20 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cheerful giver, bring healng, cheapskates, church community, courage and joy, foundational law, generous soul, give as you can, god, God's image, God's laws, God's likeness, God's mercy and grace, good measure, good works, gracious God, hearts and hands, insight and vision, kindness, live the gospel of Jesus, living truth, LOVE, LOVING acceptance, negative challenges, negative changes, offering, pressed down, prosperous, ready our hearts and hands, religion, renew us, running over, shaken together, sincere desire, sinfulness, spirit of jesus, spirituality, unrestrained giving, walk humbly, willing heart, wisdom, with blessings, you reap what you sow
Proverbs 11:25. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Oh Friends, ole Toronto and its environs experienced a wicked rainstorm yesterday evening! In a matter of minutes the sky suddenly changed from bright sunshine to cloudy darkness, the wind blew with a vengeance, and the rain came tumbling down in torrents, making it extremely difficult for drivers to see out their windshields, despite the best efforts of their wipers.
But we’ve been expecting that glut of rain, and needed it too, to cool down the hot and humid land. Some more rain began falling after midnight, but mostly drizzles. It’s the lightning that’s been playing out there for a couple hours, continuously lighting up the nightscape with its brilliant flashes.
Anyway, here’s a rather relevant prayer I recently found among some papers. I must have gotten it from my mother’s stuff, because I don’t remember it. And very appropriately it’s titled ‘Renew Toronto.’ But Friends, this prayer is desperately needed for our entire world which is undergoing so many negative changes and challenges that we’re powerless to keep up with them, even the odd time when we understand what’s happening.
Only with God’s help can we mange and hopefully overcome them. So please pray with me: ‘Gracious God, in your wisdom and LOVE You create us in your image and likeness, You call us to be your Presence in the world.
Let the Spirit of Jesus grow with us for this journey – inspire in us insight and vision for our Church community – ready our hearts and hands to bring healing to our sinfulness – move our feet to live the Gospel of Jesus with courage and joy.
Renew us, Gracious God. Renew us by your LOVING acceptance of us. Renew us to do justice, to LOVE kindness, and to walk humbly with you, our God, To renew the face of this earth. Amen.’
Yes my brethren, we do need God’s mercy and grace to help us renew and rebuild our world. And our Bit gives us some insight into one way to do it. ‘The liberal (generous) soul shall be made fat (rich, prosperous): and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.’
And there’s plenty of truth in that saying Friends! The generous person shall be made prosperous, because that’s just one of God’s laws. From early times, He stipulated it thus: ‘Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.’ (Deut.16:17)
At that particular time they were talking about contributions to feasts, but fellow believers, our God wants that to be an ongoing feature, an everyday occurrence in our lives.
Listen to Bruh Paul as he talks to the Corinthians about God LOVING a cheerful giver. ‘But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully (with blessings) shall reap also bountifully (with blessings).
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (compulsion): for God LOVETH a cheerful (joyful) giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’ (2 Cor.9:6-8)
And that’s the living truth Friends! What we give and how we give it is terribly important in God’s domain, for He’s laid down the foundational law that we will reap whatever we sow.
Now here’s some info from the scholars on those verses. ‘9:6. One’s return is determined by his investment (cf. Prov.11:24, Luke 6:38; Gal.6:7) The expression (ep’ eulogiais) ordinarily translated “with blessings” here has the sense of “generously.” While it does not suggest indiscriminate giving, it does denote “unrestrained” giving.
9:7 Cheerful giver: The giver is to have a willing heart and a sincere desire to participate in the offering. Paul is not so much interested in their money. Nor is God, for that matter, as the passage from Proverbs 22:9 indicates. The Greek term ‘hilaron,’ from which the English “hilarious” derives, is best rendered as the English text suggests, “cheerful.” Giving is not a joke. It is serious business, but it is a delightful experience all the same.’
And that’s just more truth my people! Giving is sometimes hard, but it always makes us feel better afterwards. Yes, you cheapskates. (smile) And please pay careful attention that last verse, where God will always enable you to have sufficient, so you can generously give away some.
