09 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a contrary relationship, a heart of gold, a new commandment I give unto you, a penniless son from Tobago, and now abideth faith hope love, as I have loved you, Cheryl Brown, enjoy the wonders of heaven with Jesus, eternally grateful, God is LOVE, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, in god's eyes, Jesus in our thoughts hearts and actions, kind-hearted Christian people, Love -the umber one driving force, love shall cover a multitude of sins, not what I do, not what I have, nourished him with food and family love, pass away alone, put a roof over his head, rest in peace, save a soul from death, share His love with the world, that ye also love one another, that ye love one another, the Brown family took in, the greatest of these is love, the hallowed hall sof heaven, the love always shone through, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra
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.
Well, it’s a bright, spring-like morning…notice I said spring-like, not spring, (smile) because the warm day time temps we’re currently having are only a façade, for winter is not quite over yet. I’ll take that intermittent break though from the cold winds which March usually bring, but it’s not enough to lift my spirits this morning, for I discovered yesterday that the eldest of my younger sisters had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. And I use that description because I have a sister that’s older than me. (smile)
Oh friends, it’s difficult when anyone passes away, but even more so when they do so unexpectedly and also alone, with no friends or family around to wish them a pleasant and speedy journey to the hallways of heaven. That’s apparently what happened to my sister, Cheryl Brown a couple of days ago. From all reports she wasn’t sick unto death, just had a case of bronchitis, but when she could not be reached by phone and they went to check on her she was found unconscious and passed away soon thereafter.
Some of you might be wondering how come I’m talking about sisters when by nature I’m an only child. Well that’s one of the Lord’s greatest miracles in my life. Some fifty odd years ago when I went to live in Jamaica to attend the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, the Brown family kindly took in a penniless son of Tobago, put a roof over his head and fed and nourished him with both food and family LOVE! And thus they became my family, for which I will be eternally grateful and dread thinking of how much rougher my life would have been if they had not taken me in.
Yes, it’s true that Cher (my nickname) and I always had a contrary relationship, and that’s normal in most families, but when it really mattered, the LOVE always shone through. She had a heart of gold, though she worked overtime to make it seem otherwise. Adult life wasn’t always easy for her, but she persevered and made her family proud by representing Jamaica at several United Nations talks, while ending up as a working lawyer. I heard that she was up and about even during the pandemic with her two bad knees. But that’s the kind of persevering person she was.
And she will definitely be missed by her two grown daughters, her granddaughter and her three younger sisters, plus her wide-ranging extended family. Cher sweetheart, you always knew your big brother LOVED you, and I will certainly miss the interesting conversations we had every so often; the last one being a couple of months ago when we spoke about my trying to contact you on what’s app and you kindly, but firmly informing me that if it wasn’t working the way it was, then too bad, because that’s exactly how it would stay.
Ah mih sister, so sad you had to go so early, but I do know that you were prepared because Jesus was always in your heart, thoughts and actions, and that it will be a wonderful reunion with your parents, Aunt Ames (Amy), and Uncle Aubs (Aubrey) in the hallowed halls of heaven. We miss you, and will always remember your kindness and compassion, but we know that you are in a better place now, free from all the problems of this earthly life, so please rest in peace and enjoy the wonders of heaven with Jesus.
Oh my fellow saints, it brings tears to my eyes when I remember the unexpected kindness and LOVE of the Brown family so long ago. They didn’t know me from Adam, yet took me in, while paying for Cher to live on the campus. And no, they weren’t wealthy, just ordinary hard working, kind-hearted Christian people. I remember the times when I’d complain that my mother wasn’t sending me any money, and Aunt Ames would quickly shut me up by asking, ‘How can she send money when she doesn’t have any eh?’
That’s the kind of down to earth people they were. And it’s stuff like that, that has made me the person I am today. How can I be anything other than kind and compassionate when so many people down through the years have been so good to me eh? And in these troubled times, that’s the kind of reaction we Christians need to show to so many who are in need. Yes, some of us might be in dire need too, but as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, ‘The best way to forget about your problems is to go and help somebody else.’
And it’s quite true, when you’re helping others, your problems don’t seem quite as worrisome, and then God turns around and helps you. And it’s all a function of LOVE my people! Jesus said it so plainly: The first and great commandment was to LOVE God with all you had, then the second was to LOVE your neighbour as yourself. (Matt. 22:37-40) And later on, even when He gave them a new commandment, it was still based on LOVE.‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another.’(John 13:34)
Yeh friends, all that we do in Jesus’ name should be based on the characteristic of LOVE. Why? Jesus gives us the answer. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have LOVE one to another.’ (John 13:35) Plain and simple friends. Meanwhile, John, in his first epistle tells us that God is LOVE. ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’ (1 John 4:7) That means God’s redeeming LOVE, not just mere human LOVE.
And why is LOVE so important in our lives? Because it’s God’s major characteristic. Why yuh think He sent His sinless son to die for us eh? Because He LOVED us! And Bruh Paul in his famous dissertation on the way of LOVE in 1 Corinthians 13, declares (ah Lord eh!) that though one has everything else but no LOVE, then you’re useless. Read that chapter and you’ll see why Peter echoes Cousin Sol in Prov. 10:12, when he says: ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover the multitude of sins.’ (1 Pet. 4:8)
And it surely does my people, meaning that LOVE forgives! Covering sin is basically forgiving it, not sweeping it under the rug, but confronting it, then forgetting it, not bringing it up all the time. And then there’s James’ two cents’ worth. (smile) ‘Let him know, that he which converteth (turns) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide (cover) a multitude of sins.’ (James 5:20)
That says it all friends! LOVE should be the number one driving force in our lives! Our lives should reflect a strong LOVE walk! And having acknowledged that, let’s go home now letting the whole world know who and whose we are, by declaring (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!’
So what we waiting for eh? Time is short. Let’s get a move on and share Jesus’LOVEwith the world nuh!Much LOVE!
…and now abideth…faith, hope, LOVE…these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor, 13:13)
29 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double-minded man is unstable, alive and kicking, ask in faith, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, but enough, calamitous times, doubt destroys fear, driven with the wind and tossed, every cluttered chamber, every hidden pretense, for he satisfieth the longing soul, free me from every shallow substitute, God never makes the same thing twice, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he will save us, hem and haw, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I hunger and thirst for you, I love you my Lord, I shall know, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, if any of you lack wisdom, in god's eyes, into every vacant hollow, let him ask of god, like a wave of the sea, MY Glorious Enough, no one can take that from me, nothing wavering, of my longing heart, one is enough, pour yourself lavishly dear God, put all our eggs in one basket, share His love with the world, thanks and praise, that giveth to all men liberally, the Beatitudes, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, they shall be filled, this is the day the Lord has made, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it, with deep consuming conviction, You are My Glorious Enough
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Wowee, Wowee, mih bredrin! It’s another bright and beautiful day in God’s great universe! Wow! And the astounding, the amazing, the marvellous, the astounding – oh I think I’ve said that before, but it’s so good that we can say it again, (smile) yes, the astounding thing about this day is that we’re alive and kicking in it, with a wonderful plan of God highlighted for it! Now what can be better than that eh; our great God with a good plan for us? Nothing mih people, absolutely NOTHING!
