23 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a court of law, able to save, advocacy of Christ, an advocate, an unchangeable priesthood, Christ's intercession, come unto God by Him, crab races, everything wrapped up in one, exalt, friendship, glory to God, Goat races, high priest, higher than the heavens, hurry, if any man sin, in god's eyes, intercessor, jazz concerts, Jesus Christ, lawywer, LOVE, my little children, passion of Easter, preventitive medicine, sacrificing His sinless life, saviour, share His love, sinning believers, the joy of Easter, the ministry of Christ, the righteous, Tobago, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, walk of faith, with the Father, worry, worship, ye sin not
1 John 2:1. My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
So it’s Easter Tuesday and everybody’s now at work…No! Some blessed people down in sweet Tobago where the fun and frolic of goat races and crab races will take place down in Buccoo today, definitely aren’t working! Ah friends, Tobago is the mecca of fun and partying come Easter time! What with boat races, jazz concerts and all sorts of other joyful activities!
I tried to stay for the festivities but unfortunately wasn’t able to do so. Steups! I guess the Lord overruled me. He knew something that I didn’t know. But them’s the breaks! You win some and you lose some! And anyway the many good memories I made in Tobago will always remain in my heart, as well as the joy of Easter, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose triumphantly from the grave, victorious against His evil foe, Satan!
Oh glory to God my people! What a blessed day that was, and will always be! Please never let the joy and assurance it provides to escape from our hearts, minds, bodies and souls! Yes, it’s that important that we have to reiterate it again today…and every day, since it’s the very foundation on which our wonderful faith is based!
Without Jesus sacrificing His sinless life for us, there’d be no resurrection for us, or salvation or promise of eternal life! So we’ve got to keep the fire, the heightened passion of Easter burning in our hearts each and every day of our lives, not only at the particular time of year that we actually celebrate it! And just to show how important it all really was and is, here’s a li’l gem from a daily Bread Devotional: ‘The One who died as our substitute, now lives as our advocate!’
All praise and thanksgiving and glory to God my faithful brethren, for He’s made our Saviour our Advocate too, sitting at His right hand interceding on our behalf! As John says in his epistle: ‘My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (may not sin). And if any man sin, we have an advocate (an intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’
Glory to God my people! Oh how wonderful is our God! How can we not LOVE and worship and exalt Him eh, after He’s done so much for us, none of which we even come close to deserving?
And the scholars explain the Advocacy of Christ thus: ‘2:1. The term ‘advocate’ denotes a lawyer who represents his client before a court of law. When applied to the present ministry of Christ, it speaks of His work for sinning believers to restore them to fellowship. Christ’s work as an advocate is based on the sufficiency of His blood for all sin, past and present.
Illustration: In the Old Testament, when David confessed his sin, he was forgiven and restored to a place of service. Application: Although the Christian has an Advocate with the Father, his goal in life ought to be overcoming sin (1 John 5:4), rather than merely confessing it. (First Ref.1 John 2:1; Primary Ref. 1 John 2:1; cf. Heb.7:25).’
And the scholars make a very good point there; not because we have an advocate are we going to sin willy-nilly. No! But because of our aversion to sin and its detrimental consequences we try our best to sin as little as possible! And John follows up our Bit with this reassuring statement: ‘And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2)
Yes friends, Jesus Christ paid the price for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD! What an amazing sacrifice and accomplishment! Only the SINLESS Son of God had the ability to pull off such an amazing feat!
Hear what the scholars say about that: ‘2:2. Propitiation is here an atoning sacrifice. Jesus bore in His body the punishment due us for our sin; in so doing He ‘propitiated’ God, satisfied God’s just demand that sin be punished. Thus Jesus is both the advocate for sinners (v.1) and the sacrifice for their sins.’
Mama Mia! There are no words to really describe the amazing scope of Christ’s work! And I guess that’s why some people don’t or can’t believe it? It’s just too much for our puny human minds to assimilate! That’s why we have to accept it be faith, and not by sight or understanding! And Christ is not only our Saviour and Advocate, but also our High Priest!
Listen to how the author of Hebrews puts it when talking about priests. ‘But this man (Jesus), because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he liveth for ever to make intercession for them.
For such a high priest became us (was fitting for us), who is holy, harmless (innocent), undefiled, separate from sinners, and made (has become) higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once when he offered up himself.’ (Heb.7:24-27)
Oh friends, what an amazing personality is our Jesus! Saviour, Advocate, High Priest, God! He is everything wrapped up in ONE! That means we have no need for anything or anybody else but HIM! Please, please, let’s remember that as we go about our daily lives, walking out walk of faith!
Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the 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 and do exactly that; share Christ’s amazing friendship and His awesome LOVE! Much LOVE!
…Christ’s intercession…is like unto…preventive medicine…
26 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a catalyst, accept the promises, at such times, be strong, blessings, comprehend, confident, crumbling state of mind, cry out for help, daily journey of prayer, discombobulated, don't be afraid, draw heavily, enjoying, fear not, focused, foolish pride, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, grace, grasp, grounded in God, grow, have good success, he goes before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, hurry, in god's eyes, in the midst of heartache, in trouble, Israelites, look to God first, LOVE, make our paths straight, mature, mercy, neither be dismayed, neither forsake thee, no comfort, no longer endure, no solace, of a good courage, One Year Book of Bible promises, perplexed, power, Praise the Lord, promises, quiet reassurance, remember God's goodness, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints, seeking, shaking it rough, share His love, strain, stress, take heart, the beloved of God, the benefits of God, the children of men, the Lord, the Scrip-Bit, transforming peace, trust in the Lord, Tuesday Mantra, undeserving goodness, unfathomable love, worry
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Well a blessed and prosperous day to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family! We’ve gotten over our Monday Blues and we’re now headed steadfastly for the Promised Land of Friday and another exciting weekend! Isn’t that good news? It surely is!
