16 May 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a corruptible crown, a crown of righteousness, a free-for-all society, a joyful summer, a means of restoring faith in you, a new flock of believers, accidents, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, an incorruptible crown, be responsible, being able to stand strong, bring it into subjection, but one receives the prize, by the example that we set, Christian Liberty, competes for the prize, crying out for your help, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, divine help, embrace your love and compassion, endurance, every man that striveth for mastery is temperate, exercise a modicum of circumspection, faith, faithful believers, finished my course, for a long duration, forfeiting rewards, fought a good fight, Friday chant, get a move on, God's omnipotent help, holy spirit, I am now ready to be offered, I have preached to others, I keep under my body, I myself should be a castaway, I should be disqualified, imperishable crown, increase our Christian witness, indiscipline, Jesus Christ, Jesus was the best example of endurance, keep our bodies and minds under self-control, kept the faith, lack of self-control, laid up for me, lest that by any means, LOVE, mercy, not as one that beateth the air, not uncertainly, perform an activity, perishable crown, problems are escalating, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, self-control, so fight I, so run, so run that you may obtain, spiritual growth, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, sticking to the task at hand, take the bull by the horns, temperate in all things, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the ability to withstand adversity, the believer must discipline themself, the error of their way, the essence of perseverance, the righteous judge, the simmering unrest, the sinful world, the throne of grace, the time of my departure is at hand, these ungodly times, they which run in a race run all, to avert being disqualified from Christian ministry, to handle the unexpected storms properly, train like runner, trusting faith, truth, unto all them that love his appearing, use the discontent, Victoria Day weekend, wake up and smell the coffee, we don't falter when times get rough, wisdom, wise guidance, with God's help
1 Corinthians 9:25. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things.
And finally it’s Friday, a good looking day too, after some early morning rain, with highs in the upper twenties. So the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ have obviously risen to heaven, especially as we also celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend, the first long weekend of the summer. Now, Victoria Day is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the Monday preceding May 25, in honour of the late Queen Victoria. This year it’s been celebrated on Monday May 19, the upcoming Monday, so you can imagine all the stuff that’s going to be happening, especially up in cottage country, as the homes are opened once again for a joyful summer.
And there’s nothing wrong with celebrating, but we’ve got to be sensible and exercise a modicum of circumspection, because so many accidents and other unwanted things happen when we’re not careful. So, with that warning for circumspection, (smile) let’s turn to the topic of endurance that we promised to continue today, if God spared life. And it’s obvious He did! So thank You Lord!
And to get us back into the topic, let’s reiterate the commentary of yesterday that described endurance. ‘Endurance, in general, refers to the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress, particularly the ability to sustain a prolonged effort or activity. In a physical context, it refers to the body’s ability to perform an exercise or activity for a long duration, encompassing both cardiovascular and muscular endurance.’ So it’s basically being able to stand strong, despite problems and finish any task we’ve undertaken. And we know that Jesus was the best example of that, as we saw from the scriptures yesterday in Hebrews 12:1-3.
Now, Bruh Paul was also big on the point of endurance or sticking to the task at hand, which we see from many of his writings. And one of the most popular is this one to the Corinthians. ‘Know ye not they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery (competes for the prize) is temperate (has self-control) in all things.
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible (perishable) crown; but we an incorruptible (imperishable). I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’ (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
And that’s the essence of perseverance my brethren! One has to practice it, train like a runner or a fighter, keep your bodies, souls and minds under self-control, so that you don’t falter when the times get real tough. And believe me, they will at some stage or stages in our earthly lives.
And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of that last line: ‘Lest that by any means … I myself should be a castaway.’ Literally meaning “So that … I myself will not be disqualified.” Paul was not afraid of losing his salvation: his subject is still Christian liberty. The point is that the believer must discipline himself to avert both being disqualified from Christian ministry, and forfeiting the rewards for such service.’
It’s obvious therefore, that although we might have freedom to do as we please, self-control and self-discipline are still very important in our Christian ministry. And sadly, that’s not something that our current world is famous for, or even tries to implement. Instead we live in a free-for-all society, where selfishness, greed and arrogance are the order of the day. That means it’s left up to the induvial believers and churches to instill self-discipline and self-control, which is not such an easy task, when all around you is indiscipline and lack of self-control. However, with God’s help, if we’re serious, we can do it.
But getting back to the subject of endurance, we also have these marvellous words of Bruh Paul to Timothy, when he believes his life is on the line. ‘For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure (death) is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that LOVE his appearing.’ (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
Now, those are the kinds of statements we as true believers, as Christ’s representatives here on earth, ought to be able to make when we’re about to be taken home. But we cannot do that unless we’ve had self-control and endurance and leaned heavily on the examples of Bruh Paul and Jesus, two of the best at enduring hardships without complaints. And for divine help to do that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And my fellow believers, praying for aid is good, but at the same time, we too have to increase our Christian witness. We just cannot sit back and wait on the Lord to do it all. A lot depends on us. So please, let’s take the bull by the horns, and get a move on nuh! Much LOVE!
