10 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a clean heart, a prayer for cleansing, a right spirit, adultery, Alzheimer's, ascend up into heaven, awareness of God, Bathsheba, blessings, boomer generation, church, depart in peace, discernment, encouragement, eternally in God's presence, faith, fellowship, flee from thy presence, foolish, for our good, friends, Glen Campbell, God's directive, gospel truth, hardhearted, hellfire and brimstone, hide thy face from my sins, holy spirit, I will give thee rest, if I take the wings of the morning, iniquities, joy, like pulling teeth, LOVE, make me to hear joy and gladness, make my bed in hell, mercy, murder, my presence shall go with thee, night shineth as day, northern climes, obediently doing God's will, old-fashioned worship, other believers, praise, protective blanket, purge me with hyssop, rejoice, revitalization, Robert H Sculler, salvation, sanctuary, sinners converted, strong and steadfast, stubborn, thank you heavenly Father, the Lord's Day, the uttermost parts of the sea, thy hand lead me, thy right hand hold me, to face tomorrow, transgressors, Uriah, wash me, we can't run from God, whiter than snow, whither shall I go from thy spirit, wisdom, worship, youth
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Awright my fellow believers, it’s the first day of the week; Sunday, the Lord’s Day, that means we need to be making our way to church at some stage of the day, to praise and worship and rejoice and fellowship with other believers. Now that’s not my directive, but our God’s. (Ex.20:8-11)
So if we want to be truly obedient then we will gladly do His will and don’t behave like it’s pulling teeth, like we’re being forced to go, and if we don’t, hellfire and brimstone might fall down on us. Now it just might… (smile)
But please remember friends, this is for our good, not for God’s. He already has all He wants, and whether we praise and worship Him or not, will not change His situation, but it will surely change ours.
So let’s stop being, stubborn, hardhearted and foolish and get ourselves to the Lord’s sanctuary, so that we can receive His blessings, mercy, encouragement, LOVE and revitalization to face tomorrow and the rest of the week strong and steadfast.
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! All power and glory be unto Him!’
Ah mih people, what’s happening to our faith today eh? There seems to be more churches of different denominations, or no denomination, than ever before, but overall the total number of worshippers doesn’t seem to be increasing that much. What seems to be happening is that believers are leaving one church for another, so while some churches are packed to capacity, others are almost empty, especially of the youth of our society.
It also seems that the youth of today can’t handle the staid, dirge-like, old fashioned worship of the established churches, and when they do go to church are opting for the more modern, new-fangled style of worship. Now that is something the established churches will have to figure out if they intend to survive this boomer generation. They’ll definitely have to invoke God’s wisdom and discernment to fix that problem.
But enough preamble, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
Oh friends, whenever we sincerely seek the Lord and diligently try to be obedient to His will, His presence surrounds us like a warm, protective blanket in the heart of winter. Hn! Many of us could use one of those blankets right about now, as the cold weather refuses to depart in peace from the northern climes. (smile)
Now let’s turn to some scripture to corroborate the words of our Bit. Hear Bruh David from Psalm 51 – A prayer for cleansing – after Nathan the prophet had draped him up for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.
He cries out to God for mercy and cleansing, admitting his sin: ‘Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (Ps.51:7-13)
Oh precious people, can you imagine the state Bruh David must have been in when he realized that God had marked his selfish and foolish abominations, after He had been so good and generous to him. Note his words in verse 11: ‘Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.’ He knew how essential it was to be in God’s presence, with His Holy Spirit leading him. Without those two things, he might as well be dead.
And on a more current and sadder note, I recently read in the newspapers about Glen Campbell’s losing fight with Alzheimer’s disease. We all remember him from his hit making days, with songs like ‘Rhinestone Cowboy, By the time I get to Phoenix,’ and my personal favourite ‘Gentle on my mind.’
Now, at age 79, he’s living in a memory care community in Nashville, apparently not even able to play the guitar anymore. How sad. But his wife Kim had this to say: ‘Faith has always been the central part of our relationship. I’m so pleased that as Glen has entered the later stages of this illness, it’s evident that he has retained his awareness of God.
There have been times when he’d walk over to the window and look at the beautiful trees outside, and he’d just raise his hands and say, “Thank you, heavenly father.” He could barely speak at all, but he could come up with “We’re so blessed,” or “Thank you heavenly father.”
That really comforts me to know that he has that sense of God’s presence in his life, that he’s not alone, even if I’m not right next to him.’
And all God’s people said, ‘Amen.’
Let’s hope and pray friends, that any of us who head down that sad and lonely road, will also feel the comforting presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, even though we can’t put it into words.
Now let’s end with these immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God. And every time I read the words or hear it spoken, I remember the most memorable reading of it I’ve ever heard, that by Gramps Schuller (Robert H. Schuller) one day from the Crystal Cathedral. The way he acted it out, it got stuck in my mind forever.
Listen to these most appropriate words. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall cover (fall on, hide) me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps.139:7-12)
And all of that is gospel truth friends! We can’t run nor hide from God, even if we are foolish enough to try. So please, today, let’s go about obediently doing His will nuh, for it’s in our best interest to do so. Much LOVE!
…to be eternally in God’s awesome presence…is why we were created…
08 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amazing grace, angry with God, another week of work, at my right hand, baubles and bangles, blessing, Bruh David, calm, Christians, cling to Jesus, corruption, exhilaration, extremes, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fullness of joy, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, glory to God, god moves in mysterious ways, gunman, hope, I shall not be moved, I will give thee rest, in the presence of God, Jesus Christ, joy, leave my soul in hell, licentiousness, LOVE, my glory rejoiceth, my heart is glad, my presence shall go with thee, needin God, not afraid of death, our redeemer, partying, pleasures, praise, preservation, promises, PTSD, relaxation, rest, rest in hope, sanctity of life, set the Lord before me, stand strong, stood stock still, surrogate sister, testimony, Thank God it's Friday, the Creator of the universe, the Lord will see you through, the path of life, thine Holy One, threatened, travelled down that path, wisdom, worship
Exodus 33:14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
‘Friday, Friday, Fridayyy! Thank God it’s Friday! That means the weekend is here and we going to party down the place! No more slaving in unsanitary conditions for a measly wage. It’s Friday! Thank God for that yes!’
