27 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a lust for power, acknolwedged my sin, an old friend, Anselm, anything is possible with our God, aspires to inspire, blessedness of forgiveness, blessing, callaloo, childhood toys, Christian faith, compassion, confession, cowfoot, curse, disbelief, disobeyed, dutch pots, faith, forgiveness, fun, glory, glory to God, god, goodness, gospel truth, grace of God, gungo peas, honour, hope, household chores, I can, I found it, I must, I will, inhibitions, iniquity, iron pots, Israelites, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, magnanimous, magnificent, material possessions, mercy, my past, New Goals, New Growth, new philosophy, obey his voice, Out with the Old, peace, pigeon pease, prayer, proper example, refreshing sea breeze, relaxation, repentance, rest, return unto the Lord, rocket science, seek him with all thy heart, seek the Lord thy God, sinful, soup, spiritual housekeeping, the floods, the good news of Jesus, the Lord's urging, thou shalt find him, Tobago, transgressions, trouble, try it yourself, turn thy captivity, ungodly, with all thy soul, worry, worrying
Deuteronomy 4:29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Well mih people, it’s Saturday! What’s on the agenda for today eh? Hope it includes some fun, rest, and relaxation and not too many household chores. I don’t know about you all nuh, but I wish I could be in Tobago, enjoying the early morning refreshing sea breeze, biding my time to go up Calder Hall Road and get some of the soup from those three big iron (dutch) pots. (smile)
Oh friends, I still can’t get over the size of those iron pots nuh! Hn! I’ve never seen any as big before that, or since. But some pigeon (gungo) peas soup, or cowfoot, or even callaloo soup would certainly go down good this Saturday morning, even here in good ole Toronto.
But I guess I’ll just have to keep on dreaming about that until hopefully with the good grace of God I go back there next year – unless the duchess, under the Lord’s urging, decides to make some gungo peas soup today. Oh glory to God!
I know I won’t get any of the other two from her, because those are T&T specials and she is a Jamdown lady. (smile) I’ll just keep hoping though with a strong Christian faith, for anything is possible where our God is concerned.
Anyway, since it’s Saturday, I guess we should have a look at one of our friend Anselm’s quotes. He always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this week there were several good ones, but this one was definitely the winner! It’s long so we only have space for one today. It’s called: ‘Out With The Old.’
And it says: ‘Last Week I threw out WORRYING, It was getting old and in the way. It kept me from being me; I couldn’t do things my way. I threw out those inhibitions; they were just crowding me out. Made room for my New Growth, Got rid of my old dreams and doubts. I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn’t have time to read it anyway). Replaced it with New Goals, Started reading it today.
I threw out childhood toys (remember how I treasured them so)? Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY too, threw out the one from long ago. Brought in some new books too, Called I CAN, I WILL, and I MUST. Threw out I might, I think and I ought. WOW, You should’ve seen the dust. I ran across an OLD FRIEND, Haven’t seen him in a while. I believe his name is GOD, Yes, I really like His style. He helped me to do some cleaning and added some thing’s Himself. Like PRAYER, HOPE and FAITH, Yes I placed them right on the shelf.
I picked up this special thing and placed it at the front door. I FOUND IT – it’s called PEACE. Nothing gets me down anymore. Yes, I’ve got my house looking nice. Looks good around the place. For things like Worry and Trouble There just isn’t any place. It’s good to do a little house cleaning, Get rid of the old things on the shelf. It sure makes things brighter; maybe you should TRY IT YOURSELF.’
Amen, my brethren! Now doesn’t that sound like a very good idea for this Saturday morning? It surely does! A little spiritual housekeeping never hurt anyone. So let’s try it today ourselves nuh. By the way, the boldface type was my idea, not Anselm’s.
And yuh know what too friends, it jives so nicely with our Bit, like they were just made to run one into the other. (smile) ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’ Gospel truth my people, pure, unadulterated gospel truth!
And we do need to kick out some of the old stuff, like a lust for power, material possessions and other things of the world, like worry and trouble, when we sincerely go seeking God, because those things have no place in His realm. Now listen to our God’s conditions for restoration and blessing as spoken by Moses to the children of Israel.
‘And it shall come to pass, when all those things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind (remember them) among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity ( bring you back from captivity), and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.’ (Deut.30:1-3)
Oh friends, there’s no rocket science in that statement. If, or rather when the Israelites disobeyed God’s commandments and turned to worshipping idols and other pagan rites, He sent them into captivity all over the world. However, when they remembered His goodness and mercy and decided to return unto Him, He promised to welcome them with open arms.
My fellow believers, it’s the same thing the Lord our God is saying to us today. It’s not too late. If we stop trying to remove Him from our society and instead turn to Him with sincere confession and repentance, He is more than willing to forgive us. That’s how magnanimous and magnificent is the God we serve!
But my people it’s become a hard sell to bring others to Jesus, especially when we believers are not setting a consistent and proper example of Christian faith and behaviour. Remember, we are the only group that’s really concerned with the sinful and ungodly state of the world, and if we don’t lead by proper example, we can’t blame others for not wanting to get involved with Jesus’ LOVE Revolution.
And we’ll end with these immortal words of Bruh David from Psalm 32 – The blessedness of forgiveness. ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.’ (Ps.33:5-7)
So friends, it’s now left up to us to spread the good news of Jesus all around the world, but in a manner that brings Him glory and honour. Much LOVE!
…God’s word is real…many have lived to tell it…but many more have died in disbelief…
.
23 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a prayer for solutions, an increase of faith, anger, assuring me, awesome power, bitter, bless God, blessed day, blessing, bounden duty, celebrate our life, Christians, command, commitment, control, curse man, curse people, cursing, death, decisions, defeated, domesticating animals, dominion, douse, everlasting life, exercise the faith, failing Jesus, faith, fig tree, forgive me, full of poison, give thanks, glory to God, gospel truth, hate, heaven, hell, Hour of Power, hurry, inflame, irresponsibility, Jesus Christ, joy, leadership of my life, life, like water on fire, likeness of God, loving others, maniac of Gadara, my destiny, my friend Jesus, negative things, never gets stale, olive berries, our Lord and Saviour, pay a hefty price, planet earth, possibilities, praise God, Praise the Lord, prayer, problems, resentment, responsibilities, right decisions, rights, Robert H Schuler, salt water, shall eat the fruit thereof, share His love, sharing Jesus' love, solutions, solve the problems, summer season, sweet water, tamed, thanksgiving, the beloved of God, the difiiculties, the fall of mankind, the grave, the plight of the tongue, the power of the tongue, the tongue can no man tame, they that love it, this is the day the Lord has made, trust, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, unruly evil, we will rejoice and be glad in it, welcomed in heaven, wisdom, worry
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Ah mih people, on this ‘loverly’ Tuesday morn, as the summer season of 2016 winds down, it is only right and our bounden duty to give thanks to Almighty God for allowing us to see another blessed day on planet Earth!
