27 Nov 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, Bible, blessed is the man that walketh not in the way of the ungodly, Blessings on the Godly, brings forth fruit in season, call a spade a spade, cause some to fall, change it from the bottom up, chaos, christianity, day and night, deviated from God's law, do all that's written therein, do not travel on it, don't walk the path of the wicked, drink the wine of violence, eat the bread of wickedness, endure to the very end, evildoers will be destroyed, faith, fireworks, followers of Christ, from the top down, glad to be alive, go not in the way of evil men, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, holy spirit, hurt God's heart, in his law doth he meditate, Jesus Christ, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, robbed of their sleep, running rampant, salvation, set a good example, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sits not in the seat of the scornful, stands in the way of sinners, sure fire option, thank God, the breath of life, the kind of character, the Lord's chosen people, the One True God, the righteous will inherit the earth, this book of the law, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, turf God from our society, turned back to God, U.S Thanksgiving, unfortunate consequences, whatsoever he does shall prosper, wickedness, wisdom, woke up
Psalm 1:2. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’
So it’s Wednesday, our mid-week second wind day. Let’s hope that we all catch that second wind, especially as one of, if not the biggest and busiest time of the year in the U.S, their Thanksgiving Celebrations are currently underway and will explode tomorrow with great fireworks, both literally and figuratively. (smile) And as I was just looking through the Palms for inspiration, I came upon Psalm 1 – Blessings on the Godly – and it struck me that it is a psalm that’s very appropriate to these wicked times, and it’s one we don’t pay sufficient attention to.
So let’s look at it today nuh. It reads: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.’ (Ps. 1:1) Now what does that tell us in no uncertain terms eh? That the wicked, or those who hob nob with them will not be blessed.
And Cousin Sol reiterates that warning in Proverbs 4, titled ‘Instructions of a Father.’ when he writes: ‘Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it (do not travel on it), turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except (unless) they have done mischief (evil), and their sleep is taken away (they are robbed of their sleep), unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.’ (Prov. 4:14-17)
Yes friends, that’s the kind of character we develop when we choose to do evil, or follow the evil doer. And, unfortunately, it’s the predominant character of our current world. Wish that it were different, but we have to call a spade a spade, and wickedness is simply running rampant, in every level and every direction of our society. That must hurt God’s heart tremendously, because He’s had such high hopes for His most important creation. Here’s what the Lord expected from us, instead of the evil doing in which we’re currently engaged. ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.’ (Ps. 1:2)
Oh my people, that’s the action that the wise and righteous man will pursue; pondering on the Lord’s word day and night. Why? ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3) Oh my faithful brethren, that’s what should be predominating in our world right now instead of the current wickedness.
And the sad part is that it’s not new advice but is as old as the scriptures, for it’s the exact same thing that the Lord told Joshua when He made him the leader of Isreal after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall 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 thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh, 1:8)
It couldn’t be any clearer than that my people! And the examples abound in the Bible re the children of Israel. When they obeyed the law of God, they were successful and prosperous, but when they didn’t, reverted into evildoing and worshipping other gods, they suffered terribly, through wars and captivity and whatever the Lord chose to bring upon them. They were the Lord’s chosen people, and if they, knowingly and stubbornly disobedient, did not set a good example, then they had to be chastised, for no other nations would want to come to the One True God under those circumstances.
And it’s a source of wonder to me, that every time the Israelites deviated from God’s law and suffered the unfortunate consequences, they soon woke up and turned back to Him, and He forgave them. However, this generation is certainly not that wise. Our world is in chaos, because amongst other things we’ve deviated from God’s law, to the point of wanting to turf Him from our society, and we have tried every man made way to conquer the strife and disaster, but nothing’s working. Instead, it’s getting worse.
The ONLY thing we have not yet tried is a return to Almighty God and His righteous and just ways. And it seems like we’re adamantly not going to choose the one sure fire option we have to dissolve all the chaos and destruction in our world. But as children of God, as followers of Christ, we cannot give up, we have to keep on keeping on, in His name, and do our best to at least reduce the strife and suffering in our little part of the world. It’s the most many of us can do, because we don’t have the power to change it from the top down, so we’ll have to use our power to change it from the bottom up.
And having said that, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So hoping to see you there! Much LOVE!
