23 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afflictions, amazing benefits, assurance, autobiography, boundless faith, Charles H Gabriel, Civilla D Martin, clouds arise, confidence, cripple, deepest recesses, Doolittle, doubts, draw closer to Jesus, Ethel Waters, fall to the ground, fear ye not, fears, first day of autumn, God's house, gospel hymn, gospel truth, Grammy Hall of fame, He watches me, His eye is on the sparrow, hurting heart, I sing, I was gald, I'm free, I'm happy, inspiration, into the house of the Lord, joy, Kirk Franklin, let us go, LOVE, Mahalia Jackson, more value, not one of them, peace, Praise the Lord, reassurance, rejoice, saints of God, sets me free, sold for a farthing, tempted, the eyes of heaven, the hairs of your head, the Lord reigns supreme, the Lord's sanctuary, the totem pole, two cents worth, two sparrows, without your Father, ye righteous
Matthew 10:29. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps.122:1) Oh what a wonderful idea that is this Sunday morning my brethren, the first day of autumn in the abnormal year of 2018! Bruh David was ever so glad for that invitation to go to the Lord’s sanctuary because he knew the amazing benefits it produced.
And going to God’s house still produces wonderful benefits to this day my people! Where else can you get the peace and joy, confidence and reassurance that come from a session of praise and thanksgiving, and hearing the Lord’s word being read and feeling it seeping into the deepest recesses of your hurting heart? Nowhere else friends, but in a place where the Lord reigns supreme!
And today we’re going to open with a Gospel Hymn written in 1905 by Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. ‘It is most associated with actress singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography. Mahalia Jackson’s recording of the song was honoured with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2010.’ Most of us though, might be more familiar with the Kirk Franklin version of a few years ago. And the name of that revered and moving song is ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow.’
So without further ado, let’s reach deep down into our souls and produce a real soulful version that will bring tears to the eyes of heaven. As one now: ‘Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me
(Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, for His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.) “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, and resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. (Refrain: I sing…)
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw closer to Him, from care he sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. (Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.’ (Repeat).
What a marvellous song my fellow believers! And it’s also filled with God-awesome truth! Everything it says is true! Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is constantly looking out for us, just like He’s doing for the sparrows of this world. And when life gets rough and tough we can simply go to Him and ask for comfort and reassurance…and we’ll get it. Glory to God!
The song was obviously inspired by words from the scriptures. Hear these reassuring words of Jesus in our Bit: ‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt.10:29-31) That’s the gospel truth friends!
We are indeed more important than the birds of the air, as Jesus says earlier on: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?’ (Matt.6:26) Ah mih people, we are indeed higher up the totem pole that the birds and other animals, which the Lord looks after so faithfully, so why won’t He look after us in the same, or even better manner eh? No reason whatsoever! We just have to have faith, trust in and surrender our lives to Him.
Now listen to this testimony and let it uplift our lives, because only a few of us can, or will ever personally know this level of suffering. Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, claimed this story as her inspiration. ‘Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle – true saints of God.
Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for night twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittle’s, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it.
Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ Yes friends, that is indeed what you call boundless faith! Not too many of us would go through such difficulties today with such aplomb, even though we now have many more amenities to alleviate that kind of suffering.
And Bruh David adds his two cents worth (smile) Of the Lord he says: ‘I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go: I will guide the with mine eye… Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.’ (Ps.32:8, 11)Yes friends, we couldn’t get any better advice on this the Lord’s Day, so let’s be wise and take it nuh. Much LOVE!
…man is God’s greatest creation…and He certainly treats us like such…
17 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a built in aversion, a disconnect, a lot of good, all have sinned, and come short, antidote, atrocities, aura of love, aversion, away from work, beat yourself up, belong mercies, blessings, chomping at the bit, Christians, confidence, confusion, diligent work for Jesus, do excellent, enthusiasm, eternal damnation, eternal life, evil, faith, feeling it, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, getting it together, glorious kingdom, glory to God, greedy, hold his head and bawl, hope, humble servants, hungry for wealth, in prayer, in your soul, iniquities, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, labour, Leaders, lies, lift your spirits, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, of the glory of God, peace, physical labour, power, problems, rebelled against him, reconnect, redemption, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, self-seeking, shame, sincere heart, sinful times, sinned against thee, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take it to Jesus, Thank You Lord, the human spirit, the tried and true narrow path, to the Lord our God, to work, toil, trust, truth, ungodly world, wannabe dictators, who shall stand, wisdom
Daniel 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.
