06 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doubleminded man is unstable, appreciation, appreciation for life, blessings, Christian, enamoured of Jesus, esteem, eternal life, eternity, glory to God, God's grace, good news of Jesus, Grenville Kleiser, he that hath seen me hath seen the Father, I am inthe Father, I am the way the truth and the life, I will come again and receive you unto myself, if I go and prepare a place for you, Jesus Christ, Jesus' debt payment, John, Johnny Reid, lack of faith, LOVE, mercies, no halfway point, no man comes to the Father but by me, no sitting on the fence, noblest qualities, one day at a time, only believe, prayers of thanksgiving, pro-action, procrastination, procrastinators, salvation, spending eternity with Jesus, stepping up to the plate, take hold of Jesus, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the Father is in me, the Light, today I'm going to change the world, volunteering, wavering, wisdom
John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Aye Friends, welcome to another somewhat cool, but otherwise beautiful summer’s day in God’s wonderful universe!
New mercies and blessings specially prepared for today, this terrific Thursday in August 2015, have already been flooding our space. The most important being the breath of life that’s still flowing through our bodies, which allows us to enjoy the salvation and eternal life offered by Jesus’ debt payment on the cross of Calvary.
Wow! Glory to God! Have you given Him thanks and praise for those two things as yet? As soon as we rise and greet each new day, we ought to float prayers of thanksgiving up to heaven on them. For without them, we either won’t be rising to greet a new day, (smile) or spending eternity with Jesus. And that last option is the most important for a Christian soul.
Now here’s an interesting and rather appropriate quote from Toronto born, North American writer Grenville Kleiser (1868-1935). He says that ‘Today is the day in which to express your noblest qualities of mind and heart, to do at least one worthy thing which you have long postponed…’
And my people that is indeed a worthwhile decision, for over the last decade or so, we have become such great procrastinators, even about things that we consider important.
But what better way to show our appreciation for life and God’s grace and mercies than by stepping up to the plate today and doing something that we’ve been putting off, whether it’s volunteering or simply cleaning up stuff that needs to be cleaned up.
That reminds me of the Johnny Reid song that we shared with you sometime aback which declared: ‘Today I’m going to change the world…One day at a time…’
Yeh Friends, we desperately need to change our world, but the reality is that we can only do it one day at a time. And there’s no better time to start than the present. So let’s make today that day nuh. Let’s override procrastination with pro-action, and with Jesus’ help we can certainly do it.
For as our Bit wisely informs us: ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ And I like to add to that, He’s also the Light of this darkened world.
So if Jesus Christ is indeed all those things, why aren’t we more enamoured of and interested in Him and His doings eh Friends? Our general behaviour and actions certainly don’t seem to indicate the esteem and appreciation that He truly deserves from us.
It’s also definitely instructional to see how that statement of Jesus came to be made. He was telling His disciples about His going away and preparing mansions for them. ‘And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?’ (John 14:3-5)
Ah mih people, even those who were closest to Jesus in His earthly sojourn didn’t appear to pay serious attention to His words. Jesus then declared our Bit to Thomas, before continuing with this admonishment. ‘If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Philip saith unto him, Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self (of my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.’ (John 14:7-10)
Oh my brethren, so sadly, a couple thousand years later, the Lord Jesus Christ is still asking those questions of too many supposed believers! Granted that if Thomas and Philip who actually walked with Jesus had doubts and didn’t fully understand, who are we to be so well informed and enlightened?
But that argument doesn’t hold any water, for we have had two thousand years of much better information and time to understand and ingest the Good News of Jesus. So just like Jesus reproached the disciples back then, He is today also reproaching us for our unbelief, our lack of faith and understanding when it’s all clearly spelled out in His Word and the times of His earthly life.
Friends, it’s either we believe or we don’t believe! There is no halfway point, no way to waffle, no sitting on the fence, being double minded and/or constantly wavering from one position to the other. For as James tells us: ‘A doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:8)
So please my people, today, let’s get off the fence nuh, let’s stop procrastinating and wavering. Instead, let’s truly take hold of Jesus and all that He so wonderfully stands for and represents and believe with all our hearts, souls and minds that He is indeed the Way, the Truth, the Life and the Light! Now that is true wisdom! Much LOVE!
…only believe…that He is who He says He is…that’s all Jesus asks of us…
05 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a high priest, a mystery, a successful journey with Christ, all praise and thanks, an evil conscience, arthritis, as ye see the day approaching, aseembling together, atonement for sins, awesome truth, blazed the trail, boldness, by the blood of Jesus, Calvary's cross, confdence, conspiracy, encouraging, enter into the holiest, eternal life, evil hooks, exhorting one another, faith, fellowship, finished the course, friends, full assurance of faith, glory hallelujah, godless deeds, good works, gospel truth, hatred, hobbling around, hold fast the profession of our faith, holy spirit, hopes and dreams, I am halfway home, I am the way the truth and the life, I'm not turning back, Im not looking back at the past, Jesus Christ, Jesus is advocating for us, Jesus is the greatest, keep our focus on Jesus, LOVE, Lucifer, minion, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, no man comes to the Father but by me, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, pain, positive connotaion, precious blood, reciprocal encouragement, salvation, saviour jesus, spiritual food, stir up LOVE, stir up strife, strengthening, tentacles, the author and finisher of our faith, the breath of life, the evil one, the Holy Place of God, the Holy Spirit, the house of God, the Lamb that was slain, the light of the world, the one and only superstar, the straight and narrow path, the veil, to a glorious future with Jesus, to humble me, true heart, uplifting words, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, without wavering, worship, write indelibly in our hearts
John 14:6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Oh Friends, I don’t understand it nuh; it’s a mystery that I can go to bed feeling fairly okay and wake up a few hours later experiencing serious pain in places that weren’t paining before I went to bed. Hn! I thought rest and sleep were supposed to calm those things, not heighten them.
