09 Jul 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: become the head of the corner, by water and the word, charter of salvation, false sons in her pale, for her life he died, for other foundation can no man lay than Jesus, from heaven he came and sough her, God gave the increase, greetings, I have planted and Apollos watered, Jesus is our foundation stone, joy cometh in the morning, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Samuel Stone, Samuel Wesley, she is his new creation, the author and finisher of our faith, the chief corner stone, the church shall never perish, the church's one foundation, the collective Christian fellowship, the great church victorious, the night of weeping, the song of morn, the stone set at nought, there be those who hate her, to be his holy bride, to hope she presses, weeping may endure for a night, with God the three in one, with His own blood he bought her
1 Corinthians 3:11. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Sunday greetings friends! It’s sure good to be in the Lord’s sanctuary once again, preparing to worship Him, to give Him much thanks and praise in the company of other believers. There’s nothing like it! And today we’ll begin our celebrations with a wonderful old favourite written in the 1860’s by the English Anglican Parish Priest, Samuel John Stone and put to music by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. This Christian hymn is ever so important to our faith, one might call it the foundation on which our faith is built. (smile)
So, with sincere, heartfelt, sacrifices of praise, let’s raise our voices in sweet harmony as we let Jesus know, that we know, appreciate and are ever grateful that He is ‘The Church’s One Foundation.’ Singing: ‘The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord, She is His new creation By water and the Word: From Heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy bride, With His own blood He bought her And for her life He died. – She is from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth; Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued. –
The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend, To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end: Though there be those who hate her, And false sons in her pale, Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail. – Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed: Yet saints their watch are keeping, Their cry goes up, How long? And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song! – ’Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore; Till, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest! –
Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won, With all her sons and daughters Who, by the Master’s hand Led through the deathly waters, Repose in Eden land. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we Like them, the meek and lowly, On high may dwell with Thee: There, past the border mountains, Where in sweet vales the Bride With Thee by living fountains Forever shall abide!’
Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing version of that wonderful hymn filled with marvellous sentiments of truth and faith upon which Christianity is built! And I find it strange that several versions that I listened to took out the verses which say: ‘The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend…. And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.’ Now that to me is possibly the most important verse in the song, because it lets us know in all certainty that the church will last forever under Christ’s leadership, and the watchful eyes of all the saints, with the promises of a night of weeping that will end with a joyous morn.
Bruh David says it in Psalm 30:5: ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy (a shout of joy) cometh in the morning,’ meaning that our sorrows and problems are only temporary, they will eventually end; this too shall pass. But I guess to each his own. And what’s the purpose or message of the hymn, you ask? ‘It describes the church’s relationship to its “foundation” being Jesus Christ. The church is represented as the collective Christian fellowship of the earth as it is wholly united by its Savior, the son of God.’
And the song was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal, who denounced much of the Bible as untrue. When the bishop was deposed for his teachings, he appealed to the higher ecclesiastical authorities in England and thus Rev. Stone became involved in the discussion. And how do we get the idea that Christ is the foundation of the church eh? Simple. He founded it!
Hebrews tells us about ‘Looking unto Jesus, the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb. 12:2) Jesus undoubtedly began the New Testament Church of which we are a part! And if you don’t believe that, then listen to Bruh Paul as he explains the situation to the church at Corinth in his first letter.
‘For we are labourers (fellow workers) with God: ye are God’s husbandry (field), ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor. 3:9-11)
Yes friends, we can build, but our foundation must be on Jesus and His good news gospel. Even the masterbuilder Bruh Paul must use Christ as his foundation. As he pointed out earlier in the chapter. ‘I have planted, Apollo watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but that God giveth the increase.’ (1 Cor. 3:6-7) So whether we plant, water, build or whatever concerning our faith, the increase or prosperity always comes through God’s grace and mercy. That’s because He is the One behind everything we do, including the One who sent Jesu to die for us, to provide the foundation for our Christian faith.
The psalmist wrote: ‘The stone which the builders refused (rejected) is become the head stone of the corner (chief corner stone, the foundation stone). This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:22-24) And Jesus repeated those very words regarding His triumph over hell, death and the grave. (Matt. 21:42-44) As this commentary explains: ‘He on whom the stone falls will be crushed.” Matthew 21:42-44 By rejecting Jesus’ authority over their lives / “the cornerstone,” they lost all of the blessings God desired for them. The death and resurrection of Jesus is “the capstone / cornerstone,” the “beginning and the end” for all of us.’
And when Peter and John healed the lame man in the temple and were brought before the Jewish elders, ‘Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them… Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of (rejected by) you builders, which is become the head of the corner (chief corner stone). Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:10-12)
Now my fellow saints, that is something we cannot dispute, because it is the gospel truth! So please, with all the evil and tribulation in our world, I’m pleading with us to get together and begin living seriously for Jesus, our foundation stone, instead of just talking it. He so deserves our serious and faithful witness. Much LOVE!
…to be a true disciple of Christ…is to live with Him for eternity…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a reflection of that bygone one, between you and your God, bring forth iniquity, compassionate heart, conceive mischief, curse, divine protection, encouraging each other, faithful brethren in Christ, fleshly desires of the evil one, friend and stranger, from henceforth and forever, get back to our roots, grace, greetings, he will not hear you, helping each other, ignorance, in the name of Jesus, know where their bread is buttered, mercy, my spirit that is upon thee, my words, negative word, neither his ear heavy, none calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth, not too late, our bounden duty, our faith in Christ assures us, our sins separate us from God, our society, out of thy seed, out of thy seed's seed, pandemic, Peace and Love, people of god, pride, prosper, receive salvation, refuse to listen, return to the Lord's fold, salutations, sent His Son to die to for us, shall not depart out of thy mouth, show the true colours of Christ, speak lies, step forward, succeed, sufferation, that it cannot hear, that it cannot save, the action of a wise society, the church of Christ, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Lord's hand is not shortened, there will be an eventual end, Thursday Blessings, to turn from our evil ways, tragedy, trust in vanity, unnecessaray deaths, unpredictable year of 2020, we will come out better and stronger, which I have put in thy mouth, while we were yet sinners, worldly passions and desires, your fingers with iniquity, your hands are defiled with blood, your iniquities have separated, your lips have spoken lies, your sins have hid his face from you
Isaiah 59:2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Greetings and salutations, with much peace and LOVE, on this wet and dreary looking Thursday autumn morn my faithful brethren in Christ! Yes, that’s somewhat of a mouthful, (smile) but it comes sincerely from the heart, as we continue this most unpredictable and unexpected year of 2020. And re one of my usual musings, we’ve already reached the midpoint of October which just began the other day. (smile)
Oh boy, although this year has been somewhat topsy-turvy, confusing and rather challenging, it has also passed rather quickly – at least in my humble opinion. That’s possibly because I’m not suffering as much as many people, who can’t find work, food nor money and are having a rather rough time of it all. Ah friends, for those of us who are having it fairly safe and comfortable, it behooves us to try and help the many who are not, who are facing unimaginable tragedy in their lives because of this seemingly unsolvable pandemic.
