03 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a figment of our imagination, a good man, after one time is two, Anselm, at the mercy of, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, children of God, Christians, common sense, consciences, cruel and unjust punishment, deceit, deceitful times, discretion, do good, do not repay, drunk or sober, Eastern Parkway, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, fraudulent, generous, gracious, Granny's wisdom, greedy, guide his affairs, hands slapped, he is kind to the unthanksful, indisputable truth, Jesus, labour day weekend, lend, lends, Love your enemies, merciful, mercy, mince words, mind yuh business, our duty, peace, perpetrate fraud, piddling things, prioritize our efforts, put it into action, reward, righteousness endures for ever, rocket science, show mercy, shows favour, sorry comment, strife, talk to your enemies, tattooed to your heart, the Big Apple, the children of the Highest, the evil, the righteous, the righteous show mercy and give, the wicked borrow, want to make peace, with the help of God, you reap what you sow, your reward shall be great
Psalm 37:21. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth.
Well friends and neighbours, it’s Saturday; Labour Day Saturday to boot! You know I didn’t even remember that this was the long, Labour Day weekend. That just goes to show how things and times have changed. As my Auntie Anne told me the other night when we were talking on the phone; ‘After one time is two yes nephew!’
And that’s ever so true. I never used to miss a Labour Day in the Big Apple. And my Auntie thought I was calling to say that I was coming down this weekend, because that’s how it would happen. I would say that I wasn’t coming, then last minute I’d call and say, I’m on my way. But unfortunately, that’s no longer in vogue. I can’t even handle the walking in Toronto’s Caribana street parade, much less that on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.
And besides, the parades and them not as good as they were; the mas and the music are of inferior quality compared to earlier times. That brings to mind my last Labour Day in New York, I believe it was in 2007. My Auntie Anne and I had to park miles from the parade because there were no parking spots to be had close by, and then walk to the Parkway. Hn!
The walk there in the afternoon hot sun was bad enough, but walking back later in the evening after the parade ended…Steups! That was murder; cruel and unusual punishment! (smile) Anyway, with the help of the Good Lord we made it back in one piece, but certainly aching in the joints and body.
However, before I forget, let me dispense Granny’s wisdom, for it’s on occasions such as this, that it’s ultra-important. ‘Sonny Boy, a beg yuh please…when yuh go out there… drunk or sober…please mind yuh business, because is times like these, when the devil is most likely to pounce unsuspecting…!’ Oh my people, this Labour Day weekend, as you celebrate, please don’t leave home without that critical piece of advice tattooed to your heart, mind and soul!
And now, since it seems to have become a Saturday routine, let’s check out a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. The first quote says: ‘If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.’
Now that’s not rocket science, but strictly common sense, for you and your friends should always be at peace. Unfortunately though in today’s strife –filled world, not too many enemies are seriously and sincerely talking to each other, consequently peace is mostly a figment of our imagination.
And the second quote from Anselm tells us that: ‘Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.’ That’s also not rocket science but simply common sense. In this crazy and busy world of ours, where so many things call for our attention, we must prioritize our efforts and plans on those things which are more important to the successful running of our lives.
However, too many of us tend to get tied up in the small, unimportant things and thus make our lives harder than necessary. Time is of the essence my brethren, so we need to use it wisely, don’t waste it by getting too involved in the piddling things of life. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, some interesting words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth.’
And isn’t that indisputable truth my brethren? Of course it is! And it’s indeed a sad and sorry comment on the state of our society, especially in these fraudulent, greedy and deceitful times, when consciences seem to have disappeared, where honour and truthful dealings have apparently been turfed out, and we lie and deceive with impunity.
White collar crime has certainly been on the rise in the last decade or so and seems to be getting worse with each passing day. And the sad part is that many of the people who have been defrauded by the wicked, don’t ever see a penny of their money again and are basically left to suffer while the defrauder merely has his hands slapped. But that’s our modern-day society for you!
Meanwhile the righteous, of which there are never enough, are the ones who show mercy and give to those in need. And so it should be friends, if we’re to be true followers of Jesus. Christians ought to be amongst the most merciful and generous, although I’m not so sure that we are, for we perpetrate a lot of fraud and deceit on one another too.
But nonetheless, let’s check out a few scriptures that encourage us to be merciful and generous. From Psalm 112 – Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord – come these two beautiful verses. ‘A good man showeth favour (is gracious), and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion… He (a good man) hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour.’ (Ps.112:5, 9)
Yes my people, that’s how a true believer in Christ ought to behave. But how many of us really behave that way eh? I’d venture to say, certainly not enough, otherwise the hunger, poverty, sickness, and other negative things that are currently engulfing our world would not be half as bad.
Now let’s end with some words from Jesus Himself. ‘But LOVE ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36)
Aye friends, Jesus didn’t mince any words there, He spelled it out as simply and straightforwardly as possible. Now it’s our duty to go out and put all that He said there into action, if we want to be true children of God. Much LOVE!
…he who wants mercy and forgiveness…must also mete out mercy and forgiveness…for what you sow…is what you will reap…
21 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a world of iniquity, alive and kicking, Alleluia, an evil man, awesome power, blessings, boasteth great things, bridle our tongues, by thy words, condemned, control life and death, corrupt communication, death, deceit, defiles the whole body, demonic, depart from evil, derogatory, devilish, do good, earthly, eat the fruit thereof, edifying, eternal truth, every idle word, existence, favour, fellow believers, fill the earth, fire of hell, flimsy excuses, give account, good treasure, grace, grieve not the Holy Spirit, indisputable truth, joyful praise, justified, keep thy tongue from evil, life, minister grace, new media, peace, praise, refreshed, reinvigorated, sacrifice of praise, seek peace, sensual, social media, Sunday, thanksgiving, the abundance of the heart, the course of nature, the day of judgement, the day of redemption, the Lord's mercies, the mouth speaketh, the power of the tongue, the Redeemer's name, the Sabbath of the Lord, the tongue is a fire, the tongue is a little member, the tree is known by its fruit, they that love it, thy lips from guile, vipers, wisdom, worship
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Oh friends, it’s the big day, Sunday; the Sabbath of the Lord! The day He rested after His arduous labour (smile) of creating the universe and all therein. Glory to God! It’s the day too that we should offer up much praise and worship and thanksgiving in company with fellow believers, preferably in the Lord’s sanctuary.