Chuh! I woke up a little while ago with my right knee giving me beans, and that hasn’t been hurting me, it’s the left one that’s recently been problematic. So there I was subsequently, hobbling around like the old man I refuse to be, trying to put out the garbage and chuckling somewhat unhappily to my self.
But yuh know what, it’s a conspiracy! Yes Arthur (arthritis), the minion of the evil one, is desperately trying to humble me before his wicked master. But please tell Arthur for me that that will NEVER happen!
Not as long as our great God sits on His throne in heaven on high, which He will do forever, neither as long as our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus stands by His side advocating on my behalf, or as long as the Holy Spirit dwells within me!
No Friends Lucifer will never get his evil hooks into me, or wrap his mushy tentacles around me, once the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are in control of things. And to bring that even more forcibly home to Mr. Arthur and his evil boss, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail, which is most appropriate in this situation.
Please wail with me people: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh yes my people, if we want to make it successfully through this wicked and ungodly world we have to constantly keep our focus on Jesus! There is no other way! Remember His promise of salvation in our Bit ‘I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE: no man cometh to the Father but by me.’ And He is also the LIGHT of this evil and darkened world.
And I like how the scholars put it, re our Bit. ‘14:6. Jesus does not tell them about the way, nor does He show them the way. He does not even guide them along the way. He says He is the way!’
And that’s an awesome truth that ALL believers need to acknowledge, to write indelibly in their hearts, souls and minds if they want to have a successful journey with Him. Glory Hallelujah! All praise and thanks be to the Lamb that was slain for us, whose precious blood was spilled at Calvary’s cross so that we could gain atonement from our abominable sins!
Yes my brethren, Jesus is indeed THE GREATEST! The ONE and ONLY Superstar! All our hopes and dreams begin and end with Him. As the author of Hebrews so wisely reminds us; He is the author and finisher of our faith. (Heb.12:2)
Or as the scholars put it. ‘He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.’ So we don’t have to do any more trail-blazing, just follow the straight and narrow path that He has laid out for us, all the way to salvation and eternal life with Him and the Father. There’s absolutely nothing better than that in this confused and troubled world!
Now listen to these encouraging and uplifting words from the author of Hebrews, where he issues a plea to the early believers to hold on to their new faith. ‘Having therefore, brethren, boldness (confidence) to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say the flesh; 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 one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching’ (Heb.10:19-25)
Oh Friends, that same plea is crying out to us today, in these dark and dismal times! Jesus is the ONLY WAY to overcome them!
Now let’s get some explanations from the scholars re those verses: ’10:20. Jesus Christ is the new and living way by which believers have direct access into the very Holy Place of God (cf. 4:14; 6:20; 7:25; John 14:6).’ Please check out those references my people, as they will certainly help to enlighten us in the scriptures.
’10:24. The word translated provoke (Gr. paroxysmos) usually has a negative sense, as is witnessed by its only other New Testament usage (Acts 15:39). The positive connotation which the word has in the present text means to stir up. It is easy to stir up hatred and godless deeds; it take much more to stir up another to LOVE and to good works.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends, it’s much easier to stir up strife than LOVE, especially in these godless times!
‘10:25. Not forsaking the assembling: This admonition involves far more than erratic attendance. It involves the entire worship of Christ and is the outward indication of an inner condition. The assembling of God’s people provides opportunity for reciprocal encouragement, strengthening, and the stirring up that can be gained from one another (cf. Col.3:12-16). It consists of participation in worship and fellowship. The church is a body interacting (1 Cor.12:14-27); it is not merely a dispensary of spiritual food and medicine.’
And I say a loud and proud ‘Amen’ to that! There we have it Friends, the reason for going to church, for Christians assembling together in the name of Jesus Christ!
Now let’s go out today, and every day, and work diligently, sincerely and faithfully on behalf of our Lord and Saviour nuh, for that is the ultimate wisdom of this life. Much LOVE!
…following the path that Jesus blazed…and doing His will…brings the greatest joy and eventual richest reward…spending eternity with Him…
P.S. Oh Friends, I know it’s long and late, but that’s all made up for in its wonderful information and its intrinsic beauty! (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's voice, aura of love, be not rash with thy mouth, better you should not vow, boomerangs back on us, broken promises, but fear thou God, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, Caribana, clogged roads, confidence, Cousin Sol, enemy's taunts, enthusiasm, friends, futility abounds, glorious kingdom, God hath no pleasure in fools, God's good graces, gospel truth, grin and bear it, gusto, holy spirit, humble servants, in the multitude of dreams and many words, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, let not thy heart be hasty, let thy words be few, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, polluting vehicles, productivity, Province of Ontario, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, serve a useful purpose, social media, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, technological advancement, than you should vow and not pay, the multitude of words, the Preacher, think before we talk, thunder storm, to utter anything before God, traffic jams, truth, ungodly world, weary souls, when thou vowest a vow unto God
Ecclesiastes 5:7. For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds): but fear thou God.
Well Friends, the Caribana weekend is wrapping up today. Sadly though, it seems to be on a wet and watery note. Yesterday evening around six o’clock a powerful thunder storm hit the area, unleashing a fair amount of rain. It caught me on the highway, and the rain fell so hard that it sounded like pellets hitting the car. Eventually I had to turn up the music to hear it over the sound of the pelting rain. (smile)
And it’s still wet out there, don’t know if it will last all day though. I’m sure a lot of Caribana festivities suffered because of it, and more will suffer today if the weather continues on the negative side.
But look at it this way, here in the Province of Ontario many of us don’t have to go to work today, because it’s a local, civic holiday. Interestingly enough, different regions around the province call it by different names. So we can just curl up in bed with a good book or just go back to sleep if the weather stays foul. (smile)
However, many of our fellow believers around the country and the world have to get up and face the Monday morning music; getting out on the traffic clogged roads, regardless of the weather, and fighting their way to work. Ah Lord eh! You’d think that by now with all our brilliance and technological advancement we’d have designed a better system for getting to and from work.
