30 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a million diamonds, a vain thing, answer him, be not afraid, beauty is deceptive, believe in God, believe in love, beloved of God, brilliant light, chariots, Cross of Calvary, deceptive, deliver their soul, deliverence is of the Lord, do not tremble, Egypt, enemy, faith, faith to believe, faithfully promised, false hope, fear not, friend of Jesus, gospel truth, great deceiver, hang in there, help, holy heaven, hope, hope in his mercy, hurry, in horse, in the background, Isaiah, keep them alive, let not your hearts faint, LOVE, Lucifer, mercy, Moses, motorists, multitude of host, octopus arms, our heart shall rejoice, pedestrians, pristine, rely on horses, remember the name of the Lord our God, rough time, sacrifice, safety, saving strength, shield, silent, sincere belief, snow, succumb, temptation, the eye of the Lord, the good of those who love Him, the Lord gives the victory, the Lord saves His anointed, the Lord thy God is with thee, to His purpose, trust completely, trust in chariots, trusted in his holy name, Tuesday Mantra, virginal, woe to them, work all things, worry
Psalm 20:7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
And it all looks so beautiful; the pristine white powder spread all over the land, unsullied by humans, virginal, you’d say! And when the sun shines against it, it gives off a brilliant light…like a million diamonds!
But all that beauty is deceptive friends, for the snow, like our number one enemy, Lucifer is a great deceiver. It takes you in with its beauty, and when you succumb to the temptation, it snakes out its octopus arms and ties you up ten ways from Sunday! (smile)
Yeh friends, we’ve been hit with another snowstorm, but that’s what winter is all about. But all jokes aside, please be careful if you have to go out in it, because though it looks beautiful, it can be very dangerous for both pedestrians and motorists.
Now here is a li’l something from someone and somewhere that I can’t remember, but it ought to be the gospel truth if you are a believer. It says: ‘I believe in the sun, even when I don’t see it. I believe in LOVE, even when I don’t see it. I believe in God, even when He is silent.’
Yeh mih people, God is often silent in our lives, but that doesn’t mean He is not around us and we should give up on Him. It just means that He is working on stuff in the background, and when He is ready, we will hear from Him, loud and clear.
So my brethren, if you are going through a particularly rough time and you don’t seem to be seeing or hearing from God in your situation, please don’t fear and give up hope. For He has faithfully promised to never leave nor forsake us, and He NEVER will. He’s probably just testing your faith.
And remember He has also promised to work all things out for the good of those who LOVE Him and are called to His purpose. So just hang in there, trust completely and faithfully in the One who sacrificed His life for us on the cross of Calvary. As I keep asking, if Christ could do make a sacrifice of such magnitude on our behalf, then why wouldn’t He help us in our trying times eh? No reason whatsoever my people!
Therefore, as Bruh David says so eloquently and faithfully in our Bit: ‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’ And that’s exactly how it ought to be!
And why is that? Because as Bruh David says before our Bit: ‘Now I know that the Lord saveth his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one); he will hear (answer) him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.’ (Ps.20:6) And that’s no lie friends! Our God will save those who depend and rely on Him, because He has promised to do just that.
Now let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our Bit, beginning way back when Moses was teaching the people how to live under God’s law. ‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.20:1-4)
Oh precious people of God, it couldn’t get any simpler or clearer than that! When we come up against our enemies, we must remember that it is our God who is there to fight for us and save us. That part of the equation is entirely in our hands; we must have the faith to believe it, before it comes to pass.
Now hear Cousin Sol: ‘There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord.’ (Prov.21:30-31) Glory be, my fellow believers!
As the scholars explain: ’21:31. Military preparedness is useless apart from the Lord, who really gives the victory.’ And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Mean while Isaiah declares: ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help: and stay (rely) on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!’ (Is.31:1) Yeh friends, Isaiah is decrying the ones who would seek Egypt for help, when God, not Egypt is the One who will defend Judah.
And finally these truthful words of the psalmist: ‘There is no king saved by a multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy,
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps.33:16-22)
Ahh, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra to the world and all therein, proudly letting them know who and whose we are.
In loud voice and sincere belief: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Wow! What a blessed life we lead my brethren! Now let’s go out and share Jesus and His extraordinary LOVE with the rest of the world. Much LOVE!
…without hope, faith and trust…LOVE is impossible…
20 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a muscle, a sound mind, adding value, admonition, Anselm, astound ourselves, average results, be not afraid, be not dismayed, be strong, buckled down, business people, busyness, capable of, celebrity culture, conquered, conquering fear, deliverance, earn a living, Egyptians, exercise, faith, fear, fear thou not, fearful spirit, fearlessness, fears, first-world economy, forgiveness, formal education, foundation, friend, get a job, give you the kingdom, good pleasure, gospel truth, grace, grateful, greedy desire, help thee, hold your peace, I am thy God, I am with thee, I will strengthen thee, insane world, Joshua, little flock, LOVE, make a living, make you a fortune, mercy, minimum wage, Moses, not challenged, of a good courage, Ontario, our full capability, our welfare, power, profit margins, quality of work, right hand, righteousness, run ragged, secreted in our hearts, self-education, separate us from God, set our minds, slept in, stand still the salvation of the Lord, standard of education, strive, succes, thankful, the enemy, the Red Sea, the spirit of fear, threatening retribution, Timothy, Tin Horton's, up in arms, uphold thee, value, walk arm in arm with God, \
2 Timothy 1:7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
And then it was Saturday…somewhat late in the day though, and many of you won’t notice, because like the ole fella you also slept in some. (smile) But what’s life eh, if once in a while you can’t sleep in and not be run ragged by the busyness of this insane world? The Lord’s LOVE, mercy, grace and forgiveness will still be there when we get up.
Oh how wonderful is the God we serve and worship my brethren! He is always thinking about our welfare, so we need to be very thankful and grateful as we walk arm in arm with Him. And remember too, that NO ONE can separate us from Him, but us. And such a move on our part would be rather foolish. Nuff said.
