29 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a son of Abraham, a substitutionary death, a two-edged sword in His mouth, but have everlasting life, but that the world through him might be saved, eternal life, faithful, for God so loved the world, give me Jesus, God sent not his son into the world, he gave his only begotten son, hell death and the grave, hot summer days, hurry, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, Jesus is all we need, Jesus is the answer to all my prayers, King of Kings, LOVE, our good shepherd, our shelter in the storm, reliable, Satan's kingdom, share His love with the world, should not perish, steadfast, tanning time, thank God, that which was lost, that whosoever believes in him, the Lord of lords, the Son of man is come to save, the straight and narrow path, the weather has been topsy-turvy, this day is salvation come to this house, to condemn the world, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unchangeable, we cannot save ourselves, we have a Lord and Saviour Jesus Christviour Jesus, worry
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
And a good Tuesday morning, or afternoon, (smile) to you my Scrip-Bits friends and family! Well, it seems like we’re having a couple of hot summer days in a row, with temps in the high twenties, even the low thirties! Wow! Now isn’t that wonderful! It’s tanning time in the northern climes! Saw one fella out the street just now in shorts and no top, barebacked, trying to assimilate some rays. Hope he has on sunscreen though, because that sun can sure be powerful and deadly at times!
All the air conditioners are running in the area. But who knows how long that will last eh? The weather has been so topsy-turvy recently, that the temperature can go right back down tomorrow. But thank God we have a Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is not topsy-turvy, but steady, steadfast, reliable, faithful and unchangeable! Bless His holy name my people! That’s why the song declares: ‘Give me Jesus, because that’s all I need!’ And isn’t that the living truth! Jesus is all we ever and will ever need, both in this world and in the next!
And why is that you ask? Because He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings! The warrior General with a two-edged sword in His mouth; that means He can create and destroy with His powerful words! The One who fought the enemy, that foolish fellow called Satan, fought Him tooth and nail, mano-a-mano, and took away the keys to Satan’s kingdom, hell, death and the grave, by His death on the cross at Calvary and His triumphant resurrection three days later!
Now, Satan is a toothless enemy, a dog with plenty bark, but no bite, unless we give him the opportunity to get a toehold in our lives. And on top of all that, Jesus is our refuge, our fortress, our good shepherd, our comforter, the answer to our every need, our strength and joy. No wonder so many of us are calling out for Jesus, we bow down and worship Him, because He’s our shelter in the storm, our guide and co-pilot, who never leads us wrong.
However, the path that He chooses to lead us along is not an easy one; it’s straight and narrow, with many pitfalls along the way, but with His unerring guidance, we can be certain to make it to the very end of that straight and narrow road, where an eternal rest called heaven and eternal life awaits those whose who sincerely believe in and follow him! Glory be mih brethren!
Oh my people, how can we ever go wrong when we faithfully desire the person whose name is above every other name eh, and to whom all the world will eventually bow to and worship? No way friends! That’s why, in birth, life and death, Jesus is all we need! And Jesus Himself said so on several occasions. Let’s look at a couple nuh. First and foremost are His immortal words to Nicodemus, who, under the cover of night, came seeking wisdom and understanding.
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:16-17)
What a remarkable and momentous pronouncement my fellow believers! It’s the basic reason for all that He’s done! This sinful world of ours needed saving, and that’s what Jesus came to do. He came to show the great LOVE of the Father towards His human creation. And as Bruh Paul so rightly said to the church art Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Yes friends, Christ died a substitutionary death for us, meaning he died in our stead, that because He died, we don’t have to die. Now how thankful should we be for that largesse eh? Very, very thankful, I would think!
Then listen to Jesus as He rebukes His disciples when they wanted to call down fire and brimstone on a Samaritan village that refused to make Him welcome. ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’ (Luke 9:55-56) There again friends, in His own words, Jesus proclaims that He is our Saviour, not our destroyer, like the evil enemy and his evil cohorts try to make us believe, because His way is not as broad and destructive as theirs.
And when Jesus talks about the parable of the lost sheep, He once more reiterates His basic purpose: ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt. 18:11) And we see it even more forcefully, when Jesus ate at the house of Zaccheus, the tax collector, who afterward repented and promised to restore fourfold to anyone whom he had wronged. Jesus said to him. ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10)
And as the scholars explain: ‘19:10. The words seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke: Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’ Now, right there in a nutshell is our major problem friends; we cannot save ourselves, that’s why we needed someone like Jesus to save us!
And believe me, He was, and is, and will forever be, the ONLY ONE who’s capable of saving us from the abominable sinful condition we were in, and still are in. That’s because our salvation needed a sinless soul to pay for those abominable sins of ours, and Jesus was the ONLY sinless soul beside the Father in existence. And that’s why He’s the Greatest, the ONE and ONLY Superstar in the universe! All else is folly and foolishness!
So friends, I do hope that these few words (smile) I’ve penned this morning will bring you to a knowledge of Jesus, and activate you to find out more about Him, then accept Him as your Lord and Saviour. And if you have already done that, then hopefully, these words will draw you even closer to Him. Now for those of us who are serious about Jesus, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are.
So as one strong voice, ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we are sincere, then, as good representatives, we’ll go out now and spread, generously share that amazing friendship and awesome LOVE of Jesus with those we meet. Much LOVE!
…all I need is Jesus… He is the answer to ALL my prayers…today, tomorrow, and through eternity…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bright future with God, a man after God's own heart, cast thy burden upon the Lord, casting all your care upon him, curse, devoted, divine protection, faithful, for he careth for you, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, humble, humble yourselves, in a funk, listen to worship music, LOVE, loving, negative word, prosper, put our lives irrevocably in His hand, repentant, respectful, Ron Edmonson, self-control, shall fulfill all my will, share them generously, stay in the everlasting arms of God, succeed, supernatural wisdom, the only place we are truly safe, throughout the whole race of life, Thursday Blessings, under the mighty hand of god
1 Peter 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Ah mih people, the ole fella’s in a funk this morning, that’s why we’re a tad late. I had to listen to some worship music to get myself going. And am I going yet? (smile) I do hope so for all our sakes. And what have I learned in my troubled way this morning?