So let’s respond as best we can by giving Him a li’l thanks and praise nuh, and agreeing with His marvellous word. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) And for sure, He is all of that my fellow saints in Christ! Make no doubt about it! That’s why we can consequently say with the utmost sincerity and surety: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24)
And we’d be very foolish if we didn’t, because there’ll never be another day like today. Oh yes, there’ll most likely be many other todays, but never one again like this one, because our God never makes the same thing twice. Glory be! Otherwise, can you think of there being more than one of each of us? No siree! There’d be even more confusion that we have now. But the good God in His wisdom and power, wisely said, ‘One is enough!’ And it surely is.
But here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that I believe we all could use today. It’s titled ‘My Glorious Enough.’ So please pray with me. ‘Oh, how I LOVE You, my Lord But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You But not enough. Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
And mih bredrin, our great and wonderful God is indeed gloriously enough for each and every one of us! In fact, He is more than enough for ALL of us! But the sad truth is that we don’t truly believe it; our less than believing actions show it. When we need to put our sincere trust and faith in Him, we always hem and haw, wondering if He really can help.
Too many of us doubt, deep down in our hearts. And it doesn’t have to be a big doubt nuh, even a li’l one takes away so much of His awesome power in our lives. That’s why Jesus had to admonish His followers so often for being of li’l faith. Unless our faith is strong and unwavering, we miss out on so many good things God has in store for us.
No wonder Jesus’ brother, James, penned these wise and true words to the scattered diaspora of saints way back when. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Oh friends, I couldn’t have said it any better. And the problem today with so many of us supposed believers is our doubt, our wavering, our double-mindedness, our lack of true faith! Yes, we talk a good talk, but our real walk is woeful. If it was really good, our world would not be in such a mess, and people would be running towards Jesus rather than dying to get away from Him!
But here’s a magnificent and most suitable word for us from our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, and it’s the Bible Promise for today’s poem, and also our Bit. We all know it as one of the Beatitudes that Jesus delivered in the opening of His Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) More gospel truth my people!
And the scholars offer this most interesting explanation of the verse. ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107:9).’
And that’s the awesome, indisputable truth my brethren! Our God fills those of us who are sincerely hungry for Him and what He has to offer and sincerely seek Him for it. And believe me, those of us who are currently alive have never needed Him and what He has to offer more than we do right now in these disastrous and calamitous times.
So let’s wake up and turn to Him for the wisdom and spiritual righteousness that we so badly need nuh. And above all, let’s do it without any doubting or wavering nuh, for we have tried everything that we can do in our own strength and it hasn’t worked. So let’s now put all our eggs in one basket, that of the Lord’s, for He is capable of hatching them without breaking or spoiling any of them. (smile)
And for those of us who are sincerely seeking His righteousness, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are! Altogether 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!’
So what we waiting for eh? Let’s go out right now and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…only do not doubt…for doubt destroys faith… and we need faith to live successfully…
22 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bowed their heads, cause lots of rejoicing in heaven, drive ole Satan mard, God is greatly to be feared, God's sure promises to David, having a good day, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in god's eyes, in spite of rough or unpleasant circumstances, life intrudes on you, lifting up their hands, LOVE Revolution, make the enemy stand up and take notice, money can't buy true love, mourn nor nor weep, no one can take that from me, rejoicing and being glad, Revival time is here again, rise up and cheer each other on, share His love with the world, sincere tears of repentance, something good is going to happen to and through me, soulless houses, sour demeanour, the ability to enjoy our day, the masterful and magical thing called hope, the power of the Holy spirit, their faces to the ground, this Christmas season, this day is holy unto the Lord your god, to be had in reverence, to make matters worse, Tuesday Mantra, uninterested in the spiritual life, what a task it is getting old, who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord, with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, worshipped the Lord
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Aye friends, why does life have to intrude on you eh? Chuh man! This morning I got up at a decent hour, did my chores, put out the garbage, then had a sip of water which choked me….Steups! And that set off a set of coughing, causing my asthma to act up. Brother! And yuh think the coughing would stop? No sir! All the puffers didn’t make a difference. So that now I have this wheezy chest and uncomfortable and sour demeanour. (smile)
And to make matters worse, some app on the bloody computer was so slow that I could not open anything else. Then my coffee got cold and I had to go back upstairs and warm it. Mama! And these days it seems like any li’l thing chokes me. What a task it is getting old oui! So please bear with the ole fella this morning, he’s shaking it somewhat on the rough side; life’s gotten to me. (smile)
But yuh know what? That isn’t going to stop me from having a good day, from rejoicing and being glad in it, and believe that something good is going to happen to and through me! Glory be mih bredrin! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit in us believers; it gives us the ability to enjoy our day in spite of rough or unpleasant circumstances.
That’s why in this Christmas season – only 3 more days to the Big Day – I will, and we should do like Ethan the Ezrahite says in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promise to David. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps. 89:1)
The sad part of that though is we have not sung of God’s mercies enough, or sufficiently made known His faithfulness to this current generation, that’s why they are so ungodly and uninterested in the spiritual life that’s oh so important for each of us, seeing that our physical body only lasts a short while, but the spiritual one lasts forever.
But then, there is that masterful and magical thing called hope; which as believers, we are full of, so this Christmas season, when we can’t gather as we want to, and when we are finally realizing how much we truly need each other, let us all rise up and cheer each other on nuh. Let us find some way to encourage the sick and suffering, the poor and lonely, even the rich and well to do, who sometimes are even lonelier than others, fortified in their big, soulless houses, with all their inanimate, useless money, that can’t buy true LOVE!
And let us do, as best we can, like the Israelites did after the prophet Ezra read the law for them. ‘And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.’ (Neh. 8:6)
Wow! What a great day that must have been in ole Israel eh? How I wish that we could have a day like that in our time. It would just drive ole Satan mard, but cause lots of rejoicing in heaven! Glory be! How many of you remember those Revival times of long ago eh? When the big tents were full of worshippers every night and God’s name was all over the place – Number One in the land! Not like now, when half of the people don’t even know who God is…or even care! Steups!
