28 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: . the pain of loneliness, a human soul, Abide in me, agent, ask what ye will, bless your Holy Name, bring forth much fruit, cannot bear fruit of itself, cast forth, cast into the fire, compassionate heart, created us, curse, DETERMINATION, disciple, divine protection, eased up on the pedal, embrace Jesus, eternal separation, evil, except it abide in the vine, fierce pride, glorify the Father, God's kingdom, hell fire and damnation, hooking up, I am the vine, I love and adore you, in His own image, intercession, Jesus, LOVE, magnificent carthorse, make a difference, negative word, New Year's resolution, our broken down wagons, our legacy, positive outlook, promotion, prosper, self-discipline, strong walk with Jesus, success, take Jesus more seriously, Thank You Lord, thankfulness, the branch, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, the only antidote, the worst thing, Thursday Blessings, ungodliness, walking closer with Jesus, withered, without me, ye are the branches, ye can do nothing, zeppo
John 15:4. 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.
Well it’s pretty white out there still, but the snow seems to have abated…till when who knows? But thankfully, I did not have to go into the city and face the mess yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I was all prepared to do it, but during the mid morning hours when the stuff just kept falling my resolve began to weaken, (smile) and I got the bright idea…or rather the Holy Spirit gave me a zeppo to call the clinic and find out how early I could get another appointment if I cancelled that one?
Obviously I could not find a living soul to talk to since in this age of modern communications less people are answering phones, it’s all artificial intelligence. (smile) But I left a message…then waited and waited for an answer. None came until an hour before I had to leave home. The lady offered me an appointment for next week and I gladly took it, thanking her effusively, then I gave more effusive thanks and praise to our wonderful God for His timely intercession.
Isn’t our God wonderful people? But certainly! Though His timing could be just a li’l less ‘just in time.’ (smile) The things He does for us eh, when He doesn’t have to. He could have very well said yesterday, ‘No let him go and experience the struggle out there and let it purify and strengthen him!’(smile) But instead, in His omniscience, He saw that I might not have been able to handle it, it was just too much for me to bear, so He mercifully and graciously eased up on the pedal!
But whatever the reason, believe me friends, the ole fella is exceedingly glad and thankful that I did not have to go into the city yesterday, especially after some of the horrible stories I heard. ‘Thank You Lord, Thank You! I LOVE and adore and exalt You even more today than yesterday! Bless Your holy name! I give you thanks and praise from the very depths of my being! Help me to live the life that You’ve planned for me and run a good and strong race! In Jesus’ name I pray! Amen!’
Now enough about me and my thankfulness! (smile) Let’s turn to a more important subject on this last day of February; that of how we are doing with our New Year’s Resolution two months into the year? And some of you must be wondering, ‘what New Year’s Resolution is he talking about eh?’ The one that we made, on January the first, namely to walk closer with Jesus this year! I guess if we have to shrug our shoulders and jiggle our minds to remember it, then most likely we have not been doing it?
Ah friends, what do we have to do to get us to take Jesus more seriously than we’re currently doing eh? Our world is falling apart under the tremendous evil and ungodliness that’s bearing down on it, and a strong and certain walk with Jesus is the ONLY antidote to save us from hell fire and damnation! If we continue the way we’re going, our world is going to blow up, both literally and figuratively, at some stage of the game!
And is that what we want? Is that the legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren? Certainly not! Well then the only option we have to prevent that disaster is to embrace Jesus and ALL He stands for with a fierce pride and determination, for He is the ONLY One who can help us make a sincere and satisfactory difference!
As He said so clearly to the disciples, and consequently to us: ‘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.’ Wow! What can be clearer than that eh friends? But as is Jesus’ wont, He goes on to explain in greater detail: ‘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)
Mama Mia! What a powerful statement of truth is that last clause, my fellow believers! Without Christ we can do nothing! And whoever thinks otherwise is just fooling themselves! For as Jesus explains: ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:6) Yeah friends, that’s what’s going to eventually happen when the Lord sets up His judgement court.
And believe me, that day will surely come, when all those who don’t believe will be cast out into eternal separation from the Holy Trinity, which I’ve often said is the very worst thing that can happen to a human soul! And the only way to avoid that rather disastrous ending is to do as Jesus says: ‘If ye abide in me (be my agent, my disciple), and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath LOVED me, so have I LOVED you: continue (abide) ye in my LOVE!’ (John 15:7-9)
Oh friends, remember our major job down here on earth is to let others know about God’s kingdom and thereby glorify the Father who created us in His own image. And the ONLY WAY we can accomplish that is by hooking up our broken down wagons to the magnificent and powerful carthorse that’s Jesus! So let’s wake up, let’s be wise and get with Jesus’ programme nuh. That’s our only hope!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Thursday Blessings that our Lord and God have so magnanimously bestowed on us to help us do our job, spread His Holy Word and glorify His Holy Name! All together now, in strong voice and sincere sense of purpose with thanksgiving: ‘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!’
