25 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big shout of thanks and praise to God, all that is within me, Behold, Bless His Holy Name, bless the LOrd o my soul, challenging, corporal punishment, crowns thee with loving-kindness, crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies, despise not the chastening of the Lord, despise not the discipline of the Lord, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, detest his correction, endure right to the end, enjoy a most spectacular future, even as a father, faith, faithfully promised to never leave not forsake me, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquitites, forotten the exhortaion, God is a just and righteous god, God is not a doting grandfather, God will not sweep our wrong doings under the carpet, God's intent will not change, halfway home, hands on the plough, happy is the man whom God correcteth, he maketh sore and bindeth up, he that spares the rod spoild the child, he that spareth the rod hateth his son, he woundeth and his hands make whole, heals all thy diseases, holy spirit, hospital tests, I praise and bless your holy name, I'm so glad to be alive, irresponsible and obnoxious young individuals, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither be weary of his correction, nor be faint when thou art rebuked of him, not turning back, on the late bus, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, redeems thy life from destruction, renew our acquaintance with Psalm 103, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, scourges every son whom he receives, second wind day, seeing me through the rough times, thank God, Thank You Lord, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the end of the sickly season, the fountain of worship, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord's Holy Character, the son in whom he delights, thy youth is restored as the eagle's, tiring, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, two complimentary aspects of trianing, Wednesday Wail, which speaks to you as unto children, whom he loves he chastens, whom the Lord Loves He corrects, wisdom, with grace mercy and encouragement, work all things out for my good, you've been so good to me
Job 5:17. Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
And then it Wednesday, our second wind day, and the ole fella is certainly catching his second wind, but on the late, late bus, because I went to the hospital early this morning for some tests, and since I was sedated for them, by the time I got back home I was still a li’l groggy and needed to rest for a while! Now that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it! (smile)
But thankfully though, the tests were all negative! And for that I can only give a big shout of praise and thanks to Almighty God my Creator, Provider and Protector, who has faithfully promised never to leave nor forsake me, and to work all things out for my good eventually. Lets’ hope and pray that this then is the end of the sickly season I’ve been going through for the last few months, because it’s been really challenging and tiring. And again I say, ‘Thank You Lord! I praise and bless your Holy Name for You’ve been so good to me, seeing me through the rough times with grace, mercy and encouragement!’
And for all of God’s goodness friends, I believe we ought to renew our acquaintance with Psalm 103, one of the great praise psalms, where Bruh David blesses the Lord’s Holy Character. So please read these first few verses with me, verses that are ever appropriate to our faith journey. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 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 restored like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103: 1-5)
Oh my people, right there we see the basic benefits of having Jehovah God as our fountain of worship and thus benefits! No other supposed God keeps all of His many promises and looks after His people like the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Now that doesn’t mean He’s a doting grandfather, because in His great LOVE for us, as His children, He will also chasten and chastise us when we do wrong, so He can bring us back to the fold.
Listen to what the scriptures says. First we hear from Job, who writes: ‘Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) And we know that Cousin Sol, as the wisest man ever, has something to say on every subject. (smile) Listen to him from Proverbs: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary (detest) his correction: for whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov. 3:11-12)
Then the author of Hebrews reiterates Cousin Sol’s claims, when he writes: ‘And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:5-6)
Oh, I know we only like the good stuff, the blessings and mercy, but living for God, we should not only expect constant sunshine and roses but also some tough times with tough discipline when we go astray, for the Lord treats us just like our earthly father is supposed to; with LOVE and with discipline. As the scholars explain: ‘God’s practice corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers: “He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).” (Prov. 13:24) LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary aspects of training.’
And yes, some of you don’t hold with that theory, and thus have grown up your children with a soft touch, which is now turning back to haunt you, for they are uncontrollable, and that’s why we have such, rude, unmannerly, selfish irresponsible and obnoxious young individuals, because too many parents spared the rod and thus spoiled the child. But that’s another story for another day, and can be argued till the cows come home, (smile) but it will not change God’s intent, and in the long run, what He thinks is what really matters.
And since we’re on a late, late bus, I think we’ll keep it short and sweet. And I heard all the thankful sighs. (smile) That means we can now go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been also promised that those who endure right to the very end with Jesus, they will indeed enjoy a most spectacular future, more than their human minds can comprehend. So let’s agree to meet there at the very end and enjoy that spectacular future together! Much LOVE!
…God is a just and righteous God…He will not sweep our wrongdoings under the carpet…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Feb 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new day dawning, a song of worship, all that is within me, an outward emotive expression, another cold Sunday, as a father pitys his children, as far as the east is from the west, back to the drawing board, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord oh my soul, christianity, clothed with honour and majesty, face another week of work, faith, for all your goodness, for my heart to find, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, gather in the Lord's sanctuary, give back to god in worship and adoration, give not just the words of our mouths but our very lives, giving praise and thanks, God looks on the heart, great is his mercy toward them that fear him, heals all thy diseases, holy spirit, inumerable reasons to thank God, Jesus Christ, keep on singing, let me be singing, LOVE, man looks on the outward appearance, Matt Redman, mercy, my soul will sing, my strength is failing, my time has come, O Lord my God, on that day, plenteous in mercy, praise God completley, praise God with our whole hearts, praising God inwardly, receiving God's awesome strength and mercy, redeems thy life from destruction, removed our transgressions from us, rewarded us according to our iniquities, rich in love, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, sending Jesus to redeem our sinful souls, sincerely from our hearts, sing like never before, slow to anger, sweet sacrifices of praise, Ten Thousand Reasons, the BIBLE, the end draws near, the Lord is merciful and gracious, the Lord pitys them that reverence him, the Lord sees not as man sees, the Lord's Day, the motives of the heart., the northen climes, the sun comes up, this evil and ungodly world, thou art very great, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, time to sing your song again, truth, whatever lies before me, whatever may pass, when the evening comes, wisdom, worship his holy name, your heart is kind, your name is great, your praise unending
Psalm 103:1. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Oh my fellow believers, it’s another cold Sunday in the northern climes, but what else is new eh? (smile) And all we are expected to do is to gather in a sanctuary on this the Lord’s Day and fellowship with other believers, giving praise and thanks to our wonderful God, while receiving His awesome strength and grace to go out and face another week of work in this evil and ungodly world.
