21 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world, acceptable, added unto you, affairs of life, all we need, an eagle, balance on the fence, be not conformed, beloved of God, better late than never, blot out the world, bombarding, brand new day, cannot serve God and mammon, church mouse, confidence, daily bread, double vision, economic times, enemy of God, enmity with God, enslavement, fly away, focussed on wealth, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, friendship with the world, giving generously, God's miraculous universe, God's safe umbrella, God's storehouse, gospel truth, grace, in the mind, invaluable key, labour not to be rich, lacking nothing, left overs, LOVE, loyalty to God, make two ends meet, material possessions, mercies, opening the vault, perfect will of God, prosperous society, prove what is good, riches, righteousness, seek ye first, serve, serve two masters, share jesus' love, strength, superficial riches, the kingdom of God, the renewing of your mind, thinking like God, tithing, to this world, total lordship, transformed, Tuesday Mantra, unfortunates, wings, wisdom, wonderful god, worship
Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Welcome to a bright and beautiful brand new day in God’s miraculous universe my people! There has never been another day like it… and will never be another like it either!
That’s because our God makes each day new and fresh every morning, no left overs from yesterday, providing it with new mercies, forgiveness, LOVE, grace, strength, confidence… in fact all the things we need to see it through successfully.
As Jesus would say, giving us our daily bread, lacking nothing to live a joyful life and do His will. What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren!
But friends, before we can enjoy all those things that our Lord and Saviour wants us to enjoy, as well as do His will successfully, we have to do ONE thing first – what our Bit says: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
That’s the invaluable key to opening the vault of God’s storehouse! We have to begin thinking like God thinks and not like the world thinks. And why is that you ask?
Because as James prognosticates: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself the enemy of God).’ (James 4:4)
In other words friends, in plain and simple language, one cannot LOVE God and the world at the same time! But that doesn’t stop some of us from trying though by trying to balance on the proverbial fence. (smile)
But as Jesus so rightly proclaimed: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye CANNOT serve God and mammon (riches of the world).’ (Matt.5:24)
And as the scholars explain: ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. kurios) is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage.
Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed; Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term mammon is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
But with the increasingly rough economic times, where people are desperately trying to make two ends meet, a lot of believers are focused on their wealth and possession situation, rather than their situation with God. It’s also difficult to focus on God when the world is constantly bombarding us with its supposedly glorious stuff.
However friends, again, we have to remember the faithful words and promise of Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) As believers, those words should always be uppermost in our minds. And if they are, then we WILL be able to focus on God and blot out the world and all its superficial riches.
As Cousin Sol so wisely advises us in Proverbs: ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from (because of) thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not (will you cause your eyes to fly on it, and it is not)? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
Gospel truth my brethren, gospel truth! For stories abound of the many who were wealthy and famous one day, then the next they were poorer than a church mouse! (smile) And it does say something about our society and our faith when poverty is equated with the lot of a mouse in the church.
The church mouse should really be the richest of the lot – that is, if all God’s people were giving as generously to His church as they should. The sad reality though is that a lot of churches are struggling because God’s people aren’t giving like He desires; tithing and making His house a storeroom of plenty to share with the numerous unfortunates in our prosperous society.
Anyway my people, enough badgering for today. (smile) But I do hope that what we’ve said does make a strong impression on all of us believers, and helps us to live successfully under God’s safe umbrella in this evil and sinful world. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, telling the world who and whose we are.
In sincerity and truth now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the corollary to that is, let’s now go out and share the undying and eternal LOVE of Jesus with others who desperately need it. Much LOVE!
…it all begins…and ends…in the mind…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I just got tied up in some unforeseen affairs of life. (smile) But better late than never! Much LOVE!
08 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a good-looking day, a modicum of circumspection, acquainr thyself with God, be at peace, Beelzebub, better late than never, boundaries, call upon me, carousing, defense, disaster, drinking, earthquakes, eat drink and be merry, eating, Eliphaz, enthusiasm, exaltation, fires, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, gain a foothold, glorify, go overboard, good weather, he shall hear thee, heartbreaking situation, hurricane Irma, hurricanes, I will deliver thee, in Jesus' name, in the day of trouble, in thine heart, invitation, Jesus, Job, lay up his words, lift up thy face to God, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, man's best bet, men are cast down, natural disasters, omnipotent god, pay thy vows, pray, prayer, problems, pureness of hands, raveages, refreshed, relax, renewed, repented, return to the Almighty, save the humble, sensible solution, soul body and mind, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Caribbean, the Good Book, the innocent, The Israelites, the law, the light shall shine, the most powerful force, the weekend, the workingman, thou shalt glorify me, time of need, trouble, warnings, week of work, work, worry
Psalm 50:15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
Oh friends, it’s shaping up to be a good-looking day in my neighbourhood, and the workingman was out early singing his song. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And soon, no more work! It’ll be a beautiful weekend, with all the good stuff happening; like eating and drinking and carousing, paying no mind to the problems that surround us.
God gave us the weekend so that we could relax and enjoy it, not to work or worry. So that’s exactly what we going to do. Eat, drink and be merry! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, a lot of what he says is true; God did give us the weekends to rest and relax, but not to go overboard. Remember, we need to have certain boundaries that we don’t cross and thus allow Beelzebub to gain a foothold in our lives. A much better incantation would be our Friday Chant, which contains those boundaries.
Let’s declare it now nuh, with the same enthusiasm that the workingman declared his song. ‘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 my people, we always have to be cognizant of what comes after the weekend. Otherwise, come Monday morning, when we have to go back to work, we’ll be too tired and wasted and of no use to either God’s kingdom or ourselves. That’s why ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is always necessary my brethren.
But unfortunately, today, many of our fellow men around the globe won’t have the luxury of enjoying good weather or the weekend, because of hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes or some such natural disaster.
Please, let’s remember to pray for them sincerely. We can’t help them all with money or other worldly stuff, but we CAN help them all with PRAYER, the most powerful force in the universe.