That despite the rough and rocky roads we walk and the difficult situations we encounter, where the mountains keep getting higher and harder to climb each day, despite how we feel, or what happens to us, the most important thing to do is to stay in the everlasting arms of our great and benevolent God. Put our lives irrevocably in His hands, stay with Him throughout the whole race of life and He will lead us safely through, cause with Him is the only place that we are truly safe.
And why is that? Because He cares for us. That’s the most obvious reason. He’s our Creator and heavenly Father, so just like we care for our children, He cares for us, His children. Peter says : ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
And if you don’t believe Peter, then check out Bruh David’s words on the subject. In Psalm 55 he faithfully and strongly proclaims: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:22)
What a marvellous scripture! And Bruh David was the epitome of that verse, for though he screwed up and made mistakes like we do, he never gave up on the God of his forefathers because he experienced God’s goodness as well as chastening for his mistakes. God also never forsook him, even for his most severe and shaming mistakes like his liaison with Bathsheba and what came out of it. When you read Bruh David’s story and still hear God call him His friend and a man after His own heart, as recorded in I Samuel 13:14, and brought up by Bruh Paul in his preaching in Antioch, you must be amazed at God’s goodness.
‘And afterward they (Israel) desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of (for) forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, A man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s seed (descendants) hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.’ (Acts 13:21-23)
Oh friends, if Bruh David could make serious mistakes and still be looked upon with God’s great favour, even to the point of having His Son Jesus born of his line, why wouldn’t He do the same for us eh? And I just discovered some useful info on why Bruh David was so favoured by God. On the website biblestudytools.com Ron Edmonson gives us ten reasons why Bruh David is called a man after God’s heart. He uses the New International Version of the Bible.
Listen up. ‘The following words describe the heart of David as seen in his own writings:Humble – Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. (Ps, 62:9)Reverent – I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Ps. 18:3) Respectful – Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. (Ps. 31:9) Trusting – The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1)
LOVING – I LOVE you, O Lord, my strength. (Ps. 18:1) Devoted – You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. (Ps. 4:7) Recognition – I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. (Ps. 9:1) Faithful – Surely goodness and LOVE will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Ps. 23:6) Obedient – Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. (Ps. 119:34) Repentant – For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. (Ps. 25:11) David’s example is a great road map for how we are to live our life.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow saints in Christ! What a cornucopia, (smile) an abundance of ways that Bruh David stayed in touch with God. And as Ron Edmonson says, those are all areas in which we believers ought to try our best to stay with God. Let’s put them all together in line so we can have them right at our fingertips nuh. (smile) ‘Humble, Reverent, Respectful, Trusting, LOVING, Devoted, Recognition, Faithful, Obedient, Repentant.’
Oh my people we can never go wrong if we try to establish those areas as foundational structures in our walk with God. And having established that the Most High God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our safe place, our refuge, our provider and Father, let’s go home now declaring (chuh man!) our Thursday Blessings, those divine talents He’s generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
As one strong and sincere voice. ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
So having declared them, let’s go out and share them just as generously as God gave them to us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE
…there’s a bright future with God…if we cast all our cares on Him…
P.S. Today’s Bit is a testimony to staying with God even when it’s rough. I wasn’t up to scratch, didn’t know what to write, but I persevered with Him…and Voila! The Lord came through! (smile) He will do the same for you. Much LOVE!
17 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all ye that labour and are heavy laden, celebrity status, come unto me, compassionate, Danny Gokey, disappointment, faithful, Fernando Ortega, for his goodness, forgiving, give me Jesus, graceful, He is all that I need, I am meek and lowly in heart, I only want Jesus, I will give you rest, in the morning when I rise, Jesus is all anyone ever needs, knocking on the doors of our hearts, learn of me, loving, mansions, merciful, my burden is light, my refuge, my rest, my yoke is easy, Praise the Lord, rejection, saints of Christ, streets paved with gold, suffereration, take my yoke upon you, the calm in the storm, the light of the world, the Lord's Day, the way the truth and the life, to the children of men, understanding, virtual reality, welcome my Lord and Saviour, when I am alone, when I come to die, when I lay my head down, wisdom, worthless stuff, you can have all this world
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Come all ye saints of Christ, come from far and wide, let us gather in the virtual reality of His tabernacle so that we can praise and worship Him, on this His special day! And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord God Almighty for His goodness to the children of men! Bless His holy name!’
Yes friends, it’s the Lord’s Day again, and that calls for celebration and exaltation, while seeking wisdom, guidance and encouragement for the next seven days. We can’t meet in person, but they certainly can’t stop us from meeting by technological means. So let’s fire up those pieces of technological wonder, as well as our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and open the proceedings with a soulful piece of worship written by Fernando Ortega, titled ‘Give Me Jesus.’ But we’re going to do the live, soulful rendition by Danny Gokey.
Ah mih people, this song has become one of my favourites since I first heard it last year. And yuh know, earlier this past week, when I began thinking about what we’d sing today, that just flashed into my mind, and obviously it was game over! (smile) So let’s get with it; let our sacrifice of praise rise to high heaven as the black youngster on the rich sounding piano leads us into soulful, scintillating song. And please don’t forget the sweet background vocals from the diversified choir.
‘Ohhh ohhh, Give me Jesus… In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. (Chorus: Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.) When I am alone, Oh When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus. (Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. For He is all that I need. Just give me Jesus) When I come to die, Oh, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus.
(Ohhhh Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Oh it’s all I need, all I need is Jesus. So Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus, He’s all I need. He’s all I need.