Let’s see what our friend Anselm has to say on this bleak and gloomy Saturday morning. First off, he tells us that ‘Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.’
I have serious doubts about that yes, because in this society there are oodles of people right now with lots of formal education, who can’t even get a job, much less earn a living. And if and when they do get one, the wage is definitely not in line with their standard of education. It’s surprising that in this supposed first-world economy, the number of university grads who are making minimum wage.
And in my province of Ontario, at the beginning of the year, the government raised the minimum wage from eleven something to fourteen something, and as expected all the business people are up in arms, threatening all sorts of retribution.
Some Tim Horton’s franchises have already cut back paid breaks, tips and stuff, taking away what little the employees already had, in their greedy desire to keep their profit margins high. So who knows, self-education might just be the answer.
And I like this next quote. ‘If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.’ That’s oh so true my fellow believers. I’m sure most of us have had that experience at some time(s) in our lives.
Times when we actually buckled down and did stuff we had to do, and was surprised at the quality and quantity of work we accomplished because we had set our minds to it. Many of us never reach our full capability, because we’re either not challenged to, or we just settle for average results.
That leads us to this quote. ‘Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.’ And there’s much truth in that advice, especially in these modern times, where a lot of supposed successful people add li’l or no value to the society. Check out the celebrity culture that currently rules the world.
How many of them add anything worthwhile to the society eh? Not many. That’s a big reason why the world is in such a mess. So friends, in our lives, please let’s concentrate on adding value to our lives and our society. Value usually means success in the real world, but not necessarily the other way around.
And finally Anselm tells us that ‘Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it, the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me.’ There is indeed substance to that remark, because the more we practice not being afraid, the more we will learn to conquer fear.
But the basic foundation for conquering fear comes from our association with Jesus Christ. That’s who gives us the strength and wisdom to conquer fear. Oh friends, throughout the Good Book there are numerous warnings about fear. And one of the most powerful is that found in our Bit; Bruh Paul’s admonition to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.’
And that’s gospel truth friends! Our wonderful God has not given us a fearful spirit, we allow the enemy to put fear into our hearts. And all I want to do today is highlight a few scriptures where God warned us not to be afraid. And one of my favourites is the one He commanded Joshua, when He made him leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.
‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh.1:9) Ah mih people, the Lord could not have been more explicit.
Then in Isaiah, re the final restoration of Israel, He warns His people the same way. ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be thou not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is.41:10)
Now hear one of the first ‘fear not’ instructions; that from Moses when the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14)
And so said, so was it done. The Lord drowned the Egyptians in the closing of the Red sea. And we’ll end with these words of Jesus as He talked about care and anxiety and seeking God’s kingdom above all else. ‘Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ (Luke 12:32)
And it is indeed the Lord’s desire to give us the kingdom, if we seek Him above all else. So friends, there is no need to fear man nor beast once we are walking hand in hand with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Please, let’s therefore rid ourselves of all the unwanted and unnecessary fear that is secreted in our hearts, by giving it to God. That’s wisdom of untold proportions! Much LOVE!
…fear can only be conquered by faith…
15 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brisk wind, a follower of Jesus, adrenaline, angels, any other creature, as One, aura of love, be of good cheer, believe in their cause, Bob Marley, bombarded, buffeted, build your faith, Christian, comforting words, confidence, conquerors, conviction, cruel world, dangerous, death, depth, difficult, distress, don't be no drag, doubt, earth shattering, enthusiasm, evil, faith, famine, for thy sake, from the love of Christ, further your glorious kingdom, get ahead, gospel truth, Guide, heavenly advocate, height, heights of service, high priest, humble servants, I can do all things through Christ, i have overcome the world, in me, in the world, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, labour, lead, lies, life, lively up yourself, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nakedness, no hesitation, no midle ground, northern climes, not afraid, peril, persecution, powers, principalities, put it into action, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, separate us, servants, sheep for the slaughter, sink into our consciousness, spiritual armour, spoken to you, surrender, survive, sword, tests, these things, things present, things to come, trials, tribulation, unfair, united, useful purpose, verve, weary souls, wicked taunts, wiles, willing to fight, workers of iniquity, ye might have peace
John 16:33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Here we go again friends, getting up to go and labour on a Monday morning; a rather chilly one in the northern climes, with a brisk wind blowing to liven it up. (smile) As Bruh Bob (Bob Marley) would say: ‘Lively up yourself and don’t be no drag…’
Yeh mih people, unfortunately we’ve got to get a move on if we want to survive, much less get ahead in this evil and cruel world. And to help inspire us, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much verve and enthusiasm as we can muster.
In strong voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Ah friends, when we’re dressed in the Lord’s spiritual armour, we are invincible. So with the adrenaline raised by the valiant proclamation of our Battle Hymn (smile) let’s get a move on nuh, get into the world and fight the good fight of faith in Jesus’ name, for that is what we were created to do. Being a Christian is not easy, because you have to undergo tests, trials and tribulation, to build your faith, so you can grow and be promoted in God’s kingdom. And the fact that a large proportion of the world will be against you for just being a follower of Jesus, makes it even more difficult.
But listen to these amazing, astounding, reassuring and comforting words of our Lord and Saviour, our fearless Leader, High Priest and heavenly Advocate; Jesus Christ, as He declares in our Bit. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’
Wow friends! What an earth shattering statement! And there was no hesitation or doubt in Jesus’ voice when He said it. He was one hundred and ten percent sure of what He was saying. That means that we too can be one hundred and ten percent sure of all that He said. He opened His heart to the disciples and consequently to us, to give us His peace that’s like no other peace; the one that passes all human understanding. And though He knows that tribulation will be our lot in life, He assures us to be of good cheer.