Unfortunately traffic jams are still a way of life in most countries, and the developing ones are getting just as bad, for as the standard of life goes up, so do the number of polluting vehicles on the sub-standard roads. Billions of dollars are lost in productivity every year because of this unsightly and very inefficient way of getting to and from work.
But until some bright light comes along and improves it, we just have to grin and bear it and leave home a couple hours earlier than necessary to get to work on time. Steups! Anyway, to help those folks who have to get out to labour today, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle hymn with great gusto and plenty confidence nuh.
As one 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!’
That wasn’t bad at all Friends. Hn! But I notice that every time we have a Monday where one group has a holiday and the others don’t , it’s always those with the holiday that sing the loudest, with the most gusto and verve! Can it be they are more enthused because they don’t have to go out and labour? Now that’s a very observant observation! (smile)
That brings us to our Bit, an interesting statement from Cousin Sol as the Preacher. ‘For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities (futility abounds): but fear thou God.’ Ah mih people, both statements there are indisputably true! In this chapter of Ecclesiastes the Preacher is cautioning us against hasty vows.
Earlier on, he wisely advises: ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:2-3)
Gospel truth Friends, gospel truth! When we get so busy with life we dream up all sorts of stuff, and oftimes talk too much, especially in this modern-day talkative society, where talk shows abound and social media is running rampant 24/7.
And Cousin Sol further cautions us; this time re vows in particular with God. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Oh my brethren, I am sure that resounds with all of us, because at some time in our lives, in the heat of trials, tribulations or temptations, we have cried out to God: ‘O God, if you will only get me out of this situation, then I will do such and such!’ We make grand promises, many of which we are not able to keep in our own strength, and promptly forget about them anyway, when the Lord bails us out. But that is not the way to get into God’s good graces my people. As the Preacher advises, it would be better if we didn’t make any promises at all.
Now that whole thing about promises and vows is again a sad matter in our current society. Vows and promises no longer mean what they used to even thirty years ago. We make them now fully intending not to keep them. But you know what Friends? Broken promises usually turn right around and bite us when we least expect them.
Like a boomerang they come back to haunt us, and then we get all peeved, disappointed and angry at the perpetrators, conveniently forgetting the vows that we had insincerely made, and/or inconsiderately broken.
So Friends, it’s all up to us. We can bring less pain and disappointment on ourselves by thinking a little more before we talk, and not making promises that we can’t or don’t intend to pay, for our words are powerful and can create good or bad situations, which can greatly affect us. Much LOVE!
…for by thy words…thou shalt be justified…and by thy words…thou shalt be condemned… (Matt.12:37)
02 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a close relationship with God, a tight hold on our reins, a torch of hope, Anselm, antidote, apathy, be thankful for what you have, believe in the light, Bruh Paul, Caribana, Christian homes, communion between believers, complaining about what we don't have, defense, do not practice the truth, ephemeral Being, Ephesians, ethical overtones, eyewitness, fairy-tale king, give thanks, God dwells within us, God is always right beside us, God is light, God's will, gospel truth, guidance, guilt, happiness, ignorance, immorality, in him is no darkness at all, Jesus Christ, laziness, lifts your spirits, light in the Lord, lighthouses, like pulling teeth, mere mortals, misery, moral purity, never get it, obedience, opposition to God, ordained by God, party people, petty excuses, practicing Christians, priae, profess to love God, reciprocating love, reconciled to God, reinvigorated, sacrifice, satanic world, set a proper example, sin's presence and power, spiritually unenlightened, Sunday, surrender, that ye may be the children of light, the bondage of sin, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the infidel, the message we have heard, the shed blood of jesus christ, the things of this world, truth, violent death on the cross, walk as children of light, walk in darkness, walking in sin, wanty wanty, we lie, worship, Ye are the light of the world, ye were sometimes darkness
Matthew 5:14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Okay all you party people, it’s Sunday, time to get up and get yourselves to church, for this is the day that was ordained by God for His children to gather in His sanctuary every week to worship Him and to revive and refresh our faith and witness. Yes Friends, leaving church makes you feel reinvigorated, renewed, and lifts your spirits.
And we don’t want any petty excuses like I’m tired because I was out partying till late. You should have thought about that before. When you came home from work or wherever, you were tired too, but that didn’t stop you from going out to party, so please don’t let a little tiredness, plus a lot of apathy and laziness stop you from going to praise and worship and give thanks to your heavenly Creator this Caribana Sunday morning of 2015!
I’m chuckling here Friends, but seriously, that is the exact scenario that’s playing out in many Christian homes this Sunday morning. What is it eh about going to church that makes it feel like pulling teeth, but going out to parties requires a tight hold on our reins?
And yet we still profess to LOVE God so much. But how can you LOVE Him when you don’t want to go to His house and make nice with Him eh? I guess it’s partly because we still have this idea of God being some faraway, ephemeral Being, more like a fairy-tale king, who just sits on His throne in heaven on high and looks down on us mere mortals with only a cursory glance and an occasional nod.
But that’s the furthest thing from the truth Friends, because our wonderful God is always right beside us. In fact He dwells within us through the power of His Holy Spirit and He is very much interested in EVERY thing we do, because He truly LOVES us, with a LOVE so great that He even gave His one and only son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice so that we could be reconciled to Him! Now if that isn’t real true LOVE, I don’t know what is.
Somehow though, we seem to have a real problem reciprocating that LOVE! But if we truly want to spend eternity with Him in heaven, my people we have to get to a point of true LOVE, surrender and obedience to the Father’s will. Another part of our problem is that we’re too much into the things and ways of this wicked world, which are in complete opposition to those of God.