Give me Jesus…in the morning when I rise…when I lay my head down… when I wake up, when I lay my head down, said I need him, said I need you… said I only want Jesus…when I wake up… Yeahh! Just give me Jesus. All I need is him. We worship you, we worship you, say we worship you Lord. You’re the answer to my prayers, you’re the calm in the storm, you’re my rest and my refuge…oh yeahhh…’
Yes mih bredrin, yes! Who says worship ain’t sweet and uplifting eh? Tell them they don’t know what they talking about, especially when yuh worshipping Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and thus established reconciliation with our heavenly Father, our Creator and Provider! Wow! Worship must be sweet when yuh worshipping the Light of the World; the Way the Truth and the Life! How could it not be eh, when Jesus is ALL anyone ever needs!
The song tells the gospel truth! In the morning when I rise, all I need to do is turn to Jesus, surrender my day to Him and He will lead and guide me in wisdom and truth. He is the answer to ALL our prayers, our calm in the storm, our refuge and strong tower. Then when I am alone, feeling lonely…oh mih people, NO ONE provides comfort like our Sacrificial Lamb, because He can empathize with our problems since He also experienced rejection, dejection, disappointment, ‘sufferation’ and all the negative things that this world throws at us.
And there are no better, more comforting words in the Good Book than those of His 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) Now who in their right minds would ever want to turn down such an inviting and comforting invitation eh? A lot of people turn it down though. That means we have plenty people in our world who aren’t in their right minds. (smile)
So while we’re here on earth, Jesus is ALL we need. And when we die, He’s still ALL we need because He’s our Saviour, who paid our sin debt in full, so that we can enter paradise with Him and enjoy eternal life. Brother! What a magnificent and magnanimous Deity is our Jesus: LOVING, merciful, compassionate, graceful, forgiving, faithful…etc. etc.!
So why would we need anyone else in this life, or the hereafter eh? When we wake up, when go to sleep, when we need comfort, when we need forgiving, mercy, grace, compassion, strength to face the day, He’s the ONLY One who can provide it all! That’s why we can refuse ALL that this world has to offer, once we have JESUS! Keep the wealth and the power, the social and celebrity status of this evil world. We’ll settle for JESUS!
And besides, He’s promised that if we put His Father and Him first, seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness, all that we need will be given to us, because the Father knows what we need, and He won’t let us go lacking anything! (Matt. 6:33) No wonder Bruh David could proclaim, and so too can we: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Ps.23:1)
And even when it comes to earthly riches, who was the richest man ever eh? Solomon! The Lord made him that because he asked for wisdom and understanding to rule His people. So if the Lord thinks we need earthly wealth, He can also give us that, for He owns it ALL! So why bother with this wicked world and their worthless stuff eh? We can’t carry any of it with us.
And anyway, where we saints are going we don’t need it, for heaven is richer and more priceless and beautiful than earth ever will be – mansions and streets paved with gold…and JESUS, our shining star! So let’s keep leaning on Him nuh, holding tightly to His hand, and when He comes knocking at the doors of our hearts, let’s open quickly and receive Him with a hearty ‘Welcome my Lord and Saviour! Welcome!’ Much LOVE!
…Jesus made us…saved us…and will look after us for ever…Glory be…
01 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all authority is given unto me, all ye that labour, answer our prayers, anxieties, baptizing, be of good courage, begun a good work, calamitous times, come unto me, dance around, faithful, fearful, fellowship, forgiving, gentle and humble, get lost, gracious God, growing in faith, heal our land, heavy laden, humble servants, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am with you always, I will give you rest, icing on the cake, in the name of the Father, in the ungodly shuffle, Jehovah Rapha, keeping hope alive, lockdown, lose hope, make disicples, making requests, merciful, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, moratorium, my burden light, my yoke is easy, of this one thing, our turbulent world, quiet our hearts, reading the Word, reassurance, repentance, sinned, strengthen your heart, take my yoke upon you, teach all nations, the goodness of the Lord, the Great Commission, the great invitation, the Holy Ghost, the land of the living, the SON, until the day of Jesus Christ, unto the end of the world, wait on the Lord, will perform it
Matthew 28:20b. and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
One more Monday…and one more day to dance around our turbulent and disaster ridden world! And though it would be easy to lose hope and give up, and get lost in the ungodly shuffle, that’s one avenue we cannot…must not go down, if we desire to successfully make it through to the end. And that applies especially to us believers in Christ Jesus, since He has placed an eternal moratorium, a total prohibition on giving up. Instead, He’s advised us to hold on to Him tightly – be the fruitful branch sturdily attached to His vine – and He will eventually fulfill all the promises He’s made – it’s simply a matter of time.
So although dancing in these crazy times is indeed a difficult exercise, let’s remember how we felt when we first got saved nuh, when we first learned of all the sacrifices Jesus made for us and the promise we made to follow Him for the rest of our lives. Nothing has really changed, except we’re facing a few more trials, which He already warned us about. But please remember, He also told us not to worry about any of it, because He had already settled the matter in a victorious manner: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
But we do need to see out the trials in a strong, faithful and steadfast manner. Yes, that’s not an easy requirement, but with His omnipotent help, it’s very doable. As Bruh Paul declared in his prayer for the church at Philippi: ‘I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:3-6)
Yes friends, there’s no doubt that the Lord will keep working in and on us until the day Christ returns. So let’s not be afraid or lose hope. But we also have a part to do in the whole partnership. And our part includes keeping hope alive, growing in faith, through reading His Word, prayer and fellowship. So let’s do some of that right now nuh by going to Him in prayer for comfort and sustenance through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one strong voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. Despite the crucial lockdown, those of us considered essential, still have go to work, and we’re somewhat fearful, because we have no idea, how, when and where the virus might strike. Our anxieties have even deepened recently because some restrictions have been lifted, and more of us have to go to work now.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction. Please show us how to successfully handle this scourge that’s plaguing the earth, and help the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to it as quickly as possible.
And for those who have already contracted the virus, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And there’s no doubt that the Lord heard our plea and will respond favourably in His time. Until then though, we have to wait patiently on Him. As Bruh David says in Psalm 27: ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait (in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (in faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps.27:13-14) And we all know Bruh David practiced what he preached, and the Lord lifted him up, and He will do likewise for us, if we endure steadfastly to the end.
