05 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, allowed to serve God, almighty god, appreciation, by grace ye are saved, calamity, Christians, contradictions of life, delightful, draw the short straw, even when we were dead in sins, exceeding riches of his grace, fallen sinners, finite human minds, for His great love, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, glory to God, God who is rich in mercy, God's mercy, God's Riches at Christ's Expense, good works, gratitude, guidance, he quickened us, in his kindness towards us through Christ, intimate relationship with God, it is the gift of God, Jeremiah, joyous, lead, lest any man should boast, made us alive, men who deserve hell obtain heaven, morally dead in sins, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, not of evil, not of works, quickened us together with Christ, salvation, sit together in heavenly places, spiritual life, Thank You Lord, the grave of their old life, the Holy Spirit, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, undeserved favour, unmerited favour, walking obediently with God, wherewith He loved us
Ephesians 2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.
Well Friends, it’s Saturday, what’s new with you eh? What have you got planned for today? Hope it’s something that’s joyous and brings you delight… And I hear some women quickly complaining in the background; ‘How the dickens could house work, cleaning and cooking be joyous and delightful eh?’
Sorry ladies, but that’s all part of life. Somebody has to do it and you were just unlucky enough to draw the short straw. (smile) Don’t feel too badly though, because I’m not planning on doing anything fun-like myself, just planning to spend most of the day in rest.
Although I don’t know if that is such a wise idea, because I’ve been resting a fair amount lately, more than usual, but I’m still tired, more tired than when I wasn’t resting as much.
Oh, who knows or understands the contradictions of this earthly life besides Almighty God? Nobody really nuh. We just have to trust Him implicitly and follow His lead and guidance for our lives, because as He promises in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
Yes my people, our wonderful God has good plans for us, so let’s be wise and place our lives in His faithful and mighty hands nuh. And if you don’t believe me about His good intentions towards us, then just listen to our Bit. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.’
Oh Friends, God’s LOVE is exceedingly great towards us, so great that our simple and finite human minds can’t understand it. That’s why some of us simply can’t wrap our minds around a Deity who LOVES fallen sinners so much. But listen to what Bruh Paul says after our Bit.
‘Even when we were dead in sins, hath he quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved 😉 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:5-7)
Wow mih breddren! Glory to God! What more can we say to such unmerited and undeserved favour but ‘Thank You Lord! We praise and glorify Your great name and also for giving us Your Son Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! Thank You, thank You, thank You!
And we promise to try and show our sincere appreciation and gratitude for your wondrous works towards us, by walking obediently in Your Holy Will. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.’
Ah Friends, that wasn’t planned nuh. It just automatically rolled out after I read the wonderful scripture displaying God’s marvelous grace and mercy to us, while we were yet sinners. He must really and truly LOVE us yes, to do such extraordinary things on our behalf when we deserved none of it!
Now here are some explanations from the scholars. ‘2:4-6. But begins to disclose God’s responses to man’s sin of verses 1-3. This divine response is expressed in three main verbs: (1) God…hath quickened us. Because they were morally dead in sins, the Lord gave them spiritual life; (2) and hath raised us together, that is, God has not allowed these Christians to remain in the grave of their old life with its sinful ways and habits, but He brought them into a new life and demonstration of it; and (3) God made us sit together in heavenly places, that is, He has brought us into His presence and into intimate relationship with Himself.’
Oh Friends what can be more wonderful than sitting in heavenly places with Jesus in the presence of God the Father eh? Nothing my people, nothing whatsoever! That’s why I don’t understand how we can become so ungodly and evil and so bent on turfing God out of our society, after all that wonderful stuff He has done for us.
And Bruh Paul continues to enlighten the Ephesians and us. ‘For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship (creation), created in Christ Jesus unto (for) good works, which God hath before ordained (prepared) that we should walk in them.’ (Eph.2:8-10)
Yes Friends, though we were made to perform good works, those good works don’t have any part in our obtaining salvation. It’s strictly by the grace of God. He was wise enough to know that if good works meant anything that proud and egotistical man would boast about it and make a mockery of it.
Anyway, here is the scholars take on the Grace of God. ‘2:8. The grace of God is the expression of His goodness toward the underserving. Grace means unmerited favour, and can be expressed by the acrostic “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” This grace is the basis of our salvation (1:7; 2:8).
Illustration: In salvation, men who deserve hell obtain heaven. This cannot be explained apart from God’s grace. Every conversion in Scripture is an example of God’s grace. When Paul (Saul) met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Paul was a persecutor of the church. Yet God made him one of the church’s chief preachers.
Application: We need to remember that we are saved, given the Holy Spirit, and allowed to serve God – by His grace. (First Ref; Gen.6:8; Primary Ref; Eph.2:8; cf. Ps.139:1).’
Nuff said my people. Hope it brings home to us the great and true LOVE that the Father has for His children, and the riches He’s bequeathed to us at Jesus’ expense. Much LOVE!
…But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord… (Gen.6:8)
04 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a miserable experience, another week of work, Beelzebub, befuddled mind, corrections, dead in trespasses, divine punishment, ethnic groups, evil, faith, fellowship, for His great love, Friday chant, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Gentiles, God who is rich in mercy, God's power, going down the wrong path, going to bed early is for the birds, grace, grin and bear it, hostile to God, in Jesus' name, Jews, labouring for massa, lifestyles, LOVE, Lucifer, made alive, mercy, opposed to God, philosophies, preparing for a fantastic time, pull up our bootstraps, quickened, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, right perspective, Satan, sinful children, sinners, stubborn, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the children of disobedience, the children of wrath, the course of this world, the dictates and wishes of Satan, the gift of God is eternal life, the long and short of the story, the lusts of our flesh, the prince of power of the air, the rules of God, the straight and narrow path, the wages of sin is death, the weekend's here at last, the world system, through Jesus Christ our Lord, time for thought, unconditional LOVE, ungodly, values, walking in disobedience, wherewith God loved us, wicked, wisdom, with God's help, with the help of Jesus
Ephesians 2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.