Now a few days ago I was looking for a number in the Telephone Directory – oh I know most of us no longer do that in this age of new media and communication – but tucked into the pages of the directory was this sheet of foolscap with an apparent hymn written on it.
Now I’m pretty sure we opened our proceedings with it sometime recently, but I took my finding it so unexpectedly as a sign that I should share it again. And as we say, when it’s nice we can play it twice…and even thrice. (smile)
So let’s offer up our voices in a heartfelt sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, showing that we’re very grateful to be alive and kicking this summer Sunday morn. Please sing with me. ‘From all who dwell below the skies, Let the Creator’s praise arise. Alleluia! Alleluia! Let the Redeemer’s name be sung, Through every land, in every tongue! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
In every land begin the song, To every land the strains belong. Alleluia! Alleluia! In cheerful sound let voices raise, To fill the earth with joyful praise; Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Eternal are your mercies Lord! Eternal truth attends your word! Alleluia! Alleluia! Your praise shall sound from shore to shore, ‘Till suns shall rise and set no more! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!’
Oh what beautiful and praise worthy sentiments my brethren! All those things ought to be done on a day like today. Now please, no flimsy excuses for not going to church. You’ll leave refreshed and reinvigorated as the Lord’s mercies, grace and other blessings rain down upon you in His sanctuary, and have you leaving like a new creature, with head held high, shoulders thrown back, and a smile on your beautiful face.
Wow mih people! Yuh see the benefits of going to church! (smile) So please, again, no excuses, just get up and go!
And now it’s time for our Bit. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ Indisputable truth that, my fellow believers!
Remember yesterday we said that our words have awesome power? Well our Bit is showing just how awesome is the power of our tongue, of our words; they are able to control life and death! Mama Mia! That means whatever words we speak, be they good or bad, they shall produce some of kind of fruit, for which we’ll eventually have to answer.
Now pay close attention to Jesus as He speaks about the fruit of our tongues. ‘Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt (bad) and his fruit corrupt (bad): for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation (brood) of vipers, how can ye being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt.12:33-37)
Yes friends, as per Jesus, we ought to pay very close attention to our words, use our tongue wisely, because come the judgement day we will have to answer for them all.
Meanwhile Bruh David wisely advises us in Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘What man is he that desireth life, and LOVETH many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit). Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.’ (Ps.34:12-14)
Oh my people, we couldn’t get any better advice than that, for a large portion of our lives depends on what comes out of our mouths.
And Bruh Paul in his right to the point, down to earth manner tells the Ephesians. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God; whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph.4:29-30)
And friends, one of the easiest ways to grieve God’s Spirit is by using inappropriate language, language that discourages and condemns, rather than uplifts and edifies.
Ah mih people, if you don’t believe all of that, then just look at the serious trouble so many people are getting into in these days of modern communication and social media. We obviously can’t bridle our tongues, and/or we let our mouths open and spew foolishness before our minds can think. How did James put it?
‘Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm (rudder), whithersoever the governor (pilot) listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire)! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue (the tongue is so set) among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:3-6)
Ah mih breddren, the little tongue fights way, way bigger than its size! And the scholars tell us. ‘3:6. The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf.3:15).’
Enough for today friends, but let’s take a moment and consider the words we generally speak, considering whether they are negative or positive, uplifting or derogatory, and then ask the Lord to help us do better. You know he’ll never turn down a request like that.
So, till tomorrow, the Lord in favour, please walk safely, and may the Lord bless you and keep you and show you His awesome grace, favour and peace! Much LOVE!
…this wisdom descendeth not from above…but is earthly…sensual…devilish (demonic)… (James 3:15)
13 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of loves, actions, all is not lost, aura of love, bad goods, bombarded, bounden duty, buckle down, character, Christ's body, Christ-likeness, complaining, confidence, contrition, Creator of the universe, disunity, do good, earthly sojourn, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, examples, fighting, fine fettle, fools, forgiveness, friends, get serious, gift, glorious kingdom, gospel of Jesus, great commission, habits, harmony, hope, humble servants, invincible, jehovah god, jobs, lies, LOVE Revolution, lustful, make thy name remebered, market, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, passion, pilgrimage, public places, rearing to go, relaxation, renewed vitality, repent, reverence, salvation, schools, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, spread LOVE, stand up for Jesus, steadfast faith, taunts, teach all nations, the church, the people shall praise thee, things of the world, thoughts, tiredness, to all generations, Trini Quote, trust, ungodly world, unity, urgency, wedding song, wiles, wisdom, words, worship
Psalm 45:17. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
Oh my fellow believers, let’s hope this Monday morning meets us all in fine fettle, up and about, and just rearing to get out into the world and do good, spread LOVE like our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did in His earthly sojourn!
So forget the complaining, soak up the tiredness, and let’s get a move on! And to aid us in doing that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much urgency and plenty passion.
As one earthly choir, sounding sweet like a heavenly host 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!’
Ah mih breddren that was a good rendition; strong and passionate, though not as harmonious as we can be. Anyway, our choir master, Jesus, was pleased with our performance, so there’s nothing to worry about on that score. And since our motors are now idling smoothly, let’s get out there and join our fearless Leader on the battle lines, and help to grow His surging LOVE Revolution!
Now before we turn to our Bit, please check out this Trini Quote of de Day, recently sent to me by a Trini friend. And it says: ‘If fools doh go to de market, bad goods would not be sold.’ This quote is used as a warning to pay attention to what you buy; as well as well as laughter to the one who is selling. Have a great day! Watch your thoughts: They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’
Oh yes friends, our thoughts do eventually morph into our characters, so we have to be very careful about what thoughts we allow to percolate in our minds. Nuff said on that!
And now here is our Bit: ‘I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.’
Now mih breddren, though the psalm was originally written as ‘A song of LOVES; a wedding song for a king, that last verse, our Bit, is the bounden duty of all believers. We were made to worship and reverence our Creator and also to spread the good news of Jesus; His gospel of the free gift of salvation and eternal life!
That’s what we ought to be about in this earthly pilgrimage. We need to be worthwhile examples of Christ-likeness so that others will want to come to Him in contrition, repent and receive His forgiveness and salvation.
That is why Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach 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 have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Now the disciples did their job, they passed it down to the next generation. And every generation has passed it down until it got to us. So those previous generations have down their job.