So, as the psalmist did, let’s declare with enthusiasm and sincerity: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) And that’s for certain sure my faithful, believing brethren! We’d be extremely foolish if we did not celebrate our life and rejoice in these trying times.
And we’re only able to do that because Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour has already defeated hell, death and the grave and given us heaven and everlasting life to look forward to!
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now let’s bombard heaven with even more prayer; this from Gramps Schuler’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuler) Hour of Power Devotional, titled ‘A Prayer for Solutions.’ Most likely I’ve shared it before, but that’s immaterial, since prayer never gets stale, is always fresh and welcomed in heaven.
So please pray with me. ‘Lord, thanks for assuring me that you’ll solve the problems if I’ll exercise the faith and make right decisions! Forgive me for waiting for all difficulties, real or fanciful, to be resolved before deciding to make my commitment.
I confess I have too often allowed problems instead of possibilities to take over leadership of my life – to make my decisions – and take command over my destiny. I know, now, what faith is, Lord! It’s making the right decisions before I see solutions to all the problems! Increase my faith! Amen.’
Yes friends, all of us could do with an increase of faith in these last days. And to help us do that, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with joy and thanksgiving.
‘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!’
Oh glory to God my precious people! There’s no better designation than being the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! Wow! Right there we’ve captured the best of all worlds! However, let’s remember that those wonderful rights, also bear significant responsibilities, like LOVING others, like sharing Jesus’ LOVE with the entire world!
And unlike the current trend of irresponsibility in our present world, Christians are expected to be totally responsible in all aspects of their lives. So let’s not forget to do as we should, otherwise we’d be failing Jesus, and that’s one thing we surely don’t want to do.
And to help us do that (smile) let’s invoke the awesome words of our Bit. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’
Oh my brethren, when I consider the awesome power of the little tongue, I’m totally amazed. It can spread LOVE, as well as kill it. It can inflame negative things like hate, anger and resentment, and by the same token douse them like water on fire. How does James put it in his spiel on the tongue?
‘For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame: it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.’ (James 3:7-10)
And that’s gospel truth friends! We ought not to praise God and curse people with the same tongue. But unfortunately we do it, and eventually will pay a hefty price for so doing. Now hear some explanations from the scholars.
‘3:7. The word tamed (Gr. damazo) occurs in only one other New Testament passage (Mark 5:4), about the maniac of Gadara, which helps us to establish the proper meaning of the word in James. The “taming” has nothing to do with domesticating animals or training them to perform. The meaning is control or dominion. Mankind can control every lesser creature, but no one can control his own tongue.’
And is that ever so true! But unfortunately we do it, though to our detriment.
‘3:9. James explains that man is made in God’s image (cf. Gen.1:26-27; 5:1), so to curse people and yet bless God is inconsistent. Though the fall of mankind has marred that image or likeness, James teaches that it still exists (as do Gen. 9:6 and 1 Cor. 11:7).’ Please read those scriptures, my friends.
Now let’s end with further words of James on the plight of the tongue. ‘Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:11-12)
And the scholars further explain. ‘3:12. The last clause of verse 12 differs from those that precede it: The former are questions that attempt to illustrate; this one is a statement to teach. As salt water cannot make sweet water, so the person who curses others cannot bless God. The cursing of people truly indicates what lies within a person.’
Ah mih breddren, I won’t touch that one (smile) except to say let’s take time to day to ponder how we’re doing individually on that particular problem of cursing people and blessing God. And then, ask God for His ever-available help on the situation, for that’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…if God wanted us to be double mouthed…He would have given us two mouths…
20 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer in Jesus Christ, a godly way to love, a positive manner, a Prophet, a way of life, adversity, Agur, Anselm, artisans, aspires, Christians, clothing, content, dangerous experiences, debase, ever-changing circumstances, faithful promise, falsehood, food raiment, give us this day our daily bread, God's provision, godliness with contentment, gospel truth, great gain, help, Helper, household chores, I can do all things through Christ, I have learned, I speak in respect of want, immortal statements, in rough times, in whatsoever state I am, inspires, integrity, it doesn't pay, keeping busy, lay about, lies, life is not easy, life is raw material, looking to Jesus, need, negative, negative situations, not giving up, Olympics, optimism, our existence, pitfalls, positive, poverty, problems, profane, rejection, restore your faith in yourself, riches, roadblocks, Saturday, sculpt, Something Beautiful, stand strong, staying encouraged, steadfast, stick like glue, take the name of the Lord in vain, the BIBLE, the canvas of our lives, the hard way, the Holy Spirit, things are going to be bad, to be content, to get discouraged, ugliness, vanity, well rested, words have power
Philippians 4:11. Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Ah friends, it’s Saturday, which spells sleeping in and rest for some, while for the unlucky others, household chores will take up most of their day. But not to worry it’s all good. (smile)
Yeh, tell that to the mothers who are up and busy while the fathers lay about in bed or slouch on the living room couch in front of the t.v watching some sporting event like the Olympics. Hn! To each his own; the important thing is that you’re well-rested, bright and fresh to go back out on Monday morning and do the work thing all over again.
In the meantime let’s check out some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. Now this week it was kind of hard to pick just two, so I chose the easy way out and picked three. (smile) They are short anyway, so they won’t take up much space.
The first one says: ‘Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It’s in our hands.’
And that’s very true, for we basically hold the canvas of our lives in our own hands and to a great extent can make of it whatever we desire. We have the ability to paint a beautiful picture with our lives or just make it dark and ugly. Oh there will be problems and roadblocks, whatever path we choose, but technically speaking, our lives are ours to build as we see fit.
And the second of Anselm’s quotes tells us: ‘One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.’
Now that’s definitely gospel truth my people! Life is not easy and there are many pitfalls, etc. that can get us down and discouraged, but that’s never the wise or smart way to go, especially if you are a believer in Jesus Christ. Now optimism doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will work out the way you want, but at least you’ll be able to handle the negative situations in a positive manner; staying encouraged, not giving up, leaning on and looking to Jesus for His faithful promise of help in rough times.
