03 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, Alpha, Christ's saints, dark evening hours, darkness, death, destruction, doubleminded, eternal party, everything in between, eyes fixed straight ahead, First, God's self-revelation, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell fire, hereafter, hitch your wagon, hope for the best, immortal truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus' horse, John, John Wesley, Last, not looking back, offer the best hope, Omega, rejoicing, saltwater, Scarborough, shower, sitting on the fence, the Almighty, the beginning, the Creator, the end of the ages, the ending, the Lord, the revelation, the vision, the world, therapeutic properties, Wednesday Wail, which is, which is to come, which was, windstorm, wishy-washy
Revelation 1:8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Greetings my faithful Scrip-Bit friends and family from this earthly Paradise so aptly named Tobago! (smile) I can’t believe that I’ve been here already for a week! And the strange thing is although I’ve been out the street every day, I haven’t journeyed to the capital, the big city of Scarborough as yet! But time will take care of that.
Sorry but I did not get back down to that gas station yesterday, went to another one close by, so I couldn’t get that quote for you. I did have a nice li’l swim in Grange Beach, in the early dark evening hours. Obviously I was the only one in the water, while the duchess and some of my Tobago family sat on the sea wall chatting and laughing.
They were dubious about me going for a swim at that time, but I was adamant that I wanted some salt water on my skin, I’d already missed one day, wanted to miss none really! Well why should I eh, when the salt water was one of my main reasons for coming to Paradise? I’ve been known to boast about its therapeutic properties, so I need to have some true testimony about it, otherwise I’m just talking from hearsay, which isn’t good! (smile)
And for your information, it’s been a cloudy and rainy kind of morning – the rain’s actually falling now, not the li’l 10 seconds thing it likes to do, but a good shower. Earlier on we had a small windstorm along with a shower. The dry earth desperately needs some heavenly blessing!
But yuh know what, to my left the skies look dark and somewhat foreboding, but to my right the sun seems to be coming out again. And that just struck me as an interesting contrast between darkness and light, between hope and hopelessness. That brings us to this quote attributed to the great English cleric John Wesley (1703-1791), one of the leaders of the early and formative Methodist Church. He reputedly said: ‘The world hopes for the best, but the Lord offers the best hope!’
Words of immortal truth my people! Where then should we place our hope eh? In the world, or in our Creator? In our Creator obviously, because it’s impossible for the world to make a better offer than it’s Creator! The created can never be better than the Creator! And that’s what this world refuses to believe and to accept in its mad journey into decline, decay, destruction and death!
There is some hope in the world and the things it offers, but they are all transitory and without real substance. The only hope that provides real substance and lifelong continuity is that which comes from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – the First, the Last and Everything in between! He made that quite clear in His vision to John: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’
It couldn’t be any plainer that that my brethren! Jesus Christ is indeed the First and the Last of this universe! He was here before it was created, and He’ll be here long after it’s destroyed! The scholars offer this explanation: ‘1:8. Alpha and Omega, the first and last words of the Greek Alphabet, refer here to God’s eternality and sovereignty, and possibly to the fullness of God’s self-revelation.’
So in light of such convincing evidence, (smile) where then should we, as wise and true believers place our hope eh? Nowhere else but in the hands of the Living and Risen God! In His nail pierced hands lie the hope of this evil world! He bore the pain and paid the price for our sins, so who then should we look to but Him eh?
Hear how He said it to John later on in the vision, or the revelation. John says: ‘And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.’ (Rev.1:17-19)
What more can I say eh friends? Not a whole lot. When John saw the vision, he was initially fearful, but Jesus told Him, as He had said on earth so often, ‘fear not.’ Christ died and rose again, thus defeating hell, death and the grave, so He is in fact the mighty conqueror over the powers of darkness and evil! They cannot prevail against Him, because He was raised to the highest level by the Father for His selfless sacrifice on the cross; to be the name above ALL other names, and to whom ALL knees will eventually bow!
So who else are you going to look to eh? Who yuh going to call when things get rough and tough eh? Not Ghostbusters! (smile) But Jesus! That’s the only wise and sensible name to call out to for hope and help in this life my people. But you can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be doubleminded and try to sit on the fence in the hope of getting the best both sides have to offer, because you’ll end up with nothing from either.
And remember too, that only Jesus has good things to offer after this earthly life is over. All the enemy has is darkness, death, destruction and the hellfire of hades! And you know who conquered all of that nuh? Jesus of course! So please be wise and hitch your wagon to His horse, and He’ll lead and guide you aright.
Now for those of us who have done so, let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our true and sincere position in Christ! All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And I need to keep reminding us, that the future planned for Christ’s saints, will be even bigger and better than we can ever imagine! So please stand strong and run a good race, because you don’t want to miss that eternal party! Much LOVE!
…only those in Christ will be rejoicing…at the end of the ages…
20 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a timely word, a twoedged sword, a word fitly spoken, and God said, and there was light, ask or imagine, be for signs, beast of the earth, bring forth abundantly, cattle, Christ on our side, climate change, communication explosion, creeping thing, days, discerner of the thoughts, divide the day from the night, dividing asunder, every idle word, eyes fixed straight ahead, give account, halfway home, hands on the plough, have dominion, heaven, in our own image, intentions of the heart, joints and marrow, let birds fly, let the earth bring forth grass, Let there be light, lights in the firmament, like apples of gold, make man, men shall speak, moving creatures, not turning back, pictures of silver, piercing, pleasing, precious, seasons, second wind, silver settings, snowstorm, social media, soul and spirit, the breath of life, the day of judgement, the fowl, the spoken word, the waters, Wednesday Wail, years
Genesis 1:3. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
So it’s Wednesday, and many of us have caught our second wind – or it might just be the first for those who had the long weekend off and abused it. (smile) And it looks like there’s another storm hitting North America these next two days; snow and freezing rain in the northern part and rains and floods down south!