What a heartbreaking situation it is to see your fellow man suffering the ravages of disaster, like Hurricane Irma is causing down in the Caribbean, and you can’t do much to help them physically. But as true believers we can call on our great God to help them in their time of need.
Our God said it: ‘And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ Yeh friends, that’s the faithful invitation of our omnipotent God! And in these very trying end times, it’s the most sensible solution we can ever consider.
As we keep saying, who knows whether all the numerous disasters occurring around our planet right now are warnings from God? They might be, as well as they might not be. But the wisest path we can take is to consider them warnings as our sinful and ungodly world plunges down to hell with one unwise step after another.
Oh friends, please take note of the Israelites, who, when they found themselves in trouble for turning away from the God of their fathers, repented and turned back to Him, and he welcomed them back with opened arms. We desperately need to do the same.
Listen to this scripture where Job’s friend Eliphaz after accusing him of sin, implores him to repent. ‘Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law (instruction) from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles (tents). Then shalt thou lay up gold as (in the) dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense (gold), and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up (exaltation); and he shall save the humble person. He shall deliver the island of the innocent (the one who is not innocent): and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.’ (Job 22:21-30)
Oh my people, there it is, the solution for all our problems, written in the Good Book ages ago, and nothing about it has changed. So what are waiting for eh?
Come on Christians, we need to up the ante in these disastrous times and get Jesus’ LOVE Revolution running full steam ahead. That’s the ONE and ONLY answer to our lost and ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…in times of trouble…man’s best bet is to…PRAY…
P.S. Please accept my apologies for the lateness of the Bit. Though I went to bed early, by my standards, (smile) some new medication kept me bogged down for longer than I expected. But better late than never! Much LOVE!
16 May 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of hope, abundant in goodness and truth, alive with God's grace, avoid evil, beloved of God, better late than never, between friends, Bob Colaresi, clean out hearts, cleanse, concentrate on good, consequences, death and resurrection of Jesus, deceits, dying, forgiveness of sin, forgiving iniquity, freedom, friend of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God of hope, God's will, goodness, grace, gracious, hope, human drama, iniquity, Jesus Christ, junk, kindness, lies, long-suffering, merciful, mercy, Moses, new beginnings, new future, new possibilities, prince of darkness, raised us up, reflection, renewal, renewed life, rich in mercy, right relationship with God, rising, selfless sacrifice, shining brightly in our hearts, Society of the Little Flower, spring, spring thinking, St. Therese, the goodness of God, the gospel, the Lord God, the Lord passed by, transgressions, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra
Exodus 34:6. And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
Aye mih people, my sincerest apologies for the Bit’s tardiness today, (smile) but I had one of those real late early mornings, and the ole bod simply refused to get up when I asked it to. But as they say, better late than never.
And though a light drizzle is falling in my area, making it a somewhat grey morning, we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is shining brightly in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Glory Hallelujah!
And today, I want to share with us some exciting and reassuring words from Father Bob Colaresi’s opening remarks in the Spring Edition of ‘Between Friends,’ the newsletter of the Friends of the Society of the Little Flower (St. Therese of Liseux).
He is talking about hope and renewal: ‘Spring is a time of HOPE. God is our God of HOPE. The Gospel is about HOPE – Renewed Life. The celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus speaks to the human drama of dying and rising – always rising to new possibilities, sometimes beyond our imagining.’
And isn’t that the indisputable truth my fellow followers of Christ? It surely is! For it was HOPE that our glorious Lord and Saviour was born, died and rose from the grave for us to have; so that we can embrace a new future filled with good things.
And as the article in the Between Friends Newsletter also says: ‘Spring is a time to reflect on what we need to let go of so we can be alive with God’s grace, possibilities and freedom.’
Oh what a profound and true statement my brethren! Spring is not only the time to clean our homes and garages and get rid of unnecessary junk, but it’s also a time to clean our hearts, bodies and souls of the worthless stuff that’s gathered there, and is keeping us from having the true and right relationship with our heavenly Father that we so desperately need to have.
So I invite us to day to have what we shall call ‘spring thinking,’ where we endeavour to cleanse ourselves of anything that’s not moving us towards God’s will for our lives.
And one of the ways we can do that is simply by concentrating on the goodness of our God, as enshrined in our Bit. ‘And the Lord passed by before him (Moses), and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.’
Yeh friends, one of the easiest ways to avoid evil, is to concentrate on good; so that the mind has no place for the lies and deceits of the prince of darkness. But listen to what the Lord told Moses after our Bit.
‘Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation.’ (Ex.34:7)
Now the end of that statement sounds somewhat harsh, but with the coming of Jesus that was somewhat mitigated, for everybody now has to bear the consequences for their own transgressions.
But Glory to God, there’s still mercy and forgiveness of sin! And nowhere is God’s goodness spelled out more succinctly than in Bruh Paul’s words to the Ephesians on the terms of grace and faith.
‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:4-7)
How magnanimous is that eh my precious people! Our wonderful God LOVED us so much, that even when we were dead in our transgressions, He gave us an option to be lifted out of the mire, to rise godly and righteous, through the selfless sacrifice of His most adorable Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
Wow! I can’t help saying it friends: ‘What a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s NONE else like Him in all the world! Praise and Bless His Holy Name!’
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, extolling who and whose we are. With strong conviction now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So if that’s what we are about my brethren, then let’s go out now and share it with the rest of the world, as our friend Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…spring…the time of resurrection…of cleansing…of new beginnings…
21 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham Isaac and Jacob, Achish, Amalekites, B.S. baffles brains, better late than never, bitter, blocked arteries or veins, captive, cast out, cleanse any infection, David, David encouraged himself, deceits, encourage ourselves, every breath I wake, faith, frailty, giving up, grieved, heifer dust, hits the fan, I am with you always, I live under your power, in the Lord his God, in times of need, infection, inflammation, Israelites, Jehovah Rapha, LOVE, mend what is broken, my friend Jesus, mysterious workings, open, our God is great, Our Healing Prayer, prayer, put no trust in man, recreate me, remove all inflammation, responsibility, root out, Saul, selfishness of man, share His love, succumbing, the beloeved of god, the enemy's lies, the first One, the Good Book, the Great Physician, the healing power of your Spirit, the Lord God Jehovah, the Lord our Healer, the Lord's miraculous, the Philistines, the soul of all the people, to go to bed late is to be up early, tower of faith, trust, Tuesday Mantra, unproductive cells, untenable situation, unto the end of the world, Ziklag
1 Samuel 30:6b. …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Ah friends, these real late mornings are a killer yes! Going to bed at five in the morning does do justice to Shakespeare’s saying that to go to bed late is to be up early. (smile)
But as they also say, better late than never. So though we might be somewhat late, we’re not irrelevant. (smile) That’s why they say too, that B.S. baffles brains!
