23 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, calamity, Christians, cleansing flood, confidence, creation, Creator, deceptive times, devotion, fellowship, forgiveness, get with the program, glory, Good understanding gains favour, grace, he shall direct thy paths, I can do all things, intimacy, Jesus, Job, lean not unto thine own understanding, my rock, native instincts, new mercies, Philippians, pour our your heart, Proverbs, put confidence in man., raise the roof, refuge, rest upon his promise, salvation, Selah, self, sense of purpose, sin, straight paths, strength, the test of time, Though he slay me, through Christ who strengthens me, tis so sweet to trust Jesus, trust, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, truth, weekly dose, wisdom, yet will I trust him
Job 13:15a. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…
Oh friends, please forgive the ole fella for that brilliant typo (smile) I made in yesterday’s Bit. Steups! I really don’t know where my head was when I wrote that the Bit came from Proverbs instead of Job nuh. I hope you all noticed it and realized that the ole brain wasn’t functioning properly. Getting old is a helluva thing yes! (smile)
And on a point of interest, Proverbs 13:15a says thus: ‘Good understanding giveth (gains) favour…’ And how true that is my fellow believers!
Anyhow, it’s brand new day, with brand new mercies, grace and forgiveness, and it’s also Sunday morning, time for exciting praise and worship as we gather together in the Lord’s sanctuary to get our weekly dose of fellowship. And to get the proceedings underway, let’s raise the roof of the sanctuary with our sweet voices as we sincerely declare in song: ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.’
It’s a hymn that was written way back in the late 19th or early 20th centuries by Louisa Stead and William James Kirkpatrick that has marvelously stood the test of time, and is rather a good fit for today’s Bit. So without further ado, let’s offer the sacrifice of praise with our lips and voices and send sincere feelings of trust heavenward.
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His word; Just to rest upon His promise; Just to know, Thus saith the Lord (Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er, Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.) O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust His cleansing blood; Just in simple faith to plunge me, ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood. (Refrain)
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease; Just from Jesus simply taking Life, and rest, and joy, and peace. (Refrain) I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend; And I know that Thou art with me, Wilt be with me to the end. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er, Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more.’
And wouldn’t we all benefit tremendously from being blessed with grace to trust Jesus more than we already do eh? Our lives would be so much easier and better directed; there wouldn’t be as much anxiety and frustration because our faith would be stronger and we’d have a better and more relevant sense of purpose. We’d know for sure deep down in our hearts and souls that Jesus was in perfect control.
That’s why Job could stand so strong even though he lost everything in one fell swoop. His memorable declaration in our Bit is a testament to his enormous faith. ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…’
Yes friends, I don’t know how many of us would be able to truthfully mouth words like those if we experienced anything close to Job’s calamity. But that’s the kind of faith and trust we’re called upon to have as sincere Christians.
Oh, I know that all of us are at different stages along the continuum of faith, but that’s the level to which we ought to aspire. And it’s not easy, but as with everything else in this world, we can attain it with God’s help. That’s the miracle working formula; with God’s help! Otherwise the words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians which we are quick to spout are meaningless. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phi.4:16)
Now let’s check out some more scripture passages that deal with trust. And these are two of the most important ones as succinctly declared by the psalmist. ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9) Oh my people, truer words were never spoken! And especially in these fraudulent and deceptive times, it is certainly unwise to put too much trust in mankind.
Now listen to Cousin Sol’s immortal declaration. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him; and he shall direct thy paths. (Prov.3:5-6) Words of eternal wisdom friends!
And the scholars offer this interesting explanation of those verses. ‘3:5-6. Three commands are given: trust, meaning “rely on, depend on”; lean not, meaning do not depend on you own native instincts, and acknowledge him, meaning have fellowship and intimacy with God in all of life. The result of such devotion is that God will make the paths straight before you.’
And which of us wouldn’t greatly desire to have straight paths in this cruel, evil, crazy, topsy-turvy world eh mih breddren? But that can only come by trusting the Lord God Jehovah with all our heart, mind, body and soul! And we’ll end with some wonderful words of Bruh David from Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation.
In it, he staunchly proclaims: ‘My soul wait thou (silently) only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength; and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8)
And all of that is indisputable truth friends! Almighty God is indeed our rock, our strength, our salvation and a perfect refuge, amongst many other things! So please my people, if we want to be successful and prosperous, let’s get with the program today nuh, let’s acknowledge and trust God the way we ought to, since He is the Creator of it all! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t trust the Creator of Creation… then whom are you going to trust eh…
11 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a doorkeeper, a sun and shield, abundant life, appear before God, be glad, blessed is the man, blessings, broken world, Christ-filled life, Christ-like desires, come unto me, Comforter, enjoy the day, faints, fill me to capacity, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, friendship with God, give ear, go from strength to strength, God of Jacob, God's house, grace, grace and glory, Helper, holy spirit, hunger and thirst for God, hurry, Jerusalem, joyful, living water, lord of hosts, Maker, may He reign forever, mercies, my heart longs for you, my soul's thirsty for God, no good thing, not sufficient, One Year Book of Bible promises, out of his belly, overflow, overflowing, pilgrimage, Praise be to god, praising thee, prosperous, provider, quenched, refreshment, release, relief, righteous, Rivers, Roses and Rivers, Ruth Harms Calkin, seeking Jesus, Selah, share it with the world, the beloved of God, the courts of the Lord, the living God, the sparrow, the straight and narrow, the swallow, the tents of wickedness, them that walk uprightly, thine anointed, thirst, trusteth in thee, Tuesday Mantra, vocation, worry
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Oh friends, welcome to a brand new day with brand new blessings, mercies, and forgiveness! And it was all made especially for us, therefore it is essential that we be glad and enjoy this day that our wonderful God has given us!