…the evildoers will eventually be destroyed…while the righteous will inherit the earth…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mere mortal, a teacher of the Gentiles, according to the will of God, acrimonious contention, against that day, ambassadors of Christ, and am persuaded, Christ's promises are always faithful and true, commit the keeping of their souls to him, commit thy way unto the Lord, compassionate heart, curse, endurance, fearful of the world, fireworks, for I know whom I have believed, forever linked to divine destiny, freely - inseparably mine, Fret not thyself over evildoers, getting along together, God has inscribed me in the palms of His hands, God's treasures, hard slog of everyday politics, he is able to keep, His thoughts toward me, I am not ashamed, I belong to the God of the universe, I cannot fathom, I do know, in well doing, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, negative word, not fleeting but lasting and immortal, now and throughout all eternity, One Year Book of Bible promises, our majestic God, prosper, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, self-control, spiritual maturity, stand before the judgement seat, succeed, that which I have committed unto him, the Creator of all that exists, the evildoers shall be cut off, the indescribable universe, the life of the Son, the love of the Father, the magnitude of God, the object of His lavish love, the power of the Holy spirit, the things of God, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, thoughts of kindness and mercy, Thursday Blessings, unity, utterly overwhelmed, wait patiently for him
2 Timothy 1:12b. for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And it seems that the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden went off smoothly yesterday, with none of the expected fireworks. Thank God for that! We didn’t need anything else to further complicate the situation.
And yes, there were a lot of nice words spoken about unity and getting along together, but let’s see how that works out in real life nuh, when the newness of it all settles down, and the hard slog of everyday politics begins.
Thankfully too, that all three branches of the government are under the control of the Democratic Party, so there won’t be occasion for the acrimonious contention that existed recently with one party controlling two branches and the other one.
But enough of all of that yes. Let’s pray that situation improves so that the whole world can concentrate on other important stuff, for though the American power is in decline, unfortunately what happens there, still affects most of us.
And there’s plenty stuff that we don’t and never will know, but here are some things that ALL of Christ’s followers and believers ought to know. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, and it’s appropriately titled ‘I Do Know.’
Please pray with me: ‘There is much I cannot fathom concerning the vast, indescribable universe created by our majestic God. There is much I will never comprehend. I want to sing and shout, so utterly overwhelmed I am with the magnitude of God. But I do know with confident certainty that I belong to the God of the universe – the Creator of all that exists.
I know that I, a mere mortal, am forever linked to divine destiny. I know that my life has purpose and dignity. I know that God has chosen me as the object of His lavish LOVE; that His thoughts toward me are thoughts of kindness and mercy; that He has inscribed me in the palms of His hands.
I know that all the LOVE of the Father, and the life of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit are freely, inseparably mine – now and throughout all eternity. This I do know!’
Oh my people, can we really proclaim that with the ultimate certainty it deserves? I don’t think so nuh, because too many of us are still too fearful of the world and what it brings, and too in LOVE with the things it offers! And moreover, if we were that certain about the things of God, our lives would not be in the state of utter dismay, division and decline that they are currently in.
The world is still holding too much sway in the lives of believers, and until we let most of it go, we will keep on being miserable and not able to truly appreciate our wonderful God and all the things and plans and good purposes He has for our lives.
Let’s remember that the world is not the only entity that offers wealth and power and status, our great God offers them too, but under a different set up, and you don’t have to strive, kill yourself to achieve them, if He desires you to have them.
And just like we have to bow to the world to get them, so do we have to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and they will be added unto us. The difference here is that God’s treasures are not fleeting and easily lost, but are lasting and immortal.
And the Bible Promise for our reading, as well as our Bit, explain why we can have that immovable and unbreakable trust in the Lord God Almighty. Bruh Paul is writing to Timothy in his second epistle, exhorting him to endurance, something we badly need to also have in these oh so trying and tiring times.
‘Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’ (2 Tim. 1:11-12)
Oh friends and fellow believers, can we make those statements with heartfelt certainty? I hope so, because to reach spiritual maturity those are things, characteristics that must show out in our everyday lives.
Others must see that we’re not ashamed of Christ, not afraid of the world, but live for Him, because we have committed ALL we have and are to Him, and believe that He will do whatever He says, for His promises are always faithful and true.
