15 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome life, awesome situations, calamities, Christ in our hearts, Christian brethren, confidence, distress, economic downturn, exalt, faith, falling apart, fellowship, from him comes my salvation, give praise, Great Chicago Fire, Horatio Spafford, I will not be moved, in your patience, it is well with my soul, LOVE, mature state, my defense, my refuge, my rock, my salvation, my sin, my soul waits upon God, nailed to the cross, peace like a river, Phillip Bliss, possess ye your souls, pour out your heart, promises, receive strength, rejoice, sacrifices of praise, salvation, saved alone, sea billows, Selah, sorrows, stand strong, strong tower, taught me to say, telegram, thanks, the Lord's Day, trust in Almighty God, umbrella, Ville du Havre, whatever my lot
Psalm 62:1. Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
Well my Christian brethren, it is the Lord’s Day! That means at some time today we should be bound for church, to celebrate, give praise and thanks, rejoice, exalt and receive strength and confidence in fellowship with other believers! Wow!
What an awesome life we believers in Christ have! Mama Mia! We should be the happiest, most joyful people on the planet, for no other body of people has the magnificent and magnanimous promises and awesome situations that we have. Give our wonderful God some praise and glory for all that He’s done, is doing, and will do on our behalf!
And today, to open the proceedings, we’ll sing a hymn that shows just how powerful, compassionate and LOVING our great God is, that in spite of calamities and distress, we can still stand strong under His umbrella of faith and LOVE! The song is one we all know and LOVE and is titled, ‘It is Well with My Soul.’
The song was penned by one Horatio Spafford after some traumatic events in his life, with music composed by Phillip Bliss. ‘The first was the death of his son at the age of 2 and the Great Chicago fire of 1871, which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago that was extensively damaged by the great fire).
His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873, at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire.
While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone …”.
Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. Bliss called his tune Ville du Havre, from the name of the stricken vessel.’
Oh friends, it’s only with Christ in our hearts and our lives that we can suffer such disaster and still offer up emotions and words as these. So let’s open up our mouths and offer up sacrifices of praise as we soulfully sing these heart-stopping words. These are the original lyrics, some people leave out certain verses, but we won’t because they are too beautiful and poignant to leave out.
So in full voice now: ‘When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say (know) It is well, it is well, with my soul. (Refrain: It is well, (it is well), With my soul, (with my soul) It is well, it is well, with my soul.) Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain…) My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! (Refrain…) For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life, Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul. (Refrain…)
But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul. (Refrain…) And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul (A song in the night, oh my soul!) (Refrain… repeat).’
Ah friends, do we have Christ as strongly in us as that poor man Spafford seemed to do? I certainly hope so, because that’s the only way we will ever overcome the calamities in our lives without completely falling apart. I guess Spafford must have had a strong belief and trust in God like Bruh David did when he wrote the opening words of Psalm 62, because that’s the only way he could have suffered such awful tragedy and claimed that it was well with his soul.
‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I will not be greatly moved (shaken) (Ps.62:1-2)
Oh how I wish that more of us could claim such faith and trust in Almighty God when calamity comes against us. Oh, it’s not easy, but when you can do that, it means that your faith has reached a really mature state, and it’s something we should all aim for. And we’ll end with some more encouraging words from Bruh David.
‘My soul, wait thou (wait silently) only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken). In God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8)
Please my fellow believers, let’s take those words to heart this Sunday morning and put them into practice nuh, so that with God’s awesome help, we can withstand the tragedies that come against us. Much LOVE!
…in your patience…posses ye your souls… (Luke 21:10)
13 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a black cat, a high priest, a leper, anger, another week of work, believe what they want, beseeching, cleansed, come boldly, compassion, confidently, crosses your path, did not sin, do it all over again, do whatever He asks, don't understand, earthly problems, eating and drinking, economic deprivation, empathize, evil, exudes compassion, faith, fellowship, find grace, finite minds, forgive not, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, frustration, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, God's mind and ways, God's universal plan, great is thy faithfulness, hatred, having a good time, heal, higher than ours, his compassions fail not, holy church, in Jesus name, in time of need, individuals, Jesus, leprosy, make me clean, massa slave-work, moved with compassion, new every morning, nonsense, not consumed, obtain mercy, of no use, outrageous limits, pay for our sins, poppycock notions, poverty, puny, refreshed, relaxation, relaxed, remedy, renewed, respectful posture, responsible, rest, safely through, showing compassion, strife, superstition, sympathize, temptation, tempted, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that's their business, the body of Christ, the Lord's mercies, the throne of grace, the workingman's song, the world unfurls, to Jesus in prayer, touched, trespasses, walk under a ladder, weekends, willingness, without sin
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
And the world continues to unfurl as it should; that’s according to Almighty God’s universal plan! Oh, for sure we don’t understand it; why all the strife, anger, hatred, poverty, sickness and economic deprivation eh?
But we need to understand that God’s mind and ways are so much higher, bigger and greater than ours, so that if He even explained it to us, we would not be able to understand it with our comparatively puny and finite minds. And all we really need to be concerned about is simply doing whatever He asks us to do, both as individuals and as the body of Christ, His Holy Church. Amen!
That’s why the workingman doesn’t pay too much attention to the strife-filled world we currently live in, even on Friday the 13. (smile) Hear him sing his weekend song. “TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I don’t care whether it’s Friday the 13th, or whatever other day they have with a set of poppycock notions about evil befalling you if you do some foolishness like walking under a ladder, or a black cat crossing your path! That’s pure nonsense!