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Praise be to God, our Maker, our Helper, our Comforter and our strong Provider! May He reign forever!’
And don’t doubt it friends, He will reign forever and ever and ever, because that’s just how strong and powerful and infinite He is!
Now let’s continue that joyful and grateful tone with which we began by checking out this amazing poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Roses and Rivers.’
Please accompany me, as we pray: ‘O my Father My heart longs for You! Fill me to capacity with Your Spirit…No, Father, I’m sorry – That’s not sufficient. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit And then increase my capacity That there might still be more overflow.
Out of my life May there flow rivers And rivers And still more rivers of Living Water Bringing relief, release And exhilarating refreshment To a bruised and broken world Where thirst can never be quenched Apart from You.’
Mama Mia! Isn’t that just beautiful my people! It surely is! And not just for how it sounds, but also for the sentiments it invokes; truly Christ-like desires that ought to come from the hearts of all believers.
Please, let’s allow those sentiments to be spoken from our hearts today, as we walk in friendship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for if we do, they will certainly keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to God the Father.
And the Bible Promise for that poem is one that we all know and have written in our hearts. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:37-38)
Yeh mih bredden, yeh! It’s promises like those that we must fill our hearts and minds with, so that we can live the prosperous, righteous and abundant life that our Lord has promised to all who believe in Him!
Wow! With Promises like those, I don’t see how some believers, or rather any believer, cannot live a joyful, Christ-filled life!
And the only reason I can see why believers are not sincerely joyful most of the time is because deep down, they don’t truly seek or wish for the Lord. They don’t have the hunger and thirst for Him as depicted in our Bit. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
Yes friends, when we truly hunger and thirst for God, sincerely seek His righteousness, then our souls overflow with his goodness and mercy. Listen to the sons of Korah as they sing from Psalm 84 – Blessed are they that dwell in thy house.
‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (how lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee. Selah.’ (Ps.84:1-4)
That’s how the pilgrim feels when he has completed his long and difficult pilgrimage to God’s house in Jerusalem.
Then he continues: ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) make it a well (spring); the rain also filleth the pools (covers them with blessings).
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God (appears before God in Zion). O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed (commissioned one). For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper (stand in the threshold) in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:5-12)
Oh friends, what more can I say eh? The pilgrim says it all: Blessed are those who dwell in the Lord’s temple, blessed are those who come to it, and blessed are those who trust in the Lord. If that doesn’t speak mightily to our hearts, then I don’t know what will.
That brings us to our Tuesday Mantra. Let’s declare it now as though we truly know and believe it. In unison and strong voice: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if it’s truly true (smile), then let’s go out and share that magnificent friendship with Jesus and His extraordinary LOVE with others nuh. He’s depending on us to raise His Name throughout the earth. Much LOVE!
…truly seeking Jesus…and sincerely living for Him…oh…it’s the most beautiful and fulfilling vocation in the world…
19 Apr 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a living hope, abundant mercy, adventurous, be obedient to god's will, Blessed be the God and Father, blessings, Christian's destiny, comprehend God's greatness, deliverance, eternal life, faith, finite minds, focusing on the future, forgiving nature, forsaking God's goodness, gift of salvation, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's goodness, God-given options, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath begotten us again, imperishable, incorruptible, indestructible, inheritance, interesting, invading my heart, LOVE, mercies, miserable, morally tainted, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, our Lord Jesus Christ, presence of sin, redeeming, reserved inheaven, revealed in the last time, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificial death, salvation, shout from the hilltops, sing and dance, So Profound, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the future, the power of God, the presence of God, the ravages of time, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is the day the Lord has made, truth, uncertainty, undefiled, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail
1 Peter 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Welcome to Wednesday friends! It’s a brand new day with brand new mercies and blessings! Glory to God for providing us with such abundance!
In return we ought to give Him much thanks and praise, be obedient to His holy will and enjoy the day. That’s why we can all sincerely shout: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
And if we don’t follow through with that declaration, then it’s only us losing, foolishly forsaking God’s goodness. The Lord will still be in His high heaven enjoying Himself, but we will be miserable down here on planet earth.
Consequently, I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s titled ‘So Profound.’