Ah Lord eh! We’re certainly seeing what winter can be and used to be like many years ago before climate change made it sort of ‘jokified’ with more rain than snow sometimes.
Anyway, come what may, we believers will handle it because we have the ONE and ONLY Lord Jesus Christ on our side and He will enable us to handle whatever comes against us! Praise His Holy Name my people! Therefore we can boldly say: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
And not only that, but also, ‘The Lord WILL provide all our needs through His riches in glory, through Christ Jesus!’ Wow! And consequently, ‘Me and my house will follow the Lord, come what may!’ Glory be mih breddren! What a way our words have power, power to cause life and/or death, but we need to use them, speak them boldly, confidently and sincerely!
Remember how this great universe was formed; by the spoken word: ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’ Yes friends, it all began with a spoken word. And so it continued: ‘And God said, Let there be a firmament (expanse) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ (Gen.1:6) ‘And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:9)
‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:11) ‘And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.’ (Gen.1:14)
‘And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life (abound with an abundance of living creatures), and fowl that may fly above the earth (let birds fly) in the open firmament of heaven (across the face of the open expanse of heaven).’ (Gen.1:20) ‘And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:24)
‘And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.’ (Gen.1:26)
Ah friends, man was so important to God, that instead of just speaking him into being like the other species in His universe, He actually got down on His knees and made man! ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ (Gen.2:7)
Wow! That’s how important we were and still are to Him; that He dirties His hands to make us. Everything else, He just spoke into existence. Doesn’t that just touch your hearts my people! It ought to, knowing that we were made in the image of God, and even after we fell into sin, we still retained that likeness, and then Jesus came and gave us the opportunity to get back into God’s good graces and enjoy salvation and eternal life!
But I digress. (smile) We talking about the power of the spoken word. And we have this last wonderful illustration, from the author of Hebrews, telling us exactly how powerful and mighty is the Word. ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb.4:12)
Yes friends, words are indeed powerful tools, and we should not take our spoken words lightly, since Jesus Himself warned: ‘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.12:36-37)
Ah mih people, the words we speak down here on earth are so important that we will be judged on them in heaven! That ought to wake us up and help us to control our tongues and words, because in these days of the explosion of social media and communication technology, we’re definitely not paying enough attention to the words we speak. And if we don’t smarten up, we will pay a hefty price come the judgement day for our uncontrolled words. Nuff said!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ. With heartfelt sincerity, and strong sense of purpose, let’s wail: ‘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 please believe me friends, if we stick with Jesus through thick and thin, the future will indeed be glorious, more glorious than we can either ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…a word fitly spoken…is like apples of gold…in pictures of silver (silver settings)…(a timely and fitting word…is precious and pleasing…) (Prov.25:11)
05 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, absolute truth, all is well, Alpha, awesome attributes, believe, breath of life, chided, conception, Conquering Lion of Judah, covered me, Creator and Controller of the universe, darkness, don't deserve it, enfolds me, ever-faithful God, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fearfully, First and Last, formed my inward parts, glad to be alive, God is, gospel truth, hairs on our heads, hands on the plough, harangued, jehovah god, King of Kings, knees bow, light, Lord God of hosts, Lord of Lords, loving kindness, made in secret, mercy, my mother's womb, not looking back, Omega, one sparrow, our everything, possessed my reins, protects me, skillfully wrought, surrounds me, take it for granted, thank you, the Holy One of Israel, the light of God, the LOVE of God, the lowest part of the earth, the power of God, the real Boss, the rough times, to give God thanks, weaved me, Wednesday Wail, wherever I am, wonderfully made, Yahweh
Psalm 139:13. For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered me (weaved me) in my mother’s womb.
Aye friends and Scrip-Bit family… is Wednesday…and all is well! The ole fella’s somewhat tired though after a long day yesterday in the city, then going to bed fairly early, but not being able to rest properly, and wanting to sleep when I should be getting up. Hn! Yuh think it easy! Then not knowing what to say to you this cold morning doesn’t help matters either. (smile)
But as always, our ever-faithful God just put this in my spirit to share with you. It’s a prayer I first discovered in the flyleaves of my mother’s Bible after her death. And though I’ve shared it before, these kinds of prayers are always useful, especially in the rough times, and it’s ever so appropriate for a morning like this.
Please pray with me: ‘The light of God surrounds me. The LOVE of God enfolds me. The power of God protects me. The presence of God watches over me. Wherever I am…God IS…And ALL IS WELL! Amen!’
And that is the gospel truth my fellow believers! Whatever we’re going through, and wherever we are, our great and faithful God is right there walking with us, before and behind, beside, and in us! Glory Hallelujah! No other faith can make that statement with the absolute truth that we can! Give God some of the much praise He deserves nuh my brethren!
Yuh know for all that our heavenly Father does for us, we certainly don’t give Him enough thanks and praise nuh. Sometimes we get so accustomed to His mercy and LOVING-kindness that we just take it all for granted and forget to say ‘Thank You Father! Thank You for all You’re doing for me, even though I don’t deserve most of it!’
Yuh know friends, one of the things our God likes to hear from us is thanks and praise and exaltation. In fact that’s one of the reasons why He made us; so we could glorify His Holy Name, lift up His wonderful and awesome attributes, and let the evil heathen world know who is the real BOSS!
Not Beelzebub, who the Lord just allows to run this sinful earth; but the Lord God of Hosts, the Holy One of Israel, Yahweh, Jehovah God! Now He is the real sahib: the Conquering Lion of Judah, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Creator and Controller of this amazing universe!
That’s whom our knees should bow to and our voices declare as our Alpha and Omega; our First and our Last, our EVERYTHING! For He made us… and controls our very destiny from the moment of our conception to the time we return to the dust from which we were created!
