24 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a gentle mist of rain, a rainbow, a sparrow perched on a tree branch, after the storm - a rainbow, ask countless questions, became heir of the righteousness which is by faith, being warned of God, by faith, call upon his name, came to an end, Can You Sing in the Rain, carry them in his bosom, climbed rolling hills, consider ourselves warned, could you sing in the rain, cracking bouts of thunder, days of joy, days of tears, destroy the world by water, disobedient sheep, during the most severe storm, endures to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arms, gently lead those that are with young, glory ye in his holy name, God did it for Noah, God's enabled me to sing in the rain, God's reminded me that, halfway home, hands on the plough, having a good time, he is the Lord our God, his judgements are in all the earth, holy spirit, if nobody saw and nobody heard you but God, in the darkest night, in the distance, in the shelter of God's arms, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our Good Shepherd, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, lightning and thunder show, LOVE, loved to take long walks, make known his deeds among the people, mercy, moved with fear, Noah found grace in his sight, not turning back, O Give thanks unto the Lord, of things not yet seen, on a country road, one sunny day, One Year Book of Bible promises, pay the consequences of disobedience, prepared and ark, remember His marvellous works, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, seek his face evermore, seek the Lord and his strength, sing psalms unto him, sing unto him, singing away, stories of my father's childhood, talk ye of his wondrous works, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the coming of the Son of man, the longest strom the world's ever known, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, to a glorious future with Jesus, to the saving of his house, trudged through meadows, truth, Wednesday Wail, when I was a child, when nobody saw and nobody heard but god, wisdom
Psalm 105:2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works.
It’s no wonder that after the rain last night, that Wednesday has opened cloudy, damp and somewhat humid. And to tell the truth, the rain wasn’t so plentiful or powerful, but it’s accompaniment by the extravagant lightning and thunder show, with the heavenly rock drummer, Thor, putting on an especially rollicking performance made the show spectacular. Yes, I haven’t heard such cracking bouts of thunder in a long while.
At one stage when the rain lightened, I went out on my porch to enjoy some peaceful moments out there, but within two minutes I was back inside after several lightning displays and a couple cracks of thunder chased me away. (smile) That brings us to today’s question: ‘Can You Sing in the Rain?’ It’s the title of an interesting story from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
So please read with me: ‘When I was a child I LOVED to take long walks with my tall, LOVING father. We trudged through the meadows, we climbed rolling hills, and often we walked through tree-lined parks. As we walked, Dad would tell me stories about his childhood, and I would ask countless questions about my grandparents. One day on a country road we walked under a gentle mist of rain. In the distance we saw a sparrow perched on a tree branch. The tiny bird was just singing away.
My father asked a question: “Could you sing in the rain if nobody saw and nobody heard you but God?” Years have passed since that long-ago day. There have been wonderful days of joy. and there have been days of tears, too. Sometimes in the darkest night, during the most severe storm, God has enabled me to sing in the rain when nobody saw and nobody heard but God. Even through tears God has reminded me that the longest storm the world has ever known came to an end one sunny morning. And after the storm – a rainbow! God did it for Noah…and He does it for us!’
And that’s a wonderful fact that we should all be so very thankful for! Yes friends, even the longest and most powerful storm has to end sometime, and all the while it’s going on, our great God will hold and protect you in the shelter of His arms. It’s like Isaiah said of the Lord: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 41:11) Now that’s what our great and wonderful God is about! Shepherding His people! Like Bruh David says so eloquently Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And that’s what shepherds do; provide for their sheep, in both food and safety. And that’s what our God has promised to do and has indeed done. Remember the story of Noah, (Gen. chap. 6-9) when the Lord decided to destroy the earth by water, for the wickedness of man was so great in the earth, and his thoughts and intentions of his heart were continually evil. And God was sorry that He had ever made man on the earth. It sickened him, or grieved him at his heart. (Gen. 6:5-6)
‘But Noah found grace in his sight.’ (Gen 6:8) And He was instructed to build a great ark and take in his family and two of every of God’s creations, for the Lord was going to destroy the world by water And as the author of Hebrews tells us in the Heroes of Faith chapter: ‘By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear (reverence), prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.’ (Heb. 11:7) Another great man of faith friends!
