01 Nov 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to the power that worketh in us, benefits, Christ may dwell in your hearts, compromise, confusion, Creator, Daylight Savings Time, depression, disappointment, do not lose heart, drawbacks, edification, Enormous Rewards, Ephesians, fear, filled with all the fullness of God, forgiveness, freedom, friendship, fulfillment, glory to God, God the Good, godless world, guilt, Halloween, holy spirit, I bow my knees, inner growth, joy, lead and guide us, live the Christian life, lose an hour's sleep, One Year Book of Bible promises, penance, provider, purpose, rewards, rooted and grounded in love, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints, satisfaction, sordidness, spiritual life, strengthened with might, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the inner man, the moneyed class, the riches of his glory, the serfs, the whole family is named, to do all that we ask or think, to know the Love of Christ, tribulations, unto him that is able, walking obediently with Christ, ye faint not
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Well Friends, it’s Sunday the 1st of November! That means Halloween is over, October is done and Daylight Savings Time is also over. Now on that last one, the benefits or drawbacks are still being argued over.
What we do know is that some people lose an hour’s sleep while others gain an hour, and now some people will be going to work in the dark and also coming home in the dark.
No wonder there is so much depression and its cohorts come the winter time where people don’t see the sun enough. But that’s the decision of the ruling, the moneyed class, so we poor serfs just have to grin and bear it. (smile) But I’m here to tell us my fellow believers that all of that doesn’t truly matter once we are walking obediently with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And having read this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises yesterday, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, it struck such a powerful chord in my thinking, that I just had to share it. It’s titled ‘Enormous Rewards.’
And it says: ‘O dear God Thank You for teaching me The enormous rewards Of walking obediently with You. There is joy without guilt Freedom without fear Satisfaction without sordidness Purpose without confusion Friendship without compromise Forgiveness without penance Fulfillment without disappointment.’
Yes my brethren, that is indeed the description of what a true believer enjoys when He walks in close relationship with Almighty God, his Creator and Provider! And consequently, he does not have to worry about all the nonsense that is happening in our wicked, godless world. Oh glory to God!
How wonderful it is to be able to ignore so much of the world’s foolishness because of a strong faith and eternal trust in Jesus! There is no need to worry, hurry or fear anything, because our Saviour has faithfully promised that He will be always with us through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, which will lead and guide us successfully through this hellish world.
And our Bit today comes from Bruh Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’
But before we delve into it, I think it’s best that we know what comes before, so we can better understand the context of what he’s talking about. But that puts me in a bit of a quandary, because almost every verse has some useful information from the scholars, and I’m not sure whether I should do the explanation after each verse, or lump them all together. I’m not sure which method will bring easier and greater understanding. But let’s mosey along (smile) and see where the Holy Spirit leads us.
Now in this section of his letter, Bruh Paul is offering a prayer for the inner growth of the Ephesians. And he tells them: ‘Wherefore I desire (ask) that ye faint not (not lose heart) at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.’ (Eph.3:13-15)
And the scholars offer these explanations on those verses. ‘3:13. Which is your glory: God will use Paul’s tribulations and sufferings in the ministry to spiritually benefit his recipients. Such edification will then bring about glory on their part in that they praise and honour God.’
‘3:14. For this cause: This expression resumes the apostle’s prayer begun in verse 1 but delayed by the discussion of verses 2-13.’
‘3:15. Is named means “is derived.” The whole Christian family, including those saints now departed and in heaven, and those saints still living on earth – all of them “derive” their spiritual life from God.’
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all the saints what is the breadth (width), and length , and depth, and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph.3:16-9)
And yuh know what my people? That prayer is still completely viable to our situation today, for we are suffering the same doubt, frustration and lack of confidence that the Ephesians suffered back then, and we need desperately to grow in Christ if we intend to make a positive and meaningful difference in this strife filled world.
And the scholars’ offer these explanations. ‘3:16-19. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (v.16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.
(2) That the readers be able to comprehend …the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
And finally, we’ll turn to the scholars’ explanation of our Bit. ‘3:20. In making the three above petitions (vv.16-19), Paul has not asked for too much. For he prays unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that he can ask or think.’
And that’s it in a nutshell my people! Our God is so great, so powerful, so omnipotent, that He can do way way more than our finite minds can even begin to think, imagine, ask for, or comprehend. That’s why He is GOD! And I do hope that the way I structured the verses and explanations enabled you to better understand the Word.
Now remember today is Sunday and we need to go to the sanctuary and fellowship with other believers; to sing, pray, give thanks and glorify our heavenly Father and receive His strength, confidence, mercy, compassion and forgiveness, so that we can truly live the Christian life. Much LOVE!
…there is only ONE Power…and ONE Presence here…God the Good…God the Omnipotent…
13 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chosen generation, a holy nation, a holy priesthood, a Master Craftsman, a precious stone, a rock of offence, a royal priesthood, a spiritual house, a stone of stumbling, acceptable to God, an intelligent plan, Anansi stories, be obedient to god's will, be thankful, benefits, birthright of every Christian, Black Friday, chosen by God, confounded, darkness, diligence, elect, explanations, fellowship, for other foundation can no man lay, founded on Jesus, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, friends, fun, generous help, giving of our substance, glorious kingdom, God's own special people, gripe, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, in Jesus' name, integration, into the body of Christ, is made the head of the corner, Israel, Jesus Christ, lead praiseworthy lives, live to see Friday, LOVE, loving, marvellous light, massa work, mercy, New Testament church, nutshell, Old Testament, old wives tales, praying for each other, precious, priesthood, privileged, prospers, put to shame, refreshed in soul body and mind, rejected of men, relaxation, respect, responsibility, rest, reverence, saviour jesus christ, show forth the praises, spiritual sacrifices, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the cross at Calvary, the living stone, the people of god, the power of our Lord and Saviour, the rock of all ages, the stone which the builders refused, the wheel of life, truth, unalterable truth, unique, utter nonsense, which is Jesus Christ, wisdom
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Well Friends, the wheel of life has spun again and ended up on Friday. And obviously the workers of the world are going to greet it with opened arms and glorious shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the wonderful weekend is upon us! Oh thank our great God that at last it’s Friday and massa work soon done for a couple days!’
Yeh mih people, I know that many of us just live to see Friday come around to get out of work, but that’s not the right way to live this earthly and potentially wonderful life.