…to grow spiritually…one must be able to control one’s body and mind…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a witness, accidents, admire others, Anselm, aspites, blessed, but my words shall not pass away, clothed in white, communication, dangerous, distracted by criticism, divine revelation, draws near, first-rate version of yourself, follow the blueprint, for your life, forearmed, forewarned, Friday drive home, friend, God's economy, God's programme, God's timing, he that hears, he that reads, hear the word of God, inspire, keep those things, nature of prophecy, naysayers, new truth, no man knows, obey it, of that day and hour, of the utmost importance, prepared, prophecy, pursuing your dream, quotes, rain, rapture, read the book, Revelation of Christ, right time, sarcasm, second-rate version, snow blizzard. the wind howled, take a bite out of you, taste of success, the coming of the Lord, the Father, the second coming of Christ, the time is at hand, timing, treacherous roads, tribulation, understand it, warned, window panes, written therein, wrong time
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
What a fine bit of weather we’re having in my area these days! Glory be! I hope you can detect the note of sarcasm there. (smile) And it’s not only annoying but also dangerous.
Yesterday afternoon I had a nap, and I could hear the rain falling against the window panes, then by the time I got up, about an hour later, the land was clothed in white. A snow blizzard had developed. And the wind howled all evening long. You can imagine the treacherous roads and many accidents on a Friday drive home that this kind of weather caused.
But what to do eh friends? Not much. If you don’t have to go out, then don’t go out. And if you have to go out then be very careful, because you don’t know what lies beneath the sprinkling of snow on the ground. Enough about the weather though. It’s Saturday, so let’s check out some quotes from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Here is the first one: ‘Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you.’ Oh friends, that’s ever so important in our daily lives. Whenever we step out to do something, there will always be the naysayers, but you can’t let them distract you from pursuing your dream. Criticism can be useful, but that’s all some people know, so please don’t let them deter you.
And then there is this: ‘Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.’ More truth my brethren! The Lord has made us to be who we are, not someone else. So though you might admire other people and desire to be like them in some respects, it’s important that you follow the blueprint for your life and nobody else’s, because that’s where you will come up the highest.
And the last quote says: ‘There is never a right time, you have to create the right time.’ Now I don’t necessarily agree with that, because, especially in God’s economy, there is a right and wrong time for some things. I’m sure that many of us have tried to do stuff, believing that the time was right, but it just never worked out.
What I will say though, is that timing is of the utmost importance. But then again, if you’re a believer, you will be expected to wait on God’s timing in all that you do. And I can tell you from hard experience that His timing is very different to ours. (smile) So the long and short of the story is to learn to ignore useless criticism, be your best self, not try to be somebody else, and wait on God’s timing!
Chuh! What is it eh? So far, every time I’ve written ‘timing’ I’ve spelt it wrong; except this time. Glory be! And talking about time and timing, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’ Yes friends, the Revelation is all about Christ, and it was shown to John so that he could reveal God’s programme to us.
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:1-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a three fold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand) it, (3) keep (obey) it.
The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’
Oh my people, what a good God we serve, who tells us what to expect in the future. But He doesn’t just tell us for tell sake, He expects us to read, understand and obey what He says. And as Jesus told the woman who declared: ‘Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked (breasts which nursed thee). But he said, Yea, rather (more than that), blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.’ (Luke 11:27-28)
Now are we doing that? Are we preparing for the time when things will change drastically? As James warns: ‘Be ye also patient; stablish (establish) your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh (draws near).’ (James 5:8) And I know some of you will say that was said so long ago. But it only verifies the fact that with each passing day the Second Coming of Christ draws nearer and nearer.
And Bruh Paul also warns in Thessalonians: ‘For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess: 5:2) So fellow believers, it’s ever so important that we read, understand and obey the word of God, NOW, because Christ is coming back sometime, anytime.
Listen to His words. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only.’ (Matt.24:35-36) Let’s consider ourselves dutifully warned friends! Much LOVE!
…to be forewarned…is to be forearmed…and thus prepared…
25 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gentle rain, abide in the vine, abundance, accidents, be of good courage, be strong, bear fruit, blessing the earth, blessings, close relationship, commute, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, draw close to you, draw near to God, eternal life, faithful brethren, fear, fear not, fill my heart, foolish drivers, foundation in Jesus, greenery that's spring, I am the vine, I give myself unreservedly, intimacy, Intimate closeness, intimate walk with God, LOVE of God, negative word, of whom shall I be afraid, One Year Book of Bible promises, our lives can blossom, promise, Ruth Harms Calkin, self-control, self-discipline, strengthen thine heart, talent, teach me, the dearest of all delights, the goodness of God, the land of the living, the Lord is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, wait on the Lord, walk arm-in arm, whom shall I fear, winding path, wisdom, words of wisdom
Psalm 27:1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Well a good Thursday morning to you my faithful brethren in Christ! As I write these words of wisdom (smile) in the early hours, a gentle rain is falling outside, blessing the earth, so that she may refresh herself with the greenery that’s spring.