And some of us will sneer at that statement, complaining that those two things are mutually exclusive. Not if you are a follower of Christ, because He has overcome the world and all the tribulation therein. Therefore, with His help, we can handle anything that comes against us. Please remember that my people. With God and us working in tandem, we are a majority, capable of defeating anything and anyone that dares to challenge us.
Remember that verse from Philippians? ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) Well that’s the gospel truth friends! But you have to believe it, have the faith to put it into action. And though I’ve recently quoted these upcoming verses to you my brethren, I believe I have to quote them again because they are so relevant to our Bit, and the more often we hear them, the deeper they will sink into our consciousness. (smile)
Hear Bruh Paul elucidate and expound to the Roman church nuh. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Rom.8:35-39)
Oh my fellow believers, until we all feel that way, espouse that same conviction, we won’t be able to reach the heights of service that the Lord has planned for us. The workers of iniquity sincerely believe in their cause, and are more than willing to fight for it. Christians also need to sincerely believe and be willing to fight for our righteous cause, if we want to defeat them.
Oh my brethren, the long and short of the story then is; if we want Christ’s LOVE Revolution to succeed, then we have to come together as ONE, and fight our battles as ONE, in Jesus name. There is no middle ground. Much LOVE!
…Christ died that His church should be united…not divided…
10 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, accept it, angels, at my worst, awesome fact, be reminded, bedrock, California, christ jesus, Christians, death, distress, don't give up, downhill snowball, dr robert h schuller, ear hath not heard, earthquake, everlasting, exciting thought, eye hath not seen, eyes straight ahead, famine, fantastic lesson, fools, for thy sake, foundation, from the love of Christ, glory hallelujah, God first loved us, God LOVES me, good news, gospel truth, graceful truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, happy report, help, him that loved us, holy sentence, Honduras, Hour of Power Devotional, ideal time, inalterable, incomprehensible, Jesus died for us, keep keeping on, killed all day long, Lamb's book of life, life, LOVE, more than conquerors, mudslides, my faith is dim, nakedness, natural disaters, not looking back, nothing, our consciousness, peril, persecution, persuaded, powers, prayers, principalities, refuse God's love, sealed until eternity, setbacks, sheep for the slaughter, sincerity, still sinners, surety, sword, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the heart of man, the things God hath prepared, things present, things to come, time waits for no one, tribulation, truth, Wednesday Wail, who shall separate us, wildfires, written in stone
Acts 8:35. Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
And the week and the year are rolling along like a downhill snowball. It’s already Wednesday, and we’re also into the tenth day of the new year. Time certainly is waiting for no one.
And neither are the natural disasters, as they continue to roll along. Check out the 7.6 earthquake in Honduras a couple of days ago, and the mudslides that have killed some thirteen people in California after wicked rainstorms hit the scenic area that had already been ravaged by recent wildfires.
Ah Lord eh! We can’t give up though friends, we have to keep keeping on despite those setbacks. But we do have to help however we can, especially with prayers. And in the face of these disasters, I believe it’s the ideal time be reminded of one of the most important facts in this world, and to acknowledge it with sure certainty. (smile)
And that fact is: ‘GOD LOVES ME!’ It’s gospel truth my brethren, and cannot be altered. Please pray this prayer with me from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional that bears the above title.
‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. God LOVES me! Even when I’m at my worst – God LOVES me. Even when my faith is dim – God LOVES me anyway! It’s incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen.’
Oh my people, God’s great LOVE for us might be incomprehensible, but we don’t have to understand it, just accept it for the great truth that it is! So even if we don’t remember or learn anything else today, let’s solidify that truth in our hearts and souls today nuh, because that’s where everything begins.
God first LOVED us, and to such a degree, that even when we were still sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. That ought to say a lot to Christians, for no other faith has anything even close to resembling that awesome fact. And the added fact that God LOVES us in any state, wherever we are, should indeed raise our reverence and LOVE for Him.
And as a direct consequence of that awesome LOVE, Bruh Paul is able to ask this enormous question in our Bit. ‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’
What a striking question my people! And hear how Bruh Paul answers it nuh. ‘As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Acts 8:36-39)
Mama Mia! What surety emanates from Bruh Paul on the subject my friends! He is certain sure that NOTHING whatsoever can separate us from the LOVE of God which flows down to us through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And he’s quite right!
But friends, are we each individually sure of that? I don’t know. But I do know that until that idea is written in stone in our consciousness, our faith will never be as great as it should be, because that’s the foundation stone of our faith: God’s LOVE is inalterable and everlasting. Once you receive it, it can never be taken away from you.
That’s why they say that once you receive the faith of Christ and the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, you are sealed until eternity. Glory to God! Once your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, it shall not be removed, unless you turn away from God and become the devil’s advocate instead.
So friends, today, let’s be wise and build our faith on that solid bedrock, that solid foundation that’s Christ nuh, for it is eternal wisdom. And having taking in all of that, let’s go home now declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know about our amazing position with Jesus.
In all sincerity and truth 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 it will indeed be a glorious future my brethren, for as the Good Book says: ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him.’ (! Cor.2:9) Much LOVE!
…only fools…will deign to refuse…God’s great and unconditional LOVE…
31 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disastrous year, abundance, arrogant, blaspheme, bled, blemish, bless thou the Lord, blessed Redeemer, boll weevil, bore our sorrows, breath of life, Brook Benton, Christ is coming, cry down, died, disasters, doomed, endure for ever, finite minds, Frances Crosby, friends, glorify our heavenly Father, glory to God, god-like, godly love, gospel truth, grateful lips, hail him, happy, he touches the hills, heavenly portals, high-minded, Holy Name, hope of eternal salvation, hosannas ring, it trembles, Jesus, joyful song, king, lick our wounds, looking for a home, looks on the earth, mortal bodies, neighbours, no help, on the line, our rock, over the world victorious, plenty, praise him, Praise the Lord, priest, prophet, recuperate, rejoice in his works, returns to the earth, serving Almighty God, sing O earth, sing praises, sinless life, sinners, sound his praise, spirit departs, suffered, Sunday of fellowship, thankful hearts, the crucified, the glory of the Lord, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the god of Jacob, the sacrifice of praise, the Son of man, thoughts perish, trust in princes, tumultuous year, unto my god, welcome, while I have any being, while I live, wonderful LOVE
Psalm 146:2. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Welcome friends and neighbours to this last Sunday of fellowship in 2017! It has been indeed a tumultuous year, and let’s just hope and pray that 2018 will be quieter and more God-like, because our world doesn’t need another disastrous year like this one. We need something in which we can quietly lick our wounds, recuperate from all the disasters, natural and manmade, and get back to serving Almighty God the way we ought to.