And today, as always, (smile) we have a wonderful song of worship to offer up to our most worthy heavenly Father. It’s a fairly new one, written by Matt Redman and Steve Angrisano in 2013, most appropriately titled ‘Ten Thousand Reasons – Bless the Lord Oh My Soul.’ And do we ever have more than ten thousand reasons to bless the Lord! That’s for certain sure! So, without further ado, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, soulful, scintillating version of the song, letting the whole world know that it’s coming sincerely from our hearts.
Opening with the chorus, we sing: ‘(Chorus) Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy Name). The sun comes up It’s a new day dawning It’s time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass And whatever lies before me Let me be singing When the evening comes (Chorus) Bless the Lord oh my soul……I’ll worship your holy name) You’re rich in love And You’re slow to anger Your name is great And Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons For my heart to find.
(Chorus: Bless the Lord oh my soul…I’ll worship your holy name) And on that day When my strength is failing The end draws near And my time has come Still my soul will sing your praise unending Ten thousand years and then forevermore… forevermore. (Chorus: Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, I’ll worship Your Holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy Name Sing like never before Oh my soul, Jesus, I’ll worship Your Holy name, worship your holy name…yes, like never before…I’ll worship Your Holy name…’
Ah mih bredrin, that was indeed a beautiful rendition, and all who heard it know that we sincerely meant it, because there are innumerable reasons for which to thank Almighty God! And the greatest of which is obviously the sending of Jesus to redeem our sinful souls. And where in the Bible do we find those words? As for so many other things, we find them in the psalms, specifically Psalms 103 and 104.
And what do the words ‘Bless the Lord Oh my soul mean?’ It’s basically means to give not just the words of our mouth, but our very lives – our very souls – back to Him in praise, adoration, and worship. And Bruh David uses it very powerfully in Psalm 103, titled ‘Bless the Lord’s Holy Character,’ when he unequivocably declares: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’ (Ps. 103:1)
Yes friends, God alone is worthy of such praise. And according to this commentary from Dawn Hill, “For David to say, “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name,” is to praise God completely and with the whole heart. This is not only an emotive expression outwardly nor is this merely an emotionally charged experience, but this includes praising God inwardly.” Now that makes complete sense, for we know that the Lord doesn’t merely accept the words of our mouths, or our outward actions, but searches the motives of our hearts before accepting our praise and thanks.
As we recently saw Him tell Samuel when he went to anoint the second king of Israel amongst Jesse’s sons, and Samuel fell for the good looks and physical appeal of the first son Eliab. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
And that ought to be a timely reminder for all of us, as we offer up praise and thanks to Almighty God. (smile) Meanwhile, Psalm 104, titled ‘God’s Marvellous Creation,’ gives God praise from a different perspective. It opens thus: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.’ (Ps. 104:1) And the psalmist goes on to list God’s wonderful creations, which are important, but in Psalm 103 however, Bruh David was more down to earth, instead remembering what God does for mankind.
He continues: ‘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 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 for ever.
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 (reverence) 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 (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps. 103: 2-5; 8-14)
And friends, if reading all of that, you cannot find many reasons to thank and praise, to bless the Lord, then I don’t know what to say, but get back to the drawing board and learn the numerous blessings that we have to be thankful for from our Creator, Jehovah God! Much LOVE!
…only a fool or madman…refuses to acknowledge and accept…the many blessings of God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a healthy fear, a way for the lightning, and unto man he said, be it good or evil, Behold, Bless His Holy Name, christianity, death and destruction say, effective witnesses for Christ, endure to the end, faith, fear God and keep his commandments, fools despise widom and instruction, God has commanded man, God knows the place thereof, God looks to the ends of the earth, God sees under the whole heaven, God shall bring every work into judgement, God understandeth the way thereof, halfway home, handle the situation, hands on the plough, hear the conclusion of the whole matter, holy spirit, it cannot be gotten for gold, it is hid from all the eys of the living, Jesus Christ, Jesus gives us the strength, kept close from the fowls of the air, living for Jesus, LOVE, make the weight for the winds, man knows not the price thereof, mdae a decree for the rain, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither is it found in the land of the living, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof, not turning back, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, salvation, second wind, set the limit for the rain, simpering excuses, so glad to be alive, sumbission to the Lord and His revelation, thank God, the BIBLE, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the certainty of divine judgement, the controlling factor of life is the fear of God, the controlling principle of wisdom, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, the Good Book, the Price of Wisdom, the price of wisdom is above rubies, then did he see wisdom, this is the whole duty of man, to a glorious future with Jesus, to depart from evil is understanding, to live joyfully responsibly and wisely, truth, walking with Jesus, we have heard the fame thereof with our ears, Wednesday Wail, weighs the water by measure, whare shall wisdom be found, where is the place of understanding, wisdom, wisdom and understanding can't be purchased with earthly wealth, wisdom dictates that we fear God, with every secret thing, with great aplomb
Job 28:28. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.
Good ole Wednesday is up friends! Hope you’re ready to catch your second wind. (smile) And thankfully, it doesn’t seem like today is going to be as hot as the last few days. There’s even a small cloud cover to retract some of the heat. I know it’s been somewhat rough with all the heat and the attendant problems it brings, but if you’re walking with and living for Jesus, we know you’ll handle the situation with great aplomb (smile) because He gives us the strength and the wherewithal to do so. Bless His holy name!