But let them believe whatever they want yes! That’s their business! All I know is that we going to be eating and drinking and having a good time once it’s a Friday and the weekend and we have some time off from the massa slave-work. Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
Yes friends, it’s indeed Friday the 13th, and a lot of superstition is going to be running rampant today. It’s a good thing, that like the ordinary workingman, we are not troubled by such stuff. We too are going to celebrate the weekend, but not just to the outrageous limits that he does. So let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh, which tells exactly how we will spend our weekend.
In unison now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my brethren, ours is a much more relaxed and responsible kind of weekend, preparing ourselves to go back out and do Jesus’ work the next week. If we overdo the weekend, then we’ll be of no use whatsoever to ourselves or to Him. And you must have noticed that we’re still on the compassion Bit. (smile)
Well that’s because there are so many scriptures on compassion and it’s oh so important in our Christian faith and we are definitely not as good at it as we ought to be. Just look at our topsy-turvy world nuh! Don’t you think that if we had just a bit more compassion circulating in it that it would be a much more wonderful place to live? It surely would be!
Here’s what Jesus wants, what He came to earth and practiced and died for; so that we could have compassion on each other, forgive others the way that God forgives us. And remember His words: ‘But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt.6:15) That puts it so plain and straightforward; if you don’t forgive, you won’t be forgiven. And showing compassion is just one part of the plan.
Listen to how Jeremiah puts it. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Oh friends, I do hope that seeing that scripture every day for the last few days has caused our compassion meter to rise up some, else these messages would be all for nought. But let’s get to the compassion scriptures before time and space run out on us. Listen to the Good Book, re our Lord and Saviour, the Master of compassion.
‘And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt (are willing), thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.’ (Mark 1:40-42) Glory be mih breddren! How wonderful is our Saviour eh? Most wonderful!
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:40. The leper assumes a respectful, if plaintive, posture. His beseeching is not based on Jesus’ ability but on His willingness.’ Yuh see friends, even the leper knew and recognized Jesus as the Great Healer. He didn’t doubt that He could heal, just whether He was willing to.
Unfortunately though, many of us believers today don’t have the kind of faith that leper had, and are not completely convinced that Jesus could heal us even in these times of calamity and untold frustration. How sad!
‘1:41. Jesus is moved with compassion to help. Mark’s picture of Jesus is not of an unmoved problem-solver sweeping serenely and unemotionally from incident to incident. See Hebrews 4:15.’
No friends, our Jesus was, and is as emotional as one can get! And we’ll end today with that most appropriate scripture the scholars just quoted, because I know most of us won’t look it up, and it’s very important to our understanding of Jesus and our faith.
‘Seeing then that we have a high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:14-16)
Oh mih people, there’s no better remedy for our problems than taking them to Jesus in prayer, because He experienced temptation and frustration just like we do, but in His status as God too, He did not sin. That’s why He could pay for our sins and now sits as an intercessor for us at the right hand of God, being able to empathize with our earthly problems. Won’t you come to Him today, and experience His compassion. It’s the antidote for all that ails you. Much LOVE!
…in earthly or heavenly form…Jesus just exudes compassion…
08 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a voice of hope, boundless love, Christ died for us, compassion, compassionate, confidence, cries of the hungry, Cross of Calvary, everlasting kindness, fathomless grace, fellowship, focus on christ, God of compassion, grace to the thief, great is thy faithfulness, grief, heartfelt sincerity, his compassions fail not, judgemental, let the children draw near, LOVE, new every morning, offering of praise, pardoned the scoffer, praise, radiance of heaven, ran to meet you, reached out your hand, reconciled, rescue the lost, sacrificial praise, shade of your rest, shared in our tears, sheep without a shepherd, still sinners, streams of forgiveness, suffering, the dead breathed again, the eyes of sorrow, the lame, the Lord's mercies, the sigh of the weary, thorns of oppression, we're not consumed, withouth strength, wounds of disgrace
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Well mih breddren, it’s Sunday morning, time to get thee hither to the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship, praise, worship and exalt our heavenly Father and receive His blessings and confidence through His word for the upcoming week.
Now yesterday we looked at the quote of our friend Anselm that talked about being judgemental in our youth, but after life humbled us with some serious life-lessons, we became more compassionate. Well since we dealt with judgmental attitudes yesterday I want to deal with compassion today.
And it so happens that I went looking for a hymn on compassion to match our topic, and in the Lord’s grace and mercy was pointed to this beautiful modern hymn written by Keith Getty, Kristyn Lennox Getty and Stuart Townend. And it’s appropriately titled the ‘Compassion Hymn,’ with words that are ever so appropriate and heart-rending, putting our focus directly on Christ and His compassionate work on our behalf.
You can google it and hear the beautiful melody and music that will definitely touch your heart and soul. So let’s sing it out soulfully now nuh friends, in a medium tempo, in strong voice, with heartfelt sincerity, truly meaning the words of sacrificial praise that we offer.
‘There is an everlasting kindness You lavished on us When the Radiance of heaven Came to rescue the lost You called the sheep without a shepherd To leave their distress For your streams of forgiveness And the shade of your rest
And with compassion for the hurting You reached out your hand As the lame ran to meet you And the dead breathed again You saw behind the eyes of sorrow And shared in our tears Heard the sigh of the weary Let the children draw near
(Chorus: What boundless LOVE What fathomless grace You have shown us, O God of compassion Each day we live An offering of praise As we show the world your compassion) We stood beneath the cross of Calvary And gazed on your face At the thorns of oppression And the wounds of disgrace For surely You have borne our suffering And carried our grief As you pardoned the scoffer And showed grace to the thief
(Chorus: What boundless LOVE…) How beautiful the feet that carry This gospel of peace To the fields of injustice And the valleys of need To be a voice of hope and healing To answer the cries Of the hungry and helpless With the mercy of Christ (Chorus: What boundless LOVE What fathomless grace You have shown us, O God of compassion Each day we live An offering of praise As we show to the world your compassion) (repeat)’
Wow! Isn’t that just beautiful friends! It’s like a listing of all that Jesus has done for us; and it all falls under the heading of COMPASSION! No one has ever showed compassion like our heavenly Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; that seems to be their middle name, as our Bit and the other scriptures we’ll share attest to.
‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Oh friends, we should all be extremely grateful that the Lord is merciful and compassionate yes, else we’d be lost in hellfire a long time ago. And are we ever blessed that His compassion for us is brand new every day! Glory be mih people. And we’re going to highlight God’s greatest act of LOVE and compassion through the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome.
‘For when we were yet without strength, in due (at the right) time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrates His own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:6-8)
Wow! What a magnificent and magnanimous God we serve and worship my brethren! In that while we were still sinful enemies, still estranged from Him, He showed His great and unconditional LOVE for us by sending His Son to die on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled to Him.
Mama Mia! And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Exalt His holy name!’ And the best way we can do that friends, is by showing our LOVE and compassion to others, be they believers or not.
Remember what we sang in the chorus above: ‘What boundless LOVE What fathomless grace You have shown us, O God of compassion Each day we live An offering of praise As we show to the world your compassion.’ Yeh, we claim that we show the world your compassion every day.
But is that really true, or is it as true as it can and should be? I don’t think so friends. If we were really showing the world God’s compassion through our actions, our world would not be such a divided, strife-filled and unhappy place, pervaded by so much poverty and sickness.
So please, let’s get serious and begin living the words we sing nuh. Remember if it wasn’t for God’s compassion, we’d never have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and would be still hell bound instead of heaven bound. Much LOVE!
…only true compassion heals the wounds of the world…
06 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., after the Spirit, all is not lost, another week of work, boundaries, Canada Day, celebrations, Christ's kingdom, convicted, death, dying on our behalf, eternal life, everything will be made right, exciting things, fellowship, flooding, Friday chant, friends, fun, given another chance, glorious kingdom, glory to God, god is still on his throne, God's own time and way, havoc in Quebec, heat-wave, justified, know about Jesus, lack of sleep, likeness of sinful flesh, limits, live by the flesh, made me free, made righteous in god, no condemnation, ole body tired, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, partying, punished, pure Spirit of Christ, rain, relaxation, reminded, rest, salve job, sanctified, selfless sacrifices, sentenced to die, summer weekend, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the gift of God, the law of sin and death, the Spirit of life, the wages of sin, the workingman's song, to be sin for us, undeserving children, ungodly ways of the world, walk not after the flesh, weak law of the flesh, weekends, which are in Christ Jesus, wildfire in Northern California
Romans 8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Well friends, it seems like the heat wave is finally over! Thank the Lord! Some rain fell yesterday evening and in the night and cooled down the place some, but the heat wave certainly wreaked havoc in the Province of Quebec, where it seems thirty something people died during that excessively hot time.
Steups! When it’s not one thing, it’s certainly another. Meanwhile down in the U.S. some places had an exceeding amount of rain that caused extensive flooding. And out in Northern California that wildfire we spoke of yesterday is expanding its reach with a vengeance.
But yuh know what friends, all is not lost because of these negative circumstances, since we know that our omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present God is still on His heavenly throne overseeing things, and in His own time and way, everything will be made right. Glory to God!
And anyway, today is Friday, and nothing is going to stop the workingman from declaring his heartfelt song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Brother! Don’t know if I could have made it one more day nuh. What with all the partying and lack of sleep from last weekend’s Canada Day celebrations, and the hard work on massa slave job, the ole body was really tired.
Glad that this was just a short week yes! Anyhow, is still the weekend, and the summer weekend calls for getting out there and making exciting things happen. And that’s what we’ll do, tired or not. Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, I’m sure many of us feel the same way; tired after a long weekend of celebrations, then straight into a week of work under hot and exhaustive temperatures. But hopefully, we will not do like the workingman and continue in excessive celebrations over the weekend, because it doesn’t fit who we are.
We are followers of Jesus Christ and we have boundaries, limits to how far we can go along the continuum of celebrations…certainly not as far as the workingman goes. So let’s declare our weekend song, our Friday Chant, which is entirely different to that of the workingman.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, ours is a much more responsible situation. Oh we can party and such, but not to extremes, and we’re always on the lookout for ways to increase Christ’s kingdom and not denigrate it. That’s why we do not live by the flesh, by the wicked, ungodly ways of the world, but by the pure Spirit of Christ.
As Bruh Paul tells us in our Bit: ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’
Oh my people, my people, what a delicious situation! Wow! If we live in Christ’s Spirit, under His law, we are no longer condemned, just convicted; not sentenced to die, but merely reminded and possibly punished, but given another chance, a much better situation. ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom.8:2)
Glory be mih breddren! Christ’s sacrificial death paid for our sins, and when we place our sincere trust and belief in Him, we no longer live under the negative law of sin, which says: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom.6:23) Praise Christ’s Holy Name for all that He’s done for us undeserving children of men!
As Bruh Paul continues to the church at Rome: ‘For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:3-4)
And all God’s people gave out a loud and sincere ‘Thank You Jesus!’ And so we should, because it’s only through Jesus becoming human and coming to earth, but not committing sin, and dying on our behalf, in our place, that we’ve been set free from the weak law of the flesh.