Anyway, on a serious note, let’s begin by offering up an interesting prayer a friend gave me a few days ago. There’s no title to it, but I’ll call it ‘Our Healing Prayer,’ and you’ll see why later on.
So please pray with me. ‘Heavenly father, I call on You right now in a special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I wake, I live under your power. Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if You created me from nothing, You can recreate me.
Fill me with the healing power of Your Spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cells, open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection.
Let the warmth of your healing LOVE pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so that my body will function the way You created it to function. And Father restore me to full health in mind, body and spirit so that I may serve You for the rest of my life. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!’
Now isn’t that just beautiful friends? It surely is! And what I like about it is that it gets right down to the nitty gritty, doesn’t pull any punches, it’s all about healing. And truthfully, nobody needs that kind of healing prayer right now more than me, as so many parts of my body are malfunctioning.
And we all know that our mighty God’s name is Jehovah Rapha – The Lord our Healer. Yes friends, our God is the Great Physician. As the prayer says, if He created us, then he can surely fix us. So He should always be the first One we turn to for healing, in fact for everything. That’s what He sincerely desires of us.
Now let’s turn to our Bit for today: ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’
Ah mih people, I don’t know why, but that statement just kept churning in my mind this morning, so I figured the Lord wanted me to write on it. And you know what? It’s a very poignant statement. It occurs in the Good Book when Bruh David was running from Saul, and went to live with the Philistines, who set him up in the city of Ziklag. (1 Sam.27)
Now on one particular occasion, when the Philistines were going to fight Saul and the Israelites, Bruh David and his men lined up with them. But though the Philistine king, Achish trusted Bruh David, his leaders did not, so they sent him back home to Ziklag. (1 Sam.29)
But lo and behold, when David and his men get back to Ziklag, they discover that the Amalekites had struck in their absence and burned the town with fire. Luckily though, they had not slain the inhabitants but carried them away captive, including Bruh David’s two wives and family.
And the first part of the verse that contains our Bit, tells us: ‘And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved (bitter), every man for his sons and daughters.’ (1 Sam.30:6a)
Ah friends, yuh see the great responsibility and the built in frailty of leadership. None of Bruh David’s people considered that he had also lost his sons and daughters, they were only concerned about themselves. It just goes to show that when the heifer dust hits the fan, the true selfishness of man shines through.
And that’s why my people, we keep saying to put no trust in man, but to lay it all in the Lord God our Creator, for He is the ONLY ONE you can trust when the chips fall. Now what would Bruh David have done if he didn’t have the Lord God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to fall back on eh? Crapaud smoke ‘im pipe!
Likewise friends, when things get real rough with us, and there seems to be nowhere to turn, we need to have that unconditional trust in our God that will enable us to encourage ourselves in Him. That’s when our faith needs to be ever so strong that we don’t even think about giving up and succumbing to the enemy’s lies and deceits.
And what did Bruh David do in his untenable situation? The only wise and sensible thing; he turned to God in prayer, asking if he should go after the Amalekites or not. The Lord told him to pursue them, and through the Lord’s miraculous and mysterious workings, he found them and destroyed them and got back all his people and his goods. (1 Sam.30:7-20)
Yes my people, our God is great, and if we sincerely seek Him, we will find Him, and He will help us. So please, let’s build that tower of faith nuh, so that in times of need, it will be there to keep us strong in the Lord God Jehovah, our Creator and Provider.
Now let’s go home encouraging ourselves in the Lord by declaring, in all sincerity and truth, our Tuesday Mantra.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having said that, let’s go out now and put it all into action as our friend, our Lord and Saviour Jesus desires of us. Much LOVE!
…believe it when Jesus says……lo…I am with you always…even unto the end of the world… (Matt.28:20b)
04 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool, a hundred stripes, a victorious life, a waste of time, a wise man, alive and kicking, believe, benefits, better late than never, blessings, compassions, condition of the soul, consumed, correction, Cousin Sol, covenant relationship, doubts, dwells within us, everlasting kindness, faith, faithfulness, genuine faith, get rid of Almighty God, glorify God, glory hallelujah, God's LOVE, holding our hands, hope, I am halfway home, I recall to mind, I'm not looking back, in the mansions of heaven, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, Lamentations, lapses in faith, leading and guiding, LOVE, mercies, misguided, morning praises, moseying along with Jesus, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, our Lord and Saviour, quietly wait, reliable, reproof, responsible service, salvation, second wind, secure, service to God, small-minded, so glad to be alive, stable character, steadfast, strong, the birds singing, the breath of life, the enemy, the error of their ways, the Holy Spirit, the light of Jesus, the Lord is my portion, the Lord's mercies, the right paths, to a glorious future with Jesus, total trust, true believers, trust, truth, walks beside us, watches our back, Wednesday Wail, when you don't hear you feel, wisdom, wise judgement, wondrous time
Proverbs 17:10. A reproof entereth more into (is more effective) to a wise man than a hundred stripes (blows) into a fool.
And then it was Wednesday – that good, old, solid and steady day in the middle of our workweek, where we catch our second wind and continue joyously moseying along with Jesus beside us.
But friends, have you ever really considered how close our Lord and Saviour is to us? First of all, He dwells within us as the Holy Spirit, but then He also watches our back to ensure that the enemy doesn’t come upon us unknowingly.
