03 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a holy and just God, accursed of God, agony, And they crucified him, atonement, Beelzebub, behold thy mother, bondage, breathed his last, Bruh David, brutality, Calvary, casting lots, crown of thorns, crucifixion, dastardly deed, diabolical, disfigured picture of Jesus, Easter Sunday, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, embrace Jesus, eternal life, eyes of faith, Father forgive them, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit, fear, fellowship, for thy know not what they do, forgiveness, free from the bondage of sin, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, gave up the ghost, generous help, Golgotha, Good Friday, greed, grin and bear it, gruesome scene, heartache, horrific, hot noonday sun, inhumanity, injustice, jeers, Jesus' sacrificial death, judgement day, lifeblood, LOVE, Lucifer, lust for power, makes countless thousands mourn, man's inhumanity to man, minions, mockery, mocking, my god why hast thou forsaken me, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, parted his garments, picture of Jesus, Psalm 22:18, reconciliation, relaxation, rest, resurrection, ridicule, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, scourging, Simon of Cyrene, sin and suffering, sin-bearer, sins, spiritual death, sufferation, take up our crosses and follow Jesus, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that it might be fulfilled, the beginning of something good, the prince of darkness, today thous shalt be with me in paradise, torment of sin, unconditional LOVE, victory over hell death and the grave, Woman behold thy son
Matthew 27:35. And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted (divided) my garments among them, and upon my vesture (clothing) did they cast lots.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And one we call Good Friday to boot. How can that be though, when such a dastardly deed, such a great injustice, a crucifixion, was perpetrated on a holy and sinless man two thousand years ago? How can it be that we call such a day good eh, especially when it was no ordinary crucifixion, but a horrific and cruel one, filled with all sorts of unimaginable brutality and inhumanity?
That’s the epitome of our saying that man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands suffer and mourn! But I guess we call it good because it was the beginning, the initializing of some thing good. Without that sacrifice on Good Friday, there would have been no resurrection on Easter Sunday, no victory over hell, death and the grave.
And it’s also good in the sense that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave His life so that we could be free from the bondage of sin once and for all. We have to look at it that way Friends, otherwise it was just a brutal injustice.
And believe you me, Jesus paid a heavy, heavy price for our disgusting sins, for as we said above, it was no ordinary crucifixion, but a most cruel and heartless one, fuelled by fear and greed and the lust for power, the same things that are still controlling our world today.
Oh my people, please take a moment and consider the inhumanity that Jesus suffered before He even reached Calvary; the scourging, the spitting, the ridicule, the mocking, the slapping, the crown of thorns, the tearing of His flesh by the cruel whips with all sorts of sharp things attached meant exactly for that purpose.
In this modern day and age, although we’re still cruel, I don’t think we can truly capture the thoroughly disfigured and tattered picture of Jesus when He came out of Pilate’s place, then was given His cross to carry, though He could barely walk and His wounds were by then terminal. It was only a matter of time.
It’s a good thing that somebody had the bright idea to get Simon the Cyrene to help Him bear the cross, otherwise I doubt He would have made it to Golgotha that evil place of the skull, which we Christians now term Calvary, a much nicer name. Then being made to lie outstretched on two planks of wood and nailed to them with huge metal nails, in such a way that death would be painful and prolonged. Steups!
Can you imagine that gruesome scene Friends, of Jesus being put to lie down on the cross and nailed to it, then have it raised upright and what little lifeblood He had left, being set to drain slowly and painfully out of Him? And to make matters worse, they crucified Him between two common criminals. Chuh!
Ah mih people, can you look through your eyes of faith and see Jesus, all torn and tattered, just languishing up there on that cross in the hot noonday sun? Believe me Friends, it was definitely no little price that Jesus paid for the banishment of our sins nuh! That’s what you call real ‘sufferation.’ The Father really put it to Him.
In my humble opinion it did not have to be so cruel, but I guess it just goes to show how disgusting and diabolical sin is and was, and that the only way to truly get rid of it was by a serious sacrificial death of a sinless person. And unfortunately Jesus was the ONLY ONE who fit that description.
It also shows how serious the Father is and was about His dislike for sin, if He could allow such terrible atrocities to be performed on His only Son. If you think it hurts us, just imagine the heartache He must have felt nuh, seeing His Son go through so much agony, and knowing that He could stop it with a simple word, but also knowing that if He did, sin would then forever run rampant throughout His universe, with no end in sight, and the evil Lucifer would have won the war.
Being a holy and just God, He just could not allow that, so like we say, He just had to grin and bear it. And yet we still doubt His wonderful and unconditional LOVE for us!
What hurts too Friends, is that after that most expensive price Jesus paid for our forgiveness, for our reconciliation and atonement, for our salvation and eternal life, so many of us simply ignore Him, or don’t take him as seriously as we should.
That’s not only unfortunate my brethren, but rather foolish, for if we don’t embrace Jesus and all that He stands for then we’ll still end up in the pool of fire come the judgement day with the wicked Beelzebub and all his other minions, and His sacrifice would have been worthless.
Oh Friends, the Father sent His son to pay the price for our abominable sins because He did not want to lose even one of His most wonderful creations, mankind, to Lucifer. So why aren’t we being wise and truly accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour eh? That’s the multi-million dollar question?
Instead, we’re sadly moving away from Him in droves, embracing the worthless and sinful stuff of the world, foisted on us by the prince of darkness and his evil lackeys. That’s only going to bring us more sin and suffering, and it’s oh so foolish, when Jesus has already paid the price for us to be free from the bondage and torment of sin.
But yuh know what my brethren, Jesus was such a mighty and majestic man, that throughout it all He didn’t complain. He knew that that was the reason for which He was made man, and though He pleaded some with the Father to change the plans, deep down He knew that it was not going to happen, so again, like we all have to do at times, He just grinned and bore it.
He withstood the mockery and jeers and otherwise that were hurled at him while He hung there limp and helpless on the cross. The only sad words that reached His lips on the cross were as the Good Book says: ‘And about the ninth hour (noon) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46)
Yes Friends, in that moment, as the scholars explain; ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer, (cf.2 Cor.5:21; Gal.3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’
Ah mih breddren, as our Bit so sadly says too: ‘And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted (divided) my garments among them, and upon my vesture (clothing) did they cast lots.’ That prophecy comes from Psalm 22:18, words of Bruh David.
But you know what Friends, Jesus is so beautiful, that even on the cross He still reached out to us. He pleaded with the Lord; ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Then to one of the criminals who were crucified with Him and who embraced His sanctity as they hung there together, He sincerely promised: ‘Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:43)
And to show how much He cared for His mother, the Good Book tells us: ‘When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he LOVED (John), he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.’ (John 19:26-27)
What’s left to be said eh, my people? Only this: ‘And when Jesus had cried with aloud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last).’ (Luke 23:46)
Oh Friends, on this solemn Friday which we call good, and on which we didn’t even shout for joy, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ since most people are already off work, for it’s a public holiday in most places, let’s Chant our Friday Chant nonetheless as we spend the day in worship and ponder what the day means to us as a congregation, as well as individuals.
