Scrip-Bit family acquaintance. Now, recently I’ve been wondering how many people that receive the Bit really read it every day, or even most days. And strangely enough, she was one of those, who, as a young, good looking lady, I figured was too taken up with the things of the world to bother with such Christ-like stuff.
But was I ever wrong, because she excitedly informed me that she reads the Bit every day, enjoys it, it inspires her, keeps her faith lifted. I had to laugh friends, because this just happened out of the blue. Our paths cross every so often, but she never said anything before, and I’ve sometimes wondered if I’m wasting her time and mine by sending her the Bit.
But yuh see mih people, one more instance where I judged the book by the proverbial cover and totally made a bad judgement. (smile) It took the Lord in His wisdom and mysterious way to enlighten me and show me the error of my ways. So please learn from my mistake; stop judging others by how they look on the outside. Find out what’s inside first. Thank You Lord for the lesson! Thank you Tammy for the unexpected encouragement!
Now let’s move on. Today is Monday, Labour Day Monday to boot, which for many of us is a holiday. But friends we do need to understand and appreciate what those who went before us in the workforce did, standing up strong against the powerful oppressor and winning the rights we do have today. Many of them even gave their lives to do it, because the holders of wealth and power wanted to keep workers in semi-slavery forever, if they could.
Think about the Pinkertons; that brutal private police force that was used to enforce the employer’s wishes. But those brave souls fought and died and eventually through unions won the fairly decent wages and working conditions we now have; things like weekends off and paid vacations.
So please don’t take them for granted, or as your birthright, and simply sit on your fannies, you also have to stand up strong , because employers are now trying to move us back to where we once were. And given half a chance, they will too, because they have no souls and are the epitome of man’s inhumanity to man!
However, some of us have to go and labour so that our 24/7 society can function properly. So let’s join together and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and give those unfortunate ones some encouragement nuh. With as much enthusiasm as we can muster: ‘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!’
And as always those who are staying home are the loudest. But please remember in all the celebrations, that drunk or sober, to mind yuh business. Is Granny who say so. Now all I want to do today is remind us of God’s faithfulness by sharing some scriptures on the subject.
Ah friends, if it’s one thing I can testify to it’s the Lord’s faithfulness. Just look at how long I’ve been writing the Bit, over eleven years now, and I believe I’ve missed one day, early on in the show. And my goal is to not miss any days at all while I continue to write it. But how do you think I’ve been able to keep that discipline eh? It’s not through my power, but by the Lord’s! And do you think I choose the topics every day? No way! Many days I don’t have a clue as to what to write on, but every day I ask for guidance and end up being surprised by His faithfulness.
As Bruh Paul says so simply, but so truthfully in our Bit: ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ I am a living example of that friends! Remember when He first called me, I laughed and said I couldn’t do it. But He persevered…and finally I agreed…and He set about proving His faithfulness to me.
And Bruh Paul knew the Lord’s faithfulness in spades, because look at how He took him from being a persecutor of the church, to one of its staunchest planters and defenders! And he reiterates to the Thessalonians in his second letter. ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one). (2 Thess.3:3)
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews sincerely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised). And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:23-24)
And this scripture we all know: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23) And that’s the gospel truth friends!