Then as we said earlier, He walks beside us, holding our hands so that we don’t trip and fall along the way. And finally He walks in front of us, leading and guiding us on the right paths on the way to a victorious life here on earth, then in the mansions of heaven with Him forever. Glory Hallelujah!
Oh bless His holy name my people! Bless the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, to whom all knees shall bow, and all tongues declare Him Lord and King. Yes friends, our Saviour is indeed worthy and deserving of all the praise, honour, glory and thanksgiving that we can bestow on Him!
Oh my people, Jesus is indeed a safe harbour for our souls! Praise him my brethren, praise him for there is NO ONE as great and wonderful as Him!
And to show and solidify our strong and special attachment to Him let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with much enthusiasm, conviction and truth.
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh precious people, true believers in Christ, it sure is wonderful to be alive and kicking this Wednesday morning! There’s no better feeling than awaking to a brand new day, filled with sunshine and the light that’s Jesus.
But to fully enjoy the blessings and benefits of our covenant relationship with Him, we need to be strong, steadfast and looking straight ahead to the glorious future that He promises. We can’t afford to have too many lapses in faith and unfounded doubts about His everlasting kindness and LOVE for us, otherwise we will miss the most wondrous time of our lives.
Now let’s turn to our Bit which highlights the wisdom of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘A reproof entereth more into (is more effective) to a wise man than a hundred stripes (blows) into a fool.’
And that is an awesome truth my brethren! When the wise person is corrected, they acknowledge the truth of the situation and do whatever is necessary to right it. They can see the error of their ways and use wise judgement to rectify it.
However, to the unwise, to the fool, correction is a waste of time. According to Cousin Sol you can give him a hundred lashes and he still will not learn the error of his ways.
Now how many of us are like that today eh my people? I can’t say for sure how many, but I do know that there are too many fools walking around God’s great world today and not enough wise ones. If there were a greater amount of wise men and women than foolish ones, our world would not be in such a mess.
We would not be trying to overthrow, to get rid of Almighty God, our Creator and Provider, from our society and lives as desperately as we are doing. That just goes to show that unchristian fools rule the world.
And as Cousin Sol so wisely says earlier on in Proverbs: ‘He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth (goes astray).’ (Prov.10:17)
And that’s no lie my fellow believers! When we don’t listen to wise advice we go astray. As the old people use to say; when you don’t hear, you going to feel. But some of us are so foolish and stubborn that despite all signs to the contrary, we persist in going about life in our own small-minded, misguided way.
And we’ll end today with some wise words from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, words that direct us to true and wholesome behaviour. Even in his sorrow, Jeremiah is able to wisely discern: ’This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:21-26)
Oh friends, those are indeed words of great wisdom! And I’ll paraphrase some explanations from the scholars on those verses.
‘3:22-23. These verses embody the central thesis of the book. When God dealt with His sinful people He exhibited His compassions. The word translated mercies conveys God’s LOVE for His covenant people. The word faithfulness comes from a root meaning “be permanent, secure, reliable.”
From this comes the associated idea of genuine faith; hence the verb can be translated “believe” (Gen.15:6) The word here is often translated “faith” but literally means “firmness” or “faithfulness.” Thus, it is used of the faithfulness of God Himself (Ps.36:5; 40:10; Lam 3:23), and of the need for the believer likewise to be faithful in his life and in his service to God (2 Chr.19:9; Ps.119:30; Prov.12:22).
The word root stresses that real faith is more than inner belief, even more than whole-souled committal. It is a condition of the soul marked by such a stable character and an attitude of total trust that the believer’s whole life is imbued with consistent, responsible service to God. (cf. 1 Sam.26:23; Ps.37:3-6). From the biblical standpoint, true faith results in faithfulness in one’s life.’
More words of awesome truth my people! And please check out the scripture passages that the scholars referenced, I just did, and they are truly interesting and uplifting.
Now let’s go out and put all that we have learned today into action, so that we can glorify and be faithful to our wonderful God, for that is wisdom of the most immense proportions! Much LOVE!
…lying lips are an abomination to the Lord…but they that deal truly (truthfully)…are his delight… (Prov.12:22)
P.S. Please excuse the Bit’s lateness, but some unexpected stuff intervened last evening, and by the time I got to bed, the birds had already begun singing their morning praises. (smile) But as always, better late than never. Much LOVE!
23 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus, Abba, adoption, bend your ears, benefits, better late than never, blessed situation, but also to suffer for his sake, christianity, creation, creature, devoted, disadvantages, distractions, earnest expectation, eyes of faith, faith, Father, fear, fellowship with Christ, fired up, for unto you, friends, Garden of Eden, glorification, glorified, Glory be, glory hallelujah, God's people, good times, heirs, holy spirit, I'm not focusing on the past, I'm not turning back, in behalf of Christ, inheritance, intimacy, it is given, joint-heirs, led by the Spirit of god, LOVE, manifestation, Millennium, move mountains, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, new mercies and blessings, not only to believe on him, promise, sacificial, steadfastness, suffer, the bad, the breath of life, the good, the sons of God, the Spirit of adoption, the spirit of bondage, the Word of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, tomorrow never comes, Wednesday Wail, yesterday dead and gone
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.
Oh friends, the ole fella had a rather rough day yesterday, as I guess many of you also had. But yuh know what? Yesterday is dead and gone, and tomorrow never comes, so the only thing we have to deal with is today!
And there’s nothing better than today when you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, because every morning that you awake your life is flooded with new mercies and blessings. No other faith promises, much less guarantees that!
And all believers shouted ‘Glory to God in His high heaven, who looks after His wayward children with such care, compassion and LOVING-kindness! Bless His holy name!’
Yes my brethren, there’s none that can compare to Jehovah God! And in keeping with all that, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail nuh with enthusiasm and sincerity as befits the followers of Christ.
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back.
I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh isn’t it just wonderful to be associated with Jesus my people! It surely is! With His breath of life flowing through our frail bodies we can do anything, even move mountains! All it requires is that we focus on Him and just keep looking straight ahead to the glorious life He has planned for those who believe and work on His behalf.
