05 Dec 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great family, a modicum of circumspection, a no-brainer, according to the word, ascension, barren, be it unto me, became flesh, behold the handmaid of the Lord, Christ's forerunner, come upon thee, comeuppance, compassionate heart, curse, Elisabeth, faith, faith-inducing, faith-showing scripture, favour, Gabriel's spiel, good health, Holy Ghost, how shall this be, I am a virgin, I know not a man, incarnate, Jeeves, John the Baltist, LOVE, Mary said to the angel, negative word, not hoard, overshadow thee, prosper, Repent y, resurrection, sacrificial death, seeing, self-control, share, snow on the ground, success, supernatural conception, surrender, the devil's associate, the kingdom of God is at hand, the Son of God, Thursday's Blessings, time longer than twine, trust
Luke 1:34. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?
Oh friends, there’s nothing more annoying, frustrating and depressing than waking up excitedly to greet the new day only to find a fresh coat of snow on the ground! Chuh! And it only gets more annoying, frustrating and depressing when you look out and see the small, weightless, white flakes still falling effortlessly to God’s great earth! I’m chuckling here, but you know that once the white stuff flies, lives will undoubtedly become more serious and dangerous, because it looks good when it just covers the land, but it can certainly be the devil’s associate when you have to venture out in it.
It’s a good thing we have Jesus yes, that awesome shepherd, who leads and guides His flock with masterful precision…! Give Him some thanks and praise people, for He’s certainly deserving of it! And isn’t it strange, but certainly wonderful, how in the northern climes when the snow flies, that’s when we celebrate the birth of Jesus? Glory be mih brethren! The ole fella’s getting excited…so yuh better hold me back! I need to do like Jeeves says, have a modicum of circumspection…
Nah, I don’t think so. When you’re excited about Jesus, you just have to let it flow! (smile) So we going to do just that by continuing where we left off yesterday, talking about Jesus’ miraculous virgin birth, His supernatural conception in His mother Mary’s womb, the wonderful incarnation where He, Jesus, God, became flesh (incarnate) to come and dwell amongst sinful man, to personally experience our hardships and then gloriously deliver us from them through His sacrificial death on Calvary’s cross, His triumphant resurrection on that wonderful Easter morn, and then His ascension back to heaven to be our friend and advocate at the Father’s right hand!
How could it get any better than that eh mih people? No way Jose! We now have another, newer and much better option than his satanic majesty. That’s why it’s so mind-boggling when people refuse to believe in Jesus, and even go so far as to blaspheme His holy name and try to kick Him out of our society! Steups! What stupidity! Anyway, they will get their comeuppance in due time, because as the ole people say; time longer than twine, and when the good Lord ready, in His time, He will make all wrong things right.
Now yuh see, all yuh get me so excited that I’ve gotten away from what we suppose to be talking about! (smile) And that’s the momentous occasion when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her about her favoured condition with God and the virgin birth she would have. And having listened to Gabriel’s spiel with, no doubt, bated breath, Mary finally found her voice. ‘Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man (I am a virgin)?’ Oh what a most plausible question, back in those times that is. Today we do that all the time through artificial insemination.
‘And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest (Most High) shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing (one) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.’ (Luke 1:35-36) And so it should be, because the sperm that inseminated Mary was of God the Father, and we characterize children by their fathers, so it’s a no brainer that Jesus should be considered the Son of God. (smile)
As the scholars explain: ‘1:35. By a process we cannot explain, Mary will find herself with child through no human agency. Conceived by God, Jesus would be of sinless nature, though no less human due to that fact.’ Wow! Both God and man at the same time! How marvellous! That means He could appreciate our trials and tribulations because He also suffered them, though He did not sin! Isn’t our God wonderful and ever so imaginative and far sighted? That’s why his thoughts and ways are higher than ours.
And to prove my point, listen to this bit of news that Gabriel shared with Mary to boost her spirit. ‘And behold, thy cousin (relative) Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ (Luke 1:35-37) Yuh see how our great God moves in mysterious ways? Elisabeth had been barren for all of her life, but like Sara and Hannah, in her old age she was blessed with one of God’s special people, John the Baptist; Christ’s forerunner; the one lighting His way, crying out from the wilderness: ‘Repent ye: for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ (Matt. 3:2)
Yeh friends, our God doesn’t leave anything to chance. He knew that when Mary heard of Elisabeth’s pregnancy, her spirit would be boosted. And in my humble opinion, there’s no more touching, heartfelt and faith-showing scripture than Mary’s answer to the mind-blowing info she’d just received. ‘And Mary said, behold the handmaid (maidservant) of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.’ (Luke 1:38)
Mama Mia! What faith and trust and surrender in such a young woman! Even today we’d have serious problems with such a situation. But can you imagine the negative connotations that held for her in a small Jewish town; betrothed, but unmarried and with child, and supposedly not her betrothed’s child either? But she didn’t whinge and whine; just said, so be it. I do hope that Mary’s story will speak to us today and raise our level of faith, because it’s such a faith inducing epic.
Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has so generously bestowed on us who live and breathe to do His holy Will. As one, in strong voice, believing as we speak: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
Now don’t forget, we’re not to hoard those God-given blessings, but to share them generously with others! Much LOVE!