But yuh know what? As Jesus reminds us: ‘But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be….before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe (Noah) entered the ark.’ (Matt. 24:37-38) Yes sir! In those evil and dreadful times, it was all about having a good time…just like it is now. That means the Lord will return when we least expect Him. Consequently, we need to be on constant alert, and have everything in readiness, as though He was coming back today. And we have to do our best to bring a lot of souls to Him before that awesome day.
And to help us in doing so, Psalm 105 leads the way. From which our Bible Promise for the poem and Bit for today comes. It gently remind us: ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgements of his mouth; O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. He is the Lord our God: his judgements are in all the earth.’ (Ps. 105:1-7)
Now, unfortunately, too many of us, don’t seem to remember or value the advice given in the psalm, but if we don’t wake up and get our act together very soon, like immediately, we’re likely to be caught unawares, and thus lose out on all the good things when Jesus returns unexpectedly. And that would certainly be a crying shame! So, let’s consider ourselves warned.
Now, it’s time to go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And it’s been promised that whoever endures with Jesus to the every end, will experience an even more glorious future than they can imagine or comprehend. So, let’s be wise and endure to the end nuh, so we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is our Good Shepherd…but too many of us are disobedient sheep…and eventually…will pay the consequences of disobedience…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
25 Jan 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new beginning, a new creature, all things are become new, appreciation, ask god for help, be born again, be in christ, believe in, believers, born of the flesh, born of the Spirit, born of water and the Spirit, boundaries, cannot see, Christ's kingdom, Christians, cognizant, come from God, conduct, corrupt, deceitful lusts, driving, enemy, enjoying mihself, evil cohorts, exuberance, feared criticism, fellowship, fervour, forfeiting fun, former conversation, freeze their nutsies off, Friday chant, furthering your kingdom, generous help, go about life, God be with him, having a good time, holy spirit, in Jesus name, Jesus' philosophy, jump in the lake, laughter, leggo beasts, let the horses run wild, listen to, LOVE, new creation, Nicodemus, obey, old things are passed away, open our Bibles, practical things, refeshed, relaxation, renewed, repercussions, rest, restrained, riding shotgun, serious problems, soul body and mind, sufficent fun, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the church at Corinth, the kingdom of God, the truth in Jesus, the weekend, trap, trusted sidekick, unbridled behaviour, weekend song, with gay abandon, workingman
John 3:3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
‘Driving, driving…’ Yeh friends, the ole fella went driving himself in that nasty weather yesterday, for the first time in some five weeks, and it wasn’t bad. It was like sex and riding a bicycle…you never forget how to! (smile) And though the weather was gloomy, the roads weren’t too bad. And above all, I had my trusted sidekick Jesus, riding shotgun beside me, so there was no need to worry. Glory be!
What a way we can feel safe when we know He’s always right there beside us eh, as well as dwelling within us through His Holy Spirit! Christians therefore have no reason to be afraid of life and whatever it brings. But unfortunately too many of us are still fearful of even our own shadows, much less the trials and tribulations of life. But we won’t get into that right now, because the workingman is waiting to sing us his weekend song. (smile)
And he wails out: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And yuh better believe the weekend is upon us! What would we do without the weekend end eh? I refuse to even think about it! All I know is that I’m going to be enjoying mihself, having a good time, eating, drinking and doing whatever I want over the next couple days, regardless of the weather and what anybody else thinks! And if they don’t like it, then yuh know what they can do…Go jump in the blooming cold lake and freeze their nutsies off, because this is my time, and I’ll do what I so and so want to do with it! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, sometimes it would be nice to be like the working man and just go about one’s life with such gay abandon, but that unfortunately leads to serious problems eventually. So please, let’s be thankful that we’re believers in Christ Jesus who don’t adhere to such unbridled behaviour!
Jesus needs His followers to be more restrained in their exuberance, but that doesn’t mean forfeiting fun and laughter, just being more cognizant of the dangers that lie in wait when we let the horses run wild. And that’s why our Friday Chant is somewhat less rah rah and self-serving than the workingman’s song. So let’s belt it out now with the same fervour and even greater appreciation than the workingman did nuh.