And it says: ‘O God I want to sing and dance I want to shout it from the hilltops: There is absolutely nothing In my wretched past That can hinder You From redeeming my future Except my refusal to let You. Thank You for invading my heart With a truth so refreshing So magnificent So profound!’
Yeh mih people, we should be singing and dancing and giving praise each and every day that we’re alive, thankful for our wonderful God’s redeeming and forgiving nature!
And it’s surprising when we live a thankful and grateful life how interesting and adventurous are our days! We don’t sit around moping and groaning and complaining because things aren’t going our way.
But it’s surprising how many supposed believers unwisely live that miserable sort of life even with God’s goodness and mercy right at their fingertips.
And we should be especially thankful and grateful at this most important time of year when Jesus rose from the dead to allow us to have the free, God-given options of salvation and eternal life! Glory to God!
And the Bible Promises used for that poem are some verses from 1 Peter that we recently looked at, but are certainly worthy of sharing again, the first one being our Bit.
‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time’ (1 Pet.1:3-5)
Ah mih people, our God is so great that our small, finite minds can’t even truly comprehend His greatness! And don’t talk about His LOVE! Wow! That is so out of sight that it boggles our imagination!
For before we LOVED Him, He LOVED us and sent His Son to die in our place, so that our sins could be forgiven! Now if that isn’t the ultimate in LOVE, then I don’t know what is!
Now let’s look at some explanations of our verses from the scholars. ‘1:3-2:10. The Christian’s destiny: salvation. Salvation means “deliverance.” Peter’s view of salvation is ultimate salvation, that is, when the believer will be rescued from this world into the presence of God.’
‘1:3-12. The plan of salvation. Peter does not look at time from a Western perspective. The Hebrews regarded the present as so fleeting that in their language they have essentially only two tenses: past and future.’
‘1:3-5. The portrayal of salvation looks to the future. The author of salvation is portrayed as the blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The work of salvation (vs. 3-5) is described as to its effect. Hath begotten us again refers to a new stage of life that begins at salvation.
This lively hope has no element of uncertainty, for it is guaranteed by Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The believer’s inheritance is described as incorruptible (Gr. aphtharton), imperishable or indestructible, and undefiled (i.e. morally untainted).
That fadeth not away (Gr. amaranton) means it is not subject to the ravages of time. Further it is reserved (Gr. teteremenen, perfect tense), that is, it has been preserved in the past and still is in heaven.
Kept is a present passive participle – we are secure because we are continually guarded by God, who never relaxes His vigil. Salvation here refers to final salvation, that is, deliverance from the presence of sin and into the presence of God.’
Yeh friends, the explanations might take some effort to understand, but that’s how we get to know the word. And besides, the most important fact is that it’s all for our good! So please make the effort to grasp it and hang on to it. Hope you enjoyed the lesson in Greek too. (smile)
Now let’s end by sincerely declaring our Wednesday Wail. ‘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!’
Now let’s truly live it my brethren! Much LOVE!
…the great gift of salvation…would not be possible without Jesus’ sacrificial death…and His awesome resurrection…
19 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a compassionate heart, a positive outlook, a strong will, abundance, an open sepulchre, appreciative, be in the world, bless, blessings, brothers and sisters in christ, choose Jesus, confirmation, courage, creativity, curse, destruction, divine protection, faith, faithfulness, family, for His name's sake, friends, Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy, glory hallelujah, God is LOVE, greetings, guidance, he restoreth my soul, I choose Christ, I commit my spirit, I shall not want, into thine hand, Jesus Christ, lack, leftovers, LOVE, mercies, my fortress, my rock, my strength, negative word, not of the world, of life and living, paths of righteousness, praise his holy name, prayer for protection, promotion, prosper, Psalm 23, self-discipline, something new everyday, spiritual aid, succeed, talent, thankful, the blue sky is the truth, The Lord is my shepherd, these clouds are lies, Thursday Blessings, tomb, ungodly world, wickedness, wisdom, Woodbine Willie
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).
Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ! Welcome to a brand new day of life and living in this wonderful world of Almighty God! Praise His Holy Name!
It’s also another day filled with new mercies and blessings, produced specially for today…Glory Hallelujah!
That’s the wonderful kind of God we serve! He doesn’t give us yesterday’s leftovers, but makes it brand new every day. Consequently we ought to be rather appreciative and thankful for those wonderful things we get that we don’t deserve under the Lord’s mercy programme.
And you know what? We have to choose to believe that, otherwise it’s useless. Listen to this quote from Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy (1883-1929), the Anglican priest and poet who was nicknamed ‘Woodbine Willie’ during the great war, for handing out Woodbine cigarettes along with spiritual aid to injured and dying soldiers.
He reputedly declared: ‘These clouds are lies. They cannot last. The blue sky is the truth, for God is LOVE. Such is my faith, and such my reasons for it, and I find them strong enough. And you? You want to argue? Well I can’t. It’s a choice and I choose the Christ.’