That means, for those who live in my vicinity, the commute this morning might be a tad on the rough and slow side. So please leave home early, and be careful on the roads, for you know that whatever the weather and driving conditions, there are always some foolish drivers out there on our highways and byways who cause unnecessary accidents.
And the sad part is that too often, the ones who cause the accidents don’t get injured, but the innocent drivers suffer the brunt of the situation. And we certainly don’t want anything to happen to you this morning.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that I couldn’t help sharing. It’s something we could all use a bit more of. It’s titled ‘Intimate Closeness.’
And it says: ‘You promise, dear God That when I draw close to You You will draw close to me. Lord, I give myself to You unreservedly. Teach me more and more Of intimate closeness And fill my heart with You alone. To walk arm-in-arm with You Down every winding path Seems to me the dearest of all delights.’
And it is indeed my people! Walking arm-in-arm with our heavenly Father is the most delightful thing we can ever do! And I’d like to suggest to many of us today that we should be seeking a closer and more intimate walk with God, so that our lives can blossom from that intimacy.
It’s high time we give ourselves to Him unreservedly; for that’s the only way we’ll ever learn or achieve true intimacy with Him. Remember, intimacy can only be achieved through a very close relationship with somebody.
And no wonder the Bible promise for that poem is ‘Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you.’ (James 4:8a)
Yeh friends, our gracious God is always waiting for us to draw near to Him, so that he can envelope us in His LOVING arms. His is an open invitation, all we need to do is accept it.
And when we do, then we are able to shout loud and proud and confident, like Bruh David did in our Bit. ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’
Oh my people, it’s only when we walk closely with God that fear dissipates in our lives to be replaced by courage! That’s because our foundation is then truly in Jesus Christ, who died that we might live, that we might have eternal life.
And hear how He puts it to the disciples. ‘I am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser)… Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:1,4-5)
Now that’s telling it like it is my brethren! Without Jesus we can do nothing! All of our substance comes from Him, both as Creator and Saviour. And when we walk in lockstep with Him, we are mighty and courageous in the land, through His power that runs through us. Glory to God!
Now listen to the Lord speaking to His people Israel through the prophet Isaiah, letting them know that He will restore them to Zion when the time is right. ‘Strengthen ye the weak (sinking) hands, and confirm (make firm) the feeble knees.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.’ (Is.35:3-4)
That’s the awesome power and LOVE of our mighty God friends! Once we are walking faithfully with Him, He will never leave us in the lurch. Hear how Bruh David puts it at the end of Psalm 27, from which our Bit is taken.
‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14)
Yes friends, when we abide in God, and wait in faith on Him, He will strengthen us, and we’ll also see His wonderful goodness right down here on earth! And that goodness is indeed shed forth in our Thursday Blessings.
So let’s declare them in strong voice and true belief. ‘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!’
Oh, the wonderful glory of God, my people! Now let’s go out and share those blessings with others, as our God desires of us. Much LOVE!
…just a closer walk with thee…blessed Jesus…let it be…please let it be…
11 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accidents, almighty god, anguish, aura of love, bad weather, blessings, caring, confidence, conquerors, destruction, disdained, distress, drive carefully, enthusiasm, faith, faithful, fear, fools hate knowledge, friends, gospel truth, gusto, holy spirit, honey, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, lies, LOVE, mature believer, miserable Monday, mock, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morally dull, naive ones, naivete, personified, pour out my Spirit, practice, prophetess, public places, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reproof, salvation, scorners delight in scorning, seek me, set at nought, simple ones, simpletons, simplicity, skill in living, snowy, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, study, taunts, terror, the fruit of their own way, them's the breaks, training, truth, ungodly world, wet, whirlwind, wiles, windy, wisdom
Proverbs 1:22. How long ye simple (naive) ones, will ye LOVE simplicity (naivete)? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
And then it was a wet, windy, snowy, slushy, icy, miserable Monday morning! Ah Lord eh! When is this nonsense going to end eh? I guess a certain amount of bad weather is allotted for every year, and since we didn’t get it when we were supposed to, while I was away, we’re getting it now that I’m back. Chuh! That’s exactly why I went away when I did.
Hn, hn! The Lord and His mysterious ways eh! But them’s the breaks friends, we just have to grin and bear it, because we don’t any other choice. We’ve got to work, and thus we have to get out on the roads in the nasty weather. So let’s leave home a little earlier than normal, and please, let’s take our time and drive even more carefully than usual, because in this kind of weather it doesn’t take much to cause fatal accidents.
And to help us on our faithful and fateful journey this morning, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much gusto and enthusiasm as we can manage.