And furthermore, as Nehemiah, the Governor, Ezra, the priest and the scribes and Levites who explained the Good Book to the people of Israel on that momentous and memorable day said unto them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.’ (Neh. 8:9)
Oh how I long for an outpouring of sincere tears of repentance and understanding and knowledge and reverence on behalf of our great God! A true LOVE Revolution! It would make the enemy stand up and take serious notice, that the soldiers of Christ were on the move, bad and beautiful, and in no mood to be played with!
And these next words of Nehemiah to the people, are words that should also echo far and wide across our land today, like they did way back then in Israel. ‘Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10)
Oh my people, in these crazy and hard times of the pandemic and lack of work, food and money, it behooves those of us who have to share joyfully and generously with those who don’t have, especially in this Christmas season when we celebrate one of the greatest gifts ever given to mankind, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow! We can do no better, give no better testimony to His wonderfulLOVEand grace, mercy and forgiveness, than sharing what He’s so magnanimously blessed us with!
Ah mih fellow saints, I’m chuckling here, hoping that what I’ve written makes sense, because the passion and excitement is flowing non-stop, though my chest is still wheezy. (smile) That is what happens when you all stir up the ole fella! And for good measure, let’s throw in these two wonderful verses of Ethan the Ezrahite, from Psalm 89. ‘For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had (held) in reverence of all them that are about him.’ (Ps. 89:6-7)
And for those of us who agree wholeheartedly with those words, and who do hold the Lord in reverence, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are! 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!’
Now, with the ingenuity of Jesus flowing in our veins, let’s go out, or even stay in, and share His awesomeLOVEand friendship this Christmas season, where joy and gratitude ought to abound!Much LOVE!
…can somebody shout…Revival time is here again…
15 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be thou removed, believe that ye receive them, believe those things which he saith, but have everlasting life, Christian, el numero uno, enthusiasm, faith is not easily built, God so loved the world, gospel truth, have difficulty believing, have faith in God, he gave his only begotten son, he shall have whatsoever he saith, hope, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, in god's eyes, Jehovah Rapha, love to burn, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, of the church unto God for him, opened not the gate for gladness, Peter was kept in prison, positivity, prayer was made without ceasing, salt and light, shall not doubt in his heart, share His love with the world, so deeply ingrained in us, stand strong and steadfast, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the body of Christ, the church, the crown of righteousness, the God who heals, the way of the world, Tuesday Mantra, walk their talk, we are feeble without God's help, we refuse to believe, what a faithful God we serve, what a good God we serve, what a great God we serve, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, whosoever shall say unto this mountain
Acts 12:5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Aye mih people, sing it with me nuh this winter Tuesday morn with a dusting of snow on the ground: ‘What a good God we serve, what a great God we serve, what a faithful God we serve!’ One more time: ‘What a good God we serve, what a great God we serve, what a faithful God we serve!’ And isn’t that the God-awesome and gospel truth! Jehovah God: He of many parts and names, is indisputably El Numero Uno, Number One! No doubt about it, for there’s none else like Him! Bless His most holy name!
And you all must be wondering why the ole fella so enthusiastic and praiseful eh? Well it’s quite simple. Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, acted faithfully on two people very near and dear to my heart who had surgery yesterday. Yes, they both seem to have come out of it successfully… Give God all the praise and glory, because He’s promised to look after His people, and that’s what he does as faithfully as ever!
And that’s also why we say and know that prayer is the most powerful and potent tool and force in God’s universe! Yes, prayers were made for them, just like the Good Book talks about how prayers were made on Peter’s behalf when he was in jail facing certain death. ‘Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.’ (Acts 12:5)
Well just like the Lord divinely released Peter, (Acts 12:6-11) the same way He divinely brought my people through surgery. Praise His holy name! The big difference there though is that when my people knocked on our door after they were relieved and released, we didn’t think that the messenger who brought the news was crazy, as the early church did when Peter showed up at the door of John Mark’s mother’s house where they were praying for him.
The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken (answer), named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad (out of your mind). But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.’ (Acts 12:13-16)
Now what does that say of their faith eh? Not a whole lot. But we can’t be too hard on them because unfortunately we still do that same thing fairly often. I don’t know why, but we ofttimes pray for things and people, and when they happen, we refuse to believe, or have difficulty believing it. What’s the point of praying for it then eh? I think it shows a lack of true faith and trust in God. We talk much about His wonderfulness, but when it comes to accepting it by faith, we fall woefully short. Just look at the people who prayed for Peter.
But please remember these immortal words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: ‘Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire. When ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’ (Mark 11:22-24)
So yuh see friends, the whole of our faith hinges on the word ‘belief!’ Even Jesus’ most prominent pronouncement requires the ability to believe: ‘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) We need to believe before we see my brethren. But I guess with our human nature and the way of the world so greatly ingrained in us, sometimes that’s difficult to do. Even when we see it first, we often refuse to believe it.
But we better believe that’s how it is in God’s kingdom. In His economy, you won’t see much of anything until you believe. And that’s just a way to build our faith and trust in Him. If we could do it all in our own strength, then we wouldn’t have any need for God. But the sad truth of the matter is that we are rather feeble without God’s help, that’s why we struggle so much when we stray away from Him. No wonder Jesus castigated those around Him so often with words like ‘O ye of little faith!’ (Matt. 8:26)
Yes my people, it takes great faith to sincerely follow Christ, and that faith is not easily built either, or in a short time. Just look at the ‘sufferation’ Bruh Paul endured nuh. Most of us would have given up long before we even begun. (smile) But he persevered, and eventually won his race, won the crown of righteousness that the Lord had set aside for him, and for all who LOVE and stand steadfast and strong in His awesome name. (2 Tim. 4:6-8) Now likewise, we modern day believers need to come up over our problems, rather than have them come up over us, especially in these tough and uncertain times.
We Christians ought to be the salt and light to the unbelievers; truly let the Lord’s word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path; to lead and guide us in this dark and evil world, shining ever so brightly like a city set on a hill, like a lighthouse on a rocky promontory and giving light and flavour to the whole world! Wow! That’s when the world will know what a real Christian, and the Church, the Body of Christ, truly are. We need to have faith, enthusiasm, positivity, hope, and LOVE to burn! That means improvements and increase all around!
And because we are so blessed by Christ’s selfless sacrifice on the cross for us, we definitely need to come up higher. And now that Christmas is coming too, when we celebrate Christ’s birth… Brother! We believers ought to be the happiest, the ‘joyfullest,’ the most easy going, cheerful and generous people on God’s great earth, because Christ has overcome the world! And only when we truly and sincerely show those Christian traits and values, only then will the unbelievers take us seriously and want to come to Jesus to get the awesome joy and faith that we possess.
Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting this evil world know who and whose we are. 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!’
So what we waiting for then eh? Let’s go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship! (smile) Much LOVE!
…it’s high time for Christians…to seriously walk their talk…
08 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a big bam-bam, a pagan king, a vaccine going to solve our problems, all things work together for good, as a roaring lion, be sober, be vigilant, casting all your care upon him, Christmas, compassionate grace and mercy, Covid-19 not getting better, encouraging under dire circumstances, faithfully keep serving, fight the good fight, God won't leave nor forsake us, godlessness, greed, hard-ears people, harsh life of slavery, he will deliver thee, hegemony over the world, humble yourselves, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I had fainted, idyllic time of year, in god's eyes, in the land of the living, make you perfect, mighty conquerors, put on our spiritual armour, radiates the goodness and loving-kindness of God, rampant evil, resentment, return to Egypt, Satan's way of marking and controlling us, see the light, seeking whom he may devour, setting new records every day, share His love with the world, stiff necked, stubborn, the basic answer to this life, the evil one's authority, the God of all grace, the head and not the tail, the Lord God Jehovah, the One and Only Living God, thy God, time's not waiting on us, to see the goodness of the Lord, to those who love God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, under the mighty hand of god, unless I had believed, walketh about, who are called according to His purpose, whom thou servest continually, with prayer and thanksgiving, worshipping so many idols and gods, your adversary the devil
Daniel 6:16b. Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
Well it’s Tuesday already… And yes, all day, cause time’s not waiting on me, as the duchess likes to say when I complain about how the days going by so fast. (smile) But it will soon be Christmas; that idyllic time of year when we celebrate our Saviour’s birth. Wonder what it’s going to be like this year eh, with the pandemic and the many other problems our society is currently facing?
And yuh know what? I don’t think it’s going to be much different nuh, because people are still running helter-skelter to do Christmas shopping and what not. You’d never believe that we’re under a lockdown. No wonder the Covid-19 is not getting better and we’re setting new records every day. And with the upcoming promise of a vaccine on the horizon, people seem to be taking advantage of that news and disobeying the medical authorities even more.
One more thing, don’t think that a vaccine is going to solve our problems nuh. I tend to believe it’s going to cause even more problems, what with all the negative info that’s floating around about it being Satan’s way of marking and controlling us, and the hordes of people who already are refusing to take it! It’s going to be a big bam-bam! And those who take it will rail against those who haven’t, and vice-versa, with all kinds of name calling and possible violence involved.
But friends, please, let’s recall these momentous words of the pagan king Darius to Daniel when he threw him in the lion’s den. ‘Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.’ (Dan. 6:16b) Ah friends, if a pagan king could be so encouraging under those dire circumstances, why can’t we be likewise encouraging to each other eh, and faithfully keep serving the Lord God Jehovah eh?
We know, or at least ought to know of His might, majesty, and power! Notwithstanding His most generous and compassionate grace and mercy to those who LOVE and faithfully serve Him. So why are we in such a negative state, if we claim to know that ‘all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose?’ (Rom. 8:28)
It’s all about testing us and maturing our faith my people. Just like He tested Israel’s faith and wanting to mature them when they left Egypt by leading them the long way around, instead of the eleven-day journey it would normally take through the Philistine land: ‘for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent (change their minds) when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ (Ex. 13:17)
And we see how they behaved so disobediently in the wilderness despite all of God’s goodness, because they were by nature a stubborn, stiff-necked, hard-ears people. That’s why it took them forty long years to reach the Promised Land. The Lord just led them round in circles until all those who had come out of Egypt had died, except Caleb and Joshua. How many times did they threaten Moses to go back to Egypt eh, in spite of the harsh life of slavery they had lived there?
Oh friends, the Lord has given us such a wonderful life nowadays, why aren’t we thankful and obedient to Him eh? Why can’t we say faithfully, and sincerely claim like Bruh David did eh? ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps. 27:13)
Yes mih people, life is so good when yuh worshipping and praising the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So why the great disobedience, the turning away in droves, the mocking and blasphemy and lack of LOVE amongst us eh? Why the rampant evil, resentment, greed, and godlessness in our society eh? Why are we allowing the prince of darkness to cover our eyes so that we cannot see the light that radiates the goodness and LOVING-kindness of the Lord our God in the earth eh?
Why are we worshipping so many different idols and gods who have absolutely no power eh, who are dead like doorknobs, and refuse to worship the One and ONLY living God Jehovah eh? I recently saw a commentary where the commentator says that we have turned away from God, and being the gentleman He is, He has stepped back and allowed us to be ruled by Satan, as we so greatly seem to desire, and what we are now witnessing and experiencing is simply the evil one’s authority and hegemony over our world.
And if that’s true, then I don’t like it one bit, and you shouldn’t either! But either way my brethren, we ought to know that our God won’t leave nor forsake us, for He’s so promised, and He’s faithful to keep ALL of His promises. So for those of us who consider ourselves true believers in Christ Jesus, then we need to stand up strong and steadfast and adamantly resist the devil and his evil ministrations.
We ought to be mature enough in our faith to know that whatever is happening in our world right now is not the end, for God is still in control despite how it looks, and He’s promised us victory through Christ Jesus. That means we have to put on His spiritual armour and with prayer and thanksgiving, fight the good fight, show the world that we are indeed mighty conquerors through Christ who died for us, that we are the head and not the tail, and we know for certain that the Lord will provide all our needs according to his riches in glory by our Lord and Saviour.
That’s why these words of Peter ring so true in these turbulent and troubled times: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (being experienced by) your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-11) That’s the basic answer to this life my brethren.
So now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to live it, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. 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!’
So let’s go and do just that nuh! Much LOVE!
…life is all about LOVE…through Christ Jesus…
24 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty conqueror, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, around me like a mighty shield, ask the Lord for help, ate and drank with publicans and sinners, awakened when the final trump calls, bounden duty, but sinners to repentance, chores, Christ's awesome interest in our lives, Christ's Church, come unto me, don't have to hurry, dull dour Christian, excited Christians, full of dead men's bones., full of hypocrisy and iniquity, give Christ much thanks and praise, glorious sacrifice of His sinless life, glory and adoration, glory hallelujah, have life more abundantly, help the sick and suffering, helping each other, hypocrites, I am the beloved of god, I came not to call the righteous, I can do all things, I don't have to worry, in god's eyes, late night shenanigans, lend a helping hand, like unto whited sepulchres, make clean the outside of the cup, mamaguying, meek and lowly in heart, not be ashamed to preach Christ, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, on the cross at Calvary, our sins to be forgiven, outwardly appear righteous, reverence that will never end, self-righteous, share His love with the world, sucking lime, take my yoke upon you, the Christian Brotherhood, the great invitation, the Holy Spirit of Christ, the many benefits of knowing Christ, the poor me one, the promise of eternal life, the scribes and Pharisees, they they that are whole need not a physician, through Christ who strengthens me, to be reconciled to Almighty God, to stand justified and righteous before God, too proud to beg, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, With Christ beside me, within they are full of extortion and excess, ye shall find rest unto your souls
Luke 5:32. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Chores, chores, chores! Oh how I hate it when early morning chores impede my already slow and shaky progress in writing the Bit! (smile) Yeh, waking up, when the body is just getting into full sleep mode is hard enough to contend with after some late night shenanigans. So half asleep, all I want to do is get my strong, sweet java and come down here and ask the Lord for help and guidance to write His Bit.