Let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Oh my people, it’s long and somewhat involved. (smile) But that’s what I was guided to write. I just hope it brings home to us the real hefty price that Jesus paid for our sins to be forgiven, and brings us ever closer to Him. Much LOVE!
…to all serious believers…today…let’s take up our crosses and follow Jesus…for that’s what he desires of us…
01 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Father who cares, a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, alive and kicking, almighty god, ambassadors for Christ, And the Lord he goes before thee, April Fool, as I was with Moses, bondage, christ is alive, comfort, crumbling state of mind, discontent, doomed to death, Easter, encouraging, eternal life, eternal separation, eternity, evil minions, faith, fear, fear not neither be dismayed, freedom from sin, friends, gladness, glory to God, go astray, God's grace, gospel truth, grace, greatest gift ever offered to man, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartache, heartbreak, holy spirit, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, Jesus is for real, Joshua, lie down in green pastures, LOVE, merciful and gracious God, mercy, Moses, negative emotions, on the cross at Calvary, paths of righteousness, physical action, power, precautions, promises, reconciliation to God, reignite God's image in our hearts, rekindle God's fire in our souls, righteousness., sacrifical death, salvation, solace, stand on His ever-faithful promises, strife, the Lord's work, the most important person in the universe, the worst fate, transforming peace, truth, turn to God, unconditional LOVE, ungodly world, uplifting words, Wednesday, wisdom
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well Friends, it’s a beautiful Wednesday morning in Holy Week! The sun’s shining, the birds are a singing, but sadly, all’s not right with our world. It is filled with too many negative emotions and the strife and discontent that they bring. But it’s important to realize that our great God is still on His throne watching over things, in full control of it all.
We might not understand why He’s allowing all the negativity to continue, but rest assured that He, with His higher wisdom and understanding, knows what He’s doing. That’s the only way we can endure the evil and ungodliness that’s currently festering the soul of our world.
I guess the ole fella’s a bit tardy this morning too. But there’s good reason for my tardiness. I was about the Lord’s work, at a meeting in the church last night, which finished later than I expected, and by the time I got home and did my own thing, it was minutes to two in the morning.
And that’s no April Fool’s joke, it’s the gospel truth. (smile) And the ole bod refused to get up until it was well rested and refreshed, able to take on the rigours of writing the Bit. So what can I say eh? (smile)
But Friends, can you imagine that’s it’s already April? The year of 2015 is surely winging its merry way along without any thought to whom or what it leaves behind. Therefore, I beseech us to take the necessary precautions not to be caught up in that situation.
We have to be aware of what’s going on around us and play our part, which is an ambassadorial role for Jesus Christ. We have to get out there and let the world know that He’s alive; alive and kicking, kicking very hard too.
And especially at this most important time in our Christian Calendar, Easter, we’ve got to shout it out, let the world know that Jesus is still the most important person in the universe, and without Him in our lives, we are doomed to death and eternal separation from God Almighty!
And as I keep reminding us, that’s the worst fate that can ever befall a human being. So please, let’s get a move on in our personal lives nuh, let’s rise to the glorious occasion and show the unbelieving world that Jesus is for real, that what He stands for is of much more benefit than what the ungodly world and its evil minions have to offer.
Jesus‘ free gift of salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, engendered by God’s grace and unconditional LOVE, beats anything that this sinful world has to offer. It’s the greatest gift ever offered to man; freedom from sin, reconciliation to God, and eternal life with Him.
What could be sweeter and more fulfilling than that eh mih people? NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
So let’s not forget that and allow the world to fool us into thinking that its earthly benefits are better than the heavenly ones. Our salvation and where we spend eternity depends on it.
Enough with the preaching though, (smile) let’s hear this most appropriate plaintive cry from the One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘At Such Times,’ and says: ‘God, there are times In the midst of heartache and heartbreak When there is no comfort, no solace Anywhere at all.
There are times When in my crumbling state of mind I feel I can no longer endure – Not for a day, not even an hour. It is at such times, O God That I draw heavily Upon your unfathomable LOVE. At such times I explore Your transforming peace.
At such times I live By the power and promises Of a Father who cares infinitely more Than I can begin to grasp or comprehend. Today, dear God, is a “such time.”
Oh my fellow believers, isn’t that beautiful? It shows us exactly where we need to turn and what we have to do when times get rough, as they so often are in our present age. Turn to God and stand on His ever-faithful promise! It has worked for numerous believers for eons, and will continue to work until time everlasting!
And the promise for that poem is our Bit for today: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh my brethren, what encouraging and uplifting words! Only a powerful Deity, One who is confident and comfortable in His own figurative skin, can make such a bold and forthright promise! And it sets the tone for all our endeavours even up to this day, centuries after it was made.
And our God not only talks, but takes firm action on behalf of His people, as He did with the Israelites when he brought them out of bondage in Egypt, by putting the words of our Bit into physical action.
Hear these words from the Good Book. ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22)
What a merciful and gracious God we worship my Friends! And the good thing about all that is that He is till leading us today, not necessarily by pillars of clouds and fire, but in so many different ways, individually and collectively. The problem though is that we are often too busy or lazy to hear and see His leadership in our lives.
But Friends, I want to tell us that that is an integral part of our earthly lives, and until, and unless we embrace His grace and mercy and listen to His direction and plan for our lives, we will most definitely go astray and not live the life that He had planned for us.
Now let’s end with another scripture verse of enormous proportions, of wonderful encouragement and promise. This is when the Lord promoted Joshua to the Israelite leadership after the death of Moses. The Lord told him, man to man: ‘There shall not be any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh.1: 5)
Oh my people, my people, what a glorious promise, one that the Lord fulfilled in spades. Once Joshua stayed faithful and followed His lead, all things worked together for his good. The same still goes for us today, my brethren.
Once we walk faithfully with the Lord, He will be faithful to us and lead us in the paths of righteousness, making us to lie down in green pastures, beside restful waters, and restore our souls, all for His name’s sake. Glory to God my brethren!
So please, let’s take firm hold of the promise in our Bit today and go out and be the best we can be for Jesus. I pray this in His holy name. Amen! Much LOVE!
