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!
10 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise, abominable sins, anitdote, aura of love, awe-inspiring, believe in Jesus, blessings, boldness, change our evil ways, coincidence, compassion, condemn the world, confidence, do Jesus' work, drought, economic deprivation, enthusiasm, eternal life, everlasting life, evil, faithful, famine, floods, for our benefit, friends, glorious kingdom, glory to God, God so loved the world, God's wrath, godless, he gave his only begotten son, heavenly Father, holy spirit, humble servants, humility, hurricane Gordon, inspiration, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, LOVE, Love our God, man made problems, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, most precious gift, natural disasters, new every morning, plague, prayer, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, sacrifice, salvation, save the world, should not perish, showers of blessings, sinful, sinless life, sit up, so easy, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, storms, strife, sufficient, take a deep breath, take serious notice, Thank You Lord, the greatest, the most powerful force, the throne of grace, true, trust, truth, ungodly world, war, warning, what ails you, whosoever believes in him, wild fires, wiles, wisdom
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And through our heavenly Father’s mercy and compassion, which are new every morning, much needed showers of blessings are generously falling upon the dry land in my area! Thank You Lord! Let’s just hope it isn’t associated with rain that’s being caused by hurricane Gordon out on the East Coast. And just for your information, there were three hurricanes forming in the Atlantic yesterday, and one over Hawaii’s way.
Friends, let’s pray that they just fizzle out and don’t do any damage nuh, because we can’t handle much more of God’s wrath. And believe me, some, if not all of it, is indeed God’s wrath, for the sinful, evil and godless way we’re living!
Look at all over the world nuh, at how unexpected, unusual and very destructive natural disasters are happening. Just think about the famine, the plague, the drought, the wild fires, the floods and storms that are currently or have recently afflicted our world. Is that just coincidence? And I won’t bother to even throw in the man made problems like war and strife and economic deprivation that are so prevalent in today’s world!
Friends, it’s time we sit up and take serious notice. The Lord isn’t pleased, and He’s warning us to change our evil ways. What does the Good Book say? A word to the wise is sufficient? Let’s get wise and see the light nuh!
Anyhow, it’s Monday, and work is upon us again. And some of us still find it difficult to get up and get going. So what’s the answer eh? I humbly suggest singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with us, because I believe it’s the antidote for anything that ails you today. And why do I believe that? Because it’s prayer, the most powerful force in God’s great universe.
So let’s take a deep breath, get our prayer faces on, (smile) and come before the throne of grace with boldness and confidence, but also with suitable humility. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yeh friends, yuh see how it works! Our spirits have been lifted though the working of the Holy Spirit, and now we’re enthused, ready and able, to go out and do Jesus’ work, spread His LOVE, care and compassion to all we meet. Glory to God! He’s such a wonderful, awe inspiring Deity! That’s why so many of us just live our lives for Him, by following in the footsteps of His sacrificed Son, Jesus Christ!
Oh people, don’t even get me talking about Jesus nuh! Because He’s just the GREATEST! Anybody who could leave a comfortable life in heaven and come down to this plagued earth and sacrifice their sinless life to pay for my abominable sins… well brother, yuh know in my book, they are indeed the GREATEST! And that’s exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ did!
So I’ll tell you again…He is the GREATEST! Maybe if you hear it often enough you might believe. (smile) And you know where all of that began, where it started? From the grace, mercy, compassion and LOVE of our heavenly Father, of our Creator! Wow! How could there be any other God but Him eh?
Listen to how His Son, Jesus Christ puts it in our Bit. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Mama Mia! What a great God we serve and worship my brethren! All the other supposed gods are only interested in taking away from us and making life difficult for us, but Jehovah God sincerely desires to give us, the most precious gift of all, eternal life through belief in His Son Jesus! Wow!
And hear Jesus again nuh: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And that calls for another big Wow, friends! And He made it all so easy; just believe in His Son Jesus Christ! It couldn’t be any easier than that my brethren. So let’s get wise and pay serious attention to Jesus and all that He stands for nuh. Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not His. Much LOVE!