…what a wonderful world this would be…if our faith was as big as Mary’s…
01 Jul 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, almighty god, aura of love, blessings, boost our spirits, Christians, confidence, croak, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, eyewitness statement, faith, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, glorious kingdom, gospel truth, grace, Happy Birthday Canada, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, Jeeves, Jesus Christ, joy, knowing christ, laugh hoarsely, lies, lighten our load, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morality, peace, put food on the table, regain our balance, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, right and wrong, righteousness., sense of balance, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, talking with Him, that your joy may be full, the message, them's the breaks, these things, trust, ungodly world, walking, wisdom, write we unto you, your day will come
1 John 1:4. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!
And was it ever a beautiful day yesterday…a perfect representation of what a typical summer day should be – bright, warm sun, blue skies, birds singing merrily, and a cool breeze to keep it all refreshing! And this Canada Day Monday is supposed to be an exact replica of yesterday. So there should be nothing like rain to rain on our parade, (smile) and celebrations all over this beautiful country should go off without a hitch, this one hundred and fifty second year of our blessed existence!
But let’s remember right off the bat to heed Granny’s wise warning: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, for heaven’s sake, please mind yuh business!’ And yes, I know yuh tired hearing it, but is only for your good, because when we celebrating too heartily, we tend to lose our sense of balance, both literally and figuratively, (smile) and morality, as well as right and wrong just go flying through the window, and in comes the enemy to make us do stuff we’ll seriously regret when we regain our balance.
So do celebrate, but as Jeeves would say, with a modicum of circumspection, please keep one eye open all the time! And I feel for those of you who have to go out and labour this loverly Monday morn, but them’s just the breaks, you need to put food on the table. Doh worry, your day will come, and then you can laugh and croak hoarsely as we declare our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to boost our spirits, chase away the evil one and lighten our load.
So altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And as always, those who don’t have to go to work today, and most likely have been partying all weekend were the loudest and most raucous. But it did lift our spirits and get us enthused enough to go out and do Jesus’ work with a healthy and wholesome attitude!
And to boost us even more, listen, as I do like John in his first epistle. ‘And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.’ Oh mih breddren, how wonderful is that eh? The ole fella writing you so that you could be full of joy! (smile)
And the scholars explain our Bit thus: ‘1:4. The major purpose of 1 John is stated in 5:13, but another purpose is stated here: for the recipients, and no doubt John as well, to enjoy and share in the deep sense of satisfaction that knowing Christ and walking with Him brings.’
Yes friends, knowing Christ, and walking with Him does bring a great sense of satisfaction and purpose! And who would know that better than John eh, as he walked personally with Jesus here on earth, and reminds us that his is an eyewitness account, (vs.1-3) not hearsay like so many others. Anyway, here is John’s secondary purpose in writing his first epistle.
‘This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not do (practice) the truth; But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:5-7)
And all Christ’s followers cried out with a loud voice: ‘Praise His Holy Name! For He is indeed worthy of praise!’ And without a doubt our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is indeed worthy of our praise my people! Now let’s see what the scholars have to say about all of that nuh.
‘1:5. Again John implies his eyewitness status, having heard of him, that is, Jesus: John passes on to the church teaching he first received from Jesus. Light and darkness here have ethical overtones. John is saying that God is perfect and good: there is thus no or evil in Him. This will have implications for followers of this God in the following verses.’
‘1:6.Walk in darkness means walking in sin. John may have had in mind people who claimed to be enjoying a close relationship with God, but whose lives were clearly characterized by sin. Such a state of affairs, John says boldly, is impossible; such persons are lying.’ And unfortunately, we do have too many of those hanging out in the church these days. But we just have to leave them to God…and their consciences, if they have any left.
‘1:7. “God is light” (vs.5): To walk in this light, which is to live free from bondage to sin (cf.Rom.6:18), is to make true communion between believers possible. Jesus’ violent death on the cross, which is what blood signifies, is the initial antidote for and ultimate defense against sin’s presence and power.’
And that’s the gospel truth, for it is by the shedding of Jesus’ blood that we were set free from sin! His sacrificial blood paid the overwhelming price, the gargantuan debt for our sin. And that’s why it’s ever so important for His followers to recognize the exceeding great value of blood in our freedom and thus work sincerely and diligently to make it worth Jesus’ while by living good with each other and spreading the good news of His gospel! Much LOVE!
…if blood doesn’t flow…sin can’t be forgiven…
03 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a comfortable position, a modicum of circumspection, a rollicking good time, ambassadors of Christ, an ordeal, bodily aches and pains, Caribana, crying out, doing Jesus' work, efficient, Friday chant, fruitful, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, get a foothold, getting down, give thanks, in Jesus name, in resistance, in the world, Jeeves, joy, Judas Iscariot, kept thy word, leggo beast, level of excellence, LOVE, manifested thy name, may be one, not of the world, nothing that comes against us will conquer us, out on the boulevard, out on the limb, refreshed, renewed, sanctify them, serving Jesus, set us apart, showing off, Steelband Competition, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the evil one, the prince of darkness, the scripture might be fulfilled, the son of perdition, the workingman's song, the world hated them, the world spotlight, thy word is truth, to go quietly, Toronto's big day, up the ante, we bumbulum, we're special, week of work, wining, with the Lord's help, worthwhile
John 17:16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Ah friends, it’s a sad day when bodily aches and pains contrive and conspire to drive you out of your bed! But that’s what came against me this morning. I got up around 5.30 to go to the bathroom and found I could barely walk the few feet to it. And that’s after going to bed around two thirty in fairly good shape. Every joint was crying out in resistance. Then when I went back to bed I couldn’t find a comfortable position to get back to sleep.