So however you cut it my brethren, we can’t lose if we work with God out of a generous and cheerful heart. And we will close today with some most valuable words from Jesus on the subject.
‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (the fold in a garment used as a pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete (use) withal (with that same measure) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38)
Now Friends, if Jesus said it, then it must be true! So let’s go out and practice it nuh. It will certainly help us to renew the face of our planet earth as we prayed earlier on. Much LOVE!
…he who refuses to give…or gives unwillingly…will receive the same treatment…in his time of need…
06 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a stranger, Christianity is action, divisions, everlasting fire, everlasting punishment, excellence, excellence in living, fellow believers, forgiveness, fortunate circumstances, Good Samaritan, goodness and mercy, gospel truth, grace of God, Helen Keller, hungry, in prison, kindness, life eternal, living like cats and dogs, LOVE, make a difference, momentous day, naked, new mercies and blessings, ONE body in Christ, parable of the talents, pettiness, praise to Jehovah God, ripple effect, selfishness, sheep and goats, sick, stone in the water, the body of Christ, the church, thirsty
Matthew 25:35. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.
Oh my beloved Friends and fellow believers, welcome to another momentous day on God’s great earth! And you know it’s momentous just by us being alive, so you can imagine what it’s going to be like when we add the new mercies and blessings that are being prepared to flow like an open tap from heaven to lighten and brighten our day!
And all God’s children declared a loud and heartfelt ‘All thanks and praise be to Jehovah God, for His goodness and mercy towards us!’
However Friends, having been cultivated with that wonderful grace of God, it’s our obligation to share it with others in less fortunate circumstances. And this quote from Helen Keller (1880-1968), the American author, political activist and lecturer, but also the first blind//deaf person to acquire a Bachelor of Arts Degree, gives us some insight into what happens when we seek excellence in living.
‘When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.’ And that’s gospel truth my brethren!
Generally speaking, we can never be sure of the effect our words and actions will have, both on ourselves and on others. That’s because of what’s known as the ripple effect; like when you throw a stone in the water, it doesn’t only disturb the water that it actually hits, but also a certain amount that surrounds it. You can see the ripples moving outward from the point where the stone made contact with the water.
The same goes for our words and actions Friends. They can have far reaching, far away effects on both ourselves and others, especially in these times of almost instantaneous and far flung communication. Whatever kind of stuff we send out, be it negative or positive, you can bet your bottom dollar it will breed the same reaction.
That’s why we’re always obliged to do our best, especially as believers in, and followers of Jesus Christ, whose motto is LOVE, framed with excellence, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. We definitely cannot afford to say or do things that reflect negatively on the body of Christ, His church.
But unfortunately it’s happening quite a lot. Many believers don’t take the time to consider how their words and behaviour affect the church, of how people perceive them when they talk and pursue various forms of action. It all boomerangs back on us, and on Christ’s overall body eventually.
That’s why the infighting and pettiness amongst the different religions draws such negative criticism from both believers and unbelievers. We’re supposed to be ONE body in Christ, but we surely aren’t acting that way. How can we spouting peace and LOVE to all and sundry, but living like cats and dogs with each other eh?
Jesus told us to go out and spread the gospel to the very ends of the earth, (Matt.28:19-20) but that doesn’t only mean talking it, but more importantly living it! As I keep reminding us, Christianity is an action movement, which should be buttressed by the talk, not vice versa.
That brings us to our Bit and the verse after it. ‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt.25:35-36)
Yes Friends, that’s what it means to be a true Christian; helping others, meeting their physical needs where possible, while sharing the good news of the gospel with them. That’s why God gave each of us talents, (re Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matt.25) to use them for good, to make a difference, to make the world a better place for all to live in, not to selfishly hoard them and use them only for our own benefit.
That’s why in Jesus’ parable, those who used their talents to bear increase, were given more, while he that hath little and hoarded it, lost it eventually.
The same goes for us today my fellow believers. We can’t see people suffering and don’t try to help in some form and fashion. We can’t be like the Jewish priest and Levite who passed by on the other side of the road when they saw their fellow Jew lying bruised and battered on the ground. Instead we have to be like the Good Samaritan, who, though he was his avowed enemy, nonetheless stopped and looked after him.