That’s why to show our true appreciation for the Lord’s faithfulness, we should be saying and doing like Ethan the Ezrahite says in his psalm. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1) Let’s make that our action plan nuh mih people, because it’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…if believers don’t talk of God’s faithfulness…how will others know about it eh…
02 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a giant our Jesus, a quandary, a wave of his hand, a wise place, aimless conduct, all eternity, all have sinned, Aretha Franklin, being justified by his blood, believe in God, blood, break his own heart, broke his heart, Calvary, cleansing, come short of the glory of God, enemies, entrance to heaven's throne room, eternal life, eternal salvation, fellowship, for sin atone, foreordained, forgivenss, glory, God loved us, gold, Hades, hard currency, have a good ole time, healing, hear God's word, holiness, humility, I'll overcome, I'll reach my home, joy in God, justice, justified, lighten up our spirits, LOVE, Lucifer, make me whole, makes me white as snow, mercy, mired in sin, much more then, my hope, my pardon, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, patience, peace, perishable things, perseverance, power, praise, purged with blood, received the atonement, reconciled, redeemed with corruptible things, remission, renewing our spiritual lives, righteousness, Robert Lowry, sacrifice, salvation, sanctified, saved by his life, saved from wrath, shedding of Christ's blood, silver, sing, sinless blood, soften our hearts, still effective after two thousand years, the faithful singing praises, the Lamb of God, the Lord's Day, the Lord's House, tradition, truer words were never spoken, uplifting visit, vain conversation, wash away my sin, welcome, without blemish, without spot, without the shedding of blood, worship, yet sinners
Romans 5:9. Much more then now being (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Welcome, welcome to the Lord’s Day my faithful breddren! And we all know what that means: an uplifting visit to the Lord’s house, to sing and praise and worship and fellowship, hear His Word and just have a good ole time renewing our spiritual lives! Wow! There’s nothing like the faithful together singing the praises of our great and wonderful God my people!
If you saw Aretha Franklin’s funeral on Friday, you’d have seen how praise and worship can light up the spirits of a crowd of believers. So today, in anticipation of hearing God’s Word, let’s soften up our hearts and lighten up our spirits by singing praises to our God in this old and much LOVED hymn ‘Nothing but the Blood of Jesus,’ written by Robert Lowry and published way back in 1876.
So let’s sing it like we really mean it nuh. All together now: ‘What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.) For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain)
Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) This is all my hope and peace, Nothing but the blood of Jesus; This is all my righteousness, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Now by this I’ll overcome; Nothing but the blood of Jesus; Now by this I’ll reach my home, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Glory! Glory! This I sing; Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. (Refrain) Nothing but the Blood…Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.’
Ah mih people, truer words were indeed never sung or spoken, for ALL that we are is based on the blood of Jesus shed at Calvary! Without that shed blood we’d still be mired in sin for now and all eternity. As the Good Book says: ‘For all have sinned and, come short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
In short friends, it means that ONLY the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary can wash away my sins, cleanse my soul, allow the Father to pardon me. In Him ONLY, can I find peace and hope, righteousness, salvation and eternal life! Glory to God!
Christ’s blood is the most powerful element that ever washed this earth! It atoned for our sins; justified us, sanctified us, reconciled us, made us righteous and gave us entrance to heaven’s throne room! Oh my, my! What other substance on earth can do, or could have done all of that eh? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
In it there is power, forgiveness, LOVE, humility, healing, patience and perseverance, so much so that after two thousand years it is still as effective as ever. Wow! The blood of Jesus! We even plead the blood of Jesus in tough times, confidently calling out to the Father for mercy because of the shed blood of His Son! But enough of me spouting off, (smile) let us quote a few scriptures that show the importance of Christ’s blood in our lives.
And the first one that comes to mind is one that we all know: ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ (John 1:29) And that He did! Then Bruh Paul elucidates to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth his (demonstrates his own) LOVE towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then now being (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation).’ (Rom.5:8-11)
Ah friends, it seems quite complicated, but it’s really quite simple: God LOVED us so much that it broke His heart to see us headed to Hades with Lucifer, so He decided to do something about it. The only problem was that because of His holiness and justice, He couldn’t just pardon sin with a wave of His hand. Our sin had to be paid for, for want of a better term, in hard currency, (smile) and that currency under the Old Covenant was animal blood.
As Hebrews reminds us that through Moses, the Lord commanded the Israelites to continually shed animal blood as short term atonement for their sins: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.’ (Heb.9:22) So there had to be blood shed if the Lord wanted to reconcile us to Himself. And besides, the blood had to be sinless blood, and unfortunately His Son was the ONLY One who fit that bill.