…believe…only believe…that’s all it takes…
P.S. I like it friends. I like how this Bit came together ever so smoothly. I didn’t have to work hard on it at all. The inspiration just flowed as I wrote. That’s why I must LOVE our God; He’s ever so faithful and true. But don’t think it happens so easily everyday nuh. Not on yuh life! Plenty days I have to work hard at it. But it’s all worth it. I sincerely hope that the Bits inspire you too. Much LOVE!
12 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man lay down his life, a mountain too high, an ocean too deep, atone for our sins, awesome truth, clarion call of love, cleansing blood, commandments, concentrate on love, diligence, enthusiasm, ever since he touched my heart, excellence, faithful, for his friends, from now until forever, give thanks, God loved us, godly tasks, greater love hath no man, he is my destiny, hear the Word, I always must be, I love him, I will follow him, Jesus Christ, joyous expressions in song, LOVE, Love makes the world go round, LOVE one another, miniscule by comparision, my true love, near him, nothing can keep me from him, our greatest possession, our life, our Lord and Saviour, Paul Mauriat, praise, Pranck Pourcel, receptive, right relationship with the Father, sacrifice, sincerity, softening our hearts, the best of the best, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord's Day, the Lord's sanctuary, to keep me away, worship
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Ah friends, another wonderful Sunday is upon us! Glory be! And I know that we’re all headed for the Lord’s sanctuary to give Him thanks and praise, to worship and fellowship with other believers, to hear His awesome Word, and to renew and refresh our souls, so we can take back up our godly tasks this upcoming week and perform them with the excellence and diligence that the Lord requires.
And as always, we’ll begin the proceedings with faithful and joyous expressions in song, thus softening our hearts and making them more receptive to the Word. And who says our Lord doesn’t move in marvellous and mysterious ways eh!
Today’s song is one from way back when. It’s not a hymn either, but a teenybopper’s clarion call of LOVE. I heard it recently and thought, ‘Wow! That’s the same sentiments we ought to have about Jesus. It should make a good Sunday piece. And believe me, when I began to consider a song for today, that was the first and only one to come to mind.
So here it is. ‘I Will Follow Him” is a popular song that was first recorded in 1961 by Franck Pourcel, as an instrumental titled “Chariot”. The song achieved its widest success when it was recorded by American singer Little Peggy March with English lyrics in 1963. Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat wrote the music. Arthur Altman adapted it. Norman Gimbel wrote the English lyrics.’
Most of you old fogies should know it, so let’s sing with enthusiasm and sincerity: ‘I Love him, I love him, I love him And where He goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow – I will follow him, follow him wherever He may go There isn’t an ocean too deep A mountain so high it can keep me away – I must follow him (follow him), ever since he touched my (heart) hand I knew That near him I always must be And nothing can keep him from me He is my destiny (destiny)-
I love him, I love him, I love him And where he goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow, Jesus will always be my true love, my true love, my true love From now until forever, forever, forever –
I will follow him (follow him), follow him wherever he may go There isn’t an ocean too deep A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away Away from my love (I love him, I love him, I love him) – I love him, I love him, I love him And where he goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow, Jesus will always be my true love, my true love, my true love From now until forever, forever, forever –
I will follow him (follow him), follow him wherever he may go There isn’t an ocean too deep A mountain so high it can keep, keep me away Away from my love And where he goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow – I know I’ll always love him, I love him, I love him And where he goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow – I know I’ll always love him, I love him, I love him.’
Yeh friends, those are words of awesome faith and trust that we ought to continually express in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! By the way, I didn’t have the wherewithal to capitalize LOVE, the many times it showed up, (smile) but you all know the high regard in which we hold it. For all that Jesus has done for us, following Him to the top of any mountain and the depths of any sea is miniscule by comparison.
And oh, when we talking about LOVING Him… Mama Yo! Our hearts just burst with the emotions that overflow them! Such is the great feeling we have for Him and His sacrifice on our behalf! No one else LOVED us enough to die for us…
And even if they did, their death did not have the power to do what His did; atone for our sins, cleanse us with His cleansing blood, and most of all bring us back into right relationship with our heavenly Father from whom we’ve been ostracized for oh so long. And Jesus hit the nail on the head when He declared to His disciples in 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? Our greatest possession is our life, and if we give it for someone or something, then we must feel very close to that person or thing. And Jesus laid down His life for us, whom He considered His friends; those that do His commandments.