Ah mih breddren, I know you’re feeling it in your soul; the fact that you have to go out and labour this Monday morning! Hn, Hn! And yuh know what? Many of us will feel like that at the beginning of every week for most, if not all of our working lives. It’s just something about being away from work, for even a couple of days, that causes a disconnect, and it’s so difficult to reconnect. (smile)
I think too that the human spirit has a built in aversion to very word ‘work’, as it brings to mind, toil, physical labour and all those things that run counter to our human nature. So please don’t beat yourself up if you’re one of those who have problems getting it together on Mondays, even though you’ve rested and fellowshipped and done all the right things. Just join with us as we take it to Jesus in prayer, in our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Believe me, it will do you a lot of good; lift your spirits and have you chomping at the bit to get out there and do excellent and diligent work for Jesus. I like to call it our antidote for all that ails us on a Monday morning. So let’s get busy and sing; sing with as much enthusiasm as you can muster, but make sure that your heart’s sincere.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh mih people, yuh see the ole fella wasn’t lying when he said that it would do you good; lift your spirits and get you enthused for Jesus! Glory be mih breddren! There’s nothing like sincere and humble prayer to lift our spirits and get us back on the tried and true narrow path where Jesus reigns secure!
And today I just want to remind us, to bring to our attention, the wonderful God we serve and worship, the way Daniel did when he prayed for his sinful people. He said: ‘O Lord, to us belongeth confusion (shame) of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.’ (Dan.9:8) And believe me people, we are living in the most sinful times ever.
Daniel thought his time was bad, but today he would hold his head and bawl at the atrocities and shameful stuff that we’re doing, and even considering some of it normal and right. Steups! Our world’s leadership is petty, greedy, self-seeking and ever so hungry for wealth and power! And to that end, the latest trend is that they all want to be dictators, but they are the most inept and inefficient group of leaders I’ve seen in my life time. And yuh know what?
Unfortunately their behaviour sets the tone for our society’s lifestyle and behaviour. And it’s sad how we adopt their bad habits, including turning away from God. Ah friends, it’s a good thing we have the God we do have yes, otherwise crapaud surely smoke we pipe! For as Daniel rightly says in our Bit:‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Thank You Lord for not giving us our just desserts, but instead showering us with your LOVING-kindness and forgiveness!’ And so should we be ever grateful and thankful! Oh friends, I don’t know what it’s going to take for us to realize the seriousness of our world situation nuh, with all the negative, ungodly stuff we’re so blithely and blatantly affirming.
And as the psalmist rightly asks in Psalm 130: ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?’ (Ps.130:3) And the overwhelming answer to that is ‘NOBODY!’ Why? ‘For all have sinned and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23) Yes friends, we have all gone astray, overstepped our boundaries, transgressed God’s law! Put it any way you want it, we’re simply not good enough to stand before a holy and almighty God in our own right.
However, as the psalmist continues: ‘But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe). I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning’ (Ps.130:4-6) That’s how strong the psalmist faith was!
And in closing, I’d like to strongly advise us all to do as he suggests; wait and watch for the Lord and faithfully and patiently hope in His word, ‘for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption.’ (Ps.130:7b) Much LOVE!
…only by embracing God’s mercy and forgiveness…will we escape eternal damnation…
10 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise, abominable sins, anitdote, aura of love, awe-inspiring, believe in Jesus, blessings, boldness, change our evil ways, coincidence, compassion, condemn the world, confidence, do Jesus' work, drought, economic deprivation, enthusiasm, eternal life, everlasting life, evil, faithful, famine, floods, for our benefit, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God so loved the world, God's wrath, godless, he gave his only begotten son, heavenly Father, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, hurricane Gordon, inspiration, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, LOVE, Love our God, man made problems, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, most precious gift, natural disasters, new every morning, plague, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, sacrifice, salvation, save the world, should not perish, showers of blessings, sinful, sinless life, sit up, so easy, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, storms, strife, sufficient, take a deep breath, take serious notice, Thank You Lord, the greatest, the most powerful force, the throne of grace, true, trust, truth, ungodly world, war, warning, what ails you, whosoever believes in him, wild fires, wiles, wisdom
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And through our heavenly Father’s mercy and compassion, which are new every morning, much needed showers of blessings are generously falling upon the dry land in my area! Thank You Lord! Let’s just hope it isn’t associated with rain that’s being caused by hurricane Gordon out on the East Coast. And just for your information, there were three hurricanes forming in the Atlantic yesterday, and one over Hawaii’s way.
Friends, let’s pray that they just fizzle out and don’t do any damage nuh, because we can’t handle much more of God’s wrath. And believe me, some, if not all of it, is indeed God’s wrath, for the sinful, evil and godless way we’re living!
Look at all over the world nuh, at how unexpected, unusual and very destructive natural disasters are happening. Just think about the famine, the plague, the drought, the wild fires, the floods and storms that are currently or have recently afflicted our world. Is that just coincidence? And I won’t bother to even throw in the man made problems like war and strife and economic deprivation that are so prevalent in today’s world!
Friends, it’s time we sit up and take serious notice. The Lord isn’t pleased, and He’s warning us to change our evil ways. What does the Good Book say? A word to the wise is sufficient? Let’s get wise and see the light nuh!