That brings to mind a recent interesting quote from our friend Anselm, who delights in inspiring us for a better tomorrow. And Anselm warns; ‘Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! Many of us don’t have enough because we are always concentrating on and complaining about what we don’t have, which only aggravates our spirits and drives us nuts. However, when we’re thankful for whatever we have, we bring a different element, a different emotion to the table; one of contentment, of sufficiency, at least for the time being, instead of constantly being uptight and wanting.
Remember the ole Jamaican saying: ‘Wanty wanty, never get it?’(smile) That’s also indisputable truth! As sincere, practicing Christians though, what we need to do is to set a proper example for the rest of the world, for the infidel, the heathen, to follow.
As Jesus so wisely puts it our Bit: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.’ And we all know that to be true, that’s why lighthouses were always built on hilly ground, so that their light could be seen from far and wide and give good guidance to the travellers seeking it.
That’s our mission on this earth people; to be guiding lights in a world of darkness. Not necessarily as overblown as a light house, but certainly at least as a large lamp.
As Bruh Paul advised the Ephesians when talking about the ways of the believer: ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.’ (Eph.5:8) Yes my people, that’s certainly Jesus’ expectation of His followers.
And the scholars give us this bit of info on that verse. ‘5:8. Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now to be religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness.’
Ah mih breddren, what is it going to take for us to really wake up and see and truthfully accept the light eh? We have to do it real soon Friends, because Jesus can return at any moment, and then it will be too late.
Listen to how John describes God’s light in 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 that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (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.’ (1John 1:5-7) What awesome consolation Friends!
And the scholars offer this info on those verses. ‘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 sin 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 say boldly, is impossible; such persons are lying.’
‘1:7. “God is light” (v.5): To walk in this light, which is to live free from the bondage of 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.’
Voilà! There we have it Friends! The only antidote and the best defence against Lucifer’s evil presence and power: the shed BLOOD of Jesus Christ! So please, let’s be wise and go to the cross and take hold of it nuh, so that we can run with it blazing like a brilliant torch of hope in the darkness of this satanic world. That’s wisdom everlasting! Much LOVE!
…while ye have light…believe in the light…that ye may be…the children of light… (John 12:36a)
27 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doubleminded man is unstable, as numerous as the dust of the earth, aura of love, confidence, Cousin Sol, Creator of the universe, enthusiasm, equity. Jehovah God, faith, fight the good fight, fountainhead, friends, glorious kingdom, God guards the paths of justice, God is a shield to those who walk uprightly, holy spirit, honour, humble servants, if any of you lack wisdom, invincible, invincible conquerors, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, let him ask in faith, let him ask of god, lies, litigation, Lord giveth wisdom, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not doubting, out of God's mouth comes knowledge and understanding, Pan Am Games, prayer, proviso, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, riches, righteousness., Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto, see it through eyes of faith, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take it to the Lord in prayer, that gives to all men liberally, the Lord gives wisdom, tourism. Caribana, traffic congestion, truth, ungodly world, wealth, weary souls, wisdom, without reproach, workings of man and nature
Proverbs 2:6. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and like summer has finally hit these parts! The last couple of days have been fairly warm and this week, Caribana week in T.O. is supposed to be sweltering. Thank God that the Pan Am games are now over, and the temporary HOV lanes on the highways which needed a special permit or three people in a vehicle to use them, will be once again opened for ordinary traffic. Now we can go back to our normal traffic congestion. (smile)
This should indeed be a good summer for tourism in Toronto, what with all the visitors for the games, and all those coming for Caribana, or rather to give it its official title, Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto. Steups! It’s all in the litigation over the use of the Caribana name. But I guarantee you, that as long as this festival goes on, it will always be called Caribana by the masses.
Anyway, despite all the games and the partying in the offing, the ordinary people still have to go to work this Monday morning, so to give us some encouragement, let’s sing a lusty and vigorous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
All together 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!’
Good going Friends! Our choir conductor Jesus was well pleased. But let’s see if we can also please Him by seriously considering the words of Cousin Sol in our Bit and writing them indelibly in our hearts minds and souls nuh. ‘For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh wisdom and understanding.’
Yes my people, that’s where true wisdom comes from; the Lord God Almighty! And Cousin Sol continues: ‘He layeth up (stores up) sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a buckler (shield) to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgement (guards the paths of justice), and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness; and judgement (justice), and equity; yea, every good path.’ (Prov.2:7-9)
Yeh my brethren, only by honing in on the wisdom of Jehovah God, and not the wisdom of the world, can one truly understand things like righteousness, justice and equity. For He is the architect and creator of this great universe, the only source, the true fountainhead of all that pertains to it. And if we study the great and wonderful workings of man and nature, we will see that His knowledge and wisdom are both literally and figuratively out of this world. (smile)
That’s why James tells us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him.’ (James 1:5)
However Friends, there is an important proviso to James’ words. ‘But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:6-8)
Ah Friends, words of indisputable truth! God will give us all the wisdom we desire if we come to Him in serious and sincere faith. And one of the best examples of that is in Cousin Sol’s own story. After Bruh David’s death, the Lord made him king over Israel, but he was still fairly young and had no real experience in governing, so when the Lord appeared to him one night in a dream and asked what he could give him,
Cousin Sol’s request was simply: ‘Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude (as numerous as the dust of the earth). Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.’ (1 Chr.1:9-12)
No wonder my people that Cousin Sol was so wise and wealthy! That’s how our great God operates, even to this day! Whatever you come to Him for in faith and sincerity, once it falls under His will, He will most likely grant it in His time. But you have to believe, to see it all through your eyes of faith.
Now let’s go out into the evil world that surround us and fight the good fight for Jesus, sincerely asking for the wherewithal to successfully engage the enemy. For that my Friends, is the undisputed wisdom of heaven, and of God. Much LOVE!