As the scholars explain: ‘8:3. Law…was weak: There is nothing inherently wrong with the law. The presence of sin renders the believer powerless to do what the law demands. The likeness of sinful flesh: Christ was truly human but not a sinner (2 Cor.5:21).’
And instead of asking you to check out that scripture, which most of you will not do, we’ll just end with it instead. Oh, the spoon-feeding! (smile) ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us (to bear our sins), who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in (through) him.’ (2 Cor.5:21)
Oh friends, please remember and be very appreciative of the fact, that whatever we are today; righteous in the eyes of God, justified, sanctified, etc. etc. it’s all because of Jesus and His enormous selfless sacrifices! Much LOVE!
…if you know about Jesus…and don’t LOVE and worship Him…then something’s sadly wrong with you and your mind…
29 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a normal way of life, a sincere heart, all men forsook me, alone, always with you, anger, at the forefront of our minds, be glory for ever, bitter, burned to the ground, Canada Day, celebrations, constant bombardment, David encouraged himself, delivered, disheartening, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, encourage us, every evil work, face calamities, fellowship, feud, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, Gentiles, getting even, God's awesome love, God's promise, Granny's advice, grief, heavenly kingdom, holy spirit, if you live by the gun, in fine fashion, in Jesus name, in the Lord his God, long weekend, LOVE, Maryland, mayhem, negative state of affairs, no man stood with me, numerous shootings, out of the mouth of the lion, preserve me, rampaged through a newspaper, refreshed, renewed, rest-relaxation, selfish, separation, serving Jehovah, Spread God's Word, strengthened me, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the Father, the Lord stood with me, the normal pressures of life, the preaching, the SON, Togetherness, turbulent world, ungodly things, we live in a fine country, wherever you go, wild wild west, you'll die by the gun, you're never alone, Ziklag
1 Samuel 30:6b. …but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
Well who would have thought it eh? That in these supposedly modern times the days of the Wild Wild West would reappear again, when killing each other was a more or less normal way of life.
But it has resurfaced with numerous shootings all over, especially in the U.S. including the latest in Maryland where a man rampaged through a newspaper yesterday with a shotgun, killing five journalists. Apparently he had a feud with the newspaper, sued them in court and lost, so that was his way of getting even.
Ah Lord eh! When are we going to learn eh, that if you live by the gun, you’ll most likely die by the gun? And unfortunately guns are proliferating all over the world now! No wonder there’s so much killing and mayhem.
But as Christians we cannot afford to allow this negative state of affairs to bring us down. In fact we should be trying even harder to spread the word of God and His awesome LOVE, which mitigates such situations, bringing more togetherness, rather than the current separation we’re seeing in our turbulent world.
And to bolster that fact, let’s remember that it’s Friday, a long weekend in Canada, where we celebrate Canada’s birthday on Monday, so celebrations are in the air everywhere, including the freed workingman’s song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! I don’t know if I could have made it another day nuh! And thank God especially that this is the Canada Day long weekend!
Mama Yo! Even though ah tired, I’m going to be celebrating we country birthday in fine fashion! How could I not eh, when I live in such a fine country! And who don’t like we celebrations…. yuh know where they could go eh…straight to where Lucifer and his boys live yes! Thank God for Fridays and weekends, especially the long ones and them!’
Yes friends, this is the Canada Day long weekend and obviously the celebrations will be plentiful, uproarious and somewhat overboard, but please let’s remember Granny’s words of wisdom as we celebrate: ‘Sonny boy, please, ah beg you, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’
And all we believers will do well to adhere to that bit of wise advice this long weekend. For, unlike the workingman, we can’t afford to let the enemy get even one toehold in our business. So let’s chant our Friday Chant and remind ourselves of our responsibilities this weekend.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes precious people, serving Jehovah, improving His kingdom must always be at the forefront of our minds, though not in a severe and overly religious way. And I know that that is not always easy to do, what with the normal pressures of life and the constant bombardment of ungodly things and situations that the world enjoys firing at us. And it gets even more disheartening when we are alone to face the calamities coming against us.
As Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘At my first answer (defense) no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (2 Tim.4:16-18)
Ah mih breddren, we need to remember that we’re never alone, for even when no one is with us, God is always there. That brings us to another solitary situation, when Bruh David was living in Philistia, running from his enemies, and returned to his town of Ziklag and found it burned to the ground by the Amalekites, and all the women and children taken away captive, including his wives and children.
But the Good Book says: ‘And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people were grieved (bitter), every man for his sons and daughters:’ (1 Sam.30a) Yuh see how we can be selfish and peeved when we’re suffering, and want to do others harm, even when they are suffering like us.
Bruh David’s men apparently couldn’t care less that he had also lost his wives, his sons and daughters. They just wanted someone to blame, to take out their anger and grief on, and he was the most appropriate one at the time. They forgot all the times that they had endangered their lives for him, and how he had treated them well. But yuh know what friends, the Good Book continues: ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’
Yeh mih people, when there’s no one around to encourage us, we have to find the necessary strength and energy to encourage ourselves in our God, who is always there for us. It’s not easy, but we know that when we call on Him with a sincere heart, He will answer and come to our rescue. That’s His promise, and He ALWAYS keeps them.
So right now, if you’re in a situation somewhat like Bruh David’s, I encourage you to call out to your heavenly Father, and receive His divine encouragement, which no human’s can even approximate! Much LOVE!