Oh Friends, this going to bed early business is truly for the birds yes! Steups! I tried it last night – not that early, but earlier than my usual time – and was it ever a miserable experience.
Ah Lord eh! I got up several times during the night, turned and tossed, trying to find a comfortable position, but all to no avail. And being stubborn, I refused to get up, claiming I needed the rest as an excuse. Hn, hn! Well I got the rest, but I woke up feeling lousy, more tired than when I went to bed.
Ah mih breddren, what yuh going to do eh? Just grin and bear it and move on with the help of Jesus. And that’s my gripe for today. (smile) But wait nuh, today is Friday, isn’t it?
And the response to that question assured me that it was indeed Friday. ‘But what’s wrong with you boy? How come yuh don’t know today is Friday eh? Can’t you hear everybody shouting ‘TGIF. Thank God is Friday, and the weekend’s here at last? You’re possibly the only one not shouting that and preparing for a fantastic time! But later for you yes, we have preparations to make!’
And the throng moved away loudly mouthing ‘TGIF! Thank You Father God for Friday’s yes!’
Well I have been told, haven’t I? (smile) And I lay it all at the feet of going to bed early and getting up late with a befuddled mind. Anyway, to bring everything back into right perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm and true sincerity.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah mih people, that ought to give us pause, time for a little thought on how we’re going to spend our weekend, the valuable couple days off from labouring for massa.
That brings us to our Bit, a simple sentence, but one chocked full of meaning and glorious importance. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.’ Yes Friends, it all comes right down to God’s unstinting and unconditional LOVE for us sinful children.
The earlier verses of this chapter, which deal with grace and faith, have us looking real terrible. ‘And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world (age), according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Among whom also we all had our conversation (conducted ourselves) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath. (Eph.2:1-3)
And what does all of that mean eh my people? Listen to the scholars. ‘2:1. Quickened means “made alive.” In 1:19 Paul prays for his readers to recognize what God’s power has done in them. As part of the answer to this prayer, verses 1-10 inform them of some of the effects divine might has accomplished in them.’
‘2:2. Ye walked means “you lived.” The course of this world: The word course signifies the tendencies, thoughts, pursuits, deeds, and so on, that characterize the present period of history. “This world” (kosmos) means “world system,” that is, those philosophies, values, and lifestyles that are opposed to God and hostile to Him.
Before conversion the Ephesians used to conduct themselves in accordance with such ungodly values. The prince of the power of the air may be read “the ruler of the kingdom in the air.” They also used to live by the dictates and wishes of Satan.’
‘2.3. We all had our conversation means “we all conducted ourselves.” In contrast to “ye” in 2:2 which refers to Gentiles, note the “we” of this verse, which refers to Jews. In essence Paul admits, “We Jews were no better than you Gentiles – both ethnic groups were sinful.” Children of wrath refers to people subject to divine punishment.’
Oh Friends, I know that some of those explanations can be a bit taxing, but the long and short of the story is that before God shone His wonderful LOVE on us, we were all a bunch of unworthy and terrible sinners, regardless of our ethnic situation.
However, and very sadly and disappointing too, two thousand years after God showered His LOVE on us through Jesus, we are reverting to that same position, worshipping the ‘prince of the power of the air,’ Lucifer, Satan, Beelzebub, whatever you choose to call him.
And right now our world can again be termed as ‘children of wrath,’ because we are so wicked and evil and ungodly and deserving of divine punishment. It’s definitely not a nice picture we paint today my brethren, and we have to pull up our bootstraps very soon, if we don’t want to be victims of that divine punishment.
For believe it or not, divine punishment ALWAYS comes to those who insist on thwarting the rules of God and walking in total disobedience to His Holy will, as we are currently doing. History proves it.
So as we end today, please, let’s make it our first priority to check our individual lives and see where we may be going down the wrong path, the wide and unfortunate one, instead of the straight and narrow one that leads to Jesus, and make any corrections that are necessary, with God’s help of course. For that my brethren, is the true meaning of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God is eternal life…through Jesus Christ our Lord… (Rom.6:23)
03 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . the fountain of wisdom, be friendly, broken bones, children of the Most High God, Christian, considering thyself, crisis, divine invitation, dream, everything flows from One, forbearing one another, gentleness, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, God's children, gossip, heavenly blessings, hitching your wagon to a star, Hour of Power Devotional, if a man be overtaken in a fault, in the spirit of meekness, laugh, lest thou be tempted, long-suffering, LOVE, lowliness, meekness, mending, moral condition, moral ineptitude, one baptism, One Body, one church, one faith, one Father, one God, one hope, ONE Lord, one spirit, Oneness, our brother's keeper, our part to play, overstepping of divine boundaries, play, Praise the Lord, prisoner of the Lord, read, restore such a one, restore the erring brother, salvation, spirit of meekness, the bond of peace, the fruit of the spirit, the highest joy of life, the last days of summer, the music of the soul, the price of success, the road to happiness, the secret of youth, the source of power, the unfurling of the universe, think, unity of the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, walk worthy of your calling, wilful sin, work, ye which are spiritual, you can lead a horse to water, you can't make it drink
Galatians 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken (caught) in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Well a beautiful Thursday morning to you my Friends and neighbours in these last days of summer 2105! And this past week has indeed been true summer days; hot and hazy. So much so that the parched ground is crying out for drink, for rain, for heavenly blessings to keep everything from drying up and being scorched to a dull and dead brown.
Ah mih breddren, it surely seems that these days when it’s not one thing, it’s another. Life doesn’t seem to flow along smoothly anymore, and our world just seems to lurch from one crisis to another.
Blessedly though, as children of the Most High God, we don’t have to be overly concerned about anything, because He has promised to look after us in whatever situation we may find ourselves. And we know that our God is a most faithful Deity.
However, we do have our part to play in the unfurling of the universe, and here are some worthwhile ideas from an anonymous Irishman from the Hour of Power Devotional, which I believe I might have shared long ago, but which today are definitely worth sharing again.