…whatever our heart’s desire…be wise…and take it to the Lord in prayer…
20 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Christ, adrenalin pumping, aura of love, back-breaking labour, blood relatives, Bruh Paul, church families, confidence, Creator of the universe, defraud, divide and conquer, do wrong, enthusiasm, evil, failure, faith, fellowship, for all that jeus has done, for brethren to dwell together in unity, friends, give your life to Jesus, glorious kingdom, go to the law, good stewards of God's grace, gratefulness, grumbling, gusto, have fervent charity, heartless slave master, holy spirit, hospitality, how good and how pleasant it is, humble servants, infighting, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, live in harmony, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, love shall cover a multitude of sins, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morbid fear, no way Jose, Oh Lord God Almighty, Peter, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, shame, slave, Sparrow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength, taunts, trust, truth, ungodly world, unity, wash our dirty laundry, wickedness, wiles
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Well Friends, once again it’s our favourite day, Monday…!
‘Hn! Yuh must be joking yes man!’ is the quick response I receive from one disgruntled member. ‘How the devil could Monday ever be one of my favourite days eh, especially when I have to go back out and do more back breaking labour for that greedy and heartless slave master? Steups! No way Jose!’
‘Awright, awright mih breddren, cool yuhself nuh,’ I try to pacify. ‘It’s not all that bad yuh know’ But to no avail.
‘Doh tell me to cool mihself man! You don’t know how I feel when Monday morning rolls around nuh. I feel like Sparrow sang in the song ‘Slave’ many years ago every time he thought about escaping. “But when ah think about the whip…and them dogs…oh Lord…mih body just start to tremble and shake.” Now that is how I feel on a Monday morning, knowing what I have to go out there and face. What yuh have to say to that eh?’
‘I have plenty to say about that mih friend!’ is my reply. ‘First you have to give your life to Jesus, and He will enable you to get over that morbid fear you have of going to work on a Monday.
And secondly, right now you can join us in singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which gets the adrenalin going, pumps you up, so that you go out in confidence and strength , knowing that you are LOVED and protected by the might and power of Jesus and His resurrection. Now let’s sing with great gusto and gratefulness for all that Jesus has done, is doing, and has promised to do for us.
As one loud, harmonious and confident choir 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!’
Awright mih people, awright! That was wonderful! We even had the Father tapping His feet and keeping time with his hands on the sides of the throne. Mama Mia! And was Jesus ever proud of us. Glory Be! Now let’s go out and face the world with that same confidence and chutzpah and faith in Jesus, and really show the heathen what it means to be a follower of Christ.
And there’s no better way to do that than by living up to the gospel truth of our Bit. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’
Yes Friends, that’s how it ought to be! But sadly it just isn’t as good as it ought to be. We all know about the infighting amongst blood relatives and the church families which breaks the Father’s heart, but even more so Jesus’ since He put His very life on the line, sacrificed it so that we could have unity amongst believers and ordinary families.
Yuh know Friends, once there is disunity within the most important unit in society, the family, and also within church, the LOVE Revolution of Jesus will not prosper, will not win the battle over evil and wickedness. Now how can we afford to let that happen eh? We simply can’t.
Now here is how Bruh Paul put it to the Corinthians, re Christians and the civil law in his first missive. ‘I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to the law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault (an utter failure) among you, because ye go to the law with one another. Why do ye not rather take (accept) wrong? Why do ye not suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that (to) your brethren.’ (1 Cor.6:5-8)
Ah Friends, there is still a lot of truth today in those words written so long ago. Shamefully, we still defraud our brethren and treat them in an unchristian like manner, and we end up in the courts and wash our dirty laundry before the unbelievers. Obviously this does not set a good example for the people we are trying to bring to Christ.
And we’ll end with these wise words of Peter, re being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’ (1 Pet.4:8-10)
Oh Friends, all I can add to that is to encourage us to seriously and diligently take Peter’s wise advice and put it into effect in our own lives in these modern times, where it’s so badly needed. Much LOVE!
…the only way to beat the evildoers mantra of divide and conquer…is to live in harmony and unity with each other…
13 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant in goodness, all his works are done in truth, and new wine the maids, anxious, aura of love, being obedient to God's will, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, confidence, corn shall make the young men cheerful, Creator of the universe, encouragement, faithful, fearful, For how great is his goodness, friends, get up and go, God's favour, godless world, gospel truth, gracious, harmonious voice, hectic weekend, holy spirit, how great is his beauty, humble servants, in the land of the living, invincible, Jesus Christ, justice, labouring time, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, Mt. Sinai, O Lord God Almighty, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, right motives, righteousness., rightousness, Rome, sincere, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the BIBLE, the goodness of the Lord, the judgement of God, the Ten Commandments, the word of the Lord is right, trials and tribulations, truth, ungodly world, uptight, wiles, wisdom
Zechariah 9:17. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn (grain) shall make the young men cheerful (thrive), and new wine the maids.
Ah mih people, it’s labouring time once again! That beautiful day of Monday has come around so that some of us can go to work and rest after a hectic weekend. (smile) Yeh, a few of us have life easier at work than at home; no family and/or children to constantly yell at and clean up after. Thus you are happy to get out of the house after a couple of hectic days at home.
But whatever your situation, all of us can always use some encouragement, some get up and go, come Monday morning. So let’s stir up the adrenalin with a loud and lusty rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh.
As one harmonious voice 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!’
That was good Friends, not great, but good enough to bring a smile to our conductor, Jesus’ face. And anytime we can bring a smile to Jesus’ face, then we are surely on the right track. But now we have to venture out into the cruel and godless world and try to keep that smile on His face by being obedient to His will, otherwise our day will be all for naught.
That doesn’t mean we have to be uptight, fearful and anxious about Jesus’ reaction to our daily walk, because He knows our frail and fragile human nature and has experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of this world. We just need to be faithful and sincere and do our best out of a heart flushed with right motives.