But with the Lord’s help I weathered it and did get some more spasmodic rest. However, the aches and pains in my back, both knees, both hips and both shoulders refused to go quietly into the sunrise, (smile) and I eventually got up somewhat earlier than I had planned.
But brother, what an ordeal! And I’ve been taking the pain pills fairly regularly. So why this painful episode now eh? Steups! But yuh know what? The aches and pains won’t keep the ole fella down for long. He’ll rally and fight back. And with the Lord’s help we’ll win, because the Lord has promised that nothing that comes against us will conquer us. Glory be!
And it’s Friday, Caribana Friday to boot, Toronto’s big day in the worldwide spotlight, so you know the workingman will be out and about blaring his song to all and sundry! ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Caribana Friday! A long weekend…and official time to play true leggo beast!
Yuh going to see we out on the boulevard tomorrow in we pretty costume…with the music blasting…and we doing we thing, getting down and wining, showing off we bumbulum and having a rollicking good time! Oh people, oh people, is Caribana weekend, the summer soon done, time to get out and have some fun, and thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends, especially the long ones!’
Yeh mih breddren, we must give thanks for our days off from labour, but we don’t need to go that far out on the limb like the workingman, where the evil one can easily get a foothold in our affairs. But like Jeeves says, a modicum of circumspection is necessary.
And it’s strange how life changes as one gets older. At one time Caribana was a big deal for me. Now I don’t even remember that it exists. That’s because I can’t handle all the walking and jammings again, as well as it has lost its flavour. It’s not as nice and authentic as it was before.
I’m not even enthusiastic this year to go to the Steelband Competition, the only aspect I support these days. I haven’t even heard from my buddy Bas, who usually goes with me. But who knows what will happen. It’s still early times. And don’t tell me that I’m getting old and cold, because I’m not. (smile)
Anyway, in response to the workingman’s song, let’s chant our more sedate and less frivolous Friday Chant. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yes my people, in Jesus organization, we don’t behave like the world, that’s ruled by the prince of darkness behaves. As Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf: ‘I have manifested (revealed) thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them (to) me; and they have kept thy word… I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine…
And now I am no more (longer) in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost (destroyed), but the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot); that the scripture might be fulfilled.
And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray NOT that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:6, 9, 11-17)
Oh friends, yuh see how important Jesus thought we were? He spent the whole of chapter 17, 26 verses praying for us. Even for the believers who’d come down through the ages (vs.20). He asked the Father not to take us out of the world, but to keep us filled with His joy and to set us apart from the world, so we don’t get too contaminated by it.
Now we do have to be in the world, otherwise how would we bring the lost and suffering to Him eh? But we don’t have to be a part of the world, meaning doing the things the world does, or living the way it does. We’re special friends. And we need to know it and behave accordingly!
As we said yesterday, we’re ambassadors of Christ, therefore we have to behave in a special way, a way that glorifies and exalts His Holy Name. And we definitely can’t do that by behaving the way the world behaves. So let’s up the ante nuh, let’s raise our level of excellence in doing Jesus’ work, otherwise we won’t be His fruitful and efficient ambassadors, like we’re supposed to be. Much LOVE!
…serving Jesus in this evil world… is not easy…but it sure is worthwhile…
17 Mar 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accumulation, alcohol, an eagle, believersdeath, binge drinking, calypso, Christians, corrupt, eternal life, fly away, follow me, Friday chant, Fridays, fun, generous help, give to the poor, glorious kingdom, God's work, good, gospel truth, great possessions, green, heaven, Jeeves, Jesus, keep the commandments, Lent, leprechauns, luck of the Irish, Mammon, maturity, moth and rust, need, overwork, P.G. Wodehouse, partying, poverty, relaxation, rest, rich, riches, ruin, sell, serve God, shamrocks, sorrowful, spiritual death, St.Patrick's Day, steal, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the lure, the weekend, thieves, treasure in heaven, treasures, warning, wealth, wings, wisdom, worldly wealth
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.
Well a Happy St.Patrick’s Day to you my brethren! I do hope that you all enjoy the luck of the Irish in all that you do today, with your green clothes and green food and drink! (smile)
And you know what? St. Paddy’s day could not have fallen on a better day than a Friday for the working populace because it gives them even more reason to sing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! St. Paddy’s day to boot! Going to wear me green clothes and drink up me green beer and have a real good time this St. Paddy’s weekend!
No slave driver to tell me what to do! Just me and mih shamrocks, and mih li’l leprechauns partying all weekend long! Who say we shouldn’t thank God for Fridays and weekends eh?’
Ah mih people, can you imagine the raucous behaviour today all over the world, and not only by the Irish diaspora, in celebration of St. Patrick, Ireland’s Patron Saint, credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland?
What I mostly remember about St.Patrick’s Day growing up in T&T is that it was the one day during Lent we heard calypsos on the radio and you could eat and drink and party hearty. Otherwise, Lent was drink dry and calypso non-existent on the radio.
I guess to a certain extent that’s why the binge drinking of alcohol is so popular on St. Paddy’s Day. Anyhow friends, regardless of what day it is, binge drinking is never a good idea. So let’s chant our Friday Chant and show them the kind of behaviour that’s most appropriate for the weekend nuh.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes mih people, the best way to handle the weekend is with ‘a modicum of circumspection,’ as Jeeves the Butler in the P.G. Wodehouse books would say.