As one heavenly choir now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, if that was how a heavenly choir sounds, then I surely don’t want to hear an earthly one! (smile) Now it wasn’t terrible terrible, but it surely did not come up to our usual standards. And you could see the disappointment on Jesus’ face as He tried His level best to get us to perform better. Let’s hope we do a whole lot better with His work out in the world.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, but first the verses that precede it, so we can put it into its proper context. ‘Wisdom crieth without (calls aloud in the street); she uttereth (raises) her voice in the streets (plazas). She crieth in the chief place of concourse (concourses), in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long ye simple (naive) ones, will ye LOVE simplicity (naiveté)? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?’ (Prov.1:20-22)
Ah my people, those are very good questions. Why you ask? Because wisdom is the number one attribute we all should seek, and not the world’s wisdom, but that of Almighty God. And what is wisdom, you further ask? Technically speaking it’s simply “skill in living.”
And one doesn’t obtain that by just being one of the boys. But one must apply oneself to its study and its practice. You can’t acquire any skill without study and practice. Why then do we think we can acquire that of living without going through the necessary training process eh?
And Cousin Sol is declaring that wisdom is out there, everywhere, shouting her head off for people to come and learn from her. Apparently back then not too many people were answering wisdom’s call, and unfortunately, not too many of us seem to be seeking it today either.
And the scholars have this to say about the whole dilemma. ‘1:20-33. Wisdom is personified as a prophetess calling in public places to everyone to come to her and learn. Three groups are especially singled out in the appeal: the simple ones, or untaught; the scorners, or scoffers; and the fools, or morally dull (v.22). The consequences of rejecting wisdom are immense (vs.26-28).’
And that is indisputable truth my brethren! But wisdom, like our God, is so caring and faithful that she continues to call out to the unwise ones in our midst…and there indeed a lot of us.
‘Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded: But ye have set at nought (disdained) all my counsel, and would (have) none of my reproof.’ (Prov.1:23-25)
Ah friends, we see it every day; the many scorners, simpletons and fools who refuse to acknowledge and accept wisdom as an enhancement for their lives. But as the old people would say, if you don’t hear, you’re going to feel. So when we don’t heed wisdom’s call, then we will pay the price. \
For wisdom has declared: ‘I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear (terror) cometh; When your fear (terror) cometh as desolation (a storm), and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early (diligently), but they shall not find me:
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would (have) none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov.1:26-33)
And that my people is indisputable truth! So please, as we go about Jesus’ business today, let’s all seek the elusive, but ever so necessary and important attribute called wisdom nuh, for it’s the mark of a true and mature believer. Much LOVE!
…wisdom, oh wisdom…thou art sweet like honey…how I LOVE thee and diligently seek thee…
24 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every name, a plan for our lives, a proven fact, a two way street, accidents, affliction, almighty god, an abundant life, anguished spirit, anxious, beautiful to the eyes, but for a moment, dangerous to the body, dedicate, dehumanizing ordeal, despising the shame, endured the cross, eternal, eternal weight of glory, every knee should bow, every tongue must confess, exalted, eyes of faith, faith, fence sitting, fill me with love, follow Christ, for unto you, forgive my sins, freezing rain, Garden of Gethsemane, glory, Good Friday, Gramps Schuller, grin and bear it, half-baked, harmony with God's plan, heartache, Holy Thursday, Hours of Power Devotional, in behalf of Christ, in God's time, it is given, Jesus christ is Lord, joy, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, my hang up, my neck of the woods, obedient to God's will, pain, persecution, prayer, rededicate, rewards, sacrifice, shame, take my life, temporal, the author and finisher of our faith, the joy that was set before Him, the Lord's will, the right hand of God's throne, the things which are seen, thoughts of faith, thy will be done, to believe on him, to suffer for his sake, to the glory of God the Father, vulnerable, winter storm, wisdom, wishy-washy
Philippians 1:29. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
Aye mih breddren, it’s a white winter’s morn in my neck of the woods this Holy Thursday of 2016. Yes, it’s beautiful to the eyes, but ever so dangerous to the body. A late winter, early spring storm dumped some of the white stuff on us; thankfully not as much as the East Coast and parts to the north of us.
The problem though is it’s not straight snow but more a combination with freezing rain, which means there’s a high ice content making things very slippery and dangerous. So those of you who have to go out there, please make sure you are very careful because it doesn’t take much under those conditions for accidents to happen.
Thankfully I don’t have to go out there today. And besides, the last two days have been rather busy, and what with the unusually late nights too, the ole fella needs a bit of a rest. He’s not as young as he was or as mobile and agile as he thinks he is. (smile)
And we’re going to begin today with a serious and sincere prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hours of Power Devotional. We’re going to give ourselves to God, either for the first time, or if we’ve done so before, rededicate our lives to Him.
So please pray with me: ‘Almighty God, it is a beautiful way to live to know that you are there with a plan for my life, and through prayer I can draw my life into harmony with your plan. I know, God, that your plan for my life calls for me to follow Christ.
Jesus Christ, I give my life to you. I’ve never done it before. That has been my problem. That has been my hang up. O God, I give my life to you now. Take my life Jesus Christ, and make it yours. Forgive my sins. Fill me with your LOVE. You are doing it now and I thank you. Amen.’
Yeh friends, what better time to dedicate or rededicate our lives to Christ than just before He sacrifices His life for us tomorrow on Good Friday!