No doubt the Lord found Himself in a quandary, but He LOVED His greatest creation so much that He decided to break His own heart and offer up His one Son as the perennial sacrifice for our sins! Now if that isn’t LOVE, I don’t know what is. Hear how Peter puts it. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet.1:18-21)
Yeh mih breddren, that’s the only wise place to place one’s faith and hope! Much LOVE!
…the shedding of Christ’s blood paid for our sins…and His resurrection pays for our eternal salvation…what a giant is our Jesus…
01 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a crowd, Anselm, aspires to inspire, attributes, be of good cheer, bet your bottom dollar, care less what others think of you, cast away, climate change, confetti, conquerors, cooler days, discover the Lord, don't focus on your loss, don't follow the crowd, earthly possessions, eternal life, focus on what you've gained, follow me, following Lucifer, gain the whole world, glory to God, have peace, how far you've come, i have overcome the world, if any man will come after me, in the world, Jesus is always with you, Jesus said to them, kindness, let him deny himself, lose his life, lose his soul, LOVE, maple trees, never leave nor forsake you, never see the stars, not the easiest one, obedience, proud of yourself, resurrection, rewards of eternity, sacrificial death, save his life, smile, take up his cross daily, the Father's will, the hallmark of Jesus, the right path, the wrong direction, the young ruler, throw kindness around, treading the wise path, tribulation, turning brown, walk alone, walking with Jesus, without the dark, you're never alone
Luke 9:23. And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Cooler days are here again! You can bet your bottom dollar on that friends! Come September, the cool weather just explodes on us. Although in these times of climate change who knows what will happen. Yesterday evening though, I noticed that some maple trees in my area have already begun turning brown in preparation for the long, dry, cold, winter months.
Do they know something that we don’t know! It’s possible. But not to worry, once we’re walking hand in hand with Jesus, we can face anything that comes against us, remember we’re conquerors in His Name! Glory to God!
And with it being Saturday, let’s take a look at some of the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Hear this first one: ‘Throw kindness around like confetti.’
Mama Mia! And if you’re a sincere follower of Jesus, that is exactly what you ought to be doing, for kindness is, was, and always will be the hallmark of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and if it’s not in your repertoire of attributes, then you’re not a sincere follower.
And this next one says: ‘It is better to walk alone, than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.’ And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! You’re certainly better off alone than with the crowd going in the wrong direction. Some of us will remember being cautioned by our parents: ‘Don’t follow the crowd!’ And that’s usually wise advice, for the crowd is usually taking the easy way out, following Lucifer, and doing what they’re not supposed to do.
So even if you get lonely treading that wise path that leads in the right direction, remember you’re NEVER really alone, because Jesus is ALWAYS with you, faithfully keeping His promises to never leave nor forsake you! Oh, our Jesus is so wonderful! How could we not LOVE Him eh!
And this next quote reminds us to: ‘Remember, for everything you have lost, you have gained something else. Without the dark, you would never see the stars.’ Likewise friends, if we didn’t have rain, we would never appreciate the sun and its brilliant light. So please try to not focus so much on what you’ve lost, but on what you’ve gained through the loss. (smile)
Now hear this tongue breaker: ‘One day it just clicks. You realize what’s important and what is not. You learn to care less about what other people think of you and more about what you think of yourself. You realize how far you’ve come and you remember when you thought things were such a mess that you would never recover. And you smile. You smile because you are truly proud of yourself and the person you’ve fought to become.’
Glory be for that day my brethren! That’s the day when we truly discover the Lord in our hearts! When we truly surrender our lives to Him and realize that He is ALL that really matters! Wow! What an enlightening day that usually is!
