28 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: affliction, cry out, deceitfulness, deliverance, disobedience, distress, fellowship, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, integrity, Jonah, refreshed soul, rejuvenation, right perspective, righteous, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, welfare
Psalm 120:1. In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
Oh Friends, I must say that I’m not as bright and bubbly as I was yesterday because my allergies are acting up. They had me feeling real lousy earlier on with the sneezing and sniffling, but I eventually took some medication and they are settling down now. And though I’m still not 100 %, my heart is still encouraged in our God. Praise Him for His tender mercies! Nonetheless, today is Friday, and as my buddy James remarked when I asked how he was doing: ‘Rough mih brother. Ah work out mih soul case this week. But yuh know what… Thank God is Friday yes, and the weekend soon come!’ Yes Friends, the weekend is here for us to rest up and refocus ourselves. So as always, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm nuh, while eagerly looking forward to the couple of days off. All together as one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Ah mih people, we have to keep our lives totally focused and in the right perspective at all times, otherwise we’re liable to fall prey to the evil of Beelzebub. But even when that happens, we ought not to fear, for as our Bit so faithfully declares: ‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.’ Yes my brethren, that’s exactly what we need to do when we’re under any stress or strain. The psalmist, befuddled by the wrong that was being done to him, continues: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.’ (Ps.120:2) Ah Friends, many of us have personally experienced the harsh and often wrong criticism, ridicule and deceitfulness cause by others spreading lies and false innuendo. And we know that it hurts a lot, for as Willie Shakespeare claims in one of his plays – I don’t remember which one – if you steal my purse, you’re stealing trash; but my good name, my integrity, now that’s a horse of a different colour. So our good name and integrity do mean a lot, especially to believers operating under Jesus’ triumphant banner. We cannot allow our character to be besmirched, because it reflects badly on our Saviour and our faith. But the wise thing to do, if and when that happens, or any calamity at all strikes us, is to first cry out to God for help. I can tell you that from personal experience, since there are many times I’ve cried out to Him for one reason or another, some of them when I couldn’t find a Bit or figure out what to write. And the good news Friends, is that our God has always helped me to come up over my problems. And on the matter of crying out to Him in distress, there’s no better example than Jonah in the belly of the great fish. Though Jonah was disobedient to God’s directive, spending some time in the fish’s stomach woke him up to the reality that his God was both powerful and merciful. ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason (because) of my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ (Jon.1:1-2) So Friends, if the Lord could forgive Jonah for his disobedience when he cried out in distress, why won’t He hear our cry when we’re wronged and persecuted eh? No reason whatsoever my people! Bruh David hit the nail on the head when he declared in Psalm 34, the Lord hears the righteous: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry…The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Ps.34:15,17) And nobody knew that better than Bruh David. Then again in Psalm 65 he’s correct, when he says: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps.65:2) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as Isaiah proclaims on the Lord’s behalf. ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.’ (Is.66:22-23) Oh my people, there’s our God talking, and He doesn’t talk simply for talk sake, but because He wants us to get to know Him and His ways. And one of the things He sincerely wants us to know and do is to come to Him in prayer; cry out to Him when disaster strikes, for He’s totally interested in our welfare, the way a good, kind and merciful God should be about His subjects. So Friends, please don’t be afraid or ashamed to call upon His Holy Name when things get rough, for that’s what He desires of us. Remember that even Jesus cried out to Him when the going got tough, so why shouldn’t we, mere mortals that we are. Much LOVE!…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you can’t cry out to Him for help in times of trouble…
21 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: deep roots, Divine One, false teachers, false teachings, Friday chant, frolic, fun, God's glory, Messiah, personal glory, receive Christ, refreshed, renewed, salvation, submission, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, ungodly, walk with Christ, warnings, weekend
Colossians 2:6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.