Anyway, on this last Sunday of fellowship, let’s open with this old but beautiful hymn by Frances Crosby, ‘Praise Him, Praise Him.’ Yes friends, regardless of what our year has been like, our great God is worthy of much thanks and praise, so please lets offer up the sacrifice of praise from our thankful hearts through our grateful lips as one harmonious choir.
In full voice now: ‘Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory; Strength and honor give to His holy Name! Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children, In His arms He carries them all day long. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!)
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered, and bled, and died. He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows, Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong. (Refrain)
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring! Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest, and King! Christ is coming! over the world victorious, Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong. (Refrain: Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness; Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!)’
Oh my people, what an excellent song of praise! Jesus deserves every word of it because He did put His sinless life filled with Godly LOVE on the line for us while we were yet sinners! Wow! No other supposed deity has, or will ever come close to that. All the other deities want to take what little we have from us, while Jesus comes to give of the plenty, of the abundance that He has.
Glory to God my precious people! How can we not LOVE, praise, honour and worship Him eh? No wonder the psalmist proudly declares in our Bit: ‘While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.’
Yes my faithful brethren, that is exactly what we need to do while there is any breath of life left in our mortal bodies! For we were made to sing praises to and glorify our heavenly Father, the One who blessed us with His awesome breath of life.
Hear the psalmist as he continues his song of praise. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (spirit departs), he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.’ (Ps.146:3-5)
Words of gospel truth my friends! If we don’t have the help of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob then we’re in plenty trouble. And that is why this year of 2017 has been such a disastrous year; we haven’t had God’s help, because as a society, we have turned away from Him. How can He help us if we don’t cry out to Him for help eh?
Instead, we foolishly cry down, blemish, and blaspheme His holy name, while trying our best to get rid of him completely from our society. How stupid, arrogant and high minded can we get eh people? How can you remove the One who created the society from the society eh?
We’ve become so blinded by the supposed brilliance of our small, finite minds that we refuse to see ourselves as we truly are; in comparison to God, mere insects scurrying around aimlessly, like the boll weevil in the old Brook Benton song, looking for a home.
And the truth of the matter friends, the ONLY home there really is, is that provided by Jesus Christ, for all else will eventually be destroyed. But let’s place these truthful words of the psalmist deep in our hearts and souls nuh. ‘The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.’ (Ps.104:31-32)
Well then people, if that’s the awesome truth, then the only sensible recourse we have is to do like the psalmist says: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more: Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord, (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps.104:33-35)
Yeh my fellow believers, there is no better road down which we can travel than one of praise and glory to our great God. So let’s seriously resolve to do that this upcoming year nuh, because that’s the ONLY way our fortunes will be changed. Much LOVE!
…if Jesus isn’t a big part of our life and our world…then we’re surely doomed…
27 Dec 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful evergreen, A Christmas Prayer, a good time, a sinful sea of muck and evil, a solution to our sin, Abba, adopted sons of God, all things were made by him, as a young man, beneficial, born of a woman, bright light, by a long shot, carved from a tree, celebrating the birth of christ, Christmas music, created the world, dead tired, divine, dr robert h schuller, dwelt among us, Father, flashes his bullwhip, from your cross, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, go back to work, God will stop at noting, good cheer, gospel truth, grace, hanging on a tree, heir with Jesus, Hour of Power Devotional, human flesh, human soul, in a manger, in him was life, in the beginning, Jesus Christ, life-giving, long Christmas weekend is over, LOVE, merciful love, my life, not turning back, peace, perfect fellowship, pointing, reaching, road-weary, rooted in God's love, sea of darkness, sharing, solid, sparkling, strong and kind branches of a tree, sturdy, taking in the whole world, tall and upright, the breath of life, the darkness comprehend it not, the fullness of time, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the massa, the only begotten of the Father, the spoken word, the straight and narrow path, the Word was God, the word was made flesh, the Word was with God, thoughts of God, through Jesus' birth, to save my soul. celebrate God's love, to touch hearts that hurt, travel-worn wayfares, truth, twinkling Christmas tree, under the law, walking with Jesus, was the Word, we beheld his glory, Wednesday Wail, with hands that reach out, with outstretched arms, your caring
John 1:14. And the Word was made (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.
And then it was Wednesday! Yeh friends, that means the long Christmas weekend is over and most of us have to go back to work now. Hn, hn! Most of us will be dead tired and won’t get much done this upcoming week, even though the massa constantly flashes his bullwhip at us.
That’s because we had such a good time celebrating the birth of Christ. And though they’ve stopped playing, or rather inundating us with Christmas music, and we have to go back to work, the season is not over yet. Not by a long shot! (smile)
And we’ll continue the peace, LOVE and good cheer for a li’l longer with ‘A Christmas Prayer,’ from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional. It’s too nice to pass up, just because we’re two days removed from Christmas Day.
Please pray with me. ‘You lead me, Jesus Christ, to thoughts of God. I see you in a manger carved from a tree. I see you as a young man with hands that reach to touch hearts that hurt. Your caring reaches out like the strong and kind branches of a gentle tree reach out to invite road-weary and travel-worn wayfarers to quiet rest.