The next step is to go out and share those blessings, while staying attached to the vine so we can bear good fruit! Much LOVE!
…please remember…that Jesus is the Way…the Truth…the Life…the Light…and the Only avenue to the Father…
P.S. Yeah, it’s sorta long, but we can’t always deal in short, since short does not always convey the full message. (smile) Much LOVE!
12 May 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a plan, abyndant life, added unto you, all these things, always something, Anselm, basking on the mountaintop, be happy, being alive, big happenings, bitterness, can't serve two masters, celebrate life, challenges, characteristic, charles stanley, comfort me, confusion, constant seeking, difficult life, disobedience, enjoy your life, faithful promise, friend, God guides, God provides, God's faithful help, God's kingdom, Hawaiian volcano, hypothetical problems, I will fear no evil, immortal words, inspire us, leave all the consequences, life is peaks and valleys, LOVE, major priority, material, naughty antics, negative attitude, obey God, positive attitude, praise, price to pay, responsibly handled, righteousness, roller coaster ride, rough times, Saturday, seek god's plan, seek ye first, sleeping in, small things, spiritual, stay as even as possible, strife, strong faith, succeed at, sufficient unto the day, take not though for the morrow, the evil, the kingdom of God, the rest is history, the shadow of death, the valley, thou art with me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff, trouble, you can do
Matthew 6:33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
‘Sleeping in, sleeping in, sleeping in late on a somewhat cloudy Saturday morning!’ Yeh friends, the ole fella slept in this morning. But what’s the point of being alive if you can’t participate once in a while in some naughty antics eh? (smile) It really wasn’t planned though. I just happened to get up around six, as hungry as ever, and came down and had something to eat. Obviously, after that I had to go back and lie down. And the rest is history. (smile)
Oh friends, there is so much strife and confusion and bitterness and anger going on all over our world that I don’t know what to comment on. So I’ll just stay with the volcano in Hawaii. At least that’s not a man made disaster. But it does seem to be getting worse rather than better. So let’s keep on praying for them and helping as best we can nuh.
And since it’s Saturday, let’s take a look at some quotes from our friend Anselm, who truly aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Here is the first one: ‘However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.’
And that’s quite true people. The Lord has prepared a plan for each of our lives, with the wherewithal to be successful at it. So there is something out there for each of us to successfully accomplish. But it means we have to seek God’s plan for our individual life and proceed to put it into operation.
And the second one says: ‘The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.’ Another particle of truth friends! It’s just the way life works. When we celebrate life, life celebrates us back in return, by giving us more stuff to celebrate. It’s just the positive attitude versus the negative one.
And I believe that not enough of us celebrate the things we do, especially the small ones, falsely thinking that only big, momentous happenings are worthy of being celebrated. But if that’s true, then we’ll very seldom celebrate, because most of us don’t have many big happenings in our lives. Amen!
Then there is: ‘All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.’ Yes my brethren, life is like a roller coaster ride; up one side, then down the other. But the trick to living it successfully is to stay as even as possible.
And remember when we are basking on the mountaintop, not to get too full of ourselves, because at some point in the future we WILL be heading for the valley. And when we hit the valley, just remember Bruh David’s immortal words; ‘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.23:4)
Ah my fellow believers, that’s ever so important for us to remember and put into practice, because in the valleys we will experience some very rough times, and it’s only our strong faith and God’s faithful help that will bring us back up to the mountain top.
And the last quote declares: ‘The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.’
Now I want to question that somewhat. Happiness does matter but is that the main reason for us being on earth. I doubt it. It’s true that Jesus said he came that we might have abundant life and enjoy it to the full. (John 10:10) But more importantly, He also said we shouldn’t be overly concerned with the needs of our lives, because we can’t serve two masters at once. (Matt.6:24-32)
‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’
There you have it my fellow believers; our most important action on this fragile and confusing earth. Seeking and searching, and knocking and finding God’s kingdom here on earth is our first and major priority. And the beauty of it all, is when we do that sincerely, everything else will fall into place. That’s Jesus’ faithful promise!
That’s why Jesus continues: ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow (do not worry about tomorrow): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the is the evil (trouble) thereof.’ (Matt.6:34)
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘6:33-34. This portion of the Sermon on the Mount is summarized by seek ye first the kingdom of God. The disciples who have pledged their allegiance to the King must continue seeking the kingdom and its righteousness. The present imperative form of the verb (Gr. zeteo) indicates a continual or constant seeking. The contrast between the spiritual and the material is again emphasized.