And all God’s people loudly declared another joyful and grateful ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
And I must apologize for the rather late Bit, but as usual, I went to bed pretty late this morning, consequently got up late, then had to go out the street to run a necessary errand. But I’m here now, all fired up with the Holy Spirit, ready to bend your ears with the Word! (smile)
And what better way to begin than with our Bit. ‘For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’
Ah friends, we cannot expect to have the good without the bad, as Job told his wife (Job 2:10) for that’s just life. So if we believe in Christ and receive all the benefits that flow from such belief, then we also have to accept whatever disadvantages spring from it.
Now listen to Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’ (Rom.8:14-19)
Oh my brethren what a blessed situation, if we only bear the problems that we do encounter with faith and steadfastness! Now let’s see what the scholars have to say about some of that.
‘8:15. The Spirit of adoption: The Holy Spirit places the believer as a son in God’s family. Abba (Aramaic for “father”): This is the intimate name used only by members of the family. Its use here denotes the intimacy of the believer’s relation to God.’
How wonderful is that eh friends, to be on such an intimate basis with Almighty God, who so LOVINGLY adopted us when we became believers in His Son Jesus Christ!
‘8:17. Joint-heirs with Christ: All believers share all the inheritance together. They also have the promise of glorification if their lives are lived devotedly and sacrificially unto the Lord.’
Mama mia! Our God is so wonderful that He adopts us when we become believers, and makes us heirs of the kingdom along with Jesus! Glory be! That happens in no other faith but Christianity, so why should I embrace any other eh!
‘8:18. The sufferings of this present time: See 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. [You can look that up yourself, or we’ll deal with it tomorrow]. The glory which shall be revealed: The blessed hope of the Christian looks ahead with anticipation to this great moment. See also 1 Thess.4-15; Titus 2:13.’
Yeh friends, the suffering of this age cannot be compared with the glory to come, that’s why we have to keep our focus on the future, looking ahead to our glorious time with Christ!
‘8:19. The creature, or creation, eagerly looks forward to the revelation of the sons of God in the Millennium (Christ’s thousand year earthly reign) because that is the time when the curse will be lifted and creation will be restored to Edenic conditions.’
Mama yo! What a time that will be my fellow believers, when we’ve gone back to living in conditions that reflect the Garden of Eden! I can’t wait for it. (smile) But we have to learn to handle the suffering down here first friends.
So as everything tells us, let’s not focus on the rough times we endure down here right now, but instead, have our mind’s eye set on the time of glorious fellowship with Christ, when He comes back to reign here on earth and when all wrongs will be made right. That’s the only way to handle our troubles right now. Much LOVE!
…through our eyes of faith…let’s see the good times afar off…and let them help us to endure today’s suffering…
P.S. Sorry, but I had another couple of distractions which made the Bit even later than it should have been. But as they say, better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!
15 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a piece of cake, Barak, be anxious, best hands possible, better late than never, blessed, breath of life, chastening, compassion, Creator of the universe, daily tasks, Deborah, distill as the dew, doctrine, doubt, drop as the rain, exalted, faithfully, fear, first hand, give ear, gladness, God is the king, God's beloved children, godless, gospel truth, grace, hear, hearsay, heart's desire, heavenly Father, hrard-hearted, I am the beloved of god, I can do all things through Christ, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in the shadow of thy wings, joy, joy in thy strength, judge of Israel, LOVE, loving kindness, meditate on thee, Moses' song, my help, obedient, praise and glory, Praise ye the Lord, protection of Jesus Christ, rejoice, request of his lips, self-confidence, share His love with the world, showers upon the grass, sing and praise, sing praise, steadfastly, stubborn, subservient, the Lord God of Israel, the sons of Korah, the words of my mouth, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, wisdom, wonderful god
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
So friends, it’s Tuesday! No big deal. You handled Monday with great aplomb, great self-confidence, so no reason why you can’t do it again today. In fact, Tuesday should be a piece of cake! (smile)
Yes my people, with Jesus, before, behind and by our side, we can handle ANY and EVERY thing that comes against us. As Bruh Paul so steadfastly and faithfully declared – no it’s stronger than a declaration – as he confidently proclaimed: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil.4:13)
And that my people is gospel truth! So let’s not forget it, but have it prime us as we go out to meet each new today. And since today is Tuesday, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra. I didn’t forget it this week though. (smile)
All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Oh my fellow believers in Christ that is oh so true! We are definitely not defined by what the world says or thinks about us, but by our wonderful position as children of, and thus the beloved of Almighty God, Jesus’ friend and brother! Now what can be greater than that eh? Absolutely nothing!
When we are inextricably linked, tied up with the awesome Creator of the universe and all therein, we are in the best hands possible!
So let’s not fear, doubt, or be anxious as we go about our daily tasks, let’s walk with a spring in our step, a smile both in our hearts and on our faces, remembering that we are completely surrounded by the incomparable and indestructible protection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And all God’s beloved children gratefully declared: ‘Thank You heavenly Father for LOVING and caring and looking after us as well as You do! We know we don’t deserve much of it, but that’s just the kind of wonderful God and Father You are.
Today, we give You the praise and glory that You so rightfully deserve, and will continue to do so while Your awesome breath of life remains in our frail and fragile bodies. This we pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Oh precious people, since we’ve been talking up the wonders of our God so much, I decided that we should just make it a day of praise; thus our Bit.
‘Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel (when leaders lead in Israel), when the people willingly offered themselves (volunteered). Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
That comes from the song of Deborah and Barak, after the Lord had helped them to defeat their Canaanite enemies, while Deborah was the judge of Israel. Yuh see friends, women have been leaders, and strong ones too from time everlasting!
Now here are a few verses of praise that I randomly chose, because there are so many. Listen to Moses’ song. ‘Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine (teaching) shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon a tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:1-4)
Yes friends, that’s our God that Moses is talking about. And who knew God’s greatness, saw and did His awesome work more than Moses eh? Possibly only Jesus. So Moses definitely knows whereof he speaks.
Now here are some excerpts from Psalm 21 – Praise for victory. Bruh David opens the psalm with this proclamation: ‘The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden (withheld) the request of his lips. Selah….
