30 Nov 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of foolish sinners, a God of surprises, a mighty big man, a Red-Letter day, abide in me and I in you, all alone, arrogant, authority even over the sabbath, be not afraid, be of good cheer, believe we can do it all ourselves, build on life's sinking sand, deep down, demonstrates Jesus' healing power, despite all the evidence, do a lot on my own, do you want to get well, don'r realize how desperately we need Jesus, don't even know my way back home, down on my knees, except it abide in the vine, except ye abide in me, faith, fellowship, Gaither Homecoming Festival, glory to God, gospel truth, hell bound world, holy spirit, I am the vine, I can't even walk, I could be what I wanted to be, I learned how to stand, I'd be less of a man, if I didn't trust Jesus, if I'm in trouble, Jessy Dixon, Jesus Christ, Jesus walking on water, Jesus' heart was filled with compassion, Joyce and Colbert Croft, lost without you, LOVE, make it big in this world, make Jesus my all and all, mercy, no more can ye, number one would surely be me, o thou of little faith, on that powerful name I'll call, our faith is not strong enough, Peter walked on the water, raise our faith, refreshed in heart body and soul, renewed, responded to Jesus' command with faith, sacrifices of praise, salvation, self-centred, take up thy bed and walk, teaching me that through you word, Thank you Father, that Satan desires us to wallow in, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the Lord's Day, the mountain is too high, the paralyzed man at the pool in Bethesda, the Sabbath, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the true vine, the valley is too wide, thought of myself, took up his bed and walked, truth, unless you lead me, wallowing in the mire, we still doubt the power of Jesus, why did you doubt, wisdom, without Christ we can do nothing, without me you can do nothing, without you holding my hand, you are the branches
John 15:5b. for without me ye can do nothing.
Come on down to the Lord’s sanctuary my people, for it’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and though the snow is an inconvenience, we must celebrate it with fellowship and worship, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in heart, body and soul, and thus be enabled to face another week of work and whatever else comes against us in our crazy, hell bound world.
And as always, to help us celebrate, we have a wonderful song filled with lots of truth, one written by Colbert and Joyce Croft, aptly titled, I can’t even walk without You holding my hand. And we’ll offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, heartfelt version, as that done by the African American Gospel singer, Jessy Dixon at the Gaither Homecoming Festival some years ago.
So, let’s sing: ‘I thought, that number one, would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – I thought that I, could do a lot on my own, I thought, I could make it in this big world, all alone. I thought, thought of myself as a mighty, mighty, mighty big man, But Lord I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. –
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain, is too high, and the valley, is too wide, It’s down on my knees, that’s where I learned how to stand, Because I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Glory to God! And I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all. And if I’m in trouble, on that powerful name, I’ll call. And if I didn’t trust Him, I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
Ohh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, It’s down on my knees, I learned how to stand, I learned how to pray, Because Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Lord, I’m lost without you. I don’t even know my way back home Lord unless you lead me. Yes my Saviour, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. Thank you for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk without, without holding your hand…Yes Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand…’
And it’s all the gospel truth my brethren…we can’t even walk without Jesus holding our hands! And I believe this is a very appropriate song for so many of us who are arrogant and self-centered enough to believe we can do it all ourselves, with no help from anyone, especially from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And we either don’t know or believe what He said when He spoke about the true vine.
So listen up and attain some wisdom when Jesus declares: ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
Oh my people, what a rather poignant, definitive and oh so true statement! Without Christ we can do nothing! For whatever we do, it’s He who allows us to do it, for He is our Creator, Controller, Potter and Master! And until many more of us realize that awesome truth, we will keep wallowing in the mire that Satan desires us to wallow in. So many of us think of ourselves as mighty, mighty big men, but in reality, we’re nothing but a bunch of foolish sinners who don’t realize how desperately we need Jesus.
That reminds us of the paralyzed man at the pool in Bethesda, who had been lying there for 38 years, because he had no one to help him get into the pool the one time a year an angel came and stirred up the water, and whosoever got into it first was then healed of their illness. When Jesus saw him, knowing how long he had lain there, even before Jesus was born, His heart was filled with compassion, and He asked him: ‘Wilt thou be made whole (do you want to get well)?’ (John 5:6)
Then the man told him about his difficulty in getting into the pool first. Jesus then said to him: ‘Rise, take up thy bed and walk. And immediately the man was made whole (well), and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.’ (John 5:8-9) Now, that’s the way many of us are, in dire need of help, yet we refuse to turn to Jesus, the One who can, wants to, and will help us if we cry out to Him for succour! And as this commentary explains: ‘This event is a significant miracle in the New Testament that demonstrates Jesus’s healing power and his authority, even over the Sabbath.’
That’s the difference between us and Peter, highlighted by the time Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples in their boat. At first they cried out in fear, believing it was a ghost, but Jesus quickly reassured them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer (take courage); it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he (Jesus) said Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.’ (Matt. 14:27-29)
And why was that possible? Because Peter responded to Jesus’ command with faith. He believed that if Jesus called him to do something, he could do it. However, his faith was not strong enough to withstand the strong winds and he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out to Jesus to save him. ‘And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ (Matt. 14:31)
And that’s the basic problem with so many of us supposed believers today; our faith is not strong enough to withstand the strong winds and waves that occasionally batter us, because deep down, despite all the evidence to the contrary, we still doubt the strength, power and resolve of Jesus. Anyway friends, I implore us to make this last Sunday in November 2025 a red-letter day by promising ourselves and each other to raise our faith to substantial levels, because that’s the only way we will ever achieve godly success in this evil world that’s getting worse every day! Much LOVE!
