10 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afraid of change, all our sins and griefs to bear, almighty god, Ashley Montague, be not far from me, be paitient, Bruh David, burdened, Canadian Thanksgiving, circumspection, cry of anguish, deceitful, deceptive, deliver their soul from death, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, enthusiasm, every human being is a problem in search of a solution, everything to God in prayer, faithful, false hope, famine, fellowship, fraudulent, Friday chant, friend, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, give you rest, giving thanks, glory hallelujah, God is never late, God shall tread down our enemies, God's glory, God's timing is perfect, Healer, help, help from trouble, Helper, hope in God's mercy, in Jesus' name, indisputable truth, jehovah god, Jesus Christ, Jesus' great invitation, just in time, keep them alive in time of famine, lean not on thine own understanding, living truth, LOVE, motives of our heart, one reason to infiltrate our godly spirits, one toehold, passion, proud, Redeemer, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteous, show faith, singing praises, song of praise, stumble, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thanksgiving, the eye of the Lord, the Lord is our help and shield, the weekend, them that fear him, there is none to help, through God we shall do valiantly, too proud to ask for help, trouble is near, trust, trust in the Lord with all thy heart, trusted in his holy name, truth, upright, vain is the help of man, vain thing, weary, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privilege to carry
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Wow Friends, it’s Friday! And there was lots of jumping and jiving and shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday! Glory Hallelujah! The workweek soon finish, and party time start, especially on this upcoming long weekend of Thanksgiving! Mama Mia!
What a grand ole time we’re going to have; giving thanks and singing praises to our heavenly Father, for all that’s He’s so kindly done for us this past year!’
Yes my people, this is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and there will be mucho mucho celebrations all across this great land, from the coasts of the Atlantic on the east, across the vast Prairies in the middle, over the mighty Rocky Mountains to British Columbia on the coast of the Pacific out west!
Please remember that one caution though of Granny’s: ‘drunk or sober mind yuh business.’ In all our giving of thanks, let’s not give, or allow the loathsome enemy even one toehold, one reason to infiltrate our godly spirits and make us stumble before Almighty God.
And to keep us somewhat in remembrance of that, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincere passion and enthusiasm, which will hopefully lead to a fair amount of circumspection. (smile) 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.’
Now with that caution invoked, let’s turn to an interesting quote from Ashley Montague (1905- 1999) the British / American anthropologist and humanist, born Israel Ehrenberg in London, England, but who later migrated to the U.S, became a citizen and lectured at many of its famous universities.
Ashley says that ‘Every human being is a problem in search of a solution.’ And that’s the living truth Friends!
We all need help in many areas of our lives, but oftimes we’re too proud or scared to ask for it, afraid either of the changes that will be involved, especially since change is something many of us are very wary of. Though the old way may be troublesome, we still feel more comfortable with it, because we know it, and hold the supposed new and better way suspect since it’s unknown.
On the other hand, we’re sometimes too proud to let others know that we’re hurting and need help, that we’re actually less than we seem to be. But my brethren, it’s quite all right, in fact very natural and very wise to ask for help, and to consider change if it will either help solve or completely resolve our problems.
And the best person to turn to for help is obviously Jesus Christ, our be all and end all, the great Helper, Healer, Friend and Redeemer! Remember His Great Invitation too; to come to Him when we are weary and burdened, and He will lighten our load and give us rest. (Matt.11:29-30)
And in his cry of anguish and song of praise, Psalm 22, Bruh David highlights the situation very well, when he cries out to Almighty God in our Bit: Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’
And that is oh so true my people, for as Bruh David says later on in Psalm 60 – a prayer for help against the foe: ‘Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.’ (Ps.60:11)
That’s also indisputable truth, since man’s help is often insufficient, not forthcoming, or deceptive and deceitful! Just think about all the fraudulent acts being committed in these difficult times in the name of help!
And Bruh David ends that psalm with these thoughtful and faithful words. ‘Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.’ (Ps.60:12)
Yes Friends, in this vast and controversial universe, it is only Jehovah God that we can put our entire trust in, and know for a fact that He will help us. Bruh David did it, and we see the most excellent results he achieved, although his life was not always the most upright and righteous. But he implicitly trusted the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom he knew to be ALWAYS FAITHFUL!
Remember the old hymn we sung recently: ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer!’ That’s the wisest move we can ever make my people!