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho). The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.” That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Meanwhile, Peter, in his talk of believers being good stewards of God’s grace puts it thus. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful creator.’ (1 Pet. 4:19)
And Bruh David puts it as only he could: ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (it only cause harm). For the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37:5,7-9)
Truer words were never spoken my brethren! So let’s do our best to live by them nuh, so that our lives can truly reflect the LOVE and compassion of God. Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Thursday Blessings, which have been so generously bestowed on us so we can help others.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And now, as good ambassadors of Christ, let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, as they were shared with us. Much LOVE!
…oh…the wonders of our great God…how magnificent and magnanimous He is…
20 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a choice slice of salvation, and beside me there is no God, anointed, be in cahoots with, bring America to its knees, calamity, Cyrus the Persian king, doing God's work, fear ye not, firecrackers, fireworks, flowing through me, forgiveness, from the rising of the sun, God is not the author of sin, grab hold of conviction, I am halfway home, I am the first, I am the last, I form the light and create darkness, I kill make alive, I make peace and create evil, I wound and I heal, I'm so glad to be alive, inauguration of the U.S. President, Jesus is our advocate, looking straight ahead, moral evil, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, neither be afraid, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand, no pardon in heaven, not looking back, our own evil and selfish desires, parting of the Red Sea, physical evil, repentance, satisfy our whims and fancies, thank God, the breath of life, the day of their calamity is at hand, the Lord he is God, the Lord's will, the power to pardon, their foot shall slide in due time, there is no god with me, there is none else beside him, time longer than twine, to a glorious future with Jesus, to me belongeth vengeance, unfolding as it should, unpleasant consequences, Wednesday Wail, whtever best suits His ultimate purpose, ye are even my witnesses
Deuteronomy 32:39: See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with (beside) me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
Well today’s the big day, the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden! Wonder if there’ll be fireworks like a couple of weeks ago at the Capitol Building, or just some minor firecrackers pretending to be fireworks? (smile)
Let’s hope it will be the latter because this time the powers that be are ready for the assault, if there’s one, and it will have much more unpleasant consequences than the previous upheaval.
Be assured of one thing though, the Lord’s will is unfolding as it ought to in His universe. He will allow whatever best suits His ultimate purpose. And there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it.
As I’ve been saying ever since, the Lord allowed Trump to be President so He could bring a disobedient and ungodly America to its knees, and Donald has definitely done a marvellous job at that. It’s just left to be seen now, if the Lord is satisfied, or He wants America to bow even further.
And it’s sad to see so many supposedly godly people involved in the Trump shenanigans over the last four years. It was also surprising to see the rioters a couple weeks ago claiming that they were doing God’s work by breaking into and ransacking the Capitol Building. Hn! How often we claim to be doing God’s work when it’s our own evil and selfish desires we’re perpetrating eh.
I see now too that a whole lotta them want to fire Franklin Graham, Billy’s Son, because he appeared to be in cahoots with Donald. But remember friends, God sees all, and knows all, and time longer than twine, so the consequences for our wrongdoing might not come right away, but come they will.
As the Lord said long, long ago: ‘To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.’ (Deut. 32:35) In the meantime we had better grab hold of conviction, repentance, forgiveness, and a choice slice of salvation. (smile)
I don’t know why we insist on doubting that the Lord God Jehovah is the One and Only True, Living God nuh, He’s said it so often in His indisputable word. Let’s get a few examples nuh.
This first one comes when Moses warned the people of Israel against idolatry as they came out of bondage in Egypt. ‘Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightiest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.’ (Deut. 4:35) And they had seen firsthand the mighty works of God, especially the parting of the Red Sea for them to get away from the Egyptian army.
Then Moses in his departure song, declared (yeah!) unto them. ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with (beside) me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.’ (Deut. 32:39)
That’s so plain and straightforward my people! There is NO God beside Yahweh! The false gods are impotent. Only Jehovah can kill and make alive, can wound and heal! And even though He sometimes uses our enemies to bring us down, those same enemies will eventually reap their just reward through His ultimate vengeance.