I see you again hanging on a tree with outstretched arms taking in the whole world. From your cross, you show me that God will stop at nothing to save my soul. So, I celebrate God’s LOVE today as I celebrate your birth around a twinkling Christmas tree, I pray, my life, like yours, O Lord, may be tall and upright as a pine tree pointing, reaching, sharing, sparkling, life-giving; solid, sturdy, strong-rooted in God’s LOVE, a beautiful soul, evergreen forever. Amen.’
And all of that is gospel truth my brethren! Without God’s great and merciful LOVE, we’d be nowhere, still swimming in a sinful sea of muck and evil. But through Jesus’ amazing birth, God has given us a solution to our sin problem…’Just believe in Him, ‘ He says…’Only believe…’ And your sins will be forgiven and your souls washed white as snow! What an awesome promise my people! One that we’d be very foolish to pass up.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘And the Word was made (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.’ What a revelation!
As John says at the start of His gospel: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.’(John 1:1-5)
Yeh friends, Jesus was with the Father from the beginning of time, there was a perfect fellowship between them. Jesus was distinctly divine and created the world through the spoken word. That’s why our words have such power today my people.
But then Jesus put on the human flesh and came to live with us, but we didn’t understand or appreciate Him. How sad! He came to lift us out of the sinful sea of darkness and evil on which were then travelling and bring us into His bright light; the light that leads us on the straight and narrow path.
As Bruh Paul declares in Galatians: ‘But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.’ (Gal.4:4)
And the scholars offer these explanations: ‘4:4. The fullness of time corresponds to “the time appointed of (by) the Father in 4:2. Made of a woman (or, born of a woman”). This stresses Jesus’ humiliation at leaving His preexistent glory and becoming man; without having done so He could not have died for our sins. Made under the law (or, “born subject to the law”); He was born a Jew under the law in order to free those under the curse of the law. (4:5).’
And verse 5 and onward says: ‘To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.’ (Gal.4:5-7)
What a beautiful scene friends! If we believe in Jesus and try to walk in His ways, we are adopted by God and thus become a Son of God too like Jesus, and an heir with Him! Wow! How can anything be better than that eh? So as we go home today, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know just how tight we are with Jesus nuh. (smile)
As one huge chorus 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 what a glorious future that will be, precious people of God! Much LOVE!
…walking with Jesus isn’t always easy…but it’s ALWAYS beneficial…to the human soul…
24 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., 24-7, attention, believers, Black Friday, blessings, boundaries attuned to Christ, bounden duty, celebrations, Christians, conform to, creed, cued to God's work, destiny, drunk or sober, emporium, enthusiasm, ever-faithful, exaltation, excellent, fatness, fellowship, flowing like water, fortress, fountian of life, Friday chant, fun, generous help, give thanks, glorious kingdom, glory, glory to God, go overboard, gospel truth, Granny's warning, gravitate to excess, heavenly Father, holy spirit, honour, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, latter times, libations, light, LOVE, loverly, loving-kindness, mercies, mind yuh business, minefields, modicum of circumspection, mortal danger, navigate, obedience, of thy wings, ole, open every day, party time, partying, pitfalls, precious, put their trust, rejoicing, relaxation, rest, river of pleasures, sales, satisfied, some form and fashion, steadfast love of God, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanksgiving weekend, the best deal, the children of men, the church, the weekend, the workingman, time for food, tower of strength, trust, under the shadow, week of work, wisdom, wonderful god
Psalm 36:7. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Another new day…more new mercies, blessings etc. flowing generously from the open hand of our wonderful God! But this day is special to most of us because it’s Friday, which announces the start of the weekend, our short break from work.
And as the workingman sings his song: ‘Ole, Ole, TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Ole, Ole, Thank God for the weekend…Thanksgiving weekend to boot! No more chupid labour. Is party time! Time for food and family and friends and endless libations flowing like water. Yuh can’t give thanks just so. It have to be accompanied by rejoicing and partying! Thank the Lord for this big Thanksgiving weekend party!’
And no doubt many of us will conform to that creed and live it out this weekend. But we have to remember there is mortal danger where and whenever we gravitate to excess, especially as Christians. Our Leader, Jesus Christ has provided us with boundaries that we should not exceed, if we wish to stay attuned to Him and His organization, the church.
That’s why we don’t go overboard in our celebrations, but retain a modicum of circumspection, like our Friday Chant attests to. Let’s chant it now like we truly mean it nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah friends, it’s not as excessive as the workingman’s anthem, and most importantly, it is cued to God’s work, furthering His kingdom in some form and fashion in all that we do. As believers, that’s our bounden duty, our destiny. So we always have to have our wits about us.
As Granny would warn: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ (smile) And though it sounds funny, it’s gospel truth. We all need to be careful how we go about in these latter times, as the world abounds with numerous pitfalls in every direction we look or take. And it’s only with the help of Jehovah God and His Spirit which dwells within us, that we are able to successfully navigate the many minefields that surround our daily lives.
And all God’s children gave a loud and grateful shout of ‘Glory to God! Give Him the praise! Exalt His Holy Name! For His LOVING-kindness endures forever!’ That’s why Bruh David could declare with overwhelming confidence and assurance the immortal words of our Bit from Psalm 36 – The steadfast LOVE of God.
‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’
Now that is indisputable truth and true wisdom to the max! Our God’s goodness is indeed outstanding, and wise children of men choose to adore and obey Him, to live under the shadow of His mighty and everlasting wings! Glory to God mih people! I just had to say it again, so great was the enthusiasm those words and thoughts produced in my spirit that my mouth needed to declare His honour and glory. (smile)
And if you don’t believe our Bit, listen to how Bruh David continues, how he states his case, like any good lawyer. ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.’ (Ps.36:8-9)
Oh friends, oh friends, that is the best deal going on this Thanksgiving Black Friday where all those businesses are touting their sales! Steups! But NONE of them can match God’s promotion! Life and light and fatness and pleasurable drink! And the great thing about God’s offer is that it’s open and available every day that you are alive, 24-7!