…remember…that it’s down our knees praying…that we learn how to stand…how to stand strong…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
21 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty big man, be what I wanted to be, Bible, blaspheme His holy name, build on life's sinking sand, Christ's heroic efforts, christianity, cleanse the leper, could make it all alone, cry out to God for help, do a lot on my own, don't even know my way back home, down on my knees, exhorting each other, faith, fellowship, finally saw the light, free choice, from now till next never, glory to God, god, hael the lame, head out into the world, holy spirit, I am the vine ye are the branches, I can't even walk without you holding my hand, I learned how to stand, I'd be less of a man, if I didn't trust Jesus, if I'm in trouble, Jesus Christ, Joyce and Colbert Croft, Lazarus come forth, like a battered ship in a storm, lost and floundering, LOVE, make Jesus my all and all, make the blind to see, mercy, number one would be me, on that powerful name I'll call, peace be still, prayer, receive the Lord's blessings, salvation, sharing praise and thanks, show Jesus obeisance, song of worship, stand strong in the faith, sufferation, sweet sacrifices of praise, tear-jerking, the mountain is too high, the number one requirement, the valley is too wide, the wisdom of the ages, the world throws us for a loop, truth, unable to help ourselves, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
John 15:5b. for without me ye can do nothing.
Oh friends, for the umpteenth time past, and the umpteenth time to come – it’s Sunday! That means fellowshipping in the Lord’s sanctuary with other believers; sharing praise and thanks to our great and wonderful God, encouraging and exhorting each other to stand strong in the faith, regardless of our circumstances, and receiving the Lord’s blessings as we head out into the world for another week of work, which can ofttimes be frustrating and difficult.
Now, today’s song of worship is one that truly shows how weak and ineffective we are without God’s strength and help. It’s a song written by Joyce and Colbert Croft and titled: ‘I can’t even walk without You holding my hand.’ And is that ever the gospel truth my brethren! Without God’s help, we’d be incapable of doing much of anything at all. But right now, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a real, sincere, soulful, tear-jerking rendition of the song. (smile)
Singing: ‘I thought, that number one, would surely be me. I thought I could be what I wanted to be. I thought I could build on life’s sinking sand. But now I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. – I thought that I, could do a lot on my own, I thought, I could make it in this big world, all alone. I thought, thought of myself as a mighty, mighty, mighty big man, But Lord I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. –
Oh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain, is too high, and the valley, is too wide, It’s down on my knees, that’s where I learned how to stand, Because I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Glory to God! And I think I’ll make Jesus my all and all. And if I’m in trouble, on that powerful name, I’ll call. And if I didn’t trust Him, I’d be less of a man ‘Cause Lord I can’t even walk without you holding my hand.
Ohhhh Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand, For the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, It’s down on my knees, I learned how to stand, I learned how to pray, Because Lord, I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. I can’t even walk, without you holding my hand. Lord I’m lost without you. I don’t even know my way back home Lord unless you lead me. Yes, my Saviour, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand. Thank you for teaching me that through your Word…I can’t even walk without, without holding your hand…Yes Lord, I can’t even walk without you holding my hand…’
And anyone who thinks differently needs their mental faculties thoroughly checked, for those words are the indisputable truth! For we have all been through times when we were simply unable to help ourselves in our own strength and had to turn to God. All of us believe we can go it alone, be big, mighty men, until the world throws us for a loop. And then what? We are forced to turn to God. Because as the song so rightfully says: ‘the mountain is too high, and the valley is too wide, and it’s down on my knees where I learned how to stand.’
And that’s also the God awesome truth my people! It’s in the deepest and darkest hours of our lives when we were down our knees in prayer, that we learned how to stand strong in faith in Almighty God. It’s when we finally saw the light and decided to call on the powerful name of Jesus and would be rather foolish if we didn’t. Yes friends, without the God who made us and still guides and protects us, where would we be eh?
Lost and floundering like a battered ship in a storm, which Jesus pointed out very clearly when He spoke these words of awesome truth. ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:5) I doubt any sensible and mentally intact person could contest those words. But Bruh Paul corroborates Jesus’ statement with his own words to the church at Corinth. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5)
And to tell the truth, we don’t even need Bruh Paul’s corroboration nuh, for if Jesus could calm the howling winds and raging sea by simply saying, ‘Peace, be still,’ (Mark 4:39) then why would we not believe when He says we can’t do anything without Him eh? And furthermore, if He could raise Lazarus from the dead with a cry of ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ (John 11:43) why would we question anything He says? And if He can heal the lame, make the blind to see, cleanse the leper, as He proved while down here on earth, why would we doubt anything He says?
Now, some would dare to say that the prophets and the apostles did the same things, and some did, but NONE, No One, could ever do His most noteworthy deed; that’s paying the price for our abominable sins with His sinless life on the cross of Calvary! For that alone we need to bow down and worship Him, show Him obeisance from now till next never, because it’s only through His heroic efforts and unjust ‘sufferation’ that we can talk about salvation and all the other good things His crucifixion did for us.
Oh my people, there’s absolutely no doubt that Jesus is the answer! The answer to our every problem and our every need! And it hurts my heart to hear people bad talk Him, blaspheme His holy name and mock His perfect character. But that’s what comes from the Lord giving us free choice. Some of us just don’t listen and/or use the brains God gave us, so we end up making fools of ourselves by trying to do things by ourselves, or with other weak and selfish humans.
And it’s only when we’re going under for the third and last time, that we wake up and cry out to God for help, when we could easily have avoided most of our negative circumstances by calling on our Creator much earlier, for He’s always there, ever willing and ready to help and guide us on our earthly journey. We only have to call out sincerely for His help, and He will provide it. And I do hope that any of us who are going through tough times right now, will wake up and cry out to God for help, because that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus…are we anything at all…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Dec 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a childlike response of faith, an inheritance incorruptible, angelic hosts proclaim, became obedient unto death, being in the form of God, born to give us second birth, Christ is born in Bethlehem, eat drink and be merry, fat like stall fed calves, found in fashion as a man, glory to God, Glory to god in the highest, glory to the newborn king, God was in Christ reconciling the world, Hark the herald angels sing, late in time behold him come, LOVE, made himself of no reputation, Merry Christmas, on earth peace good will to men, pomp and pageantry, prince of peace, reserved in heaven for you, send portions unto them for whom nothing has been prepared, Sun of righteousness, the form of a servant, the incarnate birth of Christ, the miraculous birth of Jesus christ, the word was made flesh, unto you that fear my name, use of Scripture to teach its theology
Luke 2:14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
It’s Christmas Day my people! Glory to God! At long last the Big Day is here, when we celebrate the marvellous and most miraculous birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! He is the best present we’ve ever had! Couldn’t be a better one either! For He was born so that our sins could be paid for, so that we could have the option of salvation and eternal life. And for that we give Him much thanks and praise! This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, and there’s no better day to have all the pomp and pageantry than on the Lord’s Day.