And here is an even more awesome scripture on the wonderful attribute of LOVE: ‘Herein is LOVE, not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10) Mama Mia! It couldn’t get any better than that! That’s the best of the best!
All praise and glory to our wonderful heavenly Father for LOVING us so much that He broke His own heart by giving up His only Son as a sacrifice for us. Therefore, as John continues: ‘Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought also to LOVE one another.’ (1 John 4:11) End of sermon!
So friends, in honour of the Lord’s Day, let’s concentrate on LOVE today nuh. Much LOVE!
…LOVE is what makes the world go round…the LOVE of the Father for us…the LOVE of Jesus for us…and our LOVE for Jesus and the Father…
26 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a work in progress, action, beloved of God, calm, confidence building, dwell in safety, faith, faithful, fear, fearful, free society, friendship, God is on his throne, grace, guarded, guards, guiding beacon, in a tizzy, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts, lay me down in peace, let not your heart be troubled, Lord and Saviour, my friend Jesus, negative cycle, neither let it be afraid, not as the world gives, passeth all understanding, patience, peace, peace of god, peace of mind, peaceful, protecting, reassuring, share love, sleep, state of affairs, stress, surrender your life, Thank You Lord, times of storm, topsy turvy world, trust, trusting, Tuesday Mantra, turbulent, who can say Him nay, wisdom
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Well it’s a glorious Tuesday morning, and the world is unfolding as it should! Yeh friends, the Almighty is on His throne working things out for our good in His own inimitable style, purpose and time! And who can say Him nay eh? Nobody whatsoever!
So let’s just say ‘Thank You Lord!’ and accept all that He hands us with simple faith and enormous trust nuh. Then we will walk through this turbulent and topsy-turvy world with the everlasting peace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And believe me, friends, there’s nothing better in this world that that!
Currently, we do all sorts of stuff, spend money on all sorts of things to find peace, like vacations, shrinks, alcohol, retreats, pills, etc. etc. It’s amazing at the amount of time and money we spend these days trying to relieve stress and get peace of mind. Hn!
And we might find some for a while in those dubious avenues. But since they depend mostly on cumstances, they obviously don’t last long, and once you get back into the milieu of life, all those stressors come back against you and break down your walls of peace again. It’s just a never-ending negative cycle.
However my brethren, however, when we find peace in Jesus, the true peace, all those things are rendered obsolete and useless, because the peace that our Lord and Saviour offers is a whole different kind of situation. Listen to how He puts it to the disciples, and consequently to us, in our Bit. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’
What reassuring and confidence building words my people! The kind of peace that Jesus gives us is entirely different to the peace that we get from the world. His is a heavenly peace that doesn’t fluctuate in times of storm or times of calm. One is able to stay steadfast and strong through all of life’s unnerving and disastrous circumstances.
Now wouldn’t you rather have that kind of unmovable peace than the unsatisfying kind we get from the world? Of course! But then you have to put your trust, surrender your life to Jesus to get it.
And hear how Bruh Paul describes to the church at Philippi, the kind of peace we get when we let Jesus be the guiding beacon of our lives. ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:7) Mama Mia! What a beautiful state of affairs mih breddren!
And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘4:7. The peace of God is that tranquility of mind freeing the believer from fear and worry. “Peace” which passeth all understanding means (1) peace divinely bestowed in times of anxiety, so wonderful that it exceeds one’s ability to understand it; and (2) God’s peace far surpassing one’s own understanding of the problem, and His ability to cope with and solve it.
Shall keep means “shall guard.” This is a military term for a sentinel standing guard duty. As Philippi was guarded by a Roman garrison, and its citizens were accustomed to seeing soldiers protecting the city, this word would be especially appreciated by the readers.’