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!’
Yes my brethren, we have some boundaries to stay within, because we don’t want to fall into the ever-waiting trap of the evil enemy and his evil cohorts. Consequently, we’re not allowed to behave like leggo beasts as the workingman can do, and certainly does. And I just espied this interesting list on one of the many bits of paper beside my computer. It tells us seven things we need to do to be a true follower of Jesus. I believe I got it from Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley).
Here they are: (1) Be born again. (2) Pray. (3) Listen to Him. (4) Believe Him. (5) Obey Him. (6) LOVE Him. (7) Suffer for Him. Now those are certainly ALL things true believers should do! We can’t leave out even one of them, else our faith walk will suffer serious negative repercussions! But the most important of them all is indeed the first one: ‘Be born again.’ That’s because if we’re not born again we can’t get into Christ’s organization and then the other things don’t matter.
And that’s exactly what Jesus told the Pharisee elder, Nicodemus, who came to Him under cover of night to find out whom He really was. Now Nicodemus did admit: ‘Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him.’ (John 3:2)
And the scholars offer this explanation: ‘3:2. By night: Probably he (Nicodemus) feared criticism. John refers several times to “fear of the Jews” (see 7:13; 9:22; 12:42-43; 19:38). Nicodemus accepted Jesus as a teacher and a rabbi from God who worked miracles, but Jesus was not impressed with the depth of Nicodemus’s belief or understanding. Many unbelievers still agree that Jesus was “a great man.’
And no doubt, He was, but He was also much more than that; He was the Son of God! Thus Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ That says it all right there my people! We have to be born of water and the Spirit to be a part of Christ’s kingdom. There must be a new beginning in our lives!
That’s why Bruh Paul emphasizes to the church at Corinth: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor.5:17) Yeh friends, to get truly hooked up with Christ, we have to become new people, and change our old ways, which don’t sit right with Jesus’ philosophy. I guess a simple way to put it is, we have to stop singing the workingman’s song and belt out the Friday Chant instead. (smile)
And finally, as Bruh Paul tells the Ephesians: ‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation (conduct) the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’ (Eph.4:21-25)
Ah mih people, to get in with Jesus we have to become totally new people, be born again, change our old habits! And Bruh Paul lists some of the practical things we need to do when we become born again in Ephesians 4:25-32. It might be a very good idea to open our Bibles and read that list today. I’m sure it will give many of us cause to stop and ponder our lifestyle and ask God for help in whatever area in which we are deficient! That’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…that which is born of the flesh…is flesh…that which is born of the Spirit…is spirit…
13 Jul 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a black cat, a high priest, a leper, anger, another week of work, believe what they want, beseeching, cleansed, come boldly, compassion, confidently, crosses your path, did not sin, do it all over again, do whatever He asks, don't understand, earthly problems, eating and drinking, economic deprivation, empathize, evil, exudes compassion, faith, fellowship, find grace, finite minds, forgive not, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, frustration, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, God's mind and ways, God's universal plan, great is thy faithfulness, hatred, having a good time, heal, higher than ours, his compassions fail not, holy church, in Jesus name, in time of need, individuals, Jesus, leprosy, make me clean, massa slave-work, moved with compassion, new every morning, nonsense, not consumed, obtain mercy, of no use, outrageous limits, pay for our sins, poppycock notions, poverty, puny, refreshed, relaxation, relaxed, remedy, renewed, respectful posture, responsible, rest, safely through, showing compassion, strife, superstition, sympathize, temptation, tempted, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that's their business, the body of Christ, the Lord's mercies, the throne of grace, the workingman's song, the world unfurls, to Jesus in prayer, touched, trespasses, walk under a ladder, weekends, willingness, without sin
Lamentations 3:22-23. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
And the world continues to unfurl as it should; that’s according to Almighty God’s universal plan! Oh, for sure we don’t understand it; why all the strife, anger, hatred, poverty, sickness and economic deprivation eh?
But we need to understand that God’s mind and ways are so much higher, bigger and greater than ours, so that if He even explained it to us, we would not be able to understand it with our comparatively puny and finite minds. And all we really need to be concerned about is simply doing whatever He asks us to do, both as individuals and as the body of Christ, His Holy Church. Amen!