So what are we going to talk about today eh? Who knows? Let me open the Good Library and see what it advises. And lo, and behold, I opened it, and it opened unto the Book of Job, unto an interesting passage of scripture that many of us don’t know. It speaks of the Price of Wisdom. And according to the scholars, ‘Job Chapter 28 is one of the most beautiful poems on wisdom found in the scriptures. After describing how laboriously man works to extract the ores and precious metals from the earth (vs. 1-11), Job raises the ultimate question of the sufferer: where shall wisdom be found? (vs. 12)’
And that’s where we’ll begin. So please read with me: ‘But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price (value) thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth (deep) saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for (pure) gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels (vessels) of fine (pure) gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls (quartz or crystal): for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.’ (Job 28:12-19)
Ah friends, it seems that none of earth’s valuables can purchase those marvellous attributes of wisdom and understanding. No sir! They cannot be purchased with earthly wealth. So where then are they found? That’s Job’s next question. ‘Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close (concealed) from the fowls of the air (heaven). Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof (the report of it) with our ears.’ (Job 28:20-22) So if no one knows where wisdom and understanding come from, but even death and destruction have heard of it, then what’s man to do?
Job then tells us the source of wisdom and understanding. ‘God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven: To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree (set a limit) for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder (thunderbolt): Then did he see it (wisdom), and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, is understanding.’ (Job. 28:23-28)
Yes friends, those are the issues of wisdom and understanding, and they only come through the Lord God Almighty! And the sooner we recognize and appreciate that, the sooner we will become more effective in our witness for Christ. And as the scholars tell us, ‘wisdom and understanding are only conveyed through the controlling factor of the fear of the Lord. This concept of the fear of the Lord unites all the wisdom books (cf. Prov. 1:7; Eccl. 12:13)’ And we do know those scriptures: Proverbs 1:7, tells us: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’
And what’s the fear of the Lord you ask? The scholars explain: ‘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.’ So now you know about the beginning and the fear of the Lord. (smile)
Then the verses from Ecclesiastes tells us: ‘Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.’ (Eccl. 12:13-14) And yuh know what my brethren, if Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever says it’s so, then it’s so! No ifs and buts about it. He had the time, the resources and the knowledge to check it all out.
Therefore, we’d better be careful of our earthly doings, for God will bring everything we do to judgement eventually… and we won’t be able to make any simpering excuses then. No, we will have to stand our bounce. So please lets’ wise up now, and begin living the way we ought to. Or, as the scholars point out: ‘God has not answered every problem of life, but He has commanded man to live joyfully, responsibly, and wisely. Finally, the controlling factor of all of life should be the fear of God, that is, submission to God and His revelation. The certainty of divine judgement demands it.’
And Judgement Day will surely come my people! There’s no doubt about that, so please, let’s get prepared! And for those of us who are trying our best to do so, let’s go home declaring (chuh!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. ‘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!’
Furthermore, it’s been promised that all who endure to the end with Jesus, will enjoy a future so glorious that the human mind cannot imagine or comprehend. So let’s be wise; fear the Lord and endure to the very end, so that we can enjoy that glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…wisdom dictates…that if we’re to fear…the most obvious Being to fear…is our Creator and Controller…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a gentle reminder, a positive outlook, a roaring lion, a sound mind, a strong will, a worthwhile example, ask and ye shall receive, bleating, Bless His Holy Name, curse, Day of Pentecost, do good, do the works I do, Elohim, even greater works, God anointed Jesus, God was with him, God's never late, He is indeed worthy to be praised, he that believeth on me, healing, Holy ghost power, in my name, jehovah god, joy, like a spring lamb, listen in love, LOVE, my own law, my own works of the flesh, negative word, oppressed with the devil, Praise the Lord, precious people of God, prosper, succeed, supernatural wisdom, teach an old dog new tricks, that will I do, the agent of Jesus, the father can be glorified in the Son, the first duty of love, the promise of answered prayer, the spirit of fear, Thursday Blessings, to do God's work, to listen, unlimited resources, walk in LOVE, went about doing good, whatsoever ye shall ask, with power, with the Holy ghost, Yahweh, your joy may be full
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with the devil; for God was with Him.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t another beautiful day on God’s great earth, another chance to do God’s great work! And all God’s children said a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! For He is indeed worthy of much thanks and praise!’ And so He is my people!
And we need to thank Him especially for getting me up at a still decent hour even though I went to bed real real late; like around 6. Hn! Hn! My eyes opened at 8, but I wasn’t able to crawl out of bed until 9. Yes, I agree that it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, so as they say, better late than never. (smile) And I’m chuckling here because the Lord never gave me a particular time to send out the Bit, it’s just my own assertion and conviction that it should go out at a fairly early hour. So I am basically suffering through my own law, by my own works of the flesh. (smile)
And though they say the month of August has come in bleating, more like a spring lamb than a roaring lion, with cool temps and breezes, after the hottest July in many a day, do not fear, it will get hotter as it goes along. Don’t know if that’s bad or good news, (smile) but anyway, be that all as it may, here’s a most important thought for us to remember today: ‘The first duty of LOVE is to listen!’ So let’s raise up our LOVE listening today nuh, for it will do us and all those we come into contact with, a world of good.
And that’s what we basically ought to be about my brethren; doing good. That brings to mind this wonderful and very expressive scripture: ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed with the devil; for God was with Him.’ (Acts. 10:38) What a marvellous bit of scripture my people; a most worthwhile example of how we should be, a gentle reminder that we ought to follow the beautiful example of our Leader, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now please don’t say that we can’t, because we’re not like Jesus. Oh yes we are! God has also anointed us with the Holy Ghost! Remember after that memorable Pentecost Day when all believers immediately began receiving the Holy Ghost and its miraculous power? (Acts 2:1-4) So we have basically the same power that Jesus had. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power (Holy Ghost power), and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’ (2 Tim. 1:7)
We all spout that scripture, like so many others, but never really put them into action when they are truly needed, that’s why so many of us live fearful, anxious lives when there’s absolutely no need to. And if you don’t fancy Bruh Paul’s words, then hear Jesus’ nuh. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that my Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:12-14)
Oh my people, how much clearer can it get eh? And if you still don’t believe Jesus, then I don’t know what else to say nuh. (smile) Oh, let’s see if these explanations of the scholars help any. ‘14:12. Greater works: Greater in quantity, certainly not quality. Christ’s ministry was primarily to Israel. His followers were going to reach the limits of the world.’ ‘14:13-14. In my name means “as My agent.” The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (cf. 16:23-26). It is also linked here especially in the accomplishment of the “greater works.” The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.’
