17 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: advice, assurance, bacchanalian, barbecue primed, blessed, cannot serve God and mammon, cast thy burden, celebrations, circumspection, commit thy way, cottage country, extent of our faith, faith, fellowship, food and drinks ready, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, gospel truth, gratuitous speeches, he shall never suffer, he shall sustain thee, his seed begging bread, humble yourselves, in Jesus name, in our hearts, long weekend, merciful, ordered by the Lord, parades, prayer for help, Queen Victoria holiday, refreshed, relaxation, rest, seek first the kingdom of God, Sermon on the Mount, short changing ourselves, soul body mind, summer frolics, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the Lord's favour, the mighty hand of God, the righteous forsaken, the righteous to be moved, the steps of a good man, trust, trust in Him, ungodly times, upon the Lord, wasting your time, words of wisdom, workingman's song, written indelibly
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Big day people, big day! It being Friday and the start of the long Queen Victoria Day weekend! It’s also fairly sunny and warm, so you can imagine the barbecues will be fired up this weekend, the weather permitting, and the trek north, east and west to cottage country has already begun! You can’t go south, else you’ll end up in Lake Ontario. (smile)
Wow! It’s a big weekend in this wonderful and blessed land of Canada with oodles of celebrations, parades and gratuitous political speeches! (smile) So please know that the enemy will be out in full swing in a decided effort to infiltrate as many believer’s souls as possible, that’s why I’m making Granny’s Plea so early: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ The Lord’s also asking that of us my people!
Meanwhile the ordinary workingman is just bursting at the seams, dying to declare his plans for the weekend: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And thank Queen Victoria, whoever she was, bless she long departed soul for this long weekend too! It ought to hail the start of summer frolics, if the weather would only behave!
Mama Yo! Food and drinks are at the ready! The barbecue is all cleaned up and primed with gas! I can just smell the meat cooking and the waters flowing as me and mih friends celebrate these few days off from the slave master job. And ah know that Monday he’ll be vexed like anything because he got to pay we for not working! Oh thank God and Queen Victoria for this long weekend yes!’
Yes friends, some of us do exhibit the same frame of mind, but we have to be a li’l less bacchanalian in our celebrations, (smile) for that’s when the enemy is liable to find a chink in our spiritual armour, and is thus able to establish a finger or toe hold there.
And we definitely don’t want that to happen, we want to do our best to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus, that’s why our Friday Chant is somewhat more discrete and less bacchanalian. (smile)
So let’s chant it now nuh, as if we really mean it. As one: ‘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 fellow believers, we can, and should enjoy the long weekend with our friends and families, but let’s not overdo it nuh, like Jeeves would say, a li’l more circumspection please! (smile) Unfortunately, not all of us will get a three-day weekend, because this holiday, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, (May 24) seems to be an official holiday only in Canada.
In any case, it would only have been celebrated in the British Commonwealth of nations, over whom Queen Victoria reigned from 1837-1901, the second longest reigning monarch after the current Queen Elizabeth the second.
And today, in these extremely dangerous and ungodly times, it is necessary for us to know and hold on to words of excellent advice and wisdom like these from Bruh David, in his cry against deceitful friends. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Now if you call yourself a follower of Jesus and don’t believe that, don’t have it written indelibly in your heart, mind and soul, then you’re simply wasting your time! That’s because the Lord’s favour will only come upon us to the extent of our faith and trust in Him.
Hear Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 37. ‘Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. …The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful (merciful all the day), and his seed (descendants) is blessed.’ (Ps.37:5, 23-26)
And that’s gospel truth my people! In these evil times the only person and thing we can truthfully hold on to and be not afraid of disappointment is the Lord God Jehovah and His everlasting and truthful Word! Hear how Peter puts it nuh: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
And that friends, we can never doubt, else why would He have sent His only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary sacrificially for our sins, while we were yet sinners? Because HE CARED! And He still does, even though we’re still sinful and disobedient! That’s just His very nature!
So that means Bruh David is on the right track when he declares (yes!) in Psalm 56, his confident prayer for help: ‘What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God, I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.’ (Ps.56:3-5)
What words of immense faith, trust and assurance my believing brethren! Hope we can declare the same things and truly mean them, because that’s when we will truly prosper and succeed in this evil world.
And if by chance you don’t believe Bruh David and Peter, then listen to Jesus in Matthew 6:24-34, from His Sermon on the Mount, where He warns us that we cannot serve two masters at once – God and mammon.
And if God created all of nature so beautifully, and still keeps it looking beautiful after all this time, then why wouldn’t He look after His greatest creation, humankind, even better eh?
But we have to seek God and His kingdom above everything else, then, we’ll get what we need. That’s just the way it cracks up friends, so you either do as Jesus says, or you don’t. The choice is yours. But please remember there are repercussions for every decision we make, or do not make! Much LOVE!
…if God isn’t first in EVERYTHING we do…then we’re shortchanging ourselves…
03 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a parable, a stickler, a testimony, another week of work, asaph, captivity in Babylon, charismatic person, charity begins at home, comportment, deprtment, diligently, endless rain, excellently, Ezra, family relationships, fellowship, finicky, flooding, Friday chant, from generation to generation, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, getting me safely, give ear, in Jesus name, incline your ears, invade our space, Jesus Christ, keep his commandments, liste, Nehemiah, no soild foundation, not forget the works of God, out and about, pray for unfortunate ones, rain, refreshed, relaxation, remove God from schools, renewed, rest, restrictive, secular society, set their hope in god, slave master's job, soft and sappy, susceptible, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the evil one, the ways and means of God, the words of my mouth, word was lost, workingman's song
Psalm 78:7. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.
And if you think that the showers of blessings from heaven haven’t been cascading down, then you’re sadly mistake! (smile) It’s been going on for most of the night! Yeh friends, the ole rain is continuing its onslaught against the land, and still causing serious flooding in several areas around the country. Please, let’s pray for those unfortunate citizens, and help in whatever way we can, for we never know when our number is going to play, and then we need help too.