Yeh friends, that’s the general cry I hear as I come out this Friday morning. And truthfully, you can’t blame people if they feel that exhilaration at the prospect of two days off from the conditions under which some of them labour.
But going to the other extreme, excessive partying and licentiousness, is not the answer either. In many cases, the other extreme is just as bad as the first. What we need is to have a balanced attitude towards life, and I believe that our Friday Chant provides that, so let’s chant it nuh, with sincerity and courage.
As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, we need the full treatment; rest, relaxation, fun, praise and worship, if we are going to back out the next week and work diligently for Jesus again.
And we’ve got plenty to say this morning – when don’t we eh – (smile) so let’s get to our Bit right away. ‘And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
That’s a sincere promise from our heavenly Father, and we know that He NEVER breaks His promises.
Now listen to this story. I opened up my computer late last night and received this sad information from one of my surrogate sisters in Jamaica. Apparently a gunman recently accosted her one midday as she came home from the supermarket, put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her.
To make matters worse, it was on the anniversary of her mother’s death and she had put on a set of bangles belonging to her mother.
Surprisingly, she says, she stood stock-still and did not move. She also discovered that she was not afraid of death, and she remained calm, while telling the Lord that her children were not yet ready to do without her.
The gunman in the meanwhile burst off a chain from around her neck, took her bangles and rings, and after threatening to kill her simply left. Now they claim that she’s suffering from PTSD, but she’s claiming that the Lord will see her through…and He will. Glory to God!
Only thing is that at first she was somewhat angry with God, but is now realizing that her life was the most important thing – of course it was! The few baubles and bangles that the gunman stole can never compare to the sanctity and preservation of her life.
She also considered that her mother might have been protecting her through her bangles, and last Sunday, at church she got up and sang her mother’s favourite song, which included a verse of ‘Amazing Grace.’ What a powerful testimony friends!
And would you believe that she was not going to tell me about her shocking, near death experience. But as I keep saying, our God moves in mysterious ways, and I believe, yesterday, when I wrote about the importance of being in His presence, it worked on her heart and she decided to tell me.
Thanks for sharing Sis, but you can’t keep those kinds of things from the ole fella. You know if something untoward happens to any of you, it will affect him greatly.
But my people, you see what can happen when you seriously and sincerely stand strong with Almighty God. He will stand strong and steadfast with you too in your time of need. You’ll note how she was calm and not afraid. That’s because the Lord’s presence was surrounding her.
Her faith made her strong, and wise too by not fighting or struggling with the gunman. He was possibly more afraid than she was.
But friends, it all points out to us the absolute necessity of continually being in God’s presence, of walking and talking with Him, for we never know when some action like that above will occur and have us desperately needing Him.
But look at what life has come to eh! Even in your own home, in the middle of the day, yuh not safe! Ah Lord eh! And the sad part is that it’s not getting any better, but worse. It’s a good thing that we Christians have the Creator of the universe looking out for us yes!
And we’ll end with these wonderful words of testimony from Bruh David as he seeks preservation and blessing in Psalm 16, from the wonderful God of his fathers. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope.
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead); neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’(Ps.16:8-11)
Yes my brethren, we can also sing the same song because our Redeemer, Jesus Christ has travelled down that same path and paved the way for us. Let’s wisely cling to Him and His ways nuh, for that’s wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…oh what unspeakable joy there is in the Saviour’s presence…
01 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advance God's kingdom, All Fool's Day, almighty god, another week of work, April Fool's day, be content, be diligent, Caleb, christianity, church leaders, cleave unto the Lord, covetousness, dilly-dally, do not be dismayed, dread noth, exodus, faith, fear not, fellowship, foothold, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's work, gospel, gospel truth, heartache, I will not fear, in a cloud by day, in fire by night, Joshua, keeper, Let your conversation, libertine actions, LOVE, Love the Lord, lustful, mercies, miracles, one man shall chase a thousand, pain, profligate, Promised Land, promises, reassuring thoughts, refreshed, renewed, repetition, rest, saviour, sorrow, stubborn minds, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Lord goes before thee, The Lord is my helper, the Lord will not fail thee, the Lord will not forsake thee, the weekend, trust, wander in the wilderness, witness, worldly pleasures
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well mih people, it’s Friday…
And my people tossed the ball back into my court thus: ‘Yes mih brother we know that. That is why we’ve been singing and praising and glorifying the Father by declaring ’TGIF! Thank God is Friday. The only better day than Friday is Sunday, the Lord’s Day. And we declare again: TGIF! Thank You Lord that it’s Friday, work is done for a couple days, and the long awaited weekend is finally here!’
Ah friends, I know how some of us desperately look forward to weekend, for whatever reason, but please note that we need to use it wisely, not only in profligate and libertine actions. (smile) And to improve our perspective, let’s chant our Friday Chant.
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.’
Yes my brethren, that is more like how we should use our weekends; to facilitate renewal of our walk with God, not run away from Him in lustful worldly pleasures. And I know that those pleasures may seem so wonderful at the start, but trust me, I’m talking from experience here, (smile) in the long run they only bring pain and sorrow and heartache.
And please remember that today is April 1st, All Fool’s or April Fool’s Day, so please be wary and don’t allow the wily devil and his evil associates to play any tricks on us. For you know they will use any occasion whatsoever to get a foothold in our lives.
Now here are a few words of inspiration from a Reggae song I heard last night by Ras Zacahrri, something called ‘Jah is my keeper. And the chorus goes thus: ‘Jah is my keeper; He will hear me when I call. Jah is my saviour, He will catch me when I fall.’
And isn’t that the God awesome truth my fellow believers in Christ! Almighty God is indeed our keeper and will hear us when we call. He is also our Saviour amongst many other things, and will certainly catch us when we fall. So this Friday morning, please let’s plant those reassuring thoughts deep in our souls to help us face the day with faith and trust as we go about God’s work.
Now let’s look at our Bit. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh friends, the amount of times Israel’s leaders said these words to them, and yet they did not listen. And unfortunately the same thing is happening today; the leaders of our churches are crying out this ever-faithful promise to us, but we are also ignoring it. I don’t know how to get it through our thick and stubborn minds, except possibly by repetition. So let’s look at a few of the times it was said to the Israelites.