Anyhow, it’s Monday, and work is upon us again. And some of us still find it difficult to get up and get going. So what’s the answer eh? I humbly suggest singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with us, because I believe it’s the antidote for anything that ails you today. And why do I believe that? Because it’s prayer, the most powerful force in God’s great universe.
So let’s take a deep breath, get our prayer faces on, (smile) and come before the throne of grace with boldness and confidence, but also with suitable humility. All together 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!’
Yeh friends, yuh see how it works! Our spirits have been lifted though the working of the Holy Spirit, and now we’re enthused, ready and able, to go out and do Jesus’ work, spread His LOVE, care and compassion to all we meet. Glory to God! He’s such a wonderful, awe inspiring Deity! That’s why so many of us just live our lives for Him, by following in the footsteps of His sacrificed Son, Jesus Christ!
Oh people, don’t even get me talking about Jesus nuh! Because He’s just the GREATEST! Anybody who could leave a comfortable life in heaven and come down to this plagued earth and sacrifice their sinless life to pay for my abominable sins… well brother, yuh know in my book, they are indeed the GREATEST! And that’s exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did!
So I’ll tell you again…He is the GREATEST! Maybe if you hear it often enough you might believe. (smile) And you know where all of that began, where it started? From the grace, mercy, compassion and LOVE of our heavenly Father, of our Creator! Wow! How could there be any other God but Him eh?
Listen to how His Son, Jesus Christ puts it in our Bit. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Mama Mia! What a great God we serve and worship my brethren! All the other supposed gods are only interested in taking away from us and making life difficult for us, but Jehovah God sincerely desires to give us, the most precious gift of all, eternal life through belief in His Son Jesus! Wow!
And hear Jesus again nuh: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And that calls for another big Wow, friends! And He made it all so easy; just believe in His Son Jesus Christ! It couldn’t be any easier than that my brethren. So let’s get wise and pay serious attention to Jesus and all that He stands for nuh. Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not His. Much LOVE!
…believe…only believe…that’s all it takes…
P.S. I like it friends. I like how this Bit came together ever so smoothly. I didn’t have to work hard on it at all. The inspiration just flowed as I wrote. That’s why I must LOVE our God; He’s ever so faithful and true. But don’t think it happens so easily everyday nuh. Not on yuh life! Plenty days I have to work hard at it. But it’s all worth it. I sincerely hope that the Bits inspire you too. Much LOVE!
03 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living example, a persecutor of the church, action plan, aura of love, back to where we were, bad judgement, birthright, brave souls, Christ-like stuff, confidence, consider one another, decent wages, discipline, drunk or sober mind your business, employers, enthusiasm, epitome, evil, faithful is he who calls you, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God's faithfulness, good works, gospel truth, guidance, half a chance, He is faithful that promised, his compassions fail not, hold fast, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in spades, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, judged the book by the cover, keep you from evil, keeps faith lifted, Labour Day, lies, LOVE, make known God's faithfulness, man's inhumanity to man, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mysterious ways, new every morning, no souls, oppressor, paid vacations, peace, Pinkertons, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, salvation, sing of the Lord's mercies, sit on your fannies, spiritual armour, stand up strong, steadfast faith, stir up LOVE, testify to, the error of my ways, the Lord's mercies, the profession of faith, things of the world, to all generations, trust, truth, ungodly world, Unions, winning rights, wisdom, with my mouth, without wavering, working conditions
1 Thessalonians 5:24. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Ah friends, our God does move in mysterious ways yes! He proved it to me one more time this evening, as my path happened to cross with a Scrip-Bit family acquaintance. Now, recently I’ve been wondering how many people that receive the Bit really read it every day, or even most days. And strangely enough, she was one of those, who, as a young, good looking lady, I figured was too taken up with the things of the world to bother with such Christ-like stuff.
But was I ever wrong, because she excitedly informed me that she reads the Bit every day, enjoys it, it inspires her, keeps her faith lifted. I had to laugh friends, because this just happened out of the blue. Our paths cross every so often, but she never said anything before, and I’ve sometimes wondered if I’m wasting her time and mine by sending her the Bit.
But yuh see mih people, one more instance where I judged the book by the proverbial cover and totally made a bad judgement. (smile) It took the Lord in His wisdom and mysterious way to enlighten me and show me the error of my ways. So please learn from my mistake; stop judging others by how they look on the outside. Find out what’s inside first. Thank You Lord for the lesson! Thank you Tammy for the unexpected encouragement!
Now let’s move on. Today is Monday, Labour Day Monday to boot, which for many of us is a holiday. But friends we do need to understand and appreciate what those who went before us in the workforce did, standing up strong against the powerful oppressor and winning the rights we do have today. Many of them even gave their lives to do it, because the holders of wealth and power wanted to keep workers in semi-slavery forever, if they could.
Think about the Pinkertons; that brutal private police force that was used to enforce the employer’s wishes. But those brave souls fought and died and eventually through unions won the fairly decent wages and working conditions we now have; things like weekends off and paid vacations.