Ah mih people, we all know that life’s not easy, especially in these unfortunate times of much war and strife, but as true believers in Christ Jesus, we do have that assurance that all will be well with us, if we just hold on to Him and stay the course like good soldiers. And it is our avowed intention through the Bit to help us do just that!
We’re not here to ‘preachify’ (smile) but to act as a catalyst, a way and means of staying focused and grounded in the Lord and His Word, for that’s the only way we will ever grow, mature and have good success! So please don’t think that reading the Bit is enough. No! It’s only the beginning, the start of your own intimate and personal daily journey of prayer, study and meditation. It hopefully gets you going and keeps your mind on the Lord and His wonderful Word.
And I think you’ve gotten the picture by now, so enough talk. (smile) Here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that will help us handle the day, whatever it brings against us. It’s titled, ‘At Such Times.’
Please pray with me: ‘God, there are times In the midst of heartache and heartbreak When there is no comfort, no solace Anywhere at all. There are times When in my crumbling state of mind I feel I can no longer endure – Not for a day, not even an hour.
It is at such times, O God That I draw heavily Upon your unfathomable LOVE. At such times I implore Your transforming peace. At such times I live By the power and promises Of a Father who cares infinitely more Than I can begin to grasp or comprehend. Today, dear God, is “such a time.”
Ah friends, as I said above, what confident and quiet reassurance we have in the trust and promises of our wonderful God! And if by chance, today is a day where you are shaking it real rough, then don’t be afraid to cry out to Him for help and comfort! Because that’s what He’s there for!
Just like our children cry out to us earthly fathers when they find themselves perplexed or in trouble, our heavenly Father wants, expects us to call out to Him before anyone else! So please don’t put yourself through any unnecessary worry, stress and strain by looking to others to help solve your problems. Look to God FIRST, and if He so desires, He will guide you to someone else to help!
Please don’t allow foolish pride and any other nonsense to keep you from seeking and enjoying the benefits that the Lord has provided for His saints. And the Bible promise for today’s poem is also our Bit. ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Oh what magnificent words of comfort and reassurance spoken by Moses to the Israelites! But yuh know, because of foolish pride or whatever, they didn’t believe nor follow them, that’s why they wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for forty years and never entered the Promised Land. And the same thing will happen to us today if we don’t seriously take hold of God’s promises and apply them to our daily lives!
Please remember that whatever is written in the Good Book is for OUR BENEFIT, not the Lord’s, and when we follow it we are the ones who benefit, not the Lord. Granted, He’s happy when we follow His Word, but nothing will happen to Him if we don’t, we are the ones who will suffer the consequences.
So please, please, let’s wake up and smell the roses nuh. Let’s not be like the unbelieving, unfaithful Israelites! Would you believe that only two verses before our Bit, Moses also encouraged them with these fateful words? ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6)
Oh my people, how many times do we have to hear that the Lord goes both before and with us in this life before we truly believe it eh? Many of us have experienced His wonderful blessings before in times of trouble, but forget them when more trials appear.
That’s wrong friends. Those are times on which to build our faith, so that when more trials appear, as they surely will, we won’t be so discombobulated, because we remember God’s goodness, His mercy, LOVE, grace and forgiveness in earlier times. And if He’s done it for us once, there’s no reason for Him not to do it again!
And all God’s children declared (right ho) a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord for His undeserving goodness to the children of men. We LOVE you and bless your holy name! Amen!’ Awright mih breddren! So let’s take heart, be of good courage and trust in the Lord, so that He will make our paths straight.
Now let’s declare (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and sincere sense of purpose: ‘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 if you really mean it, then let’s go out and share that LOVE and friendship with others as Jesus so greatly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…if you won’t accept the promises…then what’s the sense in believing…
19 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: added unto you, all these things, backbone, belly, beloved of God, destroy, doth corrupt, eternal damnation, fall evil angel, free will, friend of Jesus, future destination, genius mentality, God will provide all our needs, have it more abundantly, have life, headed for hell, heavenly places, I am come, in communion with Jesus, in god's eyes, in the land of the living, kill, lay not up, live for eternity, live for Jesus, lustful things, moth, needy, poor, righteousness, rust, Satan, see the goodness of God, seek ye first, sense of purpose, share His love, sinful nature, steal, the kingdom of God, there will your heart be, thieves, things of the world, through His riches in glory, treasures in heaven, treasures on earth, trust, Tuesday Mantra, what I do, what I have, where your treasure is, worldly treasures
Matthew 6:19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:
Ah friends, what a shock it is to the system when one gets up and sees your whole area clothed in white! Hn! Especially after the warm weather of the past week has conditioned one’s mind – falsely it would seem – to believe that all that white stuff business was a thing of the past and the distant future of next winter! But obviously that’s not so!
And though it’s not a great amount of snow, no amount of snow at all is welcome! (smile) But since we’re such sturdy people, especially we believers, with plenty backbone and belly, we’ll just grin and move along as normal, what with the Lord providing ALL our needs through His riches in glory, through Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
And all God’s children loudly, proudly and gratefully declared (right ho): ‘All praise to the name of Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God who was slaughtered to pay for our abominable sins! Bless His holy name and worship sincerely at His cross!’
Oh my people, what would we have done without Jesus eh? I shudder at the very thought of not having all the wonderful stuff He has made available to us, and greatly desire to be able to make others understand what it all means; how if they don’t have Him in their lives, they’re totally lost, headed for hell and eternal damnation with the fallen evil angel Satan, and what that would mean for their eternal livelihood.
But since the Lord in His eternal wisdom gave us free will, free will to choose whatever kind of life we want to live, it is an uphill battle to convince others to accept Jesus and leave the flashy, but empty and hell bent things of the world alone.
Oh, it’s not that Jesus doesn’t want us to have nice things and to be prosperous, otherwise He wouldn’t have made this telling statement: ‘The thief cometh not but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10)
Yes friends, Jesus died so that we could have life, a full and prosperous one, wisely living it in full communion with Him. Otherwise, what would be the purpose of His dying eh? The problem though, is that with our natural sinful nature, we tend to gravitate to the sinful, lustful things and treasures of the world.