The believer is to seek first the righteousness that is characteristic of God’s kingdom, and then all these things (material thing) shall be added to him. When our priority is spiritual, God will take care of the material, for where God guides, He provides.
We need not even worry about tomorrow, for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. This means that each day has its own troubles and challenges to be responsibly handled, without worrying about the hypothetical problems that could arise tomorrow.’
Oh my people, I don’t know how it could be stated any simpler nuh. But regardless of how many times we hear it, too many of us still seek the things of the world before the things of God. Remember though friends, there is always a price to pay for disobedience, and sometimes it can be quite high. So to him who has an ear to hear, let him hear. Much LOVE!
…in the immortal words of Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley)…our wisest action is to…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
05 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a hot date, abominable sins, aches and pains, addiction, belief in Jesus, blood test, boast, challenge, Christ is the way, crash and burn, cursed, earthly wealth, eternally grateful, evil thoughts and actions, favour, getting old, give to God a ransom, glad to be alive, God's kingdom, good works, halfway home, hanged on a tree, heaven, Jesus Christ, live righteously, Lucifer, of the spirit, on the wrong foot, only One, open the doors, our heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour, possessions, ransom, receive the promise, redeem, redeem his brother, redemption, refresh our souls, relationship with Jesus, riches, see God's face, thanks, the blessing of abraham, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the curse of the law, the fires of hell, the Gentiles, the Life, the multitude of riches, the Truth, the wicked, through faith, trust in jesus, trust in wealth, undeserving children of men, Wednesday Wail, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, what starts our wrong ends right, when the roll is called up yonder
Psalm 49:6-7. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.
Oh friends, I surely hope that the old adage that states what starts wrong turns our right is true yes, because my day certainly got off on the wrong foot.
I got up early, partly because of some aches and pains in the ole body, then discovered that a blood test I had planned to take in the afternoon actually stated early morning. So I got myself together and rushed out to the nearby lab, which opens at eight.
But lo and behold when I got there at seven forty five, there were already people sitting inside waiting, and a line that ran from the desk, all through the office and halfway up the corridor.
Steups! No way was I going to get blood work done early enough to satisfy the doctor’s request, with at least twenty people before me. So I just turned around and came back home. And that’s actually to your benefit, because you’ll get the Bit earlier than if I had stayed at the lab. (smile)
Ah mih people, it’s certainly a challenge getting old yes, because you don’t know what aches and pains and illnesses will suddenly show up at some unexpected time. (smile)
But yuh know what, in spite of all the challenges, I’m still glad to be alive and I give our heavenly Father plenty, plenty thanks for keeping me going, as He also helps me handle the challenges that come against me.
And I’ll say it one more time: What a wonderful God we serve and worship my faithful brethren! There’s none LIKE Him anywhere else in this whole wide world! Please give Him some thanks and praise for being so wonderful to the undeserving children of men!
That brings us to our Bit. ‘They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.’
And we all know that to be indisputable truth, yet many of us still strive for the riches of this world, hoping that it will bring them salvation. Chuh! What a foolish generation we have raised my people!
All throughout the Good Book we’re told that the wicked will not see God’s face, for their abominable sins will cause them to crash and burn in the fires of hell. But yet many of us still insist on participating in downright evil thoughts and actions.
Friends, there is no salvation in either an addiction to procuring earthly wealth or to be a proponent of evil, for you will take none of the wealth with you, and your evil deeds will only get you a hot date with Lucifer.
And when we talk about redemption, there’s ONLY ONE who can redeem; that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And yuh see the exorbitant price He had to pay to redeem us: enormous shame and excruciating death on the cross.
As Bruh Paul told the Galatians: ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made (having become) a curse for us: for it is written, CURSED IS EVERY ONE THAT HANGETH ON A TREE:’ (Gal.3:13)
Yeh friends, Bruh Paul is there quoting Deuteronomy 21:23. Please look it up. And why did Jesus take this curse upon Himself for us?
Hear Bruh Paul to the Galatians again: ‘That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.’ (Gal.3:14)
So yuh see my brethren, if Christ had not borne our sins on the cross at Calvary, we, as Gentiles, would not have received the promise of Abraham, and would have been completely shut out of God’s wonderful and generous favour.
That means we have to be eternally grateful to Jesus and live the righteous way He wants us to live. Even if we have been graced with a lot of earthly wealth, it is still very important for us to live a clean and righteous life. Why?