Now here is another energizing and reassuring promise, this one from Christ Himself. ‘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 my brethren, what a wonderful bit of scripture, known as the Great Invitation! It couldn’t get any better than that. But you have to accept it; it doesn’t just fall into your lap.
However, here’s the piece de resistance, the most important part of the whole show; it’s found in what is known as the Great Commission: ‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: most and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:18-20)
Yes friends, that just puts the icing on the cake! Jesus promises to be with us from the time we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour till eternity…whenever that might be! Reassurance from the most reassuring person in the universe! Again though, it’s up to you to accept and believe it. So let’s be wise and do just that in these calamitous times nuh, and thus quiet our hearts and minds. Much LOVE!
…what good is a gift…if one doesn’t accept it eh…
17 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a repentant people, battles are already won, blaspheming God, called by my name, confidence, corporate worship, Covid-19, Da Flame, don't give up, enthusiasm, faithful, feeling like and outcast, get down on my knees, God answers prayer, God is the answer, he sees every tear drop, he sees every weakness, He's never late, hear thou from the heavens, heartache, his thoughts and ways are higher than ours, humble themselves, I will forgive their sin, if my people, in the hard times, learn to wait on Him, made in this place, merciful ever-loving God, mine ears attentive, mine eyes shall be open, physical distancing, physical greetings, pray, problems overflow, repentance, restrictions, seek my face, strengthened me, technological interaction, their prayer and supplication, time of need, turn from their wicked ways, unto the prayer, with strength in my soul
2 Chronicles 7:15. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent (attentive) unto the prayer that is made in this place.
Chuh! One more Sunday without physical corporate worship friends. But don’t worry, we’re drawing close to the day when the Lord’s sanctuaries will again be opened, and we’ll greet each other with hugs and kisses and handshakes and other physical greetings, as we sing and dance and enjoy physical fellowship together under one roof. (smile) As children of the Most High God Jehovah we must resonate with hope. And the restrictions are being slowly loosened, so it’s not like I’m totally talking out of my hat.
Anyway, we’re still restricted from gathering physically to worship, but not through all the handy technological means we have today. So let’s get on with it nuh, let’s sing and dance and listen to the Word and gain confidence and enthusiasm and strength from it through our technological interaction, in our own personal spaces, adhering to the restrictions of physical distancing, but enjoying the social and spiritual closeness that we so badly need. And in these pandemic times, times of much anxiety and uncertainty, when our world is caught between a rock and a hard place with this Coronavirus that’s overwhelming us, we need a song of praise and worship that encourages and strengthens us and gives us hope for the future.
And today we have one such song, most appropriately titled ‘God answers Prayer,’ sung by a young Jamaican lady who calls herself Da Flame. It’s a medium tempo soulful song, that details our many problems, but gives us hope, because we have someone who looks after us in our time of need. So in soulful harmony, let’s raise our sacrifice of praise and pleading to high heaven, drawing every emotion from deep down in our hurting and anxious hearts. ‘If you’re ever feeling down and like you have no where to go. If you’re feeling like an outcast as your problems overflow, just remember there is someone, and all it takes is for you to know, is that God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(Chorus: He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer) You may be broken and feel battered, but your strength will surely come, in the midst of all your heartache. Your battles are already won. Just remember in the hard times, don’t give up, don’t say you’re done, because God is the answer, and God answers prayer.
(He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for me. I get down on my knees, and I say Saviour help me please. Because one thing is for certain, is my God answers prayer. Oh He sees every weakness, every trial, every mountain and sea, and He sees every tear drop, and He wipes them for us. So let’s get down on our knees, and say, Saviour, help us please. Because one thing is for certain…our God answers prayer.’
Oh yes friends, that’s an indisputable fact: our great and faithful, merciful and gracious, forgiving and ever-LOVING God answers each and every prayer we offer up to Him with a sincere heart. He might not give us what we want when we want it, but He does answer our requests, with either an outright no, because it’s not in His will, a wait, not yet, or a definite yes.
And the one good thing that this Covid-19 disease is doing is turning more people than ever to prayer, because we realize that man made answers are not being quickly forthcoming, and when the chips are finally down, when we have no where else to turn, many of us turn to God, as our last resort, our final hope.
And nothing’s wrong with that, although He should be our first avenue of help. The problem though is when we finally turn to Him and He doesn’t respond as quickly as we like, we get annoyed and go back to blaspheming and bad talking Him. But that’s another sermon for another day. (smile) Today we’re talking about Him answering our prayers. And that He certainly does, though not necessarily in our time. Remember He says that His thoughts and ways and timing are higher than ours, so one of the things we have to do is learn to wait on Him. He might take a while, but I can assure you, He’s NEVER late.
And if you don’t believe me that He answers prayer, let’s look at a couple of scriptures that reassure us of it. Remember when Cousin Sol dedicated the majestic temple in Israel? Well he asked the Lord for one basic thing; if His children faltered in their obedience, but then returned and prayed at the temple, His house: ‘Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.’ (2 Chr. 6:35)
And what was the Lord’s reply? ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent (attentive) unto the prayer that is made in this place.’ (2 Chr. 7:14-15) And we see it happen all the way through the Good Book, where the Israelites turned away from God, then turned back, and He heard their prayer and forgave them. The same thing goes for us today my brethren.
As the scholars tell us: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4:8-10).’
Yes friends, God answers prayer, but our hearts, our motives must be right. Now are our hearts and motives right, are we being truly repentant in these pandemic times, or are we just mouthing platitudes, and as soon as He heals our land, we’ll go back to our old, wicked ways? I don’t know, but He will certainly check it out first.
And Bruh David verified that the Lord answers prayer, when he declared: ‘In the day when I cried thou answeredst (answered) me, and strengthenedst (strengthened) me with strength in my soul.’ (Ps. 138:3) And Jesus faithfully promised the disciples: ‘And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.’ (Matt.21:22) Meanwhile, John says it thus: ‘And whatever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.’ (John 14:13-14)
Ah mih people, our God does answer prayer, but there are indeed some requirements for us to meet. Much LOVE!