For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad (joyful with gladness) with thy countenance (presence)…. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.’ (Ps.21:1-2,6,13)
Again friends, Bruh David experienced God’s great power, LOVE and compassion, as well as His chastening, so he too knows what he is talking about first hand, not through mere hearsay.
And listen to these words of truth and glory from Psalm 47 – God is the King of all the earth. The sons of Korah unhesitatingly tell us: ‘O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible (awesome); he is a great King over all the earth…
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King: sing praises. For God is the king of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:1-2,6-7)
Ah mih people, how much better off we would be eh if we just sang and gave more praises and attributed more glory to our great God! But sadly, in this past generation we’ve become such a hard-hearted, stubborn and godless society that God no longer looks down on us with the joy and grace that He once did, when we were truly subservient and obedient to His will.
And we’ll close with these immortal words from Bruh David from Psalm 65 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus I will bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’ (Ps.63:3-7)
Oh friends, there is absolutely no better way to live than giving praise and thanks and glory to Almighty God for all that He has done for us in His awesome power and might and His overflowing LOVING-kindness!
Please, please, let’s get back to that way of living nuh, for it is indeed the path of heavenly wisdom. Much LOVE!
…be thou exalted, O God above the heavens…let thy glory be above all the earth… (Ps.57:5)
P.S. Sorry that the Bit is somewhat late, but I’m back to my old habits…late going to bed. (smile) But as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE!
04 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a rough workweek, Amen, better late than never, blessed is he that readeth, carousing, cast off the works of darkness, Christ's reign of righteousness, Christian's life, circumspect, doing what we want, drunkenness, earthly pilgrimage, envying, ever-Loving, faith, fellowship, focused, for the time is at hand, Friday chant, fulfilling of the law, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, go astray, gracious, hope, insensitivity, invite the enemy, keep those things which are written therein, licentiousness, LOVE, love worketh no ill, merciful, no giving up in Jesus, partying, patience, perseverance, praise and glorify, put on the armour of light, put on the Lord jesus christ, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, revelry, run afoul of Christ, salvation, sense of balance, sense of purpose, sincerity, strife, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank you Father God, the coming of Christ, the demands of Christ, the new life in Christ, the prince of the power of the air, the road is rugged and rough, the sin nature, the straight and narrow path, the weekend, they that hear the words of this prophecy, to awake out of sleep, to walk in company with christ, tough, truth, victory, walking in LOVE, wantonness, we can't give up, we will overcome, wide and destructive path, wisdom, with your generous help
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.
Well precious people, it’s Friday…
And like everybody just went berserk. ‘Wowee! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here! What a wonderful time we’re going to have, partying, carousing, and doing exactly what we want! There’s no better time than the weekend! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here!’
Ah friends, I do understand the ecstatic sentiments at the end of a rough workweek, but they are ones that will lead us down the wide and destructive path, not the narrow one that leads to our heavenly Father. So we need to be a bit more circumspect, re our weekend activities, if we don’t want to run afoul of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincerity and sense of purpose. As one 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 my fellow believers, we need to achieve some sense of balance in our weekend activities, so that we don’t go astray and invite the enemy into our lives anymore than he’s already there. So please, just a modicum of circumspection nuh, as Jeeves would say. (smile)
And here is the chorus of a reggae song that I heard last night by Michael Arkk, titled ‘Tough’ It goes like this: ‘The road is rugged and rough. We all know it’s tough. But we can’t give up. The road is rugged and rough. We all know it’s tough. But we will overcome.’
Oh my people, my people, that describes believers to a ‘T’! Our earthly pilgrimage can be indeed rugged and rough, but we cannot give up because there’s no giving up in Jesus, especially since He has already assured us that the victory will indeed be ours.
Now it certainly wouldn’t make sense to throw in the towel if you know that victory is guaranteed, you’ll just work through what ever difficulties come against you with faith, hope, patience and perseverance, knowing that you WILL win in the end!
But again, to do all of that successfully requires more than we can manage in our finite and human selves. It needs the help of our wonderful Creator, as our Bit reminds us. ‘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.’
That’s for certain sure friends! We can’t do very much on our own, we need the ever-ready and always-faithful assistance of our great God and King to keep us focused on the straight and narrow path that leads right to His front door in heaven.
And all God’s children sighed a grateful sigh, and uttered a loud shout of thanks and praise. ‘Thank You Father God for enabling us to successfully walk this path of pilgrimage! We LOVE You, and sincerely praise and glorify Your Holy Name! Amen.’
Oh mih breddren, how beautiful and wise it is to walk this earthly walk in company with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! Nothing else in this world compares even one iota to it!
And all God’s people gave out with a loud and rousing ‘AMEN!’
Now let’s continue looking at scriptures that corroborate our bit, beginning with the words of Bruh Paul in his letter to the church at Rome, when he talks about walking in LOVE.
‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we (first) believed.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom.13:10-14)
Oh my people, what encouraging and truthful words! Please let’s take them to heart and put them into action, for that is wisdom personified!
Now let’s end with some explanations from the scholars on those verses. ’13:11-12. Sleep means insensitivity to the demands of Christ on the Christian’s life. Now is our salvation nearer: The coming of Christ to deliver us from this sinful world grows nearer every day.
The night is the time while Christ is out of the world, and the world has been delivered into the control of the prince of the power of the air. (Eph.2:2). The day is a reference to the time when Christ will return and establish His reign of righteousness.’
‘13:14. Make not provision for the flesh: One should not seek opportunities to satisfy the deep-seated desires of the sin nature, but should seek occasion to manifest works that are consistent with the new life in Christ.’
Words of awesome truth my brethren! So let’s seriously and sincerely ponder them and make them a precious part of our lives nuh, so that we can dwell in righteousness with our ever-LOVING, merciful and gracious God. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella’s sleep was not the greatest, the aches and pains were having a heyday, and thus he got up rather late. And it seems like my trusty computer wasn’t having such a good morning either; it was sort of slow and groggy like me. (smile) But as they say, better late than never. Much LOVE!