This is the time when the church of Christ must step up, step forward and show the true colours of our Lord and Saviour. We possibly won’t have a better opportunity than this time to show the world what Christ is really about – in action, not just in words; LOVE and caring for both friend and stranger, grace and mercy, helping each other, praying for each other, sacrificing for each other, welcoming each other, where possible, with open arms, and encouraging each other to stand strong in faith in these turbulent times that seem to have no foreseeable end in sight.
But that’s why we’re believers, our faith in Christ Jesus assures us that there will be an eventual end, and that we will come out good, even stronger on the other side; strong and more faithful than ever! And that’s what we have to try and encourage in all those with whom we come into contact – whether it’s by snail mail, e-mail, text-messaging, telephone or in person – that this Covid -19 business and the societal upheaval in general will not last forever, but if we get back to our roots, get back to the Father and Creator of all; the One who sent His Son to die for us while we were yet strangers and sinners, then our current sorry plight will definitely improve.
But until we do that, we’ll keep on having disastrous times. Hear this scripture from Isaiah on the topic of national corruption and consequent suffering nuh. ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened. That it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (cause much bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity (empty words), and speak lies; they conceive mischief (trouble, evil), and bring forth iniquity.’ (Is. 59:1-4)
Yeh friends, Isaiah was telling his people that the Lord’s hand was not yet beyond the reach of salvation for their abominable sins, which He laid out in more detail in the ongoing verses of the chapter. However, at the very end of that chapter He made this promise. ‘And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.’ (Is.20-21)
But yuh know what, even though the Almighty kept His promise, and made it so much easier for us to receive salvation through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ, we have fallen into the same well of evil in which the Israelites found themselves so long ago. Yeh, without a doubt, our current society is a reflection of that bygone one, and even worse than that, since we are purposely trying to turf God out of our society, and blatantly lording our sins and sinful behaviour over Him.
But the Lord God Jehovah is still merciful and graceful and long-suffering, and the same thing He told the Israelites way back then, is what He’s also trying to tell us now: it is not too late to turn from our evil ways, though our sins separate us from His presence. But in our proud, stubborn and know-it-all state, we refuse to listen and persist in our sinful, iniquitous ways. Remember all those times Israel departed from God and the tough circumstances they then found themselves in? Now why would it be any different with us eh?
But the wise thing about Israel is that they eventually remembered where their bread was buttered, woke up and returned to worshipping the Lord…and He took them back with opened arms and healed their land. It’s the same offer He’s making to us today my people; return to my fold and I will forgive and heal you. But no, we seem too proud and haughty, too big for our britches to admit our failure, our wrongdoing and give up our worldly passions and desires. Therefore ‘sufferation’ will continue.
And it’s not so much the Lord’s doing nuh, but mostly our own ignorance and pride. Take a look at the pandemic; the only things we have right now to lessen the slaughter are physical distancing, wearing masks and washing hands, but we refuse to adhere to those simple protocols, while we watch unnecessary deaths consequently proliferate. Is that the action of a wise society? I very much doubt it.
Anyway, enough preaching for today. (smile) People of God, let’s go home now declaring (yeahh!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so magnanimously bestowed on us so that we can perform His blessed work down here on earth. All together now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts:
‘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!’
Now let us go out, or stay in, whichever is safer and more practical, and share those blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us. That’s our bounden duty! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom…following the guidance of the Holy Spirit…not the lustful, fleshly desires of the evil one…
29 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a golden candlestick, a rushing mighty wind, a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter, an abundant supply of God's Spirit, another comforter, began to speak in tongues, believe and obey, beyond comprehension, beyond expectation, boggles my mind, bring all things to your remembrance, but by mu Spirit, cloven tongues, dangerous times, Day of Pentecost, don't have time to enjoy, endure to the end, filled with the Holy Ghost, fruits of our labour, greetings, halfway home, hands on the plough, he dwelleth in you, hello there, his righteousness, I AM, I want to run hide escape, in 52 days, informative, it shall come to pass, it startles me, Jehovah, like of fire, LOVE, loves unconditionally, magnificent and magnanimous God, mih lovelies, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, Nehemiah, nor by power, not by might, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, pandemic, peace, penetrate every fibre of me, pour our my spirit, reassuring, rebuilding the temple, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, reward me, run behind the things of the world, Ruth Harms Calkin, saith the Lord of hosts, salutations, seek first his kingdom, strife, stupidity, teach you all things, the breath of life, the only way to live, the prophet Zecahriah, the Spirit of truth, the Task, the word of the Lord, the work of god, to a glorious future with Jesus, to follow jesus, two olive trees, unto Zerubbabel, upon all flesh, uppermost in our minds, we can ask or imagine, Wednesday Wail, Yahweh, You invade and permeate me, young men shall see visions, your own magnificent power
Zechariah 4:6. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Well hello there mih lovelies! Greetings and salutations! It’s so good to come to you again in fellowship with LOVE and peace in Christ uppermost in our minds and souls! It means that the Lord has granted us another day to do His work down here on earth, to complete the plan He’s ordained since the beginning of time for our lives. And this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin admirably describes how our heavenly Father works in our lives when we are obedient to His will. It’s simply titled ‘The Task.’
Please pray with me: ‘Lord you give me a task So utterly impossible So totally beyond comprehension – The very thought of it Startles me. I want to run hide escape Anything, Lord. Then you electrify me You invade and permeate me You penetrate every fibre of me Until the task is accomplished By Your own magnificent power. Then You praise the performance Your creativity achieved And You reward me beyond expectation – As though I had done it All by myself. My Father.’