And this last quote is the basis for our writing today: ‘Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.’ And that’s no lie my fellow believers! The right path in this life is following Jesus, but hear what He says in our Bit for those who want to follow Him. ‘And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’
Now that’s definitely not an easy row to hoe my people! That’s a daily denial of self! Note the young ruler who came to Jesus seeking eternal life. Note his sad, despondent reaction when Jesus told him eternal life would be his, if he sold his many possessions and gave to the poor, then came back and followed him. (Matt.19:16-22)
Unfortunately too many of us feel that way about our earthly possessions. But yuh see what Jesus went through on our behalf? It wasn’t easy for Him, even though He was God in human flesh. Now we most likely won’t go through as much ‘sufferation’ as He did, but we will definitely go through some, most likely more than we desire or care for. (smile)
And Jesus didn’t mince words on the subject. He very clearly informed the disciples, and consequently all who came after, like us: ‘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)
Wow! What reassuring words my breddren! Though He tells us very clearly that we will face trouble in this evil world, we’re not to worry about it, because He has overcome the world with His sacrificial death and resurrection. And even when trials come against us, if we’re sincerely walking with Him, we’ll find peace; the peace of God, which passes all human understanding, that shall keep (guard) our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7)
Yeh friends, that peace is so special, that only true believers in Christ can experience it. Hear how Jesus explains it. ‘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 let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Yeh friends, that peace is not of this world, but it comes from the Prince of Peace, so it’s a mighty tool in the lives of believers.
And we’ll close with some more authoritative words of Jesus, re our Bit. ‘For whosoever will (desires to) save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose (loses) his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged (benefited), if he gain the whole world, and lose himself (is destroyed), or be cast away (lost)?’ (Luke 9:24-25)
Now that’s a very good question friends? Do we want to have all the earthly wealth and lose our eternal soul, be separated from our Triune God in eternity? For all our sakes, I hope not. That means we have to seriously buckle down, and each and every day, pick up our cross and walk with it, the way Jesus did with His, in true obedience to His Father’s will. Much LOVE!
…earthly life might be difficult…but the rewards of eternity with God are certainly worth it…
31 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflictions, as a roaring lion, back to school, be sober, be vigilant, believers, benefits, brave resitance, Cedric Layton Harper, celebrating, christ jesus, confirm, dominion, don't judge the book by its cover, drink, eternal glory, eternally grateful, experienced by your brethren, fellow believers, fellowship, food, Friday chant, fun, glory, God's glorious kingdom, greedy, hard-hearted, in Jesus name, in the faith, Irvine Hall, knight in shining armour, Labour Day, long in the tooth, LOVE, Lucifer, make you perfect, marching, Mona campus, music, obituary, ole crook, push come to shove, relaxation, resist steadfast, responsible, rest, seeking whom he may devour, serious demeanour, settle you, singing, slave master, songs of freedom, strengthen, subdued, suffered, testing, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the devil, the God of all grace, trials, tribulation, University of the West Indies, vacation cottage, walket about, workingman, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Ah friends, one never knows what each passing moment of each day will bring nuh! Here I was planning to come down and write about the bright and stunning day that was happening in my neighbourhood and the upcoming long Labour Day weekend. But as it recently seems to be too often the case, I open my e-mail and find news of an obituary. Steups!
Now this one isn’t for a personal friend of mine, but someone who played an important part in my life some fifty years ago…boy some of us are sure getting long in the tooth. (smile) The gentleman I’m talking about is H.E. Cedric Lanyon Harper, St. Kitts and Nevis High Commissioner to Jamaica (1930-2018).
My association with him took place when he was the Warden of Irvine Hall, the Hall I was associated with on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. He was a big man, both in girt and height, and good be gruff at times. His bristling moustache also lent an air of intimidation to his naturally serious demeanour. A lot of the students, including me, didn’t like him and his rules for the Hall.
But you know what? When push came to shove, he turned out to be white knight in shining armour. Hn! I’m talking about when I could not pay my tuition fees in my last year, which meant I couldn’t take my final exam, he lent me the money from the Hall’s coffers. And for that I will be eternally grateful, so should you all be too, because then you might have never known me. (smile)
Ah mih people, just another example to show that we should not judge the book by its cover. My condolences go out to all of Mr. Harper’s family and friends as they mourn his passing, but hopefully celebrate his apparently generous and giving life as a teacher and able representative for his country of St.Kitts and Nevis.