And last but not least, Anselm declares: ‘If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of being a prophet.’ That also rings out with truth my brethren because our words have power, awesome power, and whatever we keep saying, be it positive or negative, usually comes to pass. And somehow or other, the negatives in our speech seem to come to pass more than the positives. So it’s extremely important that we stick to positive speech.
That brings us to our Bit, some positive speech from Bruh Paul the Philippians. ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ Yes friends, that is a very necessary lesson for every Christian to learn.
Then Bruh Paul goes on to make one of the immortal statements in the Bible. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Phil.4:13) And that’s the basis on which he is able to be contented in whatever situation he finds himself.
Hear the scholars: ‘4:13. The apostle’s ability of knowing how to live skillfully on little or in prosperity does not mean that he is a spiritual superman. The reason that he can live in such extremes is not owing to his own ability. Rather he can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth him, thus enabling him to adapt to his various, ever-changing circumstances. God orders Paul’s various situations, and God gives him the strength to be content in them all, trying and perplexing though they may be.’
And nobody went through as many harrowing and dangerous experiences as Bruh Paul. Oh my fellow believers, the same thing applies to all of us! God sets us where He wants us and then gives us the wherewithal to stand; to stand strong and steadfast regardless of the circumstances. That’s why we Christians are able to bear up under pressure that non-believers can’t handle: our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ enables us to handle it through the help of His Helper, the Holy Spirit.
So though times might look dark and disturbing, you are exactly where the heavenly Father desires you to be, and if you stick to Him like glue, (smile) He will enable you to bear whatever adversity you are currently encountering.
Now let’s check out some scriptures that jive with our Bit. Listen to Bruh Paul again, this time to Timothy in his warning against false teachers. ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing) let us therewith be content.’ (1 Tim.6:6-8)
Hear the scholars. 8:8. This verse prevents the wrong understanding of verse 7, that material possessions have no place in the Christian’s life. By figure of speech food and raiment stand for all of life’s basic necessities. These are all the believer needs, and having these he can be content.’
Let’s turn to the words of Agur now in Proverbs as he talks to God ‘Two things have I required (requested of thee); deny me them not (deprive me not) before I die. Remove far from me vanity (falsehood) and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient (you prescribe) for me. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take (profane) the name of the Lord in vain.’ (Prov.30:7-9)
And we’ll end with these interesting words from the scholars. ’30:7-9. Agur’s prayer is for a convenient and lifelong integrity, accompanied by a rejection of lies and riches. His resting in God’s provision for him (v.8) anticipates the words of our Lord. (Matt.6:11).’
What more can I say eh friends, except that that is a worthwhile and godly way to live. So let’s emanate him if we can nuh. Much LOVE!
…give us this day our daily bread… (Matt.6:11)
16 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a longing for God, a rainy morning, actions, adventurous, appear before God, bad pay kill him, bad pay poison him, Baton Rouge, children of the Most High God, Christian, colourful language, dire situations, do a worthwhile job, early will I seek thee, enemies, feel empty, filled the hungry, flooding, friend of Jesus, glamorous, glorious, God's help, gospel truth, grace, habits, heartfelt declaration, heavenly blessing, hope for the future, hunger and thirst, hunger for God, hurry, in a dry and thirsty land, in God's image, indisputable truth, lament, level of our faith, lost, Louisiana, maturity, my soul thirsteth for god, nourishment, off and running, pay debt, petition, praying, righteousness., sent empty away, Sermon on the Mount, share His love, spiritual renewal, testimony, thankful mood, thanksgiving, the Beatitudes, the beloved of God, the living God, the Magnificat, the thirsting soul, trials, tribulations, Trini Quote, Trust dead, trust in God, trust my friend Jesus, trustworthy, truth, Tuesday Mantra, walk of faith, watch your thoughts, wisdom, words, worry
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Ah friends, it’s a rainy Tuesday morning in my area… Thank the Lord! The earth, and all in it, desperately need that heavenly blessing! They’ve been going without heavenly nourishment for much too long now.
Let’s hope that it doesn’t go to the other extreme and cause flooding and other related damage as is happening in some parts of the southern U.S, especially Louisiana. In Baton Rouge it’s reported they got a month’s rain in something like one day! Now that will certainly cause flooding problems. Anyhow, we’re praying that it will not get that bad up here.
Now here is our Trini Quote Of De Day from my Trini friend – ‘Trust dead because bad pay poison him.’ Generally said to/about someone; who, in the past was not trustworthy or did not pay their debt as promised.’
And who says we West Indian’s don’t have colourful language eh? I remember often hearing someone go into a business place and ask for trust, what we now call credit, and the other person would reply: ‘Trust…Hn! He done dead long time yes! Bad pay kill him oui!’
And our Trini friend ends by advising us to ‘Watch your thoughts: They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’ Indisputable truth my brethren!
And to get us off on and running on the right foot this Tuesday morning, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm and sincerity it so rightfully deserves. ‘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 that’s gospel truth my friends! As Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, the world and its definitions don’t define us, we just live in it, but are not supposed to be a part of it. We are children of the Most High God Jehovah and a friend and follower of His wonderful Son, Jesus Christ! That’s who we are! Glory Be, my precious people!
So please, let’s not allow the names and tags that the world places on us to influence our self-worth. Always remember that we are first and foremost God’s children and Jesus’ friend and follower, and consequently, we need to go out and share the good news of His wonderful LOVE with the rest of our society, so that they can come to Him and receive His awesome free gifts of salvation and eternal life!
Wow friends! What a beautiful job it is to be an ambassador for Christ. It’s not an easy one, it has a lot of responsibilities, but with God’s ever-present help and grace, we can do a worthwhile job. Yeh mih people, working for Jesus might not be glamourous, but it’s always adventurous and glorious!
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
Oh blessed children of God and faithful friends and followers of Jesus, can that be said about us, individually as well as collectively? I certainly hope so, otherwise we won’t be worthy of those definitions.
The Lord made us in His own image and set apart a small compartment within us that can only be filled with His Spirit. And until that space is filled with Him, then our lives won’t function properly. That’s why so many people are lost, don’t know where they’re going and feel empty inside. But when you fill that space with a true longing for God, then your life begins to function in a right and godly manner.