Now how wonderful is that eh? I’d say, most wonderful! (smile) That’s why I keep telling us about the magnificent and magnanimous God we serve. No other supposed deity would ever do such a thing; give you a tough task, then help you do it, then give you credit for it when it was done strictly under His watchful eye and mighty power! But that’s how the great God; Jehovah, Yahweh, I Am, whatever you choose to call him, operates! And that’s why I also can’t understand why we don’t live in greater obedience to Him, but foolishly prefer to run behind the things of the world.
And our stupidity just boggles my mind, because He’s most faithfully promised that if we seek first his kingdom and His righteousness that all those worldly things we need…and much more too, will be given to us! Our problem is that we’re proud and greedy and impatient. We want it all, and right now, so we kill ourselves working for it, and sadly end up with no time to truly enjoy the worldly fruits of our labour. Now does that make sense my brethren? Obviously not!
And even in these dangerous times of pandemic and strife, it’s still the worldly things for which we’re hungering, instead of being peaceful and calm and using this imposed time to come closer to our God, the One who LOVES unconditionally, and so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die, to be led like a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter, so that our sins could be paid for by His sinless blood. And yet still…we refuse to believe and obey… Ah mih people, I don’t know what else to say nuh to get us to truly embrace our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to do His works down here on earth as He so greatly desires.
So let’s turn back to our poem and the Bible verse to which it’s associated. It’s a promise of our God to the prophet Zechariah, re His doing of difficult or seemingly impossible things. In a vision the prophet saw a golden candlestick and two olive trees and did not understand their meaning. The angel of the Lord told Zechariah. ‘This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Zech. 4:6) Oh friends, what a most wonderful promise!
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘4:1-14. The fifth vision, the golden candlestick and the two olive trees: The work of God (the rebuilding of the temple) would be accomplished through God’s leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, who would be enabled to perform their tasks by the Spirit of God….’ Ah mih people, that was not the first time that the Lord had used His Spirit to enable His followers to perform His work. How do you think that Nehemiah was able to rustle together the remnants in Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of the city in only fifty two days eh? (Neh. 6:15) It was through the Spirit of the Lord!
And it’s a promise that the Lord made several times in the Old Testament. Hear Him to the prophet Hosea with his unfaithful wife. ‘But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.’ (Hos. 1:7) And then to the prophet Joel, our great God proclaimed: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the (men) servants and the handmaids (maidservants) in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ (Joel 2:28-29)
Oh what a marvellous promise! And we’ll go back to the scholar’s explanation of Zechariah’s vision. ‘…The vision indicates that future Israel will be a blessing to all the nations of the world through an abundant supply of the Spirit of God as the result of the coming of the Messiah, who will unite the offices of priest and king in Himself.’
And yes, that’s exactly what happened when Jesus came, and when He promised the coming of the Comforter. ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you’ (John 14:16-17)
And furthermore, Jesus reassured them.. and us: ‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ (John 14:26) Ah my fellow saints in Christ, how beautiful is our Lord and Saviour eh! And it happened exactly as promised on the day of Pentecost, some fifty days after Jesus ascended to heaven, after telling them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. (Acts. 1:4)
They were all in one place, with the same purpose in mind. ‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like of fire, and sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4)
Oh mih people, yuh think we God easy nuh! Not at all! He likes to show off His awesome power on behalf of His people, and since that momentous day of Pentecost, His Holy Spirit has dwelt within every believer, leading and guiding, comforting and renewing and helping us to live this earthly life in godly fashion! Wow! What more can we ask for eh? Not much! So let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail letting the world know of our awesome position in Christ Jesus!
All together now, in strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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 we know for sure that if we hold our positions, endure to the end, then that promise will be kept, even more gloriously than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…to sincerely follow Jesus…that’s the ONLY way to live…
P.S. Yes, it’s somewhat long…but oh so informative and reassuring! (smile) Much LOVE!
28 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful entity, a new commandment, amabssadors, as I have loved you, at break-neck speed, brotherly LOVE, Burt Bacharach, but for everyone, by this, disciples of Jesus, epoxy, followers of Christ, glue, God's been placed on the back burner, greetings, Hal David, his death and resurrection accompliashed, hold our world together, honour, hurry, I give unto you, in god's eyes, increase more and more, Jackie DeShannon, Jesus Christ, justified, keep his commandments, LOVE, LOVE one another, love sweet love, made righteous, non-existent in our society, not just for some, on the cross at Calvary, our Comforter, our Lord and Saviour, pandemic, perfected, political strife, praise, provider, reconciled to God, reverence, room for improvement, sacrificed His sinless life, sanctified, shall all men know, share His love with the world, sincere hearts, strife filled, strong voice, taught of God to love, the beloved of God, the evil mire, the LOVE of God, the Son of God, Top o' the morn, topsy-turvy state, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk as Christ walked, what the world needs now, worry, ye are my disicples
John 13:34. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.
Top o’ the morn my people! And wonderful greetings from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who’s also our Comforter and Provider! And He’s asked me to convey these most faithful and worthy assurances this Tuesday morning at the end of July 2020, when our world is in a most turbulent and unrighteous state. ‘Fear Not: For, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’
Wow! What reassuring sentiments from the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that we could be reconciled to God, justified, sanctified, made righteous and all the other wonderful things His death and resurrection accomplished. Mama Mia! How can we not LOVE and honour, praise and reverence and sincerely worship such a mighty and faithful entity eh?
That brings me to these momentous words of His to all who believe in Him. ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:34-35)
Oh my people, those words are ever so important on at least two levels. The first is that the attribute of LOVE, God’s highest, strongest and most pervasive attribute should also be very strong and pervasive amongst us. But then too, by us showing that wonderful thing called LOVE to each other, mankind will see and know that we are truly disciples of Jesus!
Yes friends, our showing LOVE to each other is the surest way to point out, to manifest to the world, that we are real and true ambassadors of the Son of God; the One who’s name is above every other in the universe, except the Father’s, and to whom every knee must bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father.
Unfortunately though, that attribute of LOVE is not being displayed enough amongst the supposed followers of Christ, much less amongst those who deny Him. And that’s why our world is in such a divided, disunited, strife-filled and topsy-turvy state! The LOVE of God is almost non-existent in our current society. But then how can we expect it to be when God Himself doesn’t hold much sway in it. He’s been placed on the back burner, or simply kicked out of many of our lives and activities.