Unfortunately though, we don’t appear to be doing such a good job at passing it down to the next generation, for the next one apparently has no time for God, which is our fault as parents and supposed teachers of the Word.
And to make matters worse, the enemy has taken control of the world and is trying his level best to remove God from all aspects of our society. And we’re not putting up the fight we ought to. That means there is even less hope of our children hearing about Jesus in the schools and public places.
It’s a sad state of affairs friends; we as parents have not done our duty properly in teaching the children about God at home, and consequently the children don’t go to church. And where, once upon a time it was possible for them to learn about Jehovah God in the schools, now there’s no religious teaching there either, so our children now have no real opportunity to hear the Word.
Furthermore, the enemy is building on that lack of God in our children’s souls by bombarding them with flimsy, useless, lustful things of the world. Will the next generation remember Jehovah God? And will they praise Him? Certainly not to the extent that they should!
People are turning away from God in great numbers, because the church and those who inhabit them are not walking the walk of true Christianity. We seem to be more interested in disunity than unity and harmony which is supposed to be one of the tenets of Christ’s body.
There is more confusion and complaining in the church than in the enemy’s camps. That’s why churches are failing. Friends, all I can say is that we must not give up; NEVER! We are still alive, that means there’s still hope, if we get serious and buckle down and begin doing our bounden duty the way we are supposed to.
Our God will surely help us, when He sees our sincere commitment. And we know that we can do anything with Him in our corner. So my fellow believers, let’s get it together nuh. In Jesus’ name. Much LOVE!
…all is not lost…the battle can still be won…if we truly come out fighting…and truly stand up for Jesus…
05 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirmation of faith, angels, anger, as for me and mine, at his feet, blameless, cease from anger, Christendom, come alive, commit thy way, confidently trust the Lord, consequences, crown him Lord of all, cut off, death, delight, destroyed, discouragement, do good, dwell in the land, encouraging, envious, ever-faithful, everlasting song, evil men, evildoers, exciting life, failure, faith, formula, forsake wrath, fret not, glory, Glory be, God's sanctuary, grace, hope, Hour of Power Devotional, I will move, immoral, inherit the earth, iniquity, Israelite, life boring death, majesty ascribe, move forward, National Anthem of Christendom, omnipotent god, pardon, peace of mind, pious, power, praise, prayer, prostrate, providence, raised the roof, ransomed, recipe, responsive, rest, reversal of fortunes, righteousness, robert h schuller, rooted out, sacred throng, saves you by his grace, seed of Israel, shame, short-lived, strange women, strength, success, Sunday, the Lord's Day, the Lord's presence, the perfect, the power of Jesus name, the Promised Land, the royal diadem, the upright, the wicked, tongue, transgressors, tribe, uplifting, wait patiently, wait upon the Lord, we will follow the Lord, weakness, wickedness, wisdom, worship, wrath
Proverbs 2:21. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect (blameless) shall remain in it.
Welcome my fellow believers to this blessed and glorious day called Sunday – the best day of the week! And so it should be since its’ the Lord’s Day. And what better way to begin our proceedings than with some praise and worship, so please sing with me this popular old hymn, which is sometimes called the ‘National Anthem of Christendom.’
As one now my people, let’s raise the roof of God’s sanctuary with the passion of our praise and worship. ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all!
O seed of Israel’s chosen race now ransomed from the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all. Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all! Let every tongue and every tribe responsive to his call, to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all. To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
Oh, that with all the sacred throng we at his feet may fall! We’ll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all. We’ll join the everlasting song and crown him Lord of all. Amen!’
And having raised the roof not only of our sanctuary, but also of heaven, let’s tone it down a little with some heartfelt prayer as devised by Gramps Schuller (Robert H Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, titled ‘I Will Move…’ I’m fairly sure that we’ve prayed it before, but as we keep on saying, once it’s nice, it’s okay to pray it twice. (smile)
So please pray with me. ‘Lord, I want your heart to be in my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Oh friends, what an awesome prayer! It highlights all we can do and become, how we’ll move positively forward when we acknowledge and sincerely maintain the Lord’s presence in our lives! Glory be!
And all of that just nicely and naturally segues into our Bit; wise words from Cousin Sol, as he talks about staying away from evil men and strange (immoral) women. ‘For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect (blameless) shall remain in it.’
And that’s a fact my brethren, as Cousin Sol explains in the next verse. ‘But the wicked shall be cut off (destroyed) from the earth (land), and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.’ (Prov.2:22)
Precious people, it couldn’t get any plainer than that. Righteousness will undoubtedly overcome wickedness. That’s the promise of our ever-faithful and omnipotent God, so I wouldn’t go doubting His Word in favour of Lucifer’s lies.
And if you don’t believe Cousin Sol, then listen to his father, Bruh David, from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon (look diligently for) the Lord, shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:1-9)
Ah mih breddren, what wonderful words of wisdom…and from a man who lived them! Now let’s hear some interesting explanations from the scholars on those verses.
‘Psalm 37. The psalm is written in the form of an acrostic, although our numbering is out of step with the Hebrew. There is no logical outline to the psalm, so it is best studied according to its topics. The major point of the psalm seems to be that the wicked’s prosperity is short-lived.
Though David was troubled by the prosperity of the unrighteous, he knew by faith that their undeserved bounty would be cut off. His underlying belief is that God will intervene in His time. Then the present, temporary reversal of fortunes will be set right and the righteous “shall inherit the earth” (vv.9, 11, 22, 29, 34).
The mention of inheriting the earth would be encouraging and uplifting to the pious Israelite since all of God’s blessing was connected with the Promised Land. In contrast to this blessed destiny the wicked “shall be cut off,” an expression used often in the Old Testament of a violent death.
The psalm also contains the simple formula for achieving peace of mind in the face of the wicked’s prosperity: fret not…neither be thou envious (v.1), trust…do good(v.3), delight thyself also in the Lord (v.4), commit thy way…trust (v.5), rest…wait patiently…fret not (v.7), cease from anger…forsake wrath…fret not (v.8).
All of those exhortations urge the believer to confidently trust the Lord with all of life’s problems. The psalm concludes appropriately with an undying affirmation of faith and trust in the unchanging character of God.’
What more can I say eh friends? Right there you have the perfect recipe for the best life here on planet earth. It’s now up to you to choose whom to follow. But as for me and mine, without a doubt, we will follow the Lord. Much LOVE!