…Oh Lord…please reignite your image in our hearts…rekindle your fire in our souls…so that we can LOVE You as we ought to…and do Your bidding without fear…but with gladness and joy…
30 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, bated breath, blessedness of forgiveness, blessings, cleansing, cleansing blood of Jesus, complaining, confess, daily grind and common task, deceit, divine instruction, energy, eternal life, evil, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, glorious kingdom, guile, gusto, happiness, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, if we confess our sins, iniquity, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, loving god, loving kindness, moaning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Palm Sunday, personal witness, prayer, psycholigical effects, rejuvenation of spirit, righteousness., salvation, sin, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, succour, summer drought, the fool says there is no god, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, transgression, trust, ungodly world, vitality, wisdom
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Well my people, unfortunately the weekend is now over. Chuh! Hope you had a good, godly and restful one, and that you joyfully participated in the Palm Sunday celebrations of your church. Now though, it’s time to get back to the daily grind and common task that that wonderful day called Monday brings. (smile)
Ah well, we don’t have much choice but to go out and labour if we want to make a living, so why make it even more difficult by moaning and complaining when we don’t have much choice in the matter eh? It makes no sense at all. So the sooner we come to terms with it, the better it will be for all of us.
And to help us do just that, let’s voice our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto and tremendous energy…. Hn, hn! Awright, I know that many of you can’t get up to that kind of speed yet, so don’t worry, just give it your best shot.
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!’
Now that wasn’t too bad at all Friends! It wasn’t spectacular, and didn’t draw any encores from heaven, but it was better than I expected. (smile) So now that the adrenalin is fuelling us, let’s get up to true speed by doing what our Bit advises, so that we can clear our souls, make them right with the Father, and thus be truly empowered to go out and do a wonderful job for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, namely living a life that will encourage others to want to know Him.
‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Oh Friends, those are such mighty words of truth that they leave no room for any doubt whatsoever! That is exactly why we have been exploring our souls during this Lenten season, trying to clean them up, and why we’re waiting with bated breath for the duration of this Holy Week, when Jesus sacrificed His sinless life so that if wanted, our souls would be washed clean of sin and we’d have a chance to be reconciled to our heavenly Father.
That’s what Good Friday and Easter Sunday are all about my people; the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins and live eternally with our LOVING God!
But please note my brethren, we have to want that cleansing badly enough to first believe in Jesus, and then embrace that opportunity with serious action. It doesn’t just fall in our laps. We have to play a wise and sensible part in the partnership. God has done His part; providing salvation, it’s now up to us to accept or reject it.
And believe me Friends, there is no greater joy to be had on this earth than forgiveness of sins. Listen to Bruh David tell it from Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not (does not charge his account with) iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile (deceit).
When I kept silence, my bones waxed (grew) old through my roaring (groaning) all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture (my vitality) is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall everyone that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.’ (Ps.32:1-6)
Oh my people, my people, what joyful words! And the scholars explain them better than I can. ‘Psalm 32. The psalm describes the blessedness of forgiveness as no other does. This is the theme of especially the first five verses, which include the happiness of the forgiven man (vv.1-2), the physical and psychological effects of unconfessed sin (vv.3-4), and the simple remedy of confession to obtain God’s forgiveness (v.5).
On this basis David can experience prayer (vv.6-7), divine instruction (vv.8-9) and personal witness (vv.10-11).’
Now if that was good for Bruh David, why wouldn’t be good for us eh Friends? In fact it should be even better for us since we now have the overwhelming sacrifice and cleansing of Jesus’ precious blood. So please my brethren, let’s wisely look to Jesus for succour and salvation nuh. It’s the only way to get to heaven and enjoy eternal life! Much LOVE!
…the fool hath said in his heart…there is no God…and that’s exactly why he is a fool…
27 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, almighty god, anguish, betrayal, Bruh David, burial, Calvary, Christian, common sense, conviction, covenant, crucifixion, cry out to God, defeated death, die on the cross, Easter Sunday, encouraging, eternal life, faithfulness of God, fellowship, focusing on God, forgive our sins, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends and neighbours, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, Good and upright is the Lord, gratefulness, guidance, guide in judgement, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, He will teach sinners his way, Holy Week, humble, I am meek and lowly in heart, I will forgive their iniquity, I will give you rest, I will remember their sin no more, if we confess our sins, in Jesus' name, iniquity, Jeremiah, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, Jesus' great invitation, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, joy, justice, know the Lord, Lenten season, loving kindness, meek, mercy, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, our main priority, Palm Sunday, panache, pardon my iniquity, philosophical, poetic, protection, reconciled, rejuvenation, relaxation, repentance, rest, resurrection, sin, testimonies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the heavy load, the living God, the sins of my youth, the weekend, thy goodness sake, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, truth, uplifting, wisdom, zest
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then my beautiful Friends and neighbours, it was Friday! The day that so many of us around the world can’t wait to come around, because it signifies the end of our labour for two, big, whole days. (smile) That’s why the joyful cry of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here at last!’ rings out all over the land every Friday.
However Friends and neighbours, just to see Friday come around should not be the uppermost fact or factor in our lives. It does have its importance, but that’s certainly not at the head of the list.
Our main priority should always be our focus on the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the One who created the universe and all therein. The One who LOVED us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us on a wooden cross at Calvary’s Hill, so that we could be reconciled to Him.
Now that’s a more worthwhile focus, especially in this upcoming last week of the Lenten season, Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday, where we recreate Jesus’ triumphal entry into the Holy City of Jerusalem. Then during the week, we feel with Him the anguish of waiting for His betrayal, crucifixion, and burial.
And finally, the greatest moment of all in man’s history, when we celebrate His triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday morning! For that’s what entitles us to promise of eternal life! If Christ had not arisen from the grave, having defeated death, then there’d be no after life for us to celebrate today, two thousand years later.
Now that’s where the Christian mind should be focused in these difficult and trying times. And to help us get into that frame of mind, rather than the ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ one, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much conviction.
As one powerful chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, we need to concentrate on rejuvenating ourselves, so that we can continue our pilgrim’s journey with zest and panache next week. (smile) And an important part of all that is doing what our Bit advises. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Unfortunately though my brethren, a lot of us don’t seem to believe that and we just go on constantly toting the heavy load that is sin on our frail human shoulders. That’s not wisdom nor common sense my people, for long long ago the Lord promised to forgive our sins if we turned to Him in repentance.
Listen to these beautiful, uplifting and encouraging words of the prophet Jeremiah nuh. ‘And they shall teach no more every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ (Jer.31:34)
Oh Friends, we all know the faithfulness of our God, so why is it so difficult to embrace that promise eh? Why do we insist on letting our sins weigh us down, when it’s not necessary?
Bruh David is a great example of not letting his sins weigh him down too much. He did his thing, but when times got rough, he wasn’t afraid to cry out to the God of his fathers for mercy and forgiveness. Hear this cry of his from Psalm 27 – A prayer for guidance and protection.