But hear how Jesus classified that stuff nuh: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal:’
Ah mih people, truer and more sensible words were never spoken! And it doesn’t take a genius mentality to see that. All the things of the earth that we treasure at some stage either rot or can be destroyed, or stolen, and to make matters worse, when we die we can’t carry any of them with us. So why spend our earthly lives foolishly trying to amass treasures of the world eh?
Instead, as Jesus so wisely proclaims: ‘But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:’ (Matt.6:20) Glory be my people! The treasures we need to accumulate are the ones that will not rot or be destroyed by insects or stolen…and the only treasures of that kind are found in heavenly places!
That means to be wise, we have to concentrate on accumulating the heavenly kind of treasure, for as Jesus also mentioned: ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ Matt.6:21) And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! If we are concentrating on earthly treasures, then our hearts will be here on earth with them, but if heaven is our future destination, then out thoughts and efforts will be aligned with heavenly things.
And it’s not like when we live for Jesus that we become poor and needy, but on the other hand all our needs are fulfilled. Listen to Jesus again: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
Oh my people, our wise and wonderful God knows that we need food, clothes, money and houses to live and He has faithfully promised that if we live for Him, keep Him first place in our lives, that all those things will be provided for us. As Bruh David so rightly says in Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
Yeh friends, what’s the purpose of believing in the Lord if you don’t expect to see the things He’s promised eh? None whatsoever! And if you still don’t believe that you can get all things through Christ, then please remember who is still regarded as the richest and wisest man who ever lived… Cousin Sol!
And why and how? Because he believed sincerely in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and asked for wisdom to rule his people, not wealth and long life, but our God is so wonderful and so magnanimous, that He also gave him those things in abundance, just like how Jesus died so that we can have life in abundance.
Wow! I just hope all this makes a difference to somebody today! (smile) But for those of us who already sincerely believe, let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are! In strong voice and deep sense of purpose:
‘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 share it all with those who don’t believe for that’s what Jesus desires of us! Much LOVE!
…when you live for Jesus…you live for eternity in heaven with Him…
05 Mar 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of love, a life, attributes of God, beloved of God, benefits, big bands, big day of mas, bless the LOrd o my soul, burden of sin, but to steal, called according to His purpose, Carnival Tuesday, Christian, cross at Calvary, disappears, disconsolate mood, dr robert h schuller, enjoyment, exalt him, faith, forget not, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, glowing sunshine of God's love, God's answer to prayer, good shepherd, have it abundantly, Hour of Power Devotional, humiliation, hurry, I am come, in god's eyes, joy, jumping up, laughing, like morning mist, LOVE, magnanimous doings, mental dial, mercy, moment of prayer, negative feelings, pain, praise his holy name, prayer, Prayer for Change, responsible for my moods, sacrifice, self-pity, shame, share His love, so richly blessed, sorrowful souls, springtime returns, sweaty bodies, that they might have life, the sun breaks through, the sunshine of God's love, the thief cometh, those who love him, to destroy, to kill, Tuesday Mantra, wining down, worry
John 10:10. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
And then it was the big day of mas, Carnival Tuesday! Wow! The day when all the big bands with their pretty costumes would fill the streets, while the pavements and them jam packed with sweaty bodies, everybody just wining down and jumping up in the hot sun as the music jamming, not so much D.J music as now, but with the big brass bands and them just raising ruckus in the heat of the day and the carnival atmosphere! Now that use to be mas! (smile)
And for those of you who still missing it, as I said yesterday, just put it aside for this year, yuh can’t do anything about it now, and start saving yuh money and vacation time for next year. And if you don’t want to listen to me, then please listen to Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) as he leads us in this ‘Prayer for Change’ from his Hour of Power Devotional. I think it’s rather appropriate for these cold, dreary and tough times.
So please pray with us: ‘O God, when a life has been so richly blessed as mine has been, it is not right for me not to be laughing! I confess that I am responsible for my moods. I have no right to selfishly indulge in negative feelings of self-pity. It’s time for me to change my mental dial, Lord. You are helping me. This will be the moment when the sun breaks through the parted clouds, and the springtime returns after winter.
Thank you, Lord! The dreary, depressing, disconsolate mood disappears like the morning mist in the glowing sunshine of your LOVE! And joy moves in! And hope begins to build up within me! And a beautiful feeling of LOVE starts to surround me! Thank you, God, for the great things you are doing within me now in this moment of prayer. Amen!’
Mama Yo mih people! All yuh feel that sunshine of God’s LOVE? Ah hope so yes, because if you don’t then things real rough with you yes! Yuh bet yuh bottom dollar I feel it! And as Gramps Schuller declares (right ho) when that sunshine of God’s LOVE comes creeping in on you, all the negative feelings will disappear like the night time mist in the morning sun, the joy and hope and consequently the faith and LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, and all the wonderful attributes of our wonderful God begin to fill our sorrowful souls!
Oh how great is prayer my people! And even greater is our God’s answer to it! For we have ALL been richly blessed through it! Praise His Holy Name; exalt Him and His wonderful, awesome and magnanimous doings to the entire world! Remember that’s the main reason He made us; to worship and glorify and have constant communication with Him!
Awright…so the ole fella get carried away there…but that’s how it’s supposed to be! If sincere communication with our heavenly Father doesn’t enable and energize and raise up our spirits, then what’s the purpose of it eh? And I do like that li’l phrase of Gramps Schuller; ‘the sunshine of God’s LOVE!’
Because that’s exactly how God’s LOVE operates; it rises up like the brilliant morning sunshine out of the East. One moment there’s simply darkness, then gradually those depressing clouds begin to disappear as His LOVE filters into our souls…until suddenly it’s there…like the sun hovering over the eastern horizon…big and bright and beautiful!