Listen to Moses as he reflects on the time when they sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and only Joshua and Caleb voted to go in and take it over. ‘Then said I unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them. The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bear (carried) thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place. Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to show you the way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.’ (Deut.1:29-33)
Yeh mih people, can you believe it? After all the miracles and mercies the Lord showed the Israelites in their Exodus out of Egypt, when they came to the Promised Land they were sore afraid to go in and fight for it. Steups! That’s why the Lord allowed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until all those who had come out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb died.
Now hear Joshua, as he encourages the people to refrain from mixing with the remnants of the nations God had destroyed to give them the Promised Land. ‘But cleave (cling, hold fast) unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
For the Lord hath driven out from before you (dispossessed) great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before (against) you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed (be diligent) therefore unto yourselves, that ye LOVE the Lord your God.’ (Josh.23:8-11)
Oh my people, that promise stands ever so true even to this very day! But like the hard-hearted, stubborn and fearful Israelites, we too refuse to take the message to heart, and simply dilly-dally on the outskirts of true Christianity.
Consequently friends, because we don’t stand as strong as we should on God’s irrevocable and faithful promises, our lives don’t amount to as much as they should. And therefore too, our witness is not as forthright and palpable as it ought to be.
So the long and short of the story is that Christianity is not as strong and powerful as it should be. What a sad reckoning!
And we’ll close with these words from Hebrews, where Bruh Paul talks about service well-pleasing to God. ‘Let your conversation (conduct) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall (can) do unto me.’ (Heb.13:5-6)
And there we have it friends, the living truth of the gospel! Please, I implore us, let’s take it boldly and use it wisely to advance God’s kingdom as our bounden duty calls us to do! For that’s wisdom that cannot be bought or had anywhere else. Much LOVE!
…the promises of God can only be truly attained…when the trust in God is truly overwhelming…
25 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abuse, adopted, allegiance, almighty god, anguish, another week of work, Calvary, celebrating, Christian calendar, Christians, confession, cried out for thirst, cross at Calvary, crown of thorns, curcifixion, death, despising the shame, example, faith, fellowship, fellowship with God, followers of Christ, forgiven, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Good Friday, grief, heaven, hell, Herod, in behalf of Christ, javelin, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jewish people, joy, joy comes in the morning, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, mocking, mourning, my god why hast thou forsaken me, nailed to the cross, naked as a jaybird, pain, pay the price of sin, Pilate, precious blood, redeeming blood, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, repentance, rest, Romans, salvation, separated from the Father, Simon the Cyrene, sins, sorrowful spectacle, sour wine, stood His bounce, suffer for his sake, sufferation, suffering for Jesus' sake, taunting, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the heathen, the life blood, the things of God, There is a green hill far away, to believe on him, unlock the gate, unto you it is given, wisdom, works
Philippians 1:29. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
BLESSED GOOD FRIDAY!
And then it was Friday – Good Friday. Yes my brethren, it is one of the most historic and commemorative days in the Christian calendar, because this is the day that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sacrificed His sinless and holy life for us upon that old rugged cross at Calvary…
And all God’s people gave a grateful shout of ‘All praise and glory be to the Lamb who was slain for us! May His name be revered for ever and ever!’
Ah mih people, it’s a sad day, but also a glad day. It’s sad because of the outrageous shame and punishment Jesus went through for our sake. But by the same token, there was gladness because that sacrificial death heralded our cleansing, our reconciliation to Almighty God!
And all God’s people sang ‘Glory Hallelujah!’
Without it we would have been all slated for death and hell, forever separated from the Father. How awful that would have been eh? But with Christ’s sacrifice, a way was prepared for us to come to Him in repentance and confession and be adopted into His household.
Glory to God for LOVING us so much that He would give His only begotten Son to die for our disgusting sins, to bring us once again into fellowship with Him and calling us His children!
Nothing can be sweeter and nicer and better and whatever word(s) you choose, than being a part of the family of Jehovah God, the omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present ONE who created the universe and still rules it from His throne on high!
Now to many of the world’s population, this day is no different from any other. They still sing out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here; a long weekend to boot! No more slaving for a few days, but plenty partying time. Thank God is Friday yes!’
And that’s okay to a certain extent, it’s good to be off for the weekend, but the weekend is not just to party, especially this one. It’s a time to seriously and sincerely ponder the basis of our Christian faith and our individual allegiance to it. But since the heathen has no knowledge or interest in the things of God, they just continue along their merry way rejoicing in the lust of the flesh and human senses.
In time though, we Christians will also be celebrating, but today is a day for mourning, a time for grief and sadness, while remembering that that only lasts for a night, but joy comes in the bright light of the morning.
And does it ever, with Jesus’ resurrection! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, let’s stay on Good Friday, first by chanting our Friday Chant, which is still appropriate, since we’ve had a hard week of work and now have a few days off which we must use wisely.
So please let’s chant together: ‘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, that’s a much better way to use the weekend, rather than just senseless partying and fleshly lusting. And our Bit is also ever so appropriate for today. ‘For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’
Ah mih people, that’s the part we don’t like; the suffering for Jesus’ sake. It was okay for Him to suffer for us, but we should just have life clear and easy now. Unfortunately that’s not how it works precious people. As Christians, followers of Christ, we will also be called on to face physical, mental and emotional pain. It’s all part and parcel of His offer of salvation.
Oh friends, I wonder if we have ever sat down and contemplated exactly the ‘sufferation’ Jesus went through for us? Have you ever considered the flogging, with whips embedded with flesh cutting particles? Or what about the crown of thorns pressed down unto His head? Or the psychological and verbal abuse, the cruel taunting and mocking He endured between Pilate and Herod’s yards?
Remember Jesus was human too and felt all that we feel. Then having been flogged and tormented, He was made to carry His own cross up to Calvary Hill. Thank God for Simon the Cyrene yes! I think the sight of Jesus struggling along with His cross was just too much for the Father and He introduced Simon into the mix of things.
And if all of that wasn’t bad enough, Jesus was then nailed hand and foot to the cross and left in the hot noonday sun, approximately three hours, for the life blood to slowly but ever so painfully ebb out of His abused and banged up body. And don’t forget the javelin in His side. And when He cried out for thirst they ignominiously gave Him sour wine.