That’s what Jesus was, is, and always will be about; helping the poor and downtrodden. He didn’t come to earth to be served, but to serve, and that’s exactly what He also expects of us, His followers. And for those who adhere to that way of life, come the judgement day, they will be assembled as sheep on the right hand of Jesus. (Matt.25:31-33)
‘Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matt.25:34)
But to those on His left hand, the goats: ‘Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels…. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.’ (Matt.25:41, 46)
Ah mih people, regardless of how much we talk, what we do is even more important, because in the long run, that is what will get us into Jesus’ good books, that is what will earn us rewards in heaven. So please Friends, let’s cut back on the talk, and raise the level of true Christian action and activity nuh, for there’s too much suffering and misfortune in our world for us to just sit back and do nothing about it.
The evil doers like it so, but out Lord and Saviour Jesus doesn’t, and wherever we are, in whatever position, there are ALWAYS opportunities for us to do good, to help others, to live that true Christian life.
And I pray that today the Lord will allow His Holy Spirit to rise up in us, and we’ll forget all the petty, selfish, immaterial things that are keeping us apart, and we’ll truly become ONE body in Christ, and follow His motto of LOVE, framed in excellence, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. That’s undoubtedly wisdom at its highest level. Much LOVE!
…on which side will you be numbered…with the sheep…or with the goats…now is the time to make that monumental decision…
27 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirm constantly, affirmations, anointed, believe in God, calling of Christ, Christian citizenship, Christian ethic, christianity, cleansed, compassion, confidence, contentious, contentiousness, damnation, death, divers lusts, envy, eternal life, faithful saying, fallen angel, glory hallelujah, good works, goodness, gossipmongers, great god, hate, heaven-sent, hope, Jesus Christ, kindness, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, Lucifer, magnanimous god, maintain good works, malice, meekness, merciful God, mercy, new blessings, new mercies, obey authority, pleasures, praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, prince of darkness, redeemed, reverence, right perspective, righteousness., sacrifice, sanctified, sinful world, strife, thanks and praise, works of righteousness, worthy to be praised
Titus 3:8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly; that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
And then it was Thursday! Yes Friends, another heaven-sent day loaded with new mercies and blessings for God’s people is in the offing! Wow! What a most magnanimous and merciful God we serve! There’s none other like Him in the entire universe!
And all God’s people declared a mighty: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name, for He is indeed worthy to be praised!’ Yes my brethren, our great God Jehovah is most definitely worthy of all the thanks and praise we can give Him!
Unfortunately though, I don’t believe we give Him enough glory. We keep wanting and requiring from Him, but our giving to Him is sadly lacking. Please let’s start turning that around now nuh. If you think we get plenty blessings now, you wouldn’t believe what’s in store, if we truly give Him the reverence and praise He deserves.
And since my hand is feeling fairly good, much better than I expected, I’ll give Him one big, ‘Thank You Lord for looking after me! I knew you wouldn’t do anything to stop me from spreading your Word, because that’s what you’ve anointed me to do. It’s not the greatest, but I can get the job done, that’s the important thing, with Your help of course. Amen.’
And now without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly; that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’
As promised my people, it’s the same as yesterday. But instead of putting forth our affirmations, as we did yesterday, today we’ll look at those Bruh Paul was referring to in his missive to Titus.
And in this chapter dealing with Christian citizenship, he strongly advises Titus to: ‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities (rulers) and powers (authorities), to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers (not contentious), but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.’ (Titus 3:1-2)
Yes my people, those are just some of the things we should do as true believers in Jesus Christ! We ought to obey authority, because it originates from God Himself. In fact we should always be ready to do whatever good work is requested of us. Neither should we be gossipmongers, or given to strife and contentiousness, but be kind and LOVING to all, just as Jesus, our leader was in His earthly sojourn.
It’s not easy to live like that in this fallen, sinful world, but as believers, it’s our duty to attain to that lifestyle. And as we all know, our gracious God won’t ask us to do something without giving us the necessary tools to accomplish it. So we just have to be steadfast and press ahead towards the mark, the calling of Christ.