…answered prayer…calls for…sincere hearts…and true belief in Jesus…
20 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: a pointed message, a simple blessing, abandoned, begun a good work in you, being confident, belief in Almighty God, Chrisitans, come to fruition, conversion, eternal security, faithful, from the Most High, further your glorious kingdom, God's plans, grace, heavenly succour, in this very thing, jobs, lies, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my neighbour, never give up, on my lonesome, pride, rejuvenation of spirit, rewarding God, saving work, shovelling snow, steadfast faith, the enemy, the Philippians, Three in One Deity, Triune God, unrealized, until the day of Jesus Christ, wicked taunts, wiles, will complete it, wisdom
Philippians 1:6. Being confident in this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Now whoever says that our God isn’t a good, great, faithful and rewarding God, tell them I say deh lie eh! Ah friends, I see God’s goodness everyday in little things, but sometimes in somewhat bigger ones, like something that happened to me yesterday morning. Yuh know the snowfall was a fairly big one, so after church I decided to go out and tackle my drive and the walkway. I turned on my car stereo, opened the trunk and was out there shovelling and dancing for about fifteen minutes, possibly done about one fifth of the two car drive, when all of a sudden, behind me, I heard: ‘Hi Randy! Let me do that nuh!’
It was my much younger neighbour and his son from the house opposite to mine, both with snow shovels in their hands. And they took over the job, wouldn’t let me do much, kept telling me to rest. But having some pride, I felt somewhat uncomfortable just watching them do everything, so while they were doing the driveway I did the front steps and the walkway leading up to them. That made me feel a li’l more useful. (smile) He didn’t even me allow me to pour the salt on it, but did that too.
Obviously the job took much less time than if I had done it on my lonesome. Now was that merely a simple blessing from the Most High, or a pointed message letting me know that I wasn’t physically capable of doing it all on my lonesome? I’m taking it as both, (smile) because to tell the truth, I don’t even know if I could have done it all at once having seen how much was out there, especially with the duchess on my back, fearful that something tragic would happen, wanting me to leave it and come inside. (smile)
And making the situation even more memorable, my neighbour promised to come over and help whenever I needed it! So how can I not be grateful and thankful eh? And how can something like that not strengthen my faith and belief in Almighty God eh mih people? Only if I’m not a true believer! But I like to think I am, that’s why I want to encourage those of us who are shaking it rough this Monday morning to join us in that mysterious and miraculous act of communion that we call prayer, where we offer thanks to God for His many blessings as well as cry out to Him for help in times of need.
So let’s confidently and humbly go to the throne of grace declaring (yeah!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking heavenly succour. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour.
We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And since our motives were right and our hearts sincere, we know the Lord heard our prayer. We also know that He answered it, judging by our suddenly enthused spirit and rearing to go attitude. (smile) So let’s do just that nuh; get out into the evil world and work the works of Christ, because we all have a job, a plan that He’s envisioned for us.
And of this one thing we’re sure, that God won’t allow His plans for us to go astray, regardless of the circumstances, for as Bruh Paul said to the Philippians: ‘Being confident in this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ Yes my brethren, we can be sure that whatever God begins in us, He will complete it!
And the scholars explain: ‘1:6. Will perform it is said “will finish it.” Paul is convinced that the work of grace that God began in the Philippians at conversion will be divinely continued until the day of Jesus Christ. That is, the Lord will keep working in these believers until Jesus returns to earth, at which point He will finish His work, bringing it to completion. This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned or unrealized.’
Neither will the saving work He began in us be ever abandoned or unrealized my people. That means we have real security in Jesus, and therefore, though we may sometimes falter, even fall, we can be assured that our wonderful Triune God will keep raising us back up if we don’t lose faith, never give up, but sincerely stick with the omnipotent Three In One Deity that created, and still rules the universe. That’s wisdom of infinite proportions friends, so let’s diligently seek it nuh! Much LOVE!
…God’s plans…ALWAYS come to fruition…
11 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a thousand shall fall, abundantly satisfied, drink of the river, faithful, glad to be alive, how excellent, is thy loving-kindness, Johannesburg, KLM service, magnanimous Lord and Saviour, not focusing on the past, not turning back, of thy pleasures, put their trust, snare of the fowler, South Africa, steadfast love of God, strong position in Christ, thanks to my wonderful dughter, the breath of life, the children of men, true, true success, under the shadow of thy wings, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 36:7. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Sorry friends for the dire lateness of the Bit, but the ole fella had some adventures to go on which necessitated not being able to write it before. The long and the short of the story is that the ole fella is in South Africa, Johannesburg to be exact. I didn’t say anything to anyone because I was not sure that the trip would come off. But thanks to my wonderful daughters, as well as the Lord’s goodness and LOVING-kindness, I arrived here about an hour ago.
And believe me it’s not an easy journey; six hours to Amsterdam, then lay over for another five, then another ten hours to Joburg! And both planes were big planes and they were both packed to capacity. But the KLM service was excellent! The hostesses treated the ole fella royally! And did they ever feed us. I got so much food on those two airplanes over the last two days that I’m sure I have put on some pounds. (smile) I’ve reached here now and am not even interested in food.
And did I ever meet a lot of interesting people in those two days, both on the ground and in the air! Made some good memories to last a lifetime, to enjoy in my old age! And that’s what they were made for! The only problem with the Bit now is the time difference; I believe that South Africa is some five to six hours ahead of Toronto and it’s environs. Right now as I pen this, it’s 12.50 a.m. Thursday morning, while back home is something like 6:48. But don’t worry because the ole fella, with the Lord’s help of course, is going to try and stay in schedule, since that’s the ONLY thing I must do every day!
So let’s turn to some scripture nuh. And as I opened the Good Book to look for an appropriate scripture, it opened at this most appropriate verse from Psalm 36, where Bruh David talks about the steadfast LOVE of our great God and Creator. Check it out nuh: ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’ Glory be mih people!