As Bruh David so passionately declares in Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps.63:1)
Oh friends, what a heartfelt declaration! And note too, that psalm was written while he was hiding in the wilderness from his enemies. But also note, according to the scholars: ‘Unlike many of the psalms written in these dire situations, however, this psalm is overflowing with thanksgiving rather than lament and petition.
David declares his longing for spiritual renewal (vs.1-2), he expresses his thankful mood (vs.3-6), he gives voice to his trust in God (vs.7-8), and he announces his hope for the future (vs.9-11). Enemies are mentioned only in passing (vs.9-10).’
Oh my brethren, what a powerful testimony! How many of us can behave like that when trials and tribulations beset us eh? Not too many. But it’s in those trying times that we really see how mature we are in our Christian walk of faith.
And as Mary, Jesus’ mother says in her song of praise and joy, The Magnificat – ‘He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.’ (Luke 1:53) Yes friends, it’s a good thing to hunger for God!
And the definitive statement on that comes straight from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, from the Sermon on the Mount, from the section called the Beatitudes. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt.5:6)
Oh my people, please let’s take that to heart and go out today hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of God, for it’s wisdom of a heavenly nature. Much LOVE!
…the level of our faith is shown in the level of our longing for God…
14 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dispensary, admonition, baptism, breaking of bread, charles stanley, communal sharing, Day of Pentecost, edification, encouragement, enthusiasm, entire worship of christ, erratic attendance, fellowship, fellowshipping, from the Pastor's Heart, God is exalted, golden dreams, golden fancies, gospel truth, He is faithful that promised, hold fast, hope, I love to tell the story, inner condition, it satisfies my longings, Jesus and his glory, Jesus and his love, Jesus Christ, LOVE, message of salvation, my theme in glory, no man is an island, our bond of love, our hearts are encouraged, our minds are renewed, outward indication, praise and worship, prayers, reassurance, refill our tanks of faith, salvation, scenes of glory, service, signs, simplicity, sing the new song, singleness of heart, spiritual food, spiritual gifts, steadfast, stir up unto love, strength in numbers, Sunday, the assembly of God, the profession of our faith, the sanctuary of God, the Word of god, times of trouble, Togetherness, unseen things above, wavering, wonderfully sweet, wonders
Hebrews 10:25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Well friends, it’s Sunday, so let’s begin the day in a most appropriate fashion nuh, in praise and worship! Please sing with me: ‘I LOVE to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his LOVE. I LOVE to tell the story, because I know ’tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. (Refrain): I LOVE to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his LOVE.
I LOVE to tell the story; more wonderful it seems than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I LOVE to tell the story, it did so much for me; and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. (Refrain)
I LOVE to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat what seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet. I LOVE to tell the story, for some have never heard the message of salvation from God’s own holy Word. (Refrain)
I LOVE to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, ’twill be the old, old story that I have LOVED so long. (Refrain).’
Oh my people, what a beautiful hymn! And the story it desires to tell is also a beautiful one; a story of Jesus and His LOVE, of the message of salvation; a story that’s more wonderful ‘than all our golden fancies of all our golden dreams!’
Wow! It’s certainly the best story that’s ever been told! And I do hope that all of us just LOVE to tell it, and will keep on LOVING to tell it, because it’s ever so important to mankind; in fact, it’s the most important message ever delivered to the world!
Now since it’s Sunday, it’s also fitting that we should get us hither to the sanctuary of God to praise and worship with other believers. Please friends, no flimsy excuses. Remember we’re not going to church so much to please God but to derive great benefit from it for ourselves. Here’s how Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) puts in his August letter –From the Pastor’s Heart.
‘Something special happens when believers gather to worship the Lord together: God is exalted, our hearts are encouraged, our minds are renewed with the Word, and our bond of LOVE is strengthened. That’s why it’s so important to make time in our schedule for worship and service in a local church. If we isolate ourselves, we’ll have no one to help us in times of trouble and no one to serve with our spiritual gifts.’
Oh my fellow believers, that’s gospel truth! I couldn’t put it any better. So again, I’m encouraging us to get out and worship with other believers, because it’s to our great benefit.
And on the subject, the Good Book proclaims unto us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.’ (Heb.10:23-25)
Yuh see friends, it’s the wise advice from the Word of God! How can you exhort one another and stir them up to do good works and show LOVE if you’re not fellowshipping with them on a regular basis eh? Remember that no man is an island, and we all need encouragement and reassurance when times of trouble rear their ugly heads.
And also remember that there is strength in numbers, which means when we gather in numbers to fellowship and praise our awesome and most wonderful God, then we are made truly strong! The enthusiasm and LOVE and fellowship and togetherness just raise our level of faith! And the way the Lord has planned it, is that every seven days we need to refill our tanks of faith.
It’s just like our cars; every so often the gas tanks need to be refilled with the fuel that provides the energy for them to work. Likewise, after a hard and frustrating week of being out and about in this mish-mash world, we use up our faith fuel and thus need to replenish it. And the best way to do so is to fellowship with other believers in the Lord’s sanctuary. End of sermon! (smile)
Now here is the scholars take on our Bit. ’10:25. Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ, and is an outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col.3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor.12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’
And that’s certainly telling us friends! Now let’s close with an appropriate example from the early days of the church. It comes after Peter’s bold proclamation on the day of Pentecost. ‘Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfast in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by (through) the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common (communal sharing). And sold their possessions and goods, and parted (distributed) them to all men, as every man (anyone) had need.
And they, continuing daily with one accord (mind) in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat (food) with gladness and singleness of heart (simplicity) Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ (Acts 2:41-47)
Yes friends, the early church stood together, even having communal sharing for a while. It was the only way they could grow and do God’s work. Now let’s end with some words from the scholars. ‘2:41-42. The pattern here for new believers is normative throughout this age. They publicly profess their faith through baptism and join in fellowship, edification, and service within the assembly of God’s people.’
Now where does it say that any of those actions should change or have changed eh? NOWHERE! They still are necessary in today’s world if we want to function as a strong, unified body in Christ. So in wisdom, please let’s keep on practicing them! Much LOVE!