Oh my beautiful Friends in Christ, it’s Friday, and I hear you expressing that fact in a most joyous fashion, by you exclaiming ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yeh, even the really tired ones get a second wind come Friday, and are able to perk up because they know that the weekend is about to unfurl. And as always, we’ll remind us that the weekend is not merely for fun and frolic, but also for some serious face time with God, through fellowship and meditation. So let’s put it all in proper perspective by chanting our Friday Chant. With much verve and mucho gusto 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 people, we have to use our free time wisely and not let Lucifer and his evil minions make any inroads into our lives by doing ungodly stuff. And that warning fits right in with our Bit today. ‘As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.’ Words of ultimate wisdom and absolute truth my fellow believers! Bruh Paul is there warning the Colossians about false teachers and teachings cropping up to destroy and /or destabilize their faith in Jesus Christ. Hear the scholars explain it: ‘The verse may be paraphrased thus: “Therefore, just as you accepted the teaching that presents Jesus as both Messiah and Lord, so continue to maintain this relationship with Him.” The recipients had been taught that Jesus is (1) Messiah (the One divinely anointed to secure man’s salvation), and (2) Lord (the divine person to whom man submits in obedience). The heretics denied Jesus’ atoning death and Lordship. So the Colossians are urged to keep Him just as they were initially taught – as Messiah and Lord. They are continue to look to Him for salvation and continue in submission to His authority.’ And without a doubt Friends, all of that also applies to us today! Possibly even more so than to the Colossians, because the days now are so evil and ungodly, don’t know if they have ever been this bad. That makes it very difficult for the ordinary man to discern friend from foe and truth from falsehood. Everybody’s peddling something, and much of it for personal gain. Thankfully I don’t count myself amongst that lot, since I’m not making any physical gains, like money from what I’m doing. However I am benefiting from my studying and writing in the sense that I am becoming more aware of and mature in Christ, and hopefully helping others to do the same. That’s why true believers have to be oh so careful about whom and what they listen to, for all sorts of scam artists are out there pretending to preach and teach the word. Plenty are sincere, but too many are using it for their own glorification and not God’s. That’s why we believers today have to be just like Bruh Paul advised the Colossians: ‘Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you (plunder you or take you captive) through philosophy and vain (empty) deceit, after (according to) the tradition of men, after (according to) the rudiments (basic principles) of the world, and not after (according to) Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power (rule and authority).’ (Col.2:7-10) And we’ll end with an informed explanation of that last verse by the scholars. ‘Ye are complete in him (or, “you are filled by Him”); Believers have been filled by Jesus with all the spiritual blessings they need; hence they are “complete” and lacking nothing. This, too refutes the heresy that denied the sufficiency of Christ and encouraged Christians to look to other spiritual beings for help. Five of these blessings, with which believers have been filled, are listed in verses 11-15. They are (1) spiritual circumcision, verse 11; (2) being raised form the old life verse 12; (3) new life, verse 13; (4) the removal of the curse of the law, verse 14; and (5) the conquering of Satan and his demonic forces, verse 15.’ And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Believers lack nothing that’s needed to live successfully in this world. All the necessary seeds have been planted in us from the day we received Jesus and His Holy Spirit that then came to dwell in us. Now we just need to allow that Spirit to raise and grow the seeds of righteousness that are planted in us. Let them develop strong, sturdy roots, so that we can resist the vicious attacks, lies and deceits of the enemy. Therefore my brethren, let’s all contemplate and ponder our individual situations today nuh, re our ‘rootedness’ in Christ. Then let’s take serious action to improve it, for we all can use some improvement in our spiritual lives, especially in these rough and troubled times. Much LOVE!…without the basic principles of Jesus’ teachings…deeply rooted in our souls…believers will not make much headway against Beelzebub…
14 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: bless, blessed, curse, enthusiasm, evil, exuberance, faith, Friday chant, good, heritage, injustice, legacy, modicum of circumspection, perspective, revenge, righteous kingdom, suffering, TGIF!, trials, tribulations, weekend
Proverbs 17:13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Oh Friends, our wonderful God again blessed my area yesterday with a perfect summer’s day! Wow! All praise and thanks be to You O Lord! But I don’t think today is going to be so nice, because they’re calling for cooler temps and rain. But when has a little rain and some cool weather ever stopped God’s children from joyously shouting on a Friday: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday?’ Never! That’s because we’re so wrapped up in our Fridays; first because it’s the end of the work week and then it’s also the start of our labour free weekend. However Friends, before we allow our exuberance to aimlessly carry us away, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so that we can keep everything in its right perspective. So with the same enthusiasm that we just shouted, ‘TGIF!’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ let’s all chant as one. Blow the roof off heaven mih people! (smile) ‘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.’ And now that we’ve curbed our aimless enthusiasm with ‘a modicum of circumspection,’ as Jeeves the butler in the P.G. Wodehouse books was wont to say, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.’ Those are certainly words of invaluable truth my people, for that’s how our most just and righteous God has set up His everlasting kingdom. Evil has no place in it; especially for those who return evil for good. Being evil is bad enough, but returning a good favour with evil consequences, is the lowest of the low. Now yesterday we ended with Peter telling us that we should be joyful when we suffer for righteousness sake. (1 Pet.3:13-14) However Friends, we all know it’s rough to suffer injustice and don’t long for some kind of revenge. That’s just our natural human nature. But James tells us this: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried (has been proved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) Accepting evil for good and not making any noise, comes with the territory my brethren. Jesus suffered immeasurable evil for our sakes, but He never complained. Granted we don’t have all the parts that Jesus had, but we can still stand strong in His Holy Name. For you see what’s the end of returning evil for good? Evil will remain forever in the house, the family of that person(s). Now is that a legacy we want to leave our descendants? Absolutely not! And it’s not only Jesus who endured evil for good, but many other faithful followers did too. Hear Jeremiah tell his story: ‘Give heed to me, O Lord, and hearken (listen) to the voice of them that contend with me. Shall evil be recompensed (repaid) for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul (life). Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for (concerning) them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.’ (Jer.18:19-20) Poor Jerry ended up in jail for warning his people about the coming calamity from God if they did not repent of their evil ways. Now listen to Bruh David, who knew a thing or two about suffering evil at the hands of those he treated well, like Saul and his own son Absalom. He declares thus in Psalm 35, a prayer for rescue from enemies: ‘Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute (pursue) them. For without cause have they hid (hidden) for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul (life) – shades of Jeremiah – …False (fierce) witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge (asked me) things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling (sorrow) of my soul.’ (Ps.35:6-7,11-12) Oh Friends, I know that many of us are still suffering the heartfelt pangs of receiving evil in return for good. But as I tried to show, it’s a part of our heritage, our faith, to suffer, especially on Jesus’ behalf. And though it’s never easy, we have to try and rise above the situation of returning evil for good, and when it happens to us, we have to look at it as a test from God, who has promised to strengthen us in all our misfortunes and also reward us if we stand strong and steadfast in His Word and His Will. And we’ll end with some poignant words from Jesus on the subject. After he told the Jews: ‘I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them. Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?’ (John 10:30-32) And we think we have it hard! Oh my people, let’s ponder today on the trials and tribulations that Jesus unfairly bore on our behalf, so that we could be reconciled with the Father. Then let’s allow His Holy Spirit to rise up in us and strengthen us, as we make our own difficult pilgrimage through this earthly life. Much LOVE!…but I say unto you which hear…LOVE your enemies…do good to them which hate you…bless them that curse you…and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you… (Luke 6:27-28)
07 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: angels, christianity, enthusiasm, faith walk, freedom, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, glorifying God, God's promises, Jesus, joyful harbinger, rejuvenation, righteousness., stable foundation, Thank God it's Friday, the Holy Trinity, verve, weekend, wisdom
Psalm 89:15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
‘Friday, Friday! Oh how we LOVE that day! Friday, Friday! The weekend’s on its way!’ Yes Friends, it’s Friday, and we’re all exuberantly declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ You know, even the weak and tired find strength to be exuberant on Fridays. Hn! And no other day of the week creates such excitement. The strange part though is that Friday itself, doesn’t do all that much, we still have to go to work, but it’s a joyful harbinger of the weekend and certainly ratchets up our expectation and enthusiasm for those two short days off. But remember though that we can’t afford to get too carried away by the freedom of the weekend. Like all else in our walk of faith, we have to handle it in and with the right perspective. And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much verve and enthusiasm. As usual let’s give the angels something to talk about, and bring a big, bright, proud smile to Jesus’ face and His heart, letting Him know that we truly LOVE and glorify the Father and Him, in this our song of praise. 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 Friends, now we can go ahead and make plans for the weekend, knowing that we’re doing so from a wise and stable foundation. And I just LOVE it too that our Bit talks about making music to God. Listen as Ethan the Ezrahite declares the power of God’s blessing in his contemplation, titled, God’s sure promises to Bruh David. ‘Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.’ And that’s the living truth my brethren! From the earliest days, music has always been and essential and intrinsic part of worshipping our wonderful God. When we make music to and for God, our spirits are rejuvenated, we see Him in the true and brilliant light that emanates from Him, and consequently, to our great benefit, we walk in that light. Now hear how Ethan continues after our Bit: ‘In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn (our strength) shall be exalted. For the Lord is our defense (our shield); and the Holy One of Israel is our king.’ (Ps.89:16-18) What awesome words of wisdom and truth my people! Now Friends, this musical appreciation doesn’t look as though it was dreamed up by man, but was a direct command of the Lord. Numbers 10 describes it. ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. (Num.10:2) Blowing on both trumpets simultaneously would be a sign for all to assemble at the door of the tabernacle. When only one trumpet was blown, that would be a sign for the princes, leaders of the tribes to gather round Moses. (Num.10:3-4) ‘And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance (statute) for ever throughout your generations. And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn (appointed) days, and in the beginning of your months, ye shall blow with your trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the Lord your God.’ (Num.10:8-10) Yes mih people, our God is high on His music! Note too that when the end time arrives, we’ll also be singing and making music in heaven, worshipping and glorifying the Lamb that was slain for us, and the Father who gave Him up through a heart that abounded with LOVE for us, His sinful creation. Listen to how John saw it in Revelations. ‘And he (the Lamb) came and took the book (of life) out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts (living creatures) and four and twenty elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials (bowls) full of odours (incense), which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, 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.’ (Rev.5:7-10) Oh mih people, it won’t just be partying in heaven, or on the new earth, but you better believe music will still play a vital role in our worship of the Everlasting Trinity. So let’s get accustomed to it from now nuh, with much singing and praising! (smile) Much LOVE!…to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…is to sing His praises…night and day… P.S. I want to say Happy Birthday to my mother Molly. She would have been 86 years young today. If they celebrate birthdays in heaven, where she is, I’m sure they’re celebrating with her. And if they don’t, I’m sure they’re still singing up a storm of thanks and praise. (smile) Much LOVE!