‘Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy LOVING-kindness; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek (humble) will he guide in judgement (justice): and the meek (humble) will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity; for it is great.’ (Ps.25:6-12)
Ah mih people, we don’t have to wax as poetic and philosophical as Bruh David, but we do have to bring our sins to Almighty God for forgiveness as often as possible, so that we can shed the heavy load that they bring to bear on us. Please remember Jesus’ great invitation to all and sundry.
‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
Oh Friends, there we have it in living colour, straight from Jesus Himself! What shall we do about it eh? Shall we foolishly reject such a wonderful invitation? Or shall we embrace it with joy and gratefulness?
I beg to advice that the latter option is the only wise and sensible one. So today, let’s ponder our true relationship with Jesus nuh, and hopefully come to the conclusion, that He is indeed the Truth, the Light, and the Way in this dark world of evil and sin. Much LOVE!
…the greatest wisdom mankind can embrace…is that of truly and faithfully following Jesus…
25 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 1 John, Adam and Eve, adulterous affair, agreed to disagree, almighty god, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, Bathsheba, belief in Jesus christ, best interests, blot out my transgressions, boss around, Bruh David, cancer, caring Deity, cleanse me from my sin, cleansing, come short of God's glory, confess sins, confession, confession of sins, conspirational tones, constant in our human nature, cover sins, Diana Chung Rampersad, draped him up, earthly suffering, eternal life, eternity, evil, faith, foolishness, for all have sinned, for mine own sake, forgiveness, forgiving nature, forsake sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, heavenly peace and joy, heinous sin, I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, if we confess our sins, iniquiry, Jesus Christ, joy, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, mercy, Nathan, obey God, peace, power, prosper, provision, remember thy sins, reserve a spot with Jesus, reunion in heaven, roommate, scourge of this generation, see eye to eye, serve, shock, sin, sinful nature, sinfulness, strength, successful surgery, surprise, surrender, susceptible to sin, tender mercies, the answer to all our prayers, the cross at Calvary, the prayer of the righteous, the shed blood of Christ, the straight and narrow path, the truth is not in us, time of mourning, to stand strong, transgressions, Uncle Charles, unconfessed sin, unfortunate news, unrecognizable, Uriah, wash me, wasted away, we deceive ourselves, wisdom, wrath
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s heart is somewhat heavy this Wednesday morning after learning yesterday afternoon of the passing of my surrogate sister Diana Chung Rampersad in Trinidad.
You know it was one of those totally unexpected things. I saw the flashing red message light on the phone and idly wondered who was calling about what. Can you imagine my shock and surprise when I listened to the message bearing that most unfortunate news? She was younger than me. My condolences go out to her husband and two children and the rest of her family.
Ah Lord eh! And the sad part is that when I was in T&T last month I called her a couple times and left messages, but got no reply. I wondered why, but now I know that she was sick, on her death-bed with the scourge of this generation, cancer, in one of its many forms.
And it doesn’t seem as though the usual treatments made any difference to her condition. And I can imagine how wasted away she looked. For those of you who have had contact with the disease, you’ll know that it just eats you away, until sometimes you become unrecognizable. And she was always such a bright and perky person.
I first met Di many years ago when she became my mother’s roommate up here in Toronto. And though we didn’t always see eye to eye, we sort of agreed to disagree for my mother’s sake. I must say though that she cared a lot for my mother, even trying to keep that very independent lady on what she considered the straight and narrow path, which led my mother to refer to Di as her grandmother.
She was the only person who could boss around my mother and get away with it. Hn, hn! Sometimes though, Di would come to me and say in conspiratorial tones, ‘Randolph, your mother is something else yes!’ and then outline some unexpected doings of my mother.
My mother always considered Di to be the daughter she never had, and Di played that part very well and very faithfully, to the point of coming up here from T&T when my mother died and helping me with the funeral arrangements and cleaning up of her apartment.
Consequently, I can imagine their reunion in heaven must be a big one. They both have ended their earthly suffering and gone on to their heavenly peace and joy. There’s nothing better we can ask for.
This past week the Lord has also called home the fathers of two of my other friends, but they were somewhat older and been sick for a while, so it wasn’t so unexpected. I pray for all the families involved, that the Lord will give them the necessary strength and faith to stand strong in their time of mourning.
And last, but definitely not least, I pray for successful surgery in the U.S on my brother’s legs, for some vein problems. He had one leg done yesterday, and will have the other done tomorrow. Please offer a pray for Him too, since there’s great power in the prayer of the righteous.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Oh Friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but I am ever so glad and grateful for that very forgiving nature of our God! It means that though we make mistakes, we don’t have to fear His awesome power, His wrath, because it is always clothed in LOVE and forgiveness.
And since we have a sinful nature by birth, it means that we will always be susceptible to sin. And as John wisely says in the verse before our Bit: ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.’ (1 John 1:8) And that’s a fact my people. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
So sin is an unfortunate constant in our human nature since the fall of our forefathers Adam and Eve. But our God is such a wonderful and thoughtful and caring Deity, that He has made provision for our sinfulness, through the shed blood of Christ on the cross at Calvary and through our confession of those sins.
Listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs 28. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13)
Oh my people, my people, what news can be better than that eh? Only eternal life through Jesus Christ! No other Deity operates like our great God! And yuh tell me I wouldn’t LOVE and serve and surrender my will to Him! Chuh! Pure foolishness my brethren, pure foolishness!
Right there is the answer to all our prayers: forgiveness of sins through confession, and eternal life through belief in Jesus Christ! That surely is the way, my people. There’s no other way on this fallen earth that makes any sense.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Bruh David as he pleads for cleansing and forgiveness after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, and arranging to have her husband Uriah killed in battle. He thought that he had gotten away with it, but when the prophet Nathan draped him up about it, he realized that the Good Lord had seen and taken notice.
So he pleads in Psalm 51: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest.’ (Ps.51:1-4)
Yes Friends, though Bruh David had committed such a heinous sin, once he sincerely confessed it before Almighty God, he was granted mercy. The same thing goes for us even today. But we must confess the sins to be forgiven. ‘Unconfessed’ sin is definitely not in our best interests.
Now please don’t think that we won’t have to pay for our sins, because there are always consequences to them, but once confessed and forgiven they are thrown away, never to be remembered by God. Listen to this promise from Isaiah. ‘I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ (Is.43:25)
Oh my brethren, we can’t ask for anything better than what our magnificent and magnanimous God has offered and provided; forgiveness from sin and eternal life through Christ Jesus.