05 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anger, better late than never, breath of life, compassion, compassionate men and women, eternal separation from God, evangelical minister, Fatima High School, God's little Acre, godly leaders, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, greed, Hades, hatred, Israelites, Jesus, Jesus was moved with compassion, kindness, lifeguards, LOVE, poverty, propserous world, rebelling agaqinst God, Redemption Sound steelband, resentment, Santa Claus, sheep with no sheperd, Store Bay, thankful Thursday, the god of the spirits of the flesh, the lust for power, the things of God, Tobago, trust, unchristian, wait on God's timing, worldly things
Mark 6:34. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
And then it was Thursday! Thankful Thursday! Wow! Is it really Thursday already? That means a week of my vacation on God’s Little Acre has come and gone by… so quickly too. And I haven’t really done anything yet! Chuh! But I’m not going to complain because that’s obviously the Lord’s plan, and I’m trying my best to trust and wait on His timing.
So Instead I’ll say a simple ‘Thank You Lord for giving me Your breath of life to see another wonderful day in this wonderful garden of nature called Tobago! Thank You for helping me to get better with each passing day. I LOVE You and praise and glorify Your Holy Name. Amen.’
Yeh Friends, the best we can do is send up sincere prayers of thanks and gratitude to our heavenly Father, for complaining and grousing doesn’t net us any benefits and blessings.
And talking about prayer, here is a beautiful quote from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. He tells us that ‘A simple grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! The Lord’s not interested in our long repetitive, involved prayers, but the simple, genuine and heartfelt words that we send up to Him. That’s when we touch His heart and cause blessings, mercies, etc. to flow down to us. So regardless of the complexity of our problems, let’s try to keep our prayers simple and genuine nuh, for then I believe we will see better results.
And per adventures…what happened yesterday? I went back down to Store Bay, planning on the way to leave the duchess at our friend with the bar, but she wasn’t there, so the duchess ended up going with me to the beach. And I made sure to stop and get my roti before I went. The lady claimed she had sold out the day before, that’s why she had closed earlier than normal. I ate it later and it tasted wonderful, nice pepper and some mango stuff. (smile)
Well Store Bay was kicking up again, although one of the lifeguards told me that it had been worse in the morning. I wouldn’t have wanted to see it then, because it was bad enough when I got there.
And does the Lord ever move in mysterious ways! As I got to the top of the steps to go down to the beach, a tall, dark fellow was standing up there and I mentioned the roughness of the sea to him and we got to talking, only to find out that he was someone from my past, whom I had recently asked about.
His family lived in one of the apartments below us up Darrell Spring, when I was going to High School. He was born on Christmas Day so we called him Santa Claus, and he in his early days of talking named me Rando. He was really too young to remember me, but heard about me when he was growing up.
Later on, on the beach, I met a fellow whom I had taught at Fatima High School in Trinidad, some forty odd years ago. Is it ever a small world!
This little bit of excitement happened while I was in the water, out some ways from the shore, before the waves broke. I saw a skinny, older white man come into the water, and soon thereafter a wave washed over him as it broke. I saw him struggling to stand up and thought he was okay. But the lifeguards’ urgent whistle, and three of them running towards him told me differently. They lifted him up out of the water and led him, rather unsteadily to the shore.
Later on, while complimenting one of the lifeguards on their excellent job, he told me that the fellow was drunk, and if it had been in the morning, when the water was really rough, the fellow would have drowned. People don’t believe me when I tell them that Store Bay is not only one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but when it gets unruly, hn, it’s also one of the most dangerous! And I can testify to that from personal experience.
Nothing much happened after that. On the way home, we stopped at our friends’ bar on the main road, sat with them for a while, then came home and did the usual; eat, read, watch t.v. and went to bed. Oh, oh, I forgot! Later in the evening we went up Bethel and listened to Redemption Sound Steelband practice. That wasn’t for long though. By ten p.m. we were back home.
Another simple, uneventful, but welcome and thankful day in the life, very different from those Jesus had, as outlined in our Bit. ‘And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people (a great multitude), and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.’
Oh Friends, I can’t declare enough the urgent need for us believers to be more compassionate to our fellow man. I was listening to an evangelical minister on the t.v. last night, and he kept stressing that our biggest concern nowadays ought to be compassion; obviously citing Jesus as the best example.
Oh my people, there’s so much strife, anger, hatred, resentment, hunger, poverty and need in our prosperous world, that the only thing to lessen it is compassion. It’s unconscionable, and definitely unchristian to see our brothers and sisters suffering and not help in whatever way we can. And there’s always some way in which we can help, even if it is only through a genuine smile and a kind word.
But unfortunately we’re allowing the greed, the lust for power and other worldly things to take precedence in our lives, rather than the things of God. Listen to this scripture from way back when, at a time when the Israelites were rebelling against God.
‘And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.’ (Num.27:15-17)
Ah Friends, our current time is exactly like that! We’re rebelling against the commandments of God, and we need good, sincere, godly, compassionate men and women to lead us out of the terrible sinful situation in which we have found ourselves. Without such godly leaders, we’ll just plummet further and further down into the dark and dangerous depths of Hades.
But my brethren, even with good leaders, each of us still has our little part to play in returning our world to a godly stance. So please, today let’s embrace whatever plan the Lord has shown us for our lives. And whatever it is, I’m sure it’s filled with lots of kindness and compassion, so please put them into action. It’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!
…if our God hadn’t been kind and compassionate towards us…we would never have had Jesus die for us…and thus still be headed for eternal separation from Him…
P.S. Sorry it’s so late, but earlier on I got tied up in all sorts of unexpected stuff. But better late than never. (smile) And as the song on the radio’s saying, remember to pray for me. Much LOVE!