…the church will only be as strong as the faith and fellowship of those within it…
07 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a facade, abundance, adventurous, Alpha and Omega, atone, Be All, cast they burden upon the Lord, charles stanley, Christ has defeated Lucifer, circumstances, cleft for me, come unto me, comfort, death, deceit, dissident, end all, endurance, enthusiasm, exhaustion, false front, fellowship, find rest unto your souls, fleeting breath, gentle, glamorous, glamour, glorious, gloss, gold-plated, gospel truth, grace, heavy laden, hide myself in thee, humble, humble yourselves, humility, I am meek, I will give you rest, in heaven, in the Lord's presence, Jamaica Independence day, Jesus Christ, judgement throne, Land of Wood and Water, learn of me, lies, lowly in heart, Lucifer, make me pure, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, naked, on earth, perplexity, pilgrimage, praise, problems, put it into action, repository of everything, reward, right hand man, rock of ages, save from wrath, seeking to do evil, sin, sincerity, succour, Sunday, take it all to heart, take my yoke, the finish line, the First and the Last, the first day of the week, the good times, the great invitation, the journey is done, the mighty hand of God, the Sabbath, the source of our strength, the water and the blood, thy wounded side, to the cross I cling, trod him underfoot, troubles, truth, verve, walks the earth, wash me, willing to share, wisdom, worldly goods, worship, Xaymaca, ye that labour
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Well mih people, Sunday, the first day of the week has rolled around again! And what a beautiful day it ought to be, one filled with praise and worship and fellowship celebrating the Sabbath of our great and awesome God!
So it’s only right that we begin the proceedings today with some worship in the form of the old and greatly beloved hymn, ‘Rock of Ages,’ written in 1763 by the Rev. Augustus Montague Toplady. Let’s belt it out with plenty verve, enthusiasm and sincerity nuh.
‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.’
Yes friends, that’s the wisest and most sensible move a human being can ever make; turning to the Rock of all ages, Jesus Christ for comfort and succour! For He is the ONLY Being who can provide ALL that we need! Other beings can provide some of this and some of that, but Jesus Christ is the repository of everything that’s needed to live life successfully, both on earth and in heaven.
NEVER forget that my brethren! Whatever we need, Jesus has it – and in abundance too, and He is also very willing to share whatever it is with those who come to Him in humility, sincerity and truth!
Otherwise, why would He extend to all mankind what we refer to today as the Great Invitation eh, which is our Bit for today? ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’
Oh my fellow believers, how wonderful is that invitation eh? No other living being in the history of mankind could ever truthfully offer such an invitation! None but our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And that’s not even all of His wonderful invitation.
Listen to the remainder. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:29-30)
Tell me friends, have you ever received a better invitation than that? Certainly not! Because no one else can match it! That’s why men of God, men of strong faith like Bruh David and Peter advise us to: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken). (Ps.55:22) ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7)
Now why would two such godly men tell us to cast all our care on Almighty God if it wasn’t true eh? But as usual, we the finite, know it all humans, refuse to do as advised. Yeh, we think that we know more and can do more than the One who created us and still provides for us. Hn!
Instead, we listen to that fool Lucifer, who has nothing that’s good or lasting to offer us. All he has going for him are lies and deceit, plus fancy, flimsy, gold-plated worldly goods set up in a false front, a facade. But yuh know what friends, behind all that gloss and glamour there’s nothing but sin, death and hell!
Oh, we all know that working for Jesus is not glamorous, but it certainly is glorious and adventurous! And besides, the same worldly goods you get from Lucifer, you can get from working for Jesus, and these last much longer than Lucifer’s flimsy, marginal stuff.
It makes me wonder though, why sensible people follow an unwise dissident like Lucifer, who had it all going for him as the Lord’s right hand man, but foolishly tried to overthrow Him, was kicked out of heaven, and now walks the earth to and fro seeking to do evil to all that he can.
Remember friends, the evil one has no real power over us, unless we allow him to. Christ has already defeated him, trod him underfoot and captured the keys to hell, death and the grave. So there’s nothing to really fear from him, unless we let the glamorous but unsustainable things of the world that he offers, trip up our minds and hearts.
Anyway, enough about Lucifer, we didn’t come here to talk about him, but about God. (smile) And by the way, let me offer my sincere apologies to my second homeland, Jamaica on the 54th anniversary of their Independence which was celebrated yesterday! Chuh! I knew of it, but yet I forgot it. I can imagine the celebrations that took place.
And though I may live all over the world, Jamaica will always have a special place in my heart. I experienced some of the roughest days of my life there, but also some of the most heart-warming and adventurous. As the old people would say, it’s there that I turned man. (smile) Happy 54th Xaymaca – the Land of Wood and water!
Now let’s end with this Benediction from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) adapted from his writing ‘Enter His Gates.’ ‘Yesterday’s troubles, today’s problems, and tomorrow’s circumstances are all part of the pilgrimage you’re on with God, through the good times and the bad. Someday you’ll reach the finish line, and your exhaustion and perplexity will be over.
And when that day comes, you’ll be in the Lord’s presence forever. But right here, right now, your life has meaning and purpose. Don’t ever give up. Always remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is there for you, with you even now. He alone is the source of our strength, our endurance to continue, and our reward when the journey is done.’
Gospel truth all of that my fellow believers! So please let’s take it all to heart and put it into action – right now, if not before, for it is indeed the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…Christ is our end all and be all…the first and the last…the Alpha and Omega…
30 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rose by any other name, achievement oriented, Afro Pan, aiming too high, aiming too low, angry, Anselm, Beelzebub, Caribana, castoffs, Christians, Civic holiday, confound, controversy, crooks, death, disciples, do his bidding, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, evil power, excellence, gospel truth, Granny's advice, greedy, Hades, hapless band, hell, high intellect, high performance, I am alive for evermore, I am he that liveth, jealous, Job, judges decisions, litigation, Lord and Saviour, lowly backgrounds, Lucifer, Macoumeh Fifi, make you, mighty conqueror, negative sentiment, nonentities, our witness for christ, Pan Alive Steelband Competition, Pan Elite, Pan Fantasy, ps and qs, scamps, Silhouettes, stiff back, stiff neck, the devil, the evil one, the grave, the keys of hell and of death, the Old Testament, the powers that be, the things hereafter, the things thou hast seen, the things which are, the Tribulation, the vision of Christ, the wonders of Jesus, Toronto Caribbean Carnival, vengeful, was dead
Revelation 1:18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades) and of death.
Well friends, it’s Saturday; Caribana Saturday in the big T.O! Mama Yo! (smile)
Although it’s now officially known as something like Toronto Caribbean Carnival, brought on by all the litigation and controversy over the name in the last few years. But in most people’s minds it will always be Caribana.
Anyway, just like a rose by any other name is still as sweet, likewise Caribana by any other name still is a big festival. And you can imagine the city is hopping with all the functions slated for this long holiday Civic weekend.