And today some of you are concerned because it’s Friday the 13th, which is recognized in some circles as a Black Friday. Steups! But that’s utter nonsense my brethren, so please pay no attention to it!
Nothing untoward is going to happen just because a Friday falls on the thirteenth of the month. And even if there were some truth to it, the mighty power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ would be more than sufficient to blast it away.
So let’s just put all those Anansi stories and old wives tales out of our minds and chant our Friday Chant to give us the right perspective on the situation.
As one glorious chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, that’s more like how we ought to view this Friday and the weekend that follows; with God and rest as our priorities. And today is definitely the last day for this Bit. (smile) ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
Words of unalterable truth my people! For everything in this world is based and built on Jesus, the rock of all ages! And nothing prospers for long unless it is founded on Him!
So let’s listen to Peter as he talks about Christ, the living stone. ‘To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed (rejected) indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively (living) stones, are (being) built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect (chosen), precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded (put to shame).
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed (rejected), the same is made the head of the corner (the chief corner stone).
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at word being disobedient (being disobedient to the word): whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people (God’s own special people): that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.’ (1 Pet.2:4-10)
Oh Friends, what a wonderful thing Jesus did by sacrificing His sinless life for us on the cross at Calvary! Look at the number of benefits that have come forth from it nuh! How can we not be thankful and lead praiseworthy, obedient and thankful lives eh!
Now here are some valuable explanations from the scholars. ‘2:4-8. Are built up is the main verb in this section. The choice of the word shows that the building is not haphazard, but is according to an intelligent plan brought to reality by a Master Craftsman, which sets forth the fact of our integration into the body of Christ (v5).
The overall design is a spiritual house, which describes the nature of the body of Christ, that is, a house in which God dwells. The material used to build the house is figuratively presented as lively (living) stones.
Christ is also described as a living stone (lit. “a worked stone” or “a precious stone that is living”). Disallowed by Israel but acceptable (Gr. eklekton entimon, lit, “elect and precious”) to God.’
‘2:9-10. The priesthood of the believer and his unique relationship to God are described by the terms a chosen generation… a royal priesthood… a holy nation. Thus, the New Testament church stands in a unique relationship to God as did Old Testament Israel.’
Oh Friends what a unique and privileged set of people we are, with direct access to God, but also a responsibility to be obedient to His Will. That’s the birthright of every Christian! So please, I implore us to use those tools of our birthright with proper reverence, diligence and respect.
Let’s praise His Holy Name, do His earthly work by helping, LOVING and giving of our substance to others and praying for each other. That in a nutshell is what Jesus calls us to do my people. So let’s get out there and do it nuh, wisely and diligently! Much LOVE!
…to be a part of Jesus’ body…His church…is the greatest thing that can happen to a human being…
P.S. Ah Friends, you definitely can’t gripe today about the Bit being long. (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adamant, advertisments, Advocate, all alone, all because we do not carry, all our sins and griefs to bear, all people, altar, another week of work, answers, appreciate our blessings, atonement for sin, be gracious to me, be wise, believing, benefits, blessings, burnt offerings, confess, covenant with god, depriving ourselves, distress, ease our sorrows, entreaties, everything to God in prayer, fallible, fellowship, fickle, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Genesis, give thanks and praise, God incarnate, God should always be our first source of help, God's divine Word, gratefully accept Jesus' invitation, have mercy upon me, hear me when I call, heartfelt plea, high priest, holy mountain, House of prayer, hurting, importance of prayer, in Jesus' name, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus' invitation, joyful, languishing in abject poverty, live that abundant life, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, O God of my righteousness, oh what peace we often forfeit, our Creator, our Provider, pilgrim's role, poverty, power of prayer, praise God's holy name, pray for one another, prayed fervently, prayer, prayer of a righteous man, prayer of trust, Psalm 4, Redeemer, relaxation, relieve our pains, renewed and refeshed, Revelation, sacrifices, sincere heart, sinful mortals, son of god, stubborn, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the act of prayer, the BIBLE, the Good Book, the million-dollar question, the need for prayer, thou relieved me when I was in distress, week of life, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry, what needless pain we bear, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, wisdom, wonderful oppostunities, ye shall receive
Psalm 4:1. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.
Ah Friends, once again it’s Friday…! And as usual there are loud and joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God for bringing us safely through another week of work! Praise His Holy Name!’
Yes my people, we do indeed need to thank our heavenly Father for allowing us to successfully complete another week of life, both in the general world and in our particular place of work.
Many people can’t say that at all, so please let’s learn to appreciate the wonderful blessings we have, by giving some thanks and praise to our Creator and Provider, for without Him, we’d be all alone out on some lonely back street, languishing in abject poverty, as numerous others are unfortunately doing today.
And I don’t know why, but I got up a while ago humming the chorus to our old and dear hymn, ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus.’ And just in case it was a sign (smile) I decided to include it in our discourse today.
Please sing the first verse with me. ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.’
Yeh mih breddren, we have such a wonderful Lord and Saviour, such a wonderful High Priest and Advocate, to whom we can carry all our cares and problems for sure help, yet we foolishly decline to do so. Thus we suffer, endure so many unnecessary burdens and cares. That’s not very wise my people.
Jesus is inviting us to bring ALL our troubles to Him (Matt.11:28-30), so that He can ease our sorrows and relieve our pains. So please, let’s be wise and gratefully accept His most generous invitation nuh. We’re only hurting and depriving ourselves of wonderful opportunities to live that abundant life which Jesus died to provide for us.
We quickly turn to fickle and fallible man for help, when our omnipotent God should ALWAYS be our FIRST source of help. Let’s try and rectify that unfortunate situation today nuh. Let’s focus on taking our prayers to God, like Bruh David does in this evening prayer of trust in God – Psalm 4.
He opens it with the sincere and endearing request of our Bit: ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’
Friends, it’s simple and to the point. There’s no denying what he desires. And that’s all it takes to go to God; a sincere heart with a heartfelt plea. The Lord knows all our problems, but He requires us to come to Him to help us solve them. It’s true that He could solve them all with a simple snap of His fingers or a word from His lips, but that would make Him our lackey, rather than our Lord and God.
Please remember that we are in covenant with Him, and we need to perform our part in the covenant relationship, else the covenant becomes null and void. And today, since that’s the direction it seems our Lord wants us to go, we’ll look at a few instances where the importance and power of prayer are highlighted in the Bible, God’s divine Word to us.