…it all boils down to…trust, faith and belief in Almighty God…you either do…or you don’t…but remember to consider the consequences of each option before making your choice…
18 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feast of souls, ascension, be baptized, be obedient, blessings, Christians, crooked generation, crucifixion, Day of Pentecost, do good, doctrine, dream dreams, earthly pilgrimage, extraordinary, fellowship, finite minds, forgiveness, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's will, goodness, I am halfway home, I will pour out my spirit, I'm not turning back, it shall come to pass, Jesus Christ, Joel, liars, LOVE, loving kindness, mercies, messengers of Satan, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, old men, on the outside looking in, pick sense from nonsense, pricked in their heart, prophesy, Redeemer, repnet, resurrection, see visions, separated from God, sons and daughters, thanks and praise, the apostles' doctrine, the Bereans, the breaking of bread, the breath of life, the church at Ephesus, the day of judgement, the Good Book, the Holy Spirit, the New testament, the promise, the remission of sins, the Scriptures, the Word of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, upon all flesh, Wednesday Wail, when the roll is called up yonder, young men
Joel 2:28. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
Oh my, my, friends, another glorious day is in the offing, and we’re alive to tell the tale! Mama Mia!
How blessed we are, that our great God chose us to see another day of earthly pilgrimage! Give Him plenty thanks and praise for His goodness and LOVING-kindness to us nuh, for He certainly deserves it.
I don’t know about you all, but I certainly look forward to each new day, that I know will be brim full of wonderful mercies, blessings and oodles of unimaginable opportunities to LOVE others, to do good, and to be obedient to His holy will. Glory to God!
Ohhh, what a magnificent God we serve and worship my people!
And since today is Wednesday, let’s wail our grateful and sincere Wednesday Wail. As one wailer now (smile): ‘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 as fine, upstanding Christians, that is exactly what we are expected to do my brethren; be glad to be alive, have our hands strong and steadfast on the plough, looking straight ahead to the glorious future that’s promised with Christ!
And what a future that is going to be my fellow believers! I don’t think we can really imagine or contemplate it nuh with our small, finite minds. But believe me, it’s going to be extraordinary, just like everything with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is extraordinary!
All praise and glory be to our wonderful Redeemer!
Now let’s continue with our Bit, which was prophesied by the prophet Joel long before that momentous day of Pentecost. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.’
And with the universal launching of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day, that aspect of Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled. And we’ll also continue looking at Simon Peter’s great sermon on that fateful day of Pentecost. We stopped yesterday where he had explained to his listeners about the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
And after that, the Good Book declares thus: ‘Now when they had heard this, they were pricked in (cut to) their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren what shall we do?
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward (crooked) generation.’ (Acts 2:37-40)
Wow mih people! Peter certainly had the Holy Spirit moving and a grooving in him that day!
And oh so many of us today deserve to hear that sermon, because too many of us have been separated from God, and will be left on the outside looking in when the day of judgement is fulfilled, unless we repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
And as I keep reminding us, the worse thing that can ever happen to a human being is to be eternally separated from Almighty God when the roll is called up yonder!
Now some of us might wonder what happened on that Day of Pentecost after Peter gave his great speech. Listen to the Good Book tell it: ‘Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.’ (Acts 2:41-42)
Ah friends, what a feast of souls was laid out before God that day!
Hn! Just wish nowadays that we can get three hundred, or even thirty, or some days even three. But getting people to turn to God in these sad times, when they truly need Hi most, is becoming more difficult every day because of the enemy’s stranglehold on the world, and our less than satisfactory behaviour as true Christians.
Now here is some info from the scholars re the Apostles’ doctrine. ‘2:42. The word doctrine derives from the Latin term for teaching and refers to the content that was taught in the New Testament. The proper teaching of Scripture was called “the apostles’ doctrine,” meaning that which the apostles’ taught.
This contrasted with erroneous teaching called “doctrines of devils” (1 Tim.4:1), meaning that teaching whose source is not God but the messengers of Satan, whose desire is to substitute false religion for Christianity (2 Cor.11:13-15).
Illustration: The apostles’ doctrine was true, not because an apostle taught it, but because it was consistent with the Scriptures. The Bereans examined the teaching of Paul in light of the Scriptures before accepting it (17:11). Also, the church at Ephesus examined some who called themselves apostles and found them liars (Rev.2:2).
Application: A Christian should attempt to understand and believe true doctrine, while rejecting all that disagrees with the Word of God (1 John 4:1). (First Ref. Acts 2:42: cf. Titus 3:10).’
Now friends, those are very important distinctions, that’s why I am always admonishing us to read the scriptures for ourselves, because that’s the only way we can know if what is being preached or taught to us is truly God’s Word.
So please, please try and read even a little of the Word each and every day, so that your knowledge of it can be steadily improved and you will better know how to pick sense from nonsense. (smile)
So until tomorrow, God in favour, let’s get with the Word nuh friends. And may the Good Lord bless and keep us and help us to walk safely and kindly on this our earthly pilgrimage! Much LOVE!
…if you’re not aware of what the Word says…then you’ll fall for any and every thing…
19 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day in the life, actions speak louder than words, all things work together for good, almighty god, baptizing them, blessed, called according to God's purpose, caring, Christians, come to save that which was lost, common to man, compassion, corruption, Creator, deprivation, depths of our hearts and souls, do good, downtrodden, forget not, give ear, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, God's justice, God's people, greed, hard work, hear, homeless, hope thou in God, hungry, I am with you always, in the name of the Father, live for Jesus, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, make disciples of all nations, my salvation, o ye kings, o ye princes, observe all things I commanded you, provider, revere, sacrifice of praise, selfishness, share, sick and suffering, sing praise to the Lord, sing praise to thy name, stand up and be counted, strangers, suffering, temptation, the church, the fruit of our lips, the god of Abraham, the health of my countenance, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the SON, the things of the world, thou Most High, to them that love God, unbelievers, ungodliness, unto the end of the world, widows and orphans, wine and roses, worship
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
One more day in the life friends, one more day in the life! And what a blessed day it always is when you are being led by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, as we Christians are supposed to be!
Our Divine Creator and Provider always has His eyes on us; on each and every one of those who sincerely worship and revere Him. Not one single hair from our head falls out without His knowledge. That’s how closely He monitors our well-being.