Listen closely. ‘Take time for work, it is the price of success. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to play, it is the secret of youth. Take time to read, it is the fountain of wisdom. Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness. Take time to dream, it’s hitching your wagon to a star. Take time to LOVE, it is the highest joy of life. Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul’
Oh Friends, what wonderful advice! And if we would only take it and adapt it to our own lives, we would be so much happier and useful in these trying times. The sad fact though, is that most of us know all those things, but we just don’t put them into action and practice them, therefore our lives are not as worthwhile as they ought to be.
But as they say, ‘you can only lead a horse to water, you can’t make it drink.’ So despite all the wise and wonderful advice we might get, if we don’t accept it and use it, then technically speaking it’s useless.
That brings us to today’s Bit; an eloquent, though quite important aspect of our Christian beliefs. ‘Brethren, if a man be overtaken (caught) in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.’
Ah mih people, that is indeed a big responsibility, but one we need to seriously address nonetheless. And the scholars give us some interesting explanations.
‘6:1. In a fault (or, “by some transgression”). The sin in view is a deliberate overstepping of divine boundaries. Ye which are spiritual refers to those who walk by the Spirit (5:16), in whose life the fruit of the Spirit is found (5:22-23). The man who is overtaken by willful sin is also a Christian, but he has not been walking by the Spirit. The spiritual brethren are to restore the erring brother.
This word is used of mending fishing nets (Matt.4:21) and of people mending their ways (2 Cor.13:11). Restore means therefore to bring back a person to his former moral condition. The word was also used in secular Greek for setting broken bones, which has to be done gently. So the church is to restore the lapsed in the spirit of meekness (i.e. gentleness).
The grievous and sensitive wounds caused by sin must be handled delicately. Considering thyself: Those restoring the fallen must individually keep constant watch over their own lives. The spiritual man can be morally dragged down as he deals with the sin of his carnal counterpart.’
Yes Friends, to a certain extent we are our Christian brother’s keeper. We all ought to walk in the Spirit, but when we do fall, we must be assisted back to faith by our Christian brethren. But note though, in gentleness, not the harsh and brutal way that we tend to do it; severely criticizing the fallen brother or sister and spreading all sorts of gossip about them.
Most importantly though my people, when we are trying to help another, we must pay very careful attention to our own circumstances lest we get dragged down by the same moral ineptitude of those we are trying to help. And I know that many of us will claim that that can’t happen to us. But you would be surprised at how easily it can happen.
And we’ll end with some more pertinent words from Bruh Paul, this time to the Ephesians, re the unity of the Spirit. ‘I therefore, the prisoner of (in) the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (calling) wherewith ye are called. With all lowliness and meekness (gentleness), with long-suffering, forbearing (bearing with) one another in LOVE;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.’ (Eph.4:1-6).
Yes Friends, there is only ONE of several things, and though we are individuals, we are all a part of that ONE, and we need to keep that ONE as tight knit, faithful and fruitful as we can. This therefore behooves us to walk in a manner fitting the divine invitation, (calling) which brought us to salvation.
And all of God’s children said, ‘Praise the Lord! Glory Hallelujah!’
So please, let’s go out today and do whatever it takes to keep that ONENESS in Almighty God. Much LOVE!
…everything flows from ONE…ONE God…ONE Saviour…ONE Holy Spirit…and ONE Body…the Church…
02 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a day begun with Jesus, a godly life, a good name is better than precious ointment, a good name is to be chosen above riches, a good report makes the bones fat, a good reputation, a shout of thanks, a shout out to Jesus, Advocate, Alpha and Omega, bawling, born again, conflict, earthly riches, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, excellence, faith, forgiveness, fruits of the Spirit, glory, glory hallelujah, glory to God, godly principles, good character, halfway home, head holding, high priest, holy spirit, hope, human nature, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, in heaven alongside Jesus, in our own strength, integrity, jehovah god, Jesus christ is Lord, joy, kindness, King of Kings, Lord and Saviour, Lord of Lords, LOVE, loving favour rather than silver or gold, material things, meekness, merciful God, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no beating about the bush, praise, prince of peace, seek God's favour, self-control, stay focused on God, stress, the breath of life, the day of death, the day of one's birth, the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart, the obits, the straight and narrow path, the vicissitudes of life, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, worries
Proverbs 22:1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.
Aye Friends, it’s wailing Wednesday! So let us wail nuh. (smile) ‘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!’
Yes my people, it’s simple, straightforward and to the point! No beating about the bush! If it’s a day for wailing, then why not wail from the very beginning eh?
But you know something else my brethren? A li’l wail, a li’l shout out to Jesus when you wake up in the morning to face a brand new day, is the best way to begin it.
Why? Because it causes you to be more focused, filled with more joy, more LOVE, faith, hope, kindness, forgiveness and mercy…more of the fruits of the spirit, like meekness and self-control. And those of you who practice it, know that I am telling the truth.
Oh my fellow believers, as well as you unbelievers, believe me, a day begun with Jesus WILL outshine any that’s not begun with Him, where He is not the focus of our minds, body and souls! So please, let’s pledge that from here on in, every morning that we arise and don’t see our name in the obits, that we’ll give Jesus a wail, a shout out of thanks and praise and glory.
And if we do happen to see our name in the obits, (smile) well then there’s no need to worry, because we’ll be right there in heaven alongside Jesus, exactly where we want to be.
Oh Glory to God, for giving us such a wonderful Lord and Saviour, Prince of Peace, Advocate, High Priest, the Alpha and Omega, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, to whom each knee will eventually bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord indeed! Glory Hallelujah!
And like our good God is trying to tell us something significant this morning, because I was led to a rather interesting Bit from Cousin Sol, namely, that ‘A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and LOVING favour rather than silver and gold.’ Oh my people, is that ever so true!
And as the scholars explain it: ‘22:1. A good reputation is more important that wealth.’