But hundreds of years later, the prophet Isaiah still had to turn around and warn the Israelites: ‘Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me (who can proclaim it, then let him declare it), since I appointed the ancient people and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God (Rock); I know not any.’ (Is. 44:6-8)
Mamacita! If that isn’t telling it like it is, then I don’t know what is nuh! Oh friends, even Cyrus, the Persian king who was so powerful, owed his power and conquests to God. He was even called ‘anointed’ (Is. 45:1) the only place in scripture where a Gentile is so designated.
And later on He says to Cyrus, through Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things.’ (Is. 55:5-7)
Let’s get one thing straight though, as the scholars explain: ‘The phrase I…create evil refers to physical evil or calamity rather than moral evil. God is no way pictured in Scripture as the author of sin.’ In fact friends, sin is His biggest nemesis! He hates it with a passion!
Please my brethren, let us realize nuh that our God is wonderful; LOVING, gracious merciful, forgiving and all those good things, but He is also holy, righteous and a just judge, which means He can’t allow sin to just proliferate with no consequences.
He had the power to just pardon all sin with a wave of His hand, (like Trump seems to think he can do (smile) but that would not have satisfied the justice of His judge-like character. He has to balance both sides of His character. So to make it all not only right, but seen as right, He sacrificed His Son to pay for the sins of the whole world, thereby satisfying both aspects of His character.
So He is not just a doting grandfather sitting in heaven just to satisfy our whims and fancies, He also has a righteous job as a judge to perform. That means, just like we pay for our wrongs here on earth against our society, we will eventually have to pay for those against God, if we have not received His Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and thus have those wrongs forgiven in the court of heaven.
It is therefore necessary for each individual to make their own peace with God. No one else can do it for you. Now, for those of us who have already done that, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our very enviable position in Christ.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we need to remember that if we endure until the very end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…pardon will only be granted in heaven…if Jesus is our advocate…
02 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 150th Canadian Birthday, a name above every other, a worm, Aboriginal People, animosity, At the cross, beasts, Beelzebub, blessing, by faith, by thy blood, celebrations, Chinese, come together, cruelty, death, elders, enthusiasm, eternal life, eternal separation, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, evil problems, exalted Jesus, fireworks, glory, grace, gratitude, greater toronto area, honour, I am happy all the day, I first saw the light, Japanese, Jesus christ is Lord, living creatures, LOVE, Lucifer, my Saviour bleed, my sovereign die, open the seals, our Lord Jesus Christ, pity, racism, receive power, received my sight, reconciled with god, redeemed us, Revelation, riches, rock God's house, sacrifices of praise and worship, salvation, secrets, sexism, shame, significant, slain, slaves, strength, Thanks be to God, the body of Christ, the Book of Life, the Christian faith, the creature's sin, the cross of Jesus, the Father's will, the Great War, the Lamb of God, the mighty Maked, the sun in darkness hide, thunder storm, to the glory of God the Father, victory, who gives us the victory, wisdom, worthy is the Lamb, zest
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Well friends, the 150th Canadian Birthday Party continues unabated. And though it was constrained a little by an afternoon thunder storm, after that, the sun came out brightly and the outside celebrations went on with much zest and enthusiasm, with brilliant fireworks filling the night air in many parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
Now some people felt that all the hoopla was somewhat hypocritical because of the blemishes on our Canadian record, re the very poor treatment of the Aboriginal People up to this day, plus the insensitive handling of Chinese and Japanese immigrants during the Great War, not to mention the racism and sexism that are currently rearing their ugly heads.
And all of those are serious problems for us to address, but if we only focus on our bad side, then no country would ever have cause to celebrate because every one has its own dark and evil problems and secrets. At least, hopefully, if we come together to celebrate a major anniversary, that togetherness will help to dissipate some of the current animosity found in our society.
But even if we’re not together in our country, please, let’s show that we are together in our churches, in the Body of Christ, as we offer sacrifices of praise and worship in His sanctuary this Sunday morning. And today’s hymn is the old stalwart ‘At the Cross.’ So let’s rock God’s house my faithful brethren with powerful song.
‘Alas, and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!) Was it for crimes that I had done, He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! grace unknown! And LOVE beyond degree! (Refrain)
Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin. (Refrain) But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of LOVE I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away ’Tis all that I can do. (Refrain: At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!’