But the truth of the matter is that the LOVE of God is what’s so badly needed in our society to stop it from further crumbling and sinking right down into the evil mire that it’s currently headed towards at break-neck speed. But each of us supposed disciple must get up, get up NOW, and perform the actions of discipleship, particularly the showing of LOVE for each other if we’re to reclaim the world for our Lord and Saviour.
Listen to these most informative words of Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians on the subject nuh. ‘But as touching (concerning) brotherly LOVE ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to LOVE one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more.’ (1 Thess. 4:9-10)
Yeh friends, we’ve all been taught by God to LOVE, and many of us are trying our best to do it, but in these most trying and uncertain times, we desperately need to ratchet up that effort so that our world won’t fall apart. It’s as Jackie DeShannon’s popular song of some fifty five years ago, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, so rightly says:
‘What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is LOVE, sweet LOVE. No not just for some, But for everyone.’ It was appropriate then when we were in the throes of the Vietnam War, and it’s ever so appropriate now when we are in the throes of a pandemic clothed with serious political strife.
And John explains what the true test of knowledge, of discipleship is. ‘And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the LOVE of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought also to walk, even as he walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6)
Yes my people, the only way to know if we truly LOVE God and He is in us, is if are walking in His will, keeping His commandments, of which the most important is that we walk in LOVE! So please, let’s check our LOVE walk nuh, and see if it can hold up to close scrutiny. And whether it can or cannot, let’s do as Bruh Paul asks, and improve it, with God’s help obviously. We all have room for improvement, that’s for sure!
Now let’s; go home telling the world who and whose we are, as we declare (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, 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 what true discipleship is; trusting our friend Jesus and sharing His wonderful, amazing and unconditional LOVE with the world. So let’s show some true discipleship nuh! (smile) Much LOVE!
…LOVE… the ONLY epoxy…the only glue…that can hold our world together…
17 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joy to come into your homes, and now abideth, attribute of God, because he first loved us, beholding as in a glass, better is a dinner of herbs where love is, caring, changed into the same image, Christ died for us, faith hope charity (love), fear hath torment, flowing through me, for everyone, forgiving, from glory to glory, giving, glad to be alive, God commendeth his love, God so loved the world, graciously inviting, greetings, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, is love sweet love, looking forward, LOVE, love is the fulfilling of the law, love worketh no ill to his neighbour, Love your enemies, made perfect in love, not looking back, One Year Book of Bible promises, Resemblance, resemble each other, Ruth Harms Calkin, salutations, Scrip-Bit friends and family, sharing, should not perish, sin, than a stalled ox and hatred, thank God, the abiding presence of the Spirit of God, the breath of God, the face of Moses reflected, the glory of God, the greatest of these is charity (love), there is fear in love, to a glorious future with Jesus, transformation takes place, warmly welcoming, we all with open face, we love him, Wednesday Wail, what the world needs now, while we were yet sinners, whosoever believeth in him
1 Corinthians 13:13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).
Greetings and salutations on this beautiful Wednesday morning, my Scrip-Bit friends and family! It’s a joy to come into your homes and visit with you for a few minutes every day! Thank you so much for graciously inviting and then warmly welcoming me. (smile) And the word for today is that monumental and magnanimous one, the chief attribute of our great God; LOVE! And what a magnificent word and attribute it is. But before we delve further into it, here’s something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that beautifully expresses one important aspect of LOVE! It’s titled ‘Remembrance.’
So please pray with me: ‘Lord, somewhere I read That when two people LOVE deeply When they live together Sharing Caring Giving Forgiving Eventually they begin To resemble each other. Lord, how long will it be Before I look like YOU?’ Now that my people is indeed an awesome question! Why is that you ask? Because the Lord’s basic intention is to have all His children resemble Himself and His first born.
Hear how Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians in the Bible Promise used for our poem above. ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding (reflect) as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed) into the same image (His likeness) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ (2 Cor. 3:18)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘3:18. Beholding as in a glass: The term beholding can have the sense of “reflecting.” The believer himself “reflects” the glory of the Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord. For Moses, the glory eventually faded away, but under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’ And remember He’ll keep doing that good work in us, right until Christ returns. (Phil. 1:6) So it’s not a vikey vie, or hit and miss thing. (smile)
Now let’s delve a li’l further into that marvellous attribute called LOVE nuh. And the first thing we need to realize and tearfully acknowledge is this verse from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘But God commendeth (demonstrates) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) Now friends, we’ll never understand the true meaning and value of the word LOVE until we sincerely appreciate what our great God did for us, while we were separated from Him by what He most despises; sin!
Yes, it must have taken a great attribute for Him to sacrifice His only Son for a bunch of ingrates. But He did it because of His unconditional and everlasting LOVE for us, His original creation! And Jesus stated it unequivocally: ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) Yes my people, it was all about LOVE! That’s why John could write so purposefully in his epistle: ‘We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us.’ (1 John 4:19)
And some of you are still wondering what’s so great about this thing called LOVE – and it’s not the romantic aspect we talking about here, but the brotherly aspect. Well here are a few things that LOVE does within societies. Cousin Sol warns us: ‘Hatred stirreth up strifes: but LOVE covereth a multitude of sins.’ (Prov. 10:12) And that is the gospel truth, for if there was more LOVE and less hatred in our world, it would not be in the sad state it’s now in with strife and resentment fomenting from corner to corner.
Cousin Sol also tells us this bitter truth. ‘Better is a dinner of herbs (vegetables) where LOVE is, than a stalled ox (fatted calf) and hatred therewith.’ (Prov. 15:17) And many of us have proven that for ourselves through disastrous and unhappy relationships. Now hear Bruh Paul again to the church at Rome: ‘LOVE worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law.’ (Rom. 10:13) Glory be mih people! When we truly LOVE, we won’t, or can’t do wrong to anybody!
And hear this wonderful power of LOVE from John nuh. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18) Mamacita! What more can we ask or expect from LOVE eh? And remember that LOVE is not practiced by believers alone, for when Christ spoke about LOVING one’s enemies, He specifically stated: ‘For if ye LOVE them which LOVE you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) the same? And if ye salute (greet) your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans (tax collectors) so?’ (Matt. 5:46-47)
So LOVE exists in all spheres of our societies, just not between enough of those spheres to make our world a worthwhile place. And we’ll end the LOVE story on this dramatic note, (smile) with these momentous words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth. ‘And now abideth faith, hope, charity (LOVE), these three; but the greatest of these is charity (LOVE).’ Yes friends, the greatest attribute man can ever acquire and most importantly put to work is LOVE. And please note that LOVE means more than just talking, but more importantly implies, calls for action! LOVE means doing, helping, caring for, showing compassion, etc., etc. all action words!