And so too the word ‘guard’ should be highly appreciated by us today, because in spite of the free society we supposedly live in, there are more guards, private and public, armed and unarmed than I believe we have ever experienced before in our type of society. Everybody seems to be fearful and guarded…everybody except true believers who have truly received the peace of Christ that passes all our human and finite understanding.
Now none of what goes before means we should not be concerned or that fear won’t ever come upon us. It just means that we will be able to handle whatever comes against us with the wisdom, grace and help of God. We won’t always be in a tizzy at the slightest uneven part of our earthly journey.
And we have Isaiah’s song of praise declaring it in spades: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is.26:3)
And what can be more soothing and reassuring than Bruh David’s immortal words that end Psalm 4 – An evening prayer of trust in God. ‘I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.’ (Ps.4:8) That says it all friends: To find true peace, put your trust in Jesus!
So let’s go home now boldly proclaiming our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In strong and sincere voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And we know the corollary to that is to action those words; truly go out and share Jesus’ LOVE and friendship with the world. Much LOVE!
…it deserves saying again…true peace can only be found…in Jesus…
P.S. And after reading the Bit, I’m chuckling here friends, because I just realized that it pertained to me a whole lot, was a kind of testimony of the way my life has gone in the last year and a half. What with all the sickness and otherwise and the growth in faith and patience. Oh, I’m still a work in progress, but a much quieter, peaceful, faithful and trusting work. (smile) Much LOVE!
17 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a waste of time, afraid, ambassadors, ascended to heaven, ashamed of, baptizing them, beloved of God, bring others to Him, bring us to his side, Christ wants to use us, Christ's sacrificial death, Christians, church elders, difficult times, diligently, disappointed me, disciples, dr robert h schuller, dwell in, each passing day, eternal life, excellence, faithful, free gift, frind of Jesus, get His message out, get serious, go to hell, go ye therefore, God needs us, God pleaser, grace, grand finale, grin and bear it, have contact, health, higher temps, holy spirit, Hour of Power Devotional, how he died, hypocritical, I am with you always, I have commanded you, image, in a hand basket, in the name of, kill the body, kill the soul, left out, LOVE Revolution, Lucifer, martyred leader, melted the ice, messenger, mischief, no feet, no hands, no help, no tongues, observe all things, one place at a time, other human beings, pastors, people pleaser, promise, rain, ramp up our efforts, representatives of Christ, reverential devotion, rightful place, rolls of the ungodly, salvation, saved from their sins, share His love, sinners, sins, some form or fashion, spreading the Word, teach all nations, teachers, the Father, the help of our heavenly Father, the Holy Ghost, the northern climes, the SON, to do His work, to lead the way, trouble, Tuesday Mantra, turning off, turning on, urgent, we portray, wicked, winter weather, wishy-washy, worry hurry
Matthew 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
And it’s just another day of winter weather! (smile) No, the rain and higher temps have not melted the ice and snow on the ground, so please be careful if you have to go out. Ah friends, what yuh going to do eh? If you want to live in the northern climes then you’ll just have to grin and bear it, obviously with the help of our heavenly Father.
Now before we go any further let me share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr, Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. I’ve shared it before, but it’s so important, especially in these rough and difficult times, that we need to hear it again. It comes from a message titled ‘God Needs Us.’ And so He does. Why?
Because ‘Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today. He has no feet but our feet to lead us on the way. He has no tongues but our tongues to tell us how he died. He has no help but our help to bring us to His side.’ And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! Christ has no one else to do His work and spread His wonderful word but us, His earthly ambassadors.
And if we don’t do it, do it diligently and with excellence, then His church, His LOVE Revolution will fail, and much of the world will go to hell in a hand basket with Lucifer. Christ’s sacrificial death would also have been a waste of time, because He died that ALL people could have access to Him. And I’m sure we don’t want either of those things to happen.
So that’s why we, as Christians, have to get really serious about our work for Christ and improve in all areas, with His help of course. Once we have contact with other human beings, Christ wants to use us, wherever we are, in whatever we do, to bring others to Him, so that they too can enjoy the free gift of grace that brings salvation and eternal life. Remember, He died so that sinners could be saved from their sins.