Oh friends, I’m sorry…NO, I’M NOT – for taking such enjoyment in the great and unconditional LOVE of our awesome and amazing God! I only wish that you could take the same pleasure with me, so that we don’t miss all the wonderful things that our wonderful God has in store for us, for those who LOVE Him, and are called according to His mighty purpose!
It’s truly sad and unfortunate that so many supposed believers don’t really enjoy their faith, enjoy their Christian attributes that have been paid for at such great price by our Lord and Saviour, Leader and Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. What’s the point in having them if you don’t enjoy them eh? NONE WHATSOEVER!
Remember these moving and momentous words of Jesus? ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ So if He came to give us abundant life, why aren’t we enjoying it eh? Then His unimaginable sacrifice would simply have been a waste of time!
Chuh mih people! Let’s not waste Christ’s selfless sacrifice on the cross for us nuh! Let’s be wise and enjoy the good things He offers and be obedient to His will. Remember it’s all for our benefit yes, not His! As Bruh David so candidly says: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.’ (Ps.103:2) We’d be real foolish to do otherwise!
And we can’t finish without hearing this next momentous statement of Jesus: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And friends, that’s exactly what our Saviour did for us on that old rugged cross of Calvary! He endured all the pain and shame and humiliation and burden of sin placed on His sinless soul and shoulders by the Father, so that we could be set free! So how could we now not be grateful and gladly follow Him eh?
I can’t answer that question for you, you will have to answer it to the Father come the judgement day! Now let’s go home sincerely declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, joyfully letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and heartfelt sincerity: ‘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! Much LOVE!
…oh…how a believer’s soul is moved…is lifted up…when the sunshine of God’s LOVE…joyfully enters it…
P.S. I likes it…I truly do! And I enjoyed writing it too! Why? Perhaps because it reflects the sunshine of God’s LOVE! (smile) Much LOVE!
25 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Bethlehem, birth of Christ, burst with love, came with haste, Christian heart, Christmas, come to the Father, Emmanuel, eternal life, feed trough, friend of Jesus, glorifying God, God with us, good will to men, heaven and nature sing, her first-born son, in god's eyes, isaac watts, Joy to the world, laid him in a manger, let earth receive her king, LOVE, Merry Christmas, mighty King, no room at the inn, peace on earth, praise, praising God, righteousness, royalty, salvation, saving grace, share His love, she brought forth, shepherds, swaddling clothes, the Lord is come, the way the truth and the life, Tuesday Mantra, without fanfare, wonders of his love
Luke 2:7. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (feed trough); because there was no room for them in the inn.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
‘Drink ah rum and ah punchacrema, drink ah rum! It’s Christmas morning!’ Ah mih people, in my area it might be a tad early to drink a rum and a punchacrema, although some of you on the other side of the world most likely have tibbled some already. (smile) I have a brand new bottle of the rich, creamy stuff to check out later. A friend sends me one every year, that’s his Christmas present to me.
However, let’s get to the important stuff: It’s Christmas morning! Glory be my friends and Scrip-Bit family! We’ve lived to see another one of these monumental days that ushered in the beginnings of our faith! That miraculous immaculate conception of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which ended up in His humble birth on this day some two thousand years ago in a lowly stable.
But that was just the planting of the seed, one of the four most important days in the annals of man, where God finally put His exemplary plan of salvation, free saving grace and eternal life for all and sundry into production, having promised it for numerous years before! Yes, it all began in a dirty animal stable with the birth of a baby boy called Jesus, our Emmanuel, our God with us! And there was such a racket around the fields of that little town of Bethlehem on this momentous night, that the world has never forgotten it.
Now let’s remember it in praise and worshipful song as we sing the much adored song, ‘Joy to the world,’ written by that prolific writer Isaac Watts way back in the 18th century. Let’s raise the rafters with the joy that emanates from our hearts and souls this Christmas morning of 2018 as we joyously, joyfully, ‘joyeuxly’ (smile) declare: ‘Joy to the World; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing. (Repeat line twice)
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields & floods, rocks, hills & plains Repeat the sounding joy. (Repeat line twice) No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found. (Repeat line twice) He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love. (Repeat line twice) Joy to the World; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King! Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing. (Repeat line twice).’
Yeh friends on this Christmas Day there should be such explosive joy in EVERY Christian heart that we should just want to burst with LOVE for Christ! For He is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Light! The awesome means by which we are saved! For NO ONE comes to the Father BUT through Him!
Now let’s take a look at some of the miraculous action that happened around Bethlehem on that most auspicious night. Now Joseph and the pregnant Mary had gone up to Bethlehem to be registered per Roman edict. And it so happens that while up there Mary’s time came upon her: ‘And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (feed trough); because there was no room for them in the inn.’
Now one would think that the omnipotent Lord God Jehovah, His heavenly Father, could have made room for them at the inn, but He was out to prove a point by showing that humble and lowly beginnings don’t mean a thing! If His Son could be born in a loud, foul smelling barn of animals and do great things, so could any one else!
Oh, listen to this explanation from the scholars: ‘2:7. Swaddling clothes were bandage-like strips of cloth wrapped around an infant to ensure that the limbs would grow straight. Not to swaddle a child would be a form of abuse (Ezek. 16:2-4). This wrapping would aid the shepherds in identifying Jesus.’
Now here’s the action! ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon (stood before) them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore (greatly) afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes (cloths), lying in a manger (feed trough). And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ (Luke 2:8-14)
Wow friends! Can you imagine that quiet, silent night in the fields around Bethlehem, with shepherds sleepily guarding their animals, when an angel suddenly appears and tells them about the birth of this heavenly child, then a host of other angels arrive and begin singing, glorifying God, and exuding peace on earth and good will to all mankind! The shepherds were probably expecting another quiet, uneventful night, when to their amazement, it suddenly turned into a rather raucous affair of praise and thanksgiving and good news!