And we don’t need to worry if we don’t accomplish all we set out to do in a manner glorifying Him, because as our Bit says: ‘For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn (grain) shall make the young men cheerful (thrive), and new wine the maids.’
Yes my people, the Lord’s goodness has been legendary right down through the ages. And He doesn’t wait for anybody to say it, He said it Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The Bible details it thus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth…’ (Ex.34:6)
And since our God cannot lie, that means His words were gospel truth! And eventually people began believing after seeing it for themselves. As Bruh David 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)
Ah Friends, that is also indisputable truth, for where would be if we couldn’t expect to see God’s favour and goodness down here on earth eh? Things would have been even rougher than they are now. But such is the wisdom, compassion and mercy of our wonderful God! He knows that we need to experience His favour down here on earth so that we can handle all the stuff that comes against us in a wicked world.
Then in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation, the psalmist boldly and confidently declares. ‘For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:4-5) And that’s no lie Friends; otherwise our world would be even more cruel, evil and topsy-turvy than it currently is.
Now listen to Bruh Paul in his missive to the church at Rome, where he’s telling them that to judge others is to condemn themselves. And by the way, that still applies to all of us today. ‘And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest thou the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom.23-4)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, never were truer words spoken! As I keep saying, I don’t know what we would have done without the goodness of our magnanimous God!
And we shall end with the words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. ‘I will speak of the (meditate on) the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.’ (Ps.145:5-7)
My brethren, Bruh David did as he declared, and was amply rewarded for his faithfulness. Now it’s our time to passionately talk of God’s goodness and sing of His righteousness. Please, let’s go out and do that today and every day, for it is undoubtedly wisdom from above. Much LOVE!
…the goodness of God is what keeps us keeping on…
11 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a faithful Creator, a good soldier of Christ, always render more and better service, Bruh Paul, busyness, confession, contradiction, conveniences, double duty, faithfulness, for he is faithful that promised, forgiving, go a mile, go the extra mile, go with him twain, God cannot deny Himself, God is always faithful, hope, household chores, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord, I will triumph in the works of thy hands, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, kind, lend us a hand, lesiure time, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE Revolution, loving, magnificent and magnanimous God, mental deprivation, merciful, paradoxically, Saturday, Sermon on the Mount, sleeping in, spiritual intention of our heart, stand strong in the Lord, strenuous, suicide, surrender to Jesus, the ordinary man, the will of God, thy counsel of old, Timothy, tiresome, truth, ungodly world, well doing, without wavering, work ethic
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Oh Friends, it’s Saturday; sleeping in time for some, but for many others household chores, shopping and looking after young children will possibly make their day more strenuous and tiresome than any of the five days they slog off to work outside the home.
But that’s the unfortunate contradiction of modern day society; we have more conveniences than at any other time in man’s history, which ought to make our lives easier and give us more leisure time, but paradoxically we are also busier and enjoy less free time than our forebears. For sure, life wasn’t as hectic even just one generation ago, but as we supposedly evolve to a higher standard of life, we seem to have less time for ourselves.
Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about it overnight as a society, but as individuals we can surely scale back the busyness in our lives which is causing us more stress and anxiety and thus increasing mental deprivation and higher rates of suicide, especially among the young.
Ah Friends, contrarily, life is becoming more difficult for many as our civilization evolves and we have to try and manage it as best as we can in our own interest, not the interest of the world and the powers that be. We have to look after ourselves because no one else is looking after the ordinary man who makes up the bulk of the society.
But having said all that, I want to share a quote from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. (smile) And in this quote Anselm reminds us to; ‘Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.’
Now that may seem a bit harsh and unfair, but it is what Jesus advocated in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain (two).’ (Matt.5:41)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘5:41. In ancient times government agents were in a position to compel forced service upon a subjugated people. A Roman soldier, for example, could compel a Jewish native to carry his armour or materials for one mile. Jesus now states that if someone compels you to walk a mile, go with him twain. The believer is to be willing to “go the extra mile.” Doing double our duty not only proves our loyalty to human authority, but likewise proves the spiritual intention of our heart.’
Oh my people, I know that many of you are chuckling and shaking your heads at that last sentence because numerous amounts of us nowadays don’t even want to do our simple, single duty, much more double. Hn! We have raised a generation that has no idea of, or use for the word ‘work-ethic.’ And that’s a sad mark on our resume as parents of this current generation.
But yuh know what Friends? We still have hope, we can still turn them around, both to come to Jesus, surrender their lives to Him and also find pride in doing good work. In fact we don’t have much of a choice if we intend to grow the LOVE Revolution of Jesus upon this wicked and ungodly world.
And one of the best ways to do that is by steadfastly and sincerely holding on to the words of our Bit, while working diligently to obtain our godly outcome. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;)’
For sure my brethren! When we stand strong in the Lord and ask for His help to accomplish worthwhile projects, He will faithfully lend us a hand. The Lord has made numerous promises down through the ages and He has kept every one of them, so why should He change now eh? No reason whatsoever, once we keep our half of the bargain.
Now let’s look at some more scriptures which address our Bit. And here is an interesting one from Bruh Paul to Timothy. He’s talking here about being a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ‘If we suffer (endure), we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us: If we believe not (are faithless), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.’ (2 Tim.2:12-13)
Isn’t that wonderful Friends? Regardless of our faithfulness, our God is ALWAYS faithful, because that’s just His nature. Just like He can’t lie, or help being merciful, forgiving, LOVING and kind.
Meanwhile, Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed confidently proclaims: ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsel of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is.25:1) Again we see God’s faithfulness recognized and lauded by men of great faith.
And in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, Ethan the Ezrahite also proclaims with great confidence. ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens…. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints… O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?’ (Ps.89: 1-2,5, 8)
And the answer to those last two questions my people is an emphatic ‘NOBODY!’