Oh if we’d only believe that my brethren, and stop running down the worthless wealth of material things and earthly riches, our lives would be so much better; less stress, less conflict, less head holding and bawling.
That’s what our great and merciful God is trying to tell us today; be a person of good character, one of integrity and excellence, seek my favour, rather than the world’s, and your life will be amazing.
Oh Friends, I know that when the vicissitudes of life come upon us, it’s not always easy to stay focused on Jesus, but we just have to do our best, so that we can receive His best.
When the money and health and relationship worries tumble down on us, it’s difficult not to try and withstand and/or overcome them in our own strength, although we have the faithful promises of our Lord to look after and provide for all our needs. It’s just human nature.
But since we are born again in the Holy Spirit, we need to put away those worldly fantasies and seize the opportunity to stay focused on God and His things, which are way more lasting and edifying than the things of the world. We can’t buy a good name, integrity or character with earthly wealth, although a lot of us are trying to do it, especially in these heady times of upcoming elections.
Earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us that ‘The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat (healthy). (Prov.15:30)
That’s ever so true Friends! When our eyes are opened with wisdom, our hearts rejoice, and when we are commended for our stellar behaviour, integrity and character, it does raise the level of our health; physically, spiritually and emotionally. There’s nothing like people saying good and truthful things about us.
As Cousin Sol say in Ecclesiastes 7: ‘A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.’ (Eccl.7:1)
Yes Friends, wise living, and we’re talking about godly not worldly wisdom, is ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO!
And you cannot be led down that straight and narrow path by anyone else other than Jehovah God.
So please, let’s go to Him today nuh, right now, if necessary, and sincerely ask Him to grant us the wisdom and understanding we need to live a wise and godly life, one that’s ever so pleasing to Him. For that is indeed wisdom to the nth degree…everlasting wisdom! Much LOVE!
…godly principles cannot be bought with earthly wealth…
01 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parent, a wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, Ark of the Covenant, ask in faith, blessed, Bobby Schuller, brains, brawn, brute strength, California, casts down the strength of the confidence thereof., copying, Cousin Bobby, Diana Rampersad, didn't understand, direction, forgiveness, friends, generous nature, going to be with the Lord, Gramps Schuller, guidance, he that doubts is like the wave of the sea, heaven on earth, heavenly days, Hour of Power, hurry, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Independence Day, Israelites, Jamaica's Independence Day, Jericho, laziness, LOVE, mea culpa, Mother Earth, my friend Jesus, my heart is right, not doubting, pasting, paying proper attention, rough times, scales the walls of the mighty, share the Love of Jesus, Shepherd's Grove, smile, sons and daughters of God, Trinidad and Tobago's Independence Day, trumpets of ram's horns, truth, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 21:22. A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.
Oh Friends, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa!
Yes, on this first day of September, there are four things I want to apologize for. The first is not having the right date at the top of the Bit yesterday; instead of the 31st, I had the 30th. Although I don’t know how many of you noticed it. (smile) But that’s what comes from laziness and copying and pasting and not paying proper attention.
The second is for not mentioning Jamaica’s Independence Day on August 6, which celebrated 53 years of freedom from her colonial rulers. The third thing is not celebrating T&T’s Independence Day yesterday, the 31st, also marking 53 years of independence from Mother England.
I always write about Canada and the U.S Independence Day, but I forget or choose not to write about my two home countries…countries that nurtured me and made me who I am. Chuh! That’s definitely not good enough. And lastly, I forgot to celebrate the fourth anniversary of my beloved mother Molly going to be with Lord on August 31 2011.
Now that one I need some special forgiveness for. But yuh know what Friends? I have no doubt that that is forthcoming, for the ole girl knows that my heart is right, it’s just that my brain is getting a li’l old and foggy. (smile) And it’s not like I have completely forgotten about her, because I visited her just this past week, and we had a good chat, about what’s happening now and all the old times we spent together, both the good and the bad. And believe me, they were indeed some rough times that people don’t know about.
Yeh Mols baby, I myself didn’t understand some of those hard times back then, not until I became a parent myself, and I’m sincerely sorry for any problems I caused through my not understanding. And I know that because of your LOVING and generous nature, you’ll say that’s okay, you didn’t expect me to understand such things at such a young age.
Anyway, I know that you are now resting and enjoying your heavenly days with the Saviour, as you so richly deserve. I know that you and your grandmother Di (Diana Rampersad) are chatting away everyday. (smile) Although it was definitely a shock earlier on this year, to hear that Di had departed this earth so unexpectedly, and at such a young age too. But I guess that was the Lord’s decision, and who can argue with it eh? Nobody!
So you two, please enjoy yourselves and do whatever it is you do heaven (smile), while we slog it out down here on Mother Earth, until the Lord calls us to join you all.
Now for all of us still down here in heaven on earth, here’s a simple prayer that says so much. It’s being used by the congregation of Shepherd’s Grove, the church in Southern California from which the Hour Of Power broadcasts are done, now conducted by Cousin Bobby (Robert Schuller III) Gramps Schuller’s grandson.
Please pray with me. ‘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.’
Yes my brethren, we are indeed the beloved of God, Almighty God’s wonderful children, so we ought to have nothing to worry about, especially where our identification is concerned. We are not distinguished by what we do, where we live, or any other worldly determination. First and foremost we are the sons and daughters of the Creator! Matter fixed!
That brings us to our Bit; certainly an interesting statement from Cousin Sol. ‘A wise man scaleth (climbs over the walls of) the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence (trusted stronghold) thereof.’ And when we reason it out Friends, we see that it’s absolutely true.
The scholars declare it as: ‘21:22. Wisdom is mightier than brute strength.’
And isn’t that the God-awesome truth? It surely is! Brains are far more useful than brawn, as the old saying goes. Brawn can be uppermost for a while, but in the long run it’s the brain that scales the walls of the mighty. Just look at the brilliant example in how the Israelites captured the supposedly impregnable city of Jericho.