And the joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who sincerely cares for us and faithfully fills all of our needs!’ echoes across the land from the mouths of God’s people.
Oh friends, how wonderful that sentiment would be if it came from the mouths of many of the current unbelievers. And that’s our job; to show the unbeliever how wonderful it is to work and live for Jesus; not only by our words, but even more importantly by our actions. Remember actions speak louder than words.
Unfortunately though, the actions of too many supposed Christians don’t jive with their words, or the lifestyle espoused by Jesus in His earthly sojourn, and expected of His disciples down through the ages.
Where is the unconditional LOVE, the compassion, the caring for those less fortunate, for the homeless and hungry, the widows and orphans, the strangers, the downtrodden, the sick and suffering, the lost that Jesus came to save. As He said: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11)
So my people, why are so many of our brothers and sisters suffering such want and deprivation when there is such abundance eh? It obviously means that we, first as individual believers, and the church, as the earthly body or organization of Christ are not fulfilling our Christian mandate. That doesn’t speak very highly of us my fellow believers.
Oh my brethren, it’s in these times of full-scale greed, selfishness, corruption, ungodliness, widespread poverty and suffering that Christ’s church and the people involved need to stand up and be counted. Jesus is depending on us to successfully carry out His LOVE Revolution, and we obviously can’t do that from the comfort and ease of our living rooms.
Friends, we need to get up and get going; place Jesus sincerely in the depths of our hearts and souls, so that we go can out and proselytize, evangelize, and do whatever it takes to bring Christ to those who don’t know Him.
Remember His last instructions to the disciples. ‘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 alway(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Friends, those disciples did their thing and brought a whole lot of believers to Jesus. It’s now our turn, but we’re not doing so well because we’re afraid of what the world will say, and also too taken up with the things of the world. Remember friends, following Jesus is not all wine and roses, in fact it entails plenty hard work and a fair amount of suffering, but it is all worth it in the end.
As Bruh Paul says: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to His purpose.’ (Rom.8:28) Yes my people, there’s nothing to fear, the Lord will work everything out for our good eventually. And remember too that Jesus said He would always be with us, right to the very end, so we’ll never be alone. Jesus will always be alongside us.
And then we have this wonderful scripture: ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken, befallen) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that yea are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’ (1 Cor.10:13)
So my people, we have all the tools and the protection to go out and do the work that Jesus has called us to do. Let’s develop some belly and backbone and go and do it nuh; stop being fearful, stop making excuses and stop allowing the lusts of the flesh to hold us back from performing our bounden duty; the Great Commission. And that’s my spiel for the day. (smile)
Now let’s turn to our Bit about giving our great God the praise and glory He so rightfully deserves. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’ Yes my people, that is what we were created to do!
But sadly in this modern age and supposedly progressive times, we have forgotten about God and are foolishly putting our trust in man and the destructible things of the world. And we’ll continue looking at some scriptures of praise, hoping they will make a serious impact on us.
Let’s begin with the confession of the priests and Levites after Ezra read the law to the Israelites and they repented and fasted. ‘Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.’ (Neh.9:5b) That’s the awesome truth friends! Now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 9 –Praise for God’s justice. ‘I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (tell of) all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.’ (Ps.9:1-2)
Yes my brethren, that how we’re supposed to operate as true believers. And even when times are rough, we can say: ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance (my salvation) and my God.’ (Ps.42:11)
And we’ll close with these well-known verses from Hebrews. ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate (share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.’ (Heb.13:15-16)
Ah friends, I can only encourage us to do better and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in all our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to the bettering of Christ’s kingdom here on earth. Much LOVE!
…when thanks and praise flow from our hearts…God opens the windows of heaven and pours down His wonderful blessings on us…
01 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accidents, assurance, aura of love, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, blessings, brothers and sisters in christ, confidence, congestion, conquerors, Creator, delight thyself, desire of my heart, do good, encouraging words, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fellowship, foolish pride, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, give while you're alive, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, Harvest Service, holy spirit, homework, humble servants, inroads, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, justice, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, machinations, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nor such as turn aside to lies, obey God, on which side his bread was buttered, praise Your Holy Name, promised to guide and protect, Psalm 37, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, respects not the proud, righteousness., road rage, serve a useful purpose, smiling from ear to ear, spiritual armour, St. Patrick's, steadfast faith, step up to the plate, stress levels, surrender our all, taunts, the moral of the story, to meet my Maker, Tobago, traffic jams, trust, trust in the Lord, truth, ungodly world, uplifting, wiles, wisdom, work, workers of iniquity
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
And then it was Monday! Hn! Work calleth my people! I do hope that you all are ready to leave home at some ungodly hour in the morning to beat the never-ending traffic jams, the numerous accidents, most of them caused by speeding and foolish driving, plus the ever-escalating road rage, a natural consequence of the road congestion and our rather high stress levels.
Mama Yo! Bruh Paul would have been proud of that rather convoluted sentence. (smile). Thankfully I don’t have to be prepared for that sort of stuff right now. The only thing I need to be prepared for is to meet my Maker, and I just hope He’s not too anxious to meet me. (smile)
However, my beautiful brothers and sisters in Christ, fear not, for our Saviour has promised to guide and protect us, and to never leave us, once we don’t leave Him. And we know He is ever-faithful. But on the other hand, if we had done our homework yesterday -going to church, resting and relaxing, we would have been much better prepared for today.
Anyway, we do have a remedy for your unpreparedness, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So let’s belt it out with great verve and vigour now, let’s put a dazzling, brilliant smile on our choirmaster’s face.
As one powerful and harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Now that was indeed a beautiful rendition my people! Jesus was smiling from ear to ear while strenuously working His conductor’s baton, as all of heaven rocked along! Glory to God!
As per yesterday’s activities: We went to the Harvest Service at St, Patrick’s in Mt. Pleasant…and was it ever a beautiful time although it lasted for three hours! It’s the first service of that length I’ve gone to and didn’t even notice the time. Glory Hallelujah!
The church was full; downstairs, upstairs and outside, with lots of inspiring singing and worship. And one thing I liked a lot is the way they involved the children in the celebration, doing readings, making offerings of first fruits etc.
The Dean of the Region preached a powerful message on giving, using several anecdotes to illustrate his point. This one about a pig and a cow touched me. Apparently the cow and pig were out in the fields talking when the pig put down the cow with a remark about how all he does is give milk, while he, the pig, was used for ham, bacon and other products.