And the greatest and best example of participating in prayer is obviously Jesus! The Good Book declares it thus: ‘And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.’ (Luke 6:12)
Ah Friends, if Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate Himself, still felt the need for prayer, who are we then, mere sinful mortals to think that we don’t eh?
And again, we turn to Jesus, this time as He positively promotes the act of prayer. ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22)
Oh my people, our Lord and Saviour, Redeemer and Atonement for our abominable sins said it, so it must be true!
And way back when, Isaiah declared this word from our God on the subject. ‘Even them (those who take hold of my covenant) will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for ALL people.’ (Is.56:7)
Oh my fellow believers, our God couldn’t be any clearer and simpler than that! His invitation is open to all those who are willing to accept it. So why don’t we do so today eh? Now that’s the million-dollar question! It’s not an idle or false and deceitful invitation like so many of man’s entreaties and advertisements.
We have oodles of examples, from Genesis to Revelation, where all the true servants of God prayed fervently to Him and received answers and benefits. So why are we so stubborn, so adamant in refraining from something that can only benefit us eh? I really don’t know nuh.
But in accordance with all we’ve written, we’ll go home with our own prayer today, our Friday Chant. No I didn’t forget, (smile) just thought it would be more appropriate today at the end rather than at the beginning.
So as one loud, grateful and prayerful voice, let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, it’s short and simple, but as James so wisely and truthfully tells us: ‘Confess your faults (trespasses, sins) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:16)
And when we follow that heavenly wisdom my people, we certainly won’t go wrong. Much LOVE!
…to pray…to pray…and yet to pray…that is the pilgrim’s role…
03 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a wonderful God, abundantly, Amen, arrow that flieth by day, be not afraid, benefits, bring smiles to their faces, Bruh David, buckler, cast down, Creator, Creator of the universe, daily grind and common task, destruction, encouraging, enlighten their spirits, evil, foot of pride, fountain of life., freinds, Friday chant, fulness, fun-fellowship, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, germinate, go in faith, go in love, go in peace, God is a refuge and fortress, God will be there watching, God's little Acre, gospel truth, grow, hand of the wicked, health, heartwarming, in thy light shall we see light, Jeeves, jehovah god, joyful shouts, lays waste at noonday, long life, losing sight, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, memories, overwhelming reasons, peace, pestilence, praise the Lord for His goodness, pride, protection, protective wings, provider, refuge, reinvigorating, rejuvenation of spirit, reminisce, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resorative scripture, rest, reverence, righteousness., river of pleasures, rocking chairs, royal treatment, royalty, satisfied, shield, show you believe, sincere emotion, snare of the fowler, steadfast faith, sweet Tobago, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanks and praise, the children of men, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest of these is love, the party's over, the terror by night, time of their lives, totem pole, trust, unconditional LOVE, ungodly times, uplifting, upright in heart, walketh in darkness, warmed the cockles of my heart, wealth, wisdom, wisdom of living a christian life, workers of iniquity
Psalm 36:7. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Well Friends, as the old people would say, the party done now, time to get back to the daily grind and common task!
Yes, the party’s over for my brother and his wife. They flew back last night to sweet Tobago, God’s Little Acre – can’t leave that out – lucky them. (smile) They definitely had the time of their lives; coming to Canada for the first time and having so many people treat them so well.
The memories and friends they made here will no doubt enlighten their spirits and bring smiles to their faces when they reminisce in their rocking chairs. (smile) He claims that all the people they came into contact with treated them like royalty, and that royal treatment was certainly heartwarming and reinvigorating, confirming the wisdom of living a Christian life.
And on their behalf, I’d like to thank all you wonderful and godly people who showered them with such unconditional LOVE, even though many of you had never met them before. The unrestrained and lavish affection that I saw, certainly warmed the cockles of my heart. You all are true believers, not only speaking the word, but also living it.
Oh my brethren, if only we could all live that way on a consistent basis! Then Jesus would undoubtedly rank first and foremost in this ungodly world, instead of way down the totem pole, to where He‘s now been relegated.
But yuh know what Friends, today is also Friday! That means the party’s not really over, in fact the party’s just starting, as we’re greeted by joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’
But please remember to be careful my people, for though partying is in order, we need to party with a modicum of circumspection, as Jeeves would say.
And that also involves not losing sight of our Creator and Provider; highlighting Him in ALL our doings, for as the Good Book says, it’s Him who allows us to have health, wealth, long life and LOVE! Give Him much thanks my people, for He is indeed a wonderful God!
And to help us attain to that modicum of circumspection and reverence for our mighty God, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincere emotion. As One now, in harmony and LOVE! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Oh Friends, that brings us to our Bit, which comes from Psalm 36 –the steadfast LOVE of God. ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! It surely is, as those of us who trust in the Lord and make our refuge under His most protective wings can testify to!
And Bruh David continues to lay out the overwhelming reasons to trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
O continue thy LOVING-kindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me (drive me away). There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.’ (Ps.36:8-12)
Oh what beautiful and restorative scripture my fellow believers! If you read that and it doesn’t bring a lift to your heart, body, soul and mind, then something’s wrong. I’ll venture to say that you’re no real believer, for those are truly uplifting and encouraging words, especially in these cruel, evil and ungodly times.
And if you didn’t believe Bruh David there, (smile) then listen to the psalmist from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (trapper of birds), and from the noisome (perilous or deadly) pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield)
Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.’ (Ps.91:2-7)
Yes Friends, that’s the wonderful protection we’re assured of when we place our complete trust in Jehovah God, Creator of the universe and all therein! Please, let’s plant all those scriptures in our hearts and allow them to germinate and grow there abundantly, so that we can obtain the benefits thereof.
And now let’s close with a prayer I found amongst the papers in my Bible. Don’t know where I got it from, and like I’ve shared it before, because it has a tick on it, but it’s ever so appropriate for today, so we’ll share it again.
‘Go now in Peace – Never be afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith, steadfast strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in LOVE, and show you believe.
Reach out to others, so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in Peace, in Faith and in LOVE. AMEN…AMEN…AMEN…’
And all God’s people exclaimed a joyful and grateful; ‘Praise the Lord for His exceptional goodness to the children of men!’ Much LOVE my brethren!