Oh my people, those shepherds were so excited by the news that the Good Book says: ‘And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherd. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:16-20)
Ah my people, as we celebrate this most auspicious occasion, please let’s remember why it all happened, for our benefit, and let’s do like those shepherds did so long ago, when they heard the good news, praise and glorify God for the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
And let’s not forget to declare our Tuesday Mantra which says who and whose we are; Christ’s! So as always, 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 today is definitely the day to share that awesome LOVE OF JESUS! Much LOVE!
…the first time He came humbly and without much fanfare…the next time though…the heavens will burst forth…and He’ll come as the royalty…the mighty King He truly is…
18 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fallen world, action, anger, as God, basic foundation, be kind, bitterness, change, Christians, clamour, corrupt communication, effective, ever learn, fervent prayers, for Christ's sake, forgive men, forgive your trespasses, forgiving one another, fretful patience, grieve my attitude, grieve not, hath forgiven you, help the needy, hurry, immortal words, impatience, in god's eyes, intolerant, labour, LOVE, loving, malice, members one of another, more flexible, need to grow, negative traits, one to another, One Year Book of Bible promises, past mistakes, practical ideas, put away lying, put on the new man, renewed, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, sealed, share His love, sincere hearts, sink into our consciousness, Slow Growth, so slow, speak truth, steal no more, strong voice, support, talk, tenderhearted, the beloeved of god, the Big Day, the day of redemption, the Holy Spirit, the Lord's time, the spirit of your mind, tolerant, treasure trove, true believers in Christ, true holiness, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, what I do, what I have, worry, wrath
Ephesians 4:32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
And so it’s Tuesday, the day before the next Big Day. Steups! Let’s hope it happens as planned now yes, and no more silly postponements! That means friends, many prayers bombarding heaven for the ole fella’s safe and productive surgery tomorrow. Glory be! That is if you want him to be around for a long time writing these interesting and provocative Bits! (smile)
And I sincerely thank you for all the support I’ve gotten so far, and I know that the effective and fervent prayers of you righteous people will be heard and positively answered in heaven. So I’m not worried, just a li’l skeptical that something might happen to put it off again. Let’s hope that this is now the Lord’s time! Amen!
And with that, let me share a most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Slow Growth!’ Please pray with me: ‘In my fretful patience I am so often inclined to ask “Why can’t she change?” “Why is he always so slow?” “Will they ever learn from their past mistakes?”
And then You begin to impress me With my own slow progress upward. I see Your stretched-our patience. I remember how long you’ve waited for me. And I grieve that my attitude Is so often intolerant. O God, keep fresh the imprint Of my own need to grow And make me more flexible More understanding And always more LOVING.’
Ah mih people, not one of us can truly say we don’t see ourselves in that picture, because impatience and intolerance with the attendant hypocrisy are big parts of our society today. We all show some of those negative traits at some time or the other because we are human and live in a fallen society. But as sincere Christians, true believers in Christ, we ought to show those negative characteristics on as few occasions as possible.
Instead my faithful brethren, we ought to let these momentous words of Bruh Paul sink into our consciousness and lead us on a more Christ-like path. Hear him to the Ephesians, re the new life in Christ: ‘And be ye 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. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph.4:23-32)
Oh my people, what a treasure trove of practical ideas for godly and righteous living! If we’d only adopt a few of them, our lives would be oh so much better. And it’s not like they are so difficult to put into practice. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, His Holy Spirit comes to live within us and seals us forever. Consequently our behaviour ought to change, granted, not all at once, but there must be some newness in our behaviour otherwise Jesus is not truly dwelling within us.
And hear these oh so practical options nuh: No more lying, but truth speaking to everybody, because we are all members of Christ’s body, His church. No keeping of anger after sundown, because it destroys our sleep and we wake up angry the next day. As best we can, don’t give the enemy any opportunities to invade our souls. Like no more stealing, but productive work, so that we can share with the unfortunate.
No cursing and corrupt communication, but words that can edify and uplift those who hear them. And put away all the negativity of vs. 31, which tend to be Satanic in nature. But instead, we ought to be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, showing grace and mercy to others, just like our heavenly Father has showered down all that stuff on us.
Remember these immortal words of Jesus, the basic foundation upon which our faith has been founded and still rests: ‘For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’ (Matt.6: 14-15)
Friends, it couldn’t be any simpler or plainer than that! So please, let’s seriously get ourselves together and begin treating each other the way we ought to nuh. Remember, it’s all for our benefit, not God’s! Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the 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!’
And if we truly believe it, then let’s go out and action it! Much LOVE!
…true Christianity places much more emphasis…on action…than on talk…
20 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a holy calling, Abide in me, abide in my love, according to our works, ashamed of, ask what ye will, be a partaker, be my disiciples, be salty, bear much fruit, before men, beloved of God, beyond measure, born, bounden duty, brilliant, cowering in fear, darkness, enlightened, enthused, evil world, excellent standards, fabulous, feel insecure, friend of Jesus, friends, friendship of Jesus, frightens us, from fear, gives light, glorify your Father, glory to God, gorgeous, grace, heathen, hold back our lights, hurry, in god's eyes, in heaven, inadequate, insecure, let our light shine, let your light shine, liberated, liberates others, light, light a candle, LOVE, love you, loved me, make manifest, my words abide in you, negative disposition, Our Deepest Fear, playing small, power, powerful, purpose, raise up the world, relevant, Scrip-Bit family, see your good works, Sermon on the Mount, serve the world, set on a hill, share jesus' love, shrinking, sound mind, talented, the afflictions, the glory of God, the gospel, the light of the world, the spirit of fear, the testimony of Jesus, the world began, truth, Tuesday Mantra, under a bushel, wisdom, worry
Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Awright mih friends and Scrip-Bit family, it’s a brand new day in the life, so please give the Lord some thanks for allowing us to open our eyes to it and enabling us to do His work down here on earth!
And some of you must be wondering how come the Bit’s so early? Well it’s a simple answer. I went to bed early last night, slept through most of the night, then my back wouldn’t allow me to lie down any longer. It’s not that I was so enthused, that I just had to get up and write the Bit. (smile)
Anyway, here’s a poem I recently saw hanging on the wall of my young daughter’s room. I don’t know it’s author or true title, but I’ll call it ‘Our Deepest Fear,’ and it’s ever so relevant to us in these trying times.