So please let’s stop playing the fool here on earth with all its bright and glittering sin and shame, and instead get serious about our heavenly lives, reserve a spot in eternity with Jesus, for that’s the ultimate wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) would say…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s the best way to live this earthly life…
24 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 1 John, abusing our blessings, all bets are off, allow us to earn money, be prepared, be warned, believers in Jesus Christ, blessedness, blessings, bound for glory, breath of life, burst of inspiration, cleansing light, come short of God's glory, compassion, condemn, condemnation, confession, covered with mud, crapaud smoke we pipe, deceive oneself, deny our sins, empower, empowers, encourage, eternal life, faithfully serve, fight to keep our rights, fleeting glimpse, fluctuating heart, foolishness, for we have all sinned, friends, give thanks, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, God's greatest creation, gone mad, gospel truth, gratefully appreciate our blessings, greedy enemy, handcuffed spirit, His key of infinite love, hope, hope for forgiveness, I am blessed, if we confess our sins, Jesus Christ, Jesus is coming back, joy, lack of wisdom, lesser creatures, liar, lost our minds, LOVE, lustful ways of Beelzebub, misery, New Testament, Old Testament, omipotent, omni-present, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, options, our forefathers, our godly empowerment, our jobs, our Lord and Saviour, pamper, plays hooky, purify our hearts, recognize their blessings, refuse to obey, resonated, restful hours, restores joy, reverberated, Ruth Harms Calkin, safe fortress, share our good fortune, shortcomings, sinful path, sins, sit on the fence, spiritual irregularity, stand up strong, stretch spiritual muscles, taking them for granted, the birds singing, the centre of God's will, the clothes on our backs, the food on our tables, the freedom to worship Jehovah God, the fruit of our loins, the Giver of light, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the last train, the less fortunate, the Master, the prince of darkness, the righteousness of jesus Christ, the roofs over our heads, The Truant, there is therefore now no condemnation, thouroughly cleanses, time to waiver, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to provide necessities, truths, universality of man's sin, unrighteousness, uplift, wisdom, wrongdoings
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Oh Friends, ‘I, I am blessed! I want to tell the world, that I, I am blessed!’
Yes my people, last night in one of my late night sessions, I heard that tune by Mello G, one of my favourite reggae songs. And apparently it reverberated and resonated through my mind during those restful hours of sleep, because I got up this morning still singing it. I took that as a sure sign that I was expected to share it with you on this chilly Tuesday spring morning.
And to further solidify that theory, when I went outside just now to put out the garbage, I heard the birds singing it too. (smile) So if these lesser creatures can recognize their blessings and give thanks for them, why can’t we, God’s greatest creation eh?
So please sing the chorus with me: ‘Oh we, we are blessed! Let’s shout to the world, that we, we are blessed! Yes indeed, we are truly, truly blessed!’
Yes my brethren, if you can read these words and mentally process them, then you are indeed blessed! The roofs over our heads, the clothes on our backs, the food on our tables, the fruit of our loins, our children, the jobs we go to which allow us to earn money to provide those necessities, those all indicate that we are greatly blessed!
The freedom to worship Jehovah God, all of that shouts out blessings and blessedness my brethren! For there is a very large portion of the earth’s population who can’t say those things at all.
So please, let’s gratefully appreciate them nuh, instead of simply taking them for granted and abusing them, and learn to share our good fortune, our godly empowerment with the less fortunate, and stand up strong and fight to keep those rights that our forefathers fought so long and hard to get, but which the cruel, evil and greedy enemy now wants to take away from us!
Wow Friends! That certainly came in a sudden burst of inspiration! (smile) Now here is this touching story entitled ‘The Truant,’ from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
It says: ‘What does God do with a truant who plays hooky from her heavenly Father? What are the options? One thing is sure: He doesn’t pamper her. He knows she needs to stretch her spiritual muscles. He doesn’t shout, “Get up, foolish child!”
She’s so covered with mud she can’t move. He doesn’t condemn her, because His promise is “There is therefore now no condemnation.” In the end he does what He always does for any half-demolished child of His: He unlocks her handcuffed spirit with His key of infinite LOVE.
He checks her fluctuating heart with its spiritual irregularity. He gives her a fleeting glimpse of things as they could be. He accepts her confession. He thoroughly cleanses her, then He holds her close to His tender heart. He restores her joy and empowers her to obey.
Suddenly she knows with great gladness that her one safe fortress is the centre of her Father’s will. At least so it is with one truant child: me.’
And Friends, that story is ever so true! It’s repeated thousands of times a day by our wonderful heavenly Father! No other supposed god does anything like that. They put you through even more misery for your sins and shortcomings.
But not our wonderful God! When we confess our wrongdoings, He instead cleanses us and shows us LOVE and compassion! And yet so many of us still refuse to obey and faithfully serve Him. What foolishness, what lack of wisdom, my people!
And the Bible promise that’s quoted for that story is our Bit for today. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Oh my fellow believers in Jesus Christ, those are just more beautiful truths that ought to empower and uplift us, to encourage us to keep on faithfully following our wonderful Lord and Saviour! But they obviously don’t do that for a large part of our population, who prefer to follow the sinful path of the prince of darkness.
Now listen to the verse after our Bit. ‘If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John 1:10) More unfortunate truths again my people!
And the scholars offer these interesting explanations on those verses. ‘1.9. This is a restatement of verse 7. We ought not to deny our sins (v.8), but rather to confess them before God. This opens the door for His forgiving and cleansing light to purify our hearts. Unrighteousness is another way of saying “sin”.
1:10. To deny one’s sinfulness (v.8) or sins is not just to deceive oneself; it is to make God a liar by denying His word. Both Old and New Testaments stress the universality of man’s sin. (e.g. Job 4:17; Ps.14:3; Is.53:6; Rom.3:10-18, 23).’
Yes Friends, that’s all gospel truth: ‘For we have all sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ (Rom.3:23)
So, after hearing all of that, we have no good or real reason not to believe in and serve the omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. None whatsoever! Unless we’ve lost our minds and literally gone mad.
Sadly though, it seems that a lot of us have succumbed to that dreaded illness, because too many of us have chosen, and are choosing to follow the worldly, lustful ways of Beelzebub, the prince of darkness, rather than the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Master and Giver of Light and Eternal Life!
The wonderful thing about our God though, is that we can always get another chance! While there is His breath of life in our mortal and sinful bodies, there’s always hope for His forgiveness.
But please be warned, there isn’t time to waiver and sit on the fence, because Jesus is coming back in majesty and glory at any time! And when He does… all bets are off!
So please be wise and get yourselves straightened away with Him today; better yet, RIGHT NOW! That is the wisdom of the righteous! Much LOVE!