And one unhappy camper is our ordinary workingman, as he sings his Friday song: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes, but more bloody rain again! Last weekend was the same blooming thing; rain and more rain! And during the week too! Most days I had to be wading through the thing to get to the slave master job…and he doh care if hell or high water come, he want you to reach his slave job on time…and yuh can’t even tell him that yuh sick nuh, else he want a doctor note and all that chupidness!
Ah Lord, when the nonsense going to stop eh? I’ll live with it during the week, but come the weekend, that is my time to play…and I can’t play in endless rain, especially when the weather just getting warm! Steups! But I guess we have to be thankful for small mercies yes! I don’t have to go to work for two whole days, and it might just give me some useful time with the family, instead of being out and about palavering and partying. Thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Yes mih people, at least the constant rain is causing some of us to stay at home, instead of being out and about. That just might do something to improve family relationships, or too much time together might just spoil them…who knows? But anyway, let’s chant our Friday Chant, which is somewhat more restrictive than the workingman’s song, because our Leader, Jesus Christ, wants us to be a tad more finicky in our comportment and deportment. (smile)
So as one loud voice now, let’s chant: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my fellow believers, we too are entitled to fun and games, but just a li’l more cautiously, so we don’t allow the evil one to invade our space. But rest and relaxation are also important, otherwise we won’t be able to fulfill our duties properly next week. And just like the slave master, Jesus is also a stickler for workers being on time and doing their duties diligently and excellently. So there you have it! (smile)
And today I think we need to read and remember the words of Asaph, as he expressed them in Psalm 78. ‘Give ear (listen), O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare (yes!) them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.’ (Ps.78:1-7)
Ah friends, those are mightily important words! Words that we too ought to know and do! In the olden times there was no written Bible or anything like it, that means the history of the people had to be told orally, handed down from generation to generation. And that’s how the stories in the Good Book managed to keep going until they reached a time that they could be written down.
But the inherent commandment, well it’s not really inherent, but totally spelled out, is that one generation should enlighten the next about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, His character and good works towards sinful mankind. Moses told it to the Israelites when they came out of bondage in Egypt. The Lord told it in spades to Joshua (Josh.1:8-9) when He made him the leader of Israel after Moses’ death, before they actually went into the Promised Land.
And it’s been handed down from generation to generation after that, until it has come to ours. Unfortunately though our generation has made a sad mess of things. We have not adequately instructed our children in the ways and means of Almighty God, that’s why so many of them are lost and gone astray, have no solid foundation on which to build their lives, and are so susceptible to any nonsense that some charismatic person promotes.
I don’t know if a generation in modern times has been so ungodly, been so badly taught, or not taught at all, as our children. And there’s nobody to blame but ourselves. We’ve allowed this ungodly and secular society to take God out of the schools and other places, where there was at least a smattering that the children could access. But even worse, we the parents of this generation have stopped going to church, have stopped teaching the children at home.
Remember charity begins at home, and it’s our responsibility to teach our children, not the schools or the church! But as parents we have become soft and sappy, afraid of our children, letting them have their own way, assisted by the numerous worldly things that are constantly spewed at them!
Chuh friends! We’ve done a bad job raising our children in a godly manner. There are no doubts about that! But we’ve still got a li’l time left, so please, please, let’s do what we can with our children, but more than ever, work on our grandchildren, so that the Word of the Lord won’t be lost to the following generation.
Remember how the Word was lost to the children of Israel when they went into captivity in Babylon, and a whole generation heard it for the first time when Ezra and Nehemiah read it to them. (Neh.8) I sincerely pray that that won’t happen to our children, and our children’s children! In Jesus’ name! Amen! Much LOVE!
…how sad…if our generation caused the Word…to be lost to generations to come…
26 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessing, a curse, a warning, all for one, attractions of the world, be of good cheer, be sober, borders, boundaries, called us, compelling, confirm, deceit, destroy the world by water, Easter celebrations, enthusiasm, eternal Glodry, evil undertaking, expansive, experienced by others, fellowship, fix my business, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, glitzy, God's heart breaking, God's most treasured creation, God's promise, gospel truth, hunker down, in Jesus' name, Jesus rose triumphantly, labouring for massa, lax for believers, lies, like a roaring lion, live for Christ, make you perfect, no beating round the bush, numerous, on your p's and q's, ONE body in Christ, one for all, overcome the world, partying, pay serious attention, rain, rampant evil, reality of this evil world, rebellion, relaxation, resist steadfast in the faith, rest, seeking whom he may devour, self-serving, settle you, short workweek, spoil the weekend, strong voice, suffered awhile, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the devil, the devil's clutches, the God of all grace, the same afflictions, the workingman's song, To God be glory and dominion, ungodly people, vigilant, walketh about, weather people forecast, wide, wisdom, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Ah mih people, is it a curse or a blessing? I’m talking about the immense amount of rain that’s been falling recently, and in concert with melting snow is causing a lot of flooding all over the land! Today’s another rainy day, with more flood warnings being issued by the Weather Advisory Dept.
Now the rain is generally supposed to be a blessing, helping to nourish the land for spring planting and such, but sometimes I believe the Lord is giving us more than we need to sort of wake us up from our evil and ungodly ways. But how many of us are paying attention to that possibility eh? Not too many. And yes, I know that He promised Noah not to ever destroy the earth by water again, (Gen.9:11,15) but He never said anything about giving warnings by that method. (smile)
And friends, we’ve become such a wicked and ungodly people that anything is possible right now. I know that the Lord’s heart is breaking because of the rampant evil and rebellion that’s taking place amongst His most treasured and blessed creation. But who’s listening eh, who really cares about the Lord’s heart breaking? Too few of us!
And to make matters worse, it’s the big day of Friday, so everybody is anxious to hear what the workingman has to say in his song and get on with their weekend activities, as the world dictates. And he opens with his usual semi-godly: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and the weekend is finally upon us!
It was a short workweek, but a tough one, what with all the prior Easter celebrations! But we can’t afford to rest too much, because as soon as you turn around the lousy two days off seem to just evaporate and yuh back labouring for massa again! But the trouble is we might’n have much choice because of the blooming rain that’s threatening to spoil the weekend!