Ah friends, that’s the kind of God we serve; most magnificent, majestic and magnanimous! He will NEVER ask you to do His work without giving you the necessary tools and power and grace to successfully complete it! And I won’t tell you to read the scriptures quoted above in the scholars’ explanations, because I know that it will fall on too many deaf ears, (smile) but I will spoon feed you with the most important verse of that scripture, another one we know but don’t sufficiently put into action.
Here it is: ‘Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’ (John 16:24) Mama Yo! What more we expect Jesus to do eh people – spoon feed us everything? He says to ask in His name and we’ll receive… with joy untold too! What more must He say eh? Obviously He doesn’t mean for us to be greedy and foolish and sinful and ask for all sorts of nonsense, but for worthwhile and necessary stuff so that we can do His will.
And yes, I know we often feel intimidated, or bashful or prideful about asking for things, but that’s what Jesus, our Leader, our Lord and Saviour says to do. And asking for stuff you believe you need is merely being obedient to His will. And you won’t get everything you ask for when you ask for it, especially if it’s a frivolous request. But I can promise you, that if you truly need it, you will receive it in His time, and believe me, He might be a bit tardy in our estimation, (smile) but He’s NEVER LATE! I can guarantee that from my personal experiences.
And as we go home today, let’s declare (brother – the devil must be at work here yes! just can’t spell that word) our Thursday Blessings, showcasing the magnanimity of our magnificent and majestic God, as He showers us with untold blessings to use in our daily walk, as we faithfully serve Him. All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Yes my beautiful and precious people of Jehovah God, of Yahweh, of Elohim, let’s now go out and share those blessings just as generously as they were shared with us nuh! Much LOVE!
…listen in LOVE…so you can walk in LOVE…and do good…
23 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a bit in mih mouth, a good family, a good job, and be glad in it, as far as the east, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord, crowns thee, depends solely on us, disobedient children, enables us to get wealth, eternal life, everlasting love, for the oppressed, forget not all his benefits, forgiveness, forgives all thine iniquities, fractionalized, Friday chant, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, get priorities right, good times, gracious, Hades, have it more abundatly, heals all thy diseases, heralds the weekend, his acts, in Jesus' name, in soul body and mind, is from the west, Jesus Christ, judgement, leading me around, like a jack, like the eagle's, loving-kindness, made known his ways, merciful, might have life, motives of our hearts, o my soul, our Lord and Saviour, outward actions, redeems thy life, relaxation, removed our trangressions, renewed and refreshed, rest, reverence, righteousness, satisfies thy mouth, slavation, take second place, tender mercies, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the evil one, the workingman's song, them that fear him, this is the day the Lord has made, thy youth is renewed, time to do as I please, to Moses, to the children of Israel, we are dust, we will rejoice, wisdom, with good things
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Happy Friday my people! Now let’s get right into the programme by declaring that it’s the day the Lord has made and we’re supremely glad that we’re alive to rejoice and give thanks for it! Let’s say with Bruh David: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’ (Ps.103:1)
Yeh friends, life might be a bit on the rough side sometimes, but I think that only a very few of us are ready and willing to give up this earthly life for the heavenly one that awaits. The basic reasoning being: Oh, we have eternity to enjoy heaven, but only a few short years to enjoy God’s great earth! (smile) And the ordinary workingman totally agrees, as he sings in his weekend song:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The week wasn’t too bad, didn’t work too hard at the slave master’s job, but Friday is Friday! Yuh know what I mean? It heralds the weekend! And that’s definitely my time! My time to do as I please; sleep, eat, get wasted or black up, or whatever I choose to do! It’s the only time that somebody else doesn’t have a bit in mih mouth leading me round like a jack! That’s why I appreciate and enjoy the weekends so much.
And I get time to spend with the family too. Not that I don’t get it during the week, but on the weekend it’s not broken up and fractionalized…Wow! What a way we using big words today sir! (smile) But family is very important. And though you can’t have a good family without a good job, sometimes the job does have to take second place. That’s why we say ‘Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Oh friends, the ordinary workingman might not be overly godly, but he’s not foolish either. He has most of his priorities right. Let’s hope that we believers also have our priorities right… but are also righteous and godly! And we’ll see that by how sincere we are as we chant our Friday Chant. Remember the Lord looks at the motives of our hearts, not our outward actions. So altogether now, 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 my people, we’re not as free and easy as the ordinary workingman. We have certain boundaries set by our Lord and Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ. Boundaries that hopefully keep the enemy from infiltrating our righteous lives and causing us more problems than we already have.
That’s why we can’t be as blasé and carefree as the unbeliever. But that doesn’t mean we can’t or should not enjoy life, because that’s exactly one of the reasons Jesus gave up His sinless life on the cross; that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
All praise and glory be unto our heavenly father for His great, unconventional, unconditional, indescribable and everlasting LOVE for us, His sinful and disobedient children! And that’s why this morning we will wisely and thankfully say like Bruh David did so long ago: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’
Wow! Is that ever wisdom in spades my faithful, believing brethren! And if you don’t believe me, then listen to some of the reasons Bruh David gave for his proclamation of thanks and praise. ‘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.’ (Ps.103: 2-5)
Oh my people, if those aren’t things to greatly rejoice over and give much thanks and praise for to Almighty God, our Creator and heavenly Father, then I don’t know what is nuh! And that’s not all we need to thank and praise Him for nuh! Hear Bruh David as he continues his litany of God’s goodness.
‘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. 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 for ever.
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 (reverence) him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.’ (Ps.103:6-12)
Oh friends, oh friends, if we’re not thankful for anything else, we should be everlastingly thankful and grateful that the Lord doesn’t deal with us as we deserve, otherwise we’d all be dust and ashes, sweltering in Hades with the evil one himself as our eternal companion!