It’s obvious we can’t take the licentious behaviour to the limit every weekend or else we’d soon waste away and be good for nothing at all.
But as true believers, we are expected to do God’s work here on earth, which means we cannot let our bodies and minds go to waste by carnal and lustful behaviour.
That brings us to our Bit, Jesus’ words of everlasting wisdom from His Sermon on the Mount. ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal.’
But sadly friends, despite that serious warning of Jesus, a lot, too many of us, including Christians, still fall for the lure of worldly wealth and oftimes kill ourselves trying to accumulate it.
That’s definitely not a wise path to follow my people, for it only leads to death and destruction. Yes my brethren, the purposeful accumulation of worldly wealth can sometimes lead to physical death, but it ALWAYS causes spiritual death, since we can’t serve God and mammon at the same time.
Listen to these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Labour not (do not overwork) to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.’ (Prov.23:4-5)
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! It’s much easier to accumulate earthly wealth than to keep it.
Now let’s look at the interaction between Jesus and a young, rich ruler. He came to Jesus and asked: ‘Good Master (Teacher) what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he (Jesus) said unto him, why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt (want to) enter into life, keep the commandments.’ (Matt.19:16-17)
The fellow asked Jesus which one? Then Jesus listed the Ten Commandments. ‘The young man saith unto him, all these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be (want to be) perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.’ (Matt.19:20-21)
Oh friends, don’t look down scornfully on the young man, because most of us would have behaved the same way. Just look at how much material wealth there is in our world today, but yet the great amount of need and poverty.
If the rich would just give up a little of their wealth for the benefit of others, there’d be little or no poverty in our world. But the mantra of this world is ‘me, myself and I.’ Steups! It’s all first person singular!
Anyway, that’s the sermon for today. (smile) But please, let’s ponder on all that we’ve discussed, then ask God for help to come up a little higher each day nuh. That’s the only way to improve our spiritual maturity. Much LOVE!
…be careful…earthly wealth can ruin your heavenly life…
27 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, a modicum of circumspection, a name above every other, a touch of blue, a touch of white, align ourselves, an evil conscience, as a man, asaph, assurance, carnality, charles stanley, death of the cross, declare all thy works, do what we want, eternal life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, exalted, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, frustration, generous help, giving vent, glorious kingdom, glory to God, go overboard, good works, He is faithful that promised, hope, humbled himself, I have put my trust in the Lord, in Jesus' name, it is good for me to draw near to God, Jeeves, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ is Lord, leave all the consequences to Him, light of the Son, LOVE, misdeeds, moderation, motto, mystery, number one priority, obedient, obey God, partying, prosperity, prosperous wickedness, receive the promise, relaxation, renege, rest, salvation, slave labour, stir up, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the goodness of God, the house of God, the things of the Lord, the weekend, the wicked are prospering, to the glory of God the Father, trust, truth, unto death, wicked attractions, wisdom, zenith
Psalm 73:28. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.
Well, well, finally a touch of blue in the sky! But unfortunately there is also a touch of white on the ground too. I guess we can’t get one without the other these days.
But that’s okay, we can handle it, and anything else that’s thrown at us, once we get the brilliant light of the SON, which we do every single day. Glory to our great God!
But you’d also notice that regardless of the weather, the working folks are always rejoicing on Fridays, declaring stuff like: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Slave labour done for two whole, big days! Is we time now to do what we want, when and how we want!
And we going to start by partying down the place…giving vent to all the frustration that’s built up over the past week! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, so we can do our thing!’
Ah friends, as usual, the world tends to go overboard in the carnality of the weekend. As Jeeves would say ‘a modicum of circumspection’ is needed to temper it. Something more along the lines of our Friday Chant, that we shall now declare.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, unless we get some rest, relaxation and fellowship on the weekend, next week will be even rougher than normal. So I implore us not to party the whole weekend away, like so many of us tend to do, for that just makes life more difficult in the long run. Moderation in all things friends! That should be our motto.
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’
Yes my people, that was the psalmist Asaph’s conclusion after trying to solve the mystery of prosperous wickedness. And even today we wrestle with that fact that a lot of good people are suffering severe want and need while the wicked are prospering.
But yuh know what? The Lord has promised to destroy the wicked in His own time, so we don’t need to worry about them, that’s His problem.
Our number ONE PRIORITY is to get ourselves clearly aligned with the goodness of God, for that’s the ultimate in wisdom! It’s where salvation, eternal life and true prosperity are to be found!
Listen to the writer of Hebrews. ‘And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:21-24)
Yes friends, it’s all there! We have a high priest in Jesus who knows our problems and can identify with them, because He also experienced them while here on earth. So we need to stand strong in faith and LOVE and good works, like He did, and like Him, we’ll eventually receive the promise, for our wonderful God is faithful.
And if you don’t believe that, then listen to this scripture from Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil.2:8-11)
Wow mih breddren! Yuh see how the Father was faithful to Jesus for His unswerving obedience; exalting His name higher than all names, and causing every knee to bow to Him and every tongue to confess His Lordship.
Likewise He will exalt us if we are faithful and obedient to Him and His word. The problem though is that the world has so many more colourful and wicked attractions that sing out for out attention, and we tend to gravitate to them, rather than to the things of the Lord.
But that’s not true wisdom my people. For the wicked will eventually pay for their misdeeds. Please remember that. The Lord has promised it, and He does not renege on ANY promise.