Oh friends, oh friends, I do hope that our faith is strong, strong enough to enable us to unequivocally choose Jesus, for that’s the only thing that makes sense in this ungodly world of today!
And to help us reach that stage of overwhelming faith, we’re going to continue looking at scriptures that offer confirmation and corroboration of the wonders of Psalm 23, as personified by our Bit. ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack).’
Oh I know that some of you are tired with the same Bit and topic day after day, and like the world goes, you want something new everyday. But that’s a foolish way to live friends, because most of the time we have not even understood what we did the previous day.
You can only truly know something if you study it over and over. And remember, we’re supposed to be in the world, not of it, so we don’t have to follow all that it does.
Anyway, let’s turn to verse 3: ‘He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:3)
Ah my fellow believers, how wonderful is that eh! And Bruh David certainly knew about the Lord’s guidance, as he declares from Psalm 5 – A prayer for protection. ‘But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness (uprightness) in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness (destruction); their throat is an open sepulchre (tomb); they flatter with their tongue.’ (Ps.5:7-9)
Oh friends, that hasn’t changed since Bruh David’s day, in fact it has probably gotten worse, which means we need to be guided along paths of righteousness by the Lord even more than before.
Now hear Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 31. He confidently proclaims: ‘In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust (take refuge); let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock (rock of refuge), for a house of defense (fortress) to save me.
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily (secretly) for me: for thou art my strength. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.’ (Ps.31:1-5)
And how I do hope that we all have committed our spirits into the hand of the omnipotent God, Creator and Controller of this universe for it’s the only way we’ll ever be peaceful and contented down here on earth, and see His wonderful face in heaven for eternity.
And having said all of that, let’s add to our joy and comfort by declaring our Thursday Blessings over ourselves, for a blessing is not a blessing until its declared over someone.
With much enthusiasm and faith 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!’
Now let’s go out my fellow believers and bless all those we come into contact with, as Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…oh where would we be…without the Lord’s merciful leading and guidance eh…
P.S. Please don’t expect the Bit this early everyday. (smile) I just made a special effort today because I have a cardiology clinic appointment early this morning, and am not sure what time I’ll be back. Much LOVE!
15 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a faithful saying, a gift, an extra one, Anselm's Quote, apply our hearts unto wisdom, aspires to inspire, be honour, braata, broughta, can, cannot, challenge yourself, Christ came to save sinners, comfort zone, conversion, Damascus, DETERMINATION, determine your life's direction, enabled me, encourages others, eternal life, favour, glory, he counted me faithful, I thank Christ Jesus, immortal, invisible, lagniappe, laughter, lay not this sin, long-suffering, LOVE, mercy, Moses, new opportunities, one day closer to heaven, one day older, patience, Paul, putting me into ministry, satisfaction, Saul, Stephen, teach us to number our days, thankfulness, the best free medicine, the King eternal, the nth degree, the only wise God, Timothy, undeserved favour, waste time, wisdom
1 Timothy 1:12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into ministry.
Awright friends, it’s another brand new day! That means that we are one day older and one day closer to heaven! (smile) Therefore we can’t afford to waste any of the finite and limited time God has given us on this earth.
What did Moses say in psalm 91 – From everlasting to everlasting thou art God – the only one he wrote, and therefore the oldest in the Psalter? ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom). (Ps.91:12) We don’t know how long we have left, so we’d be wise to make the best use of it.
And on that note, since it’s Saturday, let’s check out some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And today we have a lagniappe, a broughta or braata; an extra one, a gift, used by vendors to encourage customers to return.
The first is T&T slang, although according to Dictionary.com, it’s used in Southern Louisiana and South East Texas, I guess it comes from French Creole. And the second is a Jamaican term. That means we have three instead of two.
The first one says: ‘The difference between can and cannot are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life’s direction.’ And that surely makes sense. ‘Can’ will take you in one direction, while ‘cannot’ will take you in a completely different one. The choice is up to you.
The second quote from Anselm declares: ‘Challenge yourself! Look for new opportunities, step outside of your “comfort” zone and find new things to do. Do something special, just for you, something you’ve always wanted to do. Meet new people, learn what you need to know… be optimistic!’ That also is good advice, especially in these trying times.
And the last one says: ‘You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.’ And ain’t that gospel truth my people! Even if laziness is your goal, you have to get up determined to be lazy, if you want to go to bed satisfied with your lazy day. (smile) That’s why laughter is the best free medicine available.
But now it’s time to get serious, as we turn to our Bit. ‘And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into ministry.’ Yes friends, those are Bruh Paul’s words of thankfulness for mercy as he wrote to his protégé Timothy. And that’s indisputable truth, for without Christ’s enablement, Bruh Paul would not have been able to fulfill his apostolic duties.
He then continues to explain why. ‘Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious (violent): but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and LOVE which is in Christ Jesus.’ (1Tim.1:13-14)
The scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘1:14. Grace…was exceeding abundant (or, “grace…was more abundant”). Christ’s undeserved favour far outweighed Paul’s previous sinful life. With faith and LOVE: God’s grace brought about faith in Paul, in contrast to his former “unbelief” and it also produced LOVE in him, in contrast to his previous blasphemy, persecution and violence to the church (v.13). Which refers to faith: Paul’s faith or trust is in Christ Jesus.’