Then Bruh Paul continues, giving us the basis of our Christian ethic. ‘For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.’ (Titus 3:3)
Wow Friends! Can you imagine living like that? But that’s exactly how we were living until the Lord had compassion on us. ‘But after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared.’ (Titus 3:4)
And all God’s people gave a heartfelt shout of ‘Praise the Lord for His kindness to the undeserving children of men!’
Yes my brethren, the Lord God Jehovah really and truly deserves our eternal thanks and praise, as we said at the beginning. But for some unknown reason(s) we seem to be very reluctant to do so, or do it very grudgingly, as though we were entitled to God’s grace and mercy, or we’re doing something great for God by giving Him the little thanks we offer.
But make no mistake Friends, it’s we, you and I, who are receiving the goodness and LOVING-kindness that we’re not entitled to, and neither are we receiving our just deserts for our sinful behaviour. So please let’s get off our high horse and stop thinking that we’re doing God a favour by worshipping and serving Him. Let’s get the right perspective; it’s Him that’s doing us the favours we don’t deserve!
For as Bruh Paul so rightly continues to inform Titus: ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace (declared righteous), we should be made heirs according to the hope (the strong confidence) of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5-7)
Ah mih breddren, yuh see what the kindness and LOVE of God did for us! Hn! Before Christ’s sacrifice of LOVE, we were hateful and sinful, but through the shedding of His blood and God’s awesome mercy, we were cleansed, made whole, redeemed, sanctified, made right with God, so much so that we became rightful heirs of God with Christ.
And Friends, to end, I want to drive home the point that it was not by any good works of ours, that we were and are saved, as Bruh Paul points out, but by the LOVE, the Mercy, the Kindness, the Compassion and the Forgiving Nature of a most magnanimous, magnificent and omnipotent God, who created us and did not want to see His most wonderful creation end up in death and damnation with the foolish, fallen angel, the prince of darkness, Lucifer.
Please let’s get that straight, for until we do, we’ll never give God the true honour and glory He deserves. Much LOVE!
…before we can truly LOVE Jesus…we must truly understand what He did for us…
20 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: accidents, advantageous employers, cruelty, directives, faithfulness, justice, kindness, labourer, mercies, oppression, refurbish, remuneration, replenish, sickness
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Well hello there my wonderful Friends in Christ Jesus! Hope you’re up and about in good health and strong faith. Here’s a piece of a favourite hymn that I read this morning and thought should get us started today. ‘Lord, great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness unto me,’ Wow! And since that’s gospel truth, all God’s people declared a loud and grateful: ‘Praise the Name of the Lord God Jehovah, for He is indeed faithful to the undeserving children of men!’ Now, without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit because we have plenty to say. (smile) ‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.’ We saw yesterday that it basically meant that righteous folk were kind to animals, while the wicked are unfailingly cruel to them. We also saw where the Lord himself instructed Moses to tell the Israelites not to kill any mama birds and young ones or eggs in the nests, but to let the mother go so that she could replenish the earth with her breed. (Deut.22:6-7) True wisdom my people, for that was an integral part of God’s plan for the earth to replenish and refurbish itself. Later on, Moses also commanded the people: ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn (threshes out the grain).’ (Deut.25:4) That obviously means all animals should be treated with a certain amount of kindness and mercy, especially if they are working to produce food and other stuff for us. The scholars rightly claim that Bruh Paul used that verse to demonstrate that a human labourer was also worth his labour. He says in 1 Cor.9: ‘For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen (Is it oxen God is concerned about)? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that tresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.’ (1 Cor.9:9-10) And a few verses later he continues his argument for proper rewards for one’s labour: ‘Even so hath the Lord ordained (commanded) that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.’ (1 Cor.9:14) He’s stating there that just like the priests in the Old Testament were remunerated for their priestly duties, likewise the New Testament preachers also have a right to be rewarded for their priestly efforts. And as it pertains to humans also being worthy of their work, that directive also came down from the Lord through Moses, long ago. Leviticus 19, re laws of holiness and justice, boldly proclaims: ‘Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.’ (Lev.19:13) Then in Deuteronomy 24, re oppression of servants, Moses reiterates that dictate: ‘Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day (each day) thou shalt give him his hire (wages), neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.’ (Deut.24: 14-15) Jesus also raised the matter in Matthew 10, when he instructs his disciples to preach only to the lost sheep of Israel (only Jews). He tells them: ‘Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses (money-belts), Nor scrip (bag) for your journey, neither two coats (tunics), neither shoes (sandals), nor yet staves (staffs), for the workman is worthy of his meat.’ (Matt.10:9-10) He’s there agreeing with Bruh Paul that a preacher deserves to be well looked after, so they were to rely on the gifts and hospitality of those to whom they preached. Then in Luke 10, where Jesus sends out the seventy disciples to save souls from the plentiful harvest, He instructs them: ‘And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire (wages). Go not from house to house.’ (Luke 10:7) That means Jesus recognized the principle that honest work ought to be paid for honestly, either in cash or in kind. But unfortunately Friends, today that ethic has been thrown by the wayside, because employers now try their very best to pay their employees as little as possible, and many withhold employees wages much longer than necessary. Even the governments are encouraging that travesty by having laws that have no teeth, that grant no real justice to the hard done by employee, thus allowing the employer to take advantage of the poor workers. We see that here in Ontario a lot with seasonal farm workers who come from other countries to harvest crops, and with foreign nannies who have contracts with families. In sickness and accidents, the farm workers are often just sent back home with no real provision for their health, and if they complain too much about their lot, they are usually just fired. The nannies are usually made to work many more hours than stipulated in their contracts, without overtime pay, and sometimes in very poor living conditions. And don’t talk about the illegal immigrants, especially those who can’t speak much English. The employers take terrible advantage of them, and when they complain and ask for their hard earned wages, they are effectively blackmailed with threats to report them to the Immigration authorities. And taking your case to the courts or tribunals set up to handle these matters is usually too expensive in both time and money for the already disadvantaged worker. So many just shut up and bear their burdens quietly. And the sad part is that the ones who engage in these illicit, inhumane practices are usually the ones who can afford to pay a decent wage. No wonder why man’s inhumanity to man makes millions mourn! The governments know that these injustices are being perpetrated, but they don’t truly care, because many of the guilty are their friends, families and associates. But Friends, one thing is sure; the purveyors of wickedness will eventually get their comeuppance! If not in this life, then for certain in the next. God has promised it, and we know He’s faithful. And we’ll close with a verse from Bruh Paul to Timothy, where, as he’s wont to do, he puts Old and New Testament scripture together to make his point. ‘For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward (wages).’ (1 Tim.5:18) There he successfully quotes both Moses and Jesus. Please Friends, let’s not lose hope in this evil and ungodly world. Remember that we’re the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and if we persevere to the end, we’ll be well rewarded. Much LOVE!…cruelty to any of God’s creations…man or beast…will eventually bring forth justice…from our righteous God…
19 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: accidents, animals, careless drivers, cruelty, God's creations, highway tragedies, hugs and kisses, inexperienced drivers, killing fields, kindness, LOVE, LOVED ONES, tender mercies
Proverbs 12:10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, please listen to me this morning. From now until forever, if you or any of your family members are leaving anywhere to go out on the roads, the killing fields we call highways, please hug and kiss each other and totally express your LOVE for each other, for in these crazy times you might not be able to do it again, except to a lifeless body in a funeral home. I’m saying this because I got a scare yesterday morning. About forty-five minutes after the Duchess left home to go to work, I got a call saying that she was in an accident. Luckily it was only a bumper bender and she wasn’t injured, but with these things you never know, for when metal, or rather fibreglass hits fibreglass, anything is possible. Apparently someone ran in to the back of the car behind her, and in the dark, rainy morning stop and go traffic, that one then ran into the back of her car. The saddest part of this whole story Friends is that my wife was going to work a little earlier than normal so she could relieve a co-worker to attend a funeral for one of her friends. Apparently this friend’s car conked out on her on the highway, everything was dead, not even