And having filled our souls and spirits with scriptures of LOVE, (smile) let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our position in Christ. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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 we know, we believe, that if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…what the world needs now is…LOVE…sweet LOVE…not for some…but for everyone…
P.S. Yes, it’s late, but yuh know how the ole fella stay (smile) and I think it’s great though. (smile) Hope you do too. Much LOVE!
12 Feb 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pitying smile, a sigh, a tale that is told, a vapour, arise form the dead, awake, desires of the sin nature, dissipation, does no hrm, drunk with wine, Ethan the Ezrahite, excess, futility, greetings, halfway home, hands on the plough, how short my time is, hymns, insensitivity to Christ's demands, Jesus comes back, love is the fulfilling of the law, love worketh no ill, made all men in vain, making melody in yoru heart, not looking back, our lives are light and airy, procrastination, psalms, put on the armour of light, putting off for tomorrow, redeeming the time, reign of righteousness, rewarding, salutations, share by talk and deed, short lasting, spiritual songs, taken home, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the new life in Christ, the works of darkness, time, to a glorious future with Jesus, vanity, walk circumspectly, waste time, Wednesday Wail, working for christ, worth every heartache
Psalm 89:47. Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain (for what futility hast thou made all men)?
Aye mih people, greetings and salutations this chilly Wednesday morning, as time rolls on by. That reminds me of a conversation I had with the duchess yesterday. In my confusion as to the day, I asked if tomorrow would be Wednesday already? And in her own inimitable way, she answered, ‘Yes, all day!’ (smile)
My contention then was how could it be Wednesday already tomorrow, when yesterday was just Monday? With a pitying smile and a sad shake of her head, the duchess kindly informed me: ‘You think time waiting on you eh? Well it isn’t. Time’s going about it’s business as it should…and if you doh want to go about your business, as you should, then that’s your problem. Doh blame time for your procrastinating!’ Matter fix! (smile)
Yes friends, too many of us keep putting off things we can do today for tomorrow. And I should know, because I’m a master procrastinator! That’s one thing about the duchess, she likes to get her business done asap, no procrastinating on her part. Most of the time if she let’s something ride, it’s because I’ve talked her into it. (smile) But seriously my fellow believers (yeah! caught it just in time!) we can’t afford to waste the little time we have down here on earth, especially when we don’t know when it will be up; when we’ll either be taken home, or Jesus comes back.
And Ethan the Ezrahite said it thus in his maschil (contemplation) on the sure promises of God to Bruh David. ‘How long. Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain (for what futility hast thou made all men)?’ (Ps. 89:46-47)
And Moses, in his psalm (90) also mentions our comparatively short time here on earth, to that of eternity. ‘Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told (like a sigh).’ (Ps. 90:8-9) Yeh friends, that’s how short our lives are, like a sigh, especially in the eyes of God.
And Bruh David describes our lives thus in Psalm 62. ‘Surely men of low degree are vanity (a vapour), and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid (weighed) in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity (a vapour).’ (Ps .62:9) So I hope we get the picture; our lives are light and airy like vapour, and short lasting like a sigh, therefore we need to get our act together and do what the Lord has called us to do, without procrastination, fear and/or anxiety.
For as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it’s high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom.13:11-14)
And the scholars explain: ‘13:11-12. Sleep means insensitivity to the demands of Christ on the Christian’s life. Now is our salvation nearer: The coming of Christ to deliver us from this sinful world grows nearer every day. The night is the time while Christ is out of the world, and the world has been delivered into the control of the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). The day is a reference to the time when Christ will return and establish His reign of righteousness.’ ‘13:14. Make not provision for the flesh: One should not seek opportunities to satisfy the deep-seated desires of the sin nature, but should seek occasion to manifest works that are consistent with the new life in Christ.’
And to the Ephesians, Bruh Paul was a li’l more explicit. (smile) ‘Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:14-21)
Yes my people, those are the things we should not be doing and be doing! Cut out the unbelief, arise from our slumber, procrastination, and stop the idle talk and behaviour, go easy on the alkie, but be filled with the Spirit instead. (smile) Oh friends, in this evil age we have to be very careful of who we talk to and what we listen to. Our souls and lives ought to be filled with thanksgiving and the things pertaining to heaven much more than the those pertaining to earth, for we have a job to do as ambassadors for Christ, and we can’t do that if we embrace the things of the world over those of Christ.
So let’s start making melody in our hearts nuh, and singing godly songs, and giving much thanks, and interacting honestly and righteously with each other, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father! For that’s what we’re called to do as workers in Christ’s business! And with all of that stirring up our hearts, minds and souls, let’s go home confidently and sincerely declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our enviable position in Christ.
As one voice 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 if we go out and sincerely share Christ’s message by talk and deed, then our future will be indeed glorious! Much LOVE!
…working for Christ isn’t easy…but it certainly is rewarding…well worth every heartache and difficulty…
14 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of glory, a marathon, a name above every other, blazed the trail, compassed about, compassion, continuing instant in prayer, deliver us, endurance, endured the cross, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faithfulness of God, falling into the common rut, finisher, friend of Jesus, from God the Father, gave himself for our sins, grace, greetings, heavenly witnesses, hurry, I make all things new, in god's eyes, January, Jesus is Lord, lay aside every weight, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, make time for God, marked-down trinkets, never leave nor forsake us, New Testament churches, One Year Book of Bible promises, originator, our Lord Jesus Christ, patient in tribulation, peace, perfector of our faith, perseverance, praise, race of faith, rejection, rejoicing in hope, resolutions, rewarded, run with patience, Ruth Harms Calkin, sad, salutations, Seasonal Affective disorder, set before us, shame, share His love, sin, so easily beset us, so great a cloud of witnesses, thanksgiving, that fadeth not away, the author, the beleoed of God, the devil, the fallen angel, the hardest to run, the joy set before him, the miserable month, the most rewarding to win, the race, the race of life, the right hand of the throne, this present evil world, to the glory of the Father, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.
Greetings and salutations this dreary looking Tuesday morning my Scrip-Bit friends and families! And as Bruh Paul liked to say in his letters to the New Testament churches: ‘Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world (age), according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!’ (Gal. 1:3-5) Yes my faithful brethren, EVERY DAY, we ought to remember the Father and the wonderful things He’s done for us through Christ Jesus and give Him the necessary praise and thanksgiving!