So, let’s open up with a classic old hymn, written by the renowned hymnist, Charles Wesley (1707-1788). It’s a most appropriate song of praise and worship titled ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’ Some people sing it slow and dirge-like, but today we’ll sing it in a lively, up-tempo beat, effectively showcasing the joy and gratitude we truly feel over the incarnate birth of our Immanuel, two thousand years ago, and who is still going as strong as ever. In fact, He’s stronger than when He lived on earth.
Therefore, with voices of sacrificial praise, in sweet, heartfelt harmony, let’s deliver up our song to heaven. Singing: ‘Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies; with the angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” (Refrain: Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King”)
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of the Virgin’s womb: veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the ‘incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel. [Refrain] Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth. [Refrain]’
Oh my people, we did a fantastic job of letting heaven know how grateful we are for Jesus! No doubt about it! And it’s such a wonderful song with all kinds of scriptures intertwined. I like this commentary on it: ‘Containing biblical phrases from Luke, John, and Paul, the text is a curious mixture of exclamation, exhortation, and theological reflection. The focus shifts rapidly from angels, to us, to nations. The text’s strength may not lie so much in any orderly sequence of thought but in its use of Scripture to teach its theology. That teaching surely produces in us a childlike response of faith; we too can sing “Glory to the newborn King!”
And is that ever the gospel truth! Now let’s look at some of those scripture verses that the song emphasizes. It opens with Luke’s telling of the Christmas night story, where an angel suddenly appeared to shepherds out in the fields, scaring them half to death, then telling them of the birth of Christ in the nearby town of Bethlehem. While he was telling them the good news of the Saviour’s birth, the Good Book declares: ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:13-14)
Yes friends, that’s where the herald angels sang. And in the next line, Wesley throws in the aspect of reconciliation, most likely from Bruh Paul’s words to the Corinthians. ‘To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.’ (2 Cor. 5:19) And are we ever glad for that ministry of reconciliation!
And the first part of the next verse seems to reflect Bruh Paul’s words from Galatians. ‘But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made (born) of a woman, made (born) under the law.’ (Gal. 4:4) And there’s no doubt that the last part of that verse relates to the first chapter of John’s gospel, in particular, verse 14. ‘And the Word was made flesh (became flesh), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14)
Now, per the last verse, there are a number of scriptures that seem to be referenced, the first and most notable being that favourite scripture from Isaiah. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.’ (Is. 9:6) Then there are these referenced sentiments from the prophet Malachi: ‘But unto you that fear (reverence) my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves.)’ (Mal. 4:2)
And we all know where ‘Mild he lays his glory by,’ comes from. That favourite scripture from Philippians 2: ‘Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made (came) in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:6-8)
And the last referenced scripture comes from 1 Peter. Those famous verses we all know and LOVE. (smile) ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’ (1 Pet. 1:3-4)
Ah my people, how wonderful is the Word of God eh! It’s just filled with so many marvellous prophecies and promises, one of the best being the birth of our Lord and Saviour on this Christmas Day some two thousand years ago, that began God’s reconciliation and our salvation. Wow! It is only right that today we should praise and honour our Triune God for all the good things He’s done for us, His greatest, but most disobedient creation! So, let’s enjoy the day; eat drink and be merry, ‘and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) Much LOVE!
…without the incarnate birth of Jesus…there’d be no Christmas season…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
21 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little folding of the hands to sleep, a little slumber, all grown over with thorns, as one that traveleth, ashamed and repentant, become lax lazy and complacent, caught flat-footed, confident in God's great mercy, diligently goes about his business, Family Day Holiday, get up off of our fat fannies, glory to God, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, humble servants, I looked upon it and received instruction, I saw and considered it well, Jehovah Rapha, live sincerely for God, LOVE, mass confusion, nettles covered the face thereof, positive answers to prayer, pray, pray and sincerely seek your face, prepare for unpredictable situations, sinned and disobeyed your Word, small surrenders lead to great disasters, so shall thy poverty come, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, the ant is a self-starter, the ant with no leader, the barrage of unexpected problems, the field of the slothful, the God who heals, the motives of our hearts, the salt and light of the earth, the stone wall was broken down, the vineyard of the man void of understanding, thy want as an armed man, turn from our evil ways, when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep, wise guidance, yet a little sleep
Proverbs 6:9. How long wilt thou sleep (lie down, be lazy) O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Well, this Family Day holiday in Ontario is a somewhat damp and cloudy Monday morning, but the sun seems to be fighting through the clouds so its glorious sunshine can prevail! Glory to God!
And you know that’s exactly what we supposed believers in Christ ought to be doing; fighting through all the sin, the evil, the darkness and ungodliness of this world in His holy name! But unfortunately, too many of us have become lax, lazy and complacent, while enjoying the amenities that the world has to offer, and thus have been caught flat-footed and unprepared when the barrage of unexpected problems recently descended on us.
So we’re afraid…and anxious…and don’t know what to do. But nothing has changed friends, we’re still supposed to do what we know is right to do: that’s get up off of our fat fannies, pray and live sincerely for God! And Cousin Sol puts forth the correct question for us today after showing us the magnificent work ethic of the ant, who has no leader or overseer to force him to work, but nonetheless, diligently goes about his business. In other words, the ant is a self-starter. He is wise enough to prepare for predictable situations. (Prov. 6:6-8)
Cousin Sol asks this poignant question: ‘How long wilt thou sleep (lie down, be lazy) O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?’ (Prov. 6:9) Now that’s a question that many of us need to answer right away by getting up and doing God’s work, for if we had been doing it, had been the salt and light of the earth like Christ desires of us, our world would never have fallen into such a sad state of disrepair and disrepute.
And like the lazy and sleepy sluggard, our just deserts will fall on us, in fact, they have already fallen on us. Like Cousin Sol says: ‘Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:10-11) Yes my brethren, as the scholars tell us: ‘The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and decisively as a robber.’
And yuh better believe that the Covid 19 pandemic, the worldwide strife, the race and religious problems and the many natural disasters of the last couple of years have indeed come upon us without our ever seeing them, much less being prepared for them. And later on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol mentions an interesting fact that ties in quite nicely with what we are talking about.