We all know it wasn’t an easy time for Him, how He went into the Garden of Gethsemane in the evening and with an anguished spirit, pleaded with the Father, that if it were at all possible, He would be spared the difficult and dehumanizing ordeal. (Matt.26:36-46)
But it was not, and Jesus knew that, but it just shows that in His humanity He was as vulnerable and anxious as any man would be.
However, finally accepting that His ordeal could not be put aside, He eventually said: ‘O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me except (unless) I drink it, thy will be done.’ (Matt.26:42)
Ah mih people, that is how we have to react sometimes too. Even though we know that the going will be pretty rough and painful, if it’s the Lord’s will, we just have to grin and bear it. Remember too, that He will not give us more than we can bear, and will always help us through whatever painful and sorrowful situations we go through.
Those are the thoughts of faith we must use to get us through the rough times. For as our Bit declares: ‘For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’
Oh my fellow believers, unfortunately, living for Jesus is a two way street. It’s not easy, but the rewards do outweigh the pain and heartache. And as we promised yesterday, here is the rather appropriate passage from 2 Corinthians.
‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ (2 Cor.4:17-18)
Yeh friends, we can’t afford to merely look at and concentrate on the things that are happening to us in this life, because they are temporary, only for a short while, but through our eyes of faith must keep focused on the things of heaven which we cannot see, but which are so much more valuable and worthwhile than the destructible things of the world.
My brethren, it’s a serious decision we have to make to follow Christ. We cannot have a wishy-washy, half-baked, fence-sitting attitude, if we really want to be a true Christian. It’s true that Christ died that we may have an abundant life, but he also said that it would be filled with persecution, just because we believed on Him.
However, He also said that we should not be afraid, because he had already conquered the world, and there was nothing the world could do to us. And we’ll finish with another appropriate scripture passage for this Holy Thursday.
This one from Hebrews: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith: who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb.12:2)
And what was that joy, you ask? ‘Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
Yes precious people, that’s how the Father rewarded Jesus for sacrificing His sinless life for us. Will He not amply reward us too if we are obedient to His will? Of course!
So please let’s go into Good Friday with a sense of suffering for and with Christ, so that when He is exalted, we also will be exalted with Him. There’s no better wisdom than that! Much LOVE!
…any ‘sufferation’ that comes from doing God’s will…will be amply rewarded….in God’s way…and in God’s time…that’s a proven fact…
P.S. It’s late and long, but oh so good! (smile) Much LOVE!
01 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accidents, assurance, aura of love, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, blessings, brothers and sisters in christ, confidence, congestion, conquerors, Creator, delight thyself, desire of my heart, do good, encouraging words, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, foolish pride, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, give while you're alive, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, Harvest Service, holy spirit, homework, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, justice, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, machinations, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nor such as turn aside to lies, obey God, on which side his bread was buttered, praise Your Holy Name, promised to guide and protect, Psalm 37, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, respects not the proud, righteousness., road rage, serve a useful purpose, smiling from ear to ear, spiritual armour, St. Patrick's, steadfast faith, step up to the plate, stress levels, surrender our all, taunts, the moral of the story, to meet my Maker, Tobago, traffic jams, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, ungodly world, uplifting, wiles, wisdom, work, workers of iniquity
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
And then it was Monday! Hn! Work calleth my people! I do hope that you all are ready to leave home at some ungodly hour in the morning to beat the never-ending traffic jams, the numerous accidents, most of them caused by speeding and foolish driving, plus the ever-escalating road rage, a natural consequence of the road congestion and our rather high stress levels.
Mama Yo! Bruh Paul would have been proud of that rather convoluted sentence. (smile). Thankfully I don’t have to be prepared for that sort of stuff right now. The only thing I need to be prepared for is to meet my Maker, and I just hope He’s not too anxious to meet me. (smile)
However, my beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ, fear not, for our Saviour has promised to guide and protect us, and to never leave us, once we don’t leave Him. And we know He is ever-faithful. But on the other hand, if we had done our homework yesterday -going to church, resting and relaxing, we would have been much better prepared for today.
Anyway, we do have a remedy for your unpreparedness, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out with great verve and vigour now, let’s put a dazzling, brilliant smile on our choirmaster’s face.
As one powerful and harmonious choir 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!’
Now that was indeed a beautiful rendition my people! Jesus was smiling from ear to ear while strenuously working His conductor’s baton, as all of heaven rocked along! Glory to God!
As per yesterday’s activities: We went to the Harvest Service at St, Patrick’s in Mt. Pleasant…and was it ever a beautiful time although it lasted for three hours! It’s the first service of that length I’ve gone to and didn’t even notice the time. Glory Hallelujah!
The church was full; downstairs, upstairs and outside, with lots of inspiring singing and worship. And one thing I liked a lot is the way they involved the children in the celebration, doing readings, making offerings of first fruits etc.
The Dean of the Region preached a powerful message on giving, using several anecdotes to illustrate his point. This one about a pig and a cow touched me. Apparently the cow and pig were out in the fields talking when the pig put down the cow with a remark about how all he does is give milk, while he, the pig, was used for ham, bacon and other products.