the emergency flashers were working. It seems she called her husband who advised her to call 911, and he would come to get her. But lo and behold, by the time the poor man got there, a large garbage truck had already run over her little Volkswagen Passat and claimed her fairly young life. Ah Lord eh! It’s a sad fact that Ontario is a car producing province, which means we’re in the business of selling as many cars as possible, but that also means there are also way too many cars on our roads, with too many inexperienced, doh care drivers. Just to put that in perspective, the Duchess said that there were four other accidents in the same vicinity and time as hers, probably caused by motorists looking at another accident on the other side of the highway. Why do we do that eh? I see it all the time; the side of the road with the accident is moving faster than the other side, because all the people over there are slowing down to gawk and stare at the accident. That only causes more accidents! Ah mih people, I don’t know the answers to all the questions I’m posing here, but I do know that we do need some good answers, and we need them quickly too, otherwise our highways will get even worse than they are right now. Anyone on the highway these days is in serious danger; what with the speeding drivers changing lanes so unsafely and stupidly. Just last week I saw one cut across three lanes, from the fast lane to the slow, then cut back across to the fast, only to get a couple of car lengths ahead of his original position. And when yuh really need Babylon (the police) to be patrolling the highways and curb some of these excesses, they are never around. Then there are the tires that fall of the big trucks, jump over guard rails and into innocent persons windshields, or the fully loaded transport truck that falls over an overhead bypass and crushes another innocent victim on the road below. Or the drunk driver, going the wrong way and eventually crashing headlong into a van going the right way, killing most of the family members. And there are all sorts of other highway accident stories, many of which could have been prevented, but unfortunately were not, causing untold tragedy to many families. So my people, I implore us to truly get connected with the family members and friends we dearly LOVE, and share that LOVE and intimacy as often and as long as possible, because in this current rat race we so nicely term life, we never know if and when, we’ll ever see them alive again, when one or all of us go through the doors of our homes, work or playgrounds on to the death traps we call roads. And having gotten all of that off my chest, let’s look at our Bit: ‘A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.’ Basically what that means my brethren is that a righteous man is kind to animals, while a wicked man is cruel to the dumb animals in his charge. In fact, some people treat their animals better than they do their children or other family members. Now we should note that the edicts for treating animals kindly came down long ago from the Lord Himself, through Moses. Listen to him. ‘If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam (mother) sitting upon the young, or upon eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young. But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young with thee; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest prolong thy days.’ (Deut.22:6-7) According to the scholars, the prohibition forbidding the taking of both mother and young, or eggs from the nest was designed to protect the food supply of the Israelites. Yuh see Friends, there was a lot of wise and brilliant planning that went into the design our world, it just didn’t explode with all it’s wonders from thin air, as some would have us believe. Anyway, since I understand that our attention spans are barely three minutes long now, and getting shorter, (smile) we’ll conclude here for today, since the rest of what I have to say on this topic will definitely run too long. So tomorrow, God willing, we’ll continue with it. Till then, please walk safely with the Lord, and remember to hug and kiss all those you LOVE and cherish, truly let them know the depths of your feelings for them. Till we meet again, in Jesus’ Name: Much LOVE!…life’s so fleeting and uncertain…we need to be constantly showing LOVE…to those we LOVE…
13 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: blessings, evil, good, greed, indifference, kindness, moral consciousness, Most High God, puppets, summer's day, thankful, unstable weather, wickedness, winter
Proverbs 17:13. Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