But thanks be to God that he casts away our sins, and gives us a chance to come to know and accept His Son Jesus Christ, so that we can receive forgiveness and salvation and dwell with Him in heaven, instead of that other disgusting option! (smile) Yeh friends, ‘Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (reverence) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:13-14)
And so He should my brethren, because He is the one who created us from the dust of the earth, to which we all must return some day. So please ponder all that we’ve spoken about today and wisely turn to our Creator for whatever we need, because everything in His universe belongs to Him, and He is indeed the One who enables us to get health, wealth and good times! Much LOVE!
…eternal life is a must…but where we spend it…depends solely on us…
26 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flaming fire, all that is within me, arrogant, benefits, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord, crowns thee with loving-kindness, day to day necessities, dependence on god, enlightened age, ephemeral stuff, eternal damnation, fading fast, folish, forgives thine iniquities, froget not all his benefits, get down and dirty, glory to God, hands on the plough, hang tough, heals thy diseases, heartfelt sentiment, hell fire, his minsters, honour, if God be for us, is going to happen to me, laid the foundations of the earth, like the eagle's, loving kindness, Lucifer, makes the clouds his chariot, maketh his angels spirits, not looking back, o my soul, obey, obstinate, practical expereince with god, practical living, prideful, redeems thy life from destruction, reverenced God, servants, something good, talking from hearsay, tender mercies, thanks, the breath of life, the lake of fire, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art very great, thy youth is renewed, to a glorious future with Christ, we will be glad and rejoice in it, Wednesday Wail, well worth it, who can be against us
Psalm 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
And another bright, sunshiny and beautiful morning has dawned! Glory to God! And when you add the promises and LOVING-kindness of Jesus to the mix, one is forced to assuredly proclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) As well as: ‘The Lord will supply ALL of my needs through his riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil.4:19)
And that will just strengthen our resolve to declare: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15) And that can only mean that ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single, solitary soul! So from all of that assurance and confidence in the name of Jesus Christ, I therefore expect something good to happen to me today, and that something good is also going to happen through me today!
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve, I can’t help but exalt His holy name and sing His awesome praise for His everlasting mercy, grace and faithfulness to us undeserving children of men! And if we truly believe all of that, then we have to exalt the Lord like Bruh David did in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Wow friends! We can’t go wrong if we follow Bruh David’s words, though not necessarily his actions, (smile) because he was a mortal man just like us and made mistakes. But his words and his reflection and dependence on the God of his forefathers were most excellent.
Hear how he continues exalting the Lord in the psalm nuh. ‘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.’ (Ps.103:2-5)
And please note there my brethren that Bruh David is not thanking God for fanciful, dreamy, ephemeral stuff, but solid, down to earth, day-to-day necessities for living. And He’s not talking from hearsay either, but from real and practical experience with God! Likewise, if we are in good relationship with our heavenly Father, we will also enjoy the fruit of his mercy and goodness!
Consequently, we should also appreciate and give thanks for it all. But unfortunately, the word ‘thanks’ is fading fast from our vocabulary in this current world, just like the word ‘God.’ And even when we say thanks, it’s often not heartfelt, but a simple mouthing of a word, something that’s expected of us.
Ah friends, the standards of our world have fallen so low and keep falling lower everyday, that I can’t comprehend what they will be like fifty years from now. Just look at what they were fifty years ago, and what they are now nuh. As different as day from night. And certainly not better…at least in my humble opinion. But enough of me, (smile) let’s continue singing God’s praises.
Hear how the psalmist exalts the Lord in Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty: Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Who layeth the beams of his (upper) chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers (servants) a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.’ (Ps.104:1-5)
Yes my fellow saints of God, that’s how the old timers reverenced their God! Do we even come close to that sort of thing in this supposedly enlightened age? Of course not! We’re too busy to take the time to get down and dirty with our wonderful God, and too often just pay Him a quick ‘thank you’ in passing, or mouth a ‘how great is our God,’ without the necessary heartfelt sentiment.
But please remember and note Bruh David’s words my people: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps.103:2) Yes friends, WE are the ones who benefit when we remember and pay attention to and praise and live obediently to the will of God! We not doing God anything, except break His heart, when we refuse to honour and obey Him.
He might be unhappy with our choice of the devil over Him, but in the long run, He’s not going to suffer damnation and hell fire. It’s us, mere foolish and prideful, obstinate and arrogant mortals who will be thrown into the lake of fire with the oh so foolish Lucifer, who had it all going for him, like we do, but instead chose to try and overthrow God. What a fool!
Anyway, now that we know better, (smile) let’s go home this beautiful Wednesday morning, bursting with joy and thanksgiving in the Lord, as we truthfully declare our position in Him, through our Wednesday Wail. What a mouthful! (smile) All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me friends, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please hang tough in Christ! It will be well worth it! Much LOVE!
…if you believe God created all there is…then you ought to give Him plenty thanks…
03 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise, be glad and rejoice, Bless His Holy Name, burden, call and answer, Calvary, dissatisfied with God, Edwin Hawkins, enemies, every day, exalting his holy name, fear not, fellowship, fight and pray, forgiveness of sins, found liars, giving God glory, gospel music standard, happy art thou, happy is that people, He taught me how, heaven singing and dancing, hindrance, honour, Jesus died on the cross, joyful, live rejoicing, lived up to every promise, LOVE, majesty, Moses blessed, my sins away, Oh Happy Day, omnipotent god, pagan worship, paid our sin debt, pay obeisance, people saved by the Lord, Phillip Doddridge, privilege, righteousness, selflessness, show our thanks, submit to you, Sunday, the Father singing and swaying, the greatest gift, the Lord will do great things, the shield of thy help, the sword of they excellency, the tribes of Israel, their high places, to watch, tread down, unhappy, when Jesus washed, whose God is the Lord, worldly way of life, worship God
Joel 2:21. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
Here it is friends, Sunday, the first and best day of the week! Time to rest as well as time to fellowship with other believers in the house of our omnipotent God! Glory be my people! There’s no greater honour and privilege than giving God glory, praising Him and exalting His holy name with other believers!