Ah mih people, we all know Bruh Paul’s reputation as a terrorizer of the brethren, then known as Saul, before he was called by Christ on the road to Damascus, even as he was on a mission to capture believers and take them back to Jerusalem for punishment. (Acts 9)
And many of us in reading the Good Book might have missed Bruh Paul’s part in the stoning, the martyrdom of Stephen. The brother was giving his testimony ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened; and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they (the masses) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, (as he was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’ (Acts 8:56-60)
No friends, Bruh Paul was not a very nice man in his younger days. That’s why he could continue to Timothy with all sincerity. ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’ (1 Tim.1:15)
He believes that he is the number one sinner, the worst one of the lot. ‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’ (1 Tim.1:16)
Now that’s a very interesting statement, and here is the scholars’ explanation. ‘1:16. We could read the verse thus: “But I obtained mercy for this reason: that in my case as the worst (sinner) Christ Jesus might demonstrate the fullest of patience; as an example for those about to believe on him for eternal life.” Paul’s conversion encourages other sinners; since Christ has already saved the worst sinner, He can save those less sinful.’
And that’s no lie friends! Christ Jesus can save the worst of us if we come to Him in true repentance!
And we’ll end with these beautiful words of praise and thanksgiving of Bruh Paul. ‘Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.’ (1 Tim.1:17)
That’s one thing about Bruh Paul; he never shies away from giving all the glory to God. May we also do likewise my precious people, for that is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…to our wonderful God…all praise, honour and glory be given…for that is His rightful desert…
13 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a glorious future, a load of care, alive and kicking, all is lost, angels, believers in Jesus Christ, blessed shalt thou be, blessings, burdened, cattle, Charels Stanley, comfort, commandments, consequences, count your blessings, day and night, discouraged, enthusiasm, every doubt will fly, every sphere of life, everyday actions, eyes fixed straight ahead, focusing, fractious, glad to be alive, glory, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God is over all, God's will, great or small, halfway home, hands on the plough, hearken to God's voice, heavenly Father, help, home on high, honour, in the city, in the field, insignificant thnings, journey's end, joyful time, keep singing, kine, life's billows, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, magnanimous, magnificent, mea culpa, miracles, miserable, money cannot buy, name them one by one, new mercies, not turning back, obedient, obey God, offspring, overtake thee, praise, praise and worship, reward in heaven, see what God has done, Selah, sense of purpose, set thee on high, sincere, stipulated condition, take for granted, tempest tossed, thankful, the breath of God, the breath of life, the conflict, the cross, the fruit of thy body, truth, watches over us, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, zenith
Deuteronomy 28:3. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
Welcome to another brand new day with brand new mercies and LOVING-kindness my fellow believers in Jesus Christ!
Now I’ve been guided to open today’s proceedings with this li’l ditty that we all know and LOVE, but don’t, or very seldom practice. Otherwise we wouldn’t be so fractious and miserable, and there’d be much more of the LOVE of God in us, shown through our everyday actions.
So let’s all sing now in joyful but serious and sincere enthusiasm, truth and belief, ‘Count Your Blessings.’ And let each of us count the blessings in our own lives as we sing, so that it will be more real to each of us.
‘When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. Refrain: Count your blessings…
When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings—money cannot buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high. Refrain: Count your blessings…
So, amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.’
Yes friends, if we have counted our many blessings as we sang that wonderful hymn of praise and worship, I am sure that we all have been surprised and amazed at all the wonderful things our magnificent and magnanimous God has done in our lives.
The problem though is many of those things might be small and somewhat insignificant, so we just roll along taking them for granted. But just stop for a moment and consider what our lives would be like if all those blessings we’ve named were absent from our lives eh. Selah!
Yes my brethren, our lives would be nowhere near as happy and comfortable as they now are. So the lesson is to never take those small, insignificant things for granted, because that’s where God works most of His miracles in our lives.
And all God’s children loudly and gratefully declare: ‘All praise, honour and glory be to our heavenly Father, who watches over us day and night. Guides and protects us, And never lets us out of His sight!’
Ah mih people, I can’t help but be amazed at the greatness and wonder of the awesome God we serve! Now, since it’s Wednesday, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with enthusiasm, truth and a strong sense of purpose.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Oh my fellow faithful believers, this world might not be the greatest, but every morning we awake, we should be exceedingly thankful for that breath of God that’s still flowing through our bodies, because it means we’re alive and kicking and have so much to look forward to as we make our pilgrim’s journey with the Lord on our side.
We just have to put our hands strong and steadfast to the plough and keep looking ahead to the promise of a great and glorious future with Jesus! Believe me friends, it will be such a joyful time! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us to our Bit; such a glorious promise! ‘Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.’