Chuh man! I don’t need no other foolish, but possibly necessary chores (smile) to intervene there. But who says that life would be easy eh? Nobody. And furthermore, I know I can handle those chores with my eyes closed because I know that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! Glory Hallelujah my faithful bredrin!
And with Christ beside me, around me like a mighty shield, and within me, I become a mighty conqueror, so that no one can stand against me and no harm can come to me all the days of my life! Mama Yo! What a wonderful Lord, Saviour, Guide and leader we have! Please precious saints, please give Him much thanks and praise, glory and adoration, with reverence that will never end!
And is the ole fella excited this Tuesday morning or what! But that’s what is supposed to happen to believers in Christ when we truly understand the full power and majesty of His awesome interest in our lives, and the many benefits He’s willing to provide, if we will only do His bidding.
Ah mih people, we can’t be true Christians if we’re not excited by all that’s possible and available to us in and through Christ! A dull, dour Christian is NO Christian at all! For if we’re not excited for our sins to be forgiven, to be reconciled to Almighty God, to stand justified and righteous before Him and be awakened when the final trump (not Donald) calls, so the promise of eternal life with Christ can be fulfilled, then what’s the point in believing eh?
I hate to see the supposed pious, the supposed humble, the poor me one, who thinks that they are being so Christian by downgrading and degrading themselves. Yes, we need to be humble and all that, but not to be ashamed to preach Christ and his gospel. Remember He died that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. What does that mean eh? Dragging and eating dust all the days of our lives?
Certainly not! But to be standing proud and honouring His name and glory; letting ALL and sundry know what He’s done for us in particular, for this sinful world in general, and all the wonderful benefits and promises He has bestowed upon us, especially His momentous and glorious sacrifice of His sinless life for us on the cross at Calvary! And how can you tell people about that, if you’re dragging, ashamed and otherwise not excited eh? How can you offer Jesus’ Great Invitation when you seem like you’re on your last breath and expect people to believe you eh?
Listen to Him open up His very heart and soul to all who are shaking it rough nuh: ‘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 and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now how can you invite someone to come to Jesus and enjoy those benefits eh, if you yourself are looking and behaving so rough and weary and laden eh? I certainly wouldn’t want to listen to anyone spout the great benefits available when they don’t look like they have received them!
And that’s partly why the heathen today doesn’t pay much mind to we supposed believers; because we don’t look like and don’t behave like believers are supposed to behave! Too many of us are sour and miserable, cheap and greedy, with generosity a bad word in our vocabulary, and too much like the world around us!
Ah mih people, why you all start me off eh? (smile) But is true. If you look at the normal, ordinary Christian you’d never know that we different from the world, and we have so many good things going for us. Half of us so unpleasant, like we always sucking lime; and the next half either too proud to beg or to lend a helping hand. But that’s what Christianity is all about. And remember when the hypocrite Pharisees asked Christ why he ate and drank with publicans and sinners, He answered: ‘They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
And when Jesus spoke there about the ‘righteous’ He was just mamaguying the Pharisees. He really meant the ‘self-righteous’ like the Pharisees themselves, who thought they were so good and righteous that they needed no repentance. Oh my people, too many of us today also behave like the Pharisees, willing to tell others what to do but not doing anything of the kind ourselves.
Remember how Jesus lambasted the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders in Matthew 23? ‘Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter (dish), but within they are full of extortion and excess (self-indulgence). Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter (dish), that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres (white washed tombs), which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (lawlessness).’ (Matt. 23:25-28)
Now you can imagine how angry and upset Jesus was by the self-righteous, hypocritical behaviour of the supposed religious leaders who were leading the people astray with a whole lot of man-made tradition and not enough true religious doings, if He could spend so much time telling them off. He really got it off His chest that day. Unfortunately though, times have not changed that much for there are still too many of us supposed believers who behave and act like those long gone scribes and Pharisees, hence the Christian brotherhood, Christ’s church is not held in as high an esteem as it deserves.
Friends, our unchristian behaviour is killing Christ’s church. Please, please, I plead with us to wake up and do better. Remember that this pandemic situation and strife filled world is nothing but a wake up call to Christ’s church to get with the true programme; help the sick and the suffering, look out for the poor and homeless, and all those who are badly wounded, thus we can sincerely bring others to Christ, which is our bounden duty as believers. And I do hope what I’ve said makes sense, but even if it doesn’t, I know that with the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling within you, you are wise enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. 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!’
Now let’s go out, or even stay in (smile) and do just that nuh. Much LOVE!
…true Christianity…is all about…helping each other…and spreading the LOVE of Jesus…
P.S. Yes, it long, and somewhat late, but it good…and true too! (smile)
17 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a desperately needy world, a good listening ear, after the Spirit, all these things will be added unto you, Bright Morning Star, callously disregard God's words, can one find true freedom, Competition with God, condemnation, confusion, controversy, cower and run, demonic thoughts, embrace personal desires, erase my concern, frail and finite created, giving allegiance to God, God's adversary, hellfire and damnation, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, ignoring God-assigned tasks, in god's eyes, leads to emptiness, Lucifer, no condemnation, One Year Book of Bible promises, only in Christ, permeating my very being, personal possessions, praying with pretense, precious saints of God, satanic encouragement, satanic majesty, seek ye first the kingdom of God, share His love with the world, speaks in a still small voice, the beloved of God, the bright sunshine of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the overwhelming power of God, the path of self-indulgence, the state of affiars, the undeserving children of men, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way, thoughts saunter through blind alleys, to them which are in Christ Jesus, tried to overthrow God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk not after the flesh, walk the godly path, walk ye in it, waste valuable time, when ye turn to the left, when ye turn to the right hand, wonderful sacrifices and gits, you were destined to walk
Isaiah 30:21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Well this Tuesday morning has opened somewhat hazy and cloudy in my area. Let’s hope that will not be the state of affairs for the day, because I have to go out the street and run some errands later on in the day. But be that as it may, I will not cower and run from the physical weather, (smile) because I have the bright sunshine of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour permeating my very being, and with that holy presence in me, and also in you believers, we can withstand anything that comes against us, with an amazing attitude of peace and joy too! Oh glory be to Jesus my people for all His wonderful sacrifices and gifts to us, the very undeserving children of men!