…let us be wise…be prepared…for we know not when…the last train bound for glory…will be steaming out of the station…and if we’re not on it…hn!…then crapaud smoke we pipe…
11 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aggrandizement, anger, another brand new day, ars, bad decisions, breath of life, Bruh Paul, churlish, come to God in prayer, corruption, envy, eternal life, evil, evil minions, faith, filled with the Holy Ghost, follower of Jesus Christ, for other foundation can no man lay, for the benefit of mankind, friends, Gentiles, glory hallelujah, good deed, good works, hate, have no fear, I am the way, impotent man, in all walks of life, Israel, Jesus Christ, Jewish rulers, lackadaisical attitude, lead him to Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, no man comes to the Father but by me, none other name under heaven', our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, power, power drives us crazy, power for power's sake, Praise the Lord, reasoning, resentment, righteousness., rock of offence, rumours of war, salvation, selfish purposes, selfishness, selflessly, sensible thought, shame, sinners, sins, Solomon's porch, stumbling stone, supremacy, the bane of our existence, the centre of contention, the church at Rome, the fight for power, the gospel, the head of the corner, the Jew, the law, the Life, the loving-kindness of God, the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the nature of the human animal, the stone set at nought, the Truth, the well being of man, the wherewithal to perform His work, the works of the law, truth, ungodly purposes, usurp God's power, Wednesday, which is Jesus Christ, whosoever believeth on Jesus, wisdom, Zion
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Well my people, it’s Wednesday, another brand new day on God’s wonderful earth! Wow! And all God’s appreciative children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes Friends, we need to be thankful for every new day we see, every breath of life that we breathe, for that means God still has something planned for us to accomplish, else He would have taken us home already.
So please don’t be lackadaisical and churlish about greeting each new day, please come to God in prayer and ask Him what are His plans for you on that particular day? Have no fear, if you don’t know, He will certainly inform you of what He desires, and like the wonderful God that He is, will then give you the wherewithal to perform His work successfully.
Oh my brethren, I can’t comprehend the magnitude and LOVING-kindness of our God, that’s why I keep reminding us of the wonderful Deity we serve and worship. There’s none other like Him!
And how could there ever be eh? No two all-powerful Beings like Him could ever survive in this world together. But fools like Lucifer and his evil minions try to usurp God’s power, unsuccessfully of course!
But what is it about power that drives us so crazy eh, that has us doing things that we won’t normally do? And what a lot of us don’t realize is that power for power’s sake is a complete waste of time. And also that with power comes responsibility; the more power, the more responsibility.
And that’s where the problems crop up; so often we don’t take seriously enough the responsibility that power brings, that’s why there’s so much corruption and bad decisions in the power bases of our society. Everybody wants power, but apparently just to use it for his or her own selfish purposes and aggrandizement, not for the benefit of the society or world in which they live.
But fortunately for us there is one with true power, who uses it selflessly, and for the benefit of all humankind. Yes my fellow believers, we’re talking about our most august Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He had all power in heaven, but chose to give up that awesome power for a while and come to earth to help poor sinners like you and I get salvation and eternal life.
Now why can’t our fellow man do more good works with their earthly power eh, instead of using it for mainly evil and ungodly purposes? I guess that’s just the nature of the human animal. And truly, when most of us get power, especially if we’ve never had much power before, it goes to our head and we just seem to lose the ability for sensible thought and reasoning.
Ah Friends, right now the fight for power, for supremacy is proving to be the bane of our existence. Just look at all the people and groups that are jostling, vying and fighting for power in all walks of life. That’s why there are so many wars and rumours of war, so much hate, resentment, anger, selfishness and envy in our world. It’s all about power!
And I’m chuckling here Friends, because I don’t know how I ended up writing this treatise on power. (smile) That was never my intention at the beginning. But I guess that’s just where the Lord wanted me to venture.
In conclusion, I just want us all to realize the enormous responsibility that comes with power, and if you are a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then you are expected to use whatever power you have responsibly, and for the well being of your fellow man, ultimately to lead Him to Jesus, not merely for selfish purposes.
End of sermon! Just hope it didn’t or doesn’t fall on deaf ears. (smile)
Now here’s our Bit. And I believe today is the last day for it. ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ Words of awesome truth my people! And if it were not so, I would have told you. (smile)
But there are so many references to it in the Good Book that it has to be true. Let’s check out a couple of them, beginning with Bruh Paul’s message to the church at Rome.
When talking about the Jew and the gospel, he declares: ‘What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (put to shame).’ (Rom.9:30-33)
And here’s a word of explanation from the scholars. ‘9:32. They sought it not by faith: Israel mistook the possession of the law as a means of righteousness, when the law was given only to confirm the Fall and to show the need of God’s righteousness (cf. 5:20). Stumbling stone: This is a reference to Messiah (cf. Is.7:14; 1 Pet. 2:8).’
Now listen to Peter from Acts, when they were accosted by the chief priests and elders, the day after John and himself healed the blind man in Solomon’s porch at the temple. The Jewish rulers wanted to know by what name or power they had done the healing.
‘Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of (are judged for) the good deed done to the impotent (helpless) man, by what means he is made whole;
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief cornerstone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:8-12)
Yes Friends, that’s indisputable truth! There is no other name under heaven by which mankind can be saved from his abominable sins!
And as the scholars note: ‘4:12. The name of Jesus Christ is the centre of contention (v. 7,10, 12) and ever will be. Salvation for Jew and Gentile alike is exclusively through the name of Jesus Christ. (John 14:6).’
Now let’s remember that as we go about doing Jesus’ work today my people, for it’s wisdom that will stand us in very good stead. Much LOVE!
…I am the way…the truth…and the life…no man cometh unto the Father…but by me… (John 14:6)
P.S. Oh Friends, the Bit’s late because I went to bed late and then had to get up early to do something else, and by the time I was finished, the brain still wasn’t in functioning mode, so I just went back to bed until it was ready to function. (smile) Much LOVE!
10 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aboslute power corrupts absolutely, abuse of power, advocating on our behalf, Aneurin Bevan, ascended into heaven, British politician, broken, chief priests, Christians, cling to it for dear life, comfort, Daylight Saving Time, eternal life, eternal separation from God, ever-LOVING God, faith, fateful words of jesus, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear not them which kill the body, for other foundation can no man lay, free offer of grace, glory majesty, grasp the hand of jesus, grin and bear it, grind him to powder, guidance of the Holy spirit, happiness, he who has ears to hear, healing, is become the head corner stone, is to give it away, Jesus Christ, Jesus sacrificed His life for us, Jewish elders, joy, judgement, let wisdom reign, Lord Acton, LOVE, Mama Mia, mercy, null and void, obedience, on the third day, our Lord and Saviour, parables, peace, peace-giving, Pentecost, Pharisees, playing mind games, politicians, power, power hungry, power tends to corrupt, repentance, rose from the dead, salvation, state of good health, struggle for power, the chicken and the egg, the corrupted seek power, the kingdom of God, the Lord's doing, the Messiah, the purpose of getting power, the stone which the builders refused, the unfaithful, thirst, walk in obdience and love, which is Christ Jesus
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Well my wonderful Friends and neighbours, a good Tuesday morning to you all! I hope that these words meet or find you in a state of good health, peace and happiness. But if they don’t, then I hope that they will help to bring you to that place where you can access the comfort and joy of our healing, peace-giving and ever-LOVING God.