The cow looked at the boastful pig and calmly intoned: ‘yes, you give when you’re dead, but I give while I am alive!’ Hn, hn! And the moral of the story there friends is that we ought to give while we’re alive, not wait until we die.
And how do we do that eh? Simply by obeying our Bit! ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’
Yes my brethren, when we put out complete trust in the Lord, we will automatically be led by His Holy Spirit to do what is right and good! And we will also forsake the proud and deceitful workers of iniquity who devilishly try to lead us astray! That’s the promise of our God and our faith my people!
But we first have to step up to the plate and do our thing; surrendering our lives to our heavenly Father and allowing Him to put His infallible plan for us into action. Remember He is the Creator, and consequently knows what is best for us. And though we will have trials and tribulations, He has promised to see us through them and work everything out for our good.
Oh friends, it couldn’t get any better than that nuh! We have the Lord’s assurance on it! Glory Hallelujah! So why waste time and energy trying to do it on our own eh, when we have the Creator of the universe prepared to do it for us eh? No reason but foolish pride and the machinations of deceitful iniquity workers.
Now let’s go home with some awesome uplifting, encouraging and truthful words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.’ (Ps.37:3-6)
Words of gospel truth my brethren! And I can personally vouch for some of it, because coming to Tobago was a big desire of my heart and the Lord granted it to me. So as true and faithful believers, I implore us to raise the level of our trust in Almighty God, because it’s only then we will see and experience the full barrage of His LOVING-kindness! Much LOVE!
…Bruh David knew on which side his bread was buttered…do we know on which side ours is…I surely hope so…
15 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be a friend of Jesus, Christ is the way, come to ruin, compassion, depart from evil, do good, eternal life, eternal separation from God, few there be that find it, give me Jesus, glory hallelujah, glory to God, his seed begging bread, how Christ functions in our lives, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, LOVE, loving kindness, narrow is the way that leads to life, no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, Praise is the song of a soul set free, precious, privileged, put Jesus at the forefront of our lives, reignites the fire of Jesus, share His love with the world, show by example, spend our day wisely, the babbling fool, the heart of wisdom, the Life, the Lord upholdeth him, the love and compassion of Christ, the one and only true living God, the steps of a good man, the Truth, the wise in heart, thenk the Lord, thou shalt not stumble, thy steps shall not be hindered, Tuesday Mantra, we can do all thing through Jesus, we have Jesus with us, what a joy to be loved by God, what's done in darkness will come to light, when thou goest, when thou runnest, wide is the gate that leads to destruction
Proverbs 4:12. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Well Friends, another day has dawned, bright and beautiful, and we’re alive to see and experience it! Glory to God!
Oh, I know that where you are, it might not be beautiful in the physical weather scene, but for sure in our hearts and souls it is marvellous, especially when we consider that we have Jesus to walk along with us to help us spend our day wisely.
And all God’s children gave out a loud and proud shout of: ‘Thank the Lord! Give me Jesus any and everyday!’
Yes my brethren, with Jesus walking alongside us, we can handle all our problems, do all things in His mighty power. Glory to God!
I’m truly sorry for the unbeliever who cannot fathom, much less experience the LOVE and compassion of Christ, and the wonderful way He function in our lives.
That’s why we believers need to make every effort to show them by our example, how precious and privileged it would be to have Jesus working in their lives too.
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s confess our Tuesday Mantra with sincerity and truth nuh. All together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen.’
Ah mih people, every time I say that prayer, it just awakens something in me! It just seems to reignite the fire of Jesus in my soul! It’s simple, but very real and practical. Oh what a joy it is to be LOVED by God and be a Friend of Jesus! It couldn’t get much better than that my brethren!
So please, as sincere followers of Jesus, let’s give those things the prominence and priority in our lives that they truly deserve nuh, because it’s all for our benefit.
And today, for the last time, we’ll continue looking at scriptures that deal with this particular Bit. ‘When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.’
Yes Friends, more wonderful promises and great stuff to look forward to when we place Almighty God and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at the forefront of our lives. Glory Hallelujah!
No other faith can truly declare those things, because it is ONLY, the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, who can make such promises and faithfully keep them!
Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my people, for His awesome majesty and never-ending, unlimited LOVING-kindness to us, His undeserving children. For, as the Our Daily Bread Devotional said, yesterday: ‘Praise is the song of a soul set free!’ And it is indeed my people.
Now let’s see what the scriptures have to say about all of that nuh. (smile) And we’re going to begin with some wise words from the wisest man ever, Cousin Sol. ‘The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating (babbling) fool shall fall (come to ruin). He that walketh uprightly walketh (securely, safely): but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.’ (Prov.10:8-9)
Yes friends, all that’s done in darkness will eventually be brought to light, so please be careful of the deeds you do.
Then in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – Bruh David unequivocally declares: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps.37:23-27)
Oh what wonderful words of living truth my people! Those who truly serve the Lord will never be left in a fallen state, and their descendants will always be blessed! Glory to God!
So why aren’t’ more of us being good and righteous eh, and thus filling our world with LOVE and peace, rather than the hate and strife it’s now so thoroughly embroiled in eh?
Good question that Friends, but one to which I can only surmise the answer: we don’t truly believe what the Good Book says; and/or, we are much too preoccupied with the things of the world instead of the things of God. We each have to decide individually, what is keeping us away from the good things of God.
And we’ll close this series of messages with the ultimate word on the subject, that from Jesus Himself. Now listen closely my people, because it involves the very essence of where you will spend eternity.
‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Yes my people, those are the words of Jesus. We have two choices in this life; the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life, or the wide and broad path that leads to eternal separation from God.
It’s up to us to choose. Hopefully we’ll all choose the more difficult, but much more rewarding first option, because it is the heart of wisdom itself. Much LOVE!