But the workingman is not going to let us forget that it’s Friday, as he joyfully belts out: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And a long weekend too – Labour Day! Mama Yo! All the people who labour and work hard will be celebrating the few benefits we have because of the brave resistance of so many who’ve gone before us. Yeh breddren, we have to stand up for we rights, slavery done long time ago, otherwise the greedy and hard hearted slave master going to push we right back into it.
But he can’t stop we from celebrating how we want to on we time though. So on this last weekend of the summer, we going to throw the biggest party of the summer; nuff food and drink, music, marching and singing songs of freedom! Oh brother! What a party it going to be! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, especially the long ones and them!’
Yeh friends, it is the last long weekend of summer, which means closing up the vacation cottage up north! Come next week it’s back to school and back to work for those who took vacation with their children. And as believers, we too will celebrate the Labour Day long weekend, just not as boisterously and lasciviously as the ordinary workingman. And our Friday Chant is also much more subdued and responsible than his song.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t get enthusiastic about it, so let’s chant up a storm nuh! All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, when we work and live for Jesus, it just means that we’re a tad more responsible, more heavenly minded than earthly minded, but not so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good. (smile) We have to be careful not to give the enemy any room to come into our lives and corrupt them.
That means we always have to be on our p’s and q’s, constantly on the look out for his sly, deceitful and reasoned approaches, like the one he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. That’s why Peter so forcefully reminds us in our Bit: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
And that’s no lie my brethren! The ole crook Lucifer is always on the lookout for any toe or finger hold he can get in our lives. So continuing in the admonition of Peter: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Oh, I know some of us are going to say, knowing that others are also experiencing temptation doesn’t help me any. And that might be true. But hear this: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet.5:10)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly what will happen. After a bit of sufferation, to prove and strengthen our faith, the Lord of all grace and mercy will bring us out strong and steadfast. You can bet on it. Therefore: ‘To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.’ (1 Pet.5:11) Much LOVE!
…trials and tribulation…they are simply God’s way…of testing and strengthening our faith…
30 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep inner wholeness, Beautiful Things Happen, bountiful blessings, changing circumstances, close association with God, comapssionate heart, comforting God, confidence, courage, creativity, curse, day by day, delivers them, discovering hidden treasures, do for myself, eyes full of tears, faith, favour, give thanks, gladness for the upright in heart, gladness in my heart, God's goodness, God's unsurpassable generosity, guidance, hang with the Lord, harvest time. agrarian society, hate evil, he preserves the souls of his saints, in a lifetime, in quietness, indisputable truth, joy in our souls, less dependent on others, lie down in peace, light is sown for the righteous, live life with God, Love the Lord, make their own decisions, makes me dwell in safety, mercy, more than in the time, my heart is full of joy, negative word, not so easily disturbed, One Year Book of Bible promises, out of the hand of the wicked, peace of mind, populace exults, prosperity, Rejoice in the Lord, responsive to, Ruth Harms Calkin, share blessings, show it in our conduct, sincerely befriend, talent, that's life, the assurance, the memory of his holy name, the vagaries of the weather, their corn and wine increased, thou has put, Thursday Blessings, trust in God, turning away from God, whispered secrets, wisdom
Psalm 4:7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.
It’s a beautiful though somewhat cool Thursday morning! Yeh, the vagaries of the weather are already showing up. And if the weather people are right, today won’t be anywhere as hot as the last two days. But as the man says: ‘That’s life!’ And so we have to live it as it comes.
And yuh know what friends? When we live this life with God, ‘Beautiful Things Happen,’ as our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin tells us.
Please pray with me. ‘O God Such beautiful things happen When I meet you day by day In quietness and confidence. There is a deep inner wholeness And the assurance of Your guidance. I am not so easily disturbed By changing circumstances. I am less dependent on others And more dependent on You.