So please be wise and stand strong and faithful in the Lord God of our forefathers, for that is the zenith of wisdom. Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…better words were never spoken…
24 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crown of righteousness, a fool despises instruction, a foolish son is the grief of his mother, a haughty spirit before a fall, a modicum of circumspection, a wise son makes a glad father, abides among the wise, aches and pains, another week of work, be humble, before honour is humility, Cousin Sol, despises his own soul', dishonour, disobey God's laws, don't give up, don't stop the party, fellowship, foolish, foolishness, fraud, Friday chant, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God has a plan for your life, hanging in there, he that regards reproof is prudent, he that regards reproof shall be honoured, honour, honoured, humility, instruction, invade, Jeeves, let my hair down, listen to wise instruction, listening, live it up, Lucifer, mih dan dan, never never give up, not giving up the fight, obedience, old fashioned things, pay a price, personal space, poverty and shame, pride goes before destruction, Proverbs, prudence, prudent, rebuked, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, righteousness., TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the fear of the Lord, the instruction of wisdom, the Lord gives and He takes, the pressures of age and time, the reproof of life, the right perspective, the weekend's here, to him that refuses instruction, understanding, violate, wisdom, wisdom of the ages, wise, with God's help
Proverbs 13:18. Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth (disdains, ignores) instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
Oh Friends, it’s another beautiful day in God’s great universe! Wow!
However, the night wasn’t so great nuh. Though I went to bed earlier than normal, sleep was hard to come by. The aches and pains gave me a rough time, couldn’t find a comfortable position for any length of time. Then I come down here and my ole trusty computer acts up, so I have to waste time and reboot it.
I guess, like its owner, it is feeling the pressures of age and time. (smile) But yuh know what? Just like it’s owner though, it’s not stopping, it’s not giving up the fight. Age and time might slow us down, but Glory Hallelujah we’re hanging in there to the very end! And with God’s help we will be successful!
So all you other ole fogeys out there who are experiencing the same aches and pains and drawbacks, please take note and don’t give up. Slow down if you must, but never, never give up! You’re still alive, that means God still has a plan for your life.
And having said all of that, I guess I’ll remind us that today is Friday…
And the shouts of joy suddenly echo through the atmosphere. “TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday oui! The weekend’s finally here, and I’m all ready to party! I have mih dan dan (dress clothes) all ready and waiting for me to step out later and live it up!
What’s the purpose of working so hard all week, then can’t let mih hair down for even one night eh? Steups! Thank You ever so much that it’s Friday yes Lord!’
Ah Friends, there is some logic to that, but please remember that the weekend is not only for partying, and we have to be very careful when we let our hair down that we don’t give the ole crook Lucifer a chance to invade and violate our personal space, because that’s what he is always on the lookout to accomplish. So don’t stop the party, but do have ‘a modicum of circumspection,’ as Jeeves would say. (smile)
And to help us get the right perspective on handling the weekend, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincerity and faith. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih people, that is more like how we should handle the precious two days off, rather than just partying them away. And that segues rather nicely into our Bit for today.
Isn’t the Lord just grand, the way He leads us to do His work? But of course! He never gives us stuff to do without giving us the wherewithal to do it.
That’s why our Bit is so pertinent. ‘Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth (disdains, ignores) instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.’
Yes my brethren, those of us who choose to refuse or disobey godly instruction and advice will be brought to shame in any of many ways. But those who choose to obey, or be rebuked, will be honoured, again, in any of many ways.
Remember Friends, the Lord gives and He also takes, so if we don’t step up to the plate as required, how can He bless us eh? One of the most important considerations in God’s law is OBEDIENCE, and for those who follow it, a crown of righteousness is set up for them in the end.
The same goes for the law of man; when we break it, we are punished, have to pay a price in some form and fashion. So therefore obedience; to our parents, to our bosses, to man’s law in general, and to God’s dictates is something we ought to value highly and try our best to follow so that we won’t have to pay a heavy price of shame and dishonour.
And Cousin Sol points that out to us several times in Proverbs. Listen up. In Proverbs 10, where he contrasts the wise and the foolish, he opens by declaring: ‘The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness (grief) of his mother.’ (Prov.10:1)
And that’s no lie Friends! The choice between wisdom and folly is of great importance to our parents, and can either gladden or break their hearts. Then in chapter 15, Sol spells it out in black and white. ‘A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.’ (Prov.15:5)
Now that word ‘prudent’ is one that I believe has been lost to this generation. I don’t know if they ever learned it, but they surely don’t practice it. And sadly, we the older generation behave like we’ve forgotten all about it, and also just rush headlong into whatever captures our fancy and imagination.
That’s one of the reasons why there is so much successful fraud in our world right now, especially amongst the older folks. We have forgotten about the word prudence, and are not as careful as we ought to be in our dealings with the many people and things that buffet us these days.
But to try and remind us about the old fashioned things like prudence, listening and obedience, let’s end with these marvellous words of advice from Cousin Sol. ‘The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth (disdains, ignores) instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth (heeds) reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom: and before honour is humility.’ (Prov.15:31-33)
Yes Friends, before we can be honoured, we have to be humble, by being obedient, by listening to wise instruction and not thinking that we know it all. So today may we go out, and with God’s help, put all that we’ve learned into action, that we may be honoured with a crown of righteousness later on. That’s the wisdom of the ages. Much LOVE!