Oh my fellow believers, ordinary crucifixion is one of the most cruel and painful ways man has ever invented for human suffering, but Jesus’ crucifixion was extraordinary, so you can imagine the pain and anguish, because both the Romans and Jewish people went to great lengths to make a sorrowful spectacle and example of Him, between two ordinary criminals, naked as a jaybird.
But yuh know what, throughout it all, Jesus stood His bounce, He took it all like a man, ‘despising the shame,’ for the joy that was to come, and He knew that that was the main purpose for which He had come to earth.
The only thing that seemed to truly bother Him was the purposed and painful first and last separation ever from the Father, as all our sins were placed on Him, and He cried out ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” which is, being interpreted (translated), My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34)
So friends, please, let’s not make a big fuss for the comparable little suffering we sometimes have to undergo on Jesus’ behalf. We all know that suffering is painful and we’d like to avoid it, but that’s just not possible in this world. It will be in the next one, when Jesus returns as a mighty conqueror.
So having considered the extent of Jesus’ ‘sufferation’ on our behalf, let’s just hunker down and do what we need to do, without too much complaining nuh. Remember the Lord will enable us to bear whatever He allows to come our way, just like He enabled Jesus to bear His pain on that long ago Good Friday.
And I’d like to end with one of my favourite childhood hymns that tells of Jesus’ demise upon the cross, titled ‘There Is A Green Hill Far Away.’ Please sing it with me, as we consider and ponder this day on Calvary.
‘There is a green hill far away, Without a city wall, Where the dear Lord was crucified, Who died to save us all. (Refrain) (O dearly, dearly, has He LOVED, And we must LOVE Him, too, and trust in His redeeming blood, And try His works to do.)
We may not know, we cannot tell, What pains he had to bear, But we believe it was for us, He hung and suffered there. (Refrain) He died that we might be forgiven, He died to make us good, That we might go at last to Heav’n, Saved by His precious blood. (Refrain)
There was no other good enough To pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate Of heav’n and let us in. Oh, dearly, dearly has he loved! And we must love him too, And trust in his redeeming blood, And try his works to do.’
Yes Friends, that’s what we, as followers of Christ need to do! Have a blessed Good Friday! Much LOVE!
…what’s a little Christian suffering…compared to Christ’s ‘sufferation’ eh…
21 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, anxieties, aura of love, best interests, blessings, Christ-like, christianity, come hell or high water, conduct, confidence, conquerors, destruction, disunity, dormant state, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, fellowship, friends, furtherance of the gospel, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, godlessness, godly example, godly living, good things, grievances, holy spirit, Holy Week, hope, humble servants, in behalf of Christ, invincible, jealousies, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, living for Jesus, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Mother Nature, new week of work, no guarantees, one spirit, perdition, Philippians, rejuvenation of spirit, rest, run this earthly race of life, sacrifice, salvation, short attention spans, spiritual armour, spring has sprung, steadfast faith, steadfastness, striving together, surrender, take the bull by the horns, talking the talk, taunts, to believe on him, to suffer for him, trust, truth, ungodly world, unto you it is given, walking the walk, watershed year, we can do all thing through Jesus, wiles, wisdom, work everything out for our good, working, working together, worthless gesture, zest
Philippians 1:29. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
Oh friends, spring has finally sprung in this watershed year of 2016! Yes, Mother Nature is on the verge of refreshing and renewing herself with new bulbs, leaves, flowers etc!
And on this Monday morning of Holy Week, I believe that it will be in our best interests if we all did likewise. Let’s spring up today and get back in the fray of godly living with excitement and joy and faith in the good things that God has promised to bless us with.
Let’s do like Mother Nature, who has no guarantees, but at this time of the year she arises from her dormant state refreshed and reinvigorated, and decides to take the bull by the horns and grow, spring forth in all her greenery, come what may.
Now that is the attitude we Christians need to adopt; come hell or high water, enthusiastically moving forward with Jesus as He desires of us. Remember, He has promised never to leave or forsake us, to always be with us, and to work everything out for our good, meaning that we have more guarantees than Mother Nature.
So let’s run this earthly race then without fear and doubts nuh, but with the supreme confidence instilled in us by the Holy Spirit, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us each and every day of our lives. And to help us do that today, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with that confidence and zest derived from the Holy Spirit.
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!’
Now that was good friends, though not as spectacular as last week’s rendition, but it did bring a smile to Jesus’ face, and that’s the number one criteria for judging. (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, which I believe many of you might not like, but it is an integral part of working and living for Jesus. Before we get to it though, let’s try to put it in its proper context. Here Bruh Paul is exhorting the Philippians to steadfastness.
‘Only let your conversation be as it becometh (conduct be worthy of) the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel.
And in nothing (no way) terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token (proof) of perdition (destruction), but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.’ (Phil.1:27-30)
Ah my people, it’s not an easy life being a sincere Christian, but as I keep on saying it’s worth it. Nothing is as rewarding as living and working for Jesus!
And all God’s children shouted a loud and a proud ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory be to Jesus!’
Now let’s see if we can simplify some of that scripture with this info from the scholars. ‘1:27. Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel means “only conduct yourselves worthily of the gospel” That ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind: That is, the church was to look and act as though she possessed but “one mind” and one way of thinking. To achieve this the assembly must put away their many petty grievances, jealousies, and disunity.
The manner in which the Philippians are to stand fast in one spirit is by their striving together for the faith, that is, by their standing up for the Christian faith. Like Paul, they too are to expend their lives for the good of the gospel. But proper conduct on their part and unity in the church are essential if they are to benefit the gospel.’
And I’m sadly chuckling my brethren as I write that, and the truth of the matter is brought home to me; meaning that in these dreadful and difficult times, we are not working together as Bruh Paul deems necessary for the true furtherance of the Gospel. Instead the petty grievances, jealousies, fears, anxieties and disunity abound in today’s church, no wonder the relative godlessness in our society.
Oh friends, I don’t how else to say it so that it can make a serious impact, or how often I must say it, but until Christians begin living a true Christ-like lifestyle, show a truly godly example, the world will continue to be run by the powers of darkness, and Christ’s church will take a back seat to it.