Mama Mia! Which child of men’s offer can match that eh? Absolutely NONE! Consequently, my brethren, I would strongly advise us that the first place to visit on this Black Friday Sale morning is that of Almighty God. Right in that one place you will find everything you want, lack, need and can ever desire! Wow! What a mighty fortress and tower of strength is our God!
And believe me friends, I’m chuckling here, because this is all the work of the Holy Spirit, of our great and ever-faithful heavenly Father, because I had no clue what I was going to write about when I first began, except our Friday Chant. I didn’t even know how today’s version of the workingman’s song would pan out. But as always…my God came through for me. Glory Hallelujah!
And He will come through for you too, if you give Him the attention and obedience and exaltation He requires. Much LOVE!
…Jehovah God’s Emporium…the BEST place to do business…in all the world…
P.S. Oh, it’s a li’l bit late, but I think it’s ‘loverly!’ and worth the wait.(smile) Much LOVE!
21 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend of the world, acceptable, added unto you, affairs of life, all we need, an eagle, balance on the fence, be not conformed, beloved of God, better late than never, blot out the world, bombarding, brand new day, cannot serve God and mammon, church mouse, confidence, daily bread, double vision, economic times, enemy of God, enmity with God, enslavement, fly away, focussed on wealth, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, friendship with the world, giving generously, God's miraculous universe, God's safe umbrella, God's storehouse, gospel truth, grace, in the mind, invaluable key, labour not to be rich, lacking nothing, left overs, LOVE, loyalty to God, make two ends meet, material possessions, mercies, opening the vault, perfect will of God, prosperous society, prove what is good, riches, righteousness, seek ye first, serve, serve two masters, share jesus' love, strength, superficial riches, the kingdom of God, the renewing of your mind, thinking like God, tithing, to this world, total lordship, transformed, Tuesday Mantra, unfortunates, wings, wisdom, wonderful god, worship
Romans 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Welcome to a bright and beautiful brand new day in God’s miraculous universe my people! There has never been another day like it… and will never be another like it either!
That’s because our God makes each day new and fresh every morning, no left overs from yesterday, providing it with new mercies, forgiveness, LOVE, grace, strength, confidence… in fact all the things we need to see it through successfully.
As Jesus would say, giving us our daily bread, lacking nothing to live a joyful life and do His will. What a wonderful God we serve and worship my brethren!
But friends, before we can enjoy all those things that our Lord and Saviour wants us to enjoy, as well as do His will successfully, we have to do ONE thing first – what our Bit says: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
That’s the invaluable key to opening the vault of God’s storehouse! We have to begin thinking like God thinks and not like the world thinks. And why is that you ask?
Because as James prognosticates: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants to) be a friend of the world is (makes himself the enemy of God).’ (James 4:4)
In other words friends, in plain and simple language, one cannot LOVE God and the world at the same time! But that doesn’t stop some of us from trying though by trying to balance on the proverbial fence. (smile)
But as Jesus so rightly proclaimed: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye CANNOT serve God and mammon (riches of the world).’ (Matt.5:24)
And as the scholars explain: ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. kurios) is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage.
Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed; Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term mammon is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
But with the increasingly rough economic times, where people are desperately trying to make two ends meet, a lot of believers are focused on their wealth and possession situation, rather than their situation with God. It’s also difficult to focus on God when the world is constantly bombarding us with its supposedly glorious stuff.
However friends, again, we have to remember the faithful words and promise of Jesus: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) As believers, those words should always be uppermost in our minds. And if they are, then we WILL be able to focus on God and blot out the world and all its superficial riches.
As Cousin Sol so wisely advises us in Proverbs: ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from (because of) thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not (will you cause your eyes to fly on it, and it is not)? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
Gospel truth my brethren, gospel truth! For stories abound of the many who were wealthy and famous one day, then the next they were poorer than a church mouse! (smile) And it does say something about our society and our faith when poverty is equated with the lot of a mouse in the church.
The church mouse should really be the richest of the lot – that is, if all God’s people were giving as generously to His church as they should. The sad reality though is that a lot of churches are struggling because God’s people aren’t giving like He desires; tithing and making His house a storeroom of plenty to share with the numerous unfortunates in our prosperous society.
Anyway my people, enough badgering for today. (smile) But I do hope that what we’ve said does make a strong impression on all of us believers, and helps us to live successfully under God’s safe umbrella in this evil and sinful world. Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, telling the world who and whose we are.
In sincerity and truth now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the corollary to that is, let’s now go out and share the undying and eternal LOVE of Jesus with others who desperately need it. Much LOVE!
…it all begins…and ends…in the mind…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but I just got tied up in some unforeseen affairs of life. (smile) But better late than never! Much LOVE!
18 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a musical storm, a tree of life, accepting responsibility, accomplish any goal, Anselm's quotes, asaph, Atlas, blessings, comfort zone, David Rudder, depressed, diehard fans, discipline, feel good, feel terrific, forum, gone astray, gospel truth, gratification, greedy times, Hammerson Theatre, hang your hat, hope deferred, jam session, Jesus Christ, kaiso, Let there be light, Lord and Saviour, lost, LOVE, makes the heart sick, mash up the place, name of the game, natural outgrowth, negative things, on top of the world, power in words, prerequisite, raise your children, refreshes, revitalizes, rewards, sincerity, singing praises, soca, social commentary, success, tear it down, the happiest people, the power of hope, truth, try something new, West Indian atmosphere, when desire comes, while there is life there is hope, zest for life
Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Oh friends, welcome to a wet Saturday morning! But I can assure you that last evening it was a hot, tropical time in the Hammerson Theatre of the Living arts Centre in Mississauga, as Bruh David and Friends, a tight, great sounding band, mash up the place! They tear it down with a musical storm of pure ‘Madness,’ of soca and kaiso!