He solemnly declares in chapter 24: ‘I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face (surface) thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep (rest): So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth (a prowler); and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 24:30-34)
Oh friends, you noticed that Cousin Sol learned from the mistakes of the slothful man. And what did he learn? According to the scholars, he learned that ‘The slothful is too lazy to keep thorns and nettles out of his vineyard or to keep his stone wall repaired (vs.31). His laziness is further exhibited in sleeping late when he should be working (vs.33). Therefore, his poverty will come as one that traveleth: that is, a bandit or a vagabond. Small surrenders lead to great disasters.’
Now what wise words those are my fellow saints: ‘small surrenders lead to great disasters.’ It’s the gospel truth! It’s the li’l things in life that we despise and don’t do that ofttimes cause us a whale of a problem. And we are experiencing that in spades right now, with all the various problems howling around us and we don’t know how to solve them. However, if we had been paying attention all along, living the way Christ desires us to live, those many problems would not have caught us off guard, they might not have even seen the light of day.
But sadly they have, so now we have to wake up from our slothful slumber and try to fix them as best we can. However the problems have gotten so deep and involved, that now we can only fix them with God’s divine help. So as the wise people we are (smile), let’s go to God, ashamed and repentant, but confident in His great mercy, and sincerely ask for His omnipotent help.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, please remember that God doesn’t only listen to the words we speak, but more importantly checks out the motives of our hearts, to see if our words are truly sincere. And we all know what that means! Much LOVE!
…no right motives in hearts…no positive answers to prayer…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a white Christmas, be obedient and reverent to God, But Mary kept all these things, Christ is born in Bethlehem, climate change, disobedience, divine help, do it afraid, eat drink and be merry, eat the fat and drink the sweet, fear not, for whom nothing is prepared, give the Lord some thanks and praise, glad tidings of great joy I bring, glory shone around, glory to God, glory to the newborn king, go your way, God and sinners reconciled, hail the incarnate Deity, Hark the herald angels, Jesus came to be a servant, Jesus is the only reason for the season, join the triumph of the skies, joyful all ye nations rise, li'l town of Bethelhem, mercy mild, Merry Christmas, Nehemiah's words, peace on earth, pondered them in her heart, salvation, Scrip-Bit friends and family, seated on the ground, send portions unto them, the angel of the Lord, the babe lying in a manger, the beautiful news of Christ's gospel, the Messiah, the Saviour, the universe is unfolding as it should, this day is holy unto our Lord, to save the sick and suffering, to the earth be peace goodwill, to you and all mankind, while shepherds watched their flocks, with angelic host proclaim
Luke 2:17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !
It’s a cold, snowy Friday morning…but it’s Christmas Day, and wonder of wonders we do have a white Christmas, something we don’t see as often, in these days of climate change. Yesterday evening it was raining, but the snow fell during the night and made everything a beautiful virgin white, that is until mankind gets involved. (smile)
So Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Hope the Lord continues to be good to all of us in the new year. And why wouldn’t He be eh, if we continue to be obedient and reverent to him? No reason whatsoever!
And talking about years, this old one of 2020 was indeed an unexpected, unique, provoking and very testing year. But glory to God, we all came through it safely. Let’s give the Lord some thanks and praise for that, because it’s only with His divine help that we made it through without any serious problems.
Consequently, on this joyful Christmas morn, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in that li’l town of Bethlehem, we can sit back, relax and contemplate what it all means to believers everywhere. Remember, JESUS is the ONE and ONLY reason for the season. The reason we can eat drink and be merry and call out greetings to each other. So please don’t let your day be consumed with just festive merriment, but do take a few moments to quietly ponder what it all meant back then, and what it still means today.
In fact, let’s do that right now nuh. Let’s try and recreate the scene on that long ago, first Christmas Day. Remember, it was just a seemingly ordinary wintry evening, with the universe unfolding as it should. And let’s do it in song nuh, with this wonderful Annunciation of the heavenly birth.
Please sing along with me: ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around. “Fear not,” said he – for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds –“Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind: “To you in David’s town this day is born of David’s line a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be the sign: “The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swathing bands and in a manger laid.” Thus spoke the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song: “All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; goodwill henceforth from highest heaven begin and never cease!”
Oh friends what a wonderful heavenly declaration! But it had the poor shepherds terrible afraid. And it would have had us afraid too, if that heavenly throng just appeared from out of nowhere and made that most climatic statement. But please note to whom the Lord made the first declaration of Jesus’ birth; the lowly and humble shepherds out in the fields, not any great kings or powerful and important people.
And yuh see where He caused Him to be born too, in a lowly stable. Imagine that nuh…the Son of God being born in a dirty stable and not a sumptuous palace. That’s because Jesus came to be a servant not a king by earth’s standards, to save the sick and suffering, the poor, lowly and downtrodden.
And I like how the shepherds reacted. The Good Book tells us that after the angels had gone back to heaven, they said to each other; ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.’ (Luke 2:15) Yeh friends, yuh see, despite their fear, they decided to check out the good news. If it was important enough for angels to declare it, then it was important enough for them to go and check it out. They did it afraid. And that’s exactly how we ought to operate in these rough and trying times.
Anyway, the Good Book continues: ‘And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger (feed trough).And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:16-20)
Ah mih bredrin, do we ever need to spread the beautiful news of Christ’s gospel and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God this day for all that He’s done for us! He didn’t need to do anything for us, just let us go our merry way rejoicing into hell with the devil. But through His awesome, undying and unconditionalLOVEfor the ungrateful creatures He had spawned, He couldn’t in good conscience allow us to go down that road to eternal damnation without giving us an opportunity to redeem ourselves.
So on that cold, starry, ordinary winter’s night, He put His amazing plan for salvation into motion. In that dirty, smelly stable, a baby boy was born into this evil world, and they would call His name Jesus; the Son, the Saviour, the Messiah, who would be the means of ultimate salvation for all and sundry. Bless our God’s holy name my brethren, for just that act alone ought to endear Him to us for ever and ever! Amen!