Because when the roll is called up yonder, our earthly wealth will mean absolutely nothing, unless we have used it to help propagate God’s kingdom here on earth. And even then, though our good works down here will bring heavenly rewards, it’s our sincere belief in Jesus that will open the doors of heaven for us.
So friends, I implore us to stop focusing on the wealth and possessions of this evil world, and instead to focus on our attachment to Jesus, develop a strong and enduring relationship with Him, because that is what will ensure our eternal life with Him!
And now, having heard all these truths re our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and having them refresh our souls and spirits, let’s go home announcing to the world our sincere faith and trust in Him, by declaring our Wednesday Wail with plenty enthusiasm and much chutzpah. (smile)
Wailing: ‘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!’
Oh friends, that’s the answer to all our problems right there; a wonderful present and future relationship with Jesus! Much LOVE!
…only Jesus saves…only Jesus redeems…only Jesus can open the door to heaven…that’s why He is indeed…the Way, the Truth and the Life…
20 Feb 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over you head, accused, and know my heart, aura of love, Beelzebub, blessed, Canada, choirmaster, Christians, compassionate, confidence, David, dread, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, faith, Family day, fate, favour, fellowship of faith, forgiveness, forgiving, friends, God's kingdom, grace, Granny's advice, heavenly Father, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, if there be any wicked way in me, innocence, integrity, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, judge me, know my anxious thoughts, lead me in the way everlasting, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, motives, nice thread to wear, peace, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, scowl, search me O God, should not eat, sincere, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the truth will set you free, trust, truth, try me, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work, workers
Psalm 139:23-24. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
And then it was Monday, the day that so many of us workers dread. But technically speaking friends, there’s no need to fear Mondays; that’s if we have used the weekend the right way and gotten enough rest and strength from our weekly fellowship of faith. But if instead we have abused the weekend, then we will be grouchy and miserable and don’t want to get up to go to work.
Some of us in Canada are lucky, or rather blessed, because we don’t have to go to work today, because it’s a Provincial Holiday. Good ole Canada!
But for those of you who have to go work, please look at the situation this way nuh. As Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thess.3:10)
So it’s quite okay if you don’t want to work, but just remember that you won’t be eating either, and eventually you won’t have a roof over your head either… or nice threads to wear… (smile) So what’s your choice eh?
Hopefully that lights a fire under us this Monday morning and gets us moaning and groaning out of the bed and up and about. And to further encourage us, we have this antidote for the Monday morning blues, it’s called our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so let’s sing it out with much verve and enthusiasm and thus raise our adrenaline level.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Oh friends, that wasn’t too bad, our choirmaster, Jesus didn’t scowl…but neither did He smile, because He knew that the loudest and most raucous voices were coming from the Canadians who did not have to work today.
And we Canadians, please, please, as we celebrate Family Day, or whatever it’s called in your Province, remember Granny’s advice: Drunk or sober, please mind yuh business. And don’t give Beelzebub a chance to get a toehold in your affairs, since it’s always so much trouble to get rid of him, and he can do an awful lot of damage in a short space of time.
But one of the ways to get rid of him is to do as Bruh David does in our Bit, cry out to our God in all sincerity: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my (anxious) thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’
Yes my fellow believers, the easiest way to handle any problems at all in our lives, regardless of what they might be, is to go to our heavenly Father with them. But we have to be sincere, for remember He doesn’t just listen to our words, but digs deep into our hearts to discover our real motives. And if they are sincere, He will NEVER turn us away, but tenderly lead and guide us to where He wants us to go. That’s the beauty of our wonderful Father – ever LOVING, kind, compassionate, forgiving and merciful!
No wonder Bruh David kept going back to Him, time and again, when he found himself in trouble, whether of his own causing or not. Listen to him from Psalm 143 – Teach me to do thy will. He soulfully declares: ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee (take cover) unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken (revive) me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off (put an end to) mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.’ (Ps.143:9-12)
Oh friends, if our heart is right, how can our merciful and graceful God not respond favourably to such an outpouring of anguish eh? Bruh David knew this principle that’s why he successfully received favour from God. Hear him again from Psalm 26 – Examine me, O Lord, and prove me.
This time he cries out: ‘Judge (vindicate) me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide (slip). Examine me, O Lord, and prove (try) me; try my reins (test my mind) and my heart. For thy LOVING-kindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.’ (Ps.26:1-3)
Ah mih people, like Job when he was wrongfully accused by his friends, Bruh David seems to have suffered the same fate, and cried out in innocence to his heavenly Father. No reason why we can’t do likewise, provided it’s the truth. Much LOVE!