Brother! I can just imagine that’s how it was when the old time Bruh David and his buddies, Asaph, etc. got together and put on a jam session; the music would be ringing out and the people would be singing loud, harmonious praises! Well that’s how David Rudder had the some five hundred of us singing out in the theatre last night.
Now I’ve always liked some of David’s songs, but last night he made me a believer, with the way he arranged the songs and presented them. And you can imagine the cacophony in the place when he buss tunes like ‘Bahia Girl, the Hammer, Trini to the Bone, Madness, etc. etc. I can’t remember them all. And the house was certainly hopping when he ended with ‘Give Praise!’
I don’t know if Hammerson Hall has ever experienced that sort of vibrant West Indian atmosphere, as David and the Band performed for 2 hours straight; something that you don’t see often. And the craving for an encore was so great that he had to come back out and sing for a few more minutes.
Then he stayed after the show, meeting and greeting his many fans, I should say diehard fans in the lobby. I remember mentioning to one fellow down there, that I was never a big David fan, and brother, if yuh see how quickly his wife turned around and looked at me as though I was crazy! (smile)
The difference between David and the other West Indian artists around the place nowadays is that they only singing about girls, wining and drinking, but he is still focused on the way the song style began, as a forum for social commentary and change. Keep it up, mih brother!
Now, since it’s Saturday, we have to turn to that other brother, Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow with his quotes. And he’s got some excellent ones this week. Listen to this first one: ‘The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.’
No lie, mih people! You can’t truly feel good, until you feel good about yourself, because yourself goes with you everywhere, (smile) and accepting responsibility for our lives is a major key to our success.
And success comes when you ‘Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.’ Ah, the age old story friends. You’ve got to hang your hat a li’l higher than you can reach it. When you feel too comfortable, you never reach for the better fruit that’s a li’l further out on the limb. And that’s when you grow.
And this next quote is gospel truth: ‘Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.’ That’s because there is power in the word of God, and in our words. Remember, God spoke the world and all therein in to existence. He didn’t wave a magic wand, but uttered a simple; ‘Let there be light…And there was light…’ That means we should not speak negative things about ourselves, because intuitively and subconsciously our actions and behaviour leads us to them.
Now here is something that explains our problem with the world system. ‘The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.’
Ah mih people, in these turbulent and greedy times, instant gratification is the name of the game; we want everything now for now, even though waiting might bring greater rewards. But please remember there’s always a price to pay for impatience.
And this last quote is priceless. ‘If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.’ Ah friends, so many of us parents have failed to do that, that’s why this generation seems so lost and gone astray. But we can’t give up on them now, we have to keep on trying. Remember while there is life, there is always hope!
That’s why we can say in all truth and sincerity like Cousin Sol in our Bit: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ And is that ever so true! When we lose hope we get depressed and miserable and lose the zest for life.
However, when we regain it… oh boy, it just revitalizes and refreshes us. We feel on top of the world; like we can move the whole world; be like Atlas and bear it on our bony human shoulders. That’s the power of hope my brethren!
So please, let’s never lose hope; especially in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is the GREATEST hope there is…and the ONLY One we need in this topsy-turvy world. Much LOVE!
…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…in Christ…forever and ever…
16 Nov 2017
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: abundance, anger, be not envious, blessed, blessings, chaff, challenge, choke the word, Christ's ideal, Christian fold, cliques, compassionate heart, congregation, courage, criticism. divisions, curse, darkness, deceitful, deceitfulness of riches, desire to be with them, divide and conquer, envy, eternal separation, eternal values, evil men, favour, fell among thorns, gain the world, give in exchange, gospel truth, hears the word, hypocrites, in the world, jealousy, leadership, lose his soul, Louise heath, LOVE Revolution, lures, nature of the beast, negative word, of the world, parable of the sower, penultimate day, personal benefit, religions, resentment, righteous, room for improvement, running the show, self-control, self-discipline, share blessings, sinners, slanted, success, talent, talk the talk, the biggest room, the cares of the world, the counsel of the ungodly, the powers of evil, the seed, the will, things of the world, true followers, unfruitful, united front, version of the truth, what profits a man
Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.
And then it was Thursday – the penultimate day of our workweek… And everybody gave a small sigh of relief, while muttering: ‘Wish it was Friday though.’ (smile) That’s just the nature of the beast. We’re grateful, while being ungrateful.
That brings us to this quote ascribed to Louise Heath Leber, although there are naysayers who claim that it was already well known when she reputedly said it. ‘There is always room for improvement, you know – it’s the biggest room in the house.’
And regardless of who said or didn’t say it, is the gospel truth! We all have plenty room for improvement in many things in this life. But today I want to focus particularly on us Christian folk, because right now we are not living up to Christ’s ideal of true followers.
Oh we talk the talk, but don’t sincerely walk it, and thus are regarded more or less as big time hypocrites. That certainly paints a bad picture of Jesus and His supposed LOVE Revolution.
And I know many of us are bristling at that criticism, but if we look deeply and sincerely at what’s happening in Christ’s body, His church, you will see that it is definitely not functioning, as it ought to.
There are too many divisions, too many religions, too many little cliques and groups who want to run it the way they want to, with envy and jealousy, resentment and anger very prominent in Christ’s body. And very often the leadership also leaves much to be desired, with everybody preaching their own version of the truth, or slanted to their personal benefit.
That’s why the powers of evil and darkness are running the show. We don’t have a united enough front to challenge them, and apparently neither the will, thus they are picking us off one by one with the lures of their evil world, in the truly cunning manner of divide and conquer.
Friends, we’re falling for the things of the world way too much and too often. Remember we’re supposed to be IN the world, but not OF the world. And yes the things of the world look wonderful on the surface, but deep down they have no real eternal values.