…you’re NEVER alone…for the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit are ALWAYS with you…wherever you go…
22 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daily calling, a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, a touch of god's wrath, anger, bacchanalian way, battle to win our souls, be constantly in thy mouth, Beelzebub, Book of the Law, Christians, commitment to Christ, Daily Bread Devotional, death, difficult to do, do according to all therein, do God's will, eternal damnation, fellowship, Friday chant, full force of God's anger, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, go to extremes, gospel truth, grateful, have success, hellfire, in Jesus name, insensitive actions, inspired word of God, Joshua, keeping Jesus uppermost, know peace, leader of the Israelites, make thy way prosperous, meditating, mental, negative stuff, out of darkness, partying, physical, putting the word into action, reading, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rocket science, separate immigrant children, slavery, strife, suffered, summertime weather, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the blind lead the blind, the enemy, the Good Book, the hand of God, the light inspiring word of jesus, the workingman, thy word, tough tits, tried and true path, turn to God, turned away from God, war, week of work, weekends, what a bam bam, working
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Well friends, amongst all the strife, war, hatred, anger and all the other negative stuff that’s taking place in our once beautiful world, I noticed one of the most foolish and insensitive actions take place yesterday. Yuh know the big contention that’s currently going on in the U.S… and some of you are asking which one? (smile) Well I’m talking about the recent major push to separate immigrant children from their parents.
Now apparently, yesterday, the first lady of the U.S went to visit one of the centres where children are being held and she wore a jacket that had written on the back in big white letters: ‘I don’t really care, do u?’ How how insensitive is that eh? Even if you don’t care, half of the country you represent cares, and that’s only a slap in the face to them. But that’s the state of the U.S. these days. Matter done!
It’s Friday, and the workingman is out there singing his happy song: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The working soon finish… and the partying soon start! What a bam bam! It’s going to be party fuh so in this summertime weather! Nobody going to stop we from carrying on anyway we want!
And who doh like it…Hn! Tough tits yes! Let them try to do something about it nuh. They don’t know how we grateful for the break from all the weekday slavery nuh, both physical and mental. Steups! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
Yeh mih people, we Christians are also grateful for Fridays and the weekends, but we just show it in a less bacchanalian way. (smile) We don’t go to the extremes, like the worldly culture around us does. So let’s chant our corresponding Friday Chant and show them how we believers do it nuh.
As one sincere voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, we have a more organized way to spend or use our weekends – while celebrating, still keeping our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ uppermost in our minds and behaviour. And I just spied a quote from a Daily Bread Devotional that highlights it quite nicely. I’ve shared it before, but it’s important enough to share again and again. ‘Commitment to Christ is a daily calling.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! Everyday we awaken, we need to commit ourselves anew to Christ! That’s the only way we can stay on the tried and true path that leads to the Father. That’s why the psalmist declared in our Bit: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’
Yeh mih breddren, the only way to stay committed to Christ is by constantly reading, meditating and putting His word into action, for the enemy is fighting an ever-constant battle to win our souls. Remember those memorable words of the Lord to Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death?
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.’ (Josh.1:8)
Oh friends, that one verse says it all: to be prosperous and have success, one must know the word and practice it! And yet we wonder why so much of us individually, as well as nationally are not having success. But the answer is right there before our very eyes; turn to God and do His will. That’s not rocket science; it’s plain and straightforward.
And though in some cases it might be somewhat difficult to do, the Lord has faithfully promised us His awesome help all along the way. But like the workingman, many of us seem to prefer Beelzebub’s easy and sinful ways, which only lead to hellfire, death and eternal damnation.
Yuh see how EVERY TIME, Israel turned away from God how they suffered, and how we are suffering now in our ungodliness? It’s no mistake that our world is currently engulfed in all sorts of negative problems; the hand of God and a touch of His wrath are upon us. Notice I said only a touch of His wrath, because we could never withstand the full force of His anger.
Oh friends, the Good Book is the inspired Word of our Creator and it does not lie. So why do we think we can go against what it says and be truly successful eh? That’s why I’m imploring us, like the Lord implored Joshua and all the other leaders of the faith, to sincerely meditate on His Word, talk about it to our children and each other, and then put it into action. That’s the ONLY way our desperately struggling world and us will ever know peace and success. Much LOVE!
…how can the blind lead the blind out of darkness eh…only through the light inspiring word of Jesus…
15 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominations, Ahaz, altars for Baal, Amon, Asherah, carousing, children of Israel, created, Creator, did evil in the Lord's sight, disparity in behaviour, disturbed sleep, dryness, every day that we're alive, fellowship, follow God's laws, forsook the Lord God, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, give thanks to god, gods of the Assyrians, half step backward, having a good time, heathen, Hezekiah, in Jesus name, in the sight of the Lord, Josiah, largesse, level-headed, limits, loving-kindness, Manasseh, melodrama, mental chains, negative circumstance, new slavery, of David his father, one step forward, pagan altars, refreshed, renewed, responsibilities, rest, served the idols, shaking it rough, song of freedom, spiritual evil, summertime, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that which was right, the breath of life, the Good Book, the kings of Judah, the living is easy, the workingman's song, to the left, to the right hand, topsy-turvy, turned not aside, walked in all the way, week of work, wickedness, wooden image
2 Kings 22:2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
Ah friends, the ole fella’s shaking it a tad on the rough side this morning. My ole nostrils were blocked up again last night, so I had to breathe through my mouth, with the attendant dryness, disturbed sleep, etc. etc. Ah Lord eh! This one step forward, half backward is becoming a bit much yes!