The cow looked at the boastful pig and calmly intoned: ‘yes, you give when you’re dead, but I give while I am alive!’ Hn, hn! And the moral of the story there friends is that we ought to give while we’re alive, not wait until we die.
And how do we do that eh? Simply by obeying our Bit! ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’
Yes my brethren, when we put out complete trust in the Lord, we will automatically be led by His Holy Spirit to do what is right and good! And we will also forsake the proud and deceitful workers of iniquity who devilishly try to lead us astray! That’s the promise of our God and our faith my people!
But we first have to step up to the plate and do our thing; surrendering our lives to our heavenly Father and allowing Him to put His infallible plan for us into action. Remember He is the Creator, and consequently knows what is best for us. And though we will have trials and tribulations, He has promised to see us through them and work everything out for our good.
Oh friends, it couldn’t get any better than that nuh! We have the Lord’s assurance on it! Glory Hallelujah! So why waste time and energy trying to do it on our own eh, when we have the Creator of the universe prepared to do it for us eh? No reason but foolish pride and the machinations of deceitful iniquity workers.
Now let’s go home with some awesome uplifting, encouraging and truthful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
Words of gospel truth my brethren! And I can personally vouch for some of it, because coming to Tobago was a big desire of my heart and the Lord granted it to me. So as true and faithful believers, I implore us to raise the level of our trust in Almighty God, because it’s only then we will see and experience the full barrage of His LOVING-kindness! Much LOVE!
…Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered…do we know on which side ours is…I surely hope so…
23 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accidents, adrenalin, ascension, aura of love, blues, circumstances, cold, commandment, confidence, crucifizion, damage, dangerous, deity, enthusiasm, evil ungodly world, faith, fallen trees, foot dragging, further your glorious kingdom, Gentiies, gospel, hazards, heavenly Father's business, heavens declare his righteousness, Holy Name, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, ice, invincible conquerors, Jesus Christ, jobs, judge, judge of the quick and the dead, keeping lives and families together, king, lawgiver, lead and guide, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, northern climes, ordained of God, our end all and be all, our Saviour, pain, Pentecost, Peter, power loss, ravages of storms, rejuvenation of spirit, remission of sins, renewed vitality, resurrection, sacrificed, sacrificially, Selah, sincere prayer, sinless life, sins, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength, surrender our all, taunts, tiredness, truest truth, useful purpose, walk of faith, weary souls, weather, weight of ice, wiles, wintry
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.
Oh Friends, on this gloomy Monday morning, the eve of Christmas Eve, my area is still suffering from the ravages of the rain, freezing rain and ice storm. The storms themselves have abated, but the damage is there to be cleaned up now.
We’re talking about the emotional and physical pain of the populace, the numerous accidents, vehicular and human, the many trees that have fallen or lost sizeable portions of their limbs from the weight of the ice, the neighbourhoods that are still without power, the lanes and minor roads that are still ice covered or are slushy, making it very hazardous and unpredictable.
Yesterday morning I salted my drive way, and half an hour later when I came out to go to church, it seemed as though I’d never put down any salt at all, because it was covered with a clear sheet of ice. And later, on my way from church, I stopped to buy some more salt, and would you believe I couldn’t put them in the trunk of my car, because the ice wouldn’t allow the trunk to stay opened.
Mama Mia! You really can’t imagine the damage an ice storm can do, until you experience it. But believe me, it possibly does more damage, or is potentially more dangerous than just the normal snow. I remember one in Montreal some years ago, and couldn’t believe the serious damage it did. But now I believe! (smile)
A big, beautiful tree in my neighbour’s backyard is now a shadow of its former self, having lost about two thirds of its limbs, while a big one in my front yard has lost several branches, and has another sizeable branch dangerously hanging over the road. I will most likely have to find and pay someone to cut it down.
And the sad part is that we’re not quite sure what kind of weather to expect in the next few days, except that it will be cold and wintry. But nuh must! It’s winter in the northern climes! (smile) Anyway Friends, regardless of our circumstances this Monday morning, be they good, bad or indifferent, we need to get up and be about our heavenly Father’s business.
And to help us do that, to alleviate the blues, the tiredness and the foot dragging, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with grateful hearts, thankful that we’re still alive and full of the joy of our wonderful God.
In close harmony now, let’s sing: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And we can all feel the adrenalin flowing now my brethren! Our hope, faith and strength are on the increase, because our God is a most excellent Deity, He answers sincere prayer. Remember Friends, that our God is our EVERYTHING; OUR END ALL AND BE ALL!
As our Bit puts it: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.’ And that my fellow believers is possibly the truest of all truths that exist in this universe.
Now let’s corroborate our Bit with pertinent scriptures, taking each aspect of God’s majesty separately. Don’t know how much we’ll accomplish today because there’s lots of scripture to share, but let’s begin with the Lord being our JUDGE. In Acts 10, we find Peter preaching to the Gentiles, after the apostles had received the gift and power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
And having told them about Jesus; His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension (Acts 10:34-41), he then informs them of Jesus’ command. ‘And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of (the) quick and (the) dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness) of sins.’ (Acts 10: 42-43)
Oh Friends, we obviously can’t argue with Peter, because he walked with Jesus, was one of His inner circle of disciples, and saw and heard all that happened. Therefore we need to take what he says very seriously, and adjust our lives so that we can meet the Judge without too much anxiety.