Well to cut a long story short, I did my hopping last night at the Pan Alive Steelband Competition. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years that has been my sole Caribana venture, because the big parade on Saturdays is more than I can physically handle, I can’t party like I used to. Chuh! (smile)
And in any case what passes for mas down there doesn’t thrill me any more. But I’m not complaining. I had a good time at the pan competition, as I usually do. But also, as any of you who has ever been to a pan competition will know, there’s always controversy over the judges decision.
And there certainly was some of that last night as the judges’ declared Pan Fantasy the winners for the fifth consecutive time. Steups! Now they might have deserved the accolade over the last couple years, but definitely not last night in the minds of most people.
They looked good and their playing wasn’t bad, but it lacked the little something that makes a winner. A couple of bands like Silhouettes and Afro Pan sounded better. I’m not a big Afro Pan fan, but last night they played well and should have beaten out Pan Fantasy, instead of taking second place.
One good thing though, this year there were fewer bands than normal, ten, and the Competition was better organized and was more of a show, with one pan side on stage at a time, and the judges no longer moving around. It also began on time and finished before midnight as the city dictated.
Our own Calypso Monarch, Macoumeh Fifi, as well as a one pan side (one pan in each category) called Pan Elite from Arima in T&T performed during the intermission and after the bands performed. So some kudos go out to the organizing committee. And that’s that for Caribana…
Oh, except to send out Granny’s advice: ‘Sonny boy, please, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ Yes friends, we definitely have to be on our p’s and q’s during these big festivals as the enemy excitedly comes out on the prowl, looking for spirits and souls to invade with his evil power. And we definitely can’t allow him to do that. So please be careful this Caribana long weekend.
Now here are a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. The first one says: ‘It’s better to have a stiff neck from aiming too high than to have a stiff back from aiming too low.’
And that is quite true, especially for Christians, since our Leader, our Lord and Saviour expects excellence from all His followers. His is a not necessarily a high intellect organization, as you can see from some of the people He originally chose as His disciples, and the ole crooks and scamps the Lord used to do His bidding in the Old Testament.
But you’ll certainly notice that all His choices were high performance and achievement oriented. They did great things through the Lord’s help, even though they came from lowly backgrounds. The Lord takes pleasure in using the world’s castoffs and nonentities to confound the powers that be.
And the second quote declares: ‘No one can make you jealous, angry, vengeful, or greedy — unless you let them.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people!
Technically speaking, no one has that sort of power over us, unless we allow them to. So when we say that so and so made us angry, or jealous, or whatever negative sentiment we choose to display, it’s technically incorrect. In truth, we are the ones allowing them to make us whatever.
It’s the same thing when we declare that the devil made us do something. Of a fact, the devil has absolutely no power over us unless we allow him to. Remember our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ defeated hell, death and the grave, Lucifer’s dominions, when He died, and rose from the grave on the third day. So please, let’s stop allowing people to have such power over us, because it detracts substantially from our witness for Christ.
And that brings us finally to our Bit. ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades) and of death.’
That says it all my fellow believers! Our Leader Jesus has conquered the forces of evil, which means there is nothing that we need be afraid of from the enemy, because in reality he is like a toothless dog, just barking his foolish head off, with no real power to bite or harm us. Whatever he does to us, is what we allow him to do.
Yuh don’t see, even when Beelzebub wanted to harm Job, he had to first go to Almighty God for permission. (Job 1:6-12) The same applies to us today my brethren; whatever happens to us, the Lord allows for reasons He alone understands. But the evil one can’t just get up and hurt us because he feels like.
And we’ll end with these awesome words of Jesus as He says to John after our Bit. ‘Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be (take place) hereafter;’ (Rev.1:19)
And according to the scholars: 1:19. This is the key verse of the book. Revelation has three major sections: (1) the things which thou hast seen – chapter 1, especially the vision of Christ (c.f. v.11 – “what thou seest”); (2) the things which are – chapters 2 and 3, the conditions in the churches; and (3) the things which shall be hereafter – chapters 4-22, beginning with the judgements of the Tribulation period (cf. 7:1 –“after these things”).’
Yes friends, there’s a whole lot to come, and we’ll be wise to be on Jesus ‘s side, for He is indeed the Mighty Conqueror! Much LOVE!
…only fools will bypass the wonders of Jesus…to join the hapless band in Hades…
P.S. I know it’s long and late, but you have to cut the ole fella some slack as this is Caribana weekend. (smile) Much LOVE!
22 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a disciplined life, a rod of correction, a saving grace, a soulful song, a welcome decision, Amen, beat with a rod, build a house for my name, chastening, christ jesus, correction, covenant, dangerous, deceitful, deliver his soul from hell, discipline, disobedience, do a good job, enormous proportions, evil intent, fellowship, for Jesus, freedom, Friday chant, fruit of righteousness, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, George Elliston, God's great earth, God's greatest creation, gospel truth, grievous, growth, How beautiful a day can be, I will be his father, in Jesus' name, iniquity, invade our souls, joyful cry, joyous, kindness, leggo beast, looking over our shoulders, mankind, massa, maturity, mental, mercy, our benefit, our heavenly Father, out of thy bowels, peaceable, personal expereince, perspective, physical slavery, punishing, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, righteousness, safely, set up thy seed, sleep with thy fathers, standard, step out of line, sun, tempo, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the children of men, the enemy, the Good Book, the heart of God, the rod of men, the stripes, the working class, they days be fulfilled, to heaven, topsy-turvy, truth, unkindness, up in arms, weekend, when kindness touches it, wisdom, workweek, wreak havoc
Hebrews 12:11. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.
And all over God’s great earth, on this blessed Friday morning in July 2016, the joyful cry of the working class rises like a touching, soulful song to heaven!
‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the workweek is almost over! Thank God that the weekend is upon us, bringing freedom from mental and physical slavery for two big days! We can do whatever we want to do without massa looking over our shoulders! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend!’
Yes friends, it is a viable cry, but we must still be careful about doing what we want over the weekend. We can’t just behave like leggo beast and give the enemy a chance to invade our souls. We need to always be wary of his deceitful tactics to gain entrance to our souls and his evil intent, to wreak havoc there.