The problem though is that with our busy lives in this busy society, we want answers and help immediately, now for now, sometimes even yesterday. But unfortunately when we go to Jesus, according to the nature of the problem, and the motives of our heart, we’ll probably not receive an immediate answer, or one that we don’t like.
But Friends, I can personally testify to the fact that if we take our problems to our Lord and Saviour, He will help us, in His own time and His own way! We just need to be patient, show the faith we’re supposed to have. And if the problem is genuine and requires immediate solving, fear not, He will do so.
That’s one thing about God’s timing, my brethren; it is perfect! He is NEVER LATE!
But the truth is, waiting patiently is not always easy, for even though I know that from personal experience, I still sometimes get anxious when His help doesn’t seem to be forthcoming in time. But NOT ONCE has He ever showed up late, ALWAYS on time! He is the supreme example of a just in time system!
And to encapsulate all that we’ve spoken of, (smile) let’s end with these true, beautiful and encouraging words from Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for His creation.
‘A horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our HELP and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps.33:17-22)
Yes my people, as we hope in the Lord, so will His mercy and blessings be showered down upon us! Much LOVE!
…trust in the Lord with all thine heart…and lean not unto thine own understanding… (Prov.3:5)
P.S. Oh Friends, I truly don’t know why the Bit is so late nuh, because I got up at a reasonable hour. I guess it was just my running around aimlessly, being a slow-coach, and/or trying to find the right info to use. (smile) But as always, with our great God, it works out perfectly, for His glory, every time! Much LOVE!
07 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man sharpens the countenance of his friend, a man with many friends comes to ruin, a perverse man sows strife, adversity, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, anxiety, beating him down emotionally, bless them that curse you, blessings, call on god for help, Calvary, come unto me, encouragement, fear, forgiveness, friend, friends, friendships, God makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, God sends rain on the just and the unjust, God's wrath was kindled, gospel truth, gossip, gossip destroys friendships, greater love hath no man, grief, Healer, Helper, how good is our God, I am meek (gentle) in heart, I will give you rest, iron sharpens iron, Jesus is our be all and end all, Job, keep our focus on god, LOVE, Love your enemies, make a positive difference, mercies, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, offer burnt offerings, one more day, praise God, pray for them which use you, prayed for his friends, praying for others, redeem, repent, servants, serve God dilgently, sins, sons of the Father, sorrow, stand strong in Christ, strife, take my yoke upon you, that a man lay down his life for his friends, the Good Book, the great invitation, the poor is hated by his neightbour, the rich have many friends, wealth makes many friends, words of comfort, worry, you shall find rest unto your souls
John 15:13. Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
One more day Friends, one more day! Wow! We’ve been granted life anew for another day, so let’s use it wisely please. Let’s use it like the present God desires it to be, with all the new mercies, blessings, forgiveness and LOVE that He’s showering down on us.
Let’s keep our focus on God: praise and serve Him diligently and sincerely, and do the works He desires of us. He has given us all we need to accomplish the tasks on our task sheets, so there should be no serious problems involved.
But if perchance, one does crop up, we have the freedom, or rather we’re expected to call on Him for assistance, which He’ll never refuse, once we’re sincere. For as Jesus says in His Great Invitation: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek (gentle) and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt.11:28-30)
So my fellow believers, with those words of comfort and encouragement bubbling in our souls, let’s not allow anything or anyone to cause us anxiety, fear or worry today. Let’s stand strong in the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, and try our very best to make a positive difference in this crazy, troubled world in which we now live.
That’s what Jesus desires of us! And remember that He is indeed our be all and end all! He is our Healer, our Helper, our Redeemer and our Friend! What more can we ask eh? Nothing really.
So let’s look at our Bit: ‘Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
And it’s worth repeating and remembering that after He spoke those purposeful words, He went out and died for us at Calvary… as Friends, not servants.
And we’ll continue looking at the interplay of ‘friends and friendships’ as found in the Good Book. Then there was Job and his supposed friends. They ostensibly came to comfort him in his sorrow and grief, but unfortunately ended up beating him down emotionally, claiming that his hidden sins had caused his disastrous experience.
And God’s wrath was kindled against them, because they had not spoken rightly of Him as His servant Job had done, and He commanded them to repent and offer burnt offerings. (Job 42:7-9)
But hear this: ‘And the Lord turned (restored) the captivity (losses) of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.’ (Job 42:10)
Yes my people, the Lord turned Job’s adversity around when he prayed for his friends, and also worked some serious miracles on his behalf, blessing him with twice as much as he had lost. Oh how good our God is to us!