Oh my people, I don’t know what else to say or do to get us to really and truly appreciate the greatness of our God and the overwhelming LOVE He bears for us nuh. So let us go home, and we going to forego our Friday Chant because I don’t think today the Lord wants to hear our whining and complaining about our problems, most of which we brought on ourselves through our obstinate disobedience. He needs some praise and worship for the great gift He’s bestowed on us this day, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
So let’s go home singing and praising instead nuh: Loud and strong and harmonious: ‘Hark! The herald angels sing” Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled” Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic hosts proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the newborn King!” Christ by highest Heav’n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin’s womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see: Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the newborn King! Hail the Heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris’n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the newborn King!” Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the newborn King!”
Yes friends, today is a day for much praise and thanks and generosity. Let’s remember Nehemiah’s awesome words to the children of Israel and action them as best we can: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
That says it all my faithful friends in Christ! Much LOVE!
…Christmas…it’s just the beginning of the Christian’s joyful life…
12 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man after God's own heart, adoration, and he shall hear my voice, and he shall sustain thee, as for me I will call upon God, cast thy burden upon the Lord, clear direction for my life, compassionate heart, confident prayer for help, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, creativity, curse, David encouraged himself in the Lord, evening and morning and at noon, forgive their sins, glory to God, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, heal their land, I shall not want, I will fear no evil, I will not fear what flesh can do to me, I will pray and cry aloud, I will trust in thee, if my people, In god I have put my trust, In God I will praise his word, in the broad scheme of things, leadeth me beside the still waters, like a snowball in hell, LOVE, negative word, One True Bright Light -Jesus, our goose is cooked, pandemic, Philistines, pray and seek my face, prosper, reverence, shall humble themselves, some killjoy, strife filled season, success, suffer want or need, talent, the foolishness' of satan, the gospel truth, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord shall save me, the sun's shining brightly!, then I will hear from heaven, though I walk through the valley of death, Thursday Blessings, turn from their wicked ways, turn to the goodness of God, unbreakable trust in God, waters of rest, What time I am afraid, who are called by my name, Ziklag
Psalm 56:3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Glory to God mih people! The sun’s shining brightly! And yes, as some killjoy notes, (smile) it’s somewhat chilly because our summery days are over possibly until next year. But in the broad scheme of things that doesn’t really matter because we ALWAYS have the One True Bright Light, Jesus, shining on us anyway! Give Him some thanks and praise for being so faithful in His light giving!
And to cement our contention there, I just opened the Good Book to Psalm 56, Bruh David’s confident prayer for help, and these magnificent and reassuring words jumped out at me: ‘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. 56:3-4)
Wow mih bredrin! What surety in Bruh David’s words eh! That was his prayer, his contemplation when the Philistines took hm in Gath. Can you imagine us being in the midst of such a horrible, wicked enemy and declaring (yeahhh!) our unbreakable trust in God? It’s what we ought to be doing though.
And remember that other time when the Amalekites burned Bruh David’s city in exile Ziklag and took all their families hostage, and his men were so grieved and eventually wanted to stone Bruh David because they blamed him, as though his family wasn’t taken hostage too? Remember what he did? The Good Book says it thus: ‘…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ (1 Sam. 30:6)
Yes friends, that’s where Bruh David found his strength and his support, and why despite all his ungodly deeds, the Lord could still call him a friend and a man after His own heart. That’s simply because he always held the Lord in true reverence and adoration. The Lord knew that he was imperfect, but his heart was usually in the right place. And so should our hearts be my people, despite our sprinkling of evil and evil deeds.
We should know that God is our major refuge and retreat, our stronghold and fortress, the only place that we can be sure to obtain succour in time of need. And this pandemic and strife-filled season is one of those times when we need to be totally God-centred, to turn to Him like no other time in our lives, because without Him we don’t stand a chance, like a snowball in hell, our goose is cooked!
We desperately need to return to the times when these words of Bruh David from Psalm 55 – A cry against deceitful friends – stood true of our society. ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice… Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 55:16-17; 22)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! If we call on the Lord in all sincerity, and live by His will and word, then He will never allow us to suffer want or need, because He has promised that! Remember this awesome promise? ‘If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ (2 Chr. 7:14)
All I’m trying to say friends is that our world is in such a terrible state because it’s so fraught with sin and evil, and the only way we’re ever going to come out of this desperate and deadly state is by sincerely turning back to the Lord God Jehovah like our forefathers did! And if we don’t, then crapaud smoke we pipe! So it’s our choice. Do we give up the foolishness of Satan and this evil world and turn to the goodness of God? Or do we stay as we are and suffer the terrible consequences inherent in that decision?
And just for argument sake, let’s hear these immortal and faithful words of Jesus concerning the subject nuh. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) That’s it plain and simple my brethren! You seek God first, make Him and His kingdom your Number One Priority, and He will meet all of your needs!
Like Bruh David said in his most famous writing, Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest). He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:1-4)
And Bruh David could write that stuff friends because he lived, he experienced them. It’s not to say that our lives will always be rosy and without problems, since we live in a fallen, evil world, but if we hang with the Lord, we will come out on top most of the time, and we won’t have to walk around in constant fear, but will be assured and comforted even in the tough times like now. But all I can do is talk, or write – I’m done now – (smile), but everyone has to make their own decision as to the path they are going to follow, and my job is to encourage us to follow Christ, the Lord and Saviour of this world. End of spiel.
And am I ever surprised at the intensity I sometimes feel as the words pour out quicker than I can write them. But I guess that’s because I’m sincere about what I write. (smile) Anyway, for those of us who feel the same way, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Thursday Blessings, letting all and sundry know how blessed we are in Christ our Lord.
Altogether now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And if the Lord thought so much of us that He could give us those blessings undeservedly, then we can think the same of others and share them just as generously. Much LOVE!