Oh friends, the cross of Jesus is ever so significant in our Christian faith, for it’s there where Jesus sacrificed His life so that we could be reconciled with God and have the wonderful options of salvation and eternal life. Wow! It is indeed the centrepiece of our faith! It’s where everything begins and ends! Without it, we’d be nothing, still mere slaves to the evil Lucifer, facing death and eternal separation from Almighty God, our Creator.
But thanks to Jesus, hanging in shame and utter cruelty on that tree at Calvary, we’ve been set free from every kind of bondage. Glory to God my people! And as the song says, once we’ve seen the light at the cross, all our burdens are rolled away, and we can be happy each and every day! Mama Mia! Thank the Lord for Jesus yes!
And as Bruh Paul so aptly puts it in our Bit: ‘But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Now that’s the awesome truth my fellow believers? Without Christ, we’d have no victory whatsoever! That’s why we have to be ever so thankful and show proper gratitude for all of God’s great mercies towards us.
Remember, He didn’t have to do anything for us. But because we were His creation, and so dear to His heart, He couldn’t just sit by and see us all go the way of Beelzebub! And Jesus didn’t have to give of Himself so selflessly and sacrificially either, but He delighted in doing the Father’s will, even though it was outrageously painful and shameful.
That’s why the Father highly exalted Jesus afterwards, ‘and given him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11) Oh what a mighty champion is our Lord and Saviour!
And hear how John saw it in his vision in Revelation. As Jesus took up the Book of Life, ‘the four beasts (living creatures) and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and vials (bowls) full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book (scroll), and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred (tribe), and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts (living creatures) and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands and thousands: Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’ (Rev.5:8-12)
And that’s exactly how it should be. So please my fellow believers, let’s praise and honour Jesus, and live for and LOVE Him down here on earth nuh, so that we will be able to praise and worship Him later on in heaven. That’s wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…if you don’t honour Jesus on earth…you won’t praise Him in heaven…
23 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adrenalin, armour, aura of love, barbecues, be strong in the Lord, buffeted and bombarded, ceasefire, Christians, circumspection, confidence, conquerors, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, faith, fireworks, footholds, friends, glorious kingdom, having done all, holy spirit, humanness, humble servants, infiltration, invincible, jealousy, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, let out hair down, lies, LOVE, moans and groans, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, party trappings, put on the whole armour of God, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, schemes., spiritual armour, spiritual battle, stand, stand against the wiles of the devil, steadfast faith, summer season, tactics, the rulers of darkness, the whole armour of God, truce, truth, ungodly world, useful purpose, Victoria Day, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, weary souls, wisdom
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
Awright friends, this notable long weekend in the best big country in the world is winding down. Yes, the Victoria Day holiday, named for the previous longest reigning monarch (63 years) in the British Empire, celebrated on the first Monday before May 25, is noted for the opening of the summer season.
It finds the privileged set flocking to their cottages in the country, while those who stay in town begin planting their gardens. And the weather this weekend has been rather appropriate for it all; warm and sunshiny, though with the occasional cloud cover. Hopefully today will continue to be the same.
And wonder of wonders, the traffic on the roads this weekend has been negligible in comparison to others of the recent past. What’s going to kill that though is the start of road repairs. Chuh! Sometimes the inconvenience caused by those road repairs makes you long for winter. But anyway, the barbecues and the fireworks and all the other attendant party trappings will be out in full force today.
That means I have to remind us of Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny boy, please, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ It’s great advice friends, because it’s at times like these, when we let our hair down, that the enemy, who is always lurking in the background, finds footholds in our souls. And we definitely cannot afford to let that happen.
Now unfortunately, not everybody is celebrating Queen Victoria’s birthday with a public holiday. That means many of us still have to go out and labour this Monday morning… and I do detect the jealousy in some of the moans and groans I hear coming forth from the unlucky ones.
However, as usual, we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to help us overcome those jealous moments (smile), so let’s belt it out loud and sweet nuh.
As one harmonious 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!’
Ah mih people, it was loud but inharmonious and somewhat scratchy. And you could tell by the hoarse and cracking voices the ones who were off today. They were obviously the most boisterous. Our choirmaster, Jesus, just sighed and shook His head, understanding the humanness of the situation.
But nonetheless, those of us who have to go out and labour, please let’s keep the adrenalin running and the Word of God constantly feeding our souls and minds, as we get out into the godless world and begin to do battle with Lucifer and his evil minions. Remember, once we have Jesus with us, the victory is assured! Glory to God!