That brings us to this rather important point; the importance of praying for others, even when they’ve done us wrong. I know that’s sometimes pretty hard to do, but it’s required of believers.
Jesus said it loud and clear: ‘But I say unto you, LOVE your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully (spitefully) use you, and persecute you; That ye may be children (sons) of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.’ (Matt.5:44-45)
So if you ought to pray for your enemies, it’s logical to assume that you ought to pray for your friends and fellow believers too. (smile)
Now let’s look at some wisdom of Cousin Sol, re ‘friends and friendships’ as divined in Proverbs. He declares first of all that: ‘The poor is hated even of (by) his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends (the LOVERS of the rich are many).’ (Prov.14:20)
And isn’t that the gospel truth! The scholars explain it thus: ’14:20-21. Social standing is improved with riches, but the good neighbour will have concern for all, regardless of their status.’ That’s how it ought to be, but sadly in this topsy-turvy world of ours, we still look down on the poor and up at the rich.
And here’s a fitting companion to that Proverb. ‘Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour (friend).’ (Prov.19:4)
And we see that everyday. Many of us have also experienced it. When times are good and we are rolling in plenty, we have plenty supposed friends around us, but as soon as the good times stop flowing, they all disappear.
Now listen to these Proverbs. ‘A froward (perverse) man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.16:28) Or as the scholars say: ’16:28. Gossip destroys friendships.’ That we all know and have experienced too.
Here is a companion to that one. ‘He that covereth a transgression seeketh LOVE; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (the best of) friends.’ (Prov.17:9) More reflections on gossip.
Then we have this bit of wisdom. ‘A man that hath friends must show himself friendly (may come to ruin): and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ (Prov.18:24)
The scholars explain that this way: ’18:24. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly may also be translated, “A man of many friends comes to ruin.” In other words, a man must not spread himself too thin among many superficial relationships. Far better it is to have genuine friends who become like family and LOVE at all times. (17:17).’
And isn’t that the gospel, gospel truth my people! It surely is!
And we’ll close with this priceless gem of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.’ (Prov.27:17)
Mama Mia! Wisdom from heaven Friends!
The scholars explain it thus: ’27:17. As the proper tool shapes and sharpens iron for its desired use, so a man sharpens his friend morally and intellectually by their personal friendship.’
Now that’s the kind of friends we need to have and need to be! Friends, who encourage, comfort, exhort, educate and uplift each other in as many walks of life as possible.
So let’s go out today and be that kind of friend nuh mih people. It could only make our world a better place for our children and us. Much LOVE!
…the fewer the friends…the less possibility of strife and troublesome friendships…
11 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, alleviate our problems, bastards, be of good cheer, blessed, champions, chasten, corporal punishment, day of adversity, despise not, discipline, discouraged, endure chastening, energy, exhortation, faint, faithful promise, Father of Spirits, fear, fellowship, first step, followers of Christ, forsake his inheritance, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, God's discipline, God's glorious kingdom, God's Law, God's principle of discipline, gospel truth, grievous, Helper, holiness, hostility, human practices, i have overcome the world, Jesus, joyous, jump for joy, just, LOVE, peace, peaceable fruit, pray in Jesus' Name, profit, Proverbs, rebuked, relaxation, renewed and refeshed, repent, respect, rest, reverence, righteous God, righteousness., scourge, sinners, soothing music, soul body and mind, spare the rod, spoil the child, stand strong in Faith, step out in faith, strength in the face of adversity, striving against sin, subjection to God, successful believers, supreme example of endurance, teach, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, thank God, thanks and praise, the weekend, the wicked triumph, this too shall pass, thousand-mile journey, trials and tribluations, true perspective, true test of endurance, upright in heart, vision, wisdom, wonderful leader, your strength is small, zealous
Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Oh Friends, please join me in singing: ‘It’s Friday, it’s Friday! Thank God it’s Friday, and the workweek soon finish! The weekend is here…but Chuh! I have to go home and do the laundry, clean the house, make the groceries, get the children ready for next week…
Oh Lord I can’t wait for Monday nuh, so I can once again sit in the traffic and listen to my soothing music. Then get to work and do the stuff that’s much easier than housework. But still, I thank God that it’s Friday! I thank God for every new day that I see, despite the many pressures of life. Thank You again God!’