And I recently came upon a rather interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that seem very appropriate for these confusing, uncertain and strife-filled times. It’s titled ‘Competition with God.’ Now doesn’t that stir up some puzzled and/or scary thoughts, leading us to think and ask, just how could we be in competition with God eh? Well here’s the substance of it all. (smile)
Please read with me: ‘Often we must ask, what is my competition with God? When life seems to stand still, when my thoughts saunter through blind alleys, those very thoughts become my competition with God. When I embrace my personal desires instead of giving allegiance to God, desire becomes my competition with God. When I waste valuable time, ignoring God-assigned tasks, time becomes my competition with God.
When personal possessions erase my concern for a desperately needy world, possession become my competition with God. If we allow a controversy in our lives, our praying may be with pretense, but it will not be with power. Walking the path of self-indulgence eventually leads to emptiness. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness leads to freedom and joy.’
Oh my people, I couldn’t have put it any better than that! And that’s why Jesus specifically spoke those awesome words. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) But the truth of the matter is that we callously disregard His words, believing that we know better, and that we can make it happen in our own strength! No wonder our world is in such a shameful and confused state right now! With our every gain in knowledge and technology we become less comfortable and less believing in the Word of God and end up in foolish competition with Him.
Friends, that’s a competition we can NEVER win because God is the Creator and we’re simply the frail and finite created. Please remember the archangel’s Lucifer (Bright Morning Star) fall from heaven when he foolishly tried to overthrow God. (Is. 14:12-16) That’s the same foolish path on which we’re now engaged, which the world is hell bent on treading, obviously with his satanic encouragement, because he’s now God’s adversary.
But please, let’s stop for a moment and seriously consider the situation nuh. If the powerful archangel Lucifer, couldn’t overthrow God, how can we so much lesser mortals do it eh? No way! But we still allow him to keep egging us on, and he’s very persuasive, so we have to be real careful. My people, nobody knows better than his satanic majesty the overwhelming power of God, and he’s just trying to bring us down to his foolish level as a means of getting back at God.
But please, please, I’m asking, no, pleading with us to rebuke him, and refuse to become a part of his most foolish and doomed to failure plan. Instead, let’s stand strong with God. Let’s stop being in competition with Him. Let’s allow our thoughts, our desires and our time to line up with His demands instead of our own. Let’s not allow controversy and self-indulgence to fill our lives with demonic thoughts, sentiments and behaviour, which only lead to even more confusion and condemnation and eventually emptiness.
Remember how Bruh Paul put it to the church at Rome? ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom. 8:1-2) What beautiful words and sentiments my brethren! It just assures us that when we walk with Jesus, in the law of His Spirit, we find freedom, but with the law of the flesh, the carnality of Satan’s world, all we find is sin and death; hellfire and damnation!
And Jesus Himself made it abundantly clear when He told the hypocrite Pharisees, whom He called children of the devil. (John 8:44) ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.’ (John 8:36) Mama Mia! Glory to God, for whom the Son sets free is indeed free and cannot be taken captive by Satan and his evil minions! What life changing sentiments my brethren! But we must take them to heart and consciously practice them in our earthly lives if they are to be helpful to us.
And how do we do that? The Bible verse that’s the promise for our poem above, gives us this direction. ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21)
Yes precious saints of God, the Holy Spirit of Christ which indwells every believer is our guide and director. He tells us where to walk and where not to walk. But we have to listen to Him, pay serious attention to Him, because He usually speaks in a still, small voice. He doesn’t shout out often, so you have to develop the skill and a good listening ear if you want to walk the true and godly path you were destined to walk.
And God said it to Joshua way back when He made him the leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoserver thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:7) And nothing has changed since then friends, walking in the way of the Lord is still the only sure way to have success or to act wisely.
So with all of that in mind this fateful Tuesday in November, in this crazy and eccentric year of 2020, let’s go home now declaring (yeahh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. 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!’
Now let’s go out and do just that nuh; share His awesome LOVE with the world! Much LOVE!
…ONLY in Christ…can one find true freedom…
10 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a direct directive, a good attitude, awesome words of wisdom and truth, but be of good cheer, but without sin, by the grace of God, cannot be touched by our infirmities, enjoy prosper and succeed here on earth, eternal life, fell the barren tree, find grace to help, for by grace you have been saved, for His great love, fulfilled the Messianic prophecy, God so loved the world, God who is rich in mercy, grace, grace - basis for salvation, have everlasting life, have it more abundantly, he gave his only begotten son, I am come that they might have life, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, i have overcome the world, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, in me ye might have peace, in the world, in time of need, it is marvellous in our eyes, it is the gift of God, let us rejoice and be glad in it, let us therefore come boldly, mercy, Nazareth, no one can take that from me, not always wine and song, not of yourselves, preserved from instant death, salvation, share His love with the world, spare him yet a little, tempted like as we are, that we may obtain mercy, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the expression of God's goodness, the interceding voice of Jesus, the local-yokel, the sharp axe of justice, the thief cometh but to steal, the unmerited favour of God, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the Lord's doing, toward the undeserving, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly men, unto the throne of grace, was in all points, we have not a high priest, wherewith He loved us, ye shall have tribulation
Ephesians 2:8. For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving).
Come Tuesday – another nice summery day, just like Monday! Oh yes, that would indeed be wonderful my people! That’s why we need to give much thanks to Almighty God for all the blessings He’s continually bestowing on us. As the psalmist so rightly says: ‘This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.‘ (Ps. 118:23-24)
Wow! What awesome words of wisdom and truth! And don’t forget what our Lord and Saviour Jesus said on the subject. ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal and destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
Mama Mia! If that isn’t a direct directive (smile) of our Lord’s to enjoy and be thankful for this earthly life, then I don’t know what is nuh! In addition to salvation and eternal life when our frail and fragile bodies wear out and return to the dust from which they came, He also desires us to enjoy and prosper and succeed in this earthly life. Oh, He certainly knows that it will not always be wine and song, because like us, He experienced trials and tribulations too. As the Good Book proclaims: ‘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.’ (Heb. 4:15)
Yes my brethren, Jesus experienced all the problems that we experience down here on this evil and ungodly earth, but never did you see Him miserable and downcast, regardless of the circumstances He faced. Just look at how brutally they treated Him in His own home town of Nazareth nuh. I like how the website waynestiles.com puts it. ‘When Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, He found a warm welcome at the synagogue—that is, until He preached. The young carpenter claimed to have fulfilled the messianic prophecy He had just read from Isaiah 61:1–2 (Luke 4:16-30).