Now that is definitely not what Christ died to make happen, and if we continue the way we’re going, we’ll just make His sacrifice a worthless gesture of LOVE!
And we’ll end there, because I don’t want to give us too much to ponder on, bearing in mind our short attention spans, especially when it has to do with God. We’ll continue this tomorrow, God in favour.
Till then, please, please my fellow believers, let’s pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do better nuh. Remember it’s all for Jesus, whom we claim to LOVE and revere so much. Much LOVE!
…true Christianity means…walking the walk…as well as talking the talk…
18 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: allegations, almighty god, another week of work, attuned to God, balanced weekend, calypsos, celebrate, change, chastize, Christ-like, Christian's life, confidence, discombobulated world, dogs, economic slavery, enthusiasm, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, give ear, give thanks, glorious kingdom, greedy, hear, hypocrite, I the alligator, joyful, LOVE, loving kindness, lusting for power, material things, merciful outlook, mercy, moderation, o ye kings, o ye princes, party, perspective, Philippians, pittance for pay, prayer, Rejoice in the Lord always, relationship, relaxation, resentful, rest, sing and praise, sing praise, slave master, slave work, spiritual image, St. Joseph's Day, St.Patrick's Day, supplication, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thankfulness, thanksgiving, The God of Israel, the heathen, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God, truth, unbeliever, whips, wine women and song, wisdom
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Aye mih people, how it going this cloudy Friday morning eh?
The somewhat snotty reply was: ‘But what yuh expect eh brother? Is Friday. That means it going beautifully! Yuh don’t hear everybody joyfully declaring, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’
The weekend is upon us, and everybody’s just holding their breath, can’t wait for evening to come, so that they could party, celebrate another week of slave work over, with only a mere pittance for pay, under the greedy slave master and them.
The only difference now is that they don’t have no whips nor dogs to keep you in line, now is economic slavery. That is why everybody so happy when Friday come, and joyfully shouting ‘Thank You Lord for Friday!’
Now who am I to dispute those allegations eh? I’m certainly not going to jump up and say ‘I the alligator sir!’ as a politician in Tobago was reputed to have said in the House of Assembly many moons back. (smile)
I can only say that spending too much time partying and wasting away the supposed pittance you’re paid on wine, women and song is not a very wise move. We’d all be better off with a balanced weekend as our Friday Chant advises. So let’s chant it up with plenty enthusiasm and thankfulness nuh.
As one 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.’
Now that line of thinking provides a much better perspective on the matter my people. And before I forget, let me make some apologies. In yesterday’s Bit I talked about growing up in T&T celebrating St. Paddy’s Day, but apparently I was wrong. A friend wrote and told me that instead we celebrated St. Joseph’s Day on March 19.
To tell the truth, I really don’t remember what day we celebrated back then. I only remember that we’d be anxiously waiting for that one day in the middle of Lent when you could drink and party and hear calypsos on the radio with a free conscience. (smile)
And on the other hand, I’ve been celebrating St. Paddy’s Day up here for the last forty something years, so the memory of down south in that respect is somewhat dim. (smile)
Now yuh see friends, that is the kind of feedback I require, that I need. Please, when I make mistakes, as I’m won’t to do every so often, being an ageing human, let me know nuh. I very much dislike putting stuff in the Bit that isn’t true. Anyway, thanks for that Miss T. (smile)
Now here’s our Bit. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
And yes, our Bit is the same one as the last couple days, because thanks and praise are such integral aspects of a Christian’s life, and I don’t believe that we’re doing it as well as we ought to. Our hearts don’t really seem to be in that space where we’re happy to seek God; to sing and praise Him for His LOVING-kindness and His most merciful outlook upon us.
Oh my fellow believers, that is just such a sorrowful statement on our part. And I do believe it’s true. Just look around us and you’ll see the way we Christians behave, almost as badly as the heathen, as the unbelievers; greedy, resentful, lusting for power and the material things of the world.
Now that has got to change, if we ever hope to make any significant change(s) in our crazy, discombobulated world. I know several people who refuse to go to church because of the unchristian way those already in the church behave. But I keep telling them to go and add one more hypocrite to the bunch already there.
Oh friends, we’re all hypocrites to some degree, because we all do things we’re not suppose to, then chastise others for doing the same stuff. So what does that make us eh? Definitely not a true Christian! And besides, it’s more difficult trying to change things from the outside. You stand a much better chance if you’re on the inside too.
Anyway, that’s just my take on the situation. Let’s get to some appropriate scripture. And there’s none more suitable then this admonishment of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand,
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:4-7)
Oh my people, what true and wise and wonderful advice! Actually, it should be a no-brainer for even the elementary Christian because from day one we’re advised to sing and praise and give thanks to God in ALL circumstances, and bring EVERY problem to Him in prayer, be they large or small.
For whatever reason though, we just are not doing those things sufficiently, that’s why our individual lives and the lives of our churches are not as joyful and Christ-like as they should be.
So let me plead with us this morning to get back to the basics of our faith. Remember, it’s all about our relationship with Almighty God; seeking Him, praising and glorifying Him. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…man was made in the spiritual image of God…so that his spirit would be closely attuned to God….
13 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a pure heart, accept conditions, Anselm's quotes, bickering, blessings, blood of the everlasting covenant, charity, children of God, choices in life, clarion call of Jesus, clay, cleanse, coaxed down, cold-turkey, comfort, compassion, complain, complaining, correction, Daylight Savings Time, dishonour, disputes, doctrine, encouragement, equipped, faith, fellowship, fight the good fight, fluctuating, friends, furnished, gentle, gold, good examples, good works, habits, honour, inertia, inspiration of God, LOVE, March break, may be perfect, meekness, patient, peace, penchant, profane, purge, reproof, responsibility, righteousness., sanctified, scripture, set apart, silver, sit on the fence, social media, spiritual strength, spring-like, step up to the plate, strife, sunshine, teach, technology, the circle of life, the God of peace, the grand scheme of things, the Holy Bible, the man of God, the shepherd of the sheep, the weather, those in opposition, time of need, tools, tossed out a window, truth, ungodliness, useless talk, vain babblings, vessels, walking hand in hand with Jesus, well-pleasing, wisdom, youthful lusts
2 Timothy 3:17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.
Aye friends, how goes it this Sunday morning at the beginning of the March break, where so many people try to get away to the sunshine for a week or so?