Please read with me: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
Mama Mia! What words of truth and wisdom my believing brethren! Too many of us shy away from being all that we really are for fear of making others feel less than their true selves. But the truth is, we have to shine so that others can see it’s okay to shine too. If all of us hold back our lights, hide them under a bushel, then the great light of Jesus that’s hidden within all of us won’t be fully exposed to this heathen and evil world.
And that’s not what Jesus wants. That’s why He so forcefully declared in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lamp stand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt.5:14-15)
Oh friends, that’s what Jesus is expecting of us; being cities set on hills and shining our bright lights forth into all the world! Why do you think He made us all brilliant and fabulous, and gorgeous and all those other wonderful things eh? It’s not for us to cover them up, but to share it with the world, and by so doing, raise up the world to His excellent standards.
And thus He continues with this admonishment of our Bit: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Matter fix, my people! Our job down here on earth is to shine and be salty and everything else that will glorify our wonderful Father in heaven! Glory to God!
Just like Jesus came to earth and glorified Him, we are to do likewise. But we can’t do that if we’re cowering in fear, or insecure, or any other negative disposition. That’s what the enemy wants us to do, but please remember these most potent verses from Bruh Paul to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of (share with me) the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world (time) began.’ (2 Tim.1:7-9)
Yes my fellow believers, we are not to be ashamed of Christ’s gospel, like so many of us are, but to take up our holy calling and spread it in whatever way the Lord proscribed for us, manfully bearing whatever afflictions might ensue from our actions. Remember, the Lord doesn’t ask us to do what we can’t do, and then He always assists us in doing it.
And please note what Jesus said to the disciples later on. ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath LOVED me, so have I LOVED you: continue (abide) ye in my LOVE.’ (John 15:7-9)
Ah friends, it all boils down to one word, LOVE: LOVE the Father, LOVE Jesus, and LOVE each other! And if we do those simple things, all will be well with our world and us. Now it’s time to go home declaring – (Chuh! Spelled it wrong again!) – our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
In loud and proud 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 corollary, as always, is to now go out and share that LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others! Much LOVE!
…as followers of Jesus…it’s our bounden duty…to show our light and power…to a dark and dismal world…
06 Nov 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful keeper, a refuge, a sincere heart, a soul that's been saved, a willing mind, adversity, ancient seals, beloved of God, born again, calamity, came to their senses, cast thee off for ever, cry out for help, disobedience, dr robert h schuller, experience the joy, fell my heart opening, forsake him, friend of Jesus, God is good, great man of faith, greatest commandment, hear old chains break, His promise, Hour of Power Devotional, hurry, I've awakened, in god's eyes, in time of need, Jeremiah, know thou the God, know thy name, learn to know God, life's not fair, like a heavy door, listen to you, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, love thy neithbour, Moses, narcissistic nihilistic, not what I do, obits, Pharisee, Praise the Lord, pray unto me, put their trust in thee, respond positively, seek the Lord, seeking their maker, sense the footsteps of jesus, serve him, share His love, sinful times, Solomon, spiritual and emotional walls crack, stronghold, sun-filled day, the children of men, the Lord searches all hearts, the oppressed, thou shalt find him, trials, tribulations, Tuesday Mantra, understands all the imaginations, undeserved goodness, ungodly, walking into my life, welcomed them back, with a perfect heart, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with opened arms, worry
Deuteronomy 4:29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Oh brother! What is it eh? I’ve been back from sunny Jamaica for a week now and so far I’ve only awakened to one bright and sun-filled day! I believe that was Sunday. Man o man! That sure doesn’t do wonders for the spirit nuh. But nonetheless, I am thankful that I can say that I’ve awakened…Glory be!
Every time I read the obits and don’t see my name, I send up a grateful, ‘Thank You Lord!’ Oh, I know that one day I will read it there, but just not yet.’ (smile)
And to help us on this cold, dark, wet and cloudy day, I’ve been led to share this poem from Gramps Schuller’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, titled, ‘Learn to Know God.’ So let’s do just that nuh.
Please pray with me: ‘Dear Jesus, I’ve got to get to know You better. Please help me! I can feel my spiritual and emotional walls crack. I can hear old chains break. I can feel my heart opening like a heavy door whose ancient seals have just begun to break. I can sense the footsteps of Jesus walking into my life. I am beginning to experience the joy of a soul that is being saved, a life that is being born again. Thank You Lord! Life’s not fair, but God is good. Amen.’
And that’s the gospel truth: ‘Life’s not fair, but God IS good!’ Ah friends, whenever we come to God, sincerely cry out to Him for help in time of need, we can be sure that He will hear our plea and respond positively to it! That’s’ His promise, and He’s a faithful keeper of ALL His promises! But we first have to seek Him, to get to know Him.
And every great man of faith has made that admonishment, as we will see as we go through the Good Book. We’ll begin with out Bit; Moses’ wise and true advice to the Israelites: ‘But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.’
Yes friends, whenever we seek the Lord with a sincere heart, we shall find Him. It doesn’t matter what we were doing before. And we have perfect examples of that in the many times the Israelites turned from God and suffered, but when they came to their senses and returned to Him, He welcomed them back with opened arms.
Likewise, in these evil and sinful times, if we turn back to God, seek Him with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, He will hear us and relieve the trials and tribulations, which we are suffering from disobedience to His holy will. And doh fool yuh fat nuh, we are undergoing adversity and calamity because of our sinful, ungodly way of life. But enough of my preaching, (smile) let’s see what some other great men of faith said on the subject.
Hear Bruh David now, as he admonishes Cousin Sol on the matter. ‘And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.’ (1 Chr.28:9) And that my brethren holds good for all of us, be we prince or pauper!