The hearers took offense that the local-yokel Jesus would dare to be remarkable. After all, wasn’t He the guy who built their dining tables? The townspeople were so enraged that they took Jesus to the edge of the Nazareth Ridge and wanted to fling Him off into the Jezreel Valley. But He passed through their midst and departed. You think that made for awkward subsequent holiday gatherings?’
Yes friends, Jesus always exuded a good attitude, which He also expects His followers to exemplify. No, it’s not easy, and He promised us that it wouldn’t be, but with His help we could make it. ‘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) And if we’re finding it difficult of be of good cheer, then we can always go to our understanding and sympathetic High Priest, who will empathize with us and enable us to have good cheer.
Hear the author of Hebrews on the topic nuh. ‘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. 4:16) Brother! Mercy and grace are the two great attributes the Lord uses in our everyday lives. Mercy is not receiving what we ought to, for example punishment for some disobedient act. Many of us know about that from our youth when our parents mercifully did not punish us for some verboten behaviour.
While grace…ohhh…grace is so marvellous, that there are no words to truly explain it. It’s basically God’s favour; the wonderful things He does for us that we do not deserve. Even salvation is through grace. The Good Book puts it thus: ‘For by grace are ye (you have been) saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (the expression of His goodness toward the undeserving). Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ (Eph. 2:8-9) So grace is the basis of our salvation, the unmerited favour of God.
The scholars offer this acrostic of grace. ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth, for it’s only through the expense of Christ’s life on the cross at Calvary did we receive salvation and the marvellous promise of eternal life!
And hear this li’l tidbit from the great English Baptist Preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) affectionately known as ‘The Prince of Preachers.’ On the subject of ‘By Grace Ye Are Saved,’ he apparently wrote: ‘It is by the grace of God that ungodly men are preserved from instant death. The sharp axe of justice would soon fell the barren tree if the interceding voice of Jesus did not cry, “Spare him yet a little.” And isn’t that the indisputable truth! Were it not for Jesus, the sharp axe of justice would certainly have fallen on sinful, disobedient, ungodly man long ago.
And yuh know friends, there’s only ONE real reason for all of that mercy and grace yes; God’s unconditional, irrational, indisputable, undying LOVE for us, His sinful and disobedient creation. Hear the Good Book: ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us.’ (Eph. 2:4) And Jesus verified it, like only He could. ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ (John 3:16) And that says it all my precious saints of Christ!
So for those of us who sincerely believe, and also try to be diligent and excellent followers of Christ, wisely accepting God’s LOVE, grace and mercy, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, boldly and confidently proclaiming to the whole world, who and whose we are!
All together now, 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 the natural consequence of that pledge is for us to keep on trusting Jesus and generously share His awesome LOVE with others! Much LOVE!
…without God’s grace and mercy…His LOVE would have been just an ordinary word…
27 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living sacrifice, all day long, all things are become new, an ugly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, ask and it shall be given to you, awesome friendship, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, built for those who believe in Him, by the renewing of your mind, carnally minded, carry me over to the other side, dominated by righteousness, dominated by sin, each and every day, enmity against God, enter your spirit, give me Jesus, God works everything out for our good, he is a new creature, heaven, holy spirit, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, if any man be in Christ, in god's eyes, Jesus is the greatest gift, joy, keep me running smoothly, keep percolating there, life and peace, living after the flesh, living after the Spirit, LOVE, mind the things of God, mind the things of the flesh, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, old things are passed away, our eternal home, our old sinful systems, peace, present your bodies, purring like a well-tuned engine, reinvigorate my soul, share His love with the world, sincere hearts, subject to the law of God, that good acceptable and perfect will of God, the carnal mind, the mercies of God, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded, to those wonderful mansions, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, until eternity, ye have not because ye ask not, ye may prove, you can have all of this fallen world
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
‘Give me Jesus… give I Jesus… You can have all of this fallen world…Just give I Jesus…’ Oh friends, I’m chuckling here because you know how a song can just enter your spirt and keep percolating there constantly? Well that’s how ‘Give me Jesus’ has been constantly percolating in my soul since we sang it last Sunday. And why shouldn’t it eh, since Jesus is the greatest gift we’ve ever been given, and the greatest request we can ever ask. Remember Jesus’ words: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you…’ (Matt. 7:7) And His brother James says: ‘yet ye have not, because ye ask not.’ (James 4:2b) Cause even when we ask, we ask for the wrong things, so we don’t get anything.
So yes, I’m asking for Jesus! Why? Because I need Him in the morning when I rise to help me get going, so I can do His work with diligence and excellence. And all during the day, I need Jesus to keep me running smoothly, purring like a well-tuned and oiled engine. And at night, when I lay me down to rest… oh brother, I need him to cleanse, purify and reinvigorate my soul, body and spirit, so I can have the strength and energy to go out and do His work again the next day.
And most importantly people, when the breath of Jesus’ awesome Spirit has left my mortal body, I need Him, more than ever, to carry me over to the other side of the river, which ONLY He can do. To carry me to those wonderful mansions that He’s built for those who believe and have faith in His miracle working powers; those who believe that ALL things are possible with and through Him, and that in His LOVING-kindness, He works everything out eventually for the good of those who LOVE Him!
So please, please, ‘Give I Jesus nuh! Just give I Jesus…cause He’s ALL I need… You can have all of this fallen world…Just give I Jesus…all day long…each and every day…until eternity…Just give I Jesus…!’ And that’s my spiel for today! (smile)
Oh my people, my people, what a blessed and awesome day it is when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and His magnificent Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us! Brother! There’s no better day, than perhaps the one when we finally set foot in heaven! It’s such a life changing moment! As Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians: ‘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)
Mama Mia! What a transformation; like that of an ugly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly! And that’s only possibly through the receiving of Christ as one’s Lord and Saviour! So, as Bruh Paul further states to the church at Rome on becoming a new creation in Christ. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. 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. 12:1-2)
Yeh friends, remember when we become a new creation in Christ, all the old things and evil ways of our lives are thrown out, so we also have to become transformed in body and soul. Those bodies of ours which had hitherto been used as instruments of sin, now have to work instead, on God’s behalf, as channels of righteousness. We have to manifest the works of God through them if we want to be hailed as true and serious believers in Christ. Thus we need to stop conforming, ‘to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’
Yes mih brethren, our lives need to take on a mighty change when Jesus comes into them. That means when His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we need to begin living after His Spirit and not by our old sinful systems. ‘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.’ (Rom. 8:5) And that makes sense people. You can’t live by both the old way and the new one; you have to make a choice. And if you’ve chosen Jesus, then you must live by the leading and guidance of His Spirit if you want to fulfill His will for your life.