…and now abideth Faith, Hope, LOVE, these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor. 13:13)
25 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a hard row to hoe, a token of a covenant, accepting Jesus, almighty god, ambassadors, awesome, be strong and courageous, beautiful rainbow, benefits, blessing, blot of a curse, clouds of darkness, confusion of tongues, courage, covenant, Creator of the universe, demonic purposes, enlightening, ever-faithful God, everlasting covenant, evil, evil cohorts, exile, faith, feeling of relief, fires of evil, floundering ship, for our children's sake, get with the programme, glimmered in the bright sunlight, God has my back, God's creation, God's ever-loving embrace, God's great heaven, God's little Acre, God's people, God-like wonder, good things God's promised, have the world by the throat, I set my bow in the cloud, illuminating, in living colour, Jesus Christ, Jesus' sacrifice, leading and guiding, live in the fleah, living God, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Love conquers all, Lucifer, man's evil nature, mockery, Niagara Falls, no need to fear, Noah, obedient to God's will, passion, peace, planet earth, rainbow, sign, signs and wonders, strangling, swirling water, thank you heavenly Father, the Good Book, the Great Flood, the last breath of life, the LOVE of Jesus christ, the Love Revolution, the One and Only One, the spirit, the tower of babel, to further God's glorious kingdom, Tobago, total destruction, troubled times, unconditional LOVE, wake up and smell the coffee, walk seriously with God, waste of time, we praise and bless your holy name, wisdom, wonder of God, working diligently, worthwhile, Wow, you can never go home again
Genesis 9:13. I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and the earth.
Mornin’ Neighbuhs! LOVE and peace and wisdom be unto you all this blessed day that our wonderful God has provided! Let’s be strong and courageous and enjoy it in Jesus’ name, because that’s why it was given to us.
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank you heavenly Father for allowing us to see another marvellous day on planet earth, and we will strive to be obedient to your will. We praise and bless your Holy Name! Amen.’
And Friends, yuh better believe that the ole fella thoroughly enjoyed yesterday. I took my brother and his wife to see that great wonder of God and tourist attraction – Niagara Falls. And it’s interesting that what seems to amaze them most is the vast expanse of land and water that is Canada.
Oh they enjoyed it all, but coming from the small, but oh so beautiful island of Tobago, God’s Little Acre – you know I had to throw that in there (smile) – and seeing for the first time the vastness of God’s creation, especially as believers, it will have a noticeable impact on you.
Even me, who has been here for over forty years, I still get a jolt of God-like wonder when I behold the Creator’s vast and beautiful expanse of nature.
But mih people, what thrilled and excited me the most yesterday is that through the mist of the swirling water of the falls on the American side, a small but ever so beautiful rainbow glimmered in the bright sunlight!
When I first saw it, my spirit responded with a silent but powerful exclamation of ‘Wow!’ And note, it wasn’t a big one arcing through the whole sky, but just over the falls itself.
Ah mih people, how could I not believe and have faith and courage and all the other good things that our great God has promised eh, when He so plainly shows me His signs and wonders?
Hear the Creator’s promise to Noah after the Great Flood that was supposed to wash away man’s evil nature, but unfortunately didn’t, and culminated in the building of the Tower of Babel and God causing the confusion of tongues. (Gen.11:1-3,7)
‘And God said, This is the token (sign) of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow (rainbow) in the cloud, and it shall be for a token (sign) of a covenant between me and thee and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow (rainbow) shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow (rainbow) shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.’ (Gen.9:12-16)
Oh Friends, rainbows are few and far between these days, and whenever I see one, I take it as a personal blessing, a personal message from my ever-faithful God, that things will be all right, there’s no need to fear, He has my back, I’m safe and protected in His ever-LOVING embrace, and He will make my way clear, despite the bumps and pot-holes in the road.
I took yesterday’s rainbow as a sign that God was mightily pleased that my brother and I had hooked up so wonderfully, and that we were both working diligently to further His glorious kingdom!
That reminds me of two years ago when I returned to Tobago after thirty years in exile. The first thing I espied as the small plane took of from Trinidad, heading for Tobago, was a big, beautiful rainbow arcing through God’s great heaven.
And it just brought a mighty, but ever so grateful feeling of relief over me, because I knew then that everything would be all right, that the saying you can never go home again wasn’t true, once Almighty God was involved, leading and guiding your way!
And my first visit to Tobago, after such a long time, was indeed beautiful, as it obviously would, if orchestrated by the Creator of the universe. And believe me people, the second visit, earlier this year, was even better! Mama Mia! Can’t wait to experience the next one! (smile)
That’s why I keep telling us, that though walking seriously with God is often a hard row to hoe, the benefits, the blessings and the awesome, unconditional LOVE of our heavenly Father makes it all worthwhile!
I don’t know what else to say to convince you all nuh. The Good Book tells you about people long dead and otherwise, but Friends, I’m giving it to you live and in the flesh, in living colour, from a living God, the One and Only One!
So you have it both from the ones that have gone before, and also from the ones alive and kicking all around you right now, so what’s preventing you from accepting Jesus Christ as your true Lord and Saviour eh?
Believe me people, in these seriously troubled times, the only thing that will, or can save our world from total destruction is the LOVE of Jesus Christ, the rising up and flourishing of His LOVE Revolution, because Lucifer and his evil cohorts now have our beautiful world by the throat, gradually strangling it, trying to squeeze out the last breath of life in it for evil, demonic purposes.
Are we going to allow them to do that, my fellow believers? I certainly hope not!
Please remember that Jesus is depending on us, His workers, His ambassadors, to right the floundering ship that’s our world. So please, I implore us, let’s get a move on nuh, let’s get with the programme!
Do you know, or do you realize that right now, Jesus isn’t too thrilled with us, because we’re allowing the evil forces to take Him out of the world He created and died to save, without even a decent effort on our part. Chuh! Just like we don’t like others to force us out of stuff that we created, Jesus doesn’t like been forced out of His creation.
So again, I plead, let’s wake up and smell the coffee nuh! The fires of evil are spreading their dreadful tentacles all over the world with much haste, and we desperately need to combat them before they totally overtake us. And if they do, that would make Jesus’ sacrifice a mockery, a complete waste of time.
Do we want the blot of that curse on our generation? Certainly not!
So let’s get serious about the LOVE Revolution, and instead of evil spreading like wildfire, let’s have LOVE! Let’s allow the LOVE of Jesus Christ to lift the heavy clouds of darkness and evil from our world, and replace it with His bright, illuminating and enlightening light…for our children’s sake Friends! Much LOVE!