…it stands to reason…that only the God who made this world…can save it…
04 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of constant lies, a live coal in his hand, a man of unclean lips, a positive outlook, according as his work shall be, amidst a people of unclean lips, behold I come quickly, Blessed is he, blessed with success, childish inanity, chose our words and action very carefully, Christ's Second Coming, compassionate heart, curse, darkness can never dispel light, divine protection, err, glory to God, great family, hard cold facts of life, hit the nail on the head, keepeth the sayings of the prophecy, my reward is with me, negative word, no legitimate excuse, one of the seraphim, promotion, protect power, Robert Hendrickson, the Holy Spirit, thine iniquity is taken away, this hath touched thy lips, Thursday Blessings, thy sin is purged, to do the impossible, to give to every man, trying in vain, trying to vanquish, unwisely bask in the infamy, wanna be U.S. dictator, what a sorry excuse for a leader, wisdom
Revelation 22:12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
And contrary to the last few days, this Thursday morning in my area has opened bright and sunshiny! Glory to God! There’s not a dark cloud in the sky trying to vanquish the pretty blue ones, unlike our strife filled world where the powers of darkness are fighting madly to overturn the powers of light. Hn! Hn! But has no one ever told them the hard, cold facts of life; that darkness can NEVER dispel light, no matter how hard it tries? Obviously not, else they would not still be trying in vain to do the impossible.
And here’s something that ties in rather nicely with those statements. It’s something a friend sent me yesterday. The Prologue reads: ‘Not gonna lie. I did not expect the read of the year to come from a Priest.’ And whether you agree or not, that’s up to you. But this is apparently what Robert Hendrickson, the Rector of Saint Philip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church wrote.
‘…waving a book he hasn’t read, in front of a church he doesn’t attend, invoking laws he doesn’t understand, against fellow Americans he sees as enemies, wielding a military he dodged serving, to protect power he gained via accepting foreign interference, exploiting fear and anger he LOVES to stoke, after failing to address a pandemic he was warned about, and building it all on a bed of constant lies and childish inanity.’
Oh friends, isn’t that a very precise and exact description of our current wanna be U.S. dictator? What a sorry excuse for a leader! I certainly think the pastor has hit the nail on the head in every direction. But we’re all entitled to our opinions, so I won’t try to force mine on you. (smile)
Ah mih people, too often we attempt to rise to heights of power we don’t understand and we simply cannot handle. And unfortunately, those around us are either too foolish or scared to tell us otherwise, choosing instead to unwisely bask in the infamy that arises from the tarnished and destructive situations and conditions that our unbridled lust for power create. That reminds me of this passage from Isaiah, after he had seen the vision of Almighty God sitting on His heavenly throne:
‘Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone (destroyed); because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ (Is. 6:5) Oh friends, how I wish that many more of us would see the King, and declare like Isaiah, because we are a people of unclean lips! There’s no doubt about that. We have no legitimate excuse for the sinful, irresponsible and disobedient way we talk and act.
And do we ever need to be consecrated like Isaiah! ‘Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.’ (Is. 6:6-7) Yes fellow saints, many of us do need a hot coal on our lips to improve our talk and thoughts.
Oh, I know that we now have the Holy Spirit living in us to do that job, but it’s not working, for gentle persuasion doesn’t seem to be our thing. (smile) We only seem to understand and appreciate an undesirable situation when physical pain is involved, like the hot coal on the lips. But what can I say eh? We all will have to individually account for our words and actions come the judgement day, so it would be wisdom to the nth degree if we chose our words and actions very carefully from now on.
And who knows how much time we have before that fateful day eh? NONE of us! But from the Good Book we do know that the revelation from God to John is true, and that Christ Himself said: ‘Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Revelation).’ (Rev. 22:7) So it’s imperative that RIGHT NOW, we begin preparation for His Second Coming! For He also said: ‘And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’
So again, Christ declares His imminent coming, this time with His rewards, which will depend on our work. So once more, wisdom decrees that if we want to be amongst the risen with Christ, then we need to genuinely believe in and on Him, keep His commandments and for great rewards, do good work! End of sermon!
And our God is so wonderful, so magnificent and magnanimous, that He’s already shared some rewards with those of us who are serious about doing His earthly bidding; we call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s all invoke them in strong voice with sincere hearts now nuh: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
So let’s go out and share those blessings just as generously as the Lord shares them with us. No, I shouldn’t have to remind us of that, but anyway, I’m going to err on the side of caution. (smile) Please have a blessed day, walking hand in hand with Christ! Much LOVE!
…if you sincerely believe…then your lifestyle ought to show it…
27 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a process, a timely word, a tumultuous humanity, a word fitly spoken, acknowledge him, Anselm, aspires to inspire us, cheering on, dangerous times, easily offended, empowered, encouragement, evil world, faith, focused in the right direction, for a better tomorrow, friend, get us offtrack, glorify your father in heaven, glory to God, God's viewpoint, gratitude, have an opinion, have life more abundantly, he shall direct thy paths, honour the Lord, how secure you are, in all thy ways, in line with, keep on learning, lean not, lessons to be learned, let your light shine, like apples of gold, like water off a duck's back, live life your way, marrow to thy bones, naysayers, never go out of style, not a status, pay faithful attention, pictures of silver, pleasing, precious, problems, roll off, saying good words, secure in Christ, see your good works, social media, success, such generosity, sufficency is of God, sufficent of ourselves, supreme opinion, thanks and praise, to live live to the fullest, trust in the Lord, unto thine own understanding, what it take to offend you, with all thine heart, with all thy substance, work towards success
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Aye mih people, it’s a beautiful day in my neighbourhood! We’re alive…Glory to God! Yes, we’ve been granted another day on God’s great earth…Give Him thanks and praise for such generosity! And even better…the ole fella’s up early to write you encouraging words…and the icing on the cake is that my trusty desktop behaved perfectly this morning, no rebellion whatsoever.
Wow! Would the Lord ever be mighty thankful if we could be that obedient! My spelling seems to be somewhat atrocious this morning though, for I made about five mistakes in that last sentence. (smile) And make no doubt about it, the evil one and his cronies are also up and about early, for I just received a phone call purporting to be from my Credit Card Company, warning me that they had stopped some unauthorized payment on my card and I should call such and such a number.
I don’t know why I even answered the phone because I don’t usually answer numbers that I don’t know. But to be on the safe side, I did check out my Credit Card Company and they did not call me. Just goes to show we have to be on our p’s and q’s each moment of every day, because the master of deceit, falsehood and thievery is always on the lookout for a chance to creep into our souls and our business.