And trust Bruh David to have the right words for us this morning: ‘Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins (formed my inward parts): thou hast covered me (weaved me) in my mother’s womb.’ (Ps.139:12-13) Ah friends, how can we not glorify such a wonderful Maker and Creator eh?
Listen further to Bruh David: ‘I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well (very well).’ (Ps.139:14) Ah mih people, I have to pause here and ask this very important question: do our souls truly know the extent of God’s marvellous works and how masterfully we were made? I doubt it yes, else we wouldn’t have to be harangued and chided and often forced to give God great thanks and praise.
But hear Bruh David as he continues to praise God’s mighty work in creating human beings. ‘My substance (frame, bones) was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously (skillfully) wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect (unformed); and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned (the days fashioned for me), when as yet there was none of them.’ (Ps.139:15-16)
Oh my people, how could we not praise and worship our God after reading that kind of truth eh? Our days were numbered in His book even before we were formed in our mother’s womb! Glory to God! And if you don’t believe me, or Bruh David, then listen to Jesus nuh, hopefully you’ll believe Him. (smile)
‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him (God) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Matt.10:28-31)
Chuh mih people! How reassuring is that eh; to know that the Lord knows the number of hairs on our heads and we are more valuable than many sparrows, who don’t fall down without His knowledge, much less the care and concern He has for us, His most precious creation!
Believe friends…please believe in His goodness and mercy; believe that His presence is always watching over us, as His power protects us, and His brilliant light shines over us, while His wonderful, unconditional LOVE enfolds us in His strong embrace!
Now let’s go home wailing our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. In unison and full sincerity: ‘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!’
Now let’s keep that wise position friends! Much LOVE!
…what a marvellous creation…is the human being…
28 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, accept Jesus now, angry, be ready, be wise, blessed, Canadian behaviour, catch us by surprise, concrete jungle, Cooksville, divine revelation, end up, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, fatality, for my benefit, frustrated, gaze out, glad to be alive, gloriousness of heaven, glory, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that reads, hope, hospital, i-pads, in the twinkling of an eye, investigations, Jesus Christ, keep those things, laptops, life after death, light of heaven, live track, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, money, moral of the story, new truth, no man comes to the Father, not looking back, obey, on Jesus, ophthalmologist, police, position in Christ, prophecy, read, smartphones, stealing, thankful, the breath of life, the coroner, the dragon lady, the grim reaper, the lair, the last trumpet sounds, the Life, the Lord's Spirit, the passing landscape, the prince of darkness, the Rapture, the time is at hand, the Truth, the Way, the words of the prophecy, the wrong place, they that hear, train station, Tribulation period, understand, waited patiently, Wednesday Wail, wet snow, which are written
Revelation 1:3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Well friends, it’s another day, and hopefully another dollar …(smile) but unfortunately it’ll be more like twenty-five cents, since the value of the dollar has fallen so much. Anyway, we’re alive and thankful for that glorious fact, regardless of our circumstances.
And as the old people would say, what ain’t meet you ain’t pass you nuh…but something interesting met me yesterday. I was already unhappy that I had to go into the city for a second day straight, and some anger coursed through my system as I saw Toronto’s concrete jungle skyline for the second day in a row.
But I reasoned that it was all for my benefit and went along quietly. I got to the hospital shortly after two, for a two thirty appointment, but didn’t leave there until minutes to six.
But thankfully the Lord’s Spirit was with me and I didn’t get angry or frustrated by the wait. I just read quietly until the dragon lady ophthalmologist was ready to see me. She can be a bit abrasive at times, that’s why I call her that, but she’s really a sweet ole soul, takes a great interest in her work and she LOVES the ole fella everlasting. What’s not to LOVE eh? (smile)
So I leave the hospital, get down to the train station, get on the six twenty-five, heading west, and everything goes well until three stations out, at Cooksville. Around seven o’clock, as the train is about to enter the station, it suddenly stops short of it.
Nobody pays much attention to that because most of them are too wrapped up in their I-pads, laptops and smart-phones, with headphones in their ears – not the ole fella though because I don’t have any of those things – I just gaze out at the passing landscape.
A minute later though, the conductor comes over the p.a. letting us know that a fatality has occurred on the train and we’ll be stopped there for at least two hours, until the coroner and the police have conducted their investigations.
Well you can imagine the stir that announcement caused, because most of those people were on their way home from work, ostensibly to make the journey back to work the next day, and stealing two hours of their valuable time was like stealing their gold.
But as always, our good Canadian behaviour rose to the occasion! Yayyy! We all settled down and did whatever we could do and waited patiently.
I’m sure if that had happened in some other countries there would have been a big uproar and possibly people pushing and shoving, trying to get off the train. But here they couldn’t even open the doors because we were on a live track, and who wanted to get off when wet snow was pouring down anyway. Eventually, we got moving some two and a half hours later, and the rest of the trip proceeded uneventfully – at least to my stop.
And the moral of the story? If you have to ask that, then you’re certainly in bad shape. But I’ll tell you anyhow: It’s that the Grim Reaper can show up suddenly and unexpectedly, at any time, any place, for anyone of us! Therefore, it behooves us to be wise and have our houses in a state of continual readiness so that he won’t’ catch us by surprise and we end up in the wrong place.
That’s why we have to pay special attention to the words of John in Revelation. ‘Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things that he saw. 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.’ (Rev.1:2-3)
Ah friends, we simply refuse to believe that our time is near, nearer than we think. I sure hope that person whose time expired on the train yesterday evening was ready, else they’ll be in for a rude awakening when they end up in the lair of the prince of darkness instead of the light of heaven.
Now hear the scholars, re those two verses: ‘1:2-3. Bare record: John was a witness of what he wrote. He saw the revelation and wrote what he saw. The blessing of verse 3 has a threefold condition: (1) read the book, (2) hear (understand it), and (3) keep (obey) it.