So please don’t take them for granted, or as your birthright, and simply sit on your fannies, you also have to stand up strong , because employers are now trying to move us back to where we once were. And given half a chance, they will too, because they have no souls and are the epitome of man’s inhumanity to man!
However, some of us have to go and labour so that our 24/7 society can function properly. So let’s join together and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and give those unfortunate ones some encouragement nuh. With as much enthusiasm as we can muster: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And as always those who are staying home are the loudest. But please remember in all the celebrations, that drunk or sober, to mind yuh business. Is Granny who say so. Now all I want to do today is remind us of God’s faithfulness by sharing some scriptures on the subject.
Ah friends, if it’s one thing I can testify to it’s the Lord’s faithfulness. Just look at how long I’ve been writing the Bit, over eleven years now, and I believe I’ve missed one day, early on in the show. And my goal is to not miss any days at all while I continue to write it. But how do you think I’ve been able to keep that discipline eh? It’s not through my power, but by the Lord’s! And do you think I choose the topics every day? No way! Many days I don’t have a clue as to what to write on, but every day I ask for guidance and end up being surprised by His faithfulness.
As Bruh Paul says so simply, but so truthfully in our Bit: ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ I am a living example of that friends! Remember when He first called me, I laughed and said I couldn’t do it. But He persevered…and finally I agreed…and He set about proving His faithfulness to me.
And Bruh Paul knew the Lord’s faithfulness in spades, because look at how He took him from being a persecutor of the church, to one of its staunchest planters and defenders! And he reiterates to the Thessalonians in his second letter. ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil (the evil one). (2 Thess.3:3)
Meanwhile, the author of Hebrews sincerely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised). And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:23-24)
And this scripture we all know: ‘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.’ (Lam.3:22-23) And that’s the gospel truth friends!
That’s why to show our true appreciation for the Lord’s faithfulness, we should be saying and doing like Ethan the Ezrahite says in his psalm. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1) Let’s make that our action plan nuh mih people, because it’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…if believers don’t talk of God’s faithfulness…how will others know about it eh…
30 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep inner wholeness, Beautiful Things Happen, bountiful blessings, changing circumstances, close association with God, comapssionate heart, comforting God, confidence, courage, creativity, curse, day by day, delivers them, discovering hidden treasures, do for myself, eyes full of tears, faith, favour, give thanks, gladness for the upright in heart, gladness in my heart, God's goodness, God's unsurpassable generosity, guidance, hang with the Lord, harvest time. agrarian society, hate evil, he preserves the souls of his saints, in a lifetime, in quietness, indisputable truth, joy in our souls, less dependent on others, lie down in peace, light is sown for the righteous, live life with God, Love the Lord, make their own decisions, makes me dwell in safety, mercy, more than in the time, my heart is full of joy, negative word, not so easily disturbed, One Year Book of Bible promises, out of the hand of the wicked, peace of mind, populace exults, prosperity, Rejoice in the Lord, responsive to, Ruth Harms Calkin, share blessings, show it in our conduct, sincerely befriend, talent, that's life, the assurance, the memory of his holy name, the vagaries of the weather, their corn and wine increased, thou has put, Thursday Blessings, trust in God, turning away from God, whispered secrets, wisdom
Psalm 4:7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.
It’s a beautiful though somewhat cool Thursday morning! Yeh, the vagaries of the weather are already showing up. And if the weather people are right, today won’t be anywhere as hot as the last two days. But as the man says: ‘That’s life!’ And so we have to live it as it comes.
And yuh know what friends? When we live this life with God, ‘Beautiful Things Happen,’ as our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin tells us.
Please pray with me. ‘O God Such beautiful things happen When I meet you day by day In quietness and confidence. There is a deep inner wholeness And the assurance of Your guidance. I am not so easily disturbed By changing circumstances. I am less dependent on others And more dependent on You.
My eyes may be full of tears But my heart is full of joy. In discovering Your hidden treasures I learn how deeply I am treasured by You. When day by day I am responsive To Your whispered secrets You do more for me in one day Than I could do for myself in a lifetime.’
Indisputable truth friends! All of it! Every last word! When we hang with the Lord daily, beautiful things do happen in our lives! Glory to God, my brethren! Oh, if only the majority of the world would hear that, believe it and do it eh! What a wonderful place our world would indeed be!
And we would all be saying like Bruh David does in our Bit, taken from his evening prayer of trust in God, which is the Bible Promise associated with the ‘Beautiful Things Happen’ prayer. ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn (grain) and wine increased.’
Oh precious people of God, isn’t that saying something? It surely is, if we can have more joy in our souls than the people have at harvest time. For harvest time is indeed the most joyful time of the year in an agrarian society. That time when the whole populace exults over the bountiful blessings that the Lord has showered down on them. And if one can get happier than that that, then it is indeed a joyous time, and only possible through close association with our heavenly Father.