And seeing that we’ve been talking about armour and battles and the enemy etc. I thought that today would be a good time to review Bruh Paul’s directives on the subject.
He tells the Ephesians: ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts) of wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:10-13)
Oh my fellow believers, those are very critical and important verses of scripture, which we need to write indelibly in our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, so that we can indeed withstand the evil of this world.
Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars. ‘6:10. Finally may be rendered “from now on” or “from henceforth.” The spiritual battle Christians are engaged in exists “from now on” until the Lord’s return: there is no quarter given, no ceasefire, no temporary truce, no cessation of hostilities. “From now on “till the end there is all out war.
The remainder of the verse may be paraphrased, “Let yourselves constantly be strengthened by the Lord, more precisely by His mighty power.’
Ah friends, this shows that we are engaged in serious warfare. It’s no gimmick, but a spiritual battle unto the death, a battle for our very souls, and we have to be very serious about it if we expect to be good soldiers of Christ!
And some more explanations from the scholars. ‘6:11. Put on denotes a sense of urgency, demanding immediate action. To stand has military overtones. This verb was used in classical Greek meaning to resist the enemy and hold a critical position in battle. The wiles of the devil (or, “the Devil’s strategy”). Satan carefully devises schemes and tactics against believers.’
Yes my people, the enemy does set us up to fall, but with ALL of God’s armour on, we can defeat Him. And we’ll end here, because I know that many of you don’t want to have too much to understand and ponder on this holiday Monday. (smile)
So, God willing, we’ll continue it tomorrow. Till then, please go wisely and safely with God! Much LOVE!
…to party is nice…but it must be done with reasonable circumspection…to avoid the enemy’s untimely infiltration…
14 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abhor, adrenaline, asaph, atonement, aura of love, backsliding, blessings, calamitous, calamity, Christian, confidence, conquerors, covenant, disgrace, enthusiasm, evil, expectant faith, famine, fireworks, Frank Lloyd Wright, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God of our salvation, grace, greatness, holy spirit, hope, hungry hope, idols, iniquity, inroads, invincible, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, joy, labouring, lethargy, lies, life, look at life, LOVE, mature in Christ, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, new eyes, patience, peace, pitfalls, problems, purge away, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rise and shine, sacrificial death, salvation, sentimentality, sinned, sleep, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, substitutionary, superlative, the glory of thy name, the weekend, thy name's sake, two step jig, ungodly world, wickedness
Psalm 79:9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins. for thy name’s sake.
Awright mih people, the weekend is over, it’s time to rise and shine and get back to labouring, for Monday calls us to battle once again. Shake off the sleep and lethargy and get thee hither! (smile) There’s no time for pussyfooting and complaining, because the Lord’s work is out there waiting to be done.
So to help us get in the right spirit, the right frame of mind, let’s deliver one of our best renditions ever of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one glorious, heavenly choir, let’s blow them away my brethren, put a spark in Jesus’ eyes and get the Father to dancing and thus even more eager to bless us than normal.
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!’
Yes friends, yes! That was superlative! You could see the pride in Jesus eyes as He realized that we were poised for greatness today. And you better believe, we were so sweet that the Father had to come down of his throne and do a li’l two step jig. Glory to God!
Yes mih breddren, it’s the right beginning to a new day, especially a Monday. So let’s keep that spiritual fire burning nuh as we go out into the evil and ungodly world, with expectant faith and hungry hope and do the will and work of Jesus!
And today I have a quote to share, attributed to Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) the famous American architect, interior designer, writer and educator. And it says: ‘The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.’
And I definitely agree with that, simply because the longer you live the more you know and learn about life, especially if you are a Christian, for as you mature in Christ, you find life much more rewarding and interesting, despite its many problems and pitfalls.
So for all of us who are getting older, entering the winter of our years, please let’s look at life with new eyes nuh, let’s expect that we will achieve the best each day has to offer, as we journey on, in and with Christ.
Oh friends, the ole fella’s on a roll this morning. The Holy Spirit is working… no doubt about that… and our beautiful rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn just has the adrenaline gushing through my veins.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away (provide atonement for) our sins, for thy name’s sake.’