But yuh know what? There might not be much sense in doing that this year, because the weather up here is more spring-like than winter. And it is fluctuating crazily; yesterday morning there was frost on the ground and on the cars parked outside, but by mid-afternoon the temperature was in the low to mid-teens.
And to add to all the weather fluctuations and craziness, this morning at 2 o’clock, the clocks went forward by an hour, initiating Daylight Savings Time, meaning that some people will lose an hour’s sleep, while those who are working will work an hour less. Now who all of that benefits I don’t know, but I do know that a lot of people, including me, don’t like it.
But then again, in the grand scheme of things, none of that really matters once we are walking hand in hand with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And since it’s Sunday, it means heading for the Lord’s sanctuary to praise and worship and give thanks as one harmonious body, and receiving His awesome blessings of spiritual strength, encouragement, compassion and LOVE, so that we can keep on fighting the good fight, and also help and comfort others in their time of need. It’s all about the circle of life and LOVE friends!
And since I haven’t shared a quote in some time from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us today for a better tomorrow, I’ll now share two. (smile) The first one says that ‘A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.’
Now I do agree with that under certain circumstances, but there are some people who can only break their bad habits by throwing them out the window all at once, in other words going cold-turkey. I guess in the long run it all depends on the character of the person and the habit involved.
And the second quote from our friend Anselm declares: ‘There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.’
And that is the basic truth. We must either shut up and accept what we have, or step up to plate and do what is required to better the situation. Unfortunately though, too many of us just want to sit on the fence and complain and do nothing to solve the attendant problems, while hoping that someone else will fix them.
Now our current penchant for complaining and epidemic of inertia are two big reasons why our society is so messed up. We all want to live high on the hog but don’t want to do what it takes to accomplish that. And that’s rather unfortunate, because as children of God we have all the tools available at our disposal to function at a high level; namely God’s Word, the Holy Bible.
And as we recently saw, the verse before our Bit tells us that ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’ (2 Tim.3:16) Now why is that eh?
So ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’
So my people, we have all the tools for improving the world at our disposal, why aren’t we using them eh? We are obviously not following Bruh Paul’s advice earlier on his letter.
‘Study (be diligent) to show (present) thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (properly interpreting the Word of God). But shun profane and vain babblings (worthless talk): for they will increase unto more ungodliness.’ (2 Tim.2:15-16)
And that is exactly what’s happening in our society! This explosion of social media and its attendant technology have us involved in more useless talk and bickering than ever before.
And Bruh Paul continues: ‘But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth (clay); and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge (cleanse) himself from these (the latter), he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified (set apart), and meet (useful) for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow (pursue) righteousness, faith, charity (LOVE), peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions (ignorant disputes) avoid, knowing that they do gender (generate) strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive (quarrel); but be gentle unto all men, apt (able) to teach, patient.
In meekness instructing (correcting) those that oppose themselves (who are in opposition); if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of (so that they may know) the truth; And that they may recover themselves (come to their senses) out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at (to do) his will).’ (2 Tim.2:20-26)
Oh my fellow believers, our duty is spelled out in black and white right there for us. And it’s not an easy duty, but with some diligence, some steadfastness, sincere faith and trust in God, we can all do much better than we’re currently doing. Remember the forging and growing of Jesus’ church, His LOVE Revolution is in our hands. As we go, so do His body, His influence and His saving of the world go.
And we’ll close with these immortal words of Bruh Paul from Hebrews. ‘Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Heb.13:20-21)
And that’s my sincere wish for all of us today my brethren. Now let’s get ourselves together, come to our senses, and do what is necessary to bring the rest of the world back to its senses, back to God where they belong. Much LOVE!
…only as believers live godly lives…be good examples…will the world ever respond to the clarion call of Jesus…
11 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: another week of work, antagonistic, Christ's Church, christianity, Christians, compacted, confidence, conquered, disharmony, disunity, divided, divinely ordained, don't have a care, easy target, enthusiasm, Ephesians, favour, fellowship, fitly joined together, foolish pride, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, Glory be, godly manner, grace, grow in grace, harmonious, harmony, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joins believers together, joint, joy, joyful noise, junk mail, leggo-beast, libertine living, licentious living, logic, lost sheep, LOVE, loving kindness, manifestations, ministries, now and for ever, our Lord and Saviour, packing, party down, pride, relationship, relaxation, selfishness, showers of grace, spiritual gifts, spiritual growth, supporting ligament, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the common good, the enemy's work, the good of the body, the knowledge of god, the weekend, to him be glory, truth, unites, unity, unpacking, wandering aimlessly, wisdom, working people
2 Peter 3:18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Wow people! Friday has certainly come around quickly! No wonder the joyful noise in the streets and workplaces.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday once again yes! And the good ole weekend is here! Glory be! How we going to party down the place like leggo beast and don’t have a care these next couple days! Friday, oh Friday! How we LOVE you! That’s why we shout: TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui!’
Ah friends, I guess we cannot control the joy and enthusiasm that a Friday brings to working people. However, we can guide the response in a much better way than just libertine living. So let’s chant our Friday Chant, which shows us the better way to use the weekend.
As one harmonious chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes, that’s a much more sensible way to use the couple days off we get every week. Simple licentious living doesn’t add any glory to God, just to Beelzebub. And I know that is definitely not what we intend to, or want to do. So please let’s use these vital days in a much more godly manner nuh.
Oh brother, am I ever tired. I don’t know which one is worse, packing to go away, or unpacking when you come back. I suspect though that it’s the latter, because I haven’t finished unpacking, and there’s still a lot of stuff to catch up on, plus a million and one letters to check out. Hopefully though, most of them will be junk, thus needing only a perfunctory glance.
Boy, does stuff ever pile up quickly when you go away. And then yesterday I had to go running around in the constant drizzle to get stuff that we needed. But all in all it was a good day. Thank You Lord!
And per our Bit, I did grow a little in grace yesterday. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.’