But what to do eh? Nothing but grin and bear it, knowing that the Lord is in control on the throne, doing what He does best, rule with our best interests at heart. And sadly, the workingman isn’t interested in my negative circumstance, (smile) he’s just come out to sing his song of freedom:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and we soon get a break from the new slavery with mental chains instead of the real ones! The weekend is here…and it’s summertime…and the living is easy…and we certainly going to enjoy every moment of it, as long as we can. Pure carousing and having a good time, with no thought about work until Monday morning! Oh, the weekend, the weekend! Give God thanks for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
For sure my people, we ought to give thanks to Almighty God not only for Fridays and weekends, but for each and every day that we’re alive! For it’s through His largesse, His LOVING-kindness that we keep on drawing the breath of life that He first instilled in us at birth.
But if we are believers, we need to have limits and responsibilities to the way we live our lives. Excessive and limitless carousing does not go over well in Jesus’ society. That’s why our Friday Chant is so much different to the workingman’s song. And as we chant it now, let’s seriously think about it and make plans to sincerely follow it.
Altogether now, let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, it contains most of the elements in the workingman’s song, but just on a more level-headed and responsible note. And speaking about level heads and responsibility, I opened the Good Book and immediately saw a most appropriate passage, for today’s Bit. ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.’
Ah mih breddren, we couldn’t find greater disparity in behaviour than in the kings of Judah back in olden times. The above passage is talking of Josiah, who began ruling Judah when he was 8 years old and ruled for 31 fruitful years. His mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath, a city in Judah.
Now hear how the Good Book describes the reign of Amon, Josiah’s father. ‘Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign (became king). And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did. And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: And he forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.’ (2 Kin.21:19-22)
Oh precious people, there is no certainty that we will take after our fathers, or do what they did, as we can see by the difference in those three kings of Judah’s behaviour. Now Josiah did not take after his father Amon, who took after his father Manasseh, who did not take after his father Hezekiah. So obviously Judah was a mess, moving from godly to ungodly and back again, according to the whims and fancies of their kings.
Hear how the Good Book describes Manasseh: ‘Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
For he built up again the high places (places for pagan worship) which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove (wooden image) as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven (gods of the Assyrians), and served them.’ (2 Kin.21:1-3)
And I wonder, since the Good Book names their mothers, if, or how much they had to do with the godly or ungodly behaviour of their sons. It’s a note for thought. (smile)
And the scholars give us some further explanations. ‘21:1-2. Manasseh’s 55 year reign was the longest of any of the Old Testament kings. Unlike his godly father, Hezekiah, he reproduced the wickedness of his grandfather Ahaz. He emulated Ahaz’s spiritual evil by bringing pagan altars into various places of the temple complex and placing the Asherah (Canaanite fertility goddess) symbol within the temple itself (vs.3-7).’
Now what could be worse than placing a pagan symbol inside of the Lord’s sanctuary eh friends? Nothing really! And then they wondered why life was so rough with them. Unfortunately we are doing the same pagan stuff today and also wondering why life isn’t better.
Ah mih people, life as a society never gets better until we begin to truly and sincerely follow the laws and edicts of Almighty God, who created us, gave us His breath of life, and takes it back when ever he desires. And until we understand that and live by it, our lives will always be some sort of fluctuating, topsy-turvy melodrama. Much LOVE!
…no matter how hard he tries…the created can NEVER be greater than the Creator…
12 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gold mine, a great King, a sunny day, above all gods, beloved of God, bow down, comfortable, day of temptation, destructible things, do not let me quit, don't believe, dr robert h schuller, err in their heart, face a mountain, faith, fellowship, fighting the good fight of faith, fools despise wisdom, forty years, fraught with danger, friend of Jesus, go astray, gratitude, grieved, harden not your heart, hear his voice, His presence, hope, Hour of Power Devotional, I climb over, in his hand, injustices, into my rest, Jesus Christ, keep on keeping on, keep on striving, kneel before, let us sing unto the Lord, magnificent and magnanimous God, make a joyful noise, man of God, Moses, mountain, new and exciting, no problem is permanent, O come, on your lonesome, our Lord and Saviour, pass through, patience to stay, peak, perception, praise, problems resolved, psalms, rebellion, reverence, rightfully deserves, same old, see the possibilities, share His love, shout joyfully, sincere hearts, songs, spiritual things, springtime, storms, take it all for granted, thanks, thanksgiving, the deep places of the earth, the Good Book, the Lord is a great God, the Lord our Maker, the people of his pasture, the Promised Land, the provocation, the rock of our salvation, the sheep of his hand, truth, Tuesday Mantra, tunnel underneath, understanding, undeserved blessings, ups and down of life, valley, winter, wisdom, wise men praise god, with God's help, worship
Psalm 95:1. O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation.
So it’s Tuesday friends! What’s new and exciting eh? And you grouchily mumble; ‘same old, same old.’ But that’s not really true, for we have a brand new day to live, courtesy of our magnificent and magnanimous God; a day filled with brand new mercies, grace, forgiveness and LOVE!
So how can that be the same old, same old eh? Wake up mih breddren, let’s give the Lord God Almighty, our Creator, Controller and Provider some sincere thanks and praise for bringing us through another dark night into a sunny day, filled with the everlasting brilliance of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow!
And to help us do just that, here is a reminder from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional, letting us know that no problem is permanent. He says: ‘Every mountain has a peak. Every valley has its low point. Life has its ups and downs, its peaks and its valleys.
No one is up all the time, nor are they down all the time. Problems do end. They do go away. They are all resolved in time… Storms always give way to the sun. Winter always thaws into springtime. Your storm will pass. Your winter will thaw. Your problem will be resolved.’ And it’s all true my people!