That’s why the workingman doesn’t pay too much attention to the strife-filled world we currently live in, even on Friday the 13. (smile) Hear him sing his weekend song. “TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And I don’t care whether it’s Friday the 13th, or whatever other day they have with a set of poppycock notions about evil befalling you if you do some foolishness like walking under a ladder, or a black cat crossing your path! That’s pure nonsense!
But let them believe whatever they want yes! That’s their business! All I know is that we going to be eating and drinking and having a good time once it’s a Friday and the weekend and we have some time off from the massa slave-work. Thank God for Fridays and the weekends oui!’
Yes friends, it’s indeed Friday the 13th, and a lot of superstition is going to be running rampant today. It’s a good thing, that like the ordinary workingman, we are not troubled by such stuff. We too are going to celebrate the weekend, but not just to the outrageous limits that he does. So let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh, which tells exactly how we will spend our weekend.
In unison now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my brethren, ours is a much more relaxed and responsible kind of weekend, preparing ourselves to go back out and do Jesus’ work the next week. If we overdo the weekend, then we’ll be of no use whatsoever to ourselves or to Him. And you must have noticed that we’re still on the compassion Bit. (smile)
Well that’s because there are so many scriptures on compassion and it’s oh so important in our Christian faith and we are definitely not as good at it as we ought to be. Just look at our topsy-turvy world nuh! Don’t you think that if we had just a bit more compassion circulating in it that it would be a much more wonderful place to live? It surely would be!
Here’s what Jesus wants, what He came to earth and practiced and died for; so that we could have compassion on each other, forgive others the way that God forgives us. And remember His words: ‘But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt.6:15) That puts it so plain and straightforward; if you don’t forgive, you won’t be forgiven. And showing compassion is just one part of the plan.
Listen to how Jeremiah puts it. ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’
Oh friends, I do hope that seeing that scripture every day for the last few days has caused our compassion meter to rise up some, else these messages would be all for nought. But let’s get to the compassion scriptures before time and space run out on us. Listen to the Good Book, re our Lord and Saviour, the Master of compassion.
‘And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt (are willing), thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.’ (Mark 1:40-42) Glory be mih breddren! How wonderful is our Saviour eh? Most wonderful!
And the scholars offer these explanations. ‘1:40. The leper assumes a respectful, if plaintive, posture. His beseeching is not based on Jesus’ ability but on His willingness.’ Yuh see friends, even the leper knew and recognized Jesus as the Great Healer. He didn’t doubt that He could heal, just whether He was willing to.
Unfortunately though, many of us believers today don’t have the kind of faith that leper had, and are not completely convinced that Jesus could heal us even in these times of calamity and untold frustration. How sad!
‘1:41. Jesus is moved with compassion to help. Mark’s picture of Jesus is not of an unmoved problem-solver sweeping serenely and unemotionally from incident to incident. See Hebrews 4:15.’
No friends, our Jesus was, and is as emotional as one can get! And we’ll end today with that most appropriate scripture the scholars just quoted, because I know most of us won’t look it up, and it’s very important to our understanding of Jesus and our faith.
‘Seeing then that we have a high priest, that is passed into (through) the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (faith). For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched (sympathize) with the feeling of our infirmities (our weaknesses); but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb.4:14-16)
Oh mih people, there’s no better remedy for our problems than taking them to Jesus in prayer, because He experienced temptation and frustration just like we do, but in His status as God too, He did not sin. That’s why He could pay for our sins and now sits as an intercessor for us at the right hand of God, being able to empathize with our earthly problems. Won’t you come to Him today, and experience His compassion. It’s the antidote for all that ails you. Much LOVE!