The essential nature of prophecy was the communication of new truth (divine revelation). God has given it to be obeyed, not simply to be discussed and debated. The time is at hand in the sense that nothing else now has to occur before the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation Period.’
Oh my people, please, please understand that anything can happen at anytime. And believe me, you’d much rather be amongst those that are Raptured, taken up in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds, (1 Cor.15:52) than those that are left behind to endure the time of serious tribulation!
That means we have to accept Jesus NOW! For who knows when the Grim Reaper or the Rapture will show up? Nobody but our heavenly Father! And why Jesus? Because He said quite emphatically: ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
Friends, it’s your decision to believe Him or not. But I can assure you of ONE thing; you’ll never darken heaven’s door, unless you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! End of story! Now for those of us who have already wisely done that, let’s go home telling the world of our position in Christ nuh! In full voice and true sincerity of heart:
‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my, my…just think about it nuh – the gloriousness of heaven…And it will be even more glorious than that! Much LOVE!
…I’m believing that there’s life after death…and putting my money…my hope,,,and my faith on Jesus…oh glory, glory…
14 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a leader, a rewarder, a witness, abominable sins, atoned for, believe, buy wine, call a nation, come, come ye to the waters, commander, covenant, diligently seek him, drink of my wine, dwell in heaven, eat of my bread, every one that thirsteth, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, find rest, finite souls, foolishness, forsake the foolish, free choice, glad to be alive, Glory be, go in the way, God's Son, hands on the plough, hath no money, hear the call of God, honour, humble, I have mingled, incline your ear, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, knowledge, live, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, lowly, meek, milk, not looking back, omnipotent god, precious blood, promises, raise him up, redeem our souls, redeemed, respond in wisdom, righteousness, run unto thee, sacrifice, seek ye the Lord, selfless sacrifice, show of faith, sins, spiritually hungry, take my yoke, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the fold of Almighty God, the Gentiles, the Good Book, the good shepherd, the Great God Jehovah, the great invitation, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord's invitation, understanding, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without money, wonderful caretaker, work steadfastly, your best interest, your soul shall live
Proverbs 9:5. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).
Welcome, welcome my people, to another bright and glorious day in the fold of Almighty God! Bless His holy name! And please remember that you belong to the BEST fold in all the universe; the one overseen by God’s Son, His first born, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; such a wonderful caretaker that He’s known as the Good Shepherd! Glory be my brethren!
I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have Jesus nuh. We’d certainly be in a much bigger mess than we are currently in. But through His selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, His most precious blood redeemed us, our abominable sins were paid for, He took the weight of our sins on His shoulders and gave us His righteousness!
And the great fact of the matter is that He was the Only One who could have atoned for our ghastly sins under the holy and righteous rule of the Father! That’s why we need to constantly remember His great sacrifice and praise His name and exalt Him, like the Father has done. As the Good Book says, the Lord is a rewarder of all those who come to Him in faith, who diligently seek Him and believe. (Heb.11:6)
And the greatest show of faith that ever was, is that of Jesus, who believed that though His Father put the sins of the world on His shoulders and forsook Him for a moment, He would eventually raise Him up again, so that they could once more dwell in heaven…with all of His other children, now deemed righteous by His sacrifice.
Oh friends, can we have such a strong and wonderful faith? It might just be a tad much for our finite souls, (smile) but there’s no reason why we can’t work steadfastly towards as great a faith as possible in this earthly life. And that’s exactly what the Lord desires of us, for it’s only through faith that we can receive all the promises He’s laid out for us.
Now hear this awesome promise as stated by Cousin Sol in our Bit. ‘Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).’ Yes friends, that’s the Lord’s invitation for us today…in fact every day He throws out the same invitation… ‘Come!’ And live in wisdom and honour, understanding and knowledge. Like Cousin Sol says in the next verse: ‘Forsake the foolish (foolishness), and live; and go in the way of understanding.’ (Prov.9:6)
How much clearer can it be eh my fellow believers? Not much. But our great and wonderful God always finds a way to do it. Listen to how He says it through His prophet Isaiah: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.’ (Is.55:1) Wow! What an amazing invitation! Only the Great God Jehovah can make such a promise and keep it!
And furthermore He asks? ‘Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satsifieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (abundance).’ (Is.55:2) Oh my people which other supposed god has ever thrown out such an invitation eh? None other than the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And He’s still not done: ‘Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Behold thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is.55: 3-4) Ah my brethren what prophetic words of our great God!
Hear the scholars’ explanation of those verse. ‘55:1-7. God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come and eat and drink without money (or freely). He promises an everlasting covenant to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, Seek ye the Lord and call ye upon him.’
And friends, what the Lord promises, He delivers, in spades too. He sent us Jesus to redeem our souls, and Bruh Paul to lead the Gentiles into His kingdom. And Jesus continued the Great Invitation: ‘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, oh friends, what more must the Lord do for us to realize the wisdom of being one of His flock eh? I don’t know, and I don’t think the Lord knows either nuh, seeing that He has given us free choice to make our own decisions, else He would certainly do it. But be all that as it may, I’m imploring us to please hear the call of God today and respond in wisdom, for it’s in your best interest, not God’s.
Now for those of us wise enough to accept the call, let’s go home telling the world our position in Christ as we declare our Wednesday Wail. All together in harmony now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And every time we declare it, my mind just boggles with how glorious that future will be! Much LOVE!
…blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness…for they shall be filled… (Matt.5:6)
07 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spoiled child, abundant life, atonement, be my Helper, blood, burning passion, captivating love, challenging, deprivation, disobedient, eternity, exaltation, eyes fixed straight ahead, foolish fears, for our benefit, forgive, full of adventure, glad to be alive, God's blessings, good things, gospel truth, guide me, halfway home, hand in the pie, hands on the plough, heavenly-minded, hold me, I resisted, I struggled, into a song, joy, just deserts, like the eagle's, Lord, magnanimous god, moth rust destroy, mount up with wings as eagles, my Friend, my light in the darkness, my vain grasping, not be weary, not faint, not looking back, obeying God, on a good foot, One Year Book of Bible promises, our sins, overwhelm me, praise, renew their strength, reverence, rewards, rich, run, Ruth Harms Calkin, satisfies thy mouth, seize me, shattered, shenanigans, spoiled brats, staggered, steady me, thanks, the breath of life, the dungeons of hell, there is your heart, thieves steal, thread my tears, thy youth is renenwed, to a glorious future with Jesus, torn with grief, transitory change, treasures in heaven, treasures on earth, unconditional LOVE, undeserving child, wait upon the Lord, walk, Wednesday Wail, where your treasure is, willful pride, with your wisdom, you love to say yes, your counsel
Psalm 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Now please don’t blame me for this early Bit, blame my mechanic. (smile) He gave me an early appointment to come and get my chariot fixed, which means I have to get out there and face the early morning traffic shenanigans. But what to do eh? I’ve been waiting to get this particular repair done since before I went away, so I can’t put it off again.
And to get us all off on a good foot, this cold but dry Wednesday morning, here is this wonderful poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled, ‘Lord, You LOVE to Say Yes.’ And does He ever!
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I asked You for abundant life Rich, challenging, full of adventure And You said yes. I asked You for an undisturbable joy Independent of transitory change And You said yes. I asked You to thread my tears into a song When I was shattered and torn with grief And You said yes. I asked You to steady me when I staggered – To hold me when I struggled To seize me when I resisted And You said yes.
I asked You to forgive my vain grasping My foolish fears, my willful pride And You said yes. I asked You to be my Helper, my Friend My light in the darkness And you said yes. I asked You to guide me all my life With Your wisdom, Your counsel Your captivating LOVE And You said yes. Sometimes Lord I feel like a spoiled child who gets whatever he asks for. You overwhelm me with joy For You just LOVE to say Yes!’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren? We have such an awesome generous, and magnanimous God, that we sometimes indeed feel like spoiled brats. And the great thing about it is that He has no real reason to treat us as generously as He does, because we’re such disobedient and undeserving child, but that amazing, unconditional LOVE that fills His heart towards us, just makes it impossible for Him to give us our just deserts.
Please give Him plenty praise and thanks and reverence and exaltation, because He is such a wonderful God! There’s NONE OTHER LIKE HIM! Glory Hallelujah! Now enough with the praise, because if you give me a chance, I can sing His praises all day long! (smile)
And the Bible Promise for that poem is also our Bit; thankful words of Bruh David as he offers thanksgiving for God’s mercy: ‘Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ Ah friends, sometimes when I sit down and think about all the goodness that the Lord has bestowed on me, tears come to my eyes.
And we have a perfect example of that in my recent vacation to Jamaica. Wow! Was it ever good…and did people ever LOVE on me…! Chuh! It was just amazing the way everything came together. His hand must have been in the pie; otherwise it could not have been so tasty! (smile)
And I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoys God’s blessings, so I don’t understand why we’re so reluctant to LOVE and obey Him, giving so much of our time and space instead to the evil ruler of this evil world. My fellow believers, Jehovah God LOVES us with a burning LOVE, a passion that knows no end! That we can never dispute after He so sacrificially gave His sinless Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to be the blood atonement for our sins!
And all He’s asking in return is that we obey His laws and exalt His name…Is that too much to ask? Certainly not! But here is the kicker: All He asks us to do is not for His benefit, but for ours. So if we refuse to live according to His will, we are the ones who will suffer, both here on earth and in the dungeons of hell later on.
Please remember these significant words of Jesus. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break in and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21)
And that’s indisputable truth friends! Wherever our treasure is stored, there will our hearts be. And the sad fact of the matter is that too many of us are concentrating on storing up treasure here in the world, where it begins to decay from the moment you get it, and everybody wants to take it away from you. So please, let’s be more heavenly-minded nuh. Remember it’s up there we will spend eternity, and we can’t carry anything from down here with us.
And to lift us back up again, after all that admonishment, (smile) listen to this well-known and much quoted verse from Isaiah. ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is.40:31) More indisputable, gospel truth my brethren! Give God the glory!
Now let’s go home declaring (Steups! Spelled it wrong again!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all the world know our current position in Jesus. As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And do I ever look forward to that glorious future! Hope you do too. Much LOVE!
…the rewards of obeying God…both earthly and heavenly…more than outweigh the deprivation we might suffer doing so…
24 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a grain of faith, a mustard seed, a reprieve, adversity, blessings, Christ-like, Christians, coexist, comfortable position, confirm, confirmed by Christ, covenant partners, diaspora, do our part, establish, eyes fixed straight ahead, faithfulness, fall short, fellowship, flood, from glory to glory, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God is faithful, good to me, goodness, grateful, hands on the plough, in everything, infinite wisdom, knowledge, LOVE Revolution, loving kindness, mature us, more than we can handle, not looking back, peace, picked up the baton, praise his holy name, reassuring words, recuperate, settle, sickness, spiritual gift, spread His Word, strengthen, suffered a while, suffering, testify, testimony of Christ, thank my God, the breath of life, the God of all grace.grace, throne on high, through the fire, utterance, Wednesday Wail, ye are enriched
1 Peter 5:10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm) strengthen, settle you.
Oh friends, oh friends, a reprieve, a reprieve! Yes the ole fella’s been granted a reprieve! He’s not going home today as originally planned! Glory be! The good Lord looked down from His throne on high and apparently saw that I was not doing, recuperating as well or as fast as expected, and in His infinite wisdom and abundant goodness and LOVING-kindness granted me a few more days in this paradise called Jamdown (Jamaica)!