Chuh! Doesn’t the rain know that the weekend is the only time we working people have to do stuff for ourselves, and to get in a li’l partying? Let’s hope that it’s not as bad as the weather people forecast, and that they wrong one more time, as they so often are! Hn, Hn, Hn! But we still thanking God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Yes friends, the workingman tells it as he sees it, no beating round the bush, but his boundaries and borders are just too wide and lax for us believers, so our Friday Chant is not as expansive and self-serving as his song. Now let’s chant our song of thanks for the weekend in sincere enthusiasm and strong 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 my fellow believers, we need to be somewhat more circumspect and aware of the evil and ungodly stuff that’s happening around us, so that we don’t fall into any of the many traps that the enemy sets for us. For as Peter so wisely and vividly proclaims: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
And I know some of you might be tired hearing that scripture, but it’s no joke friends, it’s the reality of this evil world that we live in. And unless we are careful, that roaring, noisy lion, who is really toothless and thus can’t bite, will nab us in some ungodly and/or evil undertaking. He is powerless after Jesus’ victory over Him at Easter time, that’s why he has to resort to lies and deceit to get us into his traps. He can only get to us if we allow him.
But the attractions of the world are so numerous and so glitzy and compelling that we have to pay serious attention to what we do, if we seriously want to live for Christ. That’s why Peter continues, re the devil: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Yeh, I hear some of you muttering: ‘So what good is that doing me eh, if others are also being afflicted? I’m solely interested in my affliction, how to fix my business!’ Now that’s not very neighbourly or brotherly my people, for we are all of ONE body in Christ, and therefore we must be all for one and one for all!
Oh friends, Jesus said that we’d all suffer some in this evil world, especially if we believe in Him, but He also said that we should be joyful and of good cheer because He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) And we saw that in full splendour this past weekend when He rose triumphantly from the grave!
And yes, it’s not easy to be always on your p’s and q’s, however, as Peter concludes: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1 Pet.5:10)
Glory be my people! Our great God will not allow us to undergo continual suffering or more than we can handle! Therefore: ‘To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen!’ (1 Pet.5:11) It’s all gospel truth friends, so let’s hunker down this rainy Friday morning and do our best, with God’s help obviously, to stay out of the devil’s evil clutches! That’s wisdom of eternal proportions! Much LOVE!
…you can’t want all the idols of the world…as well as the God of heaven…
19 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a party animal, a shout of triumph, assurance, at the beginning, behest of the Father, believers in Christ, breathtaking dawn, carousing, cross on calvary, crucifixion, disobedient, drink the cup, Easter, Easter Sunday, Eli Eli lama sabachthani, enthusiasm, evil enemy, fellowship, for they know not what they do, forgive them, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, go to extremes, Good Friday, heart-rending words, home, I made it through, in paradise, Jesus Christ, Jesus cried, killing we self, LOVE, mankind, modus operandi, My God my God, obedience, rebellious creation, refreshed, rest renewed, Satan, sin-bearer, sincerity, sompassion, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, thankfulness, the curse of sin, the darkest hour, the ninth hour, times of trouble, unbeliever, unjust situation, vacationing, week of work, why hast thou forsaken me, with a loud voice, workingman's song
Matthew 27:46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Home…Home…Home at last! But home sick! Steups! Ah friends, it’s great to be home, but when you come home from vacation sick with an annoying cold it doesn’t help matters at all. You’re already tired from all the vacationing, (smile) and you just want to rest, to put sickness on top of it isn’t the greatest feeling in the world.
After the long flight and the hassle to get through the airport, I got home around eleven and expected to have a good night’s rest…Hn! What a pipe dream! I was up several times during the night bringing up stuff, my throat was raw, still is, making swallowing a tad difficult. But if one has to be sick, I guess the best place for that to happen is home.
Home where the heart is! Home where you’re most comfortable and relaxed, be it a humble hovel or a majestic mansion! Something about home just gives one a li’l more assurance in times of trouble or illness. But enough about my woes, (smile) it’s Friday and the workingman is waiting to sing his song.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Good Friday…that means the long Easter weekend! Mama Yo! Party fuh so! And the weather should be good! Good thing that Easter fall so late this year yes, so it happen in springtime and not in winter! So many things to do, and places to go, and people to see! Chuh! Don’t know where to start nuh! But as they say, the best place to start is at the beginning! So ah guess we going to start with some eating and drinking and carousing!
Brother! Who knows whether we going to be alive come next week Tuesday when we have to go back to the slave master slave labour? One thing ah know though; when we go back, we not killing we self over the work nuh. Leh him fire we, see how long his business going last nuh! But forget he now yes! Is time for me to do my own thing! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Yes mih people, the workingman is a party animal if nothing else! But unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, as believers in Christ Jesus, we can’t afford to let our hair down like he can for fear of allowing the evil enemy to invade our righteous souls. But as I keep saying, that doesn’t preclude us from having a good time, we just don’t go to the extremes that the ordinary workingman does.
And we have our own Friday Chant, which chronicles our thankfulness and wishes. So please, let’s chant it now nuh, in true sincerity and mucho enthusiasm. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Now, to the unbeliever, that might not sound like much, but to us believers, it’s short, sweet and to the point! (smile) And today, Good Friday, our hearts are heavy, filled with sadness as we commemorate the crucifixion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And some will ask why call it Good Friday when such a heinous, illegal crime was committed against an innocent person?
That’s a good question my brethren. But the long and short of the story is that if Jesus had not died in place of us, our sins would not have been paid for, and we would not have been forgiven, redeemed, made clean and washed white as snow! Yes, it was a rough, unjust situation, but from the beginning of time the Father had decreed it to be the Son’s job to die for the abominable sins of His disobedient and rebellious creation called mankind.
And yuh better believe it was no easy job that! The pain and agony, the ‘sufferation’ He had to endure was immense, seemingly unbearable, but He withstood it, all for our sakes, at the behest of the Father, who LOVED us so much that He didn’t want to lose even one of us to the evil enemy, Satan.
That’s the most beautiful and compelling picture of LOVE that exists; sacrificing your only Son for a bunch of ingrates! Some people will call it crazy or stupid, but our heavenly Father called it LOVE! And since He’s the eternal Creator, He should know what He’s talking about.