…Christ is indeed…the WAY…the TRUTH…and the LIFE…NO ONE… comes to the Father but by and through Him…
03 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guide book to earthly living, a tie that binds, blessed is he that readeth, blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, bloodlines, commandments, covenant ties with God, depart from evil, DETERMINATION, do good, dwell for ever more, eternal life, for the time is at hand, glory to God, God's children, God's Holy word, God's timing, God's will, his seed begging bread, I have been young, I have not seen the righteous forsaken, in sync with God, Jesus sacrificed Himself, Jesus' sacrificial death, keep those things which are written therein, life and death, light in the darkness, like lost sheep, LOVE, marching as to war, meditate on God's Word, my mother and my brethren, Onward Christian soldiers, pay for our sins, Praise ye the Lord, ramifications of our actions, salvation, sit idly by, soldiers of Christ, take life by the horns, the BIBLE, the cross of Jesus, the generation of the upright shall be blessed, the gift of God, the Lord upholdeth him with his hand, the steps of a good man, these which hear the word of God and do it, they that hear the words of this prophecy, ungodly civilization, with the cross of jesus going on before, without a shepherd
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
‘Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle see His banners go! Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before.’
Oh Yes Friends, we are indeed soldiers of Christ, marching in to war with the enemy in this ungodly civilization in which we now live. And our banner is the mighty cross of Christ! Let us never forget that, for the cross is the difference between life and death for believers.
It is where Jesus sacrificed Himself to pay for our sins, and it is to it that we owe all that we are as Christians. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross brought God’s gift of salvation and eternal life to sinful man.
Therefore let us rise up and faithfully fight the battles in which we are engaged on Christ’s behalf. We cannot just sit idly by and allow life to roll over us, we have to take it by the horns and make it bow to us.
For as one Peter Marshall supposedly said: ‘Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make things happen.’
Now that is quite true my people, but we have to take that with some advisement; namely making sure that what we are doing is God’s will, and also His timing. For if we get out of His will and timing, we will just make an unholy mess of things.
And the best way to ensure that we are in God’s will and timing is by following the wise advice of our Bit. ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.’
Yes my people, God gave us His Holy Word, the Bible as a guidebook for our earthly living, so that we can always be in sync with Him. But to know when we are in or out of sync with the Lord, we have to read and meditate on His Word, and then follow its dictates. Otherwise we’ll just be like lost sheep without a shepherd, liable to go seriously astray in this evil and contentious world.
I’m sure that when you go on vacation, or anywhere new, and you’re given material describing your surroundings and what happens there, you look at it carefully so you can understand the ramifications of your actions.
Well the Bible falls into the same category; it explains what will and will not happen in your life, according to the decisions you make. Glory to God for showing us the way!
Now let’s check out some scripture that corroborates the contentions of our Bit, beginning with the words of Jesus. One day, while Jesus was teaching, the Good Book says: ‘Then came to him his mother and his brethren (brothers), and could not come at him for the press (the crowd).
And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without (outside), desiring to see thee. And he answered and said, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.’ (Luke 8:19-21)
Oh friends, I know that sounds somewhat harsh, especially from Jesus, but He is just trying to show that though family ties are important, covenant ties with God are much more important. As the scholars say: ‘Mutual obedience to God comprises a tie that binds more closely than mere bloodlines.’
Now here is Mark’s version of the same situation. ‘And he answered them saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren (brothers)? And he looked round about on them which sat about him (in a circle), and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.’ (Mark:3:33-35)
So Friends, we can clearly see that doing the will of God is our most important goal and action on this earth, because our Lord and Saviour said so!
Now listen to these words from Psalm 112, which support all that we’ve been speaking about. ‘Praise ye the Lord (shout Hallelujah). Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth (stands) forever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.’ (Ps.112:1-4)
Oh my people, yuh see what happens when we read, meditate on and obey God’s Word! Our lives are blessed! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us to the words of Bruh David in Psalm 37 – the true state of the wicked – where he boldly proclaims: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever (always) merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for ever more.’ ( Ps.37:23-27)
And what better note to end on my brethren! So as we go about our business today, let us take Bruh David’s wise advice nuh; let us depart from evil, and do good, so that we can live forever. Much LOVE!
…like children obey their earthly fathers…so too should God’s children…obey their heavenly Father…
08 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxieties, anxiety, be not envious of the workers of iniquity, brethren in christ, burdens, buttress, cares, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cease from anger, Commit thy way to the Lord, conflicts, confusion, crisis, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, evil doers shall be cut off, faith, faithful help of Jehovah God, fear, fears, fleece, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, Gideon, God is never late, God is not a God of confusion, God will never disappoint our hope, God's promises, God's timing, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, hope in God's promise, hopeful, idle promises, live in true faith, LOVE, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, props, Rest in the Lord, righteousness., Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first the face of God, signs, silence., the kingdom of God, the measure of faith, the new man in Christ, the righteousness of God, the things of the world, the Word of god, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, Thursday, trust, trust God's Word, trust in the Lord, urgent decisions, violent times, wait patiently for the Lord, walk with god, wisdom, workweek, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Aye mih fellow breddren in Christ, the workweek is moving along as it’s been planned! Would you believe it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day? Yes it is, so please, let’s hang in there, keep giving of our best, and with the faithful help of Jehovah God we WILL make it through, possibly tired, but unscathed. For that’s the promise of our great God, and He never makes idle promises.
And I just could not ignore this most appropriate passage from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s called ‘I asked for a sign.’ Listen up carefully people.
‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous. Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know! You don’t stand alone!
All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions. God is not a God of confusion. We can know his will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.” He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants us to trust His Word, not the wool.
When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead. However, you can still be incorrigibly hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never too late. Remember: Not the wool but His Word!’
Yes Friends, in our times of crisis and confusion, we all look for a sure and certain sign from God, and sometimes He does send them. But at other times He doesn’t, because as the above passage declares, He wants to buttress, shore us up, not baby us.
He wants us to be strong and sure in the power of His promises, and that will never happen if we keep crying out every minute, and He sends signs all the time. As the passage also says, it’s not about the fleece that Gideon got a sign on, but about the Word of God, which we need to have enough faith to stand on, without receiving a sign.
Now signs are all very well and good, but please remember it’s all about building our faith, about maturing in the Word of Almighty God. And the promise for that passage is our Bit for today. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Now that is what our wonderful, ever-loving, ever-caring, and ever-faithful God wants us to do! Just cast all our cares and burdens upon Him without any fear or anxiety, because He has promised to sustain us and never let those who walk in His will be shaken.
Jesus specifically made that promise in Matthew 6 when He spoke about trusting one master, and seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all that we need would be given to us by our heavenly Father. (Matt.6:24-34)
So Friends, it’s ever so important that we seek first the face of God, before we begin seeking the things of the world. I know that in these turbulent and violent times that’s not always easy, but if we truly have the faith of His promises in His Word, then we will be able to do it.