And we’ll end with these well-known words of Psalm 92 – Praises for the Lord’s goodness. ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord; and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonious or melodic) sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4)
Yes Friends, if the people of God did not see faithfulness in Him, none of the scriptures we’ve read over the last few days would ever have been written. Now let’s go out there without any doubts whatsoever in our hearts, re the faithfulness of our magnanimous and magnificent God, for that is heavenly wisdom!. Much LOVE!
…wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God…commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing…as unto a faithful Creator… (1 Pet.4:19)
09 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doddering old man, aches and pains, affirm, attribute of God, batting my gums, blessings, Bruh Paul, bubbling broth of love, comfort zone, communicative, communion, compassion, confession, confidence, Corinthians, count for something, deceitful enemy, faithful, faithful is He that calls you, faithfulness, fellowship, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, friends, God is faithful, God's Word, grace, heartrending, help of the Holy Spirit, hobbling, holy spirit, hope, it's found, Jesus Christ, jesus christ our lord, keep you from evil, kindness, leading and guiding, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, love is like wildflowers, loving kindness, mercy, on the lookout for love, on the winning end, our sins forgiven, P.S. I Love You, patient waiting for Christ, promised to redeem us, shaking it rough, souls washed clean, Spread God's Word, temptation, that's life, the cross at Calvary, the Holy One of Israel, the Lord is faithful, the LOVE of God, the most unlikely places, trials and tribulations, troubled world, understanding, ungrateful sinners, union with Christ, what's cooking, winter years, wisdom, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Aye Friends, what’s cooking on this terrific though cloudy looking Thursday morning eh? I do hope that it’s a bubbling broth of LOVE, grace, mercy, blessings, kindness, compassion and forgiveness, because that is exactly what our topsy-turvy, troubled world needs right now.
Unfortunately though, the ole fella’s shaking it a bit on the rough side this morning, walking around like a doddering old man, (smile) with all the aches and pains choosing to act up at the same time. I don’t know nuh, but I went to bed early last night, planning to get a decent night’s rest…
Hn! That was only in my imagination. I got up several times during the night unable to find a comfort zone, and then when it was really time to get up, I fell asleep, then got up hobbling. Hn, Hn! But that’s life folks, especially in the winter years.
But yuh know what my brethren? The aches and pains are not holding back the ole fella, that’s for sure! They might slow me down some, but they are definitely not going to stop me from doing the work that’s been laid out for me by the Almighty! And I’d like all you old geezers out there, who are similarly wracked by aches and pains to affirm the same thing.
All together now: ‘Aches and pains are not going to stop us from doing the work Jesus desires of us in this life!’
What a way to go mih people! Remember we can overcome anything that comes our way with the help of the Holy Spirit which indwells us. We might not be as quick and physically supple as in our youth, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with our minds.
So let’s not give in to the temptation thrown at us by the deceitful and wily enemy, we can still be very useful and productive members of society.
And I have to laugh here Friends, because I don’t know where all of that is coming from. I surely hope it’s the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Now here is a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ poster. Some of you long time readers might remember it. And it reminds us that ‘LOVE is like wildflowers. It’s often found in the most unlikely places.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth Friends? We often find LOVE in places that we never dreamed of finding it. That means that wherever we are, we should always be on the lookout for LOVE since it can appear anywhere, at any time, under any circumstance! It’s the attribute of God, so wherever God is, LOVE ought to be there too.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is a terrific piece of scripture, filled with godly assurance and encouragement. ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
And for those of you paying attention, you’ll notice that I have the dates right on both headings today. That is what comes from laziness, but it also lessens the pain of having to transcribe the same Bit everyday.
Anyway Friends, it is a proven fact that the Holy One of Israel, whom we worship and adore, is undeniably, unconditionally and extremely faithful! We’ve seen it in the lives of His servants, as well as the most heartrending act of sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary, so that our sins could be forgiven and our souls washed clean.
He promised to redeem us way back when, and ever so faithfully, He did it through Jesus. Now I don’t know what else He has to do to prove His faithfulness. I doubt that any of us would give up our only son to be sacrificed for a bunch of ungrateful sinners. But the Lord God Jehovah did! And that ought to count for something – in fact count for a lot.
But enough of me batting my gums, (smile) let’s look at some scripture that enhances my contention. And we’ll begin with Bruh Paul stating it blatantly to the Corinthians in the introduction to the first epistle. ‘God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (1 Cor.1:9)
And the scholars offer this explanation of that verse. ‘1:9. Unto the fellowship of his son: The term ‘fellowship’ includes both union and communion. The Corinthian believers had been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly this great truth implies that they had been brought into communion with one another. Here in a nutshell is the theme of this epistle.’
And Friends, that still holds true, even to this day. We believers have been brought into union with Jesus Christ as well as communion with each other. That means we ought to be more into Jesus than we currently are, as well as being more understanding and communicative with each other.
Then in 1 Thessalonians, Bruh Paul again states the faithfulness of God without any doubt or concern. ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.’ (1 Thess.5:24) And who should know about God’s faithfulness better than Bruh Paul eh? All the trials and tribulations he went through to spread God’s Word, but he always came out on the winning end.
And we’ll wrap up this morning with another word from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians, this one from his second epistle to them. ‘But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish (establish) you, and keep you from evil (the evil one).
And we have confidence in the Lord touching (concerning) you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the LOVE of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ (patience of Christ).’ (2 Thes.3:3-5)
Oh my people, I wish the exact sentiments on all of us today; that the Lord will direct our hearts into His wonderful and unconditional LOVE, and give us the patience of Christ, to wait patiently and work diligently until His return. That my brethren is wisdom of the highest level! Much LOVE!