But I don’t know how Jesus handled all that unjust ‘sufferation’ nuh, without much complaining too. I guess He knew His role, and could not even consider disobedience to the Father’s wishes. As He told Peter on the night of His arrest, after Peter had cut off the high priest’s right ear. ‘Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?’ (John 18:11) Yes friends, I wonder how many of us put such a high priority on being obedient to the Father’s wishes eh?
And what I greatly admire about Jesus are some statements He made from His painful and agonizing perch on the cross. The first one is ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ (Luke 23:34) Even on the cross, His modus operandi was LOVE and forgiveness!
Note His words to the criminal crucified with Him, who saw the light and sincerely pleaded: ‘Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ (Luke 23:42-43)
But the most touching and heart-rending words of Jesus on the cross are contained in this verse. ‘And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’
Yes friends, what seemed to hurt Jesus the most was not the physical pain inflicted on His body, but the spiritual separation from His Father, the first time that had ever happened. And it had to be so since He was then the sin-bearer of the world, and the Father could not associate with sin. As the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer (cf. 2 Cor.5:21; Gal.3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’
And finally, the Good Book tells us: ‘And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (breathed his last).’ (Luke 23:46) And the scholars explain: ‘He cried with a loud voice, as a shout of triumph, and yielded up His Spirit. In other words, having borne the wrath of God’s judgement against sin, He knew He had triumphed over Satan and the curse of sin.’
Oh what a blessed day that was for us my people, as Jesus gave us such a wonderful example to follow, showing LOVE and compassion and obedience even in His last agonizing moments on that old wooden cross on Calvary! Please, please, I implore us to do a better job, to improve in our own showing of LOVE, compassion and obedience, because that’s all He asks of us! Much LOVE!
…Good Friday…the darkest hour…just before the breathtaking dawn…of Easter Sunday…
12 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of rowdies, a man's heart, all things work together for good, an expected end, and are called to his purpose, back breaking work, breakfast, but the Lord, calamity, deviseth his way, directs his steps, drin, Easter weekend, eat, evil, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, future and a hope, get inside our souls, go to Tobago, god laugh, God's promises, high matters of state, Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Jesus' name, let it all hang out, man doesn't direct his steps, man plan, modus operandi, on the street corner, Parliament Building, party, plans, Port of Spain, relaxation, rest, seascape, sincerity, sleep, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the breakfast Shed, the example leaders set, the thoughts I think towards you, thoughts of peace, to those who love God, toe a tighter line, unruly disorderly behaviour, workingman's song, wotk his ungodly business, Wrightson Road
Proverbs 16:9. A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
Well at long last it’s Friday, the day we’ve been waiting all week for! Consequently, many spirits are on the rise, just thinking about all the free time and fun time that’s on the horizon. And as I sit writing here at the desk in the Hyatt Regency hotel room, I have a varied set of images to engage my eyes.
Right out in front of me is a lovely view of the Port of Spain seascape. Up close, the harbour is dotted with what looks like old. cargo ships. But then the expanse of sea extends right to the horizon, revealing different shades of blue under the somewhat cloudy early morning sky. Meanwhile to my left, is the port itself, with a jumble of different types, colours and shapes of ships, and the early morning buildup of the busy Port of Spain traffic down the Wrightson Road artery.
And the fancy high rise building on my immediate left is the Parliament Building, where our leaders gather to supposedly discuss high matters of state, but too often end up behaving like a bunch of rowdies on the street corner! If that’s the example the supposed leaders set, what else can they expect from their constituents but the same unruly, disorderly behaviour eh? Unfortunately, that seems to be the modus operandi of most elected bodies all over the world!
Anyway, I don’t have any set plans for the day, so we’ll just play it all by ear. I’m in T&T, so any number can play! (smile) And since it’s Friday, let’s hear what the workingman has to say in his song nuh. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Another week of back breaking work done, and I have a li’l time to mihself now! And believe me, I’m going to use it well; to eat drink, sleep and party, and make some plans for next weekend, which is Easter weekend!
Might even go to Tobago, if I could get a ticket, and enjoy the many activities that happen over there at Easter time. Things like goat and crab race, boat races, and parties all over the place. Tobago is the place to go for Easter in these parts. But that is next weekend, still have to enjoy this weekend first…and believe me I’m going to do it, in style and fashion too. Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, don’t know how I would survive otherwise nuh!’
Ah friends, we all would like to let it all hang out like the workingman, but as true believers in Jesus Christ, we have to toe a li’l tighter line, so that the enemy doesn’t have a chance to get inside our souls and work his evil, ungodly business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and enjoy ourselves too, just not as leggo beast as the workingman. So let’s chant our Friday Chant to show our thanks for Friday nuh. With strong voice and true sincerity:
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh, it’s not as boisterous as the workingman’s song, because we have to play it a li’l closer to the vest, but it’s still thankful and joyful and give us lots of leeway. (smile) Oh, the duchess is ready to go out for breakfast, so I’ll have to stop here for a while. Soon come!
Well I’m back finally after some hearty local breakfast at the Breakfast Shed, just up the sidewalk from the hotel. It’s a group of about ten small businesses under one broad enclosure serving local food. And the food good, so they doing good business. And most importantly, the duchess enjoyed it, so I’m happy. (smile)
And today I’ve been led once again to the wise words of Cousin Sol for our Bit. ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ And is that ever so true my people. As the old people would say, ‘man plan, but God laugh!’ That’s because He knows who is the real guide of our footsteps – He himself!
As the scholar’s explain: ‘16:9. The Lord is sovereign over man’s scheming and planning.’ No doubt about that friends: the Creator of man is sovereign over him and can disrupt our best laid plans with a simple nod. And Cousin Sol says it this way later on: ‘There are many devices (plans) in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’ (Prov.19:21)
And I know that many of us can attest to that, for over the years we’ve made so many plans of our own only to see them sadly jettisoned by the Lord. Now hear how Jeremiah puts it. ‘O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.’ (Jer.10:23)
And if all of that is true, then we have to come back to Cousin Sol’s words and ruefully ask: ‘Man’s goings (steps) are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?’ (Prov.20:24) He obviously can’t because the Lord is controlling it all, and His ways and thoughts and plans are so much higher than ours.