Oh my wonderful Friends in Christ, yesterday turned out to be a beautiful summer’s day in my area, with a warm but not too hot sun, a cool, refreshing breeze and cloudless blue skies. Wow! A perfect summer’s day in any language! And today promises to be a day of the same high calibre. All praise and thanks be to our Most High God Jehovah! Some of you might not understand my enthusiasm for what you consider a normal, ordinary day. But up here in the northern climes we have to cherish and relish those days like gold, since the winter weather will be soon upon us, and the days will become so short and oftimes so dark that you can’t even see the sun, much less feel its warmth. And with the weather being so precarious and unstable these days, you can’t predict with any real surety, what it will be like from one day to the next. So those of you, who have constant sunshine and warmth all year round, please be very thankful for it eh! Don’t add yourselves to the already teeming ranks of those who disregard our Bit. ‘Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.’ I meant there, that God’s giving you good days, but you’re treating His blessings with callous indifference, simply taking it for granted. Ah mih people, evil has become so ingrained and prevalent in our society in the last thirty or so years that it’s mind-boggling. So much so that we take a lot of evil stuff for granted and just do them without thinking. Simply put, the moral fabric of the entire world has just plumb gone to hell in a bucket! When there’s no proper evaluation or even consensus over right and wrong, good and evil, what else can we really expect eh? Some of the things we do now without any pricks of conscience, thirty years ago we wouldn’t even have contemplated them, much less put them into action. Friendship, or what passes for friendship, is not as strong as it once was. We make all sorts of promises just because they are convenient, without ever intending to keep them. We boldly and blatantly curse our parents, leaving them to suffer avoidable pain and sorrow in their old age, being less warm and kind to them than in any other generation in history. We use today’s fast and busy society as an excuse to just dump our parents in an old people’s home and basically forget about them, visiting them once in a blue moon. As our Bit says: How can we not suffer the burning pangs of evil, when we repay kindness with wickedness? That’s our God’s universal and everlasting prescription for such unjust, unrighteous behaviour! In Psalm 109, A prayer for the punishment of the wicked, Bruh David says it thus: ‘For (in return for) my LOVE they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my LOVE.’ (Ps.109:4-5) Yes Friends, just look at all the fraudulent acts that have recently been unearthed, where thousands of people have lost their life savings and retirement money to evil schemers, many of whom were relatives and/or close friends. Consider the failure of the big banks, through greed and excessive remuneration to the top echelons. People put their money in the banks and these other schemes in good faith, and what do they get in return? NADA, NOTHING! The same goes for our greedy and untrustworthy politicians and civic officials. They can’t seem to do anything that’s right and good because they have little or no backbone and are thus been played like the proverbial puppet on a string by the evil ringmasters. But Friends, they will all get their comeuppance eventually, and I can assure you it won’t be good, because our God is keeping score and will repay them when the time’s right! Many have already succumbed to ill health, suicide and jail, their families humbled and shamed, while many are still living in dire fear of being caught. Evil has no place to run and hide Friends, please remember that. Whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light and the perpetrators, or their families WILL pay. Many of us have suffered evil at the hands of those we trusted or treated with a good and righteous heart, only to be cast adrift later on with an unholy ‘see you later alligator’ attitude and wave off. I can tell from personal experience that those things do hurt very much my people, but sometimes we just have to grin and bear them. I like how Bruh David says it in Psalm 38; the prayer of a penitent heart: ‘But mine enemies are lively (vigorous), and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is (that is good).’ (Ps.38:19-20) Yes Friends, it hurts the most when we have gone out of our way to do the good and right thing, then get suckered for it. But as Peter so rightly advises: ‘And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy (blessed) are ye: And be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.’ (1 Pet.3:14-15) I know that’s hard to do Friends, but it’s the way Jesus wants His followers to be. Remember He suffered immeasurable unfairness and evil for our sakes, and never complained. We are called to do likewise, and with His help, through His Holy Spirit, we can indeed leave the evil hurts we suffer to God to rectify. That’s wisdom at its zenith. Much LOVE!…the pilgrim’s journey is long and arduous…but with Jesus stoking the fires of his heart…he is able to withstand…and eventually overcome…
02 May 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: fauthful living, fruit of the Spirit, gentleness, gifts of the spirit, goodness, joy, kindness, long-suffering, LOVE, meekness, peace, planet earth, spirituality, sunrise, undying generosity, virtues