Yes my precious people of God, like the scholars inform us: ’28:3-6. These verses contain six blessings that extend to every sphere of life.’
Now let’s check out the other five. ‘Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body (offspring), and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine (cattle), and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store (kneading bowl). Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.’ (Deut.28:4-6)
Now what could be better than that eh mih breddren? Nothing really! But unfortunately there’s a stipulated condition of God’s before all of that can happen.
Listen up: ‘And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.’ (Deut.28:1-2)
Yes Friends, for the blessings to flow, we need to be obedient to God’s will and purpose! But the beautiful part is that when we’re obedient, the blessings shall overtake us! We don’t have to go chasing them, they will chase us, and eventually overtake us! Glory to God my people!
So please, let’s be wise today, be obedient and sincere, and dwell on God’s word, so that the promised blessings can run us down and overtake us. Now that is indeed wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so rightly says…the best way to live this life…is to simply obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
P.S. Sincere mea culpas. The computer and I were both slow this morning. (smile) Much LOVE!
24 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a call to faith, a friend of Jesus, allegiance to God, and again I say rejoice, be thankful for all things, benefits, Christian, Creator, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God is so sweet, God's promise, graven images, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I the Lord am a jealous god, I'm not waht I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, keep yourselves from idols, let your spirits be lifted high, little children, LOVE, loved by God, mentally challenged, Most High God Jehovah, new mercies and blessings, no one can become between God and us, provider, Rejoice in the Lord always, rightousness, seek ye first the kingdom of God, share His love with the world, showing mercy unto them that love me, stress, strife, thanks and praise, thanksgiving, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Ten Commandments, the things of the world, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, thou shalt not bow down to them, truth, Tuesday Mantra, visiting the iniquity of the fathers, walk obediently in God's will, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, wisdom
1 John 5:21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Oh Friends, it’s Tuesday…a brand new day! That means new mercies and blessings soon come! Glory to God! Now that is God’s sincere promise, and if you truly believe in Him then you will believe His word and be waiting expectantly and patiently for the new mercies and blessings to rain down upon you.
Mama Mia! Oh what a wonderful Lord and Saviour we serve and worship my brethren! Let your spirits be lifted high, because our God is still on the throne and still in control of this great universe that He created, and has promised that nothing, or no one can or will ever come between Him and us. Give Him some thanks and praise my people!
Yuh know, recently I’ve been thinking that our God is so sweet and we are so stupid, or I believe the politically correct term is mentally challenged, (smile) because we’re not bright and smart enough to walk obediently in His will, even though we’ve seen the huge benefits that come from doing so.
We know that our God LOVES nothing better than to receive our sincere and heartfelt thanks and praise, because that’s what He made us to do; to glorify Him with thanks and praise. But yet we refuse to give Him His just desserts.
I don’t know about you all nuh Friends, but I just LOVE to give Him thanks and praise, for there’s nothing sweeter than listening to good music with worshipful lyrics and sending up declarations of sincere LOVE and thanksgiving to the Most High God Jehovah! Oh glory to our wonderful Creator and great Provider!
If we were really smart, we’d be giving Him constant thanks and praise. As Bruh Paul says to the Ephesians: ‘Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:20)
And again to the Philippians, where he confidently declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice.’ (Phil.4:4)
And the scholars offer this bit of sage advice and explanation. ‘This command to rejoice at all times and in all circumstances is nothing less than a call to faith. For if the Christian believes that his life and all its circumstances are in the hands of a sovereign, wise, and LOVING God who is always working to accomplish good for him, then he can indeed “rejoice always.”
That is gospel truth Friends! It’s a win-win situation, because God would be enjoying our grateful glorification, and so would we. Glory Hallelujah my people! And that’s the end of my rambling for today. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Tuesday Mantra and declare it like we really believe it. As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Glory to God my brethren for there’s nothing better in this world, especially in these challenging times than to be LOVED by God, be His child, and be a Friend of Jesus!
Ah mih people, the ole fella is so worked up that he doesn’t know what to do with himself. (smile) I guess then we’ll finally turn to our Bit. ‘Little children, keep yourselves from idols.’
And what part of that don’t we understand eh mih people? For right from the very beginning, in the Ten Commandments, our God warned us about it. If you don’t remember, let me refresh our minds.
The very first commandment is ‘Thou shalt have no other God’s before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them (worship them), nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that LOVE me, and keep my commandments.’ (Ex.20:3-6)
Now where does He change that commandment eh Friends? Where does He say that we can put all sorts of other supposed gods, be they graven images or material things before Him eh? Nowhere? So why do we think it’s okay to put all the things we put in our everyday lives before Him eh?
That’s not wisdom Friends. And the sad part is that Jesus promised, ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Yes, precious people, all the earthly things that we are running down and placing before Almighty God are available to us if we seek Him and His kingdom FIRST!
Now doesn’t it seem somewhat foolish to be killing ourselves over stuff when we can have them without any fuss and bother, if we’d just make the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob our first priority? It certainly does my fellow believers!