31 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: Christian fellowship, faith walk, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, God's glorious kingdom, God's Spirit, Jesus Christ, Labour Day, Lord and Saviour, man's law, mother's passing, relaxation, rest, T&T 50th anniversary
Galatians 5:1. Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Oh Friends, sorry the Bit’s a bit late, but I had a late night last night, which made it all the more difficult to get up this morning. In any case it’s Friday… And a glorious chorus of ‘Hallelujahs’ burst forth from God’s people and rise to heaven! Yes, we know the weekend is here! And this a special Friday my people. First off, because it’s the 50th anniversary of the Independence of that wonderful Republic of Trinidad and Tobago! Yes Friends, T & T has now gone through a half century of self-rule! Wow! I remember the early heady days when Independence was on the tip of everybody’s tongues, was all that mattered. Never thought I’d live to see 50 years of it. Today is also the 1st anniversary of my Mother Molly moving on to be with the Lord in the green pastures in the sky. I also remember hearing of her passing while on vacation in California. But as the Lord promised, He helped me to get through it without too much emotional upheaval. Now I was grieved and all that, but early in the proceedings my spirit took on a sort of calm that I didn’t understand at the time, and I was comforted by the realization that she had gone to a better place, where she was free of all pain and tears. I still talk to her every day though, especially when I’m reading the prayers I read for her over the phone. In hindsight, I now realize that that was one of God’s mysterious movements, preparing me for writing the Bit. You can’t write about what you haven’t read. This Friday is also the beginning of the Labour Day weekend, the last real weekend of the summer. I miss the good times I once had on the Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York, every Labour Day. But I also remember the last time I was there, about five years ago, when my Aunty Anne and I had to walk miles to the parade route, after luckily finding a parking spot in the afternoon way off the beaten path. We also had to walk it back later that night after all the festivities, when we were both dead tired and the night had gotten somewhat chilly. I don’t know what it is about Labour Day and the weather, but as soon as it’s over, a noticeable chill develops. Anyway, to get us off to a good start on this special weekend, let’s chant out Friday Chant, in loud, sweet voice, give the angels a run for their money. Hn, hn! I LOVE it when we do that. (smile) 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.’ And having put the right perspective on the weekend… oh don’t forget too, that drunk or sober, to mind your business this long weekend, so Beelzebub doesn’t get a chance to infiltrate our defences. Now, belatedly, let’s see what our Bit has to offer. ‘Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.’ Yesterday we saw that basically it meant that using the law of man to get into God’s good grace was impossible, because the two operate in opposite realms. The law of man is fleshly, demon inspired, while that of God is spiritual and depends solely on the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, with the resultant indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And we need to stay strongly attached to the Holy Spirit so that we walk in faith and derive the numerous blessings involved in following Christ. Hear how Bruh Paul tells it to the Philippians: ‘Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of life.’ (Phil.4:1-3) Yes my people, it’s all about standing strong in Christ in fellowship with each other. We won’t always agree, but there shouldn’t be anything that causes us to disagree so strenuously that it negatively affects Christ’s church. But sadly, a lot of it is happening in the local, as well as national and international church. Oh Friends, there’s more to be said on this sad topic of wrangling amongst Christ’s followers, but we’ll leave that for tomorrow, God willing. I don’t want to burden our short attention spans with too much stuff this long weekend. So till tomorrow, provided we don’t see our names in the obits, pleas walk safely with God and in harmony with each other. That’s my prayer for us today. In Jesus Name. Amen! Much LOVE my people!….to truly walk with Christ…we must also walk as one body…one church… P.S. The Bit’s not as late as I thought it would be. (smile) All praise to God whose miraculous hand was certainly involved. Much LOVE!