My eyes may be full of tears But my heart is full of joy. In discovering Your hidden treasures I learn how deeply I am treasured by You. When day by day I am responsive To Your whispered secrets You do more for me in one day Than I could do for myself in a lifetime.’
Indisputable truth friends! All of it! Every last word! When we hang with the Lord daily, beautiful things do happen in our lives! Glory to God, my brethren! Oh, if only the majority of the world would hear that, believe it and do it eh! What a wonderful place our world would indeed be!
And we would all be saying like Bruh David does in our Bit, taken from his evening prayer of trust in God, which is the Bible Promise associated with the ‘Beautiful Things Happen’ prayer. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.’
Oh precious people of God, isn’t that saying something? It surely is, if we can have more joy in our souls than the people have at harvest time. For harvest time is indeed the most joyful time of the year in an agrarian society. That time when the whole populace exults over the bountiful blessings that the Lord has showered down on them. And if one can get happier than that that, then it is indeed a joyous time, and only possible through close association with our heavenly Father.
And hear how Bruh David continues nuh. As a consequence of such gladness in God, he proudly proclaims: ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8)
Oh my people, my people, what assurance we can get when we sincerely befriend our great and LOVING and comforting God! He allows us to lie down and sleep in peace, no worries whatsoever! Now who in their right minds wouldn’t want to have that experience eh? Apparently a lot of people, because a lot of them are turning away from God.
All I can say to that though friends, is that as for me and mine, we WILL follow the Lord! No ifs and buts about it! Who doesn’t want to follow Him and enjoy the joy and peace of mind it brings, that’s their problem. We can only tell them about it and try to show it in our conduct. They still have to make their own decisions.
Listen to what another psalmist says on the subject. ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (His holy name).’ (Ps.97:9-12)
Oh ye current day saints of God, are you living such joyful lives; rejoicing and giving thanks? I certainly hope so. And if you aren’t, then it’s all your fault, for the Lord our God and faithful Provider has placed it all out there for us to enjoy. It’s now left to us to accept the gladness and mercy that He offers. Please be wise and reach out and accept it, for it doesn’t get any better than God’s goodness.
Now for those of us who have wisely accepted God’s goodness and seen the prosperity in our lives, let’s go home declaring the myriad blessings that the Lord has showered down on us; so much so that our souls can hardly contain them. (smile)
As one strong, enthusiastic and sincere voice now: ‘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!’
Ah mih people, that shows God’s unsurpassable generosity! Now let’s go out and be just as generous nuh, for that’s why He showered us with so many blessings in the first place. Much LOVE!
…blessings are not truly blessings…until they are shared…
29 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peculiar treasure, above all people, all the earth is mine, awesome truth, blessed is the nation, bondage, can't make ends meet, capitalism, charitable organizations, circumstances, comfortable, complaining, confines, confusing, cozy, deeply ingrained, depression, don't put off for tomorrow, drive Him out, egalitarian, enjoy the day, evil, eyes fixed straight ahead, food banks, forget the Lord thy God, forsaken the Lord, generous, glad to be alive, glorious future, godly, going downhill, gospel truth, hands on the plough, hardship, hate based, his own inheritance, John Maxwell, keep my covenant, Labour Day, lifestyle, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, miry clay, Moses, no longer needed God, no meaningful life, not looking back, obey my voice, people friendly, personal property, petty thing goes wrong, power to get wealth, prosperity, prosperous times, remember the Lord thy god, reveal who you are, Revelation, scorching, selfishness, sharing, soup kitchens, stop procrastinating, strife filled, stubborn heads, the cold front, the cold weather, the horrible pit, the people he hat chosen, the world's population, too big for their britches, topsy-turvy, unequal society, walk after other gods, war, Wednesday Wail, well-fed, Western society, what you can do today, whose God is the Lord, working families, ye shall perish
Psalm 33:12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Wednesday, glorious Wednesday! Let’s hope it’s not as hot as yesterday though. Brother! That was really a scorching one in my area! And I had to go out in it twice and do stuff that I had been putting off, but could not afford to put off any longer. That just teaches you to stop procrastinating and adhere to the saying, ‘Don’t put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.’