Ah friends, that word ‘grace’ is something else yes! The dictionary has 14, yes 14, definitions for it. But the one we’re most concerned here with is: ‘Favour, benignant (kind, kindly) regard, or its manifestation, on part of superior.’
That brings into play the grace, the favour, the manifestation of our wonderful, magnificent and magnanimous God, who showers us with His grace and favour every single day! Oh glory to God my people for that constant shower of grace! Without it, we would be truly like lost sheep, wandering aimlessly in the wilderness; a perfect and easy target for the enemy.
And yuh know what? We grow in grace and favour with God, when we grow in knowledge of His will, power and LOVING-kindness. The one, brings on the other.
And I want to share here some explanations of the scholars, re the verse from Ephesians that we looked at a couple days ago; the one that talks about the whole body fitly joined together and compacted (knit together).
‘4:16. Fitly joined together and compacted: As He unites Christians with Himself, Christ also brings them into a harmonious relationship with one another. This harmonious relationship is accomplished by that which every joint supplieth or, “by every supporting ligament.”
The spiritual gifts mentioned in verses 7-15 are figuratively likened to the various “ligaments” of a body. Removing this figure, Christ joins believers together and unites them by the divinely ordained ministries of Christians who possess diverse spiritual gifts, which are exercised and used among believers for the common good.
The church’s spiritual growth, then, comes from Christ through the believer’s ministry to one another as they employ their spiritual gifts.’
Oh friends, please note that the whole theme of whatever Christ does is always unity and harmony, especially amongst the body of believers called ‘His church.’
But in actual fact, His supposed church is not becoming more united and harmonious. In fact it is breaking up, with more divisions happening every day, and more fighting and disharmony even amongst those divisions. So how then do we expect the church to do the job it was created to do, if there is more disharmony than harmony within it eh?
We all have diverse gifts which we are supposed to use for the common good. But are we doing that? Obviously not, otherwise the church would not be as divided and antagonistic as it is. Our selfishness seems to be paramount in relationship to the good of the body.
Ah friends, I don’t know what else to say to get us to think in terms of unity, rather than disunity nuh. But until, and unless we put our selfish and foolish pride aside, and begin truly seeking what’s good for us all, then Christ’s church will always be divided and easily conquered by the enemy. That’s simple logic. Much LOVE!
…when we work against each other…then we’re dong the enemy’s work…not Christ’s…
09 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: balanced lives, children of God, common task, communing with God, Crusoe's Isle, daily grind, devotions, evil, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, friends of Jesus, giants, give thanks, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, grow in grace, harmony, holy spirit, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, ingenious God, Jesus Christ, kindness, knowledge of Jesus, LOVE, memorable, memories, mercy, midget, more like Jesus, One Year Book of Bible promises, pollinating, praying, reproduction, Rosie's rock cake, Ruth Harms Calkin, salt air, share His love with the world, sights and sounds of nature, sitting on the patio, spiritual growth, the Lord in favour, the party's over, Tobago, truth, Tuesday Mantra, warmth, wisdom, worth the waiting
2 Peter 3:18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.
Well friends, the music has ended, and the D.J is packing up his equipment, that means the party’s over! Steups! So sad, but oh so true.
The simple fact of the matter is that we can’t party for ever, we also have to have periods of work if we want to live balanced lives as the Lord, our Maker intended.
And all of that is just to say that the ole fella’s vacation in paradise, on sweet Tobago is over. Chuh! But them’s the breaks! Sadly, it’s time to get back to the common task and daily grind in the cold North country.
No longer will I be waking up to the sweet singing of the birds, coming out the front door and inhaling the fresh salt air from the sea as the waves rush foam-filled over the reef and crash against the rocky shore. No more sitting out on the patio in the early morning hours communing with the Father, watching the sun rise and feeling it’s heat permeate my very being.
No more watching the birds and insects play amongst the bunch of young date palms on the small tree as they go about their business, God’s business of pollinating the flowers so that life can go on.
And I have to stop and say what a wonderful and ingenious God we serve, the ingenious way He designed for nature’s reproduction. Please give Him all the glory!
Then no more walks along the rocky coastline after devotions… Hn! No more dips in my waterhole either. No more sitting on the patio with the duchess taking in the sights and sounds of nature, as she says, enjoying the ambiance. (smile) And she certainly won’t be able to see, or hear her boats, the ferries speed back and forth along the horizon.
And she won’t be able to have me drive miles down the road to get some of Rosie’s rock cake! Hn! Three times this past week I drove all the way down to this local bakery, in the hot sun to boot, only to discover that she was closed, or she had no drops. I wasn’t very thrilled.
But you know what friends; the vacation might all be over in reality, but the wonderful time we had on Crusoe’s Isle will never be forgotten, will never be erased from our memories. For as Johnny Bristol says in his old song: ‘Memories don’t leave like people do. They always stay with you. Whether they’ve been good or bad, They’re always something that you have.’
And that is gospel truth my people! And believe me, we made many many good memories over the last few weeks. As I sit in my rocking chair during the cold days and nights, I will recall many of them, chuckle and give thanks to the Almighty for having allowed me to make them.
And to all of you in T&T who made our stay so memorable, the duchess and I give you thanks from the very bottom of our hearts. We sincerely appreciated your warmth and kindness, and hope that we can savour some more of it next year, the Lord in favour. Can’t wait to come back! (smile)
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s get on with our Tuesday Mantra nuh. Altogether 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.’
Glory to God my people for those true and wonderful sentiments! Please, let’s remember that what the world says or thinks about us is of no importance, once we are sincerely trying to do the Father’s bidding. We are indeed children of God and friends of Jesus! That’s our designation; nothing else!
And today I want to share a rather important message from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s aptly titled, ‘Worth the Waiting.’
Listen closely: ‘Growing spiritually is such a long, slow process! It’s painful too. Every day at the turn of the road I become acquainted with new pitfalls and heartaches. Sometimes the pain backs me into a corner. For example: There is a woman I know who is so sarcastic, so curt and unkind. Am I ever excused? Is forgiveness always a part of my growth?
So often I feel like a spiritual midget while my husband and friends appear to be spiritual giants. I seem to shrink in my own home. Another thing: I confess that I am a coward about pain. Emotional pain. Physical pain. The pain of loneliness, the pain of grief.