Some of us look upon it as work, as an unnecessary burden and a hindrance to our worldly way of life, but for your information my brethren that’s the main reason God created us in the first place; to worship Him, to pay Him obeisance in all that we do. So let’s cut out all the rigmarole nuh, and if we’re physically able, let’s get ourselves to church sometime today and praise and worship and adore and exalt our most wonderful God!
Now let’s get the proceedings going with this wonderful song written by the English clergyman Phillip Doddridge in the latter half of the 18th century. It’s a song we all know and LOVE, especially this gospel arrangement by Edwin Hawkins, recorded by the Edwin Hawkins Singers back in the late 1960’s, eventually becoming an international hit and a gospel music standard.
So friends, let’s lift our voices, our eyes and hands, our hearts and souls to heaven as we worship God with the rather appropriate words and sentiments of ‘Oh Happy Day!’ And don’t forget to make the call and response sweet, for though the words are meaningful they are mostly repetitive, and it’s that back and forth communication that truly livens up the song.
So enough talk, let’s sing: ‘Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) (Repeat) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) Oh, when He washed (When Jesus washed) When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed) He washed my sins away (Oh, happy day) Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) He taught me how (He taught me how) To watch and fight and pray Watch and pray And live rejoicing every day (Good God) Every day
Oh, happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, it’s a happy day (Oh, happy day) Oh, Lord (Oh, happy day) Mmm, good God (Oh, happy day) Oh yeah (Oh, happy day) Mmm, oh (Oh, happy day). Oh, happy happy dayyyy…!”
Oh friends, oh friends, that was wonderful! All heaven was singing and dancing with us! It’s one of those songs that you can’t help feeling in your soul and responding favourably to it. And don’t think that the Father wasn’t swaying and singing too nuh, because there’s nothing He likes better than a good song of praise! Bless His holy name!
And there’s no doubting that the day Jesus died on the cross was indeed a happy day for us, because as the song says, He washed all our sins away, paid our sin debt in full! Wow! And if that isn’t cause to be happy, I don’t know what is nuh! Yes my faithful brethren, forgiveness of sins is the greatest gift that we can ever receive! And Jesus in His amazing LOVE and selflessness provided it for us!
Note He sacrificed His sinless life for us, bore our sins on the cross at Calvary so that we could have His righteousness and be reconciled to our heavenly father, from whom we were then estranged through the partition of sin. Therefore we ought to gratefully and gracefully accept His offer and continuously show our thanks by living sincerely for Him and His cause. How could we do otherwise eh, after all He’s done for us?
He died for us, taught us how to watch and fight and pray and live rejoicing everyday…yes friends every day! Now isn’t all of that stuff to be joyful about? It surely is! And we’d certainly be foolish and unwise if we didn’t accept it as such and be joyful about it all! We have absolutely no reason to be unhappy and dissatisfied with the Lord, for He’s lived up to every promise He’s ever made.
Look at what He promised the Israelites in our Bit through the prophet Joel after they had come back to Him in repentance. ‘Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.’ And He most certainly did! The greatest being the unconditional LOVE He bore us and expressing it through Jesus, which gave us the forgiveness of sins, and then salvation through His amazing grace! And I’ll say it again; NOTHING can be greater than that friends!
Hear how Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before his death. ‘Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency (majesty)! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee (submit to you): and thou shalt tread upon (tread down) their high places (places of pagan worship.’ (Deut.33:29) And that’s exactly what happened to Israel when they were obedient to the Lord.
And we’ll end with Bruh David’s take on the subject from Psalm 144: ‘Happy is that people, that is in such a case (state): yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.’ (Ps.144:15) And if Bruh David was saying that long before Jesus came, can you imagine how much better it got when Jesus came? Oh friends, if I have to read and spell that for you, then you don’t really believe nuh! Much LOVE!
…true believers in Jesus…ought to be constantly rejoicing…and showing it too…simply because of the wonderful gifts He’s given us…
13 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a horse of a different colour, a virgin, alive and kicking, all things work together for good, angel Gabriel, betrothed, blanketing, Bless His Holy Name, blessed, breathtaking beauty, buried treasure, called according to His purpose, Christ-like, christianity, Christmas, compassionate heart, curse, diamonds, displeasure, engaged, espoused, faith, fantasy, fill the gap, Galilee, God is good, god's greatest gift, highly favoured, inheret in the name, intangible, Jesus, John the Baptist, Joseph, joy, Lisa O'Brien, mar, Mary, mere mortals, Nazareth, negative word, never reneges, out of wedlock, perfection, perplexing situation, positive outlook, power, prince of peace, prosper, raped, salutation, self-control, self-discipline, sense of anticipation, serenity, share, snow, step up, success, The alluring beauty of snow, the house of David, the less fortunate, Thursday Blessings, to those that love God, tongues to wag, troubled, virginal, white, winked out, wispy cotton
Luke 1:27. To a virgin espoused (engaged, betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Aye friends, is Thursday…and we still alive and kicking! Thanks and glory be to our wonderful heavenly Father for that energizing gift of life. Life might be a tad on the rough side, but our God is good, so we don’t have anything to worry about. Bless His Holy Name!
And outside is white; a decent amount of snow fell during the night. It wasn’t there when I went to bed, at some early hour (smile) but I looked outside around four a.m. and there it was, covering everything, blanketing it all white. And I said yes, today is the perfect day for that poem!
Hn! I’m talking about one I recently read on the wall of my young daughter’s room, something she must have written ages ago when she toyed with the idea of becoming a writer. There is no title attached to the poem, but I’m naming it ‘The Alluring Beauty of Snow.’ Hope that title satisfies you daughter? (smile)
Now please read with me, ‘The Alluring Beauty of Snow,’ by Lisa O’Brien. ‘I watched the snow drift lazily down from the overcast sky. I marvelled at the breathtaking beauty of the picture being painted right before my eyes: Snowflakes gently caressed the barren branches of the trees, leaving them awash in a dazzling whiteness. Virgin snow carpeted the streets and rooftops…
And if I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that thousands of tiny little diamonds winked out at me that early December morn… like a buried treasure…a fantasy that wasn’t real… that was intangible as the wispy cotton of the clouds! And then I waited…waited with a breathless yet uneasy sense of anticipation, for something to come along and mar this beautiful scene of serenity and perfection.’