But let it be known that our great God never leaves us in a lurch, in a place where we are without hope, thus this great promise of His through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11)
How can you beat that promise eh friends? Only possibly with this one from Bruh Paul: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom.8:28) So friends, please don’t despair when our plans are thwarted by God, for He usually has something better in mind for us, and it will ALWAYS be for our good! Much LOVE!
…God’s promises are never idle…but are meant to lift our spirits…give us hope…and strengthen our faith…
05 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as for me and my house, bake, enter in, eternal damnation, eternal life, fellowship, few find it, Friday chant, fun, generous help, keep my peace, killing a cat, leadeth unto life, leads to destruction, mangoes, more than one way, most rewarding, my pound of flesh, narrow is the way, relaxation, rest, roti, saltfish, Scarborough, serving Jesus, slave driver, smoke fish, sprightly, strait is the gate, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the weekend, two options, we will follow the Lord, wide is the gate, workingman's song, young
Matthew 7:14. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Well, well, well! If it isn’t that day that we all look forward to so much – Friday! The day we throw all our cares away! (smile) That means I’ve been in sweet Tobago for ten days, for two Fridays already… What a way the time travelling fast boy! Mih li’l vacation soon done and I don’t even know it! (smile) But yes, I know that the Bit late and all that, but as I explained earlier on the week, now is vacation time and the Bit won’t always be the first thing on the agenda.
And that was exactly what happened this morning. The duchess and I were both up pretty early, and as she wasn’t feeling too perky, I decided to take her out to breakfast at this place called ‘Dexter’s’ that had been highly recommended. We left here sometime after nine and after about a ten to fifteen minute drive we found it. And it was as recommended and even more, the food was good, and the ambiance of the place was nice.
But hear tory nuh: As I went in, it was upstairs the building, I asked for Dexter and talked about how I’d come so far just to check it out. The slim, middle-aged, medium height negro fella behind the counter with the grey and white scraggly beard assured me that that was Dexter’s and the food was indeed good. So I told him all I want is for the duchess to be happy when we left. Again, he assured me that she would be.
And believe me people, she was! Ah never see the duchess eat up everything on her plate so yet. And I wasn’t backward either, the bake and smoke fish and saltfish was going down good with the sorrel drink, and I wanted to eat it all at once…but common sense prevailed, and I left some to bring home for later. Right now though, as I write in the living cum dining room, because it’s too hot to write outside, the sweet smell of some mangoes sitting on the counter opposite are just assaulting me like crazy. (smile) Think I’ll return the assault when I’m done here!
But getting back to Dexter. When we finish eating, we talking, and he tell me about having a blessed day and thanks for coming and such. So I think he just being friendly and Christian, but when I was ready to pay, and ask him if he takes visa, he come back with, ‘Wuh yuh doing me pappy? I didn’t just tell you to have a blessed day and doh worry about nothing!’
It took me a few seconds to realize that he was saying I didn’t have to pay for the food. And he continued with a laugh: ‘Somebody else already paid for your food!’ Well I couldn’t do anything else but laugh too, say thanks, and promise to come back sometime to check out the breakfast and the roti he sells downstairs, since he boast about how is the best roti in Tobago, and he would compete with even the best in Trinidad!
Ah hope so yes, because I haven’t eaten a roti since ah here. Went to check out some place called Rena’s in town yesterday, but they had run out. Finally went into Scarborough yesterday, but wasn’t thrilled with it, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway on the way back home this morning, we stopped at a supermarket to pick up some things we believe we needed. And yuh know that means walking through the whole supermarket, even though you just come out with a couple bags. (smile)
So by the time we reach home was after eleven, and since we not as young and sprightly as we used to be, we had to rest first, only thing is that rest lasted for about two hours, so that’s why I’m now writing the Bit. And all of that is the gospel truth mih people! But ah done take up too much time with my nonsense, so leh we listen to the workingman as he waiting impatiently in the wings to sing his Friday song.
And as always he bellows out: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui, and slave labour done for another week yes! The darm slave driver and dem look like they want you to make blood from stone, they driving you so hard every blooming day! Yuh can’t take a li’l break without deh eyes boring into you, as if to say, who tell you you could take a break eh? But thankfully I doh bother with them nuh, because I know I does do my work and they can’t tell me no nonsense bout that! Steups!
Look, sometimes I does just want to wring the so and so slave driver and them neck when ah see how they taking advantage of the junior employees. But that not going to solve the problem, so I try and keep mih peace and get my pound of flesh some other way, because my mammy tell me it have more than one way of killing a cat yes! And my mammy never lie to me yet! (smile) But the long and short of the story is that today is Friday and the weekend, my time starting now. So I going to do my own thing and doh bother with nobody else nuh! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes mih breddren!’
And I know that many of us believers in Jesus Christ also declare (right ho) the same sentiments too, though we can’t be as border less and boundary less as he can be. So let’s chant up our Friday Chant now showing our gratitude for the weekend nuh. All together now with verve and sincerity:
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, we need to walk a narrower path than the world, because as Jesus says: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7-13-14)
Mama oh Mama! That’s it friends, only two choices, two options in this life; the narrow and strait way that leads to Jesus and eternal life, or the broad and destructive one that leads to eternal damnation! The choice is ours. Let’s hope that most of us will say like Joshua: ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!’ (Josh.24:15) That’s wisdom of eternal proportions! Much LOVE!
…serving Jesus might not be easy…but it sure is most rewarding…
29 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Pharisee, a roaring lion, afflictions, be glad, be sober, be thankful for small mercies, beautiful surroundings, boundaries, busy working, cheerful, confirm, cool breezes, crazy weather, don't be jealous, enthusiasm, eternal glory, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, generous help, give God the glory, glory by glory, God's li'l acre, grow my faith, heavenly Father, idyllic scene, in Jesus' name, in soul body and mind, Jesus Christ, King Solomon, land of slat water, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, make my heart glad, perfect, powers of darkness, reassuring message, Redeemer, refreshed, relaxation, rest, rocky shore, seeking whom he may devour, sense of purpose, settle you, slave master, strengthen, suffered, sunshine, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the adversary, the chasm of hell, the devil, the God of all grace, the wisest man ever, the workingman, Tobago, Togetherness, trials, tropical flora, undulating sea, victory, vigilant, walks about, whining husband
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Oh friends, please give God the glory! Yes, give him much thanks and praise for bringing the ole fella home to sweet Tobago…the land of salt water and sunshine…togetherness and LOVE! Yeh, the ole fella is in Paradise, God’s li’l acre!