They simply marched around it once a day, in total silence, for six days, with seven priests bearing before the Ark of the Covenant seven trumpets of ram’s horns. And on the seventh day they marched around it seven times, with the priests blowing on their trumpets. And when they made a long blast the people shouted a loud shout, and eventually the walls of Jericho tumbled down and the Israelites simply went in and took it over. (Josh. 6:1-27)
Granted that was basically through God’s machinations, but the moral of the story is that brute force would not have brought down the walls of Jericho, but brains, wise council did. And even today my brethren, it is wisdom for us to come before God with every problem and ask for His wise guidance, before we do anything at all.
As Cousin Sol further tells us: ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. For by wise counsel. Thou shalt make thy war (wage your own war): and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.’ (Prov.24:5-6)
Yes Friends, wisdom, or rather in the pursuit of wisdom, lies the answer to a myriad of our problems. And where does this wonderful thing termed wisdom come from?
James tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (without doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6)
So my fellow believers, today, please let’s turn to the Lord God Jehovah for guidance and direction in ALL that we do, but with a sincere faith and trust that He will acknowledge our requests. Much LOVE!
…blessed is he that has a combination of brains and brawn…but if only one is granted…brains will surely win the day…
31 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a la Jesus, adrenalin, aura of love, baptizing them, believers in Christ, confidence, Controller, Creator, declare God's glory among the heathen, do some good, enthusiasm, faith, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, holy spirit, humble servants, I am with you always, in the beauty of holiness, invincible, Jesus Christ, kick some butt, let the earth be glad, let the heavens rejoice, let the sea roar, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, motors revving, O sing unto the Lord a new song, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, proclaim the good news, provider, put our best foot forward, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., salvation, saviour jesus, sing unto the Lord all the earth, spiritual armour, spread some love, stand your bounce, steadfast faith, teach all nations, teaches you a lesson, the Great Commission, the Holy Ghost, the Lord comes to judge the earth, the Lord reigns, tremble before God, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, wisdom, worship the Lord
Psalm 96:1. O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Awright Friends, the big day, Monday, has rolled around again. So how are we going to handle it eh? Are we going to whimper and complain, or are we going to make the best of a bad thing, put our best foot forward, like our Lord and Saviour Jesus expects of us?
Yuh know that if this morning you are tired and miserable, possibly hung over, it’s all your fault, you didn’t listen to my good advice and spend yesterday getting ready for today. So now you just have to stand your bounce; feel the pain, and get out there and do whatever is necessary. And I surely hope it teaches you a lesson, so that next Monday you’ll be up early, bright and fresh like a daisy. (smile)
Now let’s see about getting us going on the right foot this morning, by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto and gumption. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah mih people, that was a tad scratchy, what with the sore throats and hoarse voices. But overall it wasn’t too bad. At least our choir conductor, Jesus, could see us making the effort. It’s just that our physical abilities weren’t up to par. (smile)
But at least the adrenalin is flowing now, and I can hear our motors revving, meaning that we’re ready to go out into the evil world and kick some butt, do some good and spread some LOVE, a la Jesus! Glory to our great God my people!
And if we’re ready to face the ungodly world, then that means we’re also ready to do what our Bit advises: ‘O Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.’
Yes Friends, we are called upon to praise our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present Deity, for he is the Creator and Controller and Provider of ALL!
Now our Bit comes from psalm 96, which itself is a part of Bruh David’s famous song of thanksgiving, after they had brought the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. (1 Chr.16:7-36) But we’ll just concern ourselves with Psalm 96 today, which continues thus after our Bit.
‘Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth (proclaim the good news of) his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen (the gentiles), his wonders among all people. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.’ (Ps.96:2-6)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, there is not one word of untruth in all those statements! Our God is what it says, and has done all that is stated. That is why we should do as the psalmist continues: ‘Give (ascribe) unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give (ascribe) unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him all the earth. Say among the heathen (gentiles) that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously.’ (Ps.96:7-10)
Oh Friends, more indisputable truth! We need to give our wonderful and mighty God His just due, and to let the world know about Him, by spreading His Word to all the ends of the earth as Jesus desired in the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway(s) even unto the end of the world. (Matt.28:19-20)
And you know what Friends? They did as Jesus desired. They spread his word far and wise, so that today we have it in all its rich and splendid glory. Now it’s our turn to continue that commission.
And as the psalmist wisely directs: ‘Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof (all that is in it). Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.’ (Ps.96:11-13)
Oh Friends, let us indeed rejoice with nature and be glad, for our Saviour cometh, and this time He is coming in all His majesty, power and glory to rule and to judge the earth with righteousness and truth!
That my people is no joke, so please let’s prepare ourselves for that awesome and glorious day, whenever it might be. For that is what is termed, heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…if you’ve heard the word…then Jesus comes and finds you wanting…you’ve no one to blame but yourself…
30 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a special invitation, advocating on our behalf, arrogant, awe, blessed be the Lord, Christ died for us, Deity of all deities, embracing, eternal life, foolish, forgiveness, gather together in God's sanctuary, getting into bed with Lucifer, glorify, glory hallelujah, glory to God, god, God demonstrates His love for us, God loved us, God's great compassion, grace, grasp God's love, gratitude, His only begotten Son, human love, Jehovah, jehovah god, Jethro, LOVE, magnify, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, mercy, Moses, obedience, our bounden duty, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Pharaoh, praise, promting, propitiation for sins, proud, revelling in, reverence, salvation, sing, thanks, thanksgiving, the bells tolling, the Boss, the Lord is greater than all gods, the LOVE of God, the Most High, the things of God, the things of this world, thou art exalted far above all gods, thou Lord art high above all the earth, undeserving children of men, unwise, while we were yet sinners, worship
Psalm 97:9. For thou , Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
Aye Friends and neighbours! Yuh hear them; the bells tolling sweetly in the distance? Yes, this Sunday morning they are extending a special invitation to all and sundry, to gather together in God’s sanctuary to sing and praise, worship and glorify and magnify Him, for He is a great and wonderful God and is indeed worthy of our awe and reverence, our thanks and our everlasting gratitude. What a mouthful! (smile)
But it’s all true, my people. Our God Jehovah, is a most wonderful Deity; the Deity of all deities!