…pride goeth before destruction…and a haughty spirit before a fall (stumbling)… (Prov.16:18)
03 Oct 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a wonderful God, abundantly, Amen, arrow that flieth by day, be not afraid, benefits, bring smiles to their faces, Bruh David, buckler, cast down, Creator, Creator of the universe, daily grind and common task, destruction, encouraging, enlighten their spirits, evil, foot of pride, fountain of life., freinds, Friday chant, fulness, fun-fellowship, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, germinate, go in faith, go in love, go in peace, God is a refuge and fortress, God will be there watching, God's little Acre, gospel truth, grow, hand of the wicked, health, heartwarming, in thy light shall we see light, Jeeves, jehovah god, joyful shouts, lays waste at noonday, long life, losing sight, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, memories, overwhelming reasons, peace, pestilence, praise the Lord for His goodness, pride, protection, protective wings, provider, refuge, reinvigorating, rejuvenation of spirit, reminisce, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, resorative scripture, rest, reverence, righteousness., river of pleasures, rocking chairs, royal treatment, royalty, satisfied, shield, show you believe, sincere emotion, snare of the fowler, steadfast faith, sweet Tobago, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanks and praise, the children of men, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest of these is love, the party's over, the terror by night, time of their lives, totem pole, trust, unconditional LOVE, ungodly times, uplifting, upright in heart, walketh in darkness, warmed the cockles of my heart, wealth, wisdom, wisdom of living a christian life, workers of iniquity
Psalm 36:7. How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Well Friends, as the old people would say, the party done now, time to get back to the daily grind and common task!
Yes, the party’s over for my brother and his wife. They flew back last night to sweet Tobago, God’s Little Acre – can’t leave that out – lucky them. (smile) They definitely had the time of their lives; coming to Canada for the first time and having so many people treat them so well.
The memories and friends they made here will no doubt enlighten their spirits and bring smiles to their faces when they reminisce in their rocking chairs. (smile) He claims that all the people they came into contact with treated them like royalty, and that royal treatment was certainly heartwarming and reinvigorating, confirming the wisdom of living a Christian life.
And on their behalf, I’d like to thank all you wonderful and godly people who showered them with such unconditional LOVE, even though many of you had never met them before. The unrestrained and lavish affection that I saw, certainly warmed the cockles of my heart. You all are true believers, not only speaking the word, but also living it.
Oh my brethren, if only we could all live that way on a consistent basis! Then Jesus would undoubtedly rank first and foremost in this ungodly world, instead of way down the totem pole, to where He‘s now been relegated.
But yuh know what Friends, today is also Friday! That means the party’s not really over, in fact the party’s just starting, as we’re greeted by joyful shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’
But please remember to be careful my people, for though partying is in order, we need to party with a modicum of circumspection, as Jeeves would say.
And that also involves not losing sight of our Creator and Provider; highlighting Him in ALL our doings, for as the Good Book says, it’s Him who allows us to have health, wealth, long life and LOVE! Give Him much thanks my people, for He is indeed a wonderful God!
And to help us attain to that modicum of circumspection and reverence for our mighty God, let’s chant our Friday Chant with sincere emotion. As One now, in harmony and LOVE! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Oh Friends, that brings us to our Bit, which comes from Psalm 36 –the steadfast LOVE of God. ‘How excellent (precious) is thy LOVING-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth my people! It surely is, as those of us who trust in the Lord and make our refuge under His most protective wings can testify to!
And Bruh David continues to lay out the overwhelming reasons to trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness (fullness) of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
O continue thy LOVING-kindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me (drive me away). There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.’ (Ps.36:8-12)
Oh what beautiful and restorative scripture my fellow believers! If you read that and it doesn’t bring a lift to your heart, body, soul and mind, then something’s wrong. I’ll venture to say that you’re no real believer, for those are truly uplifting and encouraging words, especially in these cruel, evil and ungodly times.
And if you didn’t believe Bruh David there, (smile) then listen to the psalmist from Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (trapper of birds), and from the noisome (perilous or deadly) pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield)
Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.’ (Ps.91:2-7)
Yes Friends, that’s the wonderful protection we’re assured of when we place our complete trust in Jehovah God, Creator of the universe and all therein! Please, let’s plant all those scriptures in our hearts and allow them to germinate and grow there abundantly, so that we can obtain the benefits thereof.
And now let’s close with a prayer I found amongst the papers in my Bible. Don’t know where I got it from, and like I’ve shared it before, because it has a tick on it, but it’s ever so appropriate for today, so we’ll share it again.
‘Go now in Peace – Never be afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith, steadfast strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in LOVE, and show you believe.
Reach out to others, so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in Peace, in Faith and in LOVE. AMEN…AMEN…AMEN…’
And all God’s people exclaimed a joyful and grateful; ‘Praise the Lord for His exceptional goodness to the children of men!’ Much LOVE my brethren!
…and now abideth Faith, Hope, LOVE, these three…but the greatest of these is…LOVE… (1 Cor. 13:13)
26 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of circumspection, a stronghold in the day of trouble, abstain from iniquity, after one time is two, banal existence, blessed, blessings, cheering up, curses, daily routine, darkness shall pursue his enemis, depart from iniquity, destruction, different, enlightenment, eventful and satisfying day, excitement, fellowship, flood, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, hum drum life, in all the wrong places, in Jesus' name, iniquity, Jeeves, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, new life, no work, nomadic experience, obey God, perspective, plenty play, predictability, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, rest, reward, same old, seek to do evil, smile, stability, strength to the upright, take it to heart, take pleasure and comfort, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the congregation of the righteous, the foundation of god stands sure, The Lord is good, the Lord knows those that are His, the name of Christ, the party's over, the way of the Lord, the way of the ungodly shall perish, the weekend, the workers of iniquity, time to call it a day, topsy-turvy, trust, truth, unpredictable, walk obedient to God's will, walking contrary to God's will, wisdom, wisdom of the highest order, wonderful experience
Proverbs 10:29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Well… ‘The party’s over my friends. It’s time to call it a day…’
Yeh mih people, the party with my brother and his wife is unfortunately over. Steups! They moved on last evening, obviously after another eventful and satisfying day, to spend some time with other friends in a different part of the province.