So with all that in mind, let’s pray with Gramps Schuller nuh. ‘Lord, when I face a mountain, do not let me quit! Give me the strength to keep on striving until I climb over, find a pass through, or tunnel underneath. And if my best efforts fail, give me the patience to stay and the perception to see the possibilities of turning my mountain into a gold mine with your help. Amen!’
Ah friends, this earthly life is not easy, but with God’s help we can have hope and faith and keep on keeping on, fighting the good fight of faith, turning our problems into gold mines. (smile)
And as I opened the Good Book to find a suitable Bit for today, this is what jumped out at me: ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs).
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand (His possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength (heights) of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.’ (Ps.95:1-5)
Oh my faithful believing brethren, those are words of indisputable, inescapable truth! So why aren’t we giving our great God the enormous thanks and praise and reverence He so rightfully deserves eh? I guess we’ve either gotten too comfortable in receiving His LOVE, grace, mercy and forgiveness, that we now take it all for granted and don’t bother to give much thanks for them. Or on the other hand, we simply don’t believe.
Ah friends, either path is fraught with danger. We give plenty thanks to our fellow men who give us worldly, destructible things, so why not to our Creator and Provider eh, who gives us worldly as well as spiritual things, and so much more than any man?
Oh my breddren, it behooves us to show plenty gratitude to our wonderful God for undeserved blessings, or those blessings might just stop coming. And if we don’t believe, then we won’t get the blessings and suffer the pangs and numerous injustices of this evil and ungodly world all on our own. Now, even with God’s help, that’s not an easy thing to do, so can you imagine trying to fight this world all on your lonesome? I certainly can’t.
So please, let’s be wise nuh, let’s get wisdom and understanding, the principal things we need as believers. And when we do that, then we’ll be able to truthfully and sincerely declare like the psalmist: ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under His care).’ (Ps.95:6-7a)
Oh my people, my people, that is what we were made for: to have fellowship with our maker; to LOVE and cherish Him, like He does us. Therefore, as the psalmist encourages, ‘Today if you will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation (rebellion at Meribah), and as in the day of temptation (trial or testing) in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted (tried) me, proved me, and saw my work.’ (Ps.95:8-9)
Oh friends, that was so foolish of our forefathers, for look at what happened as a consequence of that foolish act. ‘Forty years long was I grieved (I was disgusted) with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart (go astray), and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.’ (Ps.95:10-11)
And so said, so done! Only TWO of the millions who left Egypt, Caleb and Joshua, entered the Promised Land because of their disobedience and refusal to take God seriously. They wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for forty years until they all died out. Even Moses, the great man of God, only saw it from afar.
Oh friends, what wasted lives those were. Please, I implore us, please don’t let us become like those Israelites of old nuh, just wandering aimlessly in this world because of our disobedience or unbelief. Instead, let’s be praiseworthy and strong under the unconquerable banner of God!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, proudly telling the entire world, who and whose we are. In strong voice and sincere hearts: ‘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!’
The next move then is to go and share Christ’s LOVE, as He so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…fools despise wisdom…but wise men praise God…
10 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a dream dies, a heart of wisdom, a thousand ages, a thousand years, a watch in the night, all ye that labour, an evening gone, an ever-rolling stream, an ornament of grace, as yesterday, before the hills in order stood, bondage, come unto me, disobedience, dwelling place, dwelt secure, Egypt, endless years, fellowship, find rest in Jesus, flash in the pan, flourishes in the morning, formed the earth, from everlasting to everlasting, give thanks, glory, God's laws, grace, heavy laden, honour, hope for years to come, I will give you rest, in all generations, in thy sight, isaac watts, labour, like grass, lives like vapour, Moses, number our days, O God our help in ages past, our defense is sure, our eternal home, praise, promote thee, refuge, rest, shelter from the stormy blast, sorrow, sufficent is thine arm alone, Sunday, the days of our years, the great invitation, the Lord's sanctuary, the Promised Land, the rising sun, the Sabbath Day, three hours, threescore and ten, under the shadow of thy throne, understanding, waiting with open arms, wisdom, withers in the evening, worship
Psalm 90:4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night (three hours).
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! The awesome day we gather in the Lord’s sanctuary to fellowship, worship and give Him mucho thanks and praise. So all roads ought to be leading to the Lord’s house today, especially when we consider what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt.11:28)
Yeh friends, the Sabbath is a day to find rest in Jesus, and you can’t find it unless you go to Him sincerely seeking Him. He’s just waiting there with open arms for us to come to Him. So let’s not keep Him waiting nuh. And today, we’ll begin the proceedings with an old favourite from the pen of Isaac Watts, ‘O (Our) God, our help in ages past.’
So without further ado, let’s raise our hearts, heads and voices heavenward as we offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving to our amazing and ever-LOVING God! ‘O (Our) God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, our Shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal Home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure. Before the hills in order stood or earth received its frame, from everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an ev’ning gone, short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op’ning day. O (Our) God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, be Thou our Guide while life shall last, and our eternal Home!’
Oh my people, what we’ve just sung is oh so true; every word of it! And they say it was based on Psalm 90, the psalm of Moses, and that seems to be also true, as Moses declares with unerring truth: ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed (gave birth to) the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.’ (Ps.90:1-2)
Mama Yo! What words of indisputable truth! Before God even formed the world He was God! And since He made Israel His people, they found refuge in Him, when they were wise! And who should know better than Moses eh, since he led God’s people out of bondage from Egypt to the Promised Land, and communicated God’s laws to them during that fateful trip through the wilderness.