That’s why the building of our faith in God’s Word is so important in the life of every believer. For without it, we’re just lost and adrift on a rough and lonely sea. And in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we have the encouraging, uplifting and edifying words of Bruh David to help foster and boost our faith.
‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on His faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise (way) to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:1-9)
Oh Friends, I don’t think it can be put any clearer or simpler than that nuh! Once we put on the ‘new man in Christ,’ we need to build up our faith, and that only comes through experience in daily living. We need to read the Word, study it, meditate on it, then put it into practice in our lives, which often means waiting patiently with no signs, for that’s the measure of faith.
So today, please let’s show our wisdom and trust in God’s promises found in His Word, and live in true faith by casting all our cares, all our burdens, all our fears and anxieties upon our omnipotent God, for that’s what He desires of us, and He is well able to carry them on our behalf. Much LOVE!
…have faith…trust sincerely in God…for His timing is perfect…sometimes He might leave it to the last minute…but He is NEVER late…
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SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2016 Psalm 37:21.
03 Sep 2016 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a figment of our imagination, a good man, after one time is two, Anselm, at the mercy of, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, children of God, Christians, common sense, consciences, cruel and unjust punishment, deceit, deceitful times, discretion, do good, do not repay, drunk or sober, Eastern Parkway, followers of Jesus, forgiveness, fraudulent, generous, gracious, Granny's wisdom, greedy, guide his affairs, hands slapped, he is kind to the unthanksful, indisputable truth, Jesus, labour day weekend, lend, lends, Love your enemies, merciful, mercy, mince words, mind yuh business, our duty, peace, perpetrate fraud, piddling things, prioritize our efforts, put it into action, reward, righteousness endures for ever, rocket science, show mercy, shows favour, sorry comment, strife, talk to your enemies, tattooed to your heart, the Big Apple, the children of the Highest, the evil, the righteous, the righteous show mercy and give, the wicked borrow, want to make peace, with the help of God, you reap what you sow, your reward shall be great
Psalm 37:21. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth.
Well friends and neighbours, it’s Saturday; Labour Day Saturday to boot! You know I didn’t even remember that this was the long, Labour Day weekend. That just goes to show how things and times have changed. As my Auntie Anne told me the other night when we were talking on the phone; ‘After one time is two yes nephew!’
And that’s ever so true. I never used to miss a Labour Day in the Big Apple. And my Auntie thought I was calling to say that I was coming down this weekend, because that’s how it would happen. I would say that I wasn’t coming, then last minute I’d call and say, I’m on my way. But unfortunately, that’s no longer in vogue. I can’t even handle the walking in Toronto’s Caribana street parade, much less that on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.
And besides, the parades and them not as good as they were; the mas and the music are of inferior quality compared to earlier times. That brings to mind my last Labour Day in New York, I believe it was in 2007. My Auntie Anne and I had to park miles from the parade because there were no parking spots to be had close by, and then walk to the Parkway. Hn!
The walk there in the afternoon hot sun was bad enough, but walking back later in the evening after the parade ended…Steups! That was murder; cruel and unusual punishment! (smile) Anyway, with the help of the Good Lord we made it back in one piece, but certainly aching in the joints and body.
However, before I forget, let me dispense Granny’s wisdom, for it’s on occasions such as this, that it’s ultra-important. ‘Sonny Boy, a beg yuh please…when yuh go out there… drunk or sober…please mind yuh business, because is times like these, when the devil is most likely to pounce unsuspecting…!’ Oh my people, this Labour Day weekend, as you celebrate, please don’t leave home without that critical piece of advice tattooed to your heart, mind and soul!
And now, since it seems to have become a Saturday routine, let’s check out a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. The first quote says: ‘If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.’
Now that’s not rocket science, but strictly common sense, for you and your friends should always be at peace. Unfortunately though in today’s strife –filled world, not too many enemies are seriously and sincerely talking to each other, consequently peace is mostly a figment of our imagination.
And the second quote from Anselm tells us that: ‘Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.’ That’s also not rocket science but simply common sense. In this crazy and busy world of ours, where so many things call for our attention, we must prioritize our efforts and plans on those things which are more important to the successful running of our lives.
However, too many of us tend to get tied up in the small, unimportant things and thus make our lives harder than necessary. Time is of the essence my brethren, so we need to use it wisely, don’t waste it by getting too involved in the piddling things of life. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, some interesting words of Bruh David from Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth.’
And isn’t that indisputable truth my brethren? Of course it is! And it’s indeed a sad and sorry comment on the state of our society, especially in these fraudulent, greedy and deceitful times, when consciences seem to have disappeared, where honour and truthful dealings have apparently been turfed out, and we lie and deceive with impunity.
White collar crime has certainly been on the rise in the last decade or so and seems to be getting worse with each passing day. And the sad part is that many of the people who have been defrauded by the wicked, don’t ever see a penny of their money again and are basically left to suffer while the defrauder merely has his hands slapped. But that’s our modern-day society for you!
Meanwhile the righteous, of which there are never enough, are the ones who show mercy and give to those in need. And so it should be friends, if we’re to be true followers of Jesus. Christians ought to be amongst the most merciful and generous, although I’m not so sure that we are, for we perpetrate a lot of fraud and deceit on one another too.
But nonetheless, let’s check out a few scriptures that encourage us to be merciful and generous. From Psalm 112 – Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord – come these two beautiful verses. ‘A good man showeth favour (is gracious), and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion… He (a good man) hath dispersed (distributed abroad), he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn (strength) shall be exalted with honour.’ (Ps.112:5, 9)
Yes my people, that’s how a true believer in Christ ought to behave. But how many of us really behave that way eh? I’d venture to say, certainly not enough, otherwise the hunger, poverty, sickness, and other negative things that are currently engulfing our world would not be half as bad.
Now let’s end with some words from Jesus Himself. ‘But LOVE ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (in return); and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.’ (Luke 6:35-36)
Aye friends, Jesus didn’t mince any words there, He spelled it out as simply and straightforwardly as possible. Now it’s our duty to go out and put all that He said there into action, if we want to be true children of God. Much LOVE!
…he who wants mercy and forgiveness…must also mete out mercy and forgiveness…for what you sow…is what you will reap…