As Bruh Paul continues: ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:6-8)
The long and short of the story friends, is that you can’t live like the world lives, fleshly, carnally, sinfully, and please God, because that style of living does not suit His kingdom, and if you want to be seriously considered one of His people, then you have to give up the fleshly, carnal, sinful style of living. As simple as that! Oh, we will sin and do wrong sometimes, but it will no longer be a lifestyle; our lives will no longer be dominated by sin, but by righteousness, by our living in the Holy Spirit of God! Isn’t that wonderful? It most certainly is!
And for those of us who sincerely try to live thus, let’s go home now declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are. 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!’
Now then, as new creations of Christ, let’s go out and share that awesome friendship, trust and LOVE of Jesus with those around us nuh. Much LOVE!
…when Jesus comes into our lives…He brings us…everlasting joy… peace…and LOVE… with heaven as our eternal home…
06 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joyful and abundant life, Albert Camus, an active act or expectation, an invincible calm, an invincible love, an invincible smile, an invincible summer, another comforter, baptized with the Holy ghost, believers in Christ, Celia Davidson Francis, changed for the better, Day of Pentecost, hearing, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I shall pray the Father, I will not leave you comfortless, if ye love me, in god's eyes, in the midst of chaos, In the midst of hate, in the midst of tears, in the midst of winter, Jean and Dinah, John baptized with water, keep my commandments, lead and guide into all righteousness, let's be upbeat, let's rejoice in it, listen to the Holy Spirit, listening, live godly and rightesous, LOVE, no matter how hard the world pushes, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, obey, pushing right back, rejoice, shall hear a word behind thee, share His love with the world, Sparrow's famous kaiso, strong and steadfast, the living truth, the New Covenant, the Spirit of truth, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, there was within me, there's something stronger, thine ears, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the way, tough people do, tough times don't last, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk the straight and narrow path, walk ye in it, we have to activate it, when ye turn to the left, when ye turn to the right hand, with the coming of Jesus, within me
Isaiah 30:21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Wow! It’s Tuesday already? Yes mih bredrin, Monday done, and Tuesday take over now! Reminds me of Sparrow’s famous kaiso – Jean and Dinah – ‘The Yankees gone, and Sparrow take over now.’ So we have to forget Monday and concentrate on Tuesday, because we can only live one day at a time, for that’s all we get, all the Lord’s given us; one day at a time. So let’s be upbeat as we declare that this is the day the Lord has given us, and then let’s rejoice in it, because it’s been given to us by the Lord for that exact purpose!
Yeh, it might be a li’l confusing, but you know what I mean. (smile) Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice! That’s what the people of God do, for they have seen the light in the darkness, and that light, that bright, shining light, whose name is Jesus, is oh so good! Give Him thanks and praise my people!
Now here’s an interesting quote that the Director of Alumni Relations of the University of the West Indies, Celia Davidson Francis, recently shared in her news update, as an encouragement to us all in these trying times. It comes from the work of the French-Algerian, author, journalist and philosopher, Albert Camus (1913-1960).
He said: “In the midst of hate, I found, there was within me, an invincible LOVE. In the midst of tears, I found, there was within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found, there was within me, and invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that in the midst of winter, I found, there was within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
And that’s the living truth my people! We all have that little space within us that’s been set there by our Creator, that can come up strong when things get tough. The only problem is that we have to activate it for it to come to life and help us stand strong and push back at our enemies. And for us believers in Christ Jesus, it’s His Holy Spirit that helps us activate that push back. But again, we have to listen to the prodding and pushing and pleading of the Holy Spirit, as it leads and guides us, else nothing positive will happen.
And my fellow believers, do we ever need the wisdom and advice of the Holy Spirit in these turbulent times to help us be strong and steadfast and walk the straight and narrow path as we ought. And we can outlast these tough times by listening to the Holy Spirit that dwells within each one of us. That’s why Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) could say without any hesitation: ‘tough times don’t last, but tough people do.’ That’s because the Holy Spirit of God enables us to be tough and withstand the tough times.
And do I ever get a high from, and have to chuckle at the mysterious ways and the faithfulness of our wonderful God! Yeh friends, I just decided to stop and look for a scripture to corroborate what I’ve been saying, so I turned to the opened Good Book next to me. I hadn’t looked at it before, just saw that it had opened at Isaiah when I opened it earlier. And lo, and behold, what do you think I espied with my own two little eyes eh? (smile) This most amazing and encouraging verse that so deftly describes the actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. ‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21)
Oh my people, that’s what Isaiah said to the Israelites many moons ago when he appealed to them to turn to the Lord for help. But thankfully that has all changed for the better, because with the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant, each and every believer, as soon as they accept Christ as Lord and Saviour receives the Holy Ghost as well, who comes to dwell within them to lead and guide them into all righteousness!
Glory be mih people! How blessed are we to have the Holy Spirit of God Himself dwelling within us, showing us the way to live a godly and righteous, a joyful and abundant life! Mama Yo! We couldn’t ask for anything more or anything better! Our big problem though is that we don’t listen, and/or we don’t hear.
Now listening and hearing are two entirely different things. The first means an active act or expectation of hearing something at some time or other. It’s like faith, so we’re paying attention, waiting with great expectation. Meanwhile, hearing is basically anything and everything that’s going through our ear-waves, stuff that we’re not necessarily expecting or paying particular attention to, stuff that we can ignore or do with as we please. However, as believers, we are supposed to listen to, to expect that still, small voice that’s the Holy Spirit to talk to us, to lead and guide us in the way we should go.
Now too many of us don’t listen for that still small voice, or if we do, when we hear it, we ignore it’s advice. So what else can we expect but unwise doings then eh? Remember Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to the disciples? ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you. 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. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-17)
And Jesus did fulfill that promise at the first day of Pentecost after He ascended back to heaven. That day all the disciples were sitting together in a room ready to enjoy the feast day; ‘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 as of fire, and it sat upon them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:2-4)
Oh mih people, what a glorious day that was; the day when believers were first baptized with the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised in Acts 1:5. ‘For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ And from that day onwards, all believers receive the Holy Ghost to indwell them, when they accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour! What a magnanimous and magnificent Deity we serve and worship my brethren!
So let’s go home now letting all and sundry know who we are, and to whom we belong, by declaring (awrightttt!) 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!’
It now behooves us to go out and show that trust and spread that wonderful LOVE with those who don’t know Christ. Much LOVE!
…you can’t hear…if you don’t listen…and you can’t be successful…if you don’t obey…
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