And John, in his first epistle brings it home to us in these two immortal verses of scripture. ‘In this was manifested the LOVE of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:9-10)
Oh Friends, if the Lord never did anything else for us in this world, that alone would be more than sufficient! Having our sins washed clean, with the promise of salvation and eternal life with God is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to mankind!
And here are a couple of insights into those verses from the scholars. ‘4:9. To grasp God’s LOVE aright, one must look to how God has demonstrated it. Here John is in total harmony with Paul (Rom.5:8).’
And I might as well spell out that reference, because I know that very few of you will actually go and look it up. (smile) ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates his own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:8) Glory Hallelujah!
And as per ‘4:10. No human LOVE is the standard for understanding God’s great compassion, but God’s own action on man’s behalf.’
Yes my brethren, our God is so wonderful that it’s impossible to argue with sentiments of the psalmist in our Bit. ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.’
And why wouldn’t He be eh? He created the universe and all therein, and still controls it from His throne in the high heavens, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sits at his right hand advocating on our behalf.
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God for His wonderful grace and mercy and forgiveness to the undeserving children of men!’
And that’s exactly why we ought to hold Him in greater esteem, show Him more reverence, LOVE and obedience than we do. Instead of trying to remove Him from our society, we should be promoting, embracing and revelling in His wonderful word and works!
It just goes to show how proud, arrogant, unwise and foolish we are, that the prevalent action nowadays is getting into bed with Lucifer and the evil, easily destroyed and moth eaten things of this world, rather than with Almighty God and the everlasting things of heaven.
Oh Friends, what can Lucifer, a fallen angel, kicked out of heaven when he tried to over throw God, really do for us now eh? Not a blooming thing, but make us lose our salvation and eternal life with Jesus!
Even from olden times it was recognized that Jehovah God was a most powerful and magnanimous deity. Listen to what Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law declared when he visited Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness. ‘And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt (behaved) proudly he was above them.’ (Ex.18:10-11)
Yes Friends, even Jethro, who had been on the sidelines all the time that Moses was doing God’s work in Israel, recognized the power and the majesty of Israel’s God. So why can’t we do the same today eh? Who knows!
Now let’s look at some other scriptures that magnify God to the highest, beginning with Psalm 95 – A psalm of praise to the great God. ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps.95:1-3) There is absolutely no doubt all that my people!
And finally these words from the psalmist Asaph, from Psalm 83 – A prayer for the destruction of Israel’s enemies. ‘O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind (the whirling dust). As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; So persecute (pursue) them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled (ashamed and dismayed) for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah (Lord), art the Most High over all the earth.’ (Ps.83:13-18)
Oh Friends, that is exactly what our God needs to do in these evil, wicked, treacherous and troubled times, so that mankind can truly know who is the real BOSS!
In the meantime though, let us continue to press on with our own accolades for our heavenly Father, diligently spreading His Word and living sincere lives that reflect it, and thus glorifies Him. That is our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…if one doesn’t recognize God’s great LOVE and awesome power…then thou art not one of His children…
29 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: another footnote in the annals of history, awesome truth, blessed art thou Lord, by taking heed to God's Word, by the sweat of thy brow, casino gambling, everlasting wisdom, God's Holy word, God's testimonies, God's Word, gopsel truth, hard work, harvest, how shall a young man cleanse his way, I have hidden thy word in my heart, I have sought thee, I will not forget thy word, in the sweat of thy face, lack of a work ethic, laziness, let me not wander from thy commandments, lottery ticket, lottery tickets, mind-grasping, most important thing on earth, one in a million, perseverance, poverty, procrastination, prosperous, pundits of writing, rewards, Saturday morning, shadows of our former selves, shall constantly be in thy mouth, striving for success, successful, teach me thy statutes, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the mire of ungodliness, this book of the law, thou shalt eat bread, thrilling, thy word, trained how to handle money, truth, trying to harvest where you haven't planted, two steps ahead of the law, unorthodox greeting, wisdom, with my whole heart, without hard work, worldly riches, you shall reap what you sow
Psalm 119:9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Ah Friends, this Saturday morning is one of those where I don’t know what to write. I can’t come up with a nice, unorthodox greeting, something to get you all hot and bothered and excited to hear what comes next, where you just hang on my every word, as the pundits of writing decree one’s opening remarks should do. (smile)
So please excuse the ole fella if today’s Bit is not as thrilling and delightful as it ought to be. But I know one thing for sure; it will contain God’s holy and truthful and profitable Word, and that is the most important thing on the face of this earth! So I’m not worried about the lack of a mind-grasping beginning or a thrilling ending, because ALL of God’s Word is mind grasping and thrilling. And that’s the awesome truth my people!
Now here is something interesting from our Friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. He claims that ‘Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you have not planted.’
Those again are words of gospel truth and everlasting wisdom, for they reflect the basic principle of God’s world; what you sow, that shall you reap, and also, in proportion to how much labour, energy and thought you put into a project, so shall your rewards and harvest be.
Therefore, with the laziness, lack of work ethic and procrastination so prevalent today, it is no wonder that a lot of people, especially amongst the young, are unsuccessful. We all want to be rich and successful, but we don’t want to invest the time and energy that it requires. And we see that so blatantly in the current explosion of casino gambling and lottery tickets.
Everybody wants to be a winner by simply rolling a few dice, pulling the handle on a crooked machine, turning over a few cards or purchasing a lottery ticket. The chances of doing so are one in many millions. And the few who are lucky enough to do it, soon lose or spend it all, because they have no sense, or appreciation, of having put in a real effort to get it, neither have they been trained in how to handle money successfully.