…thy mercy (LOVING-kindness) oh Lord…is in the heavens…and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds… (Ps.36:5)
07 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all our sins and griefs to bear, almighty god, Amen, assurance, barrier breaker, bear good fruit, blessed assurance, blessings, break free from a limited mindset, can't have faith without hope, cast not away your confidence, comfort, confession, confidence, cumbered with a load of care, done the will of god, encouragement, endless worship, endurance, enlarge my vision, everything to God in prayer, expectant faith, faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, faithful friends, faithfulness, favour, followers of Jesus christ, for he is faithful that promised, forgiveness, from everlasting to everlasting, glory to God, good and fertile soil, gospel truth, grace, great recompense of reward, heavenly wisdom, heavy laden, hope, hungry hope, Jesus Christ, Joel Osteen, joy, let it all hang out, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, LOVE, new mercies, oh what peace we often forfeit, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, patience, peace, physical sight, potential, praise, promises, rapture, refuge, seeds of greatness, So let it be, solace, sorrows, spiritual vision, stand strong and steadfast, surrender, sweet portion, talent, the breath of life, the Creator of the universe, the evidence of things not seen, this is the day the Lord has made, Today is my day, trials and temptations, trouble, trust, unconditional LOVE, uncontainable, walking with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, weak, what a friend we have in Jesus, what a privelege to carry, without wavering
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Well a warm and wonderful welcome to all you loyal and faithful Friends and believers out there in Scrip-Bit Land!
Welcome, welcome, welcome! It is ever so good to be in the land of the living with the awesome breath of Almighty God flowing through out frail and fragile human bodies! Wow! There is nothing else in the world that compares to that, for it is indeed the breath of life, the single, solitary thread that keeps us all going.
And it is all the more important when, as students, believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are patiently and thankfully waiting for the new mercies, blessings, grace and forgiveness specially made for today, to be unleashed from heaven unto us saints down here on Mother Earth. Glory to God!
That’s why we should all raise our voices in praise and thanks and steadfastly proclaim; ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yes Friends, this Tuesday morning in early July is a blessed day, so please let’s treat it as such. And luckily, in my neck of the woods it just might be the second day of what now passes for summer weather with highs in the mid-twenties, though somewhat cloudy with a chance of rain. But we will take it any day over the cold white stuff. (smile)
And today I have an affirmation from Bubba Joel (Joel Osteen) from a little while back to share with us once again. It simply declares: ‘TODAY IS MY DAY!’ And that’s gospel truth my people, so please affirm with me.
‘God has destined me to be a barrier breaker! He created me to be uncontainable. I have talent and potential given to me by the Creator of the universe. There are seeds of greatness inside of me. Today, I choose to break free from a limited mindset and enlarge my vision.
Today, God is taking me places that I’ve never even dreamed of before. Today, God is fulfilling His purpose and destiny in my life. Today I will experience His favour like never before in every area of my life.’ Mama Mia!
And all God’s children declared a loud and proud: ‘Amen! So let it be!’
Yes my brethren, let’s allow it all to hang out today! Let’s break down those barriers of bondage that are holding us back from God’s best! Let’s release the seeds of greatness planted in our souls by our Creator and plant them in good and fertile soil, so that they can bear much good fruit, for that’s why they were planted in us in the first place.
Let’s enlarge our vision and our mindset because our God is a great and powerful Deity who doesn’t deal in small, petty and trifling stuff. And if we want to enjoy His best, then we have to improve and enlarge our minds and visions.
And today I was sent a heavenly zeppo to preach… sorry, to teach (smile) on the twin attitudes of hope and faith. Remember, without hope, there can be no faith, for hope is the place where it all begins.
And as the Good Book so wisely tells us; ‘Now faith is the substance (the realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (the conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1)
That means through hope, we are assured of the things that we can’t see with our physical sight, but surely can see them with our spiritual vision. In other words, we see them through the eyes of faith! It’s a blessed assurance that we have in the promises and faithfulness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)’
Yes indeed my brethren our great and wonderful and magnanimous God is indeed faithful to keep each and every one of His promises! He has not reneged on a single one down through all the ages, and He never will! Wow! What a great friend and Saviour we have in Jesus!
And there is no better way to express that than through the wonderful age-old hymn that so many of us grew up to. So please sing it with me, in hungry hope and expectant faith.
‘What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.’
Yes my believing brethren, what an awesome assurance we can have in Jesus Christ if we allow Him to come into our hearts, souls, bodies and minds and work His good works in us! There is nothing or no one else under the sun that can promise and then faithfully deliver on those promises!
All we need is sincere hope and trust and faith and surrender to His unconditional LOVE and care which runs from everlasting to everlasting! He made us Friends, and has a plan for every one of our lives, but we have to bow to His sovereignty and righteousness if we are to be enlightened as to His wonderful plans for us. Not knowing, and thus not living out the beautiful plan earmarked for us is possibly the greatest disappointment we can ever know down here on earth.
And we’ll end with a massive scripture of assurance and encouragement from Hebrews, one which we all know, but don’t seriously accept and live by. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience (endurance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.’ (Heb.10:35-36)
Yes my people, we need some patience, sometimes plenty of it, but fear not, God’s promise will be fulfilled, just in His own time. So please stand strong and steadfast in faith, if you want to see the mercies and blessings of God in your life. That is indeed heavenly wisdom! Much LOVE!
…walking with Jesus might lead us along some rough and unpaved roads…but the rewards of His promise…oh Friends…they are indeed most wonderful and incomparable…trust me…I’m talking from personal experience…
P.S. Oh Friends, I just LOVE writing these Bits that come straight from the heart, without any forward planning, like this one today. And I do hope that it triggers your hope, faith, patience and LOVE, and help them rise to a higher level, so that you can find true solace, comfort and joy in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as He desires you to have.
Oh mih breddren, I can’t even stop the words from flowing, that’s how much the adrenalin is running. (smile) Much LOVE!
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