Don’t blame me! I was quite prepared to spend the whole winter in the cold climes, but the duchess got fed up with the crazy weather and a sickly, whining husband and decided to bring me here to see if I could get better some! (smile)
As she said to me this morning when she got up and looked out on her idyllic scene: beautiful tropical flora, blowing in cool breezes flowing off the gently undulating sea as it washes up on the rocky shore – she knew it would make my heart glad…and hers too…and does it ever! And you know I’ll never refuse a trip to sweet Tobago!
Sorry to leave you all back up there in the cold, but I myself am sick and tired of being sick and tired – never happened to me before – (smile) and I do believe my old bod will do good with the constant sunshine and salt water…just wish it could be for at least six months…but as my wise mama always taught me: ‘Son be thankful for small mercies!’ And yuh better believe I am!
Anyway, it’s Friday and the workingman is just dying to trill out his weekend song. So let’s allow him to have his say nuh. “TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Wow! Another weekend already! This one really caught me by surprise! I was so busy working I didn’t even notice the days just flying by!
But yuh better believe that now is my time! I put in mih required time in the slave master work, now is time for me to enjoy mihself and party and eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of my labour as the wisest man ever, King Solomon said, cause that’s the benefit from our great and generous God!
And since spring is in the air, although it still chilly when the day come with the cold wind blowing, is now time to get ready for all the stuff that’s going to be soon happening. Mama Yo! Everybody will be sure glad to see the end of this crazy winter! But in the meantime we going to give God thanks for Fridays and weekends, otherwise life woulda been real rough with we yes! Thank you Lord, thank you!’
Yes friends, we do have to give much thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for looking after us the way He does…even the ordinary working man realizes and appreciates that, so how much more should we true believers recognize and appreciate it eh? Much much more! And really the basic difference between our Friday Chant and the workingman’s song is that we recognize tighter, narrow boundaries than He does.
Our Redeemer, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ doesn’t want us hanging off the edge of the limbs, because they might just break and send us plunging headlong into the chasm of hell with the powers of darkness and that would be very unfortunate for us. So to celebrate His ultimate wisdom, let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh, with the enthusiasm and sense of purpose that the workingman showed in his song.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh friends, as believers we always need to be cognizant of what’s happening around us because the enemy is always lurking around trying to bring us down to his disreputable level, then laugh cowardly at how we have fallen. We must try our best however not to give him that pleasure as Peter advises, by casting all of our care upon God, because He cares very much for us. And then, ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
Yuh see I wasn’t lying! The devil is always trying to get some toehold or foothold in our business so he can drag us down then cackle at our fall from grace. But as Peter continues, he’s a monster, ‘Whom (we need to) resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished (are experienced) in your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9)
Yeh mih people, all of us experience afflictions and trials in this earthly life, but our Redeemer has said that He’s overcome the world and we ought not to let the trials of this world bother us too much, instead we should be more cheerful than fearful, because He has already given us the victory! Praise His Holy Name!
And Peter, in his reassuring message, puts it this way: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you.’ (1Pet.5:10) Yes my fellow believers, we have to believe that, otherwise our faith is useless.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that I am believing it yes; believing that all the sickness and other unfortunate stuff that’s come against me in the last couple of years will be improved with this trip to Tobago, and thus grow my faith, glory by glory! (smile)
Anyhow, enough for today, lemme go outside and enjoy some of the nice sunshine and hot weather and beautiful surroundings, because that’s what I came here for. (smile) Don’t be jealous – be glad for me, because it will make me a better person! Much LOVE!
… if you claim to be a believer…then you have to truly believe…and let it show in your life…otherwise you’re nothing but a Pharisee…
22 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a busy week, a hundredfold, answer for our words and deeds, bear much fruit, boundary lines, brought forth fruit, burgers, compromising, cook on the grill, create havoc, drinking something cold, earthly lives, electronic gadgets, faith, faithfulness, fateful day, fearful stuff, fell upon stony places, fellowship, finally spring, firmly planted, fowls devoured them, Friday chant, fruit fo the Spirit, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, gentleness, getting me through another week, goodness, had no root, he who hath ears to hear, hypocritically, immediately sprung up, in Jesus name, joy, judgement day, kindness, let him hear, let our guards down, lock up whole winter, lolling on the deck, long-suffering, lose our joy, LOVE, March break, meekness, my time, no deepness of earth, other fell into good ground, outside in shirtsleeves, parable of the sower, party, peace, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rooted in his soul, scorched, seeds fell by the wayside, self-control, sixtyfold, steaks, temperance, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the enemy, the word of the Lord, thirtyfold, thou good and faithful servant, too far apart, video games, weekends, welcome, welcoming words, wisdom, wishy-washy, withered away, workingman's song
Matthew 13:8-9. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Well at last it’s Friday! And many tired but grateful sighs emanate from many tired lungs and bodies, especially those who returned right at the last minute from the March Break and had no time to rest before heading back out to work on Monday. It’s a cruel world friends, a mighty cruel world, especially if you don’t have Jesus as your Lord and Leader.
Yeh, Christians have it hard too, but they have the internal peace and LOVE that Jesus brings to the hearts and souls of His followers, and thus we are able to handle the cruel world with much more sense and sensibility (smile) than the unbeliever. So if you want to be able to handle this cruel world with greater confidence, then the answer is JESUS! Give Him some much deserved thanks and praise my fellow believers!
But since it’s Friday, the workingman is also waiting in the wings to sing his Friday song. So let’s hear what gems of wisdom on life, that he has to offer us today. And he shouts out his usual opening: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! It’s been a busy week…but the weather’s not been bad! And yes, it’s finally spring! So we’ll soon be outside in shirtsleeves and such, barbecuing, lolling on the deck drinking something cold and waiting for the burgers and steaks to cook on the grill!
Wow! Yuh believe it? Springtime is here once again…and then it will be summer! Chuh! Gway with this winter business yes! Time to get the children and them outa the house too, where they lock up whole winter playing foolish video games. Children suppose to be outside playing, be it rain, snow or shine!