Instead, let’s chant our Friday Chant that gives us a better perspective on the use of the weekend. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah mih people, the way we handle the weekend sets the tempo and standard for our new workweek. Unless we are fresh and reinvigorated, we won’t be able to do a good job for Jesus when the time comes. So please be careful and handle the next couple of days in appropriate godly fashion. (smile)
Now here’s a beautiful quote attributed to one George Elliston (1883-1946), a female American journalist and editor who bequeathed a large sum of money to the University of Cincinnati to open a chair in poetry. At some stage of her life, she reputedly proclaimed: ‘How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! When kindness touches a day, there’s nothing left but for it to indeed be beautiful, because kindness comes from the heart of God! Oh how our world is dying from unkindness and desperately waiting and desiring to experience much more kindness amongst God’s greatest creation, mankind. And until we achieve that experience, our world will continue to be topsy-turvy, dangerous and deceitful.
But my people, thankfully there’s a saving grace, if you can call it that, displayed in the words of our Bit. ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’
Yes friends, we can count on our heavenly Father to chasten, to discipline us when we step out of line and follow our own devious devices and plans. Oh, I know from personal experience that it’s not a welcome decision, but it seems to be necessary for our eventual growth and maturity in Christ Jesus.
Anyway, there’s not much we can do about it, except try to give the Lord as few instances as possible to chasten and discipline us. Now let’s continue looking at some scriptural examples of how important chastening is to God. And nobody spoke on it more often than Cousin Sol.
Listen to him. ‘Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.’ (Prov.23:13-14)
Now I know some of you will be up in arms over those statements, but I’m only quoting the Good Book. And as much as you might dislike punishing your children, yuh better believe that God will punish us, like children, for disobedience. Not necessarily with a rod of correction, but in some manner that He deems suitable.
Now hear what the Lord said to Bruh David when He made His covenant with him. ‘And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes (strokes) of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I put away before thee.’ (2 Sam.7:12-15)
Yes friends the Lord was speaking there about the rise of Cousin Sol. And please note the serious warning about chastening for disobedience, because it hasn’t changed one iota since then.
So my fellow believers, in closing, I just want to remind us that although we don’t like chastening by God, because in the short term it seems a bit on the rough side, be assured that in the long run it will be to our benefit. Our God does NOTHING in our lives that’s not for our benefit.
Now let’s go out and see if we can do as little as possible to deserve His chastening, for that’s wisdom of enormous proportions! Much LOVE!
…to walk this earth successfully…a disciplined life is essential…
P.S. I think I’ve finally gotten the hang of this new Outlook setup. Glory Hallelujah! Much LOVE!
20 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, a LOVING Father, alive, almighty god, Amen, anarchy, breath of God, brethren, Carrying a grudge, chastening, complaining, discipline, do our best, errors, exercised, expectant faith, faith, forgiveness, friends, fruit, geeks, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God loves us, God's children, gospel truth, grace, grateful, grievous, grudge, halfway home, hates his son, hope, horrors, human, hungry hope, I'm not loking back, Jesus, joy, joyous, Laodicea, looking ahead, LOVE, mercies, Microsoft, mistakes, my hands are on the plough, obedience, obedience to god, P.S. I Love You, peaceable fruit, plough, promises, rebuke, repent, righteousness., selfishness, sense of purpose, simpleminded, spare the rod, steal my joy, summer's day, take it to heart, the answer, the breath of life, the present, trained, trials, tribulations, troubles, truth, undisciplined, walk the straight and narrow path, Wednesday Wail, whining, wisdom, zealous
Hebrews 12:11. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.
Oh friends, another glorious summer’s day seems to be in the offing! Let’s give thanks and praise for it and ask for guidance to do our best, as we walk the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus!
Sometimes though, the road just gets frustrating and annoying, especially when you are just an innocent victim, as I was yesterday with all the new changes in Outlook.
Yuh know, as I told some of you last night, after finally figuring out how to do my thing, I then went to send out the Bit, but I got all sorts of horrors in trying to do that. They kept telling me that there was an error message and the Bit couldn’t be sent, to try later.
Well the later trying didn’t do anything and I eventually had to send them out in smaller groups. Now all they had to tell me was the groups were two large. Steups! But that was too simple for the simple-minded geeks who run the show.
Chuh! So last night I spent a whole lot of time making my groups small enough to fit their new scheme. And they didn’t even make that easy to do.
However, it’s a new day, with new mercies and promises and grace and forgiveness, and all the other good things our wonderful God has planned for us, so I won’t let Microsoft Outlook steal my joy, as I allowed them to do yesterday! (smile)
And I have the perfect antidote for that in a quote from my ‘I LOVE YOU’ Poster, which says: ‘Carrying a grudge is like a run in a stocking – it can only get worse. Forgiveness is the answer.’ Gospel truth friends, gospel truth!
So, regardless of the troubles they cause me, I’ll just forgive Microsoft Outlook (smile) and continue to enjoy this glorious day the Lord has blessed me to see. And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
And since today is Wednesday, it’s only appropriate that we declare our Wednesday Wail. So with expectant faith, hungry hope and a strong sense of purpose, let’s wail. ‘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!’
Ah mih people, there’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for that beautiful breath of God that courses through my ole bod! I surely hope that you feel the same way, because in truth, that’s the ONLY way for God’s redeemed and sanctified children to feel! Glory to God!
It’s so great to be alive, despite the numerous trials and tribulations that come against us! And we can say that with the utmost confidence and truth because our hands are securely on the plough and we’re looking forward to the glorious future that Jesus has planned for us! Oh what a future that will be my believing brethren!
But at the same time, since we’re only human and thus liable to make serious errors and mistakes, we also need to be able to accept God’s discipline without too much whining and complaining. Our God LOVES us, there’s no doubt about that, but like a LOVING Father, He also disciplines us when we go astray.
Unfortunately though, as our Bit so rightly points out, discipline makes us unhappy in the short term, but in the long run, it works significantly on our behalf. ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ Yeh friends, chastening has never been a well-liked human characteristic.
And most of us old fogies can remember those days of some serious chastening when we re growing up. Plenty of us ran and hid when we knew that it was in the offing, but oftimes that made no difference. We still got it whenever we showed up.
But you know what friends, that chastening, that sense of discipline, usually benefited us in the long run. It made us the fine, godly people we are today. Sadly though, too many of us, as parents refused to administer any chastening and discipline to our children, that’s why they are the undisciplined way they are today.
Now we didn’t need to go to some of the lengths that our parents did, but by going to the other extreme, we did them a great disservice. Because, if there’s one thing a society needs to grow peacefully it’s discipline, otherwise anarchy, a free for all and total selfishness is what we get, something like what we have today.