…LOVE CONQUERS ALL…
P.S. Hope it makes sense yes people, but that’s just where the Spirit led me today. And yuh know what happens once the passion in the ole fella is set free. (smile) Much LOVE!
01 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 24/7 regime, abuse rights, all for nought, ambassadors, appreciation, aura of love, Bangladesh, be not afraid, benefits, blessings, christ-like attributes, conditions, confidence, conquerors, cuts in wages, disciples, employees, encouraging, enthusiasm, forefathers, freedoms, fun and frivolity, garment industry, good tidings, group of fellow workers, he shall gather the lambs with his arm, heartless, holy spirit, humble servants, inhumane treatment, invincible, irresponsible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, Labour Day, Labour Movement, Labour Organizations, lead those that are with young, lies, lift up thy voice, LOVE, low wage countries, Monday, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, money machine, obedient, Oh Lord God Almighty, oppressive, outsourcing, paid a hefty price, qualms, reassuring, reflection, regressing, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reverence, rough times, social consciences, spiritual armour, stand strong, standing 'O', steadfast faith, strikes, taking advantage of the working man, the flower fades, the grass withers, the word of God shall stand forever, tribulations, ungodly world, Unions, wasted effort, wisdom, with God all things are possible, working conditions
Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Oh my people, it’s Monday – Labour Day Monday!
That means many of us fortunately don’t have to go to work today. But it’s not simply a day to party and carry on either. It’s a day that calls for a certain amount of reflection, reverence and lots of appreciation and gratitude to our forefathers who paid a hefty price, even to the extent of their lifeblood, to fight for the rights and freedoms which we now have in the workplace.
Many a head was physically bashed in by the cruel Pinkerton private force as they were hired in the early days of the Labour Movement to put down strikes and other calls for a more humane, fair and equitable workplace. So please don’t go taking for granted those benefits and other freedoms we now enjoy at work. Neither should we abuse those hard fought for rights, as so many of us are doing today.
Doing any of those irresponsible things shows no respect whatsoever for the rough times and tribulations our forefathers so bravely faced, so that we could work a more respectable eight hour day, five days a week, for a decent wage, under decent conditions, instead of twelve and fourteen hour days, six and seven days a week, for a mere pittance and in disgusting conditions.
Remember the big uproar over the wages and conditions of employment created by the recent rash of fires in the garment industry in Bangladesh? Well less than a hundred years ago that was the situation that existed in the West. And don’t fool yuh fat; the heartless, oppressive, money machine will be only too glad to take us back to those bad, old days.
And if you look closely, you’ll see that they are underhandedly preparing the way, through all the recent outsourcing of production to the low wage countries, the drastic cuts in wages, in employees, benefits and working conditions.
So for you young ones who think the workplace is simply an arena for fun and frivolity, I’d strongly suggest that you wake up from your fairy tale world, and read about the terrible conditions that workers faced before the advent of Unions and other Labour Organizations, and the harsh and inhumane treatment they suffered to bring us to where we are right now.
And with the actions above now in place, means we’re slowly regressing, which further means that we have to stand strong as a group of fellow workers, or else we will eventually find ourselves right back where our forefathers were, for the rich and powerful have no social consciences, and therefore no qualms about taking advantage of the ordinary working man.
So this Labour Day, please seriously consider your role and position in the workforce and how all we’ve said currently affects you. Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to give a boost to the spirits of those who have to go out and labour under the now 24/7 greedy regime.
All together now, in harmony, unison and full voice: ‘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!’
That was most excellent Friends, even heaven clapped and gave us a standing ‘O’!
But yuh know what, unless we now go out into the world and display those Christ-like attributes, it will all be wasted effort, all for nought!
And sadly we don’t have much time for our most encouraging and reassuring Bit which deals with acquiring comfort through trust in the Lord.
Listen to some of the verses preceding it. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord your God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:8-11)
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and reassuring scripture! Wow! It’s almost too good to be true! However, with our great and wonderful God, unlike with man, whatever the situation, there’s always the possibility that it’s true, because with our God, all things are possible!
Now let’s go out today and make Jesus proud; let’s be true and obedient disciples and ambassadors, as He desires of His followers. Much LOVE!
…when one truly knows Jesus…one’s heart is filled with unspeakable joy and LOVE…LOVE for God, his neighbour and himself…
22 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man of understanding, a wise man will hear, act in an appropriate manner, action, adore, Amen, an ornament of grace, awesome God, beauty of the universe, beginning of knowledge, benefits, better late than never, black up, blood of jesus, boggles my imagination, book of proverbs, Buccoo, Buccoo reef, christianity, controlling principle of wisdom, Cousin Sol, crown of glory, Easter celebration, Easter Season, Easter Tuesday, eternal life, everlasting truth, exalt wisdom, favour, fear, fellowship, foolish disobedience, fools despise wisdom, forgiveness, foundation of our faith, friends and neighbours, get understanding, get wisdom, Goat races, God's might and power, good communication with God, gospel truth, grace, healthy fear, heavenly wisdom, inebriated, instruction, it's all good, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, joy, joy in our hearts, lack of wisdom, LOVE, loving kindness, magnify, majesty, mercy, most important aspect of Christianity, Nylon Pool, partying, peace, put it inot practice, reject Jesus Christ, resurrection, reverence, reverential awe, salvation, saved-through the blood of Jesus, serve, sins, straight and narrow path, submission to god, the fear of God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the living God, the most meaningful things in this life, Tobago, transgressions, truth, understanding, understanding is better than silver, undeserving favour, venerate, walk with a spring in our steps, wisdom, wisdom is better than gold, wisdom is the principal thing, wise counsels, worship
Proverbs 16:16. How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Oh Friends and neighbours, it’s Easter Tuesday, time to get ready for the races!
What races, you say? Steups! How yuh mean what races eh? The goat and crab races down Buccoo in Tobago of course! Down by the famous Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool!
That’s a celebration that’s been going on for as long as I can remember. Can’t remember much of the last one I went to long ago though, for I was so inebriated, so black up with fire-water it wasn’t funny. Hn, hn! All I can vaguely remember is a friend’s sister and I partying down the place in one of the many house parties they use to have back then. Ah Lord eh!
But the celebration seems to have grown so much now, that when I was in Tobago earlier this year, I discovered that they had built a stadium just for those races. Only in T&T you say! (smile)
Anyway my people, it’s oh so necessary that we keep the peace, LOVE, joy and fellowship of this Easter Season going on for as long as possible – at least till Jesus returns – for as we’ve been saying, it’s the most important aspect of Christianity – the foundation on which our faith is built!