And hear how Bruh David continues nuh. As a consequence of such gladness in God, he proudly proclaims: ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8)
Oh my people, my people, what assurance we can get when we sincerely befriend our great and LOVING and comforting God! He allows us to lie down and sleep in peace, no worries whatsoever! Now who in their right minds wouldn’t want to have that experience eh? Apparently a lot of people, because a lot of them are turning away from God.
All I can say to that though friends, is that as for me and mine, we WILL follow the Lord! No ifs and buts about it! Who doesn’t want to follow Him and enjoy the joy and peace of mind it brings, that’s their problem. We can only tell them about it and try to show it in our conduct. They still have to make their own decisions.
Listen to what another psalmist says on the subject. ‘For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that LOVE the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance (for the memory) of his holiness (His holy name).’ (Ps.97:9-12)
Oh ye current day saints of God, are you living such joyful lives; rejoicing and giving thanks? I certainly hope so. And if you aren’t, then it’s all your fault, for the Lord our God and faithful Provider has placed it all out there for us to enjoy. It’s now left to us to accept the gladness and mercy that He offers. Please be wise and reach out and accept it, for it doesn’t get any better than God’s goodness.
Now for those of us who have wisely accepted God’s goodness and seen the prosperity in our lives, let’s go home declaring the myriad blessings that the Lord has showered down on us; so much so that our souls can hardly contain them. (smile)
As one strong, enthusiastic and sincere voice 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!’
Ah mih people, that shows God’s unsurpassable generosity! Now let’s go out and be just as generous nuh, for that’s why He showered us with so many blessings in the first place. Much LOVE!
…blessings are not truly blessings…until they are shared…
27 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a grain of mustard seed, a pension, all things, ask, ask for in prayer, aura of love, boredom, Christians, confidence, decisions, do nothing, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fasting, fig tree, flesh is weak, friends, glorious kingdom, grace, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, in control of wealth, inactivity, it shall be given to you, it shall be opened, Jesus Christ, joy, knock, lesser mortals, lies, lifestyles, LOVE, mercy, merry-go-round, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, mover and shaker, nothing shall be impossible to you, power, prayer, put out to pasture, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, remove hence, renewed vitality, rest, retirement, righteousness., rougher, salvation, seek, serious business, spirit is willing, spiritual armour, standard of living, steadfast faith, tongue in cheek, tougher, trust, truth, unbelief, ungodly world, waning years, wisdom, ye shall find, ye shall receive
Matthew 21:22. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
So the whole new workweek rigmarole begins again today eh friends! I know it gets rather tedious and frustrating sometimes, doing the same thing every week, like you’re on a merry-go-round that never stops. But that’s just the way of life in our Western Society.
And then, after numerous years of merry-go-rounding, you’re put out to pasture, nicely termed retirement, when you are allowed, or expected to sit at home and do nothing, and consequently so many of us just waste away and die of boredom and inactivity. Something’s wrong with that picture, isn’t it?
But I guess that those in control of wealth and power in our society don’t care too much about us lesser mortals, so they work us like slaves when we’re young, then when our bodies can’t handle the slave labour any longer, they just cast us on the scrap heap with a few measly dollars, nicely termed a pension, on which we’re seldom ever able to maintain our accustomed standard of living. But again, that’s Western Society for you!
And if you want to be able to collect the measly few pension dollars somewhere down the line, you’d better get up and get yourself out to labour this Monday morning, because the end amount depends on your consistency now.
Ah friends, I’m chuckling as I write this tongue in cheek, but it’s serious business. The decisions we make today will affect our lives and lifestyles in our waning years. So please, let’s do the wise and sensible thing nuh; hie thee hither to labour. (smile)
And if your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak, then join us in trilling our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which is a sure antidote for anything that ails you on this first day of the new workweek. Altogether now, with whatever enthusiasm you can muster.
‘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 people! I know we’re all beginning to breathe easier and more positively, because the Holy Spirit is working its blessedness in us. So take heart, for once the Holy Spirit refills our spirits with God’s grace and mercy, we WILL go out and do an excellent job in Jesus’ name!
And why is that? Because Jesus assured us of it in our Bit: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ And we just asked for it in prayer above. Why pray, if you don’t believe that your prayers will be answered eh?
The disciples were amazed at the simple words Jesus said to a fig tree that had no fruit. ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever,’ (Matt.21:19) and it just dried up and withered in a day’s time. Then Jesus solemnly informed them: ‘Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto the mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.’ (Matt.21:21)
Faith, friends, is the great mover and shaker in a believer’s life. If you have it, you can move mountains, but if you don’t then times will be even rougher and tougher for you in this abysmal world in which we currently live. And remember when the disciples could not remove a demon from a child and they asked Jesus why?
He said to them: ‘Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out by prayer and fasting.’ (Matt.17:20-21)
And remember also, these applicable words of Jesus earlier on. ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8)
Ah friends, yuh see the same basic things are important in each believer’s life; praying, fasting, asking, seeking, knocking and believing. And I guess the saying that faith moves mountains is derived from the words of Jesus on the subject. So let’s try and build up our faith, today and everyday we’re alive nuh. It will provide enormous and outstanding benefits. Much LOVE!