And on an even more important note, how many of us parents admonish our children with that information eh? Too few! Otherwise we would not have raised such an ungodly, narcissistic and nihilistic (rejection of beliefs in religion and morals) generation. Our parents taught us about seeking God, possibly more than we liked, but our generation have certainly not taught this current one enough about seeking their Maker.
Come the judgement day, we will have a lot to answer for in that regard. But moving right along, listen to Bruh David again, this time from Psalm 9. ‘The Lord also will be a refuge (stronghold) for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ (Ps.9:9-10)
And all God’s people broke out in a loud and grateful cheer: ‘Praise the Lord for His undeserved goodness to the children of men!’ Yes my brethren, we all know that the Lord NEVER turns His back on any one who comes to Him with a sincere and humble heart!
Now hear that lamenting prophet, Jeremiah. (smile) ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer.29:12-13) It couldn’t get any more forthright than that!
Now listen to the Master tell it like it truly ought to be. This is His response to a foolish Pharisee lawyer trying to provoke Him, by asking which is the greatest commandment? ‘Jesus saw through the ruse and simply quoted the Old Testament words to him, (Deut.6:5) which as a leader of the people, he ought to have known. ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt.22:37-38)
And as a (langniappe, or brawta) a little extra thrown in for good measure, Jesus then informed him. ‘And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt.22:39-40) And that was only a reiteration of Leviticus 19:18, which the Pharisee lawyer also would have known.
But friends, just like how they were not living those two great commandments back in the times of Jesus, likewise we are not living them in these end times. That’s why our world is such an evil mess. And it’s only if we believers improve our LOVING, both for God and man, will it ever improve. It’s as simple as that.
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are. In strong voice and sincere hearts 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!’
Our next move then is to go out and share that LOVE! Much LOVE!
…only as you seek the Lord…and with a sincere heart too…will you find Him…
30 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amazing feat, appearing, aquamarine surf, barbecue, begun a good work, beloved of God, Blue Hole Waterfall, blue skies, bright sunshine, brokenness, cloudy skies, coconut trees, colourful fall season, compassion, confident, count it all joy, dead brown leaves, divers temptations, Don't stop Lord, Dunns River falls, faith, flambeaus, flaming torches, found unto praise, friend of Christ, genuine, glory, gold that perishes, grace, honour, hurry, in god's eyes, island talk, Jesus Chirst, joy, life unfair, living for Jesus, LOVE, magnificent shoulders, make me whole, maturity, more precious than gold, multihued trees, my weakness, nature trail, North East Trades, not easy, nothing left, of this very thing, of your faith, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, perseverance, poster tree, Praise the Lord, rafting, ransacked me, redeeming feature, refurbishment, renovations, Revelation of Christ, rewarding, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love, strength, testing, thanksgiving, the credit, the fire, the flood, the Lord carried me, the product, the White river, till the coming of Jesus, tough times, trial, tried with fire, Tuesday Mantra, various trials, wasted, what I do, what I have, will complete it, worry, worth the process, yellow leaves
1 Peter 1:7. That the (genine) trial (testing) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ.
Ah friends, life can be so unfair at times eh! Chuh! For the past two weeks I was waking up to bright sunshine, blue skies, aquamarine surf rolling up on the shores, and tall coconut tress swaying gently in the cool North East Trade Winds, with refreshing island talk drifting up to my room.
But all of a sudden, I got up this morning and looking out my bedroom window, somewhat cloudy skies, multihued trees and a set of dead brown leaves on the cold looking grass shockingly greeted my sleepy eyes. It certainly brought my system to a standstill. (smile)
But there was one redeeming feature; my neighbour has a tall tree in his backyard, don’t ask me what kind, and it is covered in golden yellow leaves from head to foot! It looks real beautiful, could be a wonderful poster tree for the colourful fall season.
Yeh mih people, the ole fella is back home, dressed in his old red spring jacket, sitting in his old chair before his aged desktop, and writing much more comfortably than I did for the last two weeks on my laptop in J.A. But that vacation has been enshrined in the top ones that the duchess and I have taken.
It definitely is not number one. That place of honour permanently resides in one we took some fifteen to twenty years ago, in the same Jamaica, but we stayed in a town house somewhere down in the Parish of Trelawney. And brother, the things we did; climbing Dunns River falls, rafting down the White River and numerous other tours.
But I guess the highlight was boating up some river in the night with flambeaus, flaming torches all around, and drums beating in the distance, going to a night time barbecue somewhere along the river bank. Sorry, don’t ask me any more, because it seems I was totally wasted that night. (smile) The things we do when we are young eh!
But in my maturity and brokenness, I was still able to do one amazing feat; walk up the winding, dangerous nature trail to the Blue Hole Waterfall, and then walk back down in my flip-flops. And I would indeed be foolish to take all the credit, or rather any of it, because it was the Lord who carried me back and forth on His strong, massive, magnificent shoulders.
If I had known what it was like before attempting it, I doubt I would have done so. So please give the Lord all the glory, because in my weakness, His grace and strength were more than enough to see me through. Glory to the wonderful Deity we serve!
And on that note of thanksgiving, here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that certainly describes my life in the past couple of years. It’s titled ‘Don’t Stop Lord.’ Please pray with me. ‘Lord In asking You to make me whole I certainly didn’t know What I was in for. You have ransacked me Until I sometimes feel There is nothing left. But don’t stop Lord Please don’t stop! I’m trusting that the product Will be worth the process.’
Yes mih breddren, when I asked the Lord for healing, I surely didn’t know the paces He would put me through. And if I had known, I can’t say for sure that I would have asked for it. But since we’ve come so far, it’s too late to turn back now. And even if I don’t feel like crying out to Him to continue, the wise and sensible thing to do is let Him finish the renovations and refurbishment, because as Bruh Paul confidently told the Philippians:
‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6) Yes my brethren, once the Lord begins working in us, He never stops until the job is done, even if it takes till Jesus’ Second Coming. So please don’t ever give up on Him!