Remember, it’s easier to make a million dollars than to keep it. Just look at all the people who have made millions several times and still don’t have anything to show for it. It’s a good thing I was never much into those things. The few times I bought a lottery ticket I hardly ever got more than two numbers. I was taught that by the sweat of my brow I shall earn bread. (smile)
And the one gambling vice I had, betting on horses, soon disappeared too, because my losses constantly outweighed my winnings. Now I can easily go to a racetrack, watch a few races and don’t bet on any, without any qualms whatsoever. Praise the Lord!
What we don’t seem to realize is that to be a success in, or at anything at all, plenty hard work and perseverance are involved. Even to be a successful crook or criminal, one has to work extra hard so you can always be two steps ahead of the law.
That brings us to our rather appropriate Bit. ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.’ Yes Friends, that’s exactly where young people ought to begin setting the standards for their lives; by following God’s Word!
The psalmist further declares: ‘With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto (contemplate) thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.’ (Ps.119:10-16)
Oh my people, what marvelous sentiments from the psalmist. But how many of us today even read the Word, much less meditate and ponder on it eh? And how many of us can ever say that we have rejoiced in the way of God’s testimonies, as we do in worldly riches? Definitely not too many of us, and for sure not enough!
But Friends, in God’s Word is where we find the formula for prosperity and success. The Lord Himself told it to Joshua in no uncertain terms, when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘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 therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh.1:8)
Ah mih breddren, our God could not have made it any simpler or more straightforward! Constantly read and understand and practice my word, and you will be prosperous and successful. Friends, it’s not rocket science! And we know that when the Israelites did as the Lord decreed, they were successful and prosperous. And when they fell by the wayside, they suffered serious negative consequences.
Even our nations, when they were first formed as Christian nations they were successful and prosperous. But like so many other nations before us, when we reached those heights, we forgot who brought us to the dance, and began to dismantle our godly society, and consequently our success and prosperity began to wane, until now we are merely hulking shadows of our former selves, sinking deeper and deeper into the mire of ungodliness and poverty.
And until we wise up and realize on which side our bread is buttered, and repent and return to sincerely worshipping and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our society will keep on disintegrating, until we’re simply another footnote in the annals of history.
Please my people, for our children’s sake, let’s try our best, obviously with God’s help, not to let that happen, for it would make all of Jesus’ sacrifice of no account. Much LOVE!
…in the sweat of thy face…shalt thou eat bread…till thou return unto the ground…for out of it wast thou taken… (Gen.3:19)
28 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, be strong and of a good courage, clears our paths, confidence, do the Lord's will, ever-faithful, evil thoughts, faith, fear not, fellow believers in Christ, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, garrulousness, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, grace, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heirs with Jesus, in Jesus' name, invade your soul, Jay Douglas, jehovah god, Jesus carried me on His shoulders, Leroy Sibbles, let your guard down, let your hair down, LOVE, Lucifer, makes straight our ways, Merry Ole England, my grace is sufficient for thee, my Saviour, my strength is made perfect in weakness, nor be afraid of them, on the Lakeshore, perspective, Reggae music, relaxation, rest, smile, strong loving arms, tempestuous world, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the C.N.E, the Canadian National Exhibition, the fight is the Lord's, the fight's not ours, the Lord goes before us, the Lord thy God, the Lord thy God goes with thee, the Lord's bidding, the weekend's here, trust, unconditional LOVE, ungodly world, wicked ways
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.
Well Friends, at last it’s Friday… And that statement, as usual, is greeted by joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend’s here! Glory Hallelujah! The heavy labouring is done for two days. Now it’s my time to let my hair down and do my own thing. Thank You again Lord for Friday!’
Yes mih people, it’s our time to do what we want now, but please be careful, for when you let your hair down, you also let your guard down, which gives the ole crook Lucifer a possible avenue to invade your soul with his evil thoughts and wicked ways.
And we definitely don’t want that to happen, so let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a somewhat better perspective on how to spend our weekend.
Please chant with me. ‘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, a small modicum of circumspection – not a big one (smile) is necessary when we consider how we’re going to spend our short but oh so valuable weekends.
But let me let you all into a li’l secret here. For many people in Toronto and the surrounding area, the weekend actually began last night; yes Thursday night, with some rocking Reggae music down on the Lakeshore.
Yeh mih breddren, last night was Reggae Night down at the Ex; the C.N.E; the Canadian National Exhibition, that big, annual country fair that happens during late August and early September. I’m sorry, but to me it has always been just a big country fair, with hucksters of every nature and rides of different kinds. To me it’s always been more about children. I’ve only been to it about two or three times in my entire Canadian sojourn.
However Friends, with an interesting evening of Reggae promised down by the Bandshell of the Ex, the ole fella put on his brand new knee supports – bought them a couple weeks ago when my knees were acting up, but never used them – and along with my trusty ole cane – which just hangs up on my stairs for most of the time – I boldly and confidently ventured down to the Exhibition grounds, via the Go Train with the Duchess and a young cousin from Merry Ole England.
Now the walk from the Go Train Station to the Bandshell was indeed plentiful, but with my props I had no problems. And it was indeed a very rewarding evening, for local boy Jay Douglas and once upon a time Torontonian Leroy Sibbles of Heptones fame mash up the place with some lively and lovely roots music, such that I haven’t heard in many a day.
Reminded me of the times back in the seventies and eighties when T.O was a real Reggae Town, with numerous local Reggae bands, possibly the biggest and best outside of J.A.
Now that I believe was also my first real outing for the summer, and most likely my last. (smile) But it was certainly worth it, as me and my trusty ole cane partied down the place. Obviously not as heartily as once possible, but heartily enough to satisfy my soul.
The fairly large crowd was rocking – everybody stood up when Leroy came on – and sang boisterously to all the old songs from way back when. What better way to spend a somewhat cloudy summer evening down by the lake eh Friends? None really!
The rough part though began on the walk back to the train station. But as always my fellow believers in Christ, when my Saviour saw that it was getting a tad difficult for the ole fella, He just took me up in His strong, LOVING and comfortable arms, placed me on His broad shoulders and carried me safely back to the station. O Glory to God!