…without faith…it is impossible to go to God…
23 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy calling, Acclamation Day, according to our works, all things work together for good, as for me and my house, assurance, before the world began, called according to His purpose, Christ-like, compassionate heart, confidence, courage, curse, divine perspective, eternal glory in Christ, faith, flaming colour, friends show their love, God will supply all my needs, his own purpose and grace, his riches in glory, human perspective, I can do all things through Christ, I will live a balanced life, I will not tolerate strife, if God be for me, implicityly trusted, in times of trouble, Job, life changing power, LOVE, make me strong, make things happen, negative word, passion, power in the Word, promise, restore me, self-control, self-discipline, sincerity, success, suffered a while, sufficient rest every day, the God of all grace, the good of all, this is the day the Lord has made, those that Love God, Though he slay me, Thursday Blessings, true disciples of Christ, we will be glad and rejoice in it, we will follow the Lord, who can be against me, words of truth and power, yet will I trust in him
Romans 8:28. And we know that ALL things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Well friends, this is Acclamation Day! I’ve listed a few acclamations for us to speak out loud, because we all know that there is power in the Word of the Lord. The universe was created by the Lord speaking words of truth and power, and when we speak His words, we also project truth and power and make things happen. Some of you might want to copy this list, possibly adding some personalized ones and speak them out loud everyday.
So let’s begin with this all important one for starting our day on the right foot. ‘This the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) ‘God WILL supply ALL of my needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil.4:19) ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13) ‘I WILL NOT tolerate strife in my life!’
‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh.24:15) ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? NOBODY! (Rom.8:31) ‘I WILL live a balanced life and I WILL get sufficient rest each and every day!’
‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’ (Euripides) ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ after I HAVE suffered a little while, WILL Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ (1 Pet.5:10)
Oh me oh my! What beautiful words of promise, courage, confidence and assurance my people! It’s God’s Word; the Truth! And if we speak them with passion, sincerity and strong faith, then they will eventually come through.
But we have to keep on speaking them and believing them even when we don’t see anything happening in the natural. Just believe that the Lord is working out ALL things for our good in the background, and in His time and fashion we will see them come to pass!
And how do we know all of that eh? Because our Bit, God’s truthful Word assures us of it. ‘And we know that ALL things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ What an awesome and wonderful God we serve my brethren!
And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate this fact because they LOVE Him no matter what. (c.f. Job 13:15). To them who are called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
Yeh people, God’s overall purpose is to work out everything for good in the universe He created, but those of us who LOVE Him with pure hearts and are thrilled to do His will, can appreciate His doings more than those who aren’t familiar with Him. And as the scholars suggest above, Job puts it in flaming colour. ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain (defend) my own ways before him.’ (Job 13:15)
What powerful words of faith and trust my brethren. As the scholars declare: ‘13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust God.’
Oh my believing brethren, do we believe that strong, that even when God seems distant or turned away from us, we still trust in Him? For all our sakes I do hope so, because that’s the level of faith we need to become truly Christ-like.
Remember, even when Jesus Christ cried out on the cross about being forsaken by the Father, although it was the roughest moment of His existence, He still trusted Him implicitly because He knew that the Father would never really turn against Him, that what He was doing, was for the good of ALL.
And we too have to come to that level of faith friends, so that whatever happens in our lives, even though it seems at odds with God’s Word, and we don’t understand it, we don’t doubt His overall purpose of goodness.
Now hear these words of Bruh Paul to Timothy as he warns him to stay true to His purpose in Christ. ‘Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (time).’ (2 Tim.1:9).
Yes faithful followers of Christ, we’ve been called long before everything was set in motion, so let’s stand strong now and do what we’ve been called to do nuh, as true disciples of Christ. And today being Thursday, let’s shout out our Thursday Blessings, to let the whole world know how truly blessed we are, as followers of the one and only Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings.
In full voice 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!’
Mama Mia! What a day of acclamations and declarations of God’s Word! Now let’s go out and share those wonderful blessings with others who are not so fortunate, for that’s why Jesus blessed us with them. Much LOVE!
…there is power in the Word…power in the Word…life changing power…in the Word of the Lord…
20 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new workweek, afraid of nothing, all power, ambassadors, an awesome God we serve, aura of love, authority, bring them out unscathed, Christians, commitment, confidence, die on the cross, enthusiasm, floods, friends, get on the good foot, glory to God, go and teach, goodness of god, He will make a way, humble servants, in heaven and in earth, ingrates, invincible, James brown, Jesus Chriss, Jesus died on the cross, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, make disciples of all nations, make known thy faithfulness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not smelling of smoke, of the mercies of the Lord, only one God, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, rise and shine, salvation, save us from our evil doings, sincere hearts, sing, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strong voice, the end of the world, the Great Commission, to all generations, trust, truth, ungodly world, victory, wisdom, with my mouth, work the works of Jesus
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Rise and shine my people, it’s a brand new Monday, of a brand new work week, and it’s overflowing with brand new mercies and blessings! Glory to God my brethren, for He will never leave us to suffer unnecessarily. Where there is no way, He will make a way! And when it seems we’ll be consumed by the fires of this world, oh friends, He’ll bring us through them unscathed, not even smelling of smoke.