…in God’s kingdom…the truth will ALWAYS set you free…
13 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leap of faith, anger, assurance, backsliders, bless, bring others to Christ, Bruh David, contrition, covenant, dive in heart first, encouragement, encouraging, faith, fasting, friends, God is full of compassion, God is gracious, God's glorious majesty, God's glory, God's kingdom, God's power, heavenly wisdom, iniquities, Israel, long-suffering, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, obedience, obeisance, pardon, patient teacher, personal relationship with Christ, personal testimony, project our faith, redemption, rend your heart, repentance, reverence, saints, seek the Lord, shout of praise, sins, slow to anger, step up to the plate, takes two to tango, terrible mess, testify, the Good Book, The Lord's the greatest., trust, truth, unbelievers, undeniable truth, unrighteous man, wicked man, wisdom, word to the wise
Psalm 145:8. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.
Oh Friends, our God is definitely the greatest yes! And I’m saying that for the umpteenth time because yesterday, after writing that I had nothing to say, was bereft of words, He kindly informed me that believers ALWAYS have something to say. And when I didn’t understand, like a patient teacher, He gently explained that whenever our mental apparatus shuts down, we can always testify.
Obviously I chuckled at hearing that information, but people, there is logic to it. We might not be able to come up with any new, fanciful stuff to enthral our listeners, but our personal testimony, what the Lord has already done in our lives, and is currently doing, doesn’t change or ever grow stale.
And in fact, personal testimony is the best way to project our faith, to bring others to Christ. We can know the Good Book from cover to cover, but that information is useless to all and sundry unless some aspect or aspects of it are occurring in our lives. That’s why it’s called a personal relationship with Christ.
The tough part though is that you cannot find out what Jesus is all about until you get personally involved with Him. That’s where faith and trust come in – plenty of both. And that’s why they call getting involved with Jesus a leap of faith! You don’t know what’s going to happen, because He has different plans for each of us, but you’re nonetheless willing to dive in heart first.
As they say, you can’t learn to swim in shallow water, it must be deep enough for you to manoeuvre properly. So anyway, we now know that when our word source dries up, we can testify. (smile)
That brings us to our warm, wonderful and most encouraging Bit. ‘The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion: slow to anger, and of great mercy.’ And all God’s people gave Him a big shout of praise!
But that’s not all Friends, for Bruh David continues: ‘The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.’ (Ps.145:9) Even more assurance there Friends!
But here’s where our endeavours come in. ‘All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power, To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.’ (Ps.145:10-12)
Now that’s where we have to step back and view the reality of the current situation my brethren. Are we, God’s saints, speaking of His majesty and power, of His glorious kingdom, and also letting men know about His mighty acts down through the ages?
I strongly believe that we’re not doing it to the best of our ability, otherwise there wouldn’t be as many backsliders and unbelievers, and consequently our world wouldn’t be in the terrible mess that it’s in.
Now let’s turn to some scripture that confirms our Bit. The psalmist in Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord – says with much wisdom and truth. ‘Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:7-8)
What glorious words of encouragement, my brethren! There’s certainly no doubting them!
Meanwhile, Isaiah, in chapter 55, God’s free offer of mercy to all, he also reassuringly declares: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is.55:6-7)
Then, in one of the many instances when Israel was backsliding, the Lord commanded Jeremiah: ‘Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger (remain angry) for ever.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers (favours to foreign deities) under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.3:12-13)
Please note Friends, that it’s all well and good to come back to God, but we must acknowledge our transgressions with sincere repentance, and He will know it by searching our hearts.
And here are two verses from Psalm 86, where Bruh David is entreating the Lord to teach him to pray. ‘For thou Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee… But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.’ (Ps.86: 5,15) Bruh David certainly knew what he was talking about from personal experience.
Now listen to Joel, with a call to fasting and more repentance. ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And rend (tear) your heart, and not your garments, and turn (return) unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (LOVING-kindness), and repenteth him of the evil (relents from doing harm.’ (Joel 2:12-13)
Ah mih people, NO OTHER GOD shows such grace and mercy towards repentant sinners!
Now here’s a note from the scholars I think we should share. ‘2:12-13. The customary way a Jew showed his grief was to tear his outer garment. This external sign could be meaningless. The tearing of the outer garment is useless, unless the heart is broken in repentance and contrition.’
And that’s the undeniable truth Friends! So though our God is wonderful, with all those glowing attributes, we still need to show Him true reverence, obeisance and obedience. For as the old people would say; it takes two to tango. We can’t expect to reap all of God’s goodness without doing our part. But sadly that’s the way a lot of us, supposed believers behave.