And please don’t tell me it’s too difficult, or you’re too busy and you don’t have time…Make time! You make time for other not so important stuff, but you can’t make time for God, the most important thing, being and element in your life? Steups! Just take a moment and consider your state if He had not shown His amazing LOVE and compassion through the incomparable gift of His Son! You’d be headed straight for hell and the eternal company of Lucifer, the fallen angel and now the deceitful, lying devil!
But through Christ, He’s offered us another option, much better than what we had – eternal life with Him and Christ in heaven – and yuh boldfaced enough to tell me that you can’t make time to spend a few minutes with Him every day! Chuh! Pure foolishness that mih breddren! Anyway, here’s a most appropriate writing for this time of year and our current winter affliction; SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder – from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. And it’s also appropriately titled ‘January.’
Please pray with me: ‘It’s January, Lord – The drab, dreary middle – And my thoughts are as drab As the miserable month. Does everybody hit a January slump Or am I the only one? The first week wasn’t too bad: There were Christmas thank-yous to write A few resolutions to store away The huddle of year-end sales. But thank-you notes bring no returns And resolutions are quickly broken and marked-down trinkets fast lose appeal. When You said “Behold I make all things new” Did You forget January, Lord? Or in January do I sometimes forget You?’
Ah friends, I think the correct answer is more like the last one – we forget the Lord, because He’s promised NEVER to leave nor forsake us, and He always keep His promises. That we know for a fact. So if any forgetting goes on, it’s most surely on our side of the equation. And the strange thing is that the drearier and more downcast the weather and our souls are, the more we need to find consolation in God, not forget or move further away from Him. It’s like when you’re sick, that’s when you certainly need a doctor, and the worse you get, the more you need the medic! You run to Him more than ever then, not away from him.
And it’s the same with our great God; we need Him more than ever when things are not going so good. So let’s think on that some today nuh, and see if we’re falling into that common rut. And we should also think on the Bible Promise from the poem, which is our Bit for today. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Yes friends, we have so many heavenly witnesses looking on at our race of faith, who earlier ran the same race and testified to the LOVE and faithfulness of God, that we need to get serious and put aside any and everything that will hinder us in our own faith walk. And please remember that our race of faith is not a sprint, but a long-distance race, a marathon; one that requires lots of endurance and energy, not merely simple patience. As Bruh Paul said to the Roman church: ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:12)
That’s the kind of belly and backbone we need to run our race friends! And though we have plenty of other believers to look at as examples, the best and brightest is as the Good Book says: ‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher (originator and perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ (Heb. 12:2)
Oh my people, how can there ever be a better example than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ eh? NEVER! For He is the One who blazed the trail, made the way, didn’t consider the shame or rejection or all the other negative stuff thrown at Him, and finished the race in steadfast and enduring faith! Wow! What a giant is our Jesus! That’s why the Father exalted Him to sit at His right hand of His throne ‘and given Him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:9-11)
And likewise my brethren, if we are faithful and run our race with an abundance of the necessary Christian elements, then we too will also be rewarded at the end. As Peter calls it: ‘a crown of glory that fadeth not away.’ (1 Pet. 5:4) So let’s up the ante this cold and dreary-looking winter’s day nuh – and even if you’re in the blazing sunshine too! (smile) Let’s raise the level of our faith so that we can witness for Jesus, like the true salt and light we’re meant to be.
And we can begin doing that by declaring (yeah!) our Tuesday Mantra with strong voice and sincere hearts. As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, 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!’
Then the next move is to actually go out and share Jesus’ wonderful LOVE and amazing friendship! Much LOVE!
…the race of life…the hardest to run…but the most rewarding to win…
08 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a keeper of his word, all in good time, always done as he says, anonymously, atrocities, baltantly, belief in Jesus, belong mercies, better than sacrifice, boggles the imagination, calamity, cries to Almighty God, damnation, Daniel, dealt very corruptly, evil, for the wicked, forgiveness, greetings, hellfire, his servants the prophets, hold mih head and bawl, in the name of Jesus, keep your peace, lonely bed, Love God, made not our prayer, memories, naive, Nehemiah, nor the judgments, nor the statutes, not kept the commandments, obedience, obeyed the voice of the Lord, on my timetable, ordinances, plodding along, rebelled against him, repent of our sinful ways, resonate, righteous living, rough times, saints in Christ, set before us, sinful path, sobs, social media, stored up, the curse, the land of wood and water, the Lord is righteous, the Lord our god, thou commanded Moses, to obey, to walk in his laws, Trust me, trustworthy mouse, turn from our iniquities, ungodly times, University of the West Indies
Nehemiah 1:7. We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
Greetings my people! It’s somewhat late, but the sun is shining brightly and the temp is somewhere up in the high twenties! Wow! It’s a bit cloudy though, so it’s obscuring the downtown and harbour scene somewhat… Ah friends, the ole fella’s in sunny Jamaica! Yeh, the land of wood and water! And ah know some of you jealous too, (smile) wondering how he could be travelling so much. But friends, no one was sorry for me when I never left good ole Canada for three sickly years, from March 2016-October 2018. No one was there when I lay in the lonely bed looking out at the planes flying by and wondering when, if ever, I’d be able to travel in one again!
No one heard my sobs and cries to Almighty God asking what’s going on? Neither did they hear His rely of ‘Keep your peace my son! All in good time! Just trust me!’ And I did. Now He’s keeping the promise He made, enabling me to fly all over the world! So how can I not LOVE Him eh? He’s always done as He says…though not necessarily on my timetable! (smile) All praise and glory to our wonderful and faithful God my fellow saints in Christ, for He is indeed a keeper of His Word!
But the real reason I’m in J.A. right now is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Graduating Class of the University of the West Indies, of which I am a member. That means I’m going to see some people I haven’t seen for fifty odd years! Can you believe it? I saw some of them when I was down here a year ago, and will most likely see them again, but there are many others I haven’t seen since 1969. That just brings back the good memories…and a few of the rough ones…that I experienced back then, when J.A. didn’t have as many problems as it now has, was a comparative paradise!