…in earthly or heavenly form…Jesus just exudes compassion…
15 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominations, Ahaz, altars for Baal, Amon, Asherah, carousing, children of Israel, created, Creator, did evil in the Lord's sight, disparity in behaviour, disturbed sleep, dryness, every day that we're alive, fellowship, follow God's laws, forsook the Lord God, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, give thanks to god, gods of the Assyrians, half step backward, having a good time, heathen, Hezekiah, in Jesus name, in the sight of the Lord, Josiah, largesse, level-headed, limits, loving-kindness, Manasseh, melodrama, mental chains, negative circumstance, new slavery, of David his father, one step forward, pagan altars, refreshed, renewed, responsibilities, rest, served the idols, shaking it rough, song of freedom, spiritual evil, summertime, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that which was right, the breath of life, the Good Book, the kings of Judah, the living is easy, the workingman's song, to the left, to the right hand, topsy-turvy, turned not aside, walked in all the way, week of work, wickedness, wooden image
2 Kings 22:2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
Ah friends, the ole fella’s shaking it a tad on the rough side this morning. My ole nostrils were blocked up again last night, so I had to breathe through my mouth, with the attendant dryness, disturbed sleep, etc. etc. Ah Lord eh! This one step forward, half backward is becoming a bit much yes!
But what to do eh? Nothing but grin and bear it, knowing that the Lord is in control on the throne, doing what He does best, rule with our best interests at heart. And sadly, the workingman isn’t interested in my negative circumstance, (smile) he’s just come out to sing his song of freedom:
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and we soon get a break from the new slavery with mental chains instead of the real ones! The weekend is here…and it’s summertime…and the living is easy…and we certainly going to enjoy every moment of it, as long as we can. Pure carousing and having a good time, with no thought about work until Monday morning! Oh, the weekend, the weekend! Give God thanks for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
For sure my people, we ought to give thanks to Almighty God not only for Fridays and weekends, but for each and every day that we’re alive! For it’s through His largesse, His LOVING-kindness that we keep on drawing the breath of life that He first instilled in us at birth.
But if we are believers, we need to have limits and responsibilities to the way we live our lives. Excessive and limitless carousing does not go over well in Jesus’ society. That’s why our Friday Chant is so much different to the workingman’s song. And as we chant it now, let’s seriously think about it and make plans to sincerely follow it.
Altogether now, let’s chant: ‘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.’
Yeh friends, it contains most of the elements in the workingman’s song, but just on a more level-headed and responsible note. And speaking about level heads and responsibility, I opened the Good Book and immediately saw a most appropriate passage, for today’s Bit. ‘And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.’
Ah mih breddren, we couldn’t find greater disparity in behaviour than in the kings of Judah back in olden times. The above passage is talking of Josiah, who began ruling Judah when he was 8 years old and ruled for 31 fruitful years. His mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath, a city in Judah.
Now hear how the Good Book describes the reign of Amon, Josiah’s father. ‘Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign (became king). And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh did. And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: And he forsook the Lord God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the Lord.’ (2 Kin.21:19-22)
Oh precious people, there is no certainty that we will take after our fathers, or do what they did, as we can see by the difference in those three kings of Judah’s behaviour. Now Josiah did not take after his father Amon, who took after his father Manasseh, who did not take after his father Hezekiah. So obviously Judah was a mess, moving from godly to ungodly and back again, according to the whims and fancies of their kings.
Hear how the Good Book describes Manasseh: ‘Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
For he built up again the high places (places for pagan worship) which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove (wooden image) as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven (gods of the Assyrians), and served them.’ (2 Kin.21:1-3)
And I wonder, since the Good Book names their mothers, if, or how much they had to do with the godly or ungodly behaviour of their sons. It’s a note for thought. (smile)
And the scholars give us some further explanations. ‘21:1-2. Manasseh’s 55 year reign was the longest of any of the Old Testament kings. Unlike his godly father, Hezekiah, he reproduced the wickedness of his grandfather Ahaz. He emulated Ahaz’s spiritual evil by bringing pagan altars into various places of the temple complex and placing the Asherah (Canaanite fertility goddess) symbol within the temple itself (vs.3-7).’
Now what could be worse than placing a pagan symbol inside of the Lord’s sanctuary eh friends? Nothing really! And then they wondered why life was so rough with them. Unfortunately we are doing the same pagan stuff today and also wondering why life isn’t better.
Ah mih people, life as a society never gets better until we begin to truly and sincerely follow the laws and edicts of Almighty God, who created us, gave us His breath of life, and takes it back when ever he desires. And until we understand that and live by it, our lives will always be some sort of fluctuating, topsy-turvy melodrama. Much LOVE!