We must remember Friends that we’re in a covenant relationship with Almighty God, our Creator, Controller and Provider, and right now we need to step up to the plate and become better keepers of that covenant, for we are definitely backsliding. And as we’ve seen in all our scriptures, the Lord is only too willing to forgive and forget, if we turn back to Him in sincere repentance and heartfelt contrition. That’s heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…a word to the wise is sufficient…
16 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, adrenalin flowing, assurance, aura of love, battle, bending ears, Bible Study, blessed, change for the better, Colorado, confidence, constantly in thy mouth, counsel of the ungodly, diabetic coma, enemy's ranks, enthusiasm, faith, floods, glorious kingdom, God's kingdom, God's Word, good news, greedy, heavenly Father, high on the hog, holy spirit, in the way of sinners, invincible, Jean and Dinah, Jesus Christ, jobs, joyful lips, keep on trying, keeping families together, laggards, lazy, lead and guide, lies, Lord and Saviour, Lord bless you, lord god almighty, LOVE, meditate, Mighty Sparrow, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, new week of work, not afraid, partying, pinnacle of living, promise, prosperity, rejoice, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, reverence, rivers of water, satisfies the thirsty soul, scripture do the talking, selfish, shadow of God's wings, Slinger Francisco, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, success, sure conquerors, surrender, the righteous, weekend, weekend habits, wicked taunts, wiles, worthwhile inroads
Joshua 1:8. This book of the law shall not depart (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Oh mih Friends, check out this story nuh!
As the young lady steps out her front door, she sees her elderly neighbour sitting on her porch next door. ‘Morning Miss Mavis!’ she greets in a bright and friendly voice.
‘Mornin’ Neighbuh!’ the older woman replies. Then noticing that her young friend was already dressed for work, she continues in a slightly sarcastic but pleasant tone. ‘But what a way yuh early this Monday morning chile!’
The younger woman laughs and says: ‘Yuh notice nuh! But this weekend I decided to take it easy, no setta partying and such. I even went to bed early last night, and so was able to get up early. Ah just tired being so tired and late every Monday morning, so I’m trying a different tack this week. And for once I want to be on time for the Bible Study they have at work every Monday morning. I’m always getting there when they almost finish. Steups! Ah feel so bad.’
‘Good for you mih chile!’ Miss Mavis says with an accompanying laugh. ‘But a good night’s rest does wonders for both yuh body and yuh soul. So just keep it up, and you’ll soon see a real change for the better, in all aspects of yuh life.’
‘Thank you, Miss Mavis,’ the young lady replies. ‘I’m trying…’
‘Well just keep on trying mih girl,’ is the older woman’s advice.
‘Thank you Miss Mavis,’ comes the answer.
‘And the Lord bless you, as you go on your way this morning,’ Miss Mavis adds.
‘Thanks Miss M,’ the young lady replies, stepping off down the sidewalk to catch the oncoming bus.
Ah mih people, how many of us have recently adopted that young lady’s approach to Monday eh? I hope quite a few, because it’s the only wise and sensible way to begin your work week. Now let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get the adrenalin and faith flowing. In strong voice, as a heavenly choir.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was a very hearty rendition mih people! Obviously some of the laggards have changed their weekend habits, (smile) and that ought to get us off and running to a fine start.
Before we get to our Bit though, I want to encourage us to pray first for those unfortunate folks in parts of Colorado in the U.S. who have suddenly been hit by some rather serious flooding this past weekend. Ah Lord eh! When is not one disaster, is another yes!
And please pray also for the greatest entertainer to ever come out of the West Indies, Slinger Francisco, better known as the Mighty Sparrow, Calypsonian extraordinaire. Apparently, instead of rumours of his demise, he’s actually in a diabetic coma in New York. Sparrow’s been entertaining the world for at least half a century, starting with hits like Jean and Dinah, Melda – Obeah Woman, and many others, too numerous to mention here.
Now let’s check out our Bit. ‘This book of the law shall not depart (shall be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou may observe to do all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’
Yes Friends, it’s that simple! If we study God’s Word and live by it, then we’ll eventually be warmly greeted by prosperity and success. And the good news is that I won’t be bending your ears this morning. (smile) We’re just going to let the scripture, do the talking, re meditating on God’s Word.
And where better to begin than Psalm 1; Blessed are the righteous. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps.1:1-3)
Oh mih breddren, mih breddren, what a wonderful scripture, just chocked full of promise – if we do our part by pondering on the Lord’s law, then faithfully living it! We really can’t ask for more than that. But being the lazy, greedy, selfish animal man has become, we all expect to live high on the hog without doing anything to deserve it. But unfortunately it doesn’t work like that in God’s kingdom.