That’s one thing, amongst many others, about our God, He is steadfast, faithful and true! Yeh I know I said one thing, but it just reads better so. (smile) And that’s why the duchess and I are here right now in Joburg; we put out trust in Almighty God to bring us safely here, and carry us back home safely when the time is right! Give Him plenty thanks and praise His holy name my people!
And here are some of the reasons Bruh David made those oh so trusting statements nuh: ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light we shall see light.’ (Ps.36:8-9) And there’s absolutely no doubt about that my brethren! Those who are faithful, trusting and true to Him will enjoy the pleasures and blessings that He so generously bestows on those who show those attributes in all sincerity.
And since we’re short on time for Wednesday, let’s get right to one more set of scriptures which say basically the same thing. Hear the psalmist in Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and fortress. ‘I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisesome (perilous or deadly) pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield) Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noon day. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.’ (Ps.91:2-7)
Yes friends, if you truly surrender your complete being, not some portion that you choose, (smile) that’s how He will make your life to unfurl! Wow! No other God does anything like that! So please, let’s get those words indelibly ingrained our souls, bodies and minds today nuh, and then put them into action. Now let’s go home declaring (yeh!) our Wednesday Wail with true sincerity, letting the world know of our strong position in Christ Jesus, our magnificent and magnanimous Lord and Saviour!
All together in strong and sincere voice. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as always, let me remind us, that that future will be ever so glorious, that our puny and finite minds can’t comprehend the length, breath, width and depth of it! Much LOVE!
…faithful trust in God…is the only thing that will bring us true success…
27 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bet your bottom dollar, breath of life, but as for me and my house, capitalist society, choose whom you will serve, coated junk, condemn the world, damnation of hell, deceitful, encouragement, every knee will bow, evil, facade, faithful, fancy baubles, focused on the future, forgiveness, gave his only begotten Son, glad to be alive, God so loved the world, gods of the amorites, goes the extra mile, going out of style, grace, greedy, halfway home, hands fixed on the plough, have everlasting life, heartbreak, heavenly advocate, hell on earth, Jesus promised it, keep on fighting the good fight, lies, light at the end of the tunnel, LOVE, Mammon, mercies, mid-week blues, name above every other name, not looking back, offers benefits, prince of darkness, prince of peace, Redeemer, right minds, rotten, Satan, save the world, serve God, serve the Lord, shall not perish, social aspect, steals, the bottom line, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, true, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, whosoever beleives in him
Joshua 24:15d. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Well friends, what do we have to say about Wednesday eh? Does it bring us the mid-week blues? Or does it offer us a li’l encouragement, knowing that we’ve made it successfully to the middle of the week, thus causing a dim light to appear at the end of the tunnel? However yuh take it, it’s Wednesday, and you can’t get away from it! (smile)
So just buckle down and keep on fighting the good fight in the glorious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour; the name that’s above every other name, and to whom all knees must eventually bow and worship to the glory of God the Father!
Wow! What a mouthful! But what a truthful, energizing and encouraging one! One that will reward us with everlasting life and unimaginable blessings, mercies, grace, forgiveness and unfathomable, unconditional LOVE!
You certainly can’t get any better than that nuh my people! That’s why I’m always amazed and sorrowful when believers turn away from Jesus, and proceed to blaspheme His holy name, or others simply reject Him out of hand. That’s not wisdom, but pure stupidity, for who or what else offers the benefits that Jesus does eh? NOBODY or NOTHING!
It’s like when we’re looking for a job, we usually try to find one with good benefits, even though the pay might be a bit smaller, because benefits cost much more and thus we often can’t afford to pay them out of our own pockets, even when we get a healthy raise.
No wonder many companies these days are not offering the kind of benefits they used to, because they’ve become so expensive and hurt the bottom line…and we know in our capitalistic, read greedy society, everything is about the bottom line, the social aspect hardly matters anymore!
So as the man says, when times get tough, who yuh gonna run to eh? Beelzebub? Steups! He doesn’t have anything good to offer. All he has is a nice looking façade on the outer portion of his business, the inner portion stinks; because it’s rotten, evil, greedy and strife-filled! Plus he lies, steals and is very deceitful.
You can’t believe anything he says. Not to mention the fact that all the supposed fancy baubles he offers are just nicely coated junk, and start to deteriorate as soon as they are made and you certainly can’t take them with you when you die! So why would anybody in their right minds want to knowingly associate with the prince of darkness eh? But that just means there are a lot of people in this world who are definitely not in their right minds! (smile)
Thankfully my fellow brethren, we are not numbered amongst that unfortunate lot. For we believe in the ONE TRUE and FAITHFUL GOD, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who’s Son is Jesus, our Redeemer, heavenly Advocate and Prince of Peace, amongst many other things, and as we said before, the Name that’s above every other name! Praise His High and Holy Name! He is faithful and true and offers benefits like they’re going out of style! (smile)
And Jesus goes one step further, the extra mile, by showing concern for our earthly status as well as our life in the hereafter. Satan doesn’t give a damn about that! He just wants to get us in his evil grip here on earth, and then see us perish down in Hades with him.
But hear what Jesus says: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) You can’t beat that friends! The Lord our God is concerned about all aspects of our existence because He created us with His own two hands, that’s why He LOVES us so much and was willing to undergo extreme heartbreak to save us.
As Jesus continues: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) Glory to our great God! In other words, God is concerned with saving us from the damnation of hell, while Lucifer wants us to go down there and suffer with him. Now which one will you choose? I do hope you choose the right one yes friends, because if you don’t, life will be a real hell, both here on earth and in hell below.
And I’ll quote these famous words of Joshua to the Israelites on the above subject. ‘Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood (Euphrates river), and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood (Euphrates River), or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:14-15)
Yes friends, in this world we must serve somebody, and there are really only two options, Satan or Jehovah God. The decision is yours to make. Let’s hope you choose the wise one like Joshua and myself, and choose to serve the Lord God Almighty, your Creator as well as your eventual judge.