Anyway, with our Lord and Saviour constantly riding shotgun with us, there’s no need to worry! Give Him some more thanks and praise, exalt His mighty name! And since it’s Saturday, let’s look at what words of wisdom our friend Anselm had to offer this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Hear this one: ‘People will always have an opinion, but you have to live life the way you want to.’ And that’s no lie, especially in these crazy and dangerous times of social media. But you indeed have to live your life the way you see it, though in line with the way our heavenly Father wants us to live our earthly lives. That is the supreme opinion to which you ought to pay constant and faithful attention.
And then there’s this: ‘Success is a process that continues, not a status that you reach. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned and things you can do.’ Ah mih people, in the first place success from the world’s viewpoint, is definitely not the same as God’s. But in both instances, we have to work towards that successful point, it doesn’t just happen, and once we’re alive, we are supposed to keep on learning, for that’s the whole purpose of being alive! (smile)
What’s the purpose of being alive and not learning anything eh? None whatsoever! It’s ever so important to keep on learning, both what the phony, evil world is really about, and what God’s righteousness calls for. And the next quote highlights that in spades: ‘Saying good words to people will never go out of style. The truth is everybody likes encouragement; everybody likes somebody cheering them on.’ Now that we can all attest to!
And it is the duty of Christians to cheer each other on, as well as non-believers! Cousin Sol says it thus: ‘A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in pictures (settings) of silver.’ (Prov.25:11) and the scholars explain: ’25:11. A timely and fitting word is precious and pleasing.’ And Jesus was all about encouragement, just read His words, and so should His followers be.
But unfortunately there’s way more discouraging words being spoken in this confused and strife-filled world than encouraging ones, and it is the Christian’s job, to get out there and shine, shine, shine, bring light and encouragement to a dark and tumultuous humanity! As Jesus so desperately desires of us: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven’ (Matt.5:16)
And this next quote gives some indication of how we’re doing, re maturing faith. ‘A good sign of how secure you are, is what it takes to “offend” you. The more secure you are, the less offended you get.’ And that’s gospel truth! The more secure we are in Jesus, the more it takes to get us offended. And brother, are we ever easily offended these days!
But just look at Jesus’ example nuh. They said all kinds of rotten and blasphemous things about Him, but He went about His Father’s business nonetheless. He just let it all roll of like water off a duck’s back. He knew whom and whose He was, and His purpose here on earth, so He did not allow the naysayers to get Him off track with their evil words and deeds. And we’ll add this scripture here as a lagniappe. (smile) ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3:5) Let’s remember that friends, it’s all about our dependence on God Almighty!
Now hear this last quote: ‘As you keep your mind and heart focused in the right direction, approaching each day with faith and gratitude, I believe you will be empowered to live life to the fullest and enjoy the abundant life He has promised you.’ Yes my faithful brethren, Christ did come that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) But the important thing, as our quote says, is to be focused in the right direction.
And what is the right direction, you ask? Well I believe that right direction is found in these wonderful and wise words of Cousin Sol. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)
Oh my people, my people, no better direction can be found in all the world than those given there by Cousin Sol! Obviously the Lord inspired them, and if we’d just do those few but all-important things, our lives would be ever so wonderful! Not that we won’t have problems, because this world has natural problems coming out of its kazoo, but we’ll be able to prosper and stand strong in Christ despite them all. So please let’s take those words of Cousin Sol to heart this Saturday morning in July of 2019 nuh, so that our lives will manifest the Saviour to this lost and darkened world! Much LOVE!
…to the true believer…Jesus is our BE ALL…and our END ALL…our EVERYTHING…
26 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a flaming fire, all that is within me, arrogant, benefits, Bless His Holy Name, bless the Lord, crowns thee with loving-kindness, day to day necessities, dependence on god, enlightened age, ephemeral stuff, eternal damnation, fading fast, folish, forgives thine iniquities, froget not all his benefits, get down and dirty, glory to God, hands on the plough, hang tough, heals thy diseases, heartfelt sentiment, hell fire, his minsters, honour, if God be for us, is going to happen to me, laid the foundations of the earth, like the eagle's, loving kindness, Lucifer, makes the clouds his chariot, maketh his angels spirits, not looking back, o my soul, obey, obstinate, practical expereince with god, practical living, prideful, redeems thy life from destruction, reverenced God, servants, something good, talking from hearsay, tender mercies, thanks, the breath of life, the lake of fire, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art very great, thy youth is renewed, to a glorious future with Christ, we will be glad and rejoice in it, Wednesday Wail, well worth it, who can be against us
Psalm 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
And another bright, sunshiny and beautiful morning has dawned! Glory to God! And when you add the promises and LOVING-kindness of Jesus to the mix, one is forced to assuredly proclaim: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) As well as: ‘The Lord will supply ALL of my needs through his riches in glory, through Christ our Lord and Saviour.’ (Phil.4:19)
And that will just strengthen our resolve to declare: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord.’ (Josh.24:15) And that can only mean that ‘If God be for us, who can be against us eh?’ (Rom.8:31) Not a single, solitary soul! So from all of that assurance and confidence in the name of Jesus Christ, I therefore expect something good to happen to me today, and that something good is also going to happen through me today!
Oh friends, what a wonderful God we serve, I can’t help but exalt His holy name and sing His awesome praise for His everlasting mercy, grace and faithfulness to us undeserving children of men! And if we truly believe all of that, then we have to exalt the Lord like Bruh David did in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.’
Wow friends! We can’t go wrong if we follow Bruh David’s words, though not necessarily his actions, (smile) because he was a mortal man just like us and made mistakes. But his words and his reflection and dependence on the God of his forefathers were most excellent.
Hear how he continues exalting the Lord in the psalm nuh. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:2-5)
And please note there my brethren that Bruh David is not thanking God for fanciful, dreamy, ephemeral stuff, but solid, down to earth, day-to-day necessities for living. And He’s not talking from hearsay either, but from real and practical experience with God! Likewise, if we are in good relationship with our heavenly Father, we will also enjoy the fruit of his mercy and goodness!
Consequently, we should also appreciate and give thanks for it all. But unfortunately, the word ‘thanks’ is fading fast from our vocabulary in this current world, just like the word ‘God.’ And even when we say thanks, it’s often not heartfelt, but a simple mouthing of a word, something that’s expected of us.