And I like the scholars’ comment on that passage. ’10:36-43. Peter’s preaching presents in clear fashion the gospel: how Christ lived and died, was raised from the dead, and how He did this sacrificially and vicariously for our sins.’
And right there we have the answer my brethren! Because Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for our sins, the Father made Him JUDGE over all His creation, both living and dead. Please let that sink deep into our consciousness my people, because it’s ever so important in our earthly walk of faith. Much LOVE!
…and the heavens shall declare his righteousness…for God is judge himself… Selah (Ps.50:6)
20 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: accidents, advantageous employers, cruelty, directives, faithfulness, justice, kindness, labourer, mercies, oppression, refurbish, remuneration, replenish, sickness
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Well hello there my wonderful Friends in Christ Jesus! Hope you’re up and about in good health and strong faith. Here’s a piece of a favourite hymn that I read this morning and thought should get us started today. ‘Lord, great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness unto me,’ Wow! And since that’s gospel truth, all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Name of the Lord God Jehovah, for He is indeed faithful to the undeserving children of men!’ Now, without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit because we have plenty to say. (smile) ‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.’ We saw yesterday that it basically meant that righteous folk were kind to animals, while the wicked are unfailingly cruel to them. We also saw where the Lord himself instructed Moses to tell the Israelites not to kill any mama birds and young ones or eggs in the nests, but to let the mother go so that she could replenish the earth with her breed. (Deut.22:6-7) True wisdom my people, for that was an integral part of God’s plan for the earth to replenish and refurbish itself. Later on, Moses also commanded the people: ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn (threshes out the grain).’ (Deut.25:4) That obviously means all animals should be treated with a certain amount of kindness and mercy, especially if they are working to produce food and other stuff for us. The scholars rightly claim that Bruh Paul used that verse to demonstrate that a human labourer was also worth his labour. He says in 1 Cor.9: ‘For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen (Is it oxen God is concerned about)? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that tresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.’ (1 Cor.9:9-10) And a few verses later he continues his argument for proper rewards for one’s labour: ‘Even so hath the Lord ordained (commanded) that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.’ (1 Cor.9:14) He’s stating there that just like the priests in the Old Testament were remunerated for their priestly duties, likewise the New Testament preachers also have a right to be rewarded for their priestly efforts. And as it pertains to humans also being worthy of their work, that directive also came down from the Lord through Moses, long ago. Leviticus 19, re laws of holiness and justice, boldly proclaims: ‘Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.’ (Lev.19:13) Then in Deuteronomy 24, re oppression of servants, Moses reiterates that dictate: ‘Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day (each day) thou shalt give him his hire (wages), neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.’ (Deut.24: 14-15) Jesus also raised the matter in Matthew 10, when he instructs his disciples to preach only to the lost sheep of Israel (only Jews). He tells them: ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses (money-belts), Nor scrip (bag) for your journey, neither two coats (tunics), neither shoes (sandals), nor yet staves (staffs), for the workman is worthy of his meat.’ (Matt.10:9-10) He’s there agreeing with Bruh Paul that a preacher deserves to be well looked after, so they were to rely on the gifts and hospitality of those to whom they preached. Then in Luke 10, where Jesus sends out the seventy disciples to save souls from the plentiful harvest, He instructs them: ‘And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire (wages). Go not from house to house.’ (Luke 10:7) That means Jesus recognized the principle that honest work ought to be paid for honestly, either in cash or in kind. But unfortunately Friends, today that ethic has been thrown by the wayside, because employers now try their very best to pay their employees as little as possible, and many withhold employees wages much longer than necessary. Even the governments are encouraging that travesty by having laws that have no teeth, that grant no real justice to the hard done by employee, thus allowing the employer to take advantage of the poor workers. We see that here in Ontario a lot with seasonal farm workers who come from other countries to harvest crops, and with foreign nannies who have contracts with families. In sickness and accidents, the farm workers are often just sent back home with no real provision for their health, and if they complain too much about their lot, they are usually just fired. The nannies are usually made to work many more hours than stipulated in their contracts, without overtime pay, and sometimes in very poor living conditions. And don’t talk about the illegal immigrants, especially those who can’t speak much English. The employers take terrible advantage of them, and when they complain and ask for their hard earned wages, they are effectively blackmailed with threats to report them to the Immigration authorities. And taking your case to the courts or tribunals set up to handle these matters is usually too expensive in both time and money for the already disadvantaged worker. So many just shut up and bear their burdens quietly. And the sad part is that the ones who engage in these illicit, inhumane practices are usually the ones who can afford to pay a decent wage. No wonder why man’s inhumanity to man makes millions mourn! The governments know that these injustices are being perpetrated, but they don’t truly care, because many of the guilty are their friends, families and associates. But Friends, one thing is sure; the purveyors of wickedness will eventually get their comeuppance! If not in this life, then for certain in the next. God has promised it, and we know He’s faithful. And we’ll close with a verse from Bruh Paul to Timothy, where, as he’s wont to do, he puts Old and New Testament scripture together to make his point. ‘For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward (wages).’ (1 Tim.5:18) There he successfully quotes both Moses and Jesus. Please Friends, let’s not lose hope in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that we’re the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and if we persevere to the end, we’ll be well rewarded. Much LOVE!…cruelty to any of God’s creations…man or beast…will eventually bring forth justice…from our righteous God…