And for those wise ones, let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Wednesday Wail, proudly letting the world know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether 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 that future will certain sure be glorious indeed my people! If Jesus promised it, then you can bet your bottom dollar on it! Much LOVE!
…you’ve got to serve either God…or mammon…you can’t serve both…
16 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, accomplish God's will, aches and pains, all for Christ, all generations, an exemplary woman, awful sensation, blood stream, call me blessed, Christ's love, claustrophobic effects, cried out to God, eventful situations, exalted the lowly, faithful, fiery Bit, filled the hungry, from generation to generation, given help to Israel, glorify the Lord, go awry, good example, goodness, grace, grumpy, has done great things, having a heyday, he who is mighty, his mercy, holy is his name, humility, infinite wisdom, injected, magnets, man's plans, Mary, miserable, MRI, my soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoices, physical reaction, posterity, put down the mighty, radioactive dye, rejoice in God, saints, sanctity, scattered the proud, soul-seeking words, spiritual growth, St. Michael's Hospital, steadfast story, the conceit of heart, the Lord's greatness, the lowliness of his handmaid, the Magnificat, the Mother of God, those who fear him, thrones, walking with Jesus, working for Jesus
Luke 1:46. And Mary, said, My soul doth magnify (exalt) the Lord.
Ah mih people, a word of warning to the wise: if you’re walking with or working for Jesus, please be prepared for totally unexpected stressful and rather eventful situations to crop up at any time! (smile) Case in point: Yesterday afternoon I was here at home taking it nice and easy…no, that’s not completely true. In fact I was miserable and grumpy because the ole aches and pains were having a heyday in my ole body.
Then around four o’clock I received this phone call from a lady in the MRI Department of St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto informing me of a scheduled appointment at two thirty this morning. I was quite surprised because both the hospital and the doctor who ordered the MRI had neglected to inform me of that appointment.
As one would expect, I was definitely in no mood to go into the city at that ungodly hour of the morning for an aggravating and annoying test that I thought I had seen the last of. And if I had had the implant as scheduled last week that would have been oh so true, because once you have metal in your body you can’t do them since they interact badly with the magnets that govern the procedure. So I cancelled the appointment.
But after thoughtful consideration with the duchess, I called and reinstated it, figuring that might have been why the Lord in His infinite wisdom had the surgery cancelled last week. So lo and behold, at two thirty this morning, there I am, I’m lying on a narrow plastic board, ensconced in a tomb-like plastic structure, with a machine making this infernal racket in my head. But I’m accustomed to it now. I just pray when I get in there to mitigate the claustrophobic effects, then I’m fine. I’ve even been known to doze off in there. (smile)
The one eventful and unexpected reaction though, was the one I had to the radioactive dye that they injected in to my blood stream. I’ve had it before, and all I’ve gotten was a bad, metallic sort of taste in my mouth. But brother, this morning, soon after they injected the stuff and pushed be back inside the machine, I had a physical reaction that I can’t properly describe; like I was heaving, my stomach was pumping up and down, and I just kept swallowing feverishly. I almost pressed the emergency button in my hand.
I don’t even know whether I cried out to God or not, I was so surprised at the reaction. But after a couple of minutes the awful sensation passed and I finished the test without any further problems. Believe me though, that’s the last time they’ll ever inject that stuff knowingly in my body!
I had fully intended to write the Bit when I got home, but at minutes after four, I decided to rest instead, then had to force myself to get up to go to the eight thirty service, then decided to rest when I got back, because I wasn’t fired up enough to write the fiery Bit I had planned to write.
But as always, man’s plans go awry in the Lord’s eyes, for I could not find a comfortable position in the bed, and my mind was just spinning around with the things I wanted to write. So after half an hour of unsuccessful rest, I just decided to get up and come and write the Bit, come what may. And as you can see, it’s definitely not fiery…not even close! But that’s where I’ve been led by the higher powers. (smile)
And since we’re lacking time and space to provide that fiery Bit, (smile) as we continue Mary’s faithful and steadfast story, let’s simply do what she did so long ago; ‘proclaim the Lord’s greatness with characteristic humility and grace,’ by singing what’s become known as ‘The Magnificat.’ The name comes from the first line of the Latin text: (“Magnificat anima mea Dominum”) Please sing with me, in loud voice and with sincere hearts, these memorable words of Jesus’ mother as she expresses her joy:
‘My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name; And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.’ (Luke 1:46-55)
Glory be mih people! What wonderful words and sentiments of praise and thanksgiving! Mary was an indeed an exemplary woman and believer for one of such tender age. But I guess when the Holy Spirit is moving in you, all things are possible regardless of age!
Now here are a couple of interesting points from the Loyola Catholic web page. ‘After Mary gives her famous consent to becoming the Mother of God, — “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38) — she goes “with haste” (1:39) to help Elizabeth, who is delighted to see her. Clearly Mary, in hastening to help her cousin, is focused on service to others. In this way she glorifies the Lord in reflecting (and “magnifying”) His goodness and LOVE. And, of course by becoming the Mother of God she will help Him redeem us for our salvation in His Passion!…
Speaking of magnifying, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once referred to our Blessed Mother as being like “a magnifying glass that intensifies our LOVE of her Son.” Note that Mary’s joyful claim that “all generations shall call me blessed” in no way takes away from her humility. If she seems to boast here, it is much as St. Paul does later on in scripture when he says “whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord” (2 Cor 10:17), that is to say, in God’s work being done through us.’
And we’ll end with these soul-seeking words: ‘How about you? Does your soul magnify the Lord? We may never be able to approach Him from Mary’s level of sanctity as the Mother of God. Still, we are all called to be saints nonetheless. Your good example, like our Blessed Mother’s, can help others in their spiritual growth. Do people see Christ’s LOVE and goodness in you? Are you letting God work within you to accomplish His will? Let Mary help give you the graces you need to follow her Son and His Church in praying the Magnificat.’