And as Moses continues: ‘Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night (three hours). Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up, in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.’ (Ps.90:3-6)
Yeh friends, in terms of time, one day to us is like a thousand years to God, since time has no real reckoning with Him. And as Peter corroborates in his message on living in the hope of the Lord’s coming: ‘But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet.3:8)
Then we come back to Moses, who declares: ‘The days of our years (lives) are threescore years and ten (seventy); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.’ (Ps.90:10)
All of that just means friends that our lives are like vapour, we exist for moment in God’s eyes then we are gone, like the grass that grows in the morning and dies in the evening. And even if we live fourscore (80) years (29,200 days) that to God is like 29,200 years. Imagine that nuh; to us 80 years is a big deal, but to Almighty God, it’s a mere flash in the pan. (smile)
The long and short of the story though friends, is that we are very finite, while God is infinite, plus He is our God and Creator and if we are smart we will hold on to His strong and mighty hand. And Moses was qualified to talk about death and all the other stuff since he saw a whole generation of Israelites perish in the wilderness for their disobedience.
Thus, when he beseeches God, we ought to listen, to pay serious attention. ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom)…. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ (Ps.90:12,14)
And we’ll close with some immortal words of Cousin Sol. ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she hall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to (place on) thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.’ (Prov.4:7-9)
Truer words were never spoken my brethren! So please, please, let’s seek wisdom and understanding through the Lord’s word, which leads to obedience, then we’ll be bestowed with the grace and glory we so greatly desire. Much LOVE!
…the only real wisdom that man needs…is to be obedient to his God and his Creator…everything else is foolishness…
08 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: !, a deficiency in faith, believe, believers, Big Island, boundaries, cart wheeling, change, Christ's body, Colorado, deadly clutches, dining. carousing, Doug Ford, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, Guatemala, Hawaii, Herod, his angel, in God's will, in the world, Jesus Christ, jittery, John Mark, keep silent, kept in prison, licentiousness, miracles, miraculous escape, not of the world, out of your mind, Peter, prayer, Progressive Conservative Party, Province of Ontario, ramp up our belief, rejoices in song, release from slavery, rest, Rhoda, sanctified, set us apart, sinful nature, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the church, the government they deserve, the workingman, unto God, volcanoes, week of work, weekend, wildfires, wining, without ceasing, ye shall receive them
Acts 12:5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
And then it was Friday; that magical day of the week that has us all gushing with the promise of a wonderful and relaxing weekend!
But I don’t think the people on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the volcano has now swallowed up some 600 hundred homes, or those in Guatemala, where their volcano is starting to act up again, are thinking about a relaxing weekend. Neither are the people in Colorado where the wildfires continue spreading like wildfire. Hn! So please, let’s continue to keep them in our prayers.
And on a note of interest, the people of the Province of Ontario here in Canada have decided to vote for change. The Progressive Conservative Party was elected with a safe majority in yesterday’s Provincial Election. Let’s hope that the change we voted for doesn’t end up worse than what we had before.
And why you ask? Because the Leader of the party is none other than Doug Ford, the brother of the late Rob Ford, who as mayor of Toronto recently made the city the laughing stock of the world with his ‘unmayoral’ antics. Let’s hope that brother Doug is not cut from the same cloth. But remember too, that a people get the government they deserve.
Then we have the workingman, who is more than ecstatic about the day and rejoices in song: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and soon a release from slavery! The weekend…the weekend…it’s here at last…and is it ever going to be great! Lots of wining and dining…carousing and cart wheeling! Nobody can stop we now from doing what we want to do, because now is our time. Yay! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah friends, I wish we were as enthusiastic about our weekends as the workingman is about his. And there’s no reason why we should not be, it’s just that after hearing his song, our sinful nature hungers for the lack of boundaries, the licentiousness that’s open to the workingman which is not open to us as believers in Jesus Christ. (smile)
Nonetheless, let’s enthusiastically chant our Friday Chant which states our belief. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, our Leader, Jesus Christ, doesn’t want us involved in the lascivious and lustful activities of the world, that’s why He has sanctified and set us apart. Remember, we should be in the world, but not of the world. That brings us to our Bit, which is the same as yesterday. ‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’
And if you’re wondering why, it’s because the story of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison has another part to it. Yesterday we ended where the angel left Peter in the street and he realized that the Lord had delivered him out of Herod’s deadly clutches.
And the Good Book continues: ‘And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken (answer), named Rhoda.
And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad (out of your mind). But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace (keep silent), declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.’ (Acts 12:12-17)
Ah friends, can you imagine how jittery Peter must have been waiting openly in the street, knocking with no one answering. What I want to point out in this message is what the scholars explain here. ‘12:12-16. Though the prayer of the church was fervent due to Peter’s situation (v.5), there was a deficiency in faith (vs.15-16). Evidently they did not believe God would answer in this miraculous way, or so soon.’
And unfortunately the same thing happens today: we pray fervently, but don’t believe wholeheartedly. But what’s the point in praying if we don’t truly believe eh friends? None whatsoever. Remember Jesus’ admonishment to the disciples after He cursed the barren fig tree and it died? ‘Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ (Mark 11:24)
The only corollary to that my brethren, is that whatever we pray for must be in God’s will, otherwise we won’t receive it, no matter how fervent our pray and strong our belief. So please, as individuals, as well as Christ’s body here on earth, His church, let’s ramp up our belief in our prayers nuh, because as I said yesterday, miracles are still happening each and everyday to those who sincerely believe. Much LOVE!
…you won’t get a miracle…unless you truly believe for one…
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