But sadly not these modern-day ones who have so much electronic gadgets to play with. Some of them don’t even know what outside looks like nuh! But I not going to kill mihself over them nuh, I know what I like to do and I’m going to do it, especially when it comes to the weekend – party, party, party! Mama Yo! That’s my time! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, the workingman does make some good points in his weekly song, but it’s just that it’s usually too far over the edge, too far out on the limb for us believers in Jesus Christ! The boundary lines are set too wide apart, too much freedom to wander into the evil world, when Jesus desires His people to follow the narrow but safe path that leads to and through Him to eternal life.
Consequently, our Friday Chant differs a lot from the workingman’s song. So let’s chant our Friday Chant now with just as much enthusiasm as the workingman had in his song nuh. (smile) Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes friends, believers are also entitled to fun, to a natural enjoyment in Christ, but we cannot let out guards down, for as soon as we do, the enemy will just jump in there and try to create havoc in our lives. Remember that’s his main aim; to disrupt our lives in Jesus! And we can’t afford to let him do that, otherwise we’ll lose all our joy and peace and become even more miserable than the unbeliever. And believe me, there’s nobody as miserable as a miserable believer! (smile)
That’s why we need to remember Jesus’ parable about the sower and keep it first place in our minds. ‘Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith (immediately) they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’ (Matt.13:3-9)
Yeh friends, he who has ears to hear let him hear! Let him hear the Word of the Lord, and let it be firmly planted and rooted in his soul, so that neither thorns, nor the sun nor the fowls of the air can uproot or scorch it, and thus it will bear much fruit in their lives.
Oh how Jesus desires us to bear the fruit of the Spirit in our earthly lives so that we can teach others about Him, but more importantly live the life we preach, that we’re currently so good at talking about but unfortunately living it very hypocritically.
Ah my fellow believers, if we’d only seriously read, study and meditate on God’s Word, so that it becomes deeply rooted in our hearts, then we’d be more likely to produce things like LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), meekness and temperance (self-control), which make up the basic fruit of the Spirit! (Gal.6:22-23)
Now that’s what the world needs to see from believers! Not the wishy-washy, compromising, fearful stuff we’re currently showing them!
Remember though friends, that each of us will have to answer individually for our words and deeds come the judgement day, so please let’s try our best to do what is right, to run a worthy and worthwhile race, so that when that fateful day comes, the Lord will embrace us and joyfully say: ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant!’
Friends, there are no better welcoming words than those, so let’s live the kind of life that will cause the Lord to eventually say them to us nuh. That’s wisdom of untold proportions! Much LOVE!
…only with the Word…deeply rooted in our souls…can we produce…the fruit of the Spirit…
15 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adorns, before all the nations, believers, billow around us, borders, bride, bridegroom, causes things to spring forth, clarion call, courageous, deer's feet, eternity, family relationships, fasting, fellowship, free time and family, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, garments of salvation, generous help, get a foothold, good tidings of salvation, greatly rejoice in the Lord, greedy, habakkuk, health, hungry, I will joy, I will rejoice in the Lord, in Jesus name, Jesus in them with us, Lenten season, like hinds feet, living truth, look to Jesus, LOVE, lurking enemy, made it through, make my feet, meditating, my soul shall be joyful, on our p's and q's, overtime, praise, praying, relaxation, rest, righteousness, robe of righteousness, run down the dollars and cents, run the race, salve driver, satisfying, siren's song, sleep, spiritual journey, spiritual upliftment, steadfast, stick together, stop points, storms of life, sweet, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the detriment of our families, the earth brings forth bud, the garden, The God of my salvation, the Lord God is my strength, value money, walk upon mine high places, we will win, week of work, weekends, wiser intellect, workingman's song
Habakkuk 3:18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Oh friends, let me apologize right at the beginning for the late start to the Bit, but I went to bed late last night and then the early morning sleep was so sweet and satisfying that I just could not resist the tempting offer of it’s siren’s call: ‘Sleep one more round…just sleep one more round…before you get up!’
Yeh friends, the ole fella was a sucker for that appealing temptation! (smile) But remember he’s only human and can’t be expected to resist everything that comes against him. And I know that you’ll understand and forgive me, because you are also subject to just such temptations. Praise the Lord! (smile)
But it’s Friday and the workingman is there chomping at the bit to declare (phew…wrong again) his clarion call, so let’s hear him nuh. ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s looming large on the horizon! The March Break also finish, and everybody who went away packing up now to come back home to school and work!
Steups! Don’t know why they make such a big to do over it nuh, because is just one lousy week, and as soon as yuh get where yuh going, yuh have to pack up and come back again! But it wasn’t a bad week here, the temp wasn’t that cold and I went out a few times with the children, so that kept them happy.
But the backbreaking work still continuing…the slave driver not letting up at all, especially since business picking up now. Brother! He just hungry and greedy and dying to get as much work done as possible! He even offering overtime on the weekends…
But that is his problem yes! I work hard enough during the week, the weekend is for me to party and spend li’l time with mih family. If the slave driver value money over his free time and family, then later for him yes! I’m going to thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
And isn’t that the living truth my people; many of us value money over spending time with our families and resting ourselves. But that’s not always wise because it breaks down everything; your family relationships as well as your own health.
So please, let’s not run down the dollars and cents, as so many of us are still doing, to the detriment of our families and ourselves. If the ordinary workingman can see and understand that principle, why can’t we believers, supposedly of wiser intellect see it too eh?
But anyway let’s chant our reply to the workingman’s song, which wasn’t as far out on the limb today as it usually is. Our Friday Chant is still more conservative and sensible and in line with Jesus’ desires. So 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, we need to remember that we have certain borders and stop points that we ought not to go over unless we want the ever lurking enemy to get a foothold in our business and mess it up even more than it’s already messed up. (smile) We need to be always on our ‘p’s and q’s, because he is always on his.