19 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: accidents, animals, careless drivers, cruelty, God's creations, highway tragedies, hugs and kisses, inexperienced drivers, killing fields, kindness, LOVE, LOVED ONES, tender mercies
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, please listen to me this morning. From now until forever, if you or any of your family members are leaving anywhere to go out on the roads, the killing fields we call highways, please hug and kiss each other and totally express your LOVE for each other, for in these crazy times you might not be able to do it again, except to a lifeless body in a funeral home. I’m saying this because I got a scare yesterday morning. About forty-five minutes after the Duchess left home to go to work, I got a call saying that she was in an accident. Luckily it was only a bumper bender and she wasn’t injured, but with these things you never know, for when metal, or rather fibreglass hits fibreglass, anything is possible. Apparently someone ran in to the back of the car behind her, and in the dark, rainy morning stop and go traffic, that one then ran into the back of her car. The saddest part of this whole story Friends is that my wife was going to work a little earlier than normal so she could relieve a co-worker to attend a funeral for one of her friends. Apparently this friend’s car conked out on her on the highway, everything was dead, not even the emergency flashers were working. It seems she called her husband who advised her to call 911, and he would come to get her. But lo and behold, by the time the poor man got there, a large garbage truck had already run over her little Volkswagen Passat and claimed her fairly young life. Ah Lord eh! It’s a sad fact that Ontario is a car producing province, which means we’re in the business of selling as many cars as possible, but that also means there are also way too many cars on our roads, with too many inexperienced, doh care drivers. Just to put that in perspective, the Duchess said that there were four other accidents in the same vicinity and time as hers, probably caused by motorists looking at another accident on the other side of the highway. Why do we do that eh? I see it all the time; the side of the road with the accident is moving faster than the other side, because all the people over there are slowing down to gawk and stare at the accident. That only causes more accidents! Ah mih people, I don’t know the answers to all the questions I’m posing here, but I do know that we do need some good answers, and we need them quickly too, otherwise our highways will get even worse than they are right now. Anyone on the highway these days is in serious danger; what with the speeding drivers changing lanes so unsafely and stupidly. Just last week I saw one cut across three lanes, from the fast lane to the slow, then cut back across to the fast, only to get a couple of car lengths ahead of his original position. And when yuh really need Babylon (the police) to be patrolling the highways and curb some of these excesses, they are never around. Then there are the tires that fall of the big trucks, jump over guard rails and into innocent persons windshields, or the fully loaded transport truck that falls over an overhead bypass and crushes another innocent victim on the road below. Or the drunk driver, going the wrong way and eventually crashing headlong into a van going the right way, killing most of the family members. And there are all sorts of other highway accident stories, many of which could have been prevented, but unfortunately were not, causing untold tragedy to many families. So my people, I implore us to truly get connected with the family members and friends we dearly LOVE, and share that LOVE and intimacy as often and as long as possible, because in this current rat race we so nicely term life, we never know if and when, we’ll ever see them alive again, when one or all of us go through the doors of our homes, work or playgrounds on to the death traps we call roads. And having gotten all of that off my chest, let’s look at our Bit: ‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.’ Basically what that means my brethren is that a righteous man is kind to animals, while a wicked man is cruel to the dumb animals in his charge. In fact, some people treat their animals better than they do their children or other family members. Now we should note that the edicts for treating animals kindly came down long ago from the Lord Himself, through Moses. Listen to him. ‘If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam (mother) sitting upon the young, or upon eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young. But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young with thee; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest prolong thy days.’ (Deut.22:6-7) According to the scholars, the prohibition forbidding the taking of both mother and young, or eggs from the nest was designed to protect the food supply of the Israelites. Yuh see Friends, there was a lot of wise and brilliant planning that went into the design our world, it just didn’t explode with all it’s wonders from thin air, as some would have us believe. Anyway, since I understand that our attention spans are barely three minutes long now, and getting shorter, (smile) we’ll conclude here for today, since the rest of what I have to say on this topic will definitely run too long. So tomorrow, God willing, we’ll continue with it. Till then, please walk safely with the Lord, and remember to hug and kiss all those you LOVE and cherish, truly let them know the depths of your feelings for them. Till we meet again, in Jesus’ Name: Much LOVE!…life’s so fleeting and uncertain…we need to be constantly showing LOVE…to those we LOVE…
SCRIP-BITS 