Are they ever so blessed, getting to spend great times with different people in different areas! Certainly an interesting kind of nomadic holiday experience! (smile) That unfortunately means I’ve gone back to my staid, simple, hum drum life. (smile)
But I’m not complaining nuh, because I was blessed with a totally unexpected and wonderful experience over the last few days!
I guess the good Lord saw that the ole fella needed a bit of cheering up, of enlightenment, and/or a little reward for sincerely trying to walk in His Will, and sent my brother and his wife to inject some new life in my somewhat banal existence. Hn, hn! As the old people would say, after one time is two yes!
And it’s now time to get back to the same old, same old daily routine. But that’s what life is really all about yes my brethren; daily routine. Everyday cannot be totally different and be chocked full of excitement.
And that is what the world cannot seem to understand, that’s why we’re always seeking and searching for excitement, oftimes in all the wrong places. But what we really need to learn, is how to take pleasure and comfort from our daily, often bland and unexciting routine.
And believe me, there is joy, pleasure and comfort in knowing that our days will be generally the same, without a lot of topsy turvy, unpredictable stuff to drive us crazy. The world’s driving us crazy enough as it is with its unpredictability. We now need some stabilty and predictability. (smile)
And speaking of that Friends, yuh know today is Friday…?
And suddenly the joyous shouts ring out: ‘Oh Lord, I completely forgot that yes! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday…and the weekend looms big and bright and beautiful! No work…and plenty play. Thank you ever so much Lord that it’s Friday!’
Now hold down here a minute mih breddren. Please don’t get too carried away with the worldly thoughts of the weekend, you have to get your God involved there too. As Jeeves would say, just a modicum of circumspection please. (smile)
And to help us do that, let’s chant our Friday chant, so that we can bring the weekend into a better and brighter perspective. As one chanter now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that’s more like how we should view and approach the weekend.
And finally, turning to our Bit, we gratefully and proudly proclaim the wise and encouraging words of Cousin Sol. ‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.’
No doubt about that my brethren! All those who seek to walk uprightly, to walk obedient to God’s Will, will surely be blessed with His strength, because that’s just a natural consequence of walking in His Will. The opposite of that is also true: those who seek to do evil, to walk outside of His Will, will be eventually destroyed. It’s as simple as that.
Unfortunately though Friends, the majority of mankind doesn’t seem to believe that overwhelming truth, and continue to foolishly walk, in fact relish in walking contrary to God’s Will.
Now let’s look at some other scriptures that try to drive home that point. And right in Psalm 1, we have the psalmist stating quite simply and straightforwardly: ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps.1:5-6)
Meanwhile, the prophet Nahum boldly declares: ‘The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning (overwhelming) flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.’ (Nah.1:7-8)
How much more do we need to hear and see eh Friends, before we change from our wicked ways?
And we’ll end with this daring, but ever so true proclamation from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ (2 Tim.2:19)
Ah mih people, that’s the best advice we can receive on this Friday morning, another beautiful summer’s day in late September!
So please, let’s take it to heart nuh, let’s show our great wisdom by doing our best to abstain from iniquity and walk in God’s Will, so that we can receive His wonderful blessings instead of His curses and eventual destruction. For that’s truly wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) is wont to say…the best way to live this earthly life…is simply to obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…indisputable truth…
31 Jan 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affairs of God, antichrist, Bon Accord, boundaries, calypso tents, Canaan, carnival celebrations, Christian lives, cockles of the heart, colourful flora, deceive, derail, energy and enthusiasm, evangelical service, evil scoundrel, faithfulness, false views of Christ, fellowship. fear of humans., fool, foregiveness, forgiving, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, goodness, gospel truth, happy balance, holy spirit, Jeeves, Jesus Christ, joyously shouting, lie, LOVE, love for Jehovah God, Lucifer, mas camps, memories, Methodist Church, modicum of circumspection, neophyte, novice, on the radio, Panorama, peace and joy, ponder, power, praise and worship, promises, reigns, run rampant, search our hearrts and souls, soca, spirit error, Steelband Panorama Competitions, steelbands, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, vibe in the air, week of work, witness for Christ, witness of Christ
1 John 4:4. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… a rather rambunctious one too, because the Carnival celebrations in T&T are heating up, slowly coming to a boil! Yeh, the two big days of Carnival, March 3-4, are only a month away. So you can imagine how the populace is joyously shouting: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! Work soon done, and the partying start! Oh thank God is Friday!’
Yes mih people, the pre-carnival season is gradually rising to a fever pitch. The steelbands are rigorously and vigorously practicing for the Steelband Panorama Competitions, while the mas camps are just a beehive of activity with costume making and all the other things that go into bringing out a mas band.
The calypso tents are alive and hopping with calypso, and the soca music is blasting out from the radio stations. So even if you are a novice, a neophyte at the situation, you’d certainly feel the excitement, the joyous vibe in the air.