It is where we derive all our benefits from – benefits like resurrection, salvation and eternal life. It is only the spilled blood of Jesus, which paid for our abominable transgressions that made it all possible. So please let’s remember that, keep it at the forefront of our minds, and consequently walk with a spring in our steps, and a joy in our hearts that declares: ‘Saved – through the blood of Jesus Christ!’
And that’s why our Bit is so important in the overall scheme of things my brethren. It points out to us the most meaningful things in this life – wisdom and understanding! ‘How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!’
And that’s an everlasting truth my fellow believers, because those are the things which keep us wisely, sincerely and securely joined to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator and Controller of this great universe and all therein! Now just think how foolish it would be if we didn’t have good communication with our great God and Maker eh!
That’s why Cousin Sol informs us right at the very beginning of Proverbs: ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto (acquire) wise counsels.’ (Prov.1:5)
And as the scholars so rightly explain: ‘1:5. The wise as well as the untaught can learn from this book.’
And that’s gospel truth Friends! Whatever the state of your learning, your academic standing, you can always learn even more from the Book of Proverbs and the Good Book as a whole!
Then a few lines later, Cousin Sol solemnly warns us: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov.1:7)
And how very true that is my brethren! The fools of this world utterly despise wisdom and instruction! That’s why they reject Jesus Christ and Jehovah God and will eventually perish for their lack of wisdom and foolish disobedience.
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:7. The fear of the Lord means submission to the Lord and His revelation. When one is afraid of something, he either runs from it or submits to it. The latter idea is in view here. It is a healthy fear, like the fear of electricity or the fear of one’s parents, which causes one to act in an appropriate manner.
The beginning does not mean that “the fear of the Lord” is left behind in the course of acquiring wisdom, but that it is the controlling principle of wisdom.’
Yes Friends, we’ll certainly be wise to look upon the greatness, the majesty of Jehovah God with reverential awe, for He is ever so much mightier and wiser than us, but His LOVE and magnanimity towards His faithful children know no bounds!
Wow! What an awesome God we serve and worship my people! It always boggles my imagination when I sit and contemplate His might and power, His mercy, grace, forgiveness, LOVING-kindness and the beauty of this universe He created!
Therefore, how can I not LOVE, adore and magnify Him eh? It’s just impossible my brethren, especially after having experienced so much of His undeserving favour throughout my earthly life.
And we’ll conclude today’s message with these wonderful, wise and uplifting verses from Proverbs Chapter 4. Cousin Sol declares in living colour, the importance of wisdom and understanding.
‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9)
Oh my fellow believers, all I can say to that is a loud, positive and glorious ‘AMEN!’
Now let’s go out and put it all into practice and action today my brethren, because that is what will keep us on the straight and narrow path, in close communication with Almighty God! And doing that, is certainly heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…oh how good and pleasant it is…to learn about the living God…then reverence and venerate Him with all our life-blood…
P.S. Please excuse the tardiness of the Bit. I guess I celebrated too much last night, thus got up late this morning. Then there were a couple of things I had to do, which took up more time than I bargained for. But as a friend of mine likes to say: ‘It’s all good!’ And it’s also better late than never. Brother, it really short today too! (smile) Much LOVE!
09 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: belief, benefits, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord, Bruh David's forte, children of Israel. Moses, condemned, Daylight Savings Time, destruction, diseases, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, Hades, heals, heaven, I AM, I can do all things, iniquities, Jamaican time, judgement, loving kindness, mercies, more than conquerors, negative aspects, oppressed, positive aspects, preamble, redeems, righteousness., slow to anger, small potatoes, steadfast and true believers, T&T time, the evil one, the Way, the Word, through Christ who strengthens me, total truth, transgressions, wisdom
Psalm 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Well Friends, it’s a mild Sunday morning, compared to those of the recent past. Yuh better believe that! The clock has also been set forward one hour, to begin the confusing strategy of Daylight Savings Time. Hn!
To tell the truth, I really don’t know who it benefits from it, if anybody. And it’s been recently proven that there are some negative aspects to the time change. But somebody, or bodies in power, must believe that whatever positive aspects contained therein, do outweigh the negative ones. So us menial folk just have to go along with the idea, whether we like it or not.
And it both amuses and disconcerts me in one respect; when we go forward, like today, we end up on T&T time, but when we go backwards at year’s end, we end up on Jamaican time. So before calling friends and family in those locations, I have to first consider what time schedule we are on, so that I don’t call down there too early, or too late.
Ah Lord eh! But them’s really small potatoes, mih people – wish that was our biggest problem – and there’s no need for us to worry, because we strong, steadfast and true believers can handle anything that comes against us, for ‘we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom.8:37)
And furthermore, as Bruh Paul so emphatically states to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) Never forget those two scriptures Friends, because they embody total truth for all the ages.
And I’m chuckling while I’m adlibbing here, because I don’t have a Bit as yet, and no clue how to continue this rambling preamble. (smile) But I am assured, because of those two statements above that the Lord will eventually strengthen and guide me, and cause me to write a most wonderful Bit. (smile)
Well it’s certainly in His best interest to do so, since it’s His Word that I’m writing about, and I’m sure, like me, He doesn’t want me to write nonsense.
And lo and behold, to prove His faithfulness and wisdom, He just guided me to a rather appropriate Bit for this Sunday morning: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Yes my brethren, we can never find a better thing to do than to bless the Lord and His Holy Name! And that surely was Bruh David’s forte, as we can see from all the stuff he’s written, especially from this Psalm of praise and thanksgiving for God’s great and abundant mercies.
Now hear how he continues after that first verse. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.’ (Ps.103:2-7)
And nothing my people, nothing whatsoever in those verses can be disputed, for down through the ages, they have been proven to be factual, many times over! Any problems we have with those words stem from us, from our lack of faith, our lack of true belief in the great I AM.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to some more of this wonderful psalm. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (He understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:8-14)
Now Friends, anyone who tries to dispute any of those declarations is either a liar or a fool, or both, because without the Lord’s abundant mercies and forgiveness, we would have been all condemned long ago to death, for our numerous sins, and exiled to Hades to dwell with the evil one.