As a man, Christ could only be in one place at one time, that’s why when He ascended to heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in His disciples and all those others who would believe in Him, so that they could go out and perform the words of our Bit: the Great Commission. ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’
And that is what they did my people. And that’s also what we are expected to do. Christ can only work, and is working through His Holy Spirit in our minds and bodies so that we can get His message out, which is becoming more urgent with each passing day, as He prepares to return and take His rightful place as our Lord and King. And unfortunately, when He does return, all who are not then a part of His church will be left out forever.
That’s not a very nice fate to suffer, so it’s imperative that we His disciples and followers ramp up our efforts to bring the numerous unbelievers out there to Him: ‘Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’ (Matt.28:20a) Yeh friends, we’re all teachers in some form or fashion, either by the words we speak or the lives we live.
The spreading of the Word is not left to pastors and church elders only, but to ALL those who believe. We all have something important to impart to another human being on the topic of Jesus. Let’s remember that nuh and get serious about the way we live our lives and what we say to others, for we are representatives of Christ, and whatever image we portray is the image others will get of Him.
Please note that much of the recent swelling of the rolls of the ungodly can be laid right at the feet of so-called believers. We have been too wishy-washy and hypocritical in our walk with Christ and others have seen it and therefore been put off of Christ. That’s a crying shame my brethren! Instead of turning OFF people from Christ, we ought to be turning them ON to Him.
And there’s no need to be afraid or ashamed of our belief and faith in Christ, because at the end of the Commission He faithfully promised: ‘and, lo, I am with you always(s), even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:20b) There you have it my people, Jesus’ promise to be with us ALL the time, even to the end of the world.
So why are we afraid or ashamed of speaking out and living for Him eh? Remember, man can only kill the body, not the soul. However Almighty God can kill both, so if you choose to become a people pleaser instead of a God pleaser, then you’re in for big trouble.
Oh my fellow believers, hear this explanation of the Great Commission from the scholars. ’28:18-20. The Great Commission brings the first Gospel to its grand finale. Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honoured their martyred leader.
Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory by the risen Saviour through His disciples.’
And so it is my fellow believers, so let’s treat it as such and do justice to Christ’s victory nuh. It’s the wisdom that’s been granted to us. Now let’s go home declaring to all the world who and whose we are in our Tuesday Mantra.
Sincerely, loudly and proudly now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
More gospel truth friends! So let’s go out and diligently share it nuh, as we’re meant to.. Much LOVE!
…a wicked messenger falleth into mischief (trouble)…but a faithful ambassador is (brings) health… (Prov.13:17)
06 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deeper phase, a sour face, a tremulous situation, aroma, ascension, assurance, beloved of God, blaming, bring a smile, cracked earth, crediting, deeper the pain, diffuse, ditch of depression, dr robert h schuller, draws back the curtain, essential for survival, eternal life, faithful, force, friend of Jesus, give thanks to Almighty God, gives us the victory, God is good, God's grace, God's great earth, goodness, harder the fall, heartache, heated words, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, Jesus Christ, lend healing, lose a loved one, LOVE, love of Christ, maturity, negative things, negative times, non-acceptance of Christ, not totally alone, omnipotence, perish, pierce today's darkness, positive prayer, positive thoughts, problems, promise of eternal life, promises, raise the level of our faith, relationship with god, resurrection, reunited, sacrificial death, salvation, saved, seed of faith, share, slippery step, soften a hard heart, standing firm, strife, sweet fragrance, thank you, Thanks be to God, the Father of love, the raging storm, there to help us, through our Lord, tomorrow's light, tomorrows, triumph in Christ, trust, truth, Tuesday Mantra, vital element, war, worry, worse the loss
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ah mih people, welcome to another day on God’s great earth! Oh, I know that we will be surrounded by numerous problems and everyday we hear of more and more foolish strife, war and heated words in our society, but that’s no reason not to give thanks to Almighty God for the good things He’s done, is doing, and will do in our individual lives. Yeh friends, telling God, ‘Thank You,’ is essential for our very survival.
Now I’m going to share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional that I’m pretty sure I’ve never shared before. I don’t know why, if it was just too long and didn’t lend itself to useful paraphrasing, but to day I’m going to share the entire thing, because I believe it’s ever so important for believers in these violent and negative times to understand.