Wow! Praise His holy name my people because He is such a wonderful deity who comes through for you when you least expect it. Ah friends, it’s like Jesus said, all you need is a grain of faith as small as a mustard seed and you’ll be able to move mighty mountains. (Matt.17:20)
And it was indeed a small seed that was planted. A few days ago the idea of extending our stay suddenly flitted into my thoughts and I shared it with the duchess. Then unbeknownst to me, she picked up the baton and ran with it. Between her and our two daughters they made it a reality.
Oh my people, the Lord’s been so good to me, how can I not LOVE Him with all my heart, mind and body, be eternally grateful, testify to His amazing faithfulness, help spread His Word and seek to maximize His LOVE Revolution? I would be exceedingly ungrateful if I did anything less, and He would be quite right to cut me off.
And if you’re wondering why and how come the Bit is so early today, as always, with the ole fella the answers are invariably simple. (smile) I got up around five to go to the bathroom, then went back to bed. However, after an unsuccessful half an hour of trying to find a comfortable position for back, knees and elbows to coexist so I could fall asleep again, I just decided to get up and begin the day earlier than expected.
Ah Lord eh friends! The things we are asked to go through in our later years! (smile) But I’ll gladly put up with them in return for the many blessings I’m currently enjoying.
And my faithful brethren, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate Bit for today than these most reassuring words of Peter to the scattered diaspora of Christians in the early days of our faith. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm) strengthen, settle you.’
What a wonderful God we serve my fellow believers! After allowing us to go through the fire, the flood and whatever adversity He might deem appropriate to move us from glory to glory, to mature us and make us more Christlike, He will eventually settle us down, strengthen and establish us.
Mama Mia! Let’s hope that’s what He is doing with me right now yes, because I really don’t feel up to any more sickness and suffering at the present time. I need a break from it, so I can recuperate properly and thus be able to handle the next round with a good attitude. But I’m not really worried because I know the Lord doesn’t give us more than we can handle, so whatever He allows to come against me, He will help me to overcome.
Remember friends, we are covenant partners with the Lord, and whatever we can’t handle, He’ll step in and control. That’s the awesome benefit of partnering; what one can’t do the other will. But remember too that we first have to do OUR part, or the Lord will not step in to help.
Now listen to these majestic and most reassuring words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians on the subject of grace and being called and confirmed by Christ. ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf (concerning you), for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind (short) in no (spiritual) gift; waiting for the coming (revelation) of our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.13-9)
Oh my people, we are like those Corinthians; granted grace and peace through Christ, brought into and everlasting union with Him and strong communion with each other. So let us enjoy it all and work diligently and excellently to preserve and spread it nuh, so that at Jesus’ return we might be found blameless. For whatever God has promised to those who believe in His Son, He will fulfill.
Now let’s go home declaring (Steups! Spelt it wrong again!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our exact position in Christ Jesus. In true sincerity and strong sense of purpose: ‘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 that’s a future we can’t even begin to imagine! Much LOVE!
…and am I ever glad…in fact ecstatic…to be alive…on this bright and sunny day…hope you are too…
10 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, a God of confusion, a summer's day, anticipate as you wait, calamity, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Christ-like, chutzpah, discern, encourages us, eternity, evil world, eyes fixed straight ahead, face conflicts, finite, full age, get stronger, Gideon, God is never late, God never breaks His promise, God sends only silence, God will never disappoint, good and evil, gospel truth, great joy, grow in knowledge, gumption, hands on the plough, he shall never suffer, he shall sustain thee, Hebrews, hemmed and hawed, hope, I asked for a sign, incurably hopeful, kept the Lord first place, make a positive difference, milk, more mature, no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky, not looking back, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought to be teachers, presumptuous, relctant to act on His word, sincere trust and faith, solid food, spoon feeding, stand steadfast in hope, strong meat, the breath of life, the crisis is real, the hope He implants, the Lord never changes, the oracles of God, the righteous to be moved, the wet fleece, the word of righteousness, to do His will, to hope in a promise, trust His Word, unskillful, urgent decisions, walk in lockstep with Christ, walk with god, Wednesday Wail, you can't see ahead, 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).
Another, warm, bright and sunshiny day! Glory to God! Yes friends, yesterday was a beautiful summer’s day, with temps in the twenties, and today promises to be another of the same. How wonderful it is to have two such days in mid October eh!
And yuh know the trees have hardly shed any leaves as yet, many of them are still even as green as the months of spring. But we know that won’t last for much longer, so we’ll enjoy it as much as possible.
And saying that, I couldn’t pass up sharing this wonderful bit of encouragement with you. It’s called ‘I Asked for a Sign,’ and comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
Please pray with me. ‘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 (incurably) hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never late. Remember. Not the wool but His Word!’
Ah mih people, yuh see why I had to share it. Too many of us believers need a sign to do God’s will. When God called Gideon to lead his people out to battle, he hemmed and hawed and desired a sign about the wet fleece. And even when he got it, he asked for the fleece to come up dry. And only after the Lord granted him the sign did he get the chutzpah to get up and go.
But the Lord doesn’t want to be continually spoon-feeding us with signs and wonders before we have the necessary gumption to do His will. He’s given us his Word, in which lies all the hope we need. I’m sure that if asked, we’d all say that God never breaks His promise, so why are we so reluctant to act on His Word eh, when it is filled with so many promises that will never be broken?
My brethren, we have to get stronger and more mature if we ever hope to make a positive difference in this evil world. Let’s stop looking for signs, instead, let’s be buttressed by the omnipotent Word of our omnipotent God!