28 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fate worse than death, a good time, a sorrowful day, a wake up call, all praise and thanks be to god, barricaded, better late than never, circumstances, comes as a thief in the night, communication, corrupt governments, cower, cowering with fear, crapaud smoke we pipe, destruction, disturbed young man, doing zilch, early mornings, eating and drinking, elected representatives, Ethel Barrymore, fear, filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with the passion of Jesus Christ, found wanting, fragile, Glory Halleujah, hail of gunfire, Hall of Honour, hard times, hilarious, how quickly our circumstances can change, Islamist extremist movement, Jesus Christ, Jesus' 2nd coming, judge the world, last generation, late nights, Leaders, legislators, lives, LOVE, marrying and giving in marriage, merciful and magnanimous God, Noah, obedience, Ottawa, Parliament Hill, perpetrators, poignant, prayer, pursue our interests, Quebec, radicalized, rainy Tuesday morning, relationships, senseless violence, separate the lost and the saved, seprated from our heavenly Father, sudden loss, suddenness of Christ's coming, tenuous, the ability to move on, the day of the Lord, the days of Noah, the death of me, the flood, the great Protector, the Great tribulation, the LOVE of Jesus, the milennial kingdom, the more things you love, the more you enjoy, Thessalonians, to remedy the problem, tragedies, tragic ending, uncertain, unprepared, violent and troubled times, violent behaviour, War Memorial Statue, watch therefore, wisdom, you know not what hour your Lord comes
1 Thessalonians 5:2. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of our Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Oh Friends, it’s a beautiful, though rainy Tuesday morning! Wow! We’re alive! And even more importantly we’re filled with the Holy Spirit; filled with the passion of Jesus Christ! Glory Hallelujah! All praise and thanks be to our merciful and magnanimous God!
Consequently, there ought to be a joy, an unspeakable, indescribable joy in our souls! The LOVE of Jesus, and LOVE in general ought to be pouring out of our hearts, souls, minds and bodies!
And if sadly it isn’t, then something’s seriously wrong my people! We need to rectify that most undesirable situation RIGHT AWAY, through prayer, communication and obedience to Almighty God!
Now here is an interesting quote attributed to Ethel Barrymore ((1879-1959) the renowned America actress, member of the renowned Barrymore family of actors. She says: ‘The more things you LOVE, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you have left when anything happens.’
And that’s logic and truth personified my people! The wider the variety of our interests, the greater the enjoyment, and ability to handle loss or difficult times.
As the One More Day Devotional tells us: ‘Now is a good time for us to pursue our interests and to nurture both new and old relationships. We understand so well how easily and quickly our circumstances can change.’
And that sudden loss, the unexpected tragic ending was brought home to us so forcefully and graphically last week by the senseless violence that took place in this our fair country of Canada.
In the Province of Quebec, one disturbed young man ran over two military officers with his car, killing one and seriously wounding the other.
A couple days later, an even more ridiculous, scary and unfortunate incident occurred in Ottawa, the country’s capital. There, another disturbed young man shot two soldiers guarding the War Memorial Statue on Parliament Hill. One of those soldiers also died.
The young man then drove the short distance to the Parliament buildings, with all our elected representatives ensconced therein, and indiscriminately opened fire in the Hall of Honour of the main Parliament building.
Ah Lord eh! What is our world coming to eh Friends? It was somewhat poignant and hilarious to see pictures of our worthy representatives barricaded behind locked doors, cowering with fear under desks etc. I do hope that will serve as a wake up call for them to get serious about running the country properly and stop the nonsense they’re now doing.
Unfortunately though, the two perpetrators of the violence died in a hail of gunfire. So we don’t have the opportunity to find out exactly what went was happening with them, what brought on this outrageous and violent behaviour.
It’s alleged that the ever-growing Islamist extremist movement had radicalized them. But no one knows anything for sure. And Friends, unfortunately there are so many disturbed young people in our world today, that it makes me wonder about its future.
And sadly, the inefficient, crooked and corrupt governments, at all levels, are doing zilch to try and remedy the problem! They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. As I said before, I do hope that those incidents provide a wake up call for our leaders and legislators.
Ah mih breddren, it all just goes to show how tenuous, how fragile and uncertain our lives and circumstances are, especially in these violent and troubled times. However, it doesn’t mean that we have to cower in fear and anxiety, because we have Jesus, our great Protector, ALWAYS walking hand in hand with us.
And thus we can confidently say: ‘Tragedies and hard times will affect me, but I know I have the ability to move on.’
That brings us to our most appropriate Bit, Bruh Paul’s fateful words to the Thessalonians, which he prefaces with: ‘But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.’ (1 Thess. 5:1-2)
Yes my people, our wonderful Lord and Saviour can return at any time! Are we ready? What if He should come TODAY, RIGHT NOW? Are we ready to embrace that fateful moment? For all our sakes, I certainly hope so! For if not, then crapaud smoke we pipe! We’ll be eternally separated from our heavenly Father. And that’s a fate even worse than death!
Hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘5:2. The day of the Lord is an all-encompassing term to describe the period that begins with the Great Tribulation, and includes the second coming of Christ and the millennial kingdom. This Old Testament expression is here identified with the ‘parousia,’ (time of reckoning) already introduced. It will begin unexpectedly (cf.Matt.24:37).’
Yes Friends, the operative word there is ‘unexpectedly,’ which means we have to be prepared at ALL TIMES!
Now listen to Jesus expound on the subject. ‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were. So shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of man be.
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’ (Matt.24:36-42)
That’s indeed wisdom for the ages my fellow believers!
And the scholars have this to say about that passage. ’24:39-42. The observation that the people of Noah’s day knew not the severity and suddenness of the coming destruction indicates that this last generation will be totally unprepared for the coming of the Son of man, the return of Christ to judge the world. (See 2 Thess.1:7-8)
The reference to two being in the field or at work at the time of Christ’s return implies the suddenness of His coming to separate the lost and the saved.’
Ah Friends, the situation couldn’t be stated any plainer than that! So please let’s do the wise thing today nuh, RIGHT NOW; let’s get ourselves together, so that whenever the Lord chooses to return, WE WILL BE READY! Much LOVE!
…for those who are found wanting when Jesus comes again…it will indeed be a sorrowful day…so in all wisdom…let’s not be found wanting…
P.S. These late nights and early mornings will be the death of me yes! (smile) But better late than never! Much LOVE!
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