But yuh know what? Let’s enjoy the day yes, even if it’s another scorcher, because come next week, after Labour Day and the cold front comes in, we’re going to be complaining about the cold weather. Hn, hn! But I guess that’s the nature of the human animal, especially when it’s comfortable in its surroundings. And as John Maxwell tell us: ‘Circumstances don’t make you what you are, they reveal who you are.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth.
Just imagine if we were living through the enormous hardship of most of the world’s population, and not in the cozy, comfortable and well-fed confines of Western Society? Can you imagine how we’d cry out and complain? Hn! Just look at how we behave now when some li’l, petty thing goes wrong, and how we behave towards those who don’t have very much in our prosperous, but ever so unequal society. Steups!
The top 1% owns 90 something percent of the wealth and power, while the remaining 99% have to get by on the measly portion that’s left. But that’s our lifestyle, and we nicely term it capitalism. But it’s simply pure selfishness. And selfishness seems to be so deeply ingrained in our lifestyle, that we can’t even recognize it for what it truly is.
Ah friends, I don’t know how to do it nuh, but we definitely need to find a more egalitarian, more people friendly and sharing kind of society if we want to keep it buoyant and prosperous. Just look at the sudden rise of charitable organizations, food banks and soup kitchens in these prosperous times nuh, of working families that can’t make ends meet!
Those were things you only heard about during the tough times of depression and war. But unfortunately, today they are a major part of our society. Ah Lord eh! As the man says, our circumstances certainly reveal who we are. And the revelation is that our society is not a very nice, sharing, generous or godly one. End of Sermon!
And would you believe, when I began, I didn’t know what I was going to write about! (smile) Thank You Lord! And you know why our society is so topsy turvy, confusing and strife-filled? Because we have forsaken the Lord God of hosts! We are trying to drive Him out of our boundaries and out of our lives. But is that ever so foolish my brethren! Just listen to what the Lord Himself had to say on that matter.
First of all, through Moses, He said to the Israelites when He so miraculously brought them out of bondage in Egypt. ‘Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure (personal property) unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.’ (Ex.19:5) Please note that last phrase friends, for all the earth and everything therein is indeed the Lord’s because He made it and keeps it going.
And note this even more important passage that Moses tried to drum into the stubborn heads of the Israelites. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.’ (Deut.8:18-19)
Yes my brethren, it was the Lord God Himself that gave Israel the ability to get wealth. And you’ll notice that each time they turned away from Him their society suffered serious mishap. But when they turned back again, He forgave them and renewed their prosperity.
Friends, the same thing is happening in our society today. When we were mostly a God-fearing people, He enabled us to become overwhelmingly prosperous. But now that we’ve gotten too big for our breeches and think we no longer need Him, our society is quickly and sadly going downhill, falling into a horrible pit, into the miry clay and the only way for us to rescue it is to repent and once again become a God-fearing nation.
As our Bit so wisely states: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.’ Yes friends, that’s gospel truth! We’ve seen that not only with Israel, but all down through history, where great nations crumbled when they felt they no longer needed God to survive and be prosperous. And unfortunately the same thing is happening to us today.
Please, I implore us to not allow history to repeat itself where we are concerned. Let’s not forget the Lord our God! But for that to happen, we believers have to get up NOW, and do whatever it takes to cause Jesus’ LOVE Revolution to once more proliferate in our society, instead of Lucifer’s evil and hate based organization! That’s the only way we will be saved from God’s upcoming destruction! Nuff said!
Now for those of us who are actively working on the LOVE Revolution, let’s go home letting the world know our position in Christ, by enthusiastically declaring our Wednesday Wail. In strong 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 is that future ever going to be glorious! More than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…without Almighty God in our lives…we have no meaningful life…
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