And he’s no more voracious than in this Lenten season when he knows that we’re all seeking spiritual upliftment with fasting and praying and meditating a bigger slice of our lives than normal. There’ nothing he would like better than to get us off course on our spiritual journey. That’s why my fellow believers we have to do like the prophet Habakkuk says in his song. Even though times are very rough and trying: ‘Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’
Wow friends! A few simple but powerful words can make a lot of difference to our spiritual selves! And why was Habakkuk intent on being so joyful even though his situation might be less than satisfactory?
Because: ‘The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds (deer’s) feet, and will make me to walk upon mine high places.’ (Hab.3:19) And yes friends, that’s as good a reason as any, and better than many, to put one’s everlasting and sincere trust in the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel!
Hear how Isaiah puts it when he declares (wrong again – going to have to stop using it) his good tidings of salvation to Zion. ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.’ (Is.61:10-11)
And friends, if you are indeed a true believer in Christ, you won’t need any other promise than that to convince you to stick with Jesus ALL THE WAY TO ETERNITY! No other supposed deity can even dream of making such a promise, much less of keeping it like Jesus will!
So let’s be courageous and steadfast and run the race that God has planned for us nuh. If we stick together and look to Him, we WILL WIN in the end! Much LOVE!
…though the storms of life billow around us…we’re sure of one thing…that Jesus is right in the middle of them with us…Praise His Holy Name…
08 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guidebook, a toothless roar, absurdity, angels ministered unto him, another week of work, bark but no bite, by the devil, children underfoot, crowded airport terminals, deception, earthly living, fasting, fellowship, forty days and forty nights, Friday chant, fun, furthering your kingdom, generous help, get thee hence Satan, getting me safely, harsh reality of work, him only shalt thou serve, holidays, holy spirit, importance of knowing the word, in Jesus name, indwelling us, into the wilderness, Jesus, led up of the spirit, March break, meditate on God's Word, no power to overcome us, overseas, rebuke the enemy, relaxation, rest, retool, Satan boldface, temptation, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the devil is persistent, the Messiah, the warm climates, to be tempted, wisdom at its zenith, workingman's song, worship the Lord thy God
Matthew 4:1.
Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And then it was Friday, the beginning of the March break, so I can imagine that all the airports are full and running over with the amount of people just dying to get away from the lengthy spell of cold weather that’s recently held us in its iron grip!
Yeh, wish I was one of those crowding the airport terminals too, but my day will come, so I’m not worried, and I know too that whatever the Lord allows to come against me, He will give me the grace and strength to face it victoriously! Glory to our great and wonderful and generous and merciful, forgiving and magnanimous God my people!
Now we have lots to cover today, so let’s get on with it; let’s hear what the workingman has to say for himself today! And as always, he’s very vocal: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui; March break Friday and the children and them don’t have no school for a whole week. Steups! That means they underfoot all blooming week. Got to see if I can’t send them by their uncle up in the North Country for at least a few days.
It would be good if I could take some time off and go somewhere with them, but the slave driver only give we holidays in the summer when he place shut down to retool…plus I don’t have enough money to carry all of us overseas to the warm climates right now anyway! So we’ll just have to make the best of a bad situation right here in cold Toronto…Hn, hn, hn!
And ah talking as if that ever stop we before! We still going to eat and drink and party hearty this weekend. So bring it on! Let the fun and games begin, as we get into another free from work weekend! Thank God for Fridays and weekend yes! Don’t know what I would have done without them to break up the monotony and harsh reality of work nuh!’
Yeh friends, plenty of us believers also fall into the same category as the workingman, can’t get time off and don’t have enough money to take the family on a holiday to a warm place, but we too will manage, because we have the Holy Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ indwelling us, and He gives us the wherewithal to withstand anything that comes against us! Glory to God!
So let’s chant our weekend song, our Friday Chant, with the same, if not more enthusiasm than the workingman did in his song, since we have plenty more to be thankful for.
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!’
That was good friends! We could feel that deep down in our souls and our God was happy to hear us rejoice and be thankful in our relationship with Him. (smile) Now let’s turn to our Bit, those stirring words that foreshadowed some of the awful stuff that our Saviour Christ Jesus suffered on our behalf. ‘Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.’
Ah mih people, I don’t think that any of us would have made it successfully through forty days and nights of fasting then serious temptation by the evil one himself. But Jesus did. Give Him the glory! And today we’ll look at the third major temptation.
The Good Book says: ‘Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence (away with you), Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold angels came and ministered unto him.’ (Matt.4:8-11)
Oh friends, the devil is very persistent, and we have to be very strong in our reproach and rebuke too. In this last temptation Jesus rebuked Satan with a combination of words from Deut.6:13, 10:20 and Josh.24:14.
We also need to know the proper scripture to rebuke the enemy when he comes a calling, which means we have to read and study and meditate on God’s Word. I can’t overstate the importance of knowing the Word to help us in ALL aspects of our lives!
Now here is some pertinent info on the last temptation from the scholars. ‘4:8. The third temptation takes place on an exceeding high mountain. The mountain is clearly real in the text, though its exact location is unidentified. Despite the grandeur of the temptation, nothing in the passage itself indicates that these temptations were only in the mind of Christ.
Clearly, they are depicted as real experiences that actually occurred in the human life of the Messiah. That Satan, the usurper, would attempt to give the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, the Messiah, the rightful King, is the height of absurdity!’
Yeh friends, that’s how boldface Satan is, offering us stuff that already belongs to us! How boldface can some people get eh! And then this other offering from the scholars. ‘4:9-11. For Christ to fall down and worship Satan would have been to acknowledge the Devil’s lordship over Him.
In His direct rebuke Get thee hence, Satan, Jesus clearly asserts His lordship over the old serpent whose head He will soon crush. Matthew’s statement that Satan leaveth him shows that his order of temptations is the chronological one. (cf. Luke 4:1-13).’ (Luke has the mountain temptation second and the temple pinnacle last).
Well that brings us to the end of today’s Bit, but please, please remember my people, that though Jesus rebuked Satan and crushed him, the ole devil is still out there roaring a toothless roar; (smile) he’s all bark and no bite, and has no power to overcome us, unless we fall for his deception and allow him into our lives!
So this Lenten season, let’s get serious in our decision to get closer to God nuh, study His awesome Word and put it into practice in our lives! That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…God gave us His Word… as a guidebook for our earthly lives…let’s be wise and use it nuh…
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