What an awesome God we serve my fellow believers! And it’s the same with the floods; when they seem ready to overwhelm us, to drown us, He’s promised to bring us through them safely. So what is there for us to be afraid of in this world eh? Absolutely NOTHING! Because the universe belongs to our God, our Father, and He is in total control and will not let evil overcome His children!
His commitment to that was so strong that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us from our evil doings. So if this Monday morning you are troubled, in dismay, or simply tired and down in the dumps, then please join us in singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for it lifts our spirits and puts us back on the good foot, like Papa James Brown would say. (smile)
So without further ado, let’s get into it nuh, as one purposeful choir, in strong voice and sincere hearts. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that’s the antidote for whatever ails us this Monday morning! I’m sure you can feel your spirit rising and your soul being reinvigorated, as the adrenaline courses through your body. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit working in us friends! And with such a marvellous transformation taking place, we subsequently have to go out and work the works of Jesus, with a good attitude and a joyful spirit.
It’s imperative that we let the world know, not only by our talk, but more importantly by our walk, of the abundant goodness of God and His exceeding faithfulness and their need to come to Him, just as they are, for comfort and succour. Yeh friends, we have to go out and do like the psalmist Ethan says in our Bit. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to ALL generations.’
Now that’s our bounden duty my fellow Christians! Remember Jesus’ Great Commission to His disciples and to all subsequent believers: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:18-20)
Yeh friends, as the scholars explain: ‘28:18-20. The triumphant living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christ) by the risen Saviour through His disciples. All power or authority (Gr. exousia) is now in the hands of Christ, in heaven and on earth. On the basis of that authority and power the Christian disciple is to carry out the Great Commission of the church.’
And it’s a joy to go out into this evil world and do that. Why? Listen to the psalmist as he further exalts the Lord, extols His wonderful attributes. ‘Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. Justice and judgement (righteousness and justice) are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy (LOVING-kindness) and truth shall go before thy face.
Blessed is the people that know the joyful song: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn (our strength) is exalted.’ (Ps.89:13-17)
Now, with all of that going for us, how can we not be excited and enthused, and delighted to go out and extol the wonders of our God eh? We’d be truly a sorry bunch of ingrates if we felt otherwise. Much LOVE!
…the mercies and faithfulness of our God…can never be surpassed by anyone else…for there is ONLY ONE GOD…the ONE we worship…
13 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirmative attitude, antidote, aura of love, chief scout, chutzpah, confidence, conversation with Jesus, earning our pay, enables us, enthusiasm, evil, falling asleep, five days a week, foundation, free choice, God willing, guards in vain, Guide, heartfelt cry, holy spirit, humble servants, humming a happy tune, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, LOVE, low productivity, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, money, negative state of affairs, on the road, parking lot scenes, productive time, reducing stress, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, sickness, spirit level, spiritual armour, spiritual walk, steadfast faith, summer season, taunts, the Lord build the house, the Lord keep the city, the one who strenthens us, the watchman waketh in vain, they labour in vain, till we meet again, to get wealth, traffic jams, trust, truth, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom
Psalm 127:1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (stays awake in vain).
And as the summer season of 2018 winds down, so do the long weekends and short work weeks. We only have Labour Day and Thanksgiving to look forward to before Christmas. That means we’ll be really earning our pay, on the road five days a week, facing the stressful traffic jams morning and evening.
Yuh know, every time I get caught up in one of those highway parking lot scenes, I can’t help but think of the great amount of money and productive time our society loses with so many of us just sitting in our cars, literally crawling to work or home. And these traffic jams are getting worse instead of better because more cars are coming on the road than are being taken off.
Now I don’t claim to know how to fix the problem, but I think it’s something we should seriously look at because it would be of the utmost benefit to our society, greatly reducing the stress, tiredness, sickness and low productivity we now suffer because of the gridlock on the roads. But until some bright mind comes up with a solution to the problem, we’ll just have to grin and endure it my brethren.
Remember too that Jesus is always in our cars, right beside us, so we can just have easy conversation with Him, while we listen to some inspiring music and not let the endless traffic back-up spoil our day. You can’t get a better co-pilot and conversationalist than Jesus!
Now for those of us who find it difficult to get going on a Monday morning, we have the sure antidote for that negative state of affairs. It’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn; a powerful, sincere and heartfelt cry to our heavenly Father. So let’s sing it and raise our spirit level nuh…with plenty positive expectation and chutzpah to match. (smile)
All together 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!’