The problem here though is that we don’t read, understand and accept His Word as much as we ought to. So obviously if you don’t have the Word as a strong foundation in your soul, you won’t be able to stand strong and steadfast on the wonderful hope that it contains.
You’ll always be like a baby, needing to be spoon fed, needing milk, not able to eat solid food. Like the author of Hebrews wrote to his audience. ‘For when the time (by this time) ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles (sayings) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (solid food).
For every one that useth (partakes of) milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat (solid food) belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those who by reason of use (practice) have their sense exercised (trained) to discern both good and evil.’ (Heb.5:12-14)
Yes my people, only as we grow in knowledge of God’s Word and put it into practice, stand steadfast in hope in His promises, will we ever mature and become as Christ-like as possible. And remember that’s God’s overall purpose and desire for us all: to become like His Son!
And the Bible Promise for the poem above, which is also our Bit, says it in spades: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Oh friends, that’s the gospel truth! Bruh David said it in his cry against deceitful friends, and it’s only because he kept the Lord first place in his heart that he was able to successfully undergo all the calamity that came against him in his lifetime.
And since the Lord never changes, and His promises are always faithful, He will do the same for us, but we have to put our sincere trust and faith in Him. Now let’s go home declaring (spelled it right) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our great faith and trust in Almighty God!
In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my brethren, what a great joy it is to walk in lockstep with Christ! There’s nothing else that can compare to it! So please be wise and take His safe and LOVING hand…NOW! Much LOVE!
…if walking with Christ on earth is so great…can you imagine what it will be like in eternity…NO…our minds are too finite and puny…(smile)
12 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flood, a glorious future with Jesus, a righteous man, Advocate, anxious, arrogant, authority, availeth much, be careful for nothing, believers, below our noses, benefits, blessing, bold face, brash, care, Christ's obedience, Christian behaviour, christianity, come boldly, come to God, comfort, communicate, confidently, destroy the world, devastation, Elijah, end times, eternal life, evil world, eyes fixed straight ahead, find grace, glad to be alive, glory to God, halfway home, high priest, holy spirit, humility, hurricane Florence, in time of need, inherent sinful nature, Jesus, joint-heirs, know our place, like passions, LOVE, made known to God, makes sense, merits, need for prayer, Noah, North Carolina, not turning back, obtain mercy, percolating, power of prayer, powerful tool, pray, pray without ceasing, prayed earnestly, prayer, privilege, provision, repent, repentance, requests, salvation, sell the caffeine, shenanigans, sincere hearts, sinful, sinful men, sovereign God, supplication, thanksgiving, the armour of God, the breath of life, the effectual fervent prayer, the only answer, the throne of grace, ungodly times, uppermost in our lives, water, Wednesday Wail, wrath
James 5:16b. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.
Aye mih people, it looks like a glorious day is in the offing in my neighbourhood! Glory to God! But all of us are not that blessed, like the people of North Carolina who are expecting Florence, a category 4 hurricane to bombard them sometime soon.
But all most of us can do is pray for them. So let’s do that nuh! Let’s plead with the Lord to lessen the power of the storm, lessen His wrath, and even turn it away from making landfall, because we definitely don’t need any more devastation than what we already have.
What does the Good Book say? ‘Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are (with a nature like ours), and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth fruit.’ (James 5:16 18)
Yeh friends, that’s the power of prayer…unless the Lord is really tired and fed up with our sinful and ungodly shenanigans. Who knows? But as Bruh Paul wisely advised the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ (Phil.4:6)
Then to the Thessalonians he said: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That means prayer is ever so important my brethren! In fact it’s the most powerful tool we believers have in our arsenal. Yuh see, that even when you put on the armour of God, it’s not effective unless prayer accompanies it. (Eph.6:18)
And we’re ever so blessed through Christ’s obedience to God’s will, that as joint heirs with Him, we can ‘come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Oh what a wonderful blessing and privilege that is my fellow believers!
But we need to be careful, for when the Good Book says boldly, it doesn’t mean brash, bold face and arrogant, but with confidence and a suitable amount of humility because we’re going before Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of the universe and we must know our place. (smile)
I like how the scholars put it: ‘4:16. Only Christianity provides such boldness for sinful men before a holy God, and that boldness is possible only because of our High Priest (Jesus) The throne suggests a place of authority and provision. It is the place to obtain God’s grace when it is especially needed.’
And do we ever need God’s grace and mercy in these sinful and ungodly times friends! So prayer should be uppermost in our lives, even more than usual. It’s the only way we have to communicate with our sovereign God. So please let’s get busy nuh!
But along with the prayer must come some repentance and desire to stop being as sinful as we are and be obedient to God’s will. We obviously can’t be as obedient as Jesus was, because of our inherent sinful nature, but we all know that we can be better, even we believers can be much better. And if we are better and the world sees it, then the world will become better too.
And that’s all we’re seeking my brethren; the betterment of the world, through our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus! That’s why He came to earth and sacrificed His sinless life, and asked those who believe in Him to help Him make the world a better place. We surely aren’t doing that by our less than true Christian behaviour, not walking out talk like we should, and making the world turn away from Jesus, even to the point of blaspheming Him.
That’s not right my people! As His disciples and ambassadors we have a bounden duty to show the world, through our lives, the vast merits and benefits available in turning to Him for salvation, care, comfort and eternal life!
Hn, hn, hn! Ah mih people, it’s one of those days when the Holy Spirit just let the ole fella loose to do his thing. So I hope it all makes sense. I guess what I’m trying to advocate is the great importance of and need for prayer in our daily lives, both as individuals and as the church, the body of Christ, especially in these sinful end times.
Remember the last time the world got so sinful, in the days of Noah, that the Lord couldn’t take anymore and He destroyed it by flood? And yes, He promised Noah that ‘the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.’ (Gen.9:15b) But friends, the Lord never promised not to destroy the world again, just not by water.