And talking about problems, I’m having one here with my hitherto trustworthy mouse. Steups! The bloody thing not working. I thought it might have been the battery, went and bought two new ones at some exorbitant price, only to find out that the battery is not the problem. And since I’m not the fingers guy on the computer, I’m having a hard time doing some of the stuff I want to do, like highlighting stuff. Don’t laugh mih young daughter. But the ole fella’s plodding along nonetheless. And I know the Lord will help us to do a good job anyway…because that’s just the kind of helpful Deity He is! Bless His holy name!
So what we writing about today eh? Let me open the Good Book and see what the Lord has in mind nuh. Soon come. And I’m back in less than a minute, chuckling too, for the Good Book opened at this rather appropriate verse of Nehemiah’s prayer: ‘We have dealt (acted) very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgements (ordinances), which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.’ Now I believe we might have used that for a Bit just recently, I’m not sure, but even if we have, it’s still the Lord’s prerogative to tell us again, because it is still a most appropriate scripture for these evil and ungodly times!
Oh friends, our world is so evil and ungodly nowadays that it just boggles the imagination! I don’t know if there’s ever been a generation that’s as bad as this one. Maybe it’s just that we have easier and faster communication these days, so we know about more stuff. But the same quick communication is itself causing all sorts of evil and ungodliness in our world! Without the social media and all the platforms that facilitate it, many of those who are pursuing evil now would not have been able to pursue it, especially so blatantly, recklessly and anonymously!
Sometimes when I hear about some of the stuff that’s pervading social media, as well as the atrocities committed in many of our societies, by our own supposed leaders, especially those against women and innocent children, it just makes me want to hold mih head and bawl! How can we be so cruel and evil to our own people eh? I guess I must be just naïve yes. But I like me the way I am. And the sad part is that many who are committing these atrocities are calling themselves Christians too. What a crying shame! And even declaring that some of those awful deeds are being done in the name of Jesus! Steups!
Ah Lord eh! It’s a good thing the Lord is still on His throne oui, looking down at things and taking notes until He’s ready to act. The old people say, ‘time longer than twine,’ and is true, but ‘even the longest rope does have an end.’ And I wouldn’t want to be around when the Lord reaches the end of His rope nuh because it will be hellfire and damnation for the wicked! And it’s very instructive to listen to the voice of Daniel in his prayer from so long ago, because the content of his words still resonate very loudly today.
‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.’ (And in our time, that includes Jesus.) ‘Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.’ (Dan.9:9-11) Oh my people, our sin profile today is much like the Israelites’ back then, way too high, and if we continue along the same sinful path, we will also pay the price for our ungodliness.
And as Daniel writes: ‘As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil (disaster) is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.’ (Dan.9:13) Yes my people, the Lord has given us an out from the calamity stored up for the wicked, but we have not, and apparently are not going to repent of our sinful ways and go back to obeying His commandments. But please, please remember these fateful words of Daniel: ‘Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil (kept the disaster), and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.’ (Dan.9:14)
Friends, God cannot, and will not tolerate sin, and if we continue to blatantly disobey God’s commandments, as we are currently doing, you think we’re going to get away Scot free? Not on your life! Remember what Samuel said to Saul: ‘Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken (listen) than the fat of rams.’ (1 Sam.15:22) Saul didn’t do what the Lord commanded him to do, so he lost the kingship. And remember too, what the Lord promoted Jesus to the highest name there is besides His…for OBEDIENCE! Nuff said! Much LOVE!
…sin can be forgiven…but only through repentance…belief in Jesus…and righteous living…
P.S. Certainly hopes this turns out good yes, cause I had a hell of a time writing it! (no smile) Much LOVE!
12 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a paid up member, adore, allotted time, blessings, Calvary, Christ's Church, commandments, compassionate heart, curse, diverse country, eternal life, exalt, glorious sunshine, God of our salvation, great family, greetings, he is good, heat fuh so, heaven, hell, his mercy endureth for ever, hoard slefishly, Jesus is the answer, LOVE, memories, negative word, now, O Give thanks unto the Lord, old and grey, options off the table, positive outlook, reminder, resting, salvation, save us, share generously, sinless life, South Africa, success, surrender, the old ruged cross, Thursday Blessings, time to accept Jesus, trust, vigour, vim, well rested, wisdom, worship, zeppo
1 Chronicles 16:34. O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Well hello there my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Greetings and much LOVE to you from South Africa, this rich, beautiful, diverse country! Oh, I haven’t seen a lot of it as yet, but I like what I’ve seen so far. And I guess where I’m staying is one of the more developed and built up areas, so it obviously looks good. But whatever happens, or doesn’t happen, (smile) I am determined to enjoy my short stay here and make a chockful of memories to remember when I sit in my rocking chair sometime down the road, when I’m too old and grey to make more memories like that.
Oh how I LOVE those kinds of Bruh Paulian sentences, convoluted, but full of info, stuff like what Bruh Paul writes. (smile) And there isn’t a whole lot to tell today, because I spent most of it resting. I’ve finally taken the zeppo I got the other day to heart: ‘You might be feeling pretty good, but you’re not a hundred percent, so please take your time, and get sufficient rest, if you want to make it to your allotted time!’ And brother do I ever want to make it! I don’t want to shortchange myself at all, at all!
Anyhow, after a late rising to glorious sunshine, determined by a late going to bed, (smile) the duchess and I had some breakfast, late obviously, then we went out to the front of our building and Glory be… the sunshine wasn’t only bright, but nice and warm too. The duchess obviously took pictures of the surrounding area, the nice fountain and beautiful blue flowers and palm trees growing in the front of the building, then we came back inside and just rested. At least I rested, the duchess and her young daughter went out to do the mall thing, while I stayed in…and rested!
And now that I’m well rested, full of vim and vigour, I’m ready to do the town tonight! Mama Yo! And believe you me, our God does LOVE getting His thanks and praise yes, because earlier on, when I opened the Good Book, my eyes fell first on this wonderful, powerful and wise scripture, memorable words of thanksgiving from Bruh David to his people: ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory (triumph) in thy praise.’ (1 Chr.16:34-35)
And my faithful brethren, do we ever need saving and protection from the heathen, especially in these evil and ungodly times! And the ONLY person who can give us that protection and safety is Almighty God, through His saving grace, found in the adoration and surrender to His Son, our most wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Yes friends, JESUS IS THE ANSWER! The answer to each and every question that we might have!
Who else could have answers like Him eh? When He selflessly sacrificed His sinless life on that old rugged cross at Calvary, He sent the message to all creation that He was the MAN! The MAN for all time, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the King of all Kings, for ever and ever! And if you didn’t like it, or believe it, then that was your problem. He wants you to come to Him to receive rest and protection, salvation and eternal life, but if you choose not to, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe!