However Friends, as Jeeves, the butler, would no doubt say, we need to harness that energy, that excitement, and restrain it some, with ‘a modicum of circumspection.’ We can’t just let it run rampant without strong reins to guide and direct it, otherwise that evil scoundrel, Lucifer, is certain to get a foothold in it and try to derail the whole thing, or use it for his own evil purposes.
And we’re going to bring the right perspective to the situation by chanting our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh mih breddren, we do need some set and serious boundaries in our Christian lives, boundaries that we try our very best to adhere to, so that we don’t destroy our witness for Christ.
Oh, by the way, I made a couple of excellent memories yesterday. In the early afternoon hours, the Duchess and I explored the sea-coast side of the property. And I was certainly amazed to see how large it was, with several beautiful bungalows overlooking the always somewhat angry and aggressive tide of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hn, hn! A little dark coloured bird just plopped down on the balcony here next to me, and is walking around looking for food, totally unconcerned about my presence. When he/she couldn’t find any crumbs to nibble on, he/she stood at the edge of the balcony for a few seconds, then flew away in a flutter of wings. It’s amazing how the birds around here don’t seem to have much fear of humans – once you don’t get too close that is.
But as I was saying, before the bird so rudely interrupted, (smile) the duchess and I walked along the back side of the property admiring the wonderful view and the beautiful flora that surrounds the area; coconut and almond trees, as well as other colourful tropical plants, whose names I don’t know. But believe me, the sight does warm the cockles of one’s heart, and invites one to wonder about God’s great creation of nature.
Now hear this. At one of the short coconut trees, I looked up and saw what seemed to be a young nut growing within another one. Only in Tobago, you say. Chuh! I forgot to have the Duchess take a picture of it.
But Friends, the highlight of the day was an evangelical service at the Canaan, Bon Accord Methodist Church, which an old friend invited me to. Thanks ever so much Finbar! I only hope I do it justice with this short description.
It was certainly a marathon session, starting at 6.30 and running straight through till 9.30. And at the end, the singing and dancing were remarkable, nobody seemed to want to go home. It truly showed a great joy amongst the participants, and a feeling of great LOVE for the Lord God Jehovah!
The service included a process of praying for forgiveness for ourselves, as well as forgiving others; releasing the hate, bitterness, anger and resentment stored up in our souls for oh too long. Then there was anointing and laying on of hands. Obviously a few people felt the power of the Holy Spirit and had to be lowered to the floor for their safety. That was then followed by a celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
All in all, it just seemed to be a more interesting way to worship than the staid, dark, formal tones that most of the older churches depend on. And that’s partly why they are losing parishioners. The old folks don’t want the more open celebratory approach, while the young ones don’t relish the old, staid droning on stuff.
That means Friends, we need to find a happy balance, or else the old churches are liable to die out. This is what happened at this particular Methodist church. It was created specially to have that kind of worship every so often.
On a point of interest, after the first fifteen minutes of praise and worship, I had to go out and get a drink of water, because my throat was parched and dry from so much constant singing. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I even believe it eased up some of the headache problems I’ve been recently having, by renewing the peace and joy in my spirit. Give God the glory my people! It truly was a wonderful memory to add to my collection on this most excellent vacation!
Now let’s see if we have time and space for out Bit. (smile) And even if we don’t, it really doesn’t matter because we’ve been talking about the affairs of God anyhow. ‘Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.’
And that’s gospel, gospel truth, my brethren, absolutely no doubt about it!
Now yesterday we saw where John was telling us about the many spirits that are around, and how to differentiate God’s Spirit, from those of the unholy antichrist. Basically, if the Spirit confesses that Christ has come in the flesh, then it is of God. But be aware of and stay away from any that doesn’t confess Christ was truly made man, because it is of the antichrist, come to fool, lie and deceive.
And we can do that because as our Bit so rightly and wisely informs us, we are God’s children, and His Spirit that indwells is way, way stronger than that of Beelzebub, whose spirit controls the evil, lustful world. Remember when Christ died and rose again, He conquered death and all that the world had to offer. (Rev.1:18)
Now John tells us about those spirits of the antichrist. ‘They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.’ (1 John 4:5)
And as the scholars’ note: ‘4:5. They refers to all who are ruled by the spirit of antichrist. The world finds their teaching more appealing than the truth of God.’
How sad and unfortunate my fellow believers. However, as John continues: ‘We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.’ (1 John 4:6)
And the scholars’ say of the verse. ‘4:6. Those who acknowledge the truth of the apostolic (New Testament) witness to Christ, will recognize and conform to the teaching John is presenting.
Those who do not are animated by a common and unifying spirit of error. John warns his readers against this spirit by contrasting their false views of Christ with the views that he, a personal follower and witness of Christ, proclaims.’
Ah Friends, the Bit is plenty long today, but what’s a little more time to spend reading about the goodness and faithfulness of our great God eh? It’s all for our benefit and His glory.
So, as usual, let’s seriously ponder on all we’ve read and heard today, search our hearts, mind and souls to see what in particular applies to us, then ask the Father to help us improve those aspects of our life. That is indeed wisdom from above, since it will please the Father a whole lot! Much LOVE!
…to those in whom the Holy Spirit of Christ truly dwells…will always come sure guidance and safety from above…Jesus promised it…and we know that He faithfully keeps…ALL His promises…
SCRIP-BITS 