Yes mih breddren, some of us have it easier at work than at home. But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our busy lives, and giving thanks and praise for all that God’s doing for us, because we’re still doing better than the vast majority of the world.
And since it’s Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a true perspective on how to handle the weekend. With one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Ah my fellow believers, I surely hope that between our two songs, we’ve now got enough energy and vision on how to handle the weekend. (smile) And just in case you haven’t received it, please remember that the thousand-mile journey begins with the FIRST STEP.
So please step out in faith this weekend, while asking our wonderful leader, Jesus, to guide you as you perform your many tasks. You can be assured that He won’t say no. On the contrary, He’ll jump for joy to be your Helper!
And this is where our ever so appropriate Bit comes in: ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.’
And that’s gospel truth, my brethren! For as the scholars note: ’24:10. Strength in the face of adversity is the true test of one’s endurance.’
We can’t be successful believers, followers of Christ and faint and fall at the slightest appearance of adversity. Remember Jesus’ life was full of adversity, and if we want to walk in His footsteps, then we must be able to endure the trials and tribulations of this world.
Remember too His prophetic promise. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) So right there Friends, we have one less anxiety, one less thing to worry about, and one more faithful promise to stand strong on.
Now I will shut up… And I hear numerous shouts of: ‘Thank You Lord!’ (smile) Yes my beautiful followers of Christ, I will endeavour to shut up and just let the scripture do the talking. And we’ll open with Psalm 94 – How long shall the wicked triumph.
The psalmist wisely declares: ‘Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast of (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart will follow it.’ (Ps.94:12-15)
So Friends, though the Lord chastens us, or allows adversity to befall us, there is no need to fear. For once we stand strong in faith and accept whatever comes our way, the just and righteous God we serve will eventually alleviate our problems. As the saying goes, this too shall pass.
And this final passage of scripture comes from Hebrews 12, re God’s discipline. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint (discouraged) in your minds (souls). Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children (sons),
My son, despise not the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (as seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:3-11)
Yes Friends, that says it all! I’ll just add some notes from the scholars on the subject. ’12:3-4. Though chapter 11 provides many champions for believers to emulate, the supreme example of endurance is Jesus Himself.
12:6. Whom the Lord LOVETH he chasteneth: God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (appropriate, fitting) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to the fathers:
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly)” (Prov.13:24; cf. 22:15; 23:13) LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complementary and necessary aspects of training.’
There’s no more to say Friends! Now let’s take some time and ponder all that we’ve said, and see how it fits into our lives, for that’s true wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as many as I LOVE…I rebuke and chasten…be zealous therefore and repent… (Rev.3:19)
16 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ambassadors of Christ, Christ, Comforter, compassion, delightful praise, embrace Jesus, eternal life, forgiveness, friend, Good Book, good cheer, Greeks, Guide, guilt, Helper, incredilbe journey, Jesus our everything, Jesus the only answer, Jews, lifeblood, Lord, LOVE, manifesto. the power of Jesus' name, mercy, peace, pilgrim, rejoice and be glad, religion, require a sign, rewards, salvation, saviour, seek wisdom, tenderness, today, tomorrow, undeniable truth, understanding, ungodly world