So here goes. In the first place it is titled: ‘Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!’ So you know it’s all about thanking God.
And Gramps Schuller says: ‘When you lose a LOVED one, there is a way to thank God. You can thank Him for the promise of eternal life. You can thank Him for the assurance that someday you will be reunited with the one you’ve lost. The worse the loss, the harder the fall, the deeper the pain – the more you need to say, “Thank You, Lord!”
Thank You, Lord! is the force that draws back the curtains, letting tomorrow’s light pierce today’s darkness. Thank You, Lord! is the first slippery step back up from the ditch of depression. Thank You, Lord! is the seed of faith planted in the dry, cracked earth. When you least feel like doing it – say Thank You, Lord!
You don’t say Thank You to God because you are crediting or blaming Him for your heartache. NO! Nothing could be further from the truth! God is good! He is the Father of LOVE and goodness! Most of the time we make our own heartache. Why then do we say Thank You, Lord, in the midst of the raging storm?
We say Thank You, Lord, that you’re still there to help us! Thank You, Lord, that I’m not totally alone! Thank You, Lord for the help you will send me. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for tomorrows that are sure to come. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! It’s a vital element of positive prayer.’
Oh friends, I do hope that Gramps Schuller’s words on the importance of saying ‘Thank You,’ to God, have resonated and reverberated in us, and will continue to do so, because if we want to have positive thoughts and actions, we first have to use positive words, in spite of our circumstances. And there are no simpler and yet more positive words than those two: ‘Thank You!’
In our crazy, confused and troubled world, when said to others, they can diffuse a tremulous situation; soften a hard heart, lend healing to a broken one, and bring a smile to a sour face. And when we sincerely say them to God, we just raise the level of our faith and maturity.
Our relationship with our heavenly Father enters a deeper phase, because we are acknowledging His goodness and LOVE, His omnipotence and ability to control circumstances, both our own and the world’s. We are saying in effect, ‘heavenly Father we trust You, regardless of what’s happening in our lives and the world. We’re standing firm on Your promises, because we know that You are faithful and will keep EVERY promise that You’ve made.’
Now here is our Bit, which declares the thing that we ought to be most grateful for and give the most thanks for: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Yes my fellow believers, we can never be too thankful or grateful for the victory over death, hell, the grave and any other negative things, that Jesus has given us through His own sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension, through the never-ending grace of our heavenly Father.
And Bruh Paul further sates in his second letter to the Corinthians: ‘Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to (leads us in) triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour (fragrance) of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ, in (among) them that are saved, and in (among) them that perish.’ (2 cor.2:14-15)
Oh friends, are we ever a sweet fragrance to God when we accept His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and wisely accept His free offer of salvation and eternal life, and thus will not be relegated to the foolish group that will perish because of their non-acceptance of Christ. He doesn’t want anything more than that. So, with His awesome help, let’s do our best to bring others to that realization nuh.
Now let’s go home declaring to the world who and whose we are in our Tuesday Mantra. In full voice and heartfelt sincerity: ‘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 let’s go out and share that amazing LOVE of Christ, as He so ardently desires. Much LOVE!
…LOVE unshared…is No LOVE at all…
06 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a good plan, a hope and a future, a journey, a pain in the rear end, adversity, Anselm, aspires, belief, believe in your ability, bigger than you, cold weather, compassion, complacency of fools, concerns, dealt bountifully, despaired, dwell safely, embrace our faith, enemy, eternal plan, faithful, falling flat on our faces, fear of evil, find out from God, flaws, forgiving, free will, friend, from glory to glory, gave up on God, glory to God, God's hand moving, grin and bear it. endure, guiding light, have a purpose, have no fear, hear me, hearkens unto God, how long, I am helped, inspire, kind, let go of anxiety, listen more, loving, make dreams come true, merciful, my heart greatly rejoices, my heart trusted in him, my shield, nobody called us, northen climes, potential, pray, promises of God, prosperity, put our trust, rejoice, rejoice in thy salvation, shall slay them, sit on your ego, stand strong, surrender our lives, take one day at a time, talk less, the first step, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, The Lord is my strength, the simple, the sleep of death, them's the breaks, tight grip, tiny problems, trust in jesus, trusted in thy mercy, turning away, walking with God, waywardness, will I praise him, with God all things are possible, with my song, work it our for good, worries, you are not the G.M.