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Oh Friends, tomorrow has become today, and wonder of wonders, we’re still alive! Wow! Through the tender mercies of our God we’ve been allowed to witness another brilliant sunrise on this beautiful planet Earth! And all God’s people declared a grateful and enthusiastic: ‘Thank you Lord!’ And what are we going to do with that wonderful blessing eh Friends? How are we going to show the Lord that we’re truly thankful for His undying generosity? By first talking about our Bit in some detail, then going out and faithfully living it. That’s the only thing that will truly please the Father. Here goes: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ Everlasting words of truth and wisdom, my people! Now let’s get some groundings from the scholars: ‘The word fruit is significant for three reasons. (1) It means the result, product, outcome, or effect produced by the Spirit in the believer’s life. (2) Unlike “the gifts of the Spirit” (plural), only some of which are given to a Christian, each believer is to have all nine virtues composing “the fruit of the Spirit” (singular). (3) As fruit on a tree takes time to grow and mature, so the Spirit does not cultivate these virtues in the believer’s life overnight.’ There are two things to realize here Friends, the difference between ‘the gifts of the Spirit’ which are given to us individually by the Lord according to His plan for our lives, like prophecy, ministry, exhortation, philanthropy, etc. (Rom.12:4-8) Then there’s the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ which is a singular thing, with nine different fruits or virtues, that must be produced by us, must come from within us, through our Christ-like efforts. And we need all nine items growing well within us to truthfully bear the ‘fruit of the Spirit.’ And the second important aspect is, as the scholars point out, this fruit of the Spirit doesn’t mature overnight. It’s often a long, arduous process, and unless we understand that, we’re liable to rush off in our enthusiasm trying to produce spiritual fruit as quickly as possible, only to find it doesn’t work that way. Then we’ll probably get discouraged and lose faith. So please realize Friends, that we’ll be learning, maturing, improving every day, right up until we go to be with Jesus. It’s a process, like the aging of fine wine, and it also takes a lot of fortitude and faith to accomplish without dropping out of the race. Hear how Jesus describes the process: ‘I Am the true (genuine) vine, and my Father is the husbandman (vinedresser). Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth (prunes) it, that it may bring forth more fruit….I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:1-2, 5) So my people, you can see it’s not a short or easy process. Just like the grape vine, we need pruning and purging every so often, that we can be renewed, rejuvenated and produce more and better quality fruit. And here we’ll turn to the scholars once again to get some info on the individual fruit of the Spirit. ‘LOVE is the willing, sacrificial giving of oneself for the benefit of another without thought of return. Joy is gladness of heart. Peace is tranquility of mind, freeing one from worry and fear. Long-suffering is patience with others, the opposite of a short temper, a disposition quietly bearing injury. Gentleness is kindness. Goodness is generosity. Faith here is dependability. Meekness is gentleness, that is, courtesy and consideration in one’s relations with others. Temperance is self-control, that is, the ability to harness and control one’s passions and lusts.’ Yuh think it easy Friends? Not at all! Bearing the fruit of the Spirit is an involved, complicated, lifetime battle. But the good news is that with the Holy Spirit living and working in us we can, will and shall produce all nine aspects in our lives, because we’re true believers living each day in, with and for Jesus. We don’t want to let Him down or disappoint Him, so we’ve got to up the ante in our Christian walk, so that all those Christ-like features will shine out from us and make others want to know Jesus too. That’s the whole idea behind it my brethren, for people will only come to Jesus when they see some useful and beautiful stuff coming out of His followers. Otherwise, why bother? Remember, we’re Jesus’ representatives, ambassadors here on earth, and as we go, so will His kingdom. It’s just like any earthly ambassador; you have a certain reputation and standard to uphold, so that your country doesn’t get a bad reputation. And we surely don’t want to give Jesus a bad name now, do we? And all Jesus’ people gave a mighty shout: ‘Of course not! Well then Friends, let’s take what ever ‘gift of the Spirit’ with which we’ve been endowed, and go out into the evil, unfriendly world and show them that Jesus’ people are strong and steadfast and can bear the ‘fruit of the Spirit,’ as expected of them, in fact have it flourish, become exceedingly abundant. Let’s put that plan into action today please my people! Especially since it’s not against the law, as Bruh Paul told Timothy: ‘But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…’ (1Tim.1:8-9) So let’s also seek to be righteous, as we ought, my fellow brethren in Christ. Much LOVE!…when given gifts…believers must use them to bear good fruit…to further Christ’s kingdom…that’s our bounden duty…
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