Enough preaching though, let’s look at some scriptures that corroborate our sentiments. First up are these words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov.3:12)
More Cousin Sol: ‘He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).’ (Prov.13:24)
And we’ll end with this one from Jesus in the Revelation of John. It’s contained in the message to the church at Laodicea. ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev.3:19)
Yes friends, it’s all there in black and white in the Good Book! Please let’s take it to heart and do our best not to complain too much when we are rightfully chastened of anybody, especially Almighty God. That’s wisdom of the highest heights! Much LOVE!
…obedience to God…is the highest form of discipline…
16 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a gift of God, a great day to be alive, a job, a modicum of circumspection, a roof over our heads, a stranger, abode, abundance, accumulation of wealth, affliction, all that glitters is not gold, Anselm, beautiful things, better car, bigger, bitch, brevity of life, children, christianity, cleaning, clothes, common among men, complain, corrupt, deceased, desperate, dishonesty, do better in school, do your best, enjoyment, eternal life, evil, evil disease, flimsy, food, foolishness, for the wind, foundation, futility, good, gospel truth, grocery shopping, grumbling, heritage, higher ground, his portion, hit the nail on the head, honesty, honour, in heaven, in the Mirror, insubstantial, integrity, Jesus Christ, keeping up with the Joneses, laboured, lacks nothing, laundry, litigation, living like cat and dog, loving kindness, lustful, mercy, miserable, misfortune, money, naked, partake, power to eat, prettier, Prince, privileged circumstances, promises, prosperity, proud, reap the rewards, reputation, rewards, riches, run down riches, sacrificed, salvation, Saturday, Selah, shameful, sinful nature, sinless life, smarter, sour, sullies the name, sure bet, the Be All, the End all, the Preacher, travail, trickery, under the sun, unfortunate, ungodly behaviour, vanity, virtues, virtuous living, wealth, wealthy prime, wisdom
Ecclesiastes 6:1. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men.
Oh friends and fellow believers, today is a great day to be alive! And why is that you ask? Because today is not like any other day. It’s filled with wonderful promises and beautiful things to look forward to, like no work, since it’s Saturday…
And I hear some of you ‘steupsing’ and grumbling in the background, for although there is no outside work to go to, there is a lot of stuff to be done around the house; stuff to clean up from the past week and more to get ready for next week.
But that doesn’t mean we have to be sour and miserable. Just being alive is a great joy in itself, especially in our privileged circumstances.
I wonder how we’d react if we didn’t have any money, a roof over our heads, food on our table, a job to go to and no decent clothes to wear? And believe me, there a great many people in our universe, and right in our own backyards too, who are undergoing such desperate and unfortunate circumstances.
So please don’t bitch and complain because you have some cleaning and laundry and grocery shopping to do. Just stop for a moment and consider what your life would have been like if the good Lord in His mercy and LOVING-kindness had not smiled down on you with abundance and prosperity eh. Selah.
Now give Him some thanks and praise for your well-being and promise not to complain again – well at least not for today. (smile)
And here are a couple of quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us. They hit the nail on the head re the worldly lifestyle that’s so prevalent today. The first quote is called ‘In The Mirror.’ And it tells us that: ‘Someone will always be prettier. Someone will always be smarter. Someone’s house will be bigger. Someone will drive a better car. Someone’s children will do better in school.’
And the sad part is that we know all of that, we know it’s gospel truth, but yet we still allow the flimsy, insubstantial and ungodly behaviour of the world to corrupt our hearts, souls, bodies and minds with its proud and lustful foolishness – the keeping up with Joneses nonsense!
And hear the other hit the nail right on the head, rather appropriate quote from our friend Anselm. ‘Cherish…the virtues you possess. At the end of the day, there will always be trickery and dishonesty. But if you are standing on higher ground, and you believe in honesty and integrity, and all that is good, trying at all times to do your best and nothing less, you will surely reap the rewards of virtuous living.’
Oh my people that is Christianity 101! We ought to know that backwards and forwards! That’s why Jesus left His comfortable abode in heaven and came down here to earth and sacrificed His sinless life for us – so that we could be empowered to lead virtuous lives and reap its wonderful rewards – salvation and eternal life!
But because of our inherent sinful nature, and the bright beckoning lights of the world, we continue to allow its worthless things and ways to hold too much sway over us. Please remember that all that glitters is not gold, especially in this fraudulent and deceptive world!
That brings us to our Bit. ‘There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men.’ More truth friends on the vanity of riches, this time from Cousin Sol, in his capacity as the Preacher!
And he continues in the next verse. ‘A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth (lacks) nothing for his soul (himself) of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity (futility), and it is an evil disease (affliction).’ (Eccl.6:2)
Yes friends, you can be rich as Cousin Sol himself and not be able to enjoy those riches. As the scholars declare: ‘6:1-2. Prosperity is not necessarily good. Accumulation of wealth does not always result in the use of it.’
And just look at how many wealthy people have departed this life without being able to enjoy their wealth nuh, while others, even strangers, who hadn’t laboured for it joyfully partake of it. Not only that, but the sad and sorrowful litigation that takes place when a wealthy person dies is so shameful, that it just sullies the name and reputation of the deceased.
And look no further than the recent death of Prince in his wealthy prime, who left no will, and now so many people are coming out of the woodwork claiming to be entitled to some of the spoil. In the long run, perfect strangers, the lawyers might just end up getting the most of it.
It’s a good thing that I don’t have anything for anybody to fight over – at least not yet, but it is possible, since my best days are still ahead of me. (smile) And as I’ve always told my children, the day I see them living like cat and dog, I’m going to come back and haunt them.
Now listen to the Preacher again. ‘There is a sore (severe) evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail (misfortune): and he that begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore (severe) evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely (fitting) for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun (in which he toils) all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion (heritage).’ (Eccl.5:13-18)
And the scholars tell us this re those verses. ‘5:13-17. Wealth is easily lost and is therefore an unsure foundation for life.’ ‘5:18-20. Enjoyment is a gift of God, and man should be motivated by the brevity of his own life to experience it.’
Ah friends, Cousin Sol was the richest man in the world, and if he could declare that riches wasn’t the end all and be all, then who are we to say him nay eh? So please, let’s not run down riches, but if it does come, let’s enjoy it, though with a modicum of circumspection, for that’s wisdom at its heavenly best! Much LOVE!
…the only sure bet in this world is…JESUS CHRIST…
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