And with that, I must say that this Daylight Saving Time thing is not thrilling me at all, for it’s playing games with my mind. I wake up and see it that it’s still pretty dark and think it is yet the middle of the night, when it is already far gone into the morning.
And this is no excuse for the Bit being late. (smile) I was just tired and didn’t feel like getting up early. But as so many things we can’t do anything about, we just have to grin and bear it and work it into our schedules, as best we can.
And today we’re going to check out a most interesting quote attributed to an old-time politician. His name was Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960). He was the Minister of Health in the post-war Attlee government in Britain, also a social reformer and the chief architect of the British National Health Service.
Now Mr. Bevan is reputed to have said that ‘The purpose of getting power is to be able to give it away.’ Wow!
When I read that on the February page of the almanac, I was certainly taken aback. What! A politician talking about giving away power! Hn! It just doesn’t jive with the actions of today’s politicians, where they all want to cling forever to all the power they can get.
And it certainly doesn’t line up with the sentiments of another British politician, Lord Acton (1834-1902), who reputedly said that ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are always bad men.’
Now that sounds more like what a lot of us tend to believe from the actions of our politicians and power-brokers. But in my research I found one journal also stating an interesting fact on the matter, that ‘The part of the truth Lord Acton did not realize when stating “power corrupts” is that the corrupted seek power.’
And that’s absolutely true, because if you want to be a successful corrupted person or entity, then you must have the power to both do your corrupt deeds and then have the power or wherewithal to hide them.
But who knows what really goes on in the minds of corrupt and power-hungry people eh? For example, which leads the other eh? It’s like the conundrum of the chicken and the egg; which one came first?
Anyway Friends, if there is one thing we can be sure of, is that the modern day politicians, or those in any other walk of life today, are NOT seeking power to be able to give it away, but to cling to it for dear life.
And my kind regards to Mr. Bevan for thinking that, and I’m not being cynical, for I wish it were really true, but I’ve yet to see it in action. But enough about man’s thirst and struggle for power and their subsequent abuse of it.
Let’s turn to our Bit, which tells us of where the true power in the universe lies. ‘For other foundation can no man lay that that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
Yes my people, as Christians, we know that’s where the true power in this world lies; in Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord and Saviour, who sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us, was crucified, died and was buried, then on the third day rose triumphantly from the grave, thus defeating hell and death, and ascended into heaven, where He’s now advocating to the Father on our behalf!
Mama Mia! Can any mortal man, regardless of how much earthly power he possesses, do that? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
So please let’s not be too worried or concerned about the power of men, for as Jesus said: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28)
And yes my brethren, I know it’s very easy to quote all these wonderful scriptures, but actually living them, or putting them into action is not simple or easy.
However, we do have to try and live by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit that indwells us, if we want to have a successful earthly journey with Christ, that eventually leads to eternal life in heaven with Him.
And per our Bit, listen to these fateful words of Jesus, as He spoke the parables of the two sons and wicked husbandmen, re obedience, to the Pharisees and chief priests. ‘Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner (chief cornerstone):
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whosoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.’ (Matt.21:42-44)
Ah mih breddren, that’s what the unfaithful have to look forward to – be crushed like powder! And the Jewish elders realized that Jesus was referring to them, in their refusal to accept Him as the Messiah. But they were afraid to touch Him, because the crowd revered Him as a prophet.
And we’ll end to day with these explanations from the scholars. ’21:44-46. The warning The kingdom of God shall be taken from you (v.43) was fulfilled at Pentecost when the kingdom was mediatorily (like in mediation) transferred to the church. Yet, within this warning of judgement, Jesus offers mercy to those falling on this stone, meaning, falling upon Him in repentance and faith. But His falling upon man in judgement will grind him to powder.’
Oh my people, what more can I say to encourage us to fall on Jesus through sincere faith and repentance eh? Not much, because Jesus Himself spelled it out in clear and simple terms. It’s now left up to us, as individuals, whether or not we’re going to accept His free offer of grace and mercy that lead to salvation.
For all our sakes though, I’d strongly recommend that we grab it as fast and as quickly as we can, because He’s not going to offer it again. When He returns in all His glory and majesty, which can be anytime, all the wonderful offers will then be made null and void.
So please, I implore us to let wisdom reign, and let us grasp the hand of Jesus, hold it tightly, and walk in obedience and LOVE with Him, for that’s what our Creator and heavenly Father desires of us. That’s why He sacrificed Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…else he will pay a grave price for his disobedience…eternal separation from God…
02 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline rush, almighty god, anxieties, as far as the east is from the west, battle hymn, be strong and of a good courage, blessings, conquerors, demise, Easter, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternal separation from God, faith, faithful, fear, fears, fellowship, forsaking, friends, get our house in order, glorious kingdom, harmonious voice, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Joshua, leaving, Lent, LOVE, magnanimous god, mas in yuh mas, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, Moses, Old Lang Syne, parents, promise, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, seldom ready for Monday mornings, sinners, spirituality, steadfast faith, the Lord will take care of me, the lord will take me up, ungodly world, when my father and mother forsake me, wisdom
Psalm 27:10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me).
Well Friends, it certainly seems as though the days, weeks and months of this year are in a real hurry to get somewhere, or simply to go by as quickly as they can. Chuh! It was just Saturday… and already it’s Monday!
Can you imagine too that we’re already into March, and it seems like only yesterday we were singing Old Lang Syne, and wishing each other a Happy New Year. It’s already been a couple of weeks too since we were singing: ‘Mas in yuh mas! Play mas!’ (smile)
And Lent will soon be over and then we’ll be lustily singing ‘He is risen! Jesus Christ has risen from the grave.’ Most appropriate sentiments for the Easter season.
And all of that was just to say my people that time is swiftly moving by and who knows what will happen, or when, so it is essential that we get our house in order, just in case…just in case Jesus returns unexpectedly and we’re not ready. The same way we’re seldom ready for Monday mornings. The big difference though is that we have something to counteract our Monday morning blues – our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
However, if Jesus returns and we’re not ready, there will be nothing to counteract our sad, unfortunate demise; our eternal separation from the Father, because we never truly embraced the Son. And as I keep saying Friends, that’s the worst fate that could ever befall a human being.