17 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: busy, enthusiasm, frantic pace, Friday chant, God's kingdom, justice, life, loving kindness, multi-tasking, passion, rat-race, righteousness., sincerity, smell the roses, stress, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the race is not for the swift
Ecclesiastes 9:11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I hear you calling out in delirious pleasure: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I have another little gem to share today. (smile) But before we do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as we can muster. ‘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.’ And having tried to put the weekend in its proper perspective, let me share that wonderful gem. Yesterday I bought some Chinese food and in the fortune cookie I found this saying: ‘It’s okay to slow down and smell the roses.’ Well Friends, I must say that’s the God-given truth! And most of know it, but we still refuse to live up to it. Instead we engage in the rat-race we so nicely term the busy life. Oh Friends, if we don’t slow down every so often, sometimes even stop completely, and take stock of what’s really and truly going on around us, we’re going to go crazy, both literally and figuratively. Believe it my people, man was not made to live at the frantic pace we’re currently living at. This non-stop, continuously go, go pace the powers that be are trying to force on us is NO GOOD! It has very negative effects on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just consider the high incidence of stress amongst even the young people of our society, who have grown up with this fast lifestyle. They are dropping off and out like flies at a much too tender age because they can’t keep up with the torrid pace the world’s setting. So you can imagine what’s happening to the older folks who are not accustomed to that stressful lifestyle. All this multi-tasking and doing several jobs, just to keep up, is slowly but surely killing us. It’s normal now to claim that we’re so busy, we don’t have time for our friends, families, God or ourselves. What are we so busy doing eh? And what do we have time for then my people? No wonder Cousin Sol, in his experimenting, discovered that wisdom was much better than strength. Listen to him declare it in our Bit: ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.’ And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! So whether we’re fast, strong, rich or skilful, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive and/ or prosper because of our attributes, since unforeseen things happen to us all, regardless of our station in life. That’s why it’s not so wise to go running after the things the world considers important. Wisdom, understanding, peace of mind and a strong faith in Almighty God are what we need, especially in these very confused and troubled times. As Jeremiah so rightly declares, re the knowledge of God is man’s glory: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24) Oh Friends, the Lord made His wishes quite clear to us many, many moons ago, but yet we still insist on following the direction set by the world, which is in the death grip of greedy, evil, ungodly men. How can we then live the life God planned for us if we don’t follow what He says in His Guide Book eh? Obviously we can’t! Oh my brethren, I know that some of you will take umbrage at what I’m saying, claiming I don’t know your personal situation, but that’s too bad. If you don’t want to accept the gospel truth from the Good Book there’s nothing I can do about that. We each have to make our own choices, then live with them here on earth and later answer to God about them. However, unless we all slow down a tad and enjoy the things we work so hard and long for, as well as the people close to us, we’ll be missing out on the true value and meaning of life. Please my people, please stop and take a look at your situation, look at all the stuff you figured you must have, so you worked your butt off to get them. Then ask yourself when last, or if ever, you have truly enjoyed them? Include in that, the nice houses that we so desperately wanted, and we now have. Do we have or take the time to truly enjoy them? Not at all, because we’re too busy working to meet the mortgage payments. My brethren, I implore us to wake up, then stop a minute and smell the beautiful aroma, the ‘unclonable’ perfume of the roses God made to enrich our sense of smell, because we’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s grace and bounty, when we try to keep up with, or run faster than the world. That’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll eventually feel…
10 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: celebrations, destruction, faithfullness, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, guilt, hope, Jesus, LOVE, mind your business, misery, nobody, Olympics, peace, put God first, relaxation, rest, righteousness., somebody, Thank God it's Friday
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, the day when we all shout ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ because we’re headed for the weekend and a couple days off work. But yuh know the loudest thanks for today being Friday is going to be in J.A, where Usain Bolt won the 200 metres gold medal again! And not only that, Jamaicans also won the silver and bronze medals in that race. So Jamrock must be in a mess of celebrations now. But as I keep saying, please be careful to mind your business whether you’re drunk or sober, because it’s in those times of celebration that we’re most susceptible to the wiles and lies of Lucifer. So party on J.A. but be on your p’s and q’s for the enemy’s looking for any foothold he can get. And before we go further, let me share a quote from a kaiso by Shadow that I heard the other day that shows true wisdom and Christianity. I don’t know the song, but Shadow truthfully sings in it: ‘Everybody is a somebody. Nobody is a nobody.’ And Friends, that’s exactly the way Jesus looks at all of us! Whether we’re rich or poor, educated or not, sick or healthy; to Jesus we’re all somebodies. Please remember that and let’s act like it. And even more importantly, let’s treat others the same way, regardless of whether they’re considered the dregs of society or not, they’ve all been made in God’s great and LOVING image and deserve to be treated as such. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant with great enthusiasm, in loud voice and sincere hearts. 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.’ And now that we’ve reigned in some of our exuberance (smile) and set the parameters for the weekend, let’s look at our Bit: ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ And we all know that if we’re to have a successful walk with Jesus that’s the number one rule. But I also hope that through reading it so often these last few days that it has been renewed in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and we’ve truly realized that our Creator MUST ALWAYS TAKE FIRST PLACE IN OUR LIVES! There are absolutely no ifs and buts about that. And if you want to play the devil’s advocate and ask why, the answer’s very simple: Because we belong to Him. Hn! He created us, controls our lives, LOVES us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us, and wants us to LOVE Him too. There couldn’t be any better reasons than those my people. And wonder of wonders, as I’m writing this, I’m actually hearing the rain fall outside. It fell for a good part of yesterday, but mostly as a drizzle. Anyway, turning to the scriptures, listen to Bruh Paul’s take on the subject, where he concludes that there is none righteous. And he shows his vast knowledge of the Old Testament by extracting appropriate bits and putting them together as one. ‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre (grave); with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ (Rom.3:10-18) Now here’s a quick brief from the scholars: ‘Paul quotes scriptures to prove universal guilt. Scripture, not Paul, is the judge. See Psalm 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 140:3; Isaiah 59:7,8).’ That’s the different places the foregoing scripture came from. And Friends, if you think that that was a damning situation in Bruh Paul’s time, believe me, it’s even worse in ours, for God has been legislated out of, relegated to the lowest rungs, and almost totally removed from our society. But fortunately, where there’s a warm body, there’s hope, and we have enough warm bodies rooting for Jesus that we can make a difference. But my people, all I can do is encourage us to follow and obey Almighty God. Each individual still has to make that decision seriously, and then diligently pursue it. And to try and solidify my case, I’ll leave us with the definitive word on the subject by our Lord, Saviour, Master, Leader, Brother and Friend, Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) Yes Friends, that’s gospel truth! If we seek God first in all we do, then all the things we need will be granted us. The Lord’s promised that, and we all know He faithfully keeps His promises. So please, lets get our act together and start making things happen nuh. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Much LOVE!…in God’s Book…obedience brings prosperity…disobedience brings destruction…it’s as simple as that…
03 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: Caribana, change, christianity, enthusiasm, eternal life, faith, forgiveness, Friday chant, hope, hope flourishes, LOVE, mercy, prisoners of hope, rest and relaxation, salvation, TGIF!
Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Caribana Friday to boot! So you can imagine the numerous ‘TGIF’s!’ and ‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ that are reverberating around this wonderful city of Toronto. In fact, T.O has been hopping with Caribana fever for the past week. And the fever will only get hotter and sweatier (smile) as the days progress. Even the ole fella’s enthusiasm has risen a few notches, just knowing that my Auntie Anne and Uncle John will be in town from New York for the celebrations. Mamacita! Hope to play a mas with them tonight in the Pan Competition at Lamport Stadium. And since my Uncle John is an ole pan man from back in the days of Highlanders with their high pan, when plenty people ridiculed them, it’ll be interesting to hear his take on the quality of the pan up here. I remember liking Highlanders from day one, and every time I’d go down the Bay in Scarborough, I’d play their famous single ‘Let every valley be exalted’ on the jukebox in Scobie’s parlour. And I’ve lived to see the day when high pan is now the norm, rather than the exception. Just goes to show what hope and faith in your God-given desires can accomplish. The leaders of Highlanders could have just allowed it to die as so many people were against it. But they didn’t. I guess that’s the way we humans are; we resist change, resist getting out of our comfort zone, even if it’s for the better, because change is usually disruptive and disconcerting. However, on a personal level, it seems like the Good Lord might be putting a spoke in my wheel, or perchance issuing a warning, since my knees have been pain free all week, until last night when one of them began hurting. Hn! And if that continues, then there’s no way I’m going to the Caribana Parade on Saturday. But Friends, the good news is that our God’s a great, good-hearted, LOVING and healing God, and if He wants me to go, He can heal me in time to do so. Praise the Lord! That’s what Christianity is all about Friends; a strong hope, trust and faith in our Lord God Jehovah, Creator and Controller of the universe! Now to get a proper perspective on this celebratory weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant in loud voice and most excellent enthusiasm. Thought I’d forgotten it nuh. (smile) As one divine choir 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 mih people, celebrate, but remember to mind yuh p’s and q’s, and also don’t forget, as Granny says, that drunk or sober to mind yuh business, because we don’t want to give the enemy even one iota of space to invade our souls. And as you can see from our Bit: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life,’ that we’re going to stick with the topic of Hope today, because it’s such an integral and vital part of our belief system and too many believers, for one reason or another are either losing hope completely or experiencing a sad lessening of it. And when the seed of hope doesn’t flourish in us Friends, it also means our trust and faith in God, as well as His joy are decreasing too, because they are all intertwined. And that’s never a good thing. Living for Jesus is not a one and done thing, but like plants and babies, our growth is a continuous process, where we move from strength to strength. It’s like going to school too, where we can’t move up to a higher grade until we pass the tests of the lower one. As Bruh Paul says, we first need to drink spiritual milk, before we can eat solid spiritual food. (Heb.5:11-14) And HOPE is the emotion that fuels all our spiritual endeavours. It’s like the gas that a car needs before it can run. Hope makes believers run. So let’s go home now with some scriptures that impart hope to our hopeful souls. And we’ll begin with words from a contemplation of Bruh David, where he’s seeking preservation and blessing. ‘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.’ (Ps.16:8-9) Yes Friends, if we set the Lord before us in all our doings, as our be all and end all, both our spirit and our flesh will experience oodles of hope. Then the author of Psalm 119 say is thus: ‘Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.’ (Ps.119:116) Oh my people, we’ll never be ashamed of our hope if it’s centred in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Meanwhile this verse on hope from Zechariah just thrills me. Talking about Zion’s future king, he solemnly proclaims: ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ (Zech.9:12) Oh Friends, I certainly hope that we all belong to that august group, ‘the prisoners of hope.’ For as I said yesterday, we’re lost and done like dinner without it. And finally Jeremiah, in his Lamentations, truthfully declares: ‘It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.’ (Lam.3:26) Please my brethren, let’s follow that sage advice of Jeremiah nuh, so that our lives will be greatly enriched with all the good things of God; hope, faith, trust, surrender, forgiveness, mercy, unconditional LOVE, salvation and eternal life. This I pray on the precious blood of Jesus spilled for us at Calvary! Amen. Much LOVE my people!…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…that is the way of the true believer…
27 Jul 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: constant pressure, don't give up, Friday chant, fun-fellowship, labour free weekend, mysterious movements of God, obey God not man, refreshed bodies, renewed minds, rest-relaxation, suffer the inevitable consequences, TGIF!
Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! And all God’s people released a tired but grateful sigh as they mouthed: ‘Thank God is Friday yes!’ They have been looking forward to this day and the weekend of no labour, from since Monday morning as they left home to go to work. And unfortunately the constant mental, emotional and physical pressure of going to work for those five days has taken a toll on them. But Friends, I’m here to buoy and calm our spirits so that we don’t get too lethargic or too effervescent over the next couple of days. And we’ll start doing that by chanting our Friday Chant with as much gusto as we can muster. All together now, in one loud, prayerful voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes Friends, I know that some of you have it fairly rough, having young children to look after before work, then fight the traffic to work and deal with all sorts of emotional and physical situations there, then fight the traffic back home and look after your families again. Some of you work even harder at home on the weekends, cleaning up and preparing for the following week, than you do at the job that hopefully pays you a living wage. But don’t worry my people, the Lord sees all your efforts and eventually you will be well rewarded, if you don’t give up. Just remember that living for Jesus is not an easy lifestyle, but it certainly is interesting and oftimes adventurous, cause we never know what’s the next situation He’s going to throw up before us. Remember too, that whatever He brings us to, He will also bring us through it, if we allow Him to lead and guide us. This brings us to our Bit: ‘Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.’ And that my friends is gospel, gospel truth! Believers ought to obey the dictates of God if they seriously conflict with the dictates of men. And why is that? Simply because the law of God is higher than that of men. God is our Creator, Controller and Provider, while man is merely flesh and bones and cannot create or control most of the stuff around him. Our Bit gives us a perfect example of upholding God’s law over man’s. The apostles had been preaching Christ crucified and risen in the temple at Jerusalem, with great crowds gathering to listen and many being saved. This obviously did not sit well with the Jewish leaders, so they dragged the apostles off to jail, warning them to stop preaching Christ. But please remember my brethren that our God is the greatest Being in the universe, and when you’re doing His work nothing is impossible. Consequently, as the Good Book notes: ‘But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught.’ (Acts 5:19-21a) Yes mih people, our God does move in mysterious ways, His sovereignty to show and glorify! So later on, when the elders, gathered together in the council chambers, sent for the apostles, they couldn’t be found in the prison, though all the gates and other security measures, including the keepers were perfectly all right and in place. And isn’t it strange that the elders who were supposed to be such godly and righteous beings doubted the situation. It just shows how little they really knew about or trusted God. But in the midst of their disbelief, someone came into the chamber and told them: ‘Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.’ (Acts 5:25) Now can you imagine the anger, rage and disbelief that must have gone through that hypocritical bunch of council members? But good for them, they were smart enough to tread softly: ‘Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them (the apostles) without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.’ (Acts 5:26) It makes me chuckle Friends, because in the final analysis, in spite of all their big talk, the council was afraid of the people, so they made sure that the apostles were taken without any fuss. And when they’re finally brought before the council, the high priest pompously declares: ‘Did we not straitly (strictly) command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ (Acts 5:28) That’s when the apostles put them in their place, told them where to get off. In the words of our Bit, they solemnly declared: ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’ Oh Friends, that’s how we believers ought to act when we’re threatened or challenged by a secular power, or even a wrong, hypocritical religious one, re speaking the Word of God! And we’ll end with a brief explanation of our Bit by the scholars. ‘Peter is not sanctioning civil disobedience, as he makes clear in his first epistle (1 Pet.2:13-17; cf. Rom:13:1-7). We are to obey the civil government; but when it goes contrary to the explicit commands of God, we must obey God and be ready to suffer the consequences.’ Yes my people, if we’re to truly follow Jesus, then there will inevitably be consequences to pay, some light, but also harsh and difficult ones. However, we must always have that faith, that depth of feeling, that whatever the consequences, we will gladly pay them. In Jesus’ name. Amen. More on this tomorrow Friends, if God’s willing. Till then, please walk safely under His protective umbrella, proclaiming His holy name wherever we go, and willingly accepting whatever consequences come our way. Much LOVE!…whatever beliefs we hold…there will always be consequences to pay for holding them…
20 Jul 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: complaining, drought, Friday chant, fun and fellowship, honesty, hypocrites, integrity, passion for Christ, rich fool, serve and worship God sincerely, the many promises of God, trust, wisdom