Psalm 28:7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
And the abominably cold weather keeps its tight grip on the northern climes! Chuh! This type of climate wasn’t made for man to live in nuh! But nobody called us, we came of our own free will. (smile) So I guess we’re here and will just have to make the most of it.
It’s just a pain in the rear end though to have to dress in several layers of clothing just to go outside. But them’s the breaks! You just have to grin and bear it. And you’d be surprised to find out what mankind can endure when he has to.
Anyway, it’s Saturday, and we have some quotes to share from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And I guess this first quote can address the cold problem we were just talking about. ‘If you have a purpose which is bigger than you, all your problems will become tiny.’ Yeh, if you’re hungry and have no food, then I suppose going out in the freezing cold to get some, won’t be much of a problem. (smile)
And the next one says: ‘Believe in your ability to make your dreams come true.’ If you’re dreaming serious dreams, then you should believe that you have the ability to make them come true. Otherwise why dream them? For belief is the first step in making dreams come true.
Then there’s this last long one. ‘We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential.
Things to think about for 2018: 1. Talk less; listen more; 2. Remind yourself you are not the General Manager of the Universe; 3. Sit on your ego; 4. Take one day at a time; 5. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it; 6. Pray.’
And it all makes sense friends. If we want to come up higher this year of 2018, then we must clean up our act and put the talents God gave us to good use, stop burying them in the ground and hiding our light under a bushel.
And we can only do that when we seriously turn to God and have a verse of scripture like our Bit, as our guiding light. ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’
Oh my people, in our own strength we can’t do a whole lot, but in partnership with Almighty God, any and everything is possible! We need to look to a power greater than ourselves for help, and there’s none greater than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
And the excellent news is that He greatly desires to help us in ALL we do! And we already know that He is faithful and kind, LOVING and merciful, forgiving and full of compassion, so there’s no fear in surrendering our lives to Him, putting our total trust in Him. As Bruh David says above, he trusted in Him and he was helped. Glory to God!
Consequently there’s rejoicing and the urge to sing songs of praise to the One who helps us. That’s just a natural human reaction. So why don’t we try it today eh? Put our total trust in God and let Him lead our lives according to His eternal plan, instead of trying to do it on our own and generally falling flat on our faces.
And yuh know what? There were times when Bruh David couldn’t see God’s hand moving on his behalf, and he cried out: ‘How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten (enlighten) mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.’ (Ps.13:2-4)
And what separated Bruh David from most other men, is that though he cried out for help and none seemed to be coming, he never despaired or gave up on the Lord. Listen to the last two verses after his plea. ‘But I have trusted in thy mercy (LOVING-kindness); my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.’ (Ps.13:5-6)
Oh friends, how many of us just give up on God when He doesn’t answer us as soon as we call, or in the manner we desire? Too many! We have to remember that walking with God is a process, a journey, where we increase bit by bit, from glory to glory, and the Lord answers us in His own time and His own way.
We need to stand steadfast and strong even when we don’t see anything happening. Remember His awesome promises that He has a good plan for our lives, to give us a future and a hope, and that He will eventually work everything out for our good when He calls us and we stand strong despite adversity.
My brethren Christianity is a wonderful faith, but it does not come with a guaranteed easy life. We live in a sinful troubled world, and we will face trouble, hopefully much less than the good times. But it’s ever so important that we don’t give up on God, when times seem bleak and He doesn’t seem to be answering our cries for help.