1 Corinthians 1:22. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.
Oh Friends, as it was ordained from the very beginning of time, yesterday has passed away into history, the future, tomorrow, has not yet arrived, but thankfully, the gift of today, the present time is here! And all God’s people said a loud and delightful ‘Praise the Lord!’ So please, let’s use today wisely, because that’s all we have. As the psalmist so rightly declared: ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps.118:24) And the people shouted a loud and thankful ‘Amen!’ Yes Friends, today is all we have, so let’s concentrate fully on it nuh. Yesterday’s done gone, and as Jesus said, tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matt.6:34) And I have an interesting quote to share, one that’s attributed to Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, a prominent American churchman. He proudly declares: ‘Religion can never be the answer to human problems. All of the religions of the world are inadequate. Christ alone is the answer. Christ alone understands. Christ alone forgives. Christ alone eliminates your guilt. Christ alone saves and then assures you that you are God’s child and the most wonderful person possible! Christ alone fills the human heart with LOVE – joy – peace – self-confidence. No wonder a genuine Christian LOVES himself.’ And if that isn’t the undeniable truth, my Friends, then I don’t know what is! For Jesus is indeed our everything; our be all and end all. In Him we find our purpose, our strength, our joy, and help to bear our sorrow. He is truly the very lifeblood of our lives. And I’m so sorry for those of us humans who don’t know, realize and recognize Him for what He is, because they’re missing such an incredible, interesting journey as a pilgrim following in Christ’s footsteps. As I keep saying my people, working for Jesus is often very difficult, but I can guarantee you, from personal experience, that it’s mightily interesting, much more interesting and lasting than anything the world has to offer. And oh my brethren, the rewards…the rewards are just to die for! (smile) The faithful promise of salvation and eternal life with Jesus in the hereafter, are way way more interesting and worthwhile than anything this evil, sinful, ungodly world has to offer. And what I don’t understand about human nature is that they’re willing to try every little nonsense, like diets and other fads that the greedy, deceitful world puts out, wasting time, effort and money on them, but they’re not prepared to spend one moment with Jesus. Jesus, whose manifesto is plainly stated in the Good Book, and has been proven to be undeniably true down through the ages. In addition, Jesus is the most generous and faithful leader there’s ever been, or will ever be! So why do people refuse to get to know Him? Why at the name of Jesus do so many people become angry, fearful and refuse to listen to what He has to say? Why eh? No other name in history has ever provoked such a reaction, and still does to this day. There must obviously be great power in the name of Jesus, else why would people react to it so fearfully, so violently and so negatively. There’s no such reaction to other names like Satan, Allah, Buddha, and the multiple other supposed gods and idols humans worship. Our wonderful Lord and Saviour certainly strikes fear in the heart of the heathen. But to those of us who truly know Him, it’s only LOVE, tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and those kinds of positive emotions that He conjures up in our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. That’s because those are the attributes for which He is truly renowned. Peace, LOVE and Good Cheer was, is, and always will be His mantra! So why people get so confused and discombobulated over His name certainly boggles my mind. Instead of running to His always opened and inviting arms, they run away instead. How foolish! And I can personally testify to the ‘wonderfulness’ of Jesus! Our vocabulary is so inadequate, I can’t find a better or more appropriate word to describe Him. Anyway, I was testifying – testifying that this very morning, I came down here, not feeling too hot, or knowing what I was going to write, except for Dr. Shoemaker’s quote, but before I could even sit down and contemplate the situation, He engineered the thoughts in my mind and brought them to fruition in the words you’re reading. To tell the truth, I haven’t even had a chance to open the Good Book yet and look for a Bit. So why would I ever turn away from, and denigrate such a kind, thoughtful, gentle and generous leader eh? Not on yuh life, mih breddren! It simply doesn’t make sense, and it’s being proven everyday, especially in these fearful and troubled times. Just look at the nonsense yesterday, with the bombs exploding in and around the Boston Marathon. Ah Lord eh! Followers of Jesus would never do such a thing! Oh Friends, let’s tell the world nuh, let’s show them their dreadful mistake in not embracing Jesus and all the wonderful stuff He has to offer! They quickly embrace all the man made nonsense, but shy away from the One, True, Faithful Helper, Comforter, Friend, Guide and Saviour that’s available to us. They’ve tried everything else and failed. Let’s convince them that it’s time to try Jesus. I’m sure that once they’ve sincerely tried Him, and seen what He’s really all about, the blessings, mercy, forgiveness, the overall LOVING-kindness, so generously bolstered by the wonders of salvation and eternal life, they’ll never go back to worshipping the other non-gods they once worshipped. However Friends, the one big impediment to getting that done, lies with us, His followers. We don’t sincerely live the life that Jesus wants us to live, we’re too often hypocritical, which obviously turns off the non-believer. We talk a good talk, but fail miserably in walking that talk. Just look at all the divisions and petty dissension that permeates the church of Jesus. How could that ever draw unbelievers to Him eh? Oh my brethren, for Jesus’ sake, as well as ours and our children’s, let’s seriously try and improve the image we hold amongst the heathen nuh. Remember, it’s Jesus’ name and image we’re hurting and bringing shame and negative press to, which then holds back the progress of His earthly church and glorious, righteous kingdom, which we’re supposed to be promoting. Remember we’re His ambassadors. But we’re certainly not doing our ambassadorial job to the best of our ability, not to the standard of excellence that Jesus expects. So how can we expect His Name, His Word and His Church to prosper eh? Ah mih people, how sad it is that we’re not doing a better job for Jesus. And I just got a divine zeppo (smile) to stop here and look for a Bit, as time and space are running out. So soon come. Oh Friends, I found it, I found it! I found and appropriate Bit – in exactly three minutes! It’s so amazing that when the Lord gives you a task, He also enables you to perform it! Glory Hallelujah! Now here’s our Bit for today: ‘For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.’ And that still holds true for a lot of people today. However, as Bruh Paul so wisely continues to the Corinthians: ‘But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling bloc, and unto the Greeks foolishness: But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’ (1 Cor.1:23-25) That says it all in spades my brethren! Please embrace Jesus in wisdom and in truth, for He’s the ONLY ANSWER! Much LOVE!…but as for me and mine…we’ll certainly follow Jesus…regardless of what it takes…
15 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: beautiful, blessings, enticing, floods, God is always around, gospel truth, Helper, Jesus, new man, new things, old man, old things, perfect will of God, prayer, renewal of minds, spirituality
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, praise the Lord and give Him much thanks that we didn’t read our names in the obits today! That means He still has work down here on earth for us to do. And today I want to remind us about looking for and seeing God not only in big, important and extraordinary situations, but also in the small, simple, everyday things of life. That’s how we truly know that He’s always there, always around us. The inspiration to remind us to seek God in small things came about when I looked at some of the sayings on the fortune cookies that I have on my desk, and was guided to share this one. ‘To overlook the little things in life is to miss the biggest part of life itself!’ Now that’s gospel truth Friends, and it’s one of the reasons why we believers don’t see as much of God as we ought. We have this idea that God only shows up in the big things, but that’s certainly not true. God shows up in everything we do, both big and small! And how many big things happen in our lives eh? Certainly not as many as the small things. That means if we only look for God in the big things, we’ll be missing so much of Him in the small things where He delights in showing up. So Friends, please remember that every step we take, every breath we breathe, every thought we think, every movement that we make, in fact whatever we do, Jehovah God is in it. It’s because of Him being in all we do, that we can do anything at all! We need to be in awe and wonder of His LOVE, mercy and kindness all the time. So please look for Him in all aspects of your life, and you’ll be surprised at how you’ll enjoy an even greater relationship with your Creator and Provider. And before we get to our Bit, I’m asking us to pray for the good folk in Western Trinidad, the Diego Martin and surrounding area, which was flooded by serious rain in the last couple of days. Ah Friends, wherever we turn these days, there’s some new natural disaster happening in our misguided, ungodly, troubled world. That’s why we need to get more people to come to the knowledge of Christ, then accept Him and change their ways as our Bit dictates. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ It is essential my brethren that we change our ways when we receive Christ, for we no longer live by the flesh, but by His Spirit. Listen to Bruh Paul on the topic: ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.’ (Rom.8:5-6) Yes my brethren, kingdom people MUST LIVE by the dictates of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and not by the lusts of the flesh which we should crucify when we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Oh I know it’s easier said than done, especially when the things of the flesh and the world, which look so beautiful and enticing, surround us. But the truth is that they are not really half as nice as they seem. Ole smart-man Lucifer just puts that spin of glitz and glamour on them to fool us, and when we get caught in his carefully planned snare, it’s always so difficult to break out. That’s why we have to carefully look at the things we want to get involved with or in, and consult our Helper, the Holy Spirit, before actually getting involved, because in many, many cases they are just false fronts, covers for Lucifer’s snares. As believers in Christ, we need to do as Isaiah says: ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.’ (Is.43:18) Now hear Bruh Paul again to the Roman church: ‘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, the most important part of our transformation into a new man begins in our mind, our thoughts. Until we stop thinking like the world does, and begin thinking like Jesus, we won’t get very far in our spiritual transformation. And now, since I can’t muster any more good arguments, (smile) we’ll let Bruh Paul take us home with his much better explanation to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ. ‘If so be that ye have heard him(Christ), 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 the 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. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (an opportunity) to the devil.’ (Eph.4:21-27) Ah Friends, there’s no more to say, except that we believers need to seriously buckle down and follow the plan Jesus has for our lives here on earth. We’re not doing a good enough job that’s partly why our world is in such a mess. And it is our job to try and fix it. Much LOVE!…all that we are…arises with our thoughts… P.S. And just to prove that He is involved in everything in our lives, just as I was about to move from my desk to the computer, without an ending thought for the day, one of the fortune cookie sayings fell in front of me. And lo and behold, it was our ending thought for the day. Our God does move in simple though mysterious ways, His wonder for us to behold! Much LOVE!