And we’ll end with these wonderful words of faith and assurance from Bruh David, taken from Psalm 63, God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings I will rejoice.’ (Ps.63:5-7)
Oh Friends, I couldn’t put it any better than that! So in closing, I’ll just pray that for all of us whom the Lord has helped and is still helping, that we’ll continue rejoicing in the shadow of His awesome wings. That’s the very pinnacle in living, be it here on earth, or in heaven above! Much LOVE!
…those who don’t LOVE and revere the Father…really don’t know what they’re missing nuh…
23 Nov 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: animalistic behaviour, Black Friday, callaloo, commercial culture, curry crab, evil doings, Friday chant, giving thanks, God's kingdom, heartache, pain, perish, rejoicing, righteous, suffering, TGIF!, undeniable truth, wicked, wreaking havoc
Proverbs 11:10. When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! The Friday that’s now becoming known as ‘Black Friday’, the day after the U.S. Thanksgiving. As usual, the U.S is busy exporting its very commercial culture, and sadly it’s now wreaking havoc in Canada. It’s forcing the local merchants to get into the nonsense too, having sales the same day, trying to match U.S. prices, to stop Canadians form cross border shopping, which takes a lot of money out of our economy. And as usual, it’s moving from the sublime to the ridiculous! What began a few years ago as early Friday morning shopping, has now morphed into late Thursday night shopping. That means you can’t even enjoy your Thanksgiving Day in peace, but have to rush through it, so you can get to the store and line up hours before it opens. And you wouldn’t like to see the wild, animalistic behaviour we put down; rushing and shoving and behaving real foolish. Ah Lord eh! Instead of mankind becoming more sensible and god-like with all the advances and amenities with which we’re blessed, we’re becoming dumber, more stupid and very evil minded. Oh fellow believers, please, let’s pray that this stupid, ignorant, evil behaviour that’s now clouding our world doesn’t go to its logical end – self-destruction – but someday soon we’ll come to our senses and, once and for all time, repudiate Lucifer and his evil doings, and find the God of our fathers once again. Anyway, some people are still joyfully shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Therefore let’s chant our Friday Chant to enable us to put the weekend in its proper perspective. As one vociferous, but harmonious choir now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, that should cause us to tone down the weekend some, bring a modicum of circumspection to our activities. And the ole fella’s still giving plenty thanks, as I continue to write from the porch of my cosy cottage in Store Bay. I didn’t do much yesterday; slept out most of the day. I guess the body was really tired from the steady spate of activities since Monday. But I did get a dip in the salt after the sun set, and again, while floating in cross-like fashion, and looking up at the half moon, gave heartfelt thanks to our wonderful God for all His marvellous blessings. Oh Friends, I could really get addicted to that habit yes! (smile) And to raise the excitement, I bought some curry crab and dumpling with some T&T callaloo thrown in at a food booth at the Bay. Oh my people, was it ever tasty! The ‘nana’ (gravy from the curry crab) tasted like manna from heaven, just like I remembered it! Then late at night, while flipping through the channels on the t.v. I came across the movie ‘Jesus of Nazareth’; an old Franco Zeferrelli production that hooked me. I hadn’t heard the Word for a few days, and regardless of how much you read it for yourself, hearing it takes you to another dimension, so to speak. It was so moving that at times it brought unbidden tears to my eyes. Surprisingly too, it’s the first movie I’ve watched in ages. Consider it then, another of our God’s mysterious movements. And what does all of that have to do with our Bit? Frankly Friends, I don’t know, because I don’t have a Bit as yet. But soon come, going to seek one now. Oh mih breddren, I’m back, less than two minute later! What a faithful God we serve and worship Friends! And as our Bit declares: ‘When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.’ Now that’s undeniable truth! We don’t have to look very far to see it. In whatever country, province, city, town or village you’re reading this, I know you can connect to it through personal experience. That brings up the rather important question of why are the righteous allowing the wicked to run so much of our world, and consequently causing so much pain, suffering and heartache? One would think that we’d get rid of them as quickly as possible. But unfortunately, the reality is totally different. And not because Lucifer has power over this world of darkness, we should allow his evil minions to rule over us. Through Jesus, who has conquered death, the grave and hell, with His sacrificial death and resurrection, we have the awesome power to run Beelzebub and his wicked cronies out of town. But we’re either too lazy, too comfortable in our prosperous lifestyle, or simply too timid and afraid to do so. Listen to Cousin Sol again on the subject. ‘When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden (will be sought after).’ (Prov.28:12) Oh Friends, we all know the truth in that statement, yet we allow the wicked to rise in power over us. Oh my brethren, it’s time to change that state of affairs in our world. It’s time to implement righteous rule, so that our world can derive positive benefits. As Cousin Sol further declares: ‘When the righteous are in authority (increased), the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (groan, suffer).’ (Prov.29:2) And we all know that people all over the world are moaning and groaning, suffering, in great misery, because the wicked are ruling. Please Friends, let’s do something to change it nuh. Remember that with our God, all things are possible, but we have to get up off our fat fannies and do our part too. The Lord’s not going to do it all for us. So please, today, let’s ponder the level of our involvement in making a better and more godly world, and do our best to improve our involvement, if it’s only by a small amount, for without our strong stand of faith, all will eventually be lost, and we definitely don’t want to disappoint Jesus, to break His gentle heart anymore than we’re already doing, by letting that happen. Much LOVE!…we can only stand up for Jesus…by faithfully obeying the trumpet’s call…
17 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: busy, enthusiasm, frantic pace, Friday chant, God's kingdom, justice, life, loving kindness, multi-tasking, passion, rat-race, righteousness., sincerity, smell the roses, stress, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the race is not for the swift
Ecclesiastes 9:11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, and I hear you calling out in delirious pleasure: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I have another little gem to share today. (smile) But before we do that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with as much enthusiasm and sincerity as we can muster. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ And having tried to put the weekend in its proper perspective, let me share that wonderful gem. Yesterday I bought some Chinese food and in the fortune cookie I found this saying: ‘It’s okay to slow down and smell the roses.’ Well Friends, I must say that’s the God-given truth! And most of know it, but we still refuse to live up to it. Instead we engage in the rat-race we so nicely term the busy life. Oh Friends, if we don’t slow down every so often, sometimes even stop completely, and take stock of what’s really and truly going on around us, we’re going to go crazy, both literally and figuratively. Believe it my people, man was not made to live at the frantic pace we’re currently living at. This non-stop, continuously go, go pace the powers that be are trying to force on us is NO GOOD! It has very negative effects on us, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just consider the high incidence of stress amongst even the young people of our society, who have grown up with this fast lifestyle. They are dropping off and out like flies at a much too tender age because they can’t keep up with the torrid pace the world’s setting. So you can imagine what’s happening to the older folks who are not accustomed to that stressful lifestyle. All this multi-tasking and doing several jobs, just to keep up, is slowly but surely killing us. It’s normal now to claim that we’re so busy, we don’t have time for our friends, families, God or ourselves. What are we so busy doing eh? And what do we have time for then my people? No wonder Cousin Sol, in his experimenting, discovered that wisdom was much better than strength. Listen to him declare it in our Bit: ‘I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill: but time and chance happeneth to them all.’ And that’s an indisputable fact Friends! So whether we’re fast, strong, rich or skilful, there’s no guarantee we’ll survive and/ or prosper because of our attributes, since unforeseen things happen to us all, regardless of our station in life. That’s why it’s not so wise to go running after the things the world considers important. Wisdom, understanding, peace of mind and a strong faith in Almighty God are what we need, especially in these very confused and troubled times. As Jeremiah so rightly declares, re the knowledge of God is man’s glory: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise LOVING-kindness, judgement (justice) and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:23-24) Oh Friends, the Lord made His wishes quite clear to us many, many moons ago, but yet we still insist on following the direction set by the world, which is in the death grip of greedy, evil, ungodly men. How can we then live the life God planned for us if we don’t follow what He says in His Guide Book eh? Obviously we can’t! Oh my brethren, I know that some of you will take umbrage at what I’m saying, claiming I don’t know your personal situation, but that’s too bad. If you don’t want to accept the gospel truth from the Good Book there’s nothing I can do about that. We each have to make our own choices, then live with them here on earth and later answer to God about them. However, unless we all slow down a tad and enjoy the things we work so hard and long for, as well as the people close to us, we’ll be missing out on the true value and meaning of life. Please my people, please stop and take a look at your situation, look at all the stuff you figured you must have, so you worked your butt off to get them. Then ask yourself when last, or if ever, you have truly enjoyed them? Include in that, the nice houses that we so desperately wanted, and we now have. Do we have or take the time to truly enjoy them? Not at all, because we’re too busy working to meet the mortgage payments. My brethren, I implore us to wake up, then stop a minute and smell the beautiful aroma, the ‘unclonable’ perfume of the roses God made to enrich our sense of smell, because we’re missing out on a whole lot of God’s grace and bounty, when we try to keep up with, or run faster than the world. That’s true wisdom! Much LOVE!…he who has ears to hear…let him hear…or he’ll eventually feel…
SCRIP-BITS 