And we’ll close with a few words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘For the turning away (waywardness) of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity (complacency) of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet (secure, at ease) from fear of evil.’ (Prov.1:32-33)
And therein, my brethren, lies the wisdom of closely walking with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…to put our trust in Jesus…is to joyfully embrace our faith…and to have no fear…
18 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenaline, ancient days, anxiety, arm of the Lord, aura of love, awake, beauty of holiness, bondage, chomping at the bit, Christians, christmas day, clothed with majesty, confidence, courage, cut off Rahab, darkness, days of old, eager army, Egypt, engage the enemy, enthusiasm, evil, faith, faithful, fiery attitude, friends, frustration, generations of old, get a move on, glorious kingdom, gusto, he who has ears to hear, humble servants, in concert with God, in your face, inroads, invincible, Isaiah, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, judge the people, let the earth be glad, let the heavens rejoice, lies, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, pedestrian intro, put it into action, put on strength, rebelled, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteously, rise up as one, roll out of bed, salvation, show our mettle, snooze you lose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stellar efforts, surrender, the enemy's ranks, the forces of light, the heathen, the Lord reigns, the Lord rocks, the sooner the better, trust, truth, ungodly world, unified, well-disciplined, wisdom, words fail me, worship the Lord, wounded the dragon
Isaiah 51:9. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days (days of old), in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut off Rahab, and wounded the dragon (serpent)?
Ah friends, I don’t know how to begin today’s Bit nuh. Words fail me. (smile) That’s because I want to give you a very snappy and in your face intro as writers are supposed to give their readers. But unfortunately, it seems the ole brain isn’t functioning on that level this morning, so I guess we’ll just have to settle for a somewhat simple and pedestrian intro. (smile)
So it’s Monday morning, time to roll out of bed and get ready to go to work. In fact, next Monday is Christmas Day, which means you have plenty stuff to do between now and then, so let’s get a move on nuh. Neither time, nor the world is waiting on you. Thus, as they say, if you snooze, you lose. And since we definitely don’t want you to lose, we have to stop you snoozing and start you moving. And we’ll begin that process by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with whatever gusto you can muster at this early hour of the day.
So 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!’
Ah mih people, it never ceases to amaze me how those words can perk me up on a cold Monday morning. How they can get my adrenaline running, the fire in my belly flaming brightly and have me just chomping at the bit, rearing to get out into the world and do battle with the iniquity workers on behalf of Jesus! I certainly hope that they bring the same fiery attitude to your soul, so that as one unified, well-disciplined, strong and eager army we can fight the good fight and make Jesus’ LOVE Revolution successful!
In other words friends, we have to do like Isaiah declared when he called the faithful to courage in our Bit. ‘Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days (days of old), in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut off Rahab, and wounded the dragon (serpent)?’
Ah my fellow believers, we are today’s faithful and just like the Israelites back then, we are being called to courage; called to show our mettle, what we are truly made of. It’s our time now to show that we can stand strong and fight valiantly against Lucifer and his evil forces of darkness. Remember we are the forces of light, and light ALWAYS overcomes darkness, but that light must first be shone in the darkness that surrounds it, otherwise it won’t make any difference.
It’s time friends, that we rise up as one and seriously engage the enemy, for right now, with our less than stellar efforts, we’re fighting a losing battle. The Lord fought for the Israelites when they were in slavery in both Egypt (Rahab) and Babylon and brought them out victorious. Now He wants to fight for us, but we have to get in concert with Him, otherwise it won’t work.
Yuh see how after the Lord brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, then they rebelled against Him and thus wandered in the wilderness for forty long, hard years because of it? Well friends, we’ll just keep on spinning our wheels in frustration and anxiety if we don’t right our ship and walk with the Lord, rather than against Him. Remember, He has nothing to lose, but we have so much to gain from walking faithfully with Him. And when He fights for us, we win, because He is the strongest, the most powerful force in the universe.
Hear how the psalmist describes it in Psalm 93 – The Lord is clothed with majesty. ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved (shaken) Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.’ (Ps.93:1-2)
And in Psalm 96 – A call to praise God, the psalmist again declares the Lord’s power. ‘O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear (tremble) before him, all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be (is firmly) established that it shall not be moved (shaken): he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad: let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof (all that is in it).’ (Ps.96:9-11)
Yes my people, that is the message we have to get out to the heathen – the Lord rocks! And the sooner we do, the better it will be for us all. Much LOVE!
…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…then put what he’s heard into action…
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