Yeah mih young D! That was exactly how it looked out there this early December morn! But sadly, as always, mankind eventually comes along and dirties everything he touches. And the snow on the ground is no longer virginal, but has been raped by the cars and the feet and the bikes we use to get us around in this fallen world.
And for those of you who have never seen virgin snow covering everything in a dim, white darkness, (smile) it does look really beautiful. But trudging and driving through it is a horse of an entirely different colour. But enough about snow, it’s the Christmas season, so let’s deal with the real reason for the season; Jesus!
Wow friends, what a mighty name that is! Wherever it’s spoken it causes tongues to wag, either in joy, or displeasure. But the name of Jesus is never mouthed without discussion, even to the point of coming to blows. Isn’t that strange, when He is the Prince of Peace? That just goes to show the power that’s inherent in the name!
Now let’s have a glimpse of how the whole thing began nuh. The Good Book tells us: ‘And in the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy; John the Baptist’s mother) the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused (engaged, betrothed) to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail (Rejoice), thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ (Luke 1:26-28)
Ah friends, sometimes the way our God introduces Himself and His desires can be truly heart stopping. If our hearts aren’t strong we can certainly go under. Just imagine this teenaged Jewish girl nuh, sitting quietly in her house one afternoon and all of a sudden this angel shows up in all His glory and greets her in such a gracious manner. How would you react eh? It would obviously be a rather perplexing situation to us mere mortals!
But the Good Book continues: ‘And when she (Mary) saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast (considered) in her mind what manner of salutation (greeting) this should be.’ (Luke 1:29)
But our God is so wonderful that whenever He comes a calling with a task, He never leaves us without a decent explanation…according to His standards that is. (smile) We might however not be satisfied with His explanation, because He always leaves it somewhat open-ended, leaving room for our faith to step up and fill the gap.
‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS (Yahweh is Salvation). He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest (Most High): and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ (Luke 1:30-33)
Mama Yo mih breddren! Can you imagine Mary’s consternation when Gabriel lays all that heavy stuff on her? She’s already engaged, but then she shall have a son, apparently out of wedlock. Can you imagine what her small, closed knit, hypocritical society will do to her? She would be the absolute scorn of the whole town! And poor Joseph would be the laughingstock!
But friends, our God does not put us in situations we, or He can’t handle. Please remember these immortal words of Bruh Paul on the Lord’s behalf, and let our faith be strong and steadfast in whatever He asks us to do. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom.8:28)
Yeh friends, if God calls us and we sincerely acknowledge that calling with genuine LOVE for Him, then He will eventually work it all out for our good. That’s His promise! And our ever-faithful God NEVER reneges on a promise! So we can afford to stand strong in any circumstance whatsoever!
Now let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, goodness and mercy that the Lord has bestowed on those who LOVE Him and willingly do His work!
In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And His raison d’etre (purpose) for granting us so many wonderful blessings, is for us to go out and share them with the less fortunate. So, especially at this Christmas time, when there are so many poor and lonely folks out there, let’s share generously with them nuh, so that they too can enjoy the season of Christ’s birth; God’s greatest gift to man! Much LOVE!
…sharing with others…is Christ-like…and what Christianity is truly all about…
15 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . speak evil, a compassionate heart, a good conscience, a sound mind, a thousand, abundance, always comes through, at noonday, at thy right hand, be not afraid, Bless His Holy Name, courage, cover thee, curse, destruction, dwelling place, evildoers, faith, faithfulness, fall at thy side, fear, fearsome power, flieth by day, for righteousness sake, generously dole out, give an answer, gives us a task, God has never let me down, guidance, help us to accomplish it, hemming and hawing, hope, in every believer, in his time, keep thy foot from being caught, lays waste, loving-kindness, magnanimous god, mature faith, meekness, mercy, negative word, not come near thee, nourish, nurture, of love, of power, pestilence, planted, pressure, prosper, reassurance, resist fear, reverential awe, revitalize our faith, second nature, security, self-control, shield and buckler, strong will, success, sudden fear, suffer, sufferation, take refuge in, talent, ten thousand, terror, terror by night, testify to, the arrow, the desolation of the wicked, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Good Book, the Lord shall be thy confidence, the Lord's great mercy, the Most High, the spirit of fear, Thursday's Blessings, thy habitation, Timothy, trouble, trust, truth, under his wings, undeserving children, walk in darkness, water, wisdom, with His feathers, words of strength
Proverbs 3:25. Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh.
Ah friends, I was just wondering what we should write about this morning, because I had nothing whatsoever in mind. But as always, I asked the Lord for some guidance, then opened the Good Book and shortly thereafter found something that He pointed me to. All Glory be to our great and wonderful God!
Friends, you all wouldn’t know the pressure there could be in having to write the Bit everyday, but thankfully I don’t feel any because of the Lord’s great mercy and faithfulness. All I have to do is remember to get up and write it, and I’ve been doing it for so long now it’s come like a second nature.
And if there is one thing I can testify to is the Lord’s ever-faithful faithfulness! (smile) He’s never let me down one day yet in the eleven years I’ve been writing the Bit. Granted, some days it might take a little longer than others to discover what He wants me to write about, but He always comes through – in His time! Bless His Holy name.
That’s why I can testify to the fact that He never gives us a task and then not help us to accomplish it! So whatever He’s asked you to do today, instead of hemming and hawing, simply go to Him in all sincerity and ask for His help, He will only be too glad to give it.
Now let’s see what He desires to share with us today from His word. More wise words from Cousin Sol: ‘Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation of (trouble from) the wicked, when it cometh.’ What words of strength and reassurance my brethren!
And for those of you who are wondering why Cousin Sol gave that assurance. Here’s why: ‘For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught).’ (Prov.3:26) Oh give our great and wonderful God some thanks and praise my believing brethren for his mercy and LOVING-kindness to we undeserving children of men!