‘But the mercy (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.’ (Ps.103:17-18)
More gospel truth my fellow believers! The Lord has made special preparations for those who walk obedient to His dictates. And Jesus, in telling the disciples that He was THE WAY to the Father, promised it thus: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions (Lit. dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ (John 14:1-3)
Oh mih people, mih people, what a most marvellous promise! And we all know that lies and untruths, by His very holy nature, CANNOT proceed from Jesus’ mouth and Spirit. Thus, when we walk in sync with our Creator and heavenly Father, our eternal destiny is set in stone!
Therefore we all have great cause to exclaim, proclaim and declare like Bruh David: ‘Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers (servants) of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.’ (Ps.103:20-22)
And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Praise the Lord God Jehovah! Praise Him for His goodness to the undeserving children of sinful men! Praise Him for ever and ever! Amen.’
Yeh mih people, we certainly can’t go wrong in praising and giving thanks to our ever-LOVING, merciful, forgiving and most gracious God! Please put that in your pipe today and smoke it! (smile) Much LOVE!
…praise and thanks are two of the most important elements in worshipping Almighty God…
P.S. Yuh see Friends, as I told you, through faith in God’s mercy and unswerving help, the Bit didn’t turn out too bad at all, now did it. (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adventures, almighty god, arguments, atonement, aura of love, bachelors, believers, benefits, bless, Blessed be the God and Father, blessings, captive, celebrations, Christ's blood, cold, common sense, confidence, Cross of Calvary, dancing, dark, disagreements, dungeons of hell, enemy's wiles, eternal life, eternity, forgiveness of sins, forsake, forsaken, future, God's favour, God's help, God's little Acre, good works, goodness of god, greatest gift, grin and bear it, harmony, heaven's happy today, heavenly Father, heavenly places, holy acceptance, holy spirit, home cooked food, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, lord jesus christ, loving kindness, Lucifer, memories, memory lane, obedience, Oh Lord God Almighty, Peyton Manning, planet earth, ponder, recollection, reconciled, redemption, rejuvenation of spirit, reminiscing, renewed vitality, sacrifice, sanctified, significant events, sinful state, singing, soulful, special relationship., spiritual blessings, Super Bowl, sure conquerors, tete a tete, the North Country, them's the breaks, two step dance, weary souls, wisdom
Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday… And poor me, ah crying because is only three days left before I have to leave God’s Little Acre and return to the cold, dark, North Country. Steups! But what yuh going to do eh? Them’s the breaks! So you just have to grin and bear it. And most importantly, I know that our great and wonderful God will bless me wherever He leads me on His beautiful planet Earth.
So there’s really no need to worry, although the hot sun is much preferable to the cold one. (smile) Anyway, yesterday was a great day in memory lane travel. After writing the Bit, I went by Aunt Cicely for some home-cooked food. And it did taste better than and different to the store bought stuff I’ve been living on for most of the last two weeks.
Then my Uncle Foster came over and spent the night with us. We watched Barbados beat T&T in regional cricket competition, and Seattle blow out Denver in the overhyped Super Bowl. I felt real sorry for Peyton Manning though, because from the first snap of the ball, which went over his shoulder into the end zone, before he even appeared ready for it, you could tell that it would be a rough day for him.
Seattle however did deserve to win with their excellent play, both on defence, offence and special teams. That’s how teams are supposed to play; with all aspects positively contributing to the overall effort.
But Friends, yuh know in all the reminiscing that’s been going on for the past two weeks, last night’s was the most important, because my Uncle Foster and I had a very special relationship when we lived bachey (as bachelors) in Trinidad in the early 70’s. We made so many memories, or as he termed them adventures, that some he mentioned, I had no recollection of them whatsoever. He obviously remembers more of them than I do.
And yuh better believe that the Duchess and him had their own private tete a tete, reliving their own memories, since she was always his favourite. And though I tried to stay out of their business, they still found some way to gang up on me, like they did in the past. Anyway, it was a most excellent time, with some of everything involved, even serious arguments. But the disagreements didn’t last long, because that’s the way we’ve always been.
And now Friends, on this Monday morning in early February 2014, let’s raise the roofs of both heaven and earth, with a miraculous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. Let’s make it so sweet, that our Father in heaven will automatically get up from His throne and passionately begin singing the music and doing a feisty two step dance to it. (smile)
And remember my fellow believers, we can do anything with His help. So let’s sing up a godly storm. On three: one, two, three: ‘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 yes mih people! We did it! We did it! The soulful harmony touched our heavenly Father’s very soul, and had him up singing and dancing His own version of the two step. And can the Father move! You bet!
During that time, Jesus stood aside smiling, clapping and urging Him on, for it had been a long time since He’d seen the Father so happy that He wanted to bust a move. So we know for sure that heaven will be a somewhat happier place today, but what about planet earth eh?
It won’t be so great unless we believers get out there and work some good works for Jesus! And since we have the Father prepped and in the mood for celebrations, we can’t afford to let Him down now. So please Friends, let’s try our very best to walk worthy of Him today nuh.
And how can we even contemplate doing otherwise after looking at our Bit and the resultant benefits and blessings that flow from it? ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’
So let’s continue from where we left off yesterday; talking about how He predestinated us as His adopted children through Christ, through His fatherly LOVING-kindness. And why did He do all that?
‘To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (bestowed grace – favour – on us). In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.’ (Eph.1:6-7)
And since the scholars have excellent explanations of those verses, let’s hear them. ‘1:6. The reason God predestined us to be His sons (v.5) is expressed in the words to the praise of the glory of his grace, that is, in order to magnify the splendour of His goodness to us. Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved may also read, “which (grace) He has bestowed on us by the Beloved.” Through Christ, we are the recipients of God’s unmerited favour.’
And there can be no argument about that Friends, for all our blessings, etc. etc. come straight from the goodness of the Father’s heart. That should be obvious, since in our natural, sinful state, we could never do anything to earn or even deserve His holy acceptance.
And re verse ‘1:7. Redemption referred to the release of a slave or captive upon receipt of ransom. But the following words, the forgiveness of sins, show “redemption” is used here in a moral sense. Christians are therefore released from their enslavement to sin and the resulting divine wrath. Redemption is effected for us through his blood, that is, by Christ’s atonement secured by His death on the cross.’
Oh my brethren, what else can we say but oodles of heartfelt ‘thank you’s’ to Almighty God, for the greatest gift ever bestowed on mankind, Christ’s atonement for our abominable sins on the cross of Calvary! What a blessed day! For without it, we would all be staring at a dark and disastrous eternity in the dungeons of hell, with Lucifer as our evil leader and companion.