So what’s our answer to these questions of Jesus eh: ‘For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’
Oh my fellow believers, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by selling our souls for the trivial, valueless stuff that the world tries to foster on us. The world is evil…and wicked…and greedy…deceitful, envious, hateful and jealous… all the negative things that Jesus dislikes.
That’s why our Bit warns us so sternly: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.’ For if you look enviously at what the evil people have or do, at how they prosper in their wickedness, you won’t ever be a true believer.
You will be like the seed that fell among the thorns in Jesus’ parable about the sower. ‘He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’ (Matt.13:22)
And sadly, that is what is happening to too many supposed Christians today: we are too concerned with the cares of this world, thus we have less time, energy and appetite to do Jesus’ work, like we should.
Now there are many scriptures in the Good Book which remind us of that fact and also point the way to the straight and narrow path, but this one is definitely the most colourful and thought provoking. Listen to 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 his fruit in due season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:1-6)
There it is right in a nutshell my brethren – the way to prosperity in God’s kingdom! The next move depends on us, whether we believe and practice it or not. It would be a grave mistake if we didn’t, for then, eternal separation from our Creator will be our eventual lot in life…the spiritual one that is.
And for those of us who believe, and at least try to practice our convictions, lets go home declaring the wonderful blessings that our magnanimous God has so generously bestowed on us this glorious Thursday.
With sincerity and true sense of purpose: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life!
I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And now, after the talk…the action! Much LOVE!
Christian folk…we are richly blessed…so that we can SHARE our blessings…remember that…
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SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 18 November 2017 Proverbs 13:12.
18 Nov 2017 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a musical storm, a tree of life, accepting responsibility, accomplish any goal, Anselm's quotes, asaph, Atlas, blessings, comfort zone, David Rudder, depressed, diehard fans, discipline, feel good, feel terrific, forum, gone astray, gospel truth, gratification, greedy times, Hammerson Theatre, hang your hat, hope deferred, jam session, Jesus Christ, kaiso, Let there be light, Lord and Saviour, lost, LOVE, makes the heart sick, mash up the place, name of the game, natural outgrowth, negative things, on top of the world, power in words, prerequisite, raise your children, refreshes, revitalizes, rewards, sincerity, singing praises, soca, social commentary, success, tear it down, the happiest people, the power of hope, truth, try something new, West Indian atmosphere, when desire comes, while there is life there is hope, zest for life
Proverbs 13:12. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Oh friends, welcome to a wet Saturday morning! But I can assure you that last evening it was a hot, tropical time in the Hammerson Theatre of the Living arts Centre in Mississauga, as Bruh David and Friends, a tight, great sounding band, mash up the place! They tear it down with a musical storm of pure ‘Madness,’ of soca and kaiso!
Brother! I can just imagine that’s how it was when the old time Bruh David and his buddies, Asaph, etc. got together and put on a jam session; the music would be ringing out and the people would be singing loud, harmonious praises! Well that’s how David Rudder had the some five hundred of us singing out in the theatre last night.
Now I’ve always liked some of David’s songs, but last night he made me a believer, with the way he arranged the songs and presented them. And you can imagine the cacophony in the place when he buss tunes like ‘Bahia Girl, the Hammer, Trini to the Bone, Madness, etc. etc. I can’t remember them all. And the house was certainly hopping when he ended with ‘Give Praise!’
I don’t know if Hammerson Hall has ever experienced that sort of vibrant West Indian atmosphere, as David and the Band performed for 2 hours straight; something that you don’t see often. And the craving for an encore was so great that he had to come back out and sing for a few more minutes.
Then he stayed after the show, meeting and greeting his many fans, I should say diehard fans in the lobby. I remember mentioning to one fellow down there, that I was never a big David fan, and brother, if yuh see how quickly his wife turned around and looked at me as though I was crazy! (smile)
The difference between David and the other West Indian artists around the place nowadays is that they only singing about girls, wining and drinking, but he is still focused on the way the song style began, as a forum for social commentary and change. Keep it up, mih brother!
Now, since it’s Saturday, we have to turn to that other brother, Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow with his quotes. And he’s got some excellent ones this week. Listen to this first one: ‘The happiest people in the world are those who feel absolutely terrific about themselves, and this is the natural outgrowth of accepting total responsibility for every part of their life.’
No lie, mih people! You can’t truly feel good, until you feel good about yourself, because yourself goes with you everywhere, (smile) and accepting responsibility for our lives is a major key to our success.
And success comes when you ‘Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.’ Ah, the age old story friends. You’ve got to hang your hat a li’l higher than you can reach it. When you feel too comfortable, you never reach for the better fruit that’s a li’l further out on the limb. And that’s when you grow.
And this next quote is gospel truth: ‘Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.’ That’s because there is power in the word of God, and in our words. Remember, God spoke the world and all therein in to existence. He didn’t wave a magic wand, but uttered a simple; ‘Let there be light…And there was light…’ That means we should not speak negative things about ourselves, because intuitively and subconsciously our actions and behaviour leads us to them.
Now here is something that explains our problem with the world system. ‘The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.’
Ah mih people, in these turbulent and greedy times, instant gratification is the name of the game; we want everything now for now, even though waiting might bring greater rewards. But please remember there’s always a price to pay for impatience.
And this last quote is priceless. ‘If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.’ Ah friends, so many of us parents have failed to do that, that’s why this generation seems so lost and gone astray. But we can’t give up on them now, we have to keep on trying. Remember while there is life, there is always hope!
That’s why we can say in all truth and sincerity like Cousin Sol in our Bit: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ And is that ever so true! When we lose hope we get depressed and miserable and lose the zest for life.
However, when we regain it… oh boy, it just revitalizes and refreshes us. We feel on top of the world; like we can move the whole world; be like Atlas and bear it on our bony human shoulders. That’s the power of hope my brethren!
So please, let’s never lose hope; especially in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is the GREATEST hope there is…and the ONLY One we need in this topsy-turvy world. Much LOVE!
…to hope…to hope…and yet to hope…in Christ…forever and ever…