So many times in His word He assures us that we should not be afraid of what the wicked can do to us…Let’s hear some of them nuh to revitalize our faith. And I guess we can begin with this one from Bruh Paul to Timothy, which so many of us quote, but don’t seem to live by.
‘For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) Yes friends, that power to resist fear has been planted in every believer, it‘s then left up to each of us to water and nourish and nurture it so that it can grow into a strong and mature faith.
Now hear the psalmist as he exalts the fearsome power of our God to all who sincerely trust and take refuge in Him: ‘He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (a 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 near thee…Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation (dwelling place).’ (Ps.91:4-7,9)
Yes my people, what security we have when we place our sincere trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And Peter puts it this way: ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye: and be not afraid of their terror (threats) neither be troubled;
But sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer (a defense) to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (reverential awe):
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation (conduct) in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing.’ (1 Pet.3:13-17).
Ah friends, I know that’s a mouthful, (smile) but all it’s basically saying is that if we are accosted about our faith, we should have a sincere and reverential answer for the hope we have in Christ, and to give it without offense. No need to get into any heated arguments.
And if we do suffer at the hands of the wicked, better it be for doing good than doing bad, and sometimes we are asked to suffer under those circumstances as a testimony to others.
However, the Lord will eventually reward us for any ‘sufferation’ we undergo in His name. So let’s not be afraid to stand strong and steadfast in the faith and assurance of our Lord God, the Creator and Controller of this great universe, for whatsoever He has promised, He will deliver! Amen!
And now it’s time to declare our Thursday Blessings; blessings that our most magnanimous God has so generously bestowed on us. And please remember that a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared over someone or something.
So altogether now, in strong voice and sincerity of heart: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And those blessings were not meant for us to selfishly hoard, but to also generously dole out to others like the Lord has generously doled them out to us. Much LOVE!
…we all need strong faith…but unfortunately…a strong faith can only be acquired through some ‘sufferation’…
12 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a decent livelihood, a job, a roof over our heads, alive and kicking, almighty god, aura of love, Bless His Holy Name, Christians, confidence, desperate situation, doh break no bone, down in the dumps, drunk or sober, dumb sheep, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, food on our table, for the sheep, forget thy commandments, gives his life, glorious kingdom, glorious promise, gone astray, good advice, gospel truth, Granny's warning, griping, hellfire, holy spirit, humble servants, iniquity, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, laid on him, lies, like lost sheep, LOVE, loved us, mercy, mind yuh business, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, praising the Lord, prayerful song, raise our voices, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., sacrifice, salvation, save the lost, seek thy servant, sheep, sinless life, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the Father's request, the good shepherd, the name that's above every other name, the only hope, the other side of the coin, trust, truth, ungodly world, vitality, we have Jesus, wisdom, wonders never cease, worldly stuff
Psalm 119:176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
Wonders never cease mih breddren! Monday has quickly rolled around again…Praise the Lord! (smile) And some miserable, disturbed body is wondering why we praising the Lord for Monday? Well because we’re alive and kicking; we have strong, healthy families, a roof over our heads, and food on our table, and a job to go to that pays us money so we can sustain our earthly lives…and I can go on and on.
But what we need to thank God most for on this Monday morning is that we have Jesus! Bless His Holy Name! Yes friends, please bless that name that’s above all other names, for without Him we might have some of the worldly stuff we now have, but we wouldn’t have salvation and the glorious promise of eternal life. And that’s worth more than anything in this world.
So instead of griping about having to go to work, let’s look on the other side of the coin and consider those who don’t have a decent livelihood, and would just LOVE to have what we have. So let’s be thankful for all that we have and are, and if we feeling a bit low and down in the dumps this morning, then please join us as we raise our voices in prayerful song to heaven, soulfully and sincerely declaring our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
In unison now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes my fellow believers, that will cure all your Monday morning ills! And I have to laugh because, as always, the loudest and croakiest voices were those of the people who do not have to go to work today. It’s not a full public holiday, but for some, because Remembrance Day fell on a Sunday, they get the following day off.
And for those of you who have already begun celebrating, getting into your cups, judging from your hoarse voices, please remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober please mind yuh business.’ That’s wonderful advice friends. And yuh know what the ole people say about that? ‘Good advice doh break no bone.’ Gospel truth that! And I just happened to hear it in a calypso on the radio yesterday afternoon. And all it basically means is that you can’t go wrong with good advice.
So now that everybody’s up and about, in good spirits, LOVING Jesus and each other, let’s concentrate on doing His will nuh, whatever plan(s) He has for each of our lives on this November day. And we going to follow some more good advice from the psalmist, that surely won’t break any bones, but more likely mend them, as we humbly cry out in our Bit to the Lord: ‘I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.’
And is that ever the truth my people! So many of us have strayed from the straight and narrow path like, dumb, lost sheep, it’s not funny. And the only way to get back on the straight and narrow is for the Lord to search us out and bring us back.
And it’s not like we have forgotten His commandments, but for one reason or another, we’ve let them slide. And that’s not very wise. And sadly, we’ve been doing that for a very long time, which led Isaiah through God’s Spirit, to pen: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Is.53:6)
Yes friends, mankind was in a desperate condition, totally sinful, lost without a Saviour, until the Lord laid our heavy and abominable sins on the strong shoulders of Christ, the ONLY ONE who had the parts to bear them. And Jesus willingly took our sinful burden and compassionately gave us His righteousness in return. Wow! What an awesome Saviour He is!
As He said: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) And also: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did my brethren; gave His sinless life for our sinful ones!
That’s why we ought to be everlastingly grateful to Him! He could have refused, but He knew that He was the ONLY hope for mankind, and He just could not refuse the Father’s request, because He knew how much the Father LOVED us, and it would break His heart if He lost even one sheep to the enemy. So let’s have no more questions about why we should praise God and thank Him for Jesus on this cold November morning! Just do it! (smile) Much LOVE!
…without the Good Shepherd Jesus… the dumb sheep…mankind…would be lost in hellfire for ever…
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