Anyway, let’s get our Monday morning adrenaline rush from singing our Battle Hymn with much fervour, in loud, harmonious voice. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Not bad, not bad at all my people, though heaven didn’t clap and clamour for an encore! (smile)
But please don’t let that get us down, for we have an even more important promise to concern ourselves with in our Bit. ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me.’
What a wonderfully refreshing and encouraging statement my brethren! Though our earthly parents might forsake us the Lord won’t ever do such a heartless and unthinking thing. Bless His holy name! And in Isaiah 49 – in the section which assures that Israel will be restored to Zion- the Lord binds that promise on His heart by pronouncing it publicly through His mouthpiece Isaiah.
‘But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her suckling (nursing, breastfeeding) child, that she should not (and not have) compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven (inscribed) thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continuously before me.’ (Is.49:14-16) What a marvellous promise from a most faithful and magnanimous God!
And now listen to Bruh David from Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children: so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remembereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:12-14)
Yes Friends, the mercy of our God is ever working on our behalf. He knows from whence we came and what we really are because He made us and thus knows what we can and cannot bear. And from way back when, the Lord through Moses, promised the Israelites: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6)
And when not talking to the band of Israelites, the Lord was assuring His men of faith individually. We all know the famous words He spoke to Joshua after Moses died and Joshua took over leadership of the band of intransigent Israelites. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’(Josh.1:5)
So Friends, please don’t worry or be afraid, for the Lord will LOVE and protect His children from anything or anybody that comes against them. That He has promised, and we know that our wonderful God is very faithful to His promises.
So my brethren, let’s take a little time from our busy worldly lives nuh and confront any fears or anxieties we may have, and get rid of them, for our omnipotent God has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us, and He who has promised is ever-faithful. Much LOVE!
…God specializes in LOVING and caring for sinners…not leaving or forsaking them…
16 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cool breeze, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God, aches and pains, adrenalin flowing, aura of love, be generous, bless, blessings, bondservant, Carnival Monday, cold weather, confidence, conquerors, Cousin Sol, Crown Point, curse, cut to the chase, doing it like a boss, don't fool yuh fat, enthusiasm, eternal life, every man shall give as he is able, evil, glorious kingdom, God's little Acre, God's LOVE, godly, gospel truth, greedy, heat, holy spirit, hot like hell, humble servants, increase, invincible, J'ouvert, Jesus Christ, joy, li'l bit, lies, LOVE, Lucifer, Machel Montano, mas, miserly, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, New Orleans, North country, Oh Lord God Almighty, Paradise, poverty, Proverbs, ramped to the gills, rejuvenation of spirit, Rio, Roxborough, Scarborough, scatter, smile, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, Store Bay, T&T, therapeutic treatment, tinnitus, trust, truth, wisdom, withhold
Deuteronomy 16:17. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.
Well Friends, it’s Monday once again, but a Monday unlike any other, because while most of you around the world have to get up and go out and labour, in places like Rio, New Orleans and T&T, where I am, it’s supreme party time; Carnival, with all its attendant street parades filled with costumed bands, pounding, blasting music and revellers everlasting!
Yes Friends, in T&T it was J’ouvert morning, or the opening ceremonies for the party on the road. I got up about 3 a.m. having slept through most of the night, and after having a cup of caffeine, went down to the j’ouvert parade with the duchess.
The main road was blocked off by the police so we had to go through the back road. We found a decent spot on the grass shoulder to park, right down Crown Point, next to Store Bay, then went walking along the road back towards the Main Road.
This was about four o’clock and still dark, but the place was already hopping with people, ordinary revellers as well as those playing mas, with music blasting out from business places and trucks ramped to the gills with big speakers.
Brother! I had to get out of range of most of them, for when they passed you, or you passed them, you could feel your soul tremble from the loudness! (smile) Is a wonder I don’t have tinnitus, the music was so loud on my ear drums.
But the duchess seemed to be enjoying herself, taking pictures and grooving to the music, while I was somewhat sour because the music was so loud and nothing was happening to get the parade underway. I thought it was supposed to start at four, but it didn’t get underway till five.
And then there weren’t too many bands; most of them small, with a couple of them between fifty and a hundred participants, one of those being the white people’s band. And don’t fool yuh fat, the white people, both local and foreign, enjoy their mas. Numerous white tourists were also mixed in with the crowd.
Anyway to cut to the chase, when the bands began moving we went back towards where the car was parked since that was where the judging of the bands was taking place. We finally sat down in a bus shelter, just getting up to see the bands when they entered the park. And would you believe it, the ole fella’s body was aching all over from the little exertion.
All told we hadn’t walked more than a quarter of a mile, and I hadn’t been doing any jumping, yet my thighs, my knees and my back were aching, while the duchess was standing strong and partying, especially when she heard her favourite song, ‘Doing it like a boss’ by Machel Montano. That probably will win the Road March title for the tune most played on the road during the two days of carnival.
Anyway, by seven o’clock everything seemed quiet, so we left and came home. As we were leaving, we spoke to a policeman about the situation, and he said that mas in Tobago, in particular Scarborough and Crown Point had seriously deteriorated over the years, and if I wanted to see any of the older stuff, I had to go to Roxborough, where the real mas apparently now takes place.
Anyway I came home, had breakfast then went back to bed and woke up a few hours later, aching all over. I guess the Lord’s sending me a message that I’m not as strong as I think. That means I have to go to the beach later to get some more therapeutic treatment. (smile)
But enough about my aches and pains, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much enthusiasm and verve as we can manage. 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!’
Ah mih people, that wasn’t such a hot rendition nuh, but it at least got our adrenalin going, and I’m sure the Lord will understand, for He is very good that way. So there’s no excuse for not doing as we just sang, especially when we add our Bit to the sentiments. ‘Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.’
Oh my people, if we are truly children of Jehovah God, then we should be living to give, to give generously and of a free will, for that’s what is expected of us. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Cousin Sol from Proverbs.
‘There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet (right), but it tendeth (leads) to poverty. The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.’ (Prov.11:24-26)
And the scholars give an excellent, succinct explanation to all of that. ‘11:24. Scattereth means to be generous in your giving. It can lead to prosperity, but miserliness can lead to poverty.’
And that my brethren is nothing but gospel truth! So therefore I once again encourage us to be generous, share whatever we have with others less fortunate. And regardless of how little we have, there’s always somebody with less than us, so we can’t use the excuse that we only have a li’l bit.
Anyway Friends, that’s it for today. Blessings and God’s LOVE from Paradise, where it’s about 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with the sun truly blazing down. But I guess most of you in the North Country would trade your extremely cold weather for this extremely hot one any time. And I wouldn’t blame you. It’s hot like hell, but a cool breeze is always blowing here on God’s Little Acre which minimizes the heat! (smile) Much LOVE!
…to give generously is godly…but to be greedy and miserly is to be Lucifer’s bondservant…
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