However, fortunately for us, with Christ’s selfless sacrifice, His shed blood paid once and for all for all our sins, and now we’re able to look forward with great joy to spending eternity in heaven, holy, sanctified and reconciled to our Creator and Provider!
Wow! What a blessed future awaits us! So please my fellow believers, today, let’s ponder on those significant events, and try, with God’s help obviously, to bring our lives into line, into obedience with His plans for us. That’s the height of wisdom and common sense! Much LOVE!
…he who forsakes His Maker…will be forsaken by His Maker…as simple and straightforward as that…
02 Feb 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adopted sons, belief, benefits, blameless, blessed, Blessed be the God and Father, church, church's health, comes out of the woodwork, credits the Bit, debt of gratitude, deity, deserving, diminishing congregations, disappointed, divine choice, earthly life, faithful blessings, foundation of the world, good tidings, harbinger, heavenly places, holy, internal problems, Jesus Christ, LOVE, negative trend, never give up attitude, never say die, New York, old friend, ordinary memories, plan of creation, praise and thanks, prayers, predestinated, rainbow, renewal of Christ's church, responsibility, salvation, sanctified, school days, self-pity, set apart, small congregations, sovereignty, spiritual blessings, state of Christ's church, strong faith, surgeries, Trinidad, trust, unexpectedly, walk in LOVE, wonderful god
Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, our God is a great and most wonderful Deity! Please give Him praise and thanks, oodles and oodles of it, for He is most deserving of our thanks and praise!
And I say that, because as I walk down memory lane today, I note where in the past two weeks He’s unexpectedly brought so many people from my past into my present orbit. Thank You Lord! And from the very depths of my soul, again I say, Thank You!
It has certainly been interesting and overwhelming to say the least, for like every day, someone else just unexpectedly comes out of the woodwork. And that shouldn’t be so surprising since our God majors in the unexpected.
And talking about the unexpected, yesterday afternoon while hanging out at the Duchess’ friend’s bar with my Uncle Foster, who had earlier come from Trinidad to visit me, my cell phone rang.
When I answered it, I discovered that it was another old friend from school days, who was also in town. He now resides in New York, and I had seen him at Caribana in Toronto a few years ago, so the time span between contact wasn’t as great as with so many others.
But while talking to him, I learned that since I last saw him, he had gone through several surgeries for some internal problems. And that was after having been through many more before that. It’s good to see that he has that fighting, never say die, never give up attitude.
And it’s also nice to know that he gives the Bit some credit for helping him make it through some of the rough times, both in the hospital and at home. He says it helps him keep his faith strong, and not give in to self-pity and the desire to give up this painful earthly life.
I went to visit him this morning after church, and he does look strong, but he has to go back to Trinidad for some tests and other medical procedures tomorrow. Let’s pray that the Lord will bless him and cause everything to go all right. His name is Anthony Massiah, so please remember him in your prayers.
And that was about all the out of the ordinary memories I made yesterday, because after dropping my Uncle Foster home, we just came home and relaxed, watched the Leafs beat Ottawa in a high-spirited ice-hockey game, then went to bed, got up this morning and went to church.
On the church matter though my fellow believers, I was greatly disappointed to see the small number of people in the congregation. If you were to put everybody together, it might have taken up possibly one quarter of the church.
Now that certainly doesn’t speak well of the church’s health. But I’m not privy to their problems, so I can’t offer any positive critique and /or advice. I just know that the three times I’ve been there recently, the crowds were noticeably smaller than the two occasions on my last trip to Tobago, some fifteen months ago.
Ah Friends and fellow believers, we need to pray for the state of Christ’s church all over the world, because in many cases, for one reason or another, the numbers are sadly dwindling, and we definitely can’t allow that negative trend to continue. Through heartfelt prayer and seriously addressing the problems causing this fall away, we need to actively participate in the renewal of Christ’s earthly body, for it’s a godly trust given to us, to strengthen and grow it.
Unfortunately though, for whatever reasons, we’re falling down on the job. And how can we allow that to happen after reading our Bit eh? ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’
Yesterday we saw how many things, faithful blessings and benefits, those few words of Bruh Paul contained. And continuing on, we note even more blessings and benefits.
‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in LOVE: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children (as sons) by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.’ (Eph.1:4-5)
Yes Friends, the Lord chose us to be His adopted children through Jesus, long before He even laid the foundations of the world! That means, even before time began He was totally interested in us, LOVING us, through His own will, not through anything we would or could do. He had set us apart, sanctified us, to be holy and blameless before Him, walking in LOVE.
Now here are a few interesting notes from the scholars. ‘1:4. The connecting thought linking verses 3 and 4 is this: Just as (According as) God has blessed believers with every spiritual blessing “in Christ” (v.3), so in like manner it was in (or by) him that he hath chosen us. God never intended to bless man apart from Christ. All God does for man, He does through His Son.’
And they continue: ‘1:4-5. The last two words of verse 4 (in LOVE) may well belong to verse 5; the link between verb forms in these two verses is expressed in this rendering: “He chose us…in that He LOVINGLY predestined us.” So the divine choice of verse 4 is further defined by the divine predestination of verse 5.
Predestinated means “marked out in advance,” “determined or appointed beforehand.” Prior to creation God appointed those who would believe unto (or, for) the adoption of children; that is, He appointed them to be His sons. This divine appointment was according to (because of) the good pleasure of his will; it was due not to anything good in ourselves, but due solely to His kindness.
These verses stress the divine sovereignty in salvation. Verses 12 and 13, which mention our trust and belief in Christ, emphasize the human responsibility in the process.’
Yes my people, the Lord put a whole lot of thought and LOVE into His plan of creation, putting us believers first in it. We therefore owe Him a large debt of gratitude and thanks for all those wonderful benefits and blessings He’s currently showering down on us, and also has stored up in heavenly places, marked with our names.
So please, let’s endeavor to do a better job of living and working for Him than we’re presently doing nuh. Yuh know all He asks of us is just to try and follow in the footsteps of His Son, become more like our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That’s not too much to ask, after all He’s done for us. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know, Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
P.S. Oh Friends, the wife just called me outside on the balcony to see a beautiful rainbow, after a light shower of rain. Mama Mia! It seems like I only see rainbows in Tobago. (smile) The last one I saw was coming over in the plane from Trinidad on my last visit. I’ll take it as the harbinger of good tidings. Much LOVE!
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