So let’s wake up and smell the caffeine nuh; it’s percolating ever so strongly right below our very noses All is not right in our world, far from it, and we need to come to God in repentance without further ado, for who knows how much longer He will withhold His wrath on this evil world of ours?
Now let’s go home now declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our position in Christ. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh friends, I implore us to think seriously on the matters we’ve spoken about and open up our hearts sincerely to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, for He is the ONLY answer to our many problems. Much LOVE!
…the future won’t be glorious for many of us…if we don’t repent and come to God …NOW…
29 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a peculiar treasure, above all people, all the earth is mine, awesome truth, blessed is the nation, bondage, can't make ends meet, capitalism, charitable organizations, circumstances, comfortable, complaining, confines, confusing, cozy, deeply ingrained, depression, don't put off for tomorrow, drive Him out, egalitarian, enjoy the day, evil, eyes fixed straight ahead, food banks, forget the Lord thy God, forsaken the Lord, generous, glad to be alive, glorious future, godly, going downhill, gospel truth, hands on the plough, hardship, hate based, his own inheritance, John Maxwell, keep my covenant, Labour Day, lifestyle, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, miry clay, Moses, no longer needed God, no meaningful life, not looking back, obey my voice, people friendly, personal property, petty thing goes wrong, power to get wealth, prosperity, prosperous times, remember the Lord thy god, reveal who you are, Revelation, scorching, selfishness, sharing, soup kitchens, stop procrastinating, strife filled, stubborn heads, the cold front, the cold weather, the horrible pit, the people he hat chosen, the world's population, too big for their britches, topsy-turvy, unequal society, walk after other gods, war, Wednesday Wail, well-fed, Western society, what you can do today, whose God is the Lord, working families, ye shall perish
Psalm 33:12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Wednesday, glorious Wednesday! Let’s hope it’s not as hot as yesterday though. Brother! That was really a scorching one in my area! And I had to go out in it twice and do stuff that I had been putting off, but could not afford to put off any longer. That just teaches you to stop procrastinating and adhere to the saying, ‘Don’t put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.’
But yuh know what? Let’s enjoy the day yes, even if it’s another scorcher, because come next week, after Labour Day and the cold front comes in, we’re going to be complaining about the cold weather. Hn, hn! But I guess that’s the nature of the human animal, especially when it’s comfortable in its surroundings. And as John Maxwell tell us: ‘Circumstances don’t make you what you are, they reveal who you are.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth.
Just imagine if we were living through the enormous hardship of most of the world’s population, and not in the cozy, comfortable and well-fed confines of Western Society? Can you imagine how we’d cry out and complain? Hn! Just look at how we behave now when some li’l, petty thing goes wrong, and how we behave towards those who don’t have very much in our prosperous, but ever so unequal society. Steups!
The top 1% owns 90 something percent of the wealth and power, while the remaining 99% have to get by on the measly portion that’s left. But that’s our lifestyle, and we nicely term it capitalism. But it’s simply pure selfishness. And selfishness seems to be so deeply ingrained in our lifestyle, that we can’t even recognize it for what it truly is.
Ah friends, I don’t know how to do it nuh, but we definitely need to find a more egalitarian, more people friendly and sharing kind of society if we want to keep it buoyant and prosperous. Just look at the sudden rise of charitable organizations, food banks and soup kitchens in these prosperous times nuh, of working families that can’t make ends meet!
Those were things you only heard about during the tough times of depression and war. But unfortunately, today they are a major part of our society. Ah Lord eh! As the man says, our circumstances certainly reveal who we are. And the revelation is that our society is not a very nice, sharing, generous or godly one. End of Sermon!
And would you believe, when I began, I didn’t know what I was going to write about! (smile) Thank You Lord! And you know why our society is so topsy turvy, confusing and strife-filled? Because we have forsaken the Lord God of hosts! We are trying to drive Him out of our boundaries and out of our lives. But is that ever so foolish my brethren! Just listen to what the Lord Himself had to say on that matter.
First of all, through Moses, He said to the Israelites when He so miraculously brought them out of bondage in Egypt. ‘Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure (personal property) unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.’ (Ex.19:5) Please note that last phrase friends, for all the earth and everything therein is indeed the Lord’s because He made it and keeps it going.
And note this even more important passage that Moses tried to drum into the stubborn heads of the Israelites. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.’ (Deut.8:18-19)
Yes my brethren, it was the Lord God Himself that gave Israel the ability to get wealth. And you’ll notice that each time they turned away from Him their society suffered serious mishap. But when they turned back again, He forgave them and renewed their prosperity.
Friends, the same thing is happening in our society today. When we were mostly a God-fearing people, He enabled us to become overwhelmingly prosperous. But now that we’ve gotten too big for our breeches and think we no longer need Him, our society is quickly and sadly going downhill, falling into a horrible pit, into the miry clay and the only way for us to rescue it is to repent and once again become a God-fearing nation.
As our Bit so wisely states: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.’ Yes friends, that’s gospel truth! We’ve seen that not only with Israel, but all down through history, where great nations crumbled when they felt they no longer needed God to survive and be prosperous. And unfortunately the same thing is happening to us today.
Please, I implore us to not allow history to repeat itself where we are concerned. Let’s not forget the Lord our God! But for that to happen, we believers have to get up NOW, and do whatever it takes to cause Jesus’ LOVE Revolution to once more proliferate in our society, instead of Lucifer’s evil and hate based organization! That’s the only way we will be saved from God’s upcoming destruction! Nuff said!
Now for those of us who are actively working on the LOVE Revolution, let’s go home letting the world know our position in Christ, by enthusiastically declaring our Wednesday Wail. In strong voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And is that future ever going to be glorious! More than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…without Almighty God in our lives…we have no meaningful life…
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