Ah friends, the standards of our world have fallen so low and keep falling lower everyday, that I can’t comprehend what they will be like fifty years from now. Just look at what they were fifty years ago, and what they are now nuh. As different as day from night. And certainly not better…at least in my humble opinion. But enough of me, (smile) let’s continue singing God’s praises.
Hear how the psalmist exalts the Lord in Psalm 104 – God’s preservation of nature. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty: Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Who layeth the beams of his (upper) chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers (servants) a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.’ (Ps.104:1-5)
Yes my fellow saints of God, that’s how the old timers reverenced their God! Do we even come close to that sort of thing in this supposedly enlightened age? Of course not! We’re too busy to take the time to get down and dirty with our wonderful God, and too often just pay Him a quick ‘thank you’ in passing, or mouth a ‘how great is our God,’ without the necessary heartfelt sentiment.
But please remember and note Bruh David’s words my people: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps.103:2) Yes friends, WE are the ones who benefit when we remember and pay attention to and praise and live obediently to the will of God! We not doing God anything, except break His heart, when we refuse to honour and obey Him.
He might be unhappy with our choice of the devil over Him, but in the long run, He’s not going to suffer damnation and hell fire. It’s us, mere foolish and prideful, obstinate and arrogant mortals who will be thrown into the lake of fire with the oh so foolish Lucifer, who had it all going for him, like we do, but instead chose to try and overthrow God. What a fool!
Anyway, now that we know better, (smile) let’s go home this beautiful Wednesday morning, bursting with joy and thanksgiving in the Lord, as we truthfully declare our position in Him, through our Wednesday Wail. What a mouthful! (smile) All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me friends, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! So please hang tough in Christ! It will be well worth it! Much LOVE!
…if you believe God created all there is…then you ought to give Him plenty thanks…
22 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a sound mind, a spirit of fear, angry, Anselm, antidote, anxiety, anxious, aspire to inspire us, assume negative intent, be careful for nothing, be made known unto God, beginning of summer, but in everything, by prayer, Christians, complexities, depressing life circumstances, don't make a decision when you're angry, Emotional Quotient, feeling sorry for themselves, glory to God, handle life, in perfect peace, is stayed on thee, Jesus Christ at the helm, keep our focus on god, let your requests, most positive people, obese, of love, our minds, overweight, perpetrators of doom and gloom, positive intent, power, practical circumstance, putting yourself down, reasoning, righteousness, Satan's most successful tools, seek ye first the kingdom of God, supplication, the battlefield for our souls, the Holy Spirit, the mire of life, the presence of Christ in our lives, thou wilt keep him, wallowing in negative thinking, whose mind, wisdom, with great aplomb, with thanksgiving, worry
Isaiah 26:3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Oh, it was a pretty good official beginning of summer yesterday! It wasn’t hot, hot, hot, (smile) but it was sunny and a decent temperature, somewhere in the low twenties. But according to the weatherman, it’s going to be warm and rainy the next week or so, even with some thunderstorms thrown in for good measure! But that’s nothing new! It’s been the norm for the last li’l while. (smile)
So we can handle it with great aplomb, just like we handle everything else the enemy throws at us, with Jesus’ help of course, as we confidently declare. Chuh man! It looks like I can’t spell the word ‘declare’ and it’s various parts even if my life depended upon it! But I spelt it right there though! Glory be! So let’s declare then (right ho!). ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil.4:13)
Now that’s the only reason why we are able to handle life and all its complexities with great aplomb; because of the presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in our lives, operating as the Holy Spirit. Glory to God for his wonderful doings in the lives of the children of men! But enough suh-so suh-so, (smile) some people are waiting this glorious looking Saturday morning to hear what our friend Anselm had to say in his quotes this past week, as he sincerely aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Hear this first one: ‘When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response.’ Now that’s mostly true. I think though that the first line should read: ‘When you’re angry, you assume negative intent,’ because when you’re negative it doesn’t always mean that you’re angry. You can certainly be negative without being angry. But making a decision when you’re angry is the worst thing you can do. The only decision to make then is to decide to make none at all!
Then there’s this one that fits into the same category as the last. ‘People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom.’ For sure! Our society certainly focuses too much on what’s wrong, rather than on what’s right, on what we’ve lost, rather than on what we still have! That only leads us to being perpetrators of an overall doom and gloom attitude, which just drives us further down into the mire of life.
We need to be as positive as we can in this life, and Christians should be the most positive people on the planet because we have the best life, both here on earth and in the future going for us with Jesus Christ at the helm! But unfortunately, in too many instances, Christians turn out to be some of the most negative and feeling sorry for themselves people on the planet.
But here is a practical circumstance that many of us fall into because of our wallowing in negative thinking. ‘Stop allowing yourself to focus on depressing life circumstances – including focusing on being depressed about your weight. All this negative focus will only lead you to feeling bummed and wanting to pig out. Instead, consciously focus on happy life circumstances you enjoy doing, and create more of them.’
Now this sense of weight insecurity is rampant in our society today, and granted many of us need to lose a lot of weight because there are definitely too many overweight and obese people in our society. But the right way to go about it is not to get overly worried and negative since that attitude will only make matters worse. The most important thing there is to first accept the fact that you are overweight and seriously decide to do something about it, without putting yourself down.
Because, here’s what happens when we give into the negative circumstances in life: ‘Worry and reasoning are two of Satan’s most successful tools. He’ll get us started with one negative thought and then sit back and watch us finish ourselves off.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! Remember the battlefield for our souls is our minds, and once the enemy is able to inject one false or negative thought there, then it’s downhill all the way after that!
And that’s why Isaiah so rightly and wisely proclaimed in his hymn of praise: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ Yeh friends, when we keep our focus on God, He keeps our minds in good, positive and godly functioning.
That’s also why Jesus recommended to the throng during the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) The Lord knows what we need and want before we even do, and He’s sincerely and faithfully promised that if we keep Him first in our lives, make Him the Number ONE priority, then He will look after us in spades!
Likewise, Bruh Paul told the Philippians thus: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:6-7) And that my friends is wisdom of the utmost proportions!
And we’ll close with these marvellous words of truth from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’ (2 Tim.1:7) Please my people, let’s use that sound mind that God has given us nuh! Much LOVE!
…for ALL anxiety…the antidote is…simply prayer with thanksgiving…
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