Yet, again and again it is true. What I must learn in my pain is that it is leading to something positive, something beyond what I can see in the present darkness. I do want to grow! I want to become more and more like Jesus. Even though it takes so long, surely it is worth the waiting.’
And friends, that is the immutable truth! Becoming more like Jesus, is indeed a long and ofttimes painful process, but believe me, it is worth the wait!
So for all of us who have problems like those above, and we all do at some time or other, the important thing is never to give up, just keep holding on tightly to Jesus, because in due time, in His time, He will bring us through the fire transformed, more like Him.
And the Bible Promise for that passage is also our Bit for today. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, the only way to handle the wickedness and the temptations of this evil world is by growing in the grace and knowledge of our great and wonderful God. Without the bulwark that His favour and word provide, we’re easy pickings for the enemy.
And remember God’s basic plan for each of us is that we grow more like the Saviour each and every day, by studying His Word, praying and fellowshipping with other believers. Those things need to be constants in our lives, if we are to mature successfully.
And we have a very relevant scripture to quote from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. As pertaining to the new life in Christ, he tells them. ‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (trickery) of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in LOVE, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted (knit together) by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual (effective) working in the measure of every part (of each part doing its share), maketh increase (causes growth) of the body unto the edifying of itself in LOVE.’ (Eph.4:14-16)
Yes my brethren, the church of Christ is like the human body, to grow successfully, it needs proper food and all the parts working together in harmony. And the best way to do that is to come up over our problems with LOVE; the LOVE of Christ! Much LOVE!
…in all things…the LOVE of Christ suffices…
07 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child is born, a son is given, adrenaline, asaph, ascension, awe, battle lines, birth, born of a virgin, care, christianity, compassion, confidence, copulation, Counselor, Creator of the universe, death, down in the dumps, egg, enthusiasm, evil, faith, fallen humanity, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, furthering God's glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, holy spirit, humble servants, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, judgement, justice, keeping lives and families together, lies, LOVE, mercy, Messiah, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, payment for sins, peace, praise your holy nmae, redeemed, redemption, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, resurrection, reverence, righteousness., sacrifice, salvation, serve a useful purpose, sexual relations, sinless, sperm, steadfast faith, taunts, the everlasting Father, the Lord of hosts, the mighty God, the one and only true living God, the Prince of Peace, the sanctuary, the throne of David, thy way O God, trust, truth, unblemished, ungodly world, weary souls, who is so great a God, wiles, wisdom, Wonderful, work, zeal
Psalm 77:13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?
Awright friends, it’s Monday, so let’s be up and at ‘em nuh! Our Field Marshall, Jesus Christ is already at the battle lines waiting patiently for us, and it’s a crime, a sure sin to keep Him waiting too long.
So for those of us who fellowshipped and worshipped yesterday, whose spirit is ready to do battle, let’s wake up those who are down in the dumps, moaning and groaning, tired and finding it difficult to get a move on, with a mighty rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one awesome choir 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!’
Wonderful friends, simply wonderful! Jesus was just smiling and tapping as He swung His baton in guidance, and the Father too was smiling and tapping, as He listened to us bare our hearts and souls in awe and reverence!
Now with all that adrenaline running through our motors, let’s get us to the battlefield that’s work and show the heathen, the unbelievers, how Jesus’ followers do life here on earth nuh, with LOVE, peace, mercy, forgiveness, care and compassion!
Ah mih breddren, my days on paradise are quickly drawing to a close, but that’s life. It was a rather interesting vacation with all sorts of ups and downs, and one I will remember for as long as I live. All glory be to a great God who looks after His followers with all those wonderful attributes we mentioned above!
That’s why when we are confronted by our Bit: ‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (holiness): who is so great a God as our God?’ We can confidently declare in a loud and proud voice: ‘NOBODY is as great as our God!
And that’s the indisputable truth! That’s also why the psalmist Asaph, in the verses after our Bit could loudly, proudly and truthfully proclaim: ‘Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength amongst the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.’ (Ps.77:14-15)
Yes my people, our great and awesome God has indeed done all of that! And since I’m going to make today the last day for this particular Bit – and I hear many voices whispering, ‘Thank God!’ (smile) I’ll get to some real powerful factors in our God’s redemption of His people; namely the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Wow! What moments of true might and power from the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God!
Let’s talk generally about those actions, because we’d be here till next never (smile) if we tried to look at them in detail.
Long before Jesus ever came, the Lord promised His people a Messiah, a Saviour. Isaiah prophesied this when he declared: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7) And perform it did He ever!
Now here is the clincher in the whole scenario: our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born of a virgin named Mary! Upon that lies the entire basis of Christianity. If you don’t believe that, or if it isn’t true, then Christianity is a fake.
But that’s the only way Jesus could have been born a sinless man. If He had had an earthly or human father then He would have been amongst the fallen humanity as we are. But to ensure that He was both man and God, the Father conceived Him spiritually in the womb of a virgin; a woman who had had no sexual relations with any man.
So He had an earthly mother, which made him man, but a heavenly and spiritual Father, which made Him God. That’s why He could have lived amongst us, feel all the pains and anxieties we feel, but still considered sinless.
And He had to be sinless, unblemished like all the sacrifices the Jews made, otherwise He could not have been sacrificed on the cross of Calvary, and thus paid our sin debt in full. Oh glory to God my people!
The Father in His holiness, righteousness and justice needed payment for our sins, if they were to be forgiven, and the only unblemished person beside Himself was His Son Jesus. That made the argument moot, if He intended to redeem His fallen creation.
So friends, let’s end with these two question nuh; is there any other supposed deity who LOVES His followers, more than our great God who sacrificed His Only Son for us?
The answer is obviously a resounding NO!
And lastly, is there any other supposed deity down through the ages, who could have made a human being without some sort of copulation between a male and a female of the species?
The answer is also a resounding NO!
Even in these days of high technology and great advancement in the science of human reproduction, to produce a human being, it still takes the sperm of a male to come into contact with the egg of a female, however that is accomplished. I rest my case. Much LOVE!
…only a most mighty and powerful Deity…could have created this world and all therein…
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