14 Aug 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: baptized, blessings, born again, Christian spirit, Comforter, courage, fear, fleshly lusts, gospel truth, Helper, holy spirit, new man, personal choice, spiritual beings, tests, thanks and praise
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day on planet earth, courtesy of our wonderful God! And all God’s people voiced a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Father for allowing us to see another day! We praise and glorify your Holy Name! Amen.’ Yes my brethren, we need to give our God thanks every morning that we open our eyes to greet a new day. Now there will be blessings poured down on us from heaven above, but there will also be tests; evil doings that will come against us, so we also need to ask the Lord for strength and courage to face those rough times that try to break us every day. And just now, while weeding out some old pieces of paper that I use as bookmarks when writing the Bit, I came upon two definitions of courage which I was guided to share. I don’t know if I shared them before, but even if I did, it seems we need to hear them again, so that they will enable us to stand strong and courageous as the Good Book advises. (Josh. 1:7) The first quote come from Alicia Mckenzie Swain, who says: ‘Courage is not the towering oak tree that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.’ It certainly takes courage Friends, and plenty too, for a small, fragile blossom, which needs heat and warmth to survive, to rear its tender head in the cold uncaring snow. The next quote on courage comes from Dr. Robert H. Schuller, who declares: ‘Behold! Courage isn’t feeling free from fear; courage is facing fears you feel.’ And that’s gospel truth Friends! For if we waited to be free from fear before we felt courageous, we’d never be courageous, since we’re all constantly surrounded and consumed by some kind of fear each waking hour of each day. Fear is a normal part of our everyday lives, so to make it meaningful we have to constantly move forward, keep on keeping on, regardless of and in the face of any and all fear that tries to pull us down. And right there Friends is where the true Christian spirit rises way above every other philosophy, religion or faith in this world, for through the Holy Spirit of Almighty God, our Comforter and Helper, who dwells within all believers, we are able to successfully rise above all fear. And all God’s people said a loud and thankful: ‘Praise the Lord!’ But unfortunately that ability only comes when we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, which means being BORN AGAIN. As Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the Jewish rulers who suppressed his fear and came to Jesus by night seeking answers, re Jesus and His purpose. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Obviously poor Nicodemus was shocked and confused by Jesus’ statement, asking how was it possible for a man to enter his mother’s womb again. But, as He was wont to do, Jesus patiently explained: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And that Friends, is the whole crux of the matter! Until we are born again of water (baptized) and of the Spirit, which entails believing that Jesus is truly the son of God, seeking repentance for our sins, and having the Holy Spirit come to live in us, we won’t be able to successfully communicate with our Creator, or after our mortal body dies, enter into His glorious kingdom. But once we’ve accepted Jesus, our Bit then comes into play. ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ Yes my brethren, when we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we’re supposed to become new people; acquire new godly habits and desires, while throwing away the old lusts and fleshly desires that Lucifer had us falsely believing were the best things for us. But listen to the correct pronouncement on the subject – from Jesus of course: ‘It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.’ (John 6:63) Oh Friends, though we have fleshly bodies, through which a few good things are possible, please remember that we are first and foremost spiritual beings. Our fleshly body is only a temporary residence for our spirits. And since our fleshly body eventually dies and returns to the dust from which it was originally formed, the question is what then happens to our spirit? Some believe that the body is all there is, and after its death, everything’s finished. However, those of us who hold Jesus as our Lord and Saviour believe otherwise; namely that the spirit lives on, either in paradise with Him, or in a place of utter torment with Lucifer. And each individual must make a personal choice. But how is one to choose eh? Take it from me Friends, the smart money is on Jesus! And why not? Who in his right sense would prefer to live in a place of torment forever, just to satisfy a few earthly lusts and pleasures? Surprisingly though, a lot of people seem to feel that way! But it obviously follows that they are not in their right minds, because you can still enjoy earthly life through Jesus’ system, as well as enjoy an even better time in eternity with Him in paradise. So who’s the fool eh? My people, I’ll leave us to ponder that question to day. Please do so, and seriously too, because your place in eternity depends on the choice you make. As for me and mine though, we’ll definitely choose Jesus. More on this tomorrow, provided we don’t read our names in the obits. (smile) Much much LOVE, truly from the heart, my people!…if in doubt…give Jesus a try…He’s so wonderful…you’ll never want to leave Him…
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