So please let’s ‘wisen’ up nuh Friends, and stop running down the things of the world, the very things that are causing us so much stress and strife, that are ruining our lives in our driving and never-ending pursuit of them! That is certainly not the wisdom of heaven…or really any kind of wisdom at all! Much LOVE!
…true allegiance to God… ought to be the believer’s first and main priority…
P.S. Sadly my people, like LOVE and hate, late nights and early mornings just don’t agree. (smile)
21 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a crown of glory, a life with Jesus at the helm, a relationship with God, a sign of age, Amazing grace, be thou faithful unto death, blessed is the man that endures temptation, blessings, commercial hair colouring, Creator, experience, filled with the righteousness of God, glory hallelujah, God's favour, I am halfway home, I will give thee a crown of life, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, in the way of righteousness, it takes two to tango, Jesus, Jesus is the best dancing partner, Justin Trudeau, LOVE, love the sound of His name, maturity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, new mercies, on our way to glory, praise and thanks, provider, righteousness., rolls off the tongue, thank God, that fadeth not away, the beauty of old men is the gray head, the breath of life, the crown of life, the glory of young men is their strength, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the hoary head is a crown of glory, the Lord hath promised to them that love Him, the righteousness of Christ, the state of the heart, the wicked have no part in God's kingdom, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, when he is tried, when the chief Shepherd shall appear, wig, wisdom
Proverbs 16:31. The hoary (silvery) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
Awright mih people! It’s a brand new day, with plenty new mercies and blessings forecasted. Oh glory to God!
And I do hope that you have given your praise and thanks this October morn to Almighty God, your Creator and sure Provider, and are in complete agreement with His excellent plan for your earthly life, so that you can be listed among those chosen recipients for God’s amazing grace and favour to day.
And all God’s people loudly and confidently declared: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!
Yes Friends, indeed we will, because it’s a wonderful day and we are in an amazing relationship with a wonderful Deity! Glory Hallelujah!
And since today is Wednesday, we also need to proclaim our Wednesday Wail. So please let’s do so with much vim and vigour and sincerity and truth nuh.
Wailing… ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Ah mih breddren, if we are sincere in that prayer, then we truly are on our way to glory, for their could be no better life lived on this earth than one with Jesus at the helm!
So I am encouraging us this morning to seriously get together with our Lord and Saviour, to up our knowledge and pleasure in Him through reading and studying His word and talking personally with Him. Remember it takes two to tango, and Jesus is the best dancing partner we can ever have!
Oh Friends, don’t you just LOVE the sound of His name – Jesus…Jesus… Oh it rolls off the tongue so easily and effortlessly, and it has such a LOVING, calm calling, friendly and homely quality to it, that we just gravitate naturally to it! Ah mih people, like the ole fella is in his essence this morning! (smile)
Oh, but before I forget, let me apologize for understating our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau’s age yesterday. I said he was thirty something, but he’s actually in his early forties. Please forgive the ole fella, his brain is not as young and agile as it was. (smile)
And that brings us to our Bit, wise words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘The hoary (silvery) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.’ What a beautiful statement my people!
And I like to tell people with silvery or white hair that that denotes a sign of age, wisdom, experience and maturity; something that they should be proud of, not something to hide under a wig or commercial hair colouring. Hn, hn!
But here’s an important note from the scholars on the verse. ’16:31. The hoary head or white head of old age is only a crown if it is accompanied by righteousness.’
And that’s no lie Friends! So it’s not everybody that we see with white hair means that they are crowned with glory. Only if they are sated in the righteousness of Almighty God, can that very noticeable white hair be considered a crown of glory.
So what does that say about me eh, because I don’t have much white in my hair? It’s still mostly black…at least the last time I saw it. (smile)
But don’t fear my fellow believers, having black hair doesn’t mean you aren’t or can’t be righteous. It’s not the colour of the hair, but the state of the heart that’s important to our God. Otherwise a whole heap of wicked people with white hair would be considered righteous and have a crown of glory. But we know that cannot be, for the wicked have no part in God’s kingdom.
Now here’s an interesting Proverb from Cousin Sol that lends authenticity to our Bit. ‘The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.’ (Prov.20:29)
And in our modern-day society we do tend to make those distinctions. We consider young men to be gloriously strong in their physical appearance, while older men are adjudged wise and wonderful with a head of gray. Now that’s not always the case, but that’s the generalization we make in this society.
Youth is always looked upon as being strong and vital, while the old are considered frail and doddering. (smile) Anyway Friends, the important thing is not our age or how we look, whether we’re physically strong or not, whether our hair is grey or not, but if our hearts, minds, bodies and souls are filled with the righteousness of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And if the answer is a resounding yes! Then hear these words of James. ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12)
Then Peter concludes: ‘And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet.5:4)
So Friends, if our lives are wrapped up in the righteousness of Christ, then there are at least two crowns for us to receive; one of life, and one of glory. Now isn’t that something significant enough to eagerly look forward to? It surely is! Much LOVE!