And you all wonder why I LOVE Him so much! That’s why; because He NEVER let’s me down, NEVER leaves me in the lurch, NEVER allows me to carry more than I can bear. Praise His Holy and ever-faithful name Friends!
And you’d think that my knees would be a mess this morning, but they’re not. It’s my back that’s acting up, because I laid in bed for too long. Steups! Explain that to me nuh.
Now I guess with all that garrulousness, it doesn’t leave much time nor space for our Bit. (smile) And it’s rather an appropriate one. ‘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.’
Yes my brethren, in this extremely tempestuous world, it is indeed necessary for us to be strong and of a good courage, because it’s rough out there. But thankfully the fight’s not ours, it’s the Lord’s. He it is who goes before us and clears our paths, makes straight our ways and imbues us with His strength and awesome grace.
So we don’t have to be afraid of anything or anybody, once we’re in thick with the Lord God Jehovah, once we’re one of His heirs with Jesus, to His heavenly kingdom.
Now I could have said yesterday that the walk and otherwise would be too long and difficult, and just stayed at home and be disappointed about missing the show. But the Lord caused a strong faith and strength to rise up in me, and I went merrily along my way, confident that He would enable me to do whatever was necessary.
Oh my people, please let that same confidence and faith and trust in our wonderful and omnipotent God be in us today, as we obediently go out to do His bidding and His will, bringing His Word and His unconditional LOVE for ALL to this ungodly world. Do not be afraid or anxious, for He WILL enable us to do whatever He desires of us. ALWAYS remember that. Much LOVE!
…my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power)…is made perfect in weakness (weaknesses)… (2 Cor.12:9)
27 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Prayer for Success, Absalom, as waters that pass away, be humble, be open, Bruh David, communicate with God, confidence, converse, correctable, creative imagination, direction, educable, failure is never final, faith, faith stimulates success, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's great earth, God-given powers, Gramps Schuller, guidance, hear God's voice, hope, hope sustains success, Hour of Power Devotional, I cried unto the Lord, I laid me down to sleep, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, I will not be afraid, inherit the earth, iniquity, Jesus Christ, Job, lift up thy face without spot, misery, none shalt make thee afraid, O Lord thou art a shield, obedience to god, obeying Almighty God, prayer of confidence in God, prepare thine heart, responsibility, rest in safety, robert h schuller, see God's plan, Selah, steadfast, stretch forth thine hand, success, success is never-ending, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the largesse of God, the Lord sustained me, the one who lifts up my head, the wisest thing, there is hope, thou hast put gladness in my heart, thou Lord only makes me dwell in safety, thou shalt be as the morning, thou shalt be secure, thou shalt shine forth, thy life shall be brighter than noonday, time waits on no one, trust, what I am is more important than what I do, wickedness, words of wisdom, work of nature, Zophar
Psalm 4:7-8. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Well Friends, it’s another glorious day on God’s great earth! Glory Hallelujah! And everyday that we wake up to behold His awesome work of nature, means that He still has something important planned for us to accomplish in His name. There is always good reason to what we consider God’s madness. (smile)
So it’s up to us to converse, to communicate with Him every morning that we arise, and find out what He desires of us on that particular day. It’s our responsibility to ask for guidance and direction, wisdom and blessings, so that we can bless others, because that’s basically what we’re about; spreading the largesse of our great and wonderful God.
And on this fantastic Thursday morning at the end of August 2015 … but can you believe that August is almost done already? It just began the other day with the Caribana Festivities. Now school’s going to be reconvened in another few days. Time truly is waiting on no one.
Anyway, as I was saying, on this fantastic Thursday morning in August, let’s check out this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, which I believe I’ve shared before, but which is still relevant and necessary for us to partake of, especially in these rough and tough times. It’s aptly titled ‘A Prayer for Success.’
Please pray with me. ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
Then Gramps adds a footnote. ‘Be open. Be humble. Correctable. Educable. Then you will hear God’s voice. You will see God’s plan. Grab on to it, give it all you’ve got, and you will inherit the earth.’
Remember too that ‘Success is never- ending and failure is never final to that person who knows how to revitalize and renew the God-given powers of creative imagination.’ Those are also words of wisdom from Gramps Schuller, and if we practice it all, we will surely succeed in whatever endeavours we undertake.
Yes my people, success is not easy, but it surely is attainable if we work with God, in bringing to pass the plans He has for our lives. Now let’s look at our Bit; wonderful promises which derive from our obedience to God
‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’
Oh Friends, obeying Almighty God is the wisest thing we can ever do on this earth!
Now listen to Job’s friend Zophar, as he continues to lecture him, believing that he is a sinner, but also reminding him that the Lord will forgive his sin, if he confesses and repents.
‘If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles (tents). For then thou shalt lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:
And thine age (life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee (court your favour).’ (Job 11:13-19)
Oh what gospel truth my brethren! Though Zophar was falsely accusing his buddy Job, he was giving him excellent advice, advice that is still pertinent and relevant to our situations today. If we confess our sins to God, and repent of our wrong doing, He is merciful to forgive us and lift us up like we can’t imagine or fathom.
Now let’s end with some more pertinent and relevant words of wisdom from Bruh David, taken from Psalm 3 – A prayer of confidence in God. This is when he fled from the rebellion of his son Absalom. ‘But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) mine head.
I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill (mountain). Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps.3:3-6)
Oh my people, my people, what confidence flows from our trust and faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Bruh David was running for his life from his son, but he still slept in peace, and awakened safely because the God of his fathers, whom he adored and generally obeyed, kept him safe and gave him the confidence not to be fearful, regardless of how many enemies surrounded him.
Oh glory to God my brethren, for He will do the same for us today, if we place our utmost faith and trust in Him. So please, let’s be wise and do that nuh, for anything else is mere foolishness. Much LOVE!
…when we truly trust in our saviour Jesus Christ…a confidence so great rises up in us…that no amount of enemies surrounding us, can shake it…
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