…no matter how hard he tries…the created can NEVER be greater than the Creator…
13 Apr 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spiritual battle, abideth for ever, affliction, an unlucky number, another week of work, anything goes, be not conformed, be ye transformed, bondage of work, born again, breech our walls, Christians, eternal lives, evil clutches, fancy free, fellowship, followers of Jesus, following God's will, footloose, Friday 13th, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, having a good time, heartfelt gratitude, hedonism, I pray not, in Jesus name, in the world, keep them from the evil one, kowtowing, licentiousness, LOVE, love not the world, Lucifer's world, lust of the eys, lust of the flesh, not of the Father, not of the world, party animals, party time, perfect will of God, pride of life, pure religion, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, restrictions, rules, spread the good news, superstitions, take them out of the world, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the renewing of your mind, the things of the world, the weekend, the world passeth away, transform our minds, unspotted from the world, visit the fatherless, widows, wisdom, working day, workingman
John 17:15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one).
And as one working day morphs into the next, we suddenly discover that it’s Friday…but another Friday with a twist; Friday the 13th, considered by many as an unlucky day, where all sorts of disasters happen. Hn!
For a society that prides itself on being so advanced in our thinking, we surely don’t seem so forward thinking when we consider the many superstitions we still live under, like believing that 13 is an unlucky number, and Friday the 13th is a day unleashed from hell itself.
And the sad part is that no one really knows where most of these superstitions originated from, but they do abound in the most advanced society of mankind’s long history. But that particular superstition seems lost on the ordinary workingman as he sings his Friday Song.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and we don’t care if is Friday the 13th or whatever you want to call it. As far as we concern, Friday is the beginning of our party time, freedom from the bondage of work. So you can do what you want with your superstitions and them, but they won’t stop our having a good time come Friday. Wow! The weekend is here at last! Party animals get ready! As we thank God for Fridays and the weekend!’
Ah mih people, what a crazy world we live in, one where almost anything goes, as in the workingman’s song. But as followers of Jesus, we Christians cannot afford to be so footloose and fancy free. Yes, we are allowed to party and have fun, but with some rules and restrictions, where the workingman has none whatsoever.
We’re in a spiritual battle for our eternal lives, and if we cater to the hedonism and licentiousness of the world we can get ourselves in serious trouble by allowing the enemy to breech our walls. That’s why Jesus set some boundaries for His followers. And consequently, our Friday Chant differs substantially from the workingman’s song. Let’s chant it now nuh with heartfelt gratitude.
‘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.’
Oh my believing brethren, we can never be reminded too often of the necessity to keep ourselves out of the evil clutches of Lucifer’s world, because he and his cronies are always looking for a way to inveigle us into something that doesn’t fit our status and standard as believers.
That’s why Jesus prayed in our Bit: ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one).
Yeh friends, Jesus doesn’t want us to be taken out of the world, because we can only spread the good news of His gospel by being IN the world, but we should not be OF the world. In other words, a part of the evil world system, for how can we change it, if we are a part of it eh? Not very likely. So precious people of God, we need to live IN the world, but not do as the world does.
As Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind; that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Oh my people, please remember that the battle for supremacy is basically waged in the mind, so whatever the mind holds worthy, that is what we will do. That’s why, when we are born again we have to transform our minds, change our way of thinking from that of the world, to that of Christ, so that we can do God’s perfect will.
And James puts it thus: ‘Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27)
Oh friends, it is indeed difficult to keep ourselves unspotted from the world since it is so all-pervasive, abounding in every aspect of our lives. But if we are sincere and try our best, with God’s help, we certainly can. Now let’s close with these beautiful and encouraging words of John from His first epistle.
‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:15-17)
How very true all of that is my fellow believers! All the stuff that the world holds dear will eventually be destroyed, but God’s will won’t.
So please, let’s stop kowtowing to the things of the world nuh; stop engaging in the lustful aspects of our sinful human frailty, stop allowing our flesh, our eyes and our pride to make us a part of the world. That’s wisdom at its highest level! Much LOVE!