…be thou faithful unto death…and I will give thee a crown of life… (Rev.2:10b)
16 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a breath of summer, a glorious future with Jesus, a shower of grace, abounding with thanksgiving, absent in the flesh, another glorious day on God's great earth, as for me and mine, awesome truth, Beauty for Ashes, beware lest any man spoil you, blessings, boggles my mind, Bruh Paul, cherishing Jesus, Colossians, deceived by the lies of Lucifer, died for sinners, enthusiasm, enticing words, eradicate Jesus from our society, false teachers, fat fannies, focusing on Jesus, forgiveness, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God took away my sorrow, grace of Jesus Christ, gullible, hope for tomorrow, I am halfway home, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Im not looking back at the past, Jesus went to the cross, lest any man should beguile you, Lord and Saviour, Love for Jesus, loving Jesus, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, my neck of the woods, philosophy, present in the spirit, principles of the world, promises, put a smile upon my face, put our complete trust in Jesus, sit on our laurels, stand strong and steadfast in faith, surrender our all, thank God, the breath of life, the fullness of the Godhead, the Godhead, the tradition of men, till our dying day, until eternity, vain deceit, walk in him rooted and built up in Jesus, walk obedient to Jesus' word, we are complete in Jesus, we will follow Jesus, Wednesday Wail, work God's plan for our lives
Colossians 2:4. And this I say, lest any man should beguile (deceive) you with enticing (persuasive) words.
Ah Friends, welcome to another glorious day on God’s great earth! Glory Hallelujah! That means God still has work for us to do down here, so let’s not merely sit on our laurels, rather our fat fannies, (smile) but instead sincerely work the plan God has for our earthly lives.
And it does promise to be a bright and sunshiny day in my neck of the woods. A breath of summer is still gloriously in the air… Oh glory to God! You people with summer like weather all year round won’t truly appreciate the reality of true summer temps in the middle of September.
But enough talk. It’s Wednesday, which means it’s wailing time. So let’s wail nuh. As one harmonious wailer now. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And I do hope that’s the awesome truth in our lives my people! I do hope that we all are steadfastly concentrating on, consistently focusing on Jesus and all that He so wonderfully stands for. He is wonderful, isn’t He? Oh my, my!
When I think about all that He’s done for us, when there was absolutely no reason to do it, I simply cannot imagine not LOVING and cherishing Him as my Lord and Saviour.
And just to show how wonderful Jesus is, listen to the chorus of one of my favourite songs that I heard last night, and just had to share with you again.
The song’s called ‘Beauty for Ashes,’ by Jermaine Cowan, and the chorus says: ‘Beauty for ashes…In a shower of Grace. Hope for tomorrow…It’s a bright, brand new day. Took away my sorrow…Put a smile upon my face. Beauty for ashes…In a shower of grace.’
Oh my people isn’t that truly wonderful? Of course it is! And it’s exactly what Jesus does for us when we surrender our all, put our complete trust in Him and try to walk obedient to His Word. That’s why it boggles my small, finite mind when people refuse to acknowledge His Lordship and LOVE Him, especially when there’s no one else around to do the things He does.
Is mankind crazy, or just stupid, plus gullible, to be deceived by the lies of Lucifer and his evil cronies, and thus try to eradicate Jesus from our society? I don’t know nuh Friends, but all I can say is, that as for me and mine, we will follow Jesus until our dying day, in fact until eternity! Oh Glory to God!
Yes my people, it’s true enthusiasm. And every day that I live and grow a little more in His Word, and experience more of His wonderful blessings, my enthusiasm and LOVE for Him increases! And that’s exactly how it ought to be my brethren.
That brings us to our Bit, which is ever so relevant to what we’ve said above. They are words of warning against false teachers and teachings from Bruh Paul to the Colossians. ‘And this I say, lest any man should beguile (deceive) you with enticing (persuasive) words.’
Ah Friends, we do need to be very careful of whom and what we read and/or listen to, because there are a lot of glib and persuasive false teachers and teachings circulating in our distressed and turbulent world, and it’s very easy to fall under their spell, unless one has the teachings of and LOVE for Jesus sincerely wrapped around your hearts and minds.
Now listen to Bruh Paul as he continues after our Bit. ‘For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your (good) order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you (plunder, take you captive) through philosophy and vain (empty, futile) deceit, after (according to) the tradition of men, after (according to) the rudiments (basic principles) of the world, and not after (according to) Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (rule and authority).’ (Col.2:5-10)
Ah Friends, that warning is still in effect today, so let’s pay serious attention to it nuh. Christ is the end all and be all! He controls the universe and all therein! His words are faithful promises and will not be diluted or diminished! And above all, we have been given ALL that we need to handle this world; we are complete in Him, therefore it’s not necessary to look to anyone or anywhere else for anything that we need.
Please remember that my people, and let’s stand strong and steadfast in the faith and in the LOVE, mercy, forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ! For that is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…only Jesus went to the cross and died for us sinners…so how can we put our trust in…or believe in anybody else eh…
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…
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 