Proverbs 19:1. Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and the drought continues! Though people are still excitedly trilling, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the parched land is definitely not so thrilled. Now something has to be wrong with my area yes, because yesterday was much cooler than the past many days, it was also very cloudy, and at least three times that I know of, a few drops of rain fell. And when I say a few drops, I really mean a few. Hn! It happened to me a couple times while I was out driving yesterday evening, and neither time did I have to even make one pass of my wiper blades, the drops of blessing were so few. Ah Lord eh! But for all that Friends, we must still be excited and passionate about serving the Lord, for we know that He works out all things for good to those whom He calls and who LOVE, worship and serve Him sincerely. (Rom.8:28) Yes mih people, the Lord God Jehovah, creator of heaven, earth and all therein, is still on His lofty throne controlling all things in His universe, at a height of intelligence that we can never meet or even comprehend. That’s why He’s given us faith, hope, LOVE and all the promises; so we can believe in Him and be assured of His unconditional care and concern for us. So with all that in mind, let’s forget about the world and chant our Friday Chant, so that we can bring the excitement of Friday and the weekend into proper perspective. Now, as one sweet, heavenly voice, (smile) let’s chant! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having put the weekend in its right perspective, let’s see if we can’t do the same with what our Bit talks about nuh: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.’ Wow mih breddren! Isn’t that a remark of awesome truth? It sure is! Why? Because that word ‘integrity’ is a must have trait, one that must exist in all followers of Jesus! We can’t truly be followers of Jesus until or unless we’re also people of high, outstanding integrity. And what does integrity mean? The dictionary talks about ‘uprightness as evidenced in character and actions.’ So it’s basically about things like honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, goodness, morality, truthfulness and virtue. All the positive things that make the Lord look down on us with favour. It speaks of a person with a reliable image, whose character we can trust. Unfortunately that’s another trait, like wisdom, that’s disappeared from our modern society. Nowadays we can’t even trust our preachers, the supposed men of God, for too many of them are mere charlatans and crooks. And why is our world, its economy, relationships within and between nations, as well as relationships within and between religions in such a mess eh? Because the people whom we trusted to take of it lacked, and still lack sufficient integrity to do so properly. They were instead impelled by personal aggrandizement, greed and all the evils associated with the followers of Beelzebub. So Friends, it’s truly much better to be poor and of good character and integrity than it is to be rich, a fool and a crook. Cousin Sol says it thus later on: ‘Blessed is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov.28:6) So though you’re rich and have no integrity – which sadly a lot of rich people don’t have because their gains have come by ill gotten means – you’re still a jerk and a fool, and of no use in God’s kingdom, except as an example of what not to be. Yes Friends, unless we diligently seek and aspire to have a character like Jesus, one that’s honest, reliable and trustworthy, we’re fooling ourselves about working for the kingdom. Now we all can’t be perfect, but we certainly have to try hard. That’s why Jesus lambasted the Pharisees in Matthew 23. Jesus really ripped them apart because they put on a good outward show, but inside they were, totally selfish, greedy and evil. And because Jesus saw through them and wanted to clip their wings, they tried so desperately to run Him out of town. They were supposed to be the righteous, the leaders of the society, but unfortunately lacked the integrity to do the job aright. So my brethren, if our leaders, priests, and those in high places lack the necessary integrity and character, as is being so blatantly showcased and revealed nowadays, how can we expect to have a godly, truthful, or even prosperous society eh? Oh Friends, I keep reminding us of this absolute truth: our society and world cannot improve unless we have leaders and other people in high positions with exemplary character and integrity. And sadly that’s not going to happen unless and until we believers get up off our fat fannies and do something serious about it. We’re very good at griping and complaining, but it’s time for us to stand up and be counted, become people of true integrity and try to rebuild our fallen society with people of that same bent. And it’s got to start with each one of us, then move on to our friends, families and neighbourhoods. Only then will we have a serious chance of regaining control of God’s universe from Lucifer and his evil cohorts. That’s the thought for us to ponder today Friends. And please ponder it seriously, for our actions now, will later on affect the livelihood of our children’s children. Till we meet again, God willing, please walk with Him in peace, LOVE and integrity. Much LOVE!…take care of your character…and your reputation will take of itself…true words of wisdom my people…
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