Yay friends! I can see the effect already. A light has gone on in our eyes, and our movements are more sprightly and positive, and we’re humming a happy tune! Wow! Please, let’s keep up that affirmative attitude as we go out today and talk about Jesus, as well as exemplify Him in our behaviour. That’s all He asks of us.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep (guards) the city, the watchman waketh but in vain (stays awake in vain).’
And that my people is truth to the nth degree, undeniable truth! If the Lord isn’t involved in building whatever we’re building; a house, a business, our spiritual walk, you name it, then it will not be built properly, and/or it will not last. That’s because our great God must be the foundation stone in ALL we do for it to stand strong and prosper.
Remember He is the One who enables us to get wealth, the One who strengthens us so that we can do ALL things. ALL things are possible with Him, and without Him we can do nothing much in our own strength. Even when we’re watching for the enemy to attack during the night, if we’re not watching with the Lord as our companion, guide and chief scout, the enemy will be upon us before we even know it.
Remember Jesus parable about the houses built on rock and on sand? (Matt.7:24-27) Only the one built on the rock will withstand the storms of time, because it’s built on a foundation that’s God! Ah friends, such is the way of the universe! That’s how it’s Creator created it and though we have free choice to do as we please, we’d be wise to do as the Creator planned.
And we’ll finish there for today because what I still have to say would make it way too long. And let me apologize for the Bit being this late, but as I was writing it earlier on, I began falling asleep on myself, (smile) so the only solution was to get some sleep. The ole bod was definitely not its usual self this morning.
So till we meet again on the morrow, God willing of course, please have a bright, blessed and prosperous day! And remember both God and I LOVE you very much! Much LOVE!
…nothing built on a weak foundation lasts…especially our lives…
06 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and not faint, at noon, aura of love, blessings, Caribana Monday, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Christians, come together, confidence, cry aloud, disobedience, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, evening, faith, fears, foolishness, give up on prayer, glorious kingdom, grace, Granny's warning, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, ill-will, in every thing give thanks, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus spake a parabble, joy, keep God close, lies, lose heart, LOVE, marrow to our bones, mature believers, men ought always to pray, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morning, negative consequences, parable, peace, petty differences, pray without ceasing, put aside, raising our song to heaven, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take them to heart, the Father's listening ears, the will of God, trust, ungodly world, victories, will I pray, wisdom
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
And then it was Caribana Monday… Oh I’ve been calling it Caribana all weekend, but that’s no longer the official title nuh since the original committee was stripped of the authority to put on the festival a few years ago, and they ended up in court over the name.
Don’t ask me what the official name is nuh, because I don’t know, and don’t particularly want to know either. (smile) History will always call this weekend, what it’s supposed to be called: Caribana! End of story.
And by the way it’s not a Federally instigated holiday, but a local government proclamation, so it’s mostly the banks and government offices that are closed, meaning that a lot of folks still have to get up and go out to work, while a blessed few are able to stay home or go out to the numerous parties around the place.
That means there will obviously be some ill will between the two groups, but as mature believers I’m sure we can put our petty differences aside and come together to sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which will energize and refresh all of us, because we’re all tired from participating in the weekend’s festivities So whether you’re going to work or have the day off, let’s concentrate on raising our song to heaven and the Father’s listening ears.
Altogether 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!’
And now we’re all ready and rearing to go out and do Jesus’ work! Wow! How invigorating and refreshing is sincere prayer! You just can’t beat it for restoring the doldrums in our souls. That’s why Jesus gave this strong advice in our Bit. ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
Yes my breddren, we ought never to lose heart, to give up on prayer and our faithful, omnipotent and gracious God! That’s because prayer lends sustenance to our souls and our spirits. No wonder Bruh Paul also told us to ‘pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That means to lend ourselves continually to prayer.
And it’s not like we’re supposed to walk around praying audibly every minute of every day, but we ought to be in a godly space most of the time. That’s a place where God is more on our minds than He is not. Where we don’t do stuff, or make decisions without consulting Him. Where we share our fears and hopes, and thank Him for even the small victories that we have as we journey through each day.
Bruh Paul said that too: ‘In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess.5:18) So whether the times are good or the times are rough, we need to keep a good prayerful, thankful attitude. The important thing is to keep God close at hand, let Him be an integral part of our everyday lives, the way He desires to be.
Oh, and for those of you who will be in the party scene today, please remember Granny’s wise words: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ And I know some of you think it’s foolishness, but if we’re truthful, we can all look back at some particular time(s) and genuinely wish that we had followed it, because of the negative consequences we’ve suffered, or might still be suffering for our disobedience.
And we’ll close this Caribana Monday morning with some appropriate words from Bruh David. ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice…. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps.55:16-17,22)
Truer words were never spoken friends. So let’s be wise and take them to heart nuh, they will be marrow to our bones (strength to our souls). Much LOVE!
…as believers…we ought to spend more time in simple prayer…and the giving of thanks for small mercies…
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