…only by following God’s will…can believers be IN the world…but not OF the world…
11 Dec 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a balanced approach, a time of peace, a waste of God's opportunities, Babylon, be amongst the sheep, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, Christmas card, Christmas time, courtesy, everything in moderation, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, getting me through another week, glory to God, God's glory, good cheer, good tidings, having a good time, he who lives by the gun dies by the gun, help the lost, highlighting guns, home of the brave, in my favour, Israel, jesus birth, kindness, land of the free, LOVE, mass murders, mercy, Nevada Republican, posing with guns, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, right to bear arms, Second Amendment, some have entertained angels unawares, sons of strangers, strangers, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the emblem of death, the future glory of Zion, the Gentiles, the house of jacob, the Lord loves the righteous, the Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, the weekend's here, trusting God, wining and dining, wisdom
Hebrews 13:2. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Oh mih people, mih people…eventually…it’s Friday! Hn, hn! And I have to chuckle, as though you need me to bring you such auspicious news, (smile) because many of you, from Monday began, have been counting down the days and the hours till Friday.
And most likely too, from the time you all got up this morning, you have been shouting ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend’s here at long last! Brother! What a blast we going to have in the next couple of days, wining and dining and just having a good time! I just thank God for every Friday yes!’
Oh friends, nothing’s wrong generally speaking with wining and dining and having a good time, but it cannot be at the expense of everything else. Remember Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Philippians, everything in moderation please, be reasonable in all your doings. (Phil.4:5) So just giving over the weekend to good times is a serious waste of God’s opportunities.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a much better perspective on our weekend behaviour. As one solid and sincere chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, that’s what we need; a balanced approach to it all, so that when Monday comes we are rested and able to go back out into the evil world and do a fine job for Jesus. Glory to God in the highest!
On a sad note though, this morning when I opened my e-mail, I was greeted by a link to a Christmas card sent out by a Nevada Republican representative showing her whole family posing with different kinds of guns, even down to a five year old. Steups!
What lunacy eh! How is that ever appropriate eh? At a time of peace and LOVE and good cheer you are highlighting guns, the emblem of death, especially when there have recently been so many mass murders in the land! Chuh man!
But it’s in the land of the free and the home of the brave, where they are so attached to their Second Amendment and their right to bear arms, that to them it must be appropriate in all kinds of situations. But just remember Friends, he who lives by the gun, also dies by the gun! Nuff said!
Let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’
Yes my brethren, it actually happened to Abraham and Lot many moons ago, and most likely will not happen to us, but since our God is so mysterious and miraculous, anything is possible.
The entertaining angels part aside though, we saw yesterday how important it was to Jesus and the Father to treat strangers with kindness and courtesy. (Deut.10:17-19; Matt.25:34-40) Therefore it must also be important to us, if we are following their will.
And today we are going to look at a couple more scriptures that highlight God’s tender spot for strangers and the needy. Lets begin with a verse from Isaiah, re Israel to be preserved after their sojourn of captivity in Babylon.
‘For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land, and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave (cling) to the house of Jacob. (Is.14:1)
And it goes on to sing about triumph over Babylon, whom the Lord will later judge severely. But notice my people, that amongst the reclaimed of Israel, there will also be strangers participating in the good times.
And since we’re in Isaiah, we might as well continue with him. (smile) In chapter 60, which talks about the future glory of Zion, he declares: ‘And the sons of strangers (foreigners) shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote (struck) thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.’ (Is.60:10)
Now the scholars have this to say about the scripture. ’60:1-12. Isaiah foresees a time when Israel will arise out of her darkness and shine with God’s glory. Then the Gentiles shall come to her light. Thus the sons of strangers described in this chapter will come to Jerusalem to worship the Lord.’
And we’ll conclude the matter with true and beautiful words from Psalm 146 – The blessedness of trusting God. ‘The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord LOVETH the righteous:
The Lord preserveth (watches over) the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and the widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.146:8-10)
Yes my fellow believers, our wonderful God takes much more than passing interest in the stranger, the poor and needy, so we better had do the same, if we want to be amongst the sheep when Jesus comes to reign. Now that is unsurpassable wisdom! Much LOVE!
…it’s Christmas time…time to show LOVE and spread good tidings…to help the lost…the needy…the stranger…for that’s what Jesus’ birth was all about…
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