Sadly, what you think or believe is not going to change the fact, that Christ is El Numero Uno, Number One, and what He says goes! That’s why I’m pleading to all of us today, to get in agreement with Jesus, for He’s the One who butters our bread, gives us health and long life, the opportunity to get wealth and success, and most importantly, salvation and eternal life. None of the other supposed and false gods offer the wonderful life that Christ has in store for those who LOVE Him and obediently and sincerely follow His commandments!
The problem here is with timing my people; if we don’t accept Christ as soon as possible, that means right away, today, we’re liable to lose out on that saving grace that leads to salvation and eternal life, because once you breathe your last earthly breath, you no longer have that option. Plus the fact that Christ promised to come back to earth someday, no one but the Father knows when, but if Jesus come back and you’re not among His fold, a paid up member of His church, then you’re s.o.l! (smile)
Yes my people, whenever Jesus returns, all options are also taken off the table, then all that’s left available is hellfire and damnation in Hades with the evil crone Satan! And believe me, you won’t like down there nuh, because it’ll just be heat fuh so! So let’s get smart today nuh and place our everlasting trust in Jesus because there’s no better option than Him! And even if you think there might not be a heaven or a hell, still be smart and hedge your bet nuh, just in case those two places do really exist.
Now for those of who already believe, let’s go home sincerely declaring (right ho!) our Thursday Blessings, that wonderful and generous package of blessings that the Lord has bestowed on all those who LOVE, worship, adore and exalt Him! As one, in strong voice now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And because of our sinful nature, just a gentle reminder: (smile) those blessings have not been given for us to hoard selfishly, but to share generously with others. So let’s go out and do just that today nuh, and bring a smile to Jesus face and warm the cockles of His heart. Much LOVE!
…the time to accept Jesus is…NOW…
18 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the saints adore thee, all thy works, before the glassy sea, blessed Trinity, by your will, casting down their golden crowns, cathedral, cherubim, confidence, direct my prayer, doctrine of the Trinity, early in the morning, exaltation, extol God's character, extol God's creative powers, faith, First council of Nicaea, for thy pleasure, four and twenty elders, God in three persons, God is the king, greetings, holy holy holy, honour, hovel, I am in the midst, in my name, Jesus Christ, John Bacchus Dykes, LOVE, merciful, mighty, O Lord, of all the earth, oue Lord and Saviour, our song shall rise to thee, peace, perfect in power, power, praise, purity, Reginald heber, seraphim, shall praise thy name, sing praises to God, stand us in good stead, tey are and were created, the angels, the church, the elders, the eye of sinful man, the Lord of hosts, the Lord's Day, they exist, thou art worthy, thou hast created all things, to receive glory, where two or three are gathered, will look up, zest
Revelation 4:11. Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.
Oh my fellow believers, I bring you warm and plentiful greetings of peace and LOVE this Sunday morning from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Remember it’s the Lord’s Day; the day He rested after creating our universe, and He expects us to get in some rest today too, but also to join together with other believers in sincere fellowship in His sanctuary. And believe me, He doesn’t care whether our meeting place is a splendiferous cathedral, or merely a poor, broken down hovel.
Remember what Jesus said: ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt.18:20) Yes friends, our great and merciful God simply wants us to gather together to worship and praise Him and hear His Word so that we can be encouraged, our faith strengthened to go out and face the enemy with zest and confidence during this upcoming week. So today, please let’s make it a point to gather with believers of like faith and raise our hearts and voices to heaven in praise and exaltation.
And as always, we begin our proceedings with song, today’s being one supposedly chosen in a poll by the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada, as being the greatest Christian hymn ever. We call it’ Holy, Holy, Holy.’ Some might not call it the greatest, but it surely is amongst the greatest! It was written by the Anglican pastor Reginald Heber (1783-1826), apparently for use on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, a feast day in honour of the Holy Trinity.
As you can see it speaks specifically of the Holy Trinity with several references to passages of scripture in the Good Book. The claim has also been made that John Bacchus Dykes composed a tune for this hymn in 1861 and titled it ‘Nicaea’ as a tribute to the First Council of Nicaea, which formalized the doctrine of the Trinity in 325.
And now that we have all that knowledge of the tune’s origins, let’s sing it in loud, harmonious voice nuh, making heaven sit up and take notice. All together now: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy. sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
Holy, Holy, Holy! though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man, Thy glory may not see: Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power in LOVE, and purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, Holy, Holy! merciful and mighty, God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, Holy, Holy! merciful and mighty, God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!’
Oh my people, I’m sure that all three personages of our Trinity were touched by that soulful and harmonious rendition! You know our God likes His praise. (smile) As the sons of Korah sang: ‘Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’ (Ps.47:6-7)
But the words themselves are ever so relevant to the believer’s life. Just listen to these sentiments nuh. ‘Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.’ And so should it my faithful brethren. Bruh David enshrined it in Psalm 5 when he declared: ‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’ (Ps.5:3) And our God sure is ’Merciful and Mighty! No doubt about that whatsoever.
As Isiah said when the Lord commissioned him, and he saw the wonder of the Lord on His throne with the seraphim all around Him. ‘And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.’ (Is.6:3) And so it is indeed my people!
Then in the second verse of the hymn, we have the vision of John per the activities in heaven: ‘And round about the throne were four and twenty seats (thrones): and upon the seats (thrones) I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment (robes), and they had on their heads crowns of gold…. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal; and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts (living creatures) full of eyes (symbolizing wisdom) before and behind.
And the first beast was like a lion (representing strength), and the second beast like a calf (representing service), and the third beast had a face as a man (representing intelligence), and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle (representing swiftness). And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him (depicting movement); and they were full of eyes within: and they rest (cease) not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
And when those beasts (living creatures) give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created (by your will they exist.’ (Rev.4:4, 6-11))
And that says it all friends! The scholars though expand on it some: ‘4:9-11. All of heaven worship the Father. The angels extol His character, and the elders (church) extol His creative powers. God has the right to rule and the sovereign authority to judge the earth, because He is both holy and the Creator of all.’ Please let’s remember that and live accordingly my fellow believers in Christ, for it will stand us in good stead down the road. Much LOVE!
…our Godhead…perfect in power…in LOVE…and in purity…
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