Oh friends, I can’t say it any better than that nuh! Much LOVE!
…let Mary’s soul be in us… to glorify the Lord…let her spirit be in us…that we may rejoice in God our Saviour… (St. Ambrose)
P.S. Yeh, it’s long and late, but ti’s all for Christ…and ever so worthwhile! (smile) Much LOVE!
04 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brother is born for adversity, a compassionate heart, a friend, a friend loveth at all times, a pagan women, a second option, abundance, aught but death, belief and faith in Jesus, bright sunshine, clap of thunder, come to ruin, comforted me, courage, creativity, curse, damnation, dr robert h schuller, eternal life, Euripides, faithful, flooding the land, forgave me, friends show their love, godly favour, greater love, hath no man, hellfire, horde of women, Hour of Power Devotional, in the name of Jesus, in times of trouble, Jesus' lineage, large entourages, lay down his life for his friends, lifted me, lonely- struggling, most valuable gift, Naomi, negative word, never failed, not in happiness, obedient, part thee and me, plague of locusts, rejoiced with me, renewed me, Ruth, salvation, self-control, self-discipline, serving, share blessings, show himself friendly, sinking, sinning, steadfast, sticketh closer than a brother, succeeding, success, suffering, supported me, thanks and praise, the cross at Calvary, the Lord reciprocates, the throes of sleep, Thursday's Blessings, thy god my God, thy people my people, truth, What a Friend, what a friend i have in Jesus, wisdom
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Looks like a gloomy, ‘riney’ day. But who knows eh? By the time I go back upstairs after writing the Bit, bright sunshine might be flooding the land. The weather is so temperamental these days; temperamental like… wisdom dictates that I not say it, else I might just have a whole horde of women on my case like a plague of locusts. (smile)
But brother, a majestic clap of thunder echoed through the area sometime in the early hours of the morning! It resonated like a true thunderous boom – that’s the only comparison I can find. I haven’t heard one as loud and powerful as that in a long time. It sure did catch my attention though I was caught up in the throes of sleep.
This interesting prayer from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional also caught my attention, and I’m going to share it once again because we desperately need this kind of prayer in these desperate times in which we live. This one’s titled ‘What a Friend!’ Wow! And you should know who that friend is!
But please pray with me. ‘You have never failed, Lord, to be my one, essential, intimate friend. When I was: Lonely in striving – you encouraged me. Lonely in struggling – you lifted me. Lonely in serving – you supported me. Lonely in suffering – you comforted me. Lonely in sinning – you forgave me. Lonely in sinking – you renewed me. Lonely in succeeding – you rejoiced with me. What a friend I have in Jesus! Thank you, Lord. Amen!’
Oh my people, my people, what a friend we do indeed have in Jesus! None else can compare to His everlasting friendship! And He backs that up with the words of our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ And isn’t that the awesome truth! The most valuable gift we can give to someone is our life on their behalf.
And Jesus did just that for us! Glory to the Most High God for preparing such a wonderful plan and then bringing it to fruition! And we have to give Jesus much thanks and praise too, because if He wasn’t obedient to the Father’s wishes, we’d ALL be headed for hellfire and damnation eternally. But because of His death on the cross at Calvary, we have a second option; salvation and eternal life, but only through belief and faith in Him.
Now let’s look at a few scriptures that deal with friendship. First off is Cousin Sol’s famous statement that: ‘A friend LOVETH at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.’ (Prov.17:17) That just happens to be the true purposes of a friend and brother; to stand by one’s side, especially in the rough times. And as the Greek philosopher Euripides said so long ago: ‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’
Oh my faithful brethren, we do have the greatest friend in the universe always by our side, that’s Jesus, but we do need a few human friends too, but not too many, as Cousin Sol wisely says: ‘A man that hath friends, must show himself friendly,’ (Prov.18:24a) meaning that if you have too many friends, you’re likely to come to ruin.
And that’s the gospel truth, as some of us have experienced, and we still see happening in our society everyday. Those people with the large entourages never seem to last long, because when their money is gone, so are the supposed friends. However, Cousin Sol does wisely continue: ‘and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov.18:24b) That’s Jesus my people!
But there are a few human friends who will stick closer than a brother, and we are certainly blessed if we can find just one of those. One like this moving bit of scripture indicates between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, after their men-folk had passed into eternity and Naomi decided to return to her homeland of Bethlehem. Naomi tells Ruth to go back to her people.
‘And Ruth said, Entreat me not (urge me not) to leave thee, or to return (turn back) from following thee: for wither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.’ (Ruth 1:16-17) What faithfulness my brethren!
As the scholars explain: ‘1:16-17. Ruth’s faith and faithfulness are in evidence throughout the book, as expressed here in her commitment to Naomi’s God as her own. Ruth’s own concern for Naomi is bound by a strong oath made before the Lord Himself.’
And yuh know what friends, our God is so wonderful and faithful and rewarding that for her kindness and steadfastness to Naomi, Ruth ended up being the great-grandmother of Bruh David, and thus of the lineage of Jesus! Wow! Imagine that nuh! A pagan woman being in Jesus ‘ lineage! Only our God could and would do such nonconformist things. (smile) And we don’t have time for that other great friendship between Jonathan, Saul’s son, and Bruh David. But you can read about it in 1 Samuel 20.
Yes my people, let’s hope that in this lifetime we can all have at least one lasting and faithful friendship, because we all need one. Now let’s go home declaring (spelled it right) our Thursday Blessings, letting the world know what it’s like to live and work for Jesus.
Altogether now, in sincerity and truth: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now remember we were given those blessings to share with others, not to hoard for ourselves. So please let’s go out and faithfully do that nuh, in Jesus Name. Much LOVE!
…when we are steadfast and faithful in our friendships…the Lord reciprocates with overwhelming godly favour…
P.S. I went upstairs a while ago, and the sun is out. Glory be! And yes, it’s long…and late, but good! (smile) Much LOVE!
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