And the Bible Promise for the poem above is also our Bit. ‘That the (genuine) trial (testing) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ.’
Oh friends, the Lord puts us through some tough trials to simply test our faith, to see how committed we truly are to Him. But He only does it for a ‘season,’ a short time. And if we stand strong and steadfast, He will bring us out of the testing fire, stronger, purer and more mature, like when gold and silver are burnished.
As James says: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience.’ (James 1:2-3) And patience, re perseverance, is something ALL believers need to acquire, and sadly, it cannot be acquired without going through tough times.
So please friends, let’s all try and bear up under whatever adversity comes against us, knowing that our ever-faithful God will not give us more than we can handle, and in any case will help us through the fire and the flood. And it’s going home time, so let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with much sincerity, in loud voice and strong sense of purpose, proudly letting the world know who and whose we are.
In unison 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!’
And to be true to our word, let’s go out now and share the wonderful LOVE and compassion of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus is not easy…but praise the Lord…it is certainly very rewarding…
23 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blast, a duck to water, a quiet day, all things whatsoever, carnal nature, cold weather, demise of the family, do them justice, do ye so even to them, donkey's years, embroiled in, enjoy the sea sun and sand, family, fulfilled, gospel truth, half a century, harsh blow, have Jesus in your heart, hilarious time, Hugs, in god's eyes, in love, in one word, in sync, Kingston, kisses, larger entities, laughter, leave taking, letter to the Galatians, liberty, license to sin, merriment, meshed, Mo Bay, modern families, morph into each other, new memories, one day from the next, people say about me, reiterating, reminiscences, resentment, responsibility, rest, serve each other, share His love, strife, strife-filled atmosphere, thank you's, that men should do to you, the beloved of God, the biblical injunction, the friend of Jesus, the law, this is the law and the prophets, traipsing up and down, Tuesday Mantra, what I do, what I have, ying and yang
Matthew 7:12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
And then it was Tuesday – at least I think so. (smile) I don’t know one day from the next, because they just seem to morph into each other, forming one long eternal day. What a life eh! I could handle this forever; my only real responsibility being to write the Bit every day. But I know that’s just wishful thinking, so I’ll just enjoy the time I have before returning to the cold north land and both responsibility and the cold weather hit me with a harsh blow.
I guess today is a rest day, as the duchess’ ying and yang don’t seem to be in sync. But that’s okay with me. I came to rest and to enjoy the sea, sun and sand, but they have had me traipsing up and down the place, so a quiet day is welcome. Oh, and I forgot to tell this most amazing story. On Sunday I took some of my Mo Bay family to Kingston to meet some of my Kingston family. And was it a blast! We laughed the whole way to Kingston, along the new highway.
And when we arrived at the sister who was holding the gathering, there was even more laughter and merriment, as the two families and few other friends whom I hadn’t seen in donkeys’ years just meshed right away, and the evening turned into one hilarious time of reminisces and the making of new memories, which I hope won’t take another fifty years for us to reminisce on. (smile) Good sentence that. I call it a Bruh Paulian one; long winded and ofttimes confusing to the reader.
The food and drink were good, and also plentiful, but unfortunately the ole fella couldn’t quite do them justice, because food and I don’t seem to get along very well this last meeting. What a change eh! As the old people would say, ‘what ent meet you, ent pass you!’ And that’s the gospel truth, because something can’t get hold of you until it meets you. (smile)
And I liked how it took quite a while for us to say our goodbyes; at least a half an hour. After we got up from the covered back porch, we gathered in the living cum dining room, sharing hugs and kisses and thank you’s, and making promises to see each other again, and that right soon, not another half century. Then when we finally got outside it was another pleasurable leave taking; more hugs and kisses. And it was not until the night had fallen that we finally dispersed.
And believe me, there was even more laughter in the car coming back to Mo Bay than going to Kingston. Everybody was in a jolly mood because the gathering had gone off so smoothly and effortlessly, the two families had taken to each other like a duck to water, (smile)and the endless reminisces were quite hilarious.
Now if you think that was all, yuh lie! The Mo Bay contingent had a family gathering last night, Monday, at the home of a family member. More food and drink and fine reminiscing and making of new memories. Now that’s the way families ought to live most of the time, not embroiled in resentment and strife as so many modern families are doing.
And sadly, if the smallest and most important part of our society, the family, isn’t a cohesive and together entity, then it’s obvious that the larger entities, like towns and cities, and nations, and the world will not be cohesive either. And that’s exactly what we are seeing; the demise of the small family group, and the strife-filled atmosphere of the larger entities.
So whatever happened to those immortal words of Jesus eh, that we so hypocritically call ‘The Golden Rule? ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.’ Ah mih people, if we’d only treat others like we want to be treated our world would be such a wonderful place!
But for some unknown reason, one which boggles my finite imagination, we’re not following that rule, even in the smallest unit of our society, the family. So how can we expect the world at large to be receptive to it, and therefore representative of it eh? It’s not that difficult to treat one another decently mih breddren…I suppose if we want to.
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, is the biblical injunction often called the “Golden Rule.” ‘This is the law and the prophets indicates that the statement made here by Jesus is not intended to be novel, but rather a summarization of the second table of the law.’ Yes friends, Jesus wasn’t saying anything new, just reiterating what had been said long ago.
And Bruh Paul in his letter to the Galatians, on the subject of living by faith, confirmed Jesus’ words. ‘For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled (obeyed) in one word, (one statement) even in this; Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Gal.5:13-14)
Yeh friends, the liberty we have obtained under Jesus should not be abused; in other words, used as a license to sin, to indulge our carnal nature, but to serve each other in LOVE! So with God’s help, let’s sincerely try and do better nuh my fellow believers, because it’s strictly up to us to try and make our world a better place. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring who and whose we are strongly and sincerely voicing our Tuesday Mantra. As one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ And so said, so let it be done! Much LOVE!
…LOVE is so easy to come by…and express…if you truly have Jesus in your heart…
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