And that strikes me as being a rather appropriate one during this Lenten season, where the Lord did just what the psalmist Asaph asked; ‘purge away ( provide atonement for) our sins,’ through the substitutionary, sacrificial death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Good Friday.
And you know what I particularly like about that plea? How Asaph invokes God’s sentimentality re His glory and His name: ‘for the glory of thy name… for thy name’s sake.’ We all know how touchy He is about His glory and His name, as He declares through Isaiah. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is.42:8)
Yes friends, nothing gets our God angry as not giving Him His rightful praise and glory. But Asaph’s plea was no doubt sincere as the heathen; the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and taken its citizens into captivity. The Lord had allowed this because of Israel’s backsliding and worshipping of idols.
And he continues in the same vein. ‘Wherefore should the heathen (nations, gentiles) say, Where is their God? Let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging (avenging) of the blood of thy servants which is shed.’ (Ps.79:10)
During a time of severe famine in Judah, the prophet Jeremiah also prayed a similar prayer to Asaph’s. ‘O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.’ (Jer.14:7)
Oh my people, I believe the very same thing can be said about our recent behaviour. We have tossed God out of our public institutions, with the worship of all sorts of man-made idols daily increasing, while parents no longer seem to instruct their children in the Word of God, which leads to their utter sinfulness.
And I like how Jeremiah continues pleading for his people, although God tells him not to. ‘We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us.’ (Jer.14:21)
Oh friends, our society right now is in the same khaki pants that Israel was in back then, and only acknowledgement of our sinfulness and repentance will cause God to possibly relent from whatever calamity He has planned for us. And yuh better believe He has something big planned, if we continue our wicked ways, something that will eventually evolve out of all the relatively small stuff that’s happening now.
All I can ask is that we wake up and do our best to turn things around, a.s.a.p. otherwise the ending will be real calamitous, and our children will bear the brunt of it. Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s patience endures for long…but when it snaps…then come the fireworks…
26 Jan 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: armour of god, assaults, batting number two, bless others, blessed, breastplate of righteousness, breath in our bodies, cast off the works of darkness, church, coconut tart, conversion, curry crab and dumpling, defeat, etched indelibly, evil, evil day, far from the madding crowd, favour, fiery darts, fireworks, gird your waist, giving thanks, God's little Acre, good times, gospel of peace, hearts souls and minds, helmet of salvation, historic names, holy spirit, honeymoon, interesting, joyous, LOVE, magnanimous god, moment in time, Most High, new acquaintences, nostalgic memories, old friends, one in a lifetime occasion, partying, persverance, powers of darkness, prayer, put on, redeeming spirit, run for its money, saints, salt, sand, schemes of the devil, sea, sensible way, shield of faith, smile, soca riddims, soul searching, spiritual armour, stand, supplication, sword of the Spirit, take up the armour of light, Thank You Lord, the day's at hand, the night is spent, the whole armour of God, truth, ungodly planet, vacation, wiles, wind and rain, wisdom, wise, Word of God
Romans 13:12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
And what is shaping up to be the second best vacation ever, keeps rolling along nicely! Yes Friends, it has indeed been a blessed and joyous eleven days so far on God’s Little Acre! But has it really been eleven days already? Let’s see. I arrived here on the 16th, and today is the 26th. Yeh people, that makes it 11 days inclusive!
Our magnanimous God has certainly shone His incredible favour down on me in those past 11 days. Almost everything I’ve wanted, I’ve been blessed with; from a clean, quiet, comfortable and spacious place to stay, to coconut tart, pigeon peas soup, curry crab and dumpling, sea, sand, salt and good times with old friends and new acquaintances. How can I ever complain eh?
Rather, I’m giving thanks and saying ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You ever so much for looking after me! And I pray that as I continue to serve You to the best of my ability, You will keep on blessing me, so that I can bless others.’ Oh my brethren, that’s the only wise and sensible way to go on this evil and ungodly planet!
Right now though, at about two thirty on what has turned out to be a bright, sunny and windy Sunday afternoon, I’m having a cup of caffeine, struggling to come awake. Hn, hn! It’s already been a busy day. I was up and off to church for 7.30 this morning. And though it ran for almost two hours, it was interesting and soul searching.
I then came home and fed my face and had to catch up with some lost night time rest, for yesterday was hectic. That included a trip in the hot afternoon sun to the Windward side of the island, after my episode in Store Bay. Passing through villages and towns with historic names like, Hope, Mt.St.George, Belle Garden, Roxborough and Delaford, certainly brought back nostalgic memories of my youth on the island.
Because of time constraints, we stopped in Delaford at a beach called Kings Bay and hung out there for a short period. Strangely enough though, although the beach seemed fine, either through laziness to change my clothes and then change back again, and /or the movement of the Spirit, I just did not feel like bathing in the sea, and that surely says something.
Oh I just had a bit of delicious watermelon from my brother’s garden to cool the heat in the body. (smile) The winding hilly roads of my youth are still there, with very little been done to straighten or widen them. However the surface quality in many parts is crying out for serious fixing.
Then by the time I got home and rested some, my half-brother and his wife showed up with the curry crab and dumpling that they had promised to make. Mama Yo! Was it ever delicious mih people! I even got a new convert in the Duchess. (smile) She finally appreciates why I’ve always talked so highly of the exotic T&T dish.
And while we were here visiting with my brother and his wife, a party was simultaneously happening somewhere nearby in the compound, with plenty talk, laughter and hot soca riddims rocking through the atmosphere, accompanied at one stage by some brilliant fireworks.
At one stage too, a strong wind storm and driving rain erupted. But as anyone from these parts knows, a little wind and rain doesn’t stop the party. It only prevents one from going to work. (smile) Oh the wind and rain were hot to trot this morning too. The radio announcer was warning people not to leave home without their umbrellas, and I drove to church amidst intermittent showers.
And that my Friends, is where we stand at this most auspicious moment in time!
And for those of you who are fast and inquisitive enough to wonder what was our Number One vacation experience. Well it was a trip the Duchess and I took, what… possibly 20 years ago, to Jamdown, (sweet Jamaica) and stayed far from the madding crowd down in the Parish of Trelawney, renting a townhouse there and going on some guided tours around the island.
Now we’ve never been tour people, always wanting to do our own thing, in our own time, but the Lord must have guided us to that, because it was the BEST TIME EVER! The things we did and places we went, are etched indelibly in our hearts minds and souls. And try as we want, we’ll never be able to recreate that enthusiasm and energy that arises in such one in a lifetime occasion.
We were young, no younger and stronger then, and could handle the hectic pace that was necessary for those endeavours. Our honeymoon, right here in Tobago, forty odd years ago, has so far been batting number two, but it’s certainly getting a run for its money from this current experience.
For your info, it seems that another joyful gathering is taking place nearby in the compound. I can’t see anybody, but the sound of talk, laughter and sweet soca are circulating through the airwaves. It sure seems like a partying compound.
And now that you know as much as I do, (smile) let’s see what out Bit has to offer. ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.’
Yes my people, it’s certainly time for us believers to wake up and realize that the powers of darkness are smothering a lot of the world! Believers need to get serious about their Christian faith, to wake up and realize that Beelzebub is on a serious tear. And as Bruh Paul informs us, it’s only by putting on Christ’s armour of light, can we ever hope to beat back and eventually defeat those strong and evil powers that hide within the darkness of the world.
And the best way to bring that home to us, is by quoting Bruh Paul’s immortal, admonishing and ‘exhortatious’ (I just like how it sounds) advice to the Ephesians. ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (rulers), against powers (authorities), against the rulers (world-rulers) of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (spiritual hosts of) wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Be ready for constant assaults from the wicked one).
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one).
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:10-18)
That says it all my brethren! I didn’t plan on quoting the last five verses which describe the spiritual armour, but I knew that very few of us would actually look it up, if I asked us to. So I decided to spoon feed us, (smile) so that we can get the full gist, the real importance of the subject.
It makes the Bit longer, but you can’t have it both ways. We need to get clothed, and stay clothed as long as possible in the strengthening and perceptive spiritual armour of God, if we want to bring the world to acceptance and conversion to Jesus.
So please, let’s go out and do that today, and every day, while there’s breath in our bodies nuh. That’s the wisdom of the age! Much LOVE!
…only as believers are filled with the redeeming Spirit of the Most High…will they be able to put up a good fight against the powers of darkness…
SCRIP-BITS 