05 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a feeling of calm and peace flowing over us, a truly heartfelt prayer, believe and you're saved, believing in Jesus is the only wise way to go, blessing and cursing, both thou and thy seed may live, But God commendeth his love toward us, carnal pleasures of earth, change whatever needs changing, choose life, Christ died for us, Christ paid our sin debt in full, christianity, deepen my breath, don't believe and you're condemned, enjoy a free and comfortable life in the hereafter, enjoying hell fire and damnation with Satan, enjoying salvation and eternal life with Jesus, faith, feel a lightening of our spirits, free will, God never gave up on us, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it, God's undying love, greater intimacy with God, hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, he that believeth not is condemned already, he that believeth on him is not condemned, holy spirit, I call heaven and earth, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, it's an easy choice, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, live with the consequences of our choice, LOVE, mercy, moral achievement, only two options in life, pay a steep price later on, paying high consequences for eternity, positively answered prayer, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, sacrificing one's life for another is the greatest proof of love, salvation, serious consequences for neglecting God's offer of salvation and eternal life, set before you life and death, short term gain but long term pain, short term pain but long term gain, sin turned us away from intimacy with God, slow my thoughts, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the free gift of salvation, the Lord answers our prayer, the sacrificial death of Christ, the sinful pleasures of earth, the ultimate proof of God's personal love for all people, the world through him might be saved, there's no truning back after death, to record this day against you, trials and tribulations, tried to earn God's favour, true wisdom is accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, truth, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, with God's help, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 5 September 2026 Romans 5:8.
Romans 5:8. But God commanded (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
It’s our lazy-day Saturday once again friends! Yeah! And a bright and sunshiny one too, rather appropriate for this Labour Day long weekend with all its festivities. So, before you get active, or get lazier (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And we know that if our prayer was truly heartfelt, that soon we’ll feel a lightening of our spirits, a feeling of calm and peace flowing over us, as the Lord answers our prayer for greater intimacy with Him. And let’s remember that a sincere prayer for greater closeness to and with God, is a prayer that will always be answered in a positive manner, because it’s one of the main reasons God created human beings; so that we could be intimate with each other.
But unfortunately, sin turned us away from that intimacy God desired, but He never gave up on us, and showed His great, undying LOVE for us, by sending His only Son, Jesus to die on the cross at Calvary and pay our sin debt in full, so that we could have another chance to get truly intimate with Him. And the Bible corroborates that, in no uncertain terms, when it says: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his own LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8).
Now, there can be no greater showing of LOVE than that my fellow believers! One overview explains it thus. ‘God shows His great LOVE for humanity by sending Jesus Christ to die for people before they turned away from sin or tried to earn God’s favor. From the very depths of His heart He poured out Unearned LOVE. Meaning, God did not wait for people to become good or fix their lives before showing mercy. And the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross is presented as the ultimate proof of God’s personal LOVE for all people. Then there’s the free gift of Salvation, which comes through this sacrifice rather than human effort or moral achievement.’
Now what more can we ask for eh? There’s nothing that proves LOVE more than sacrificing one’s life for another. But yet still so many of us simply refuse to accept God’s goodness, LOVE, mercy and grace as a worthwhile option for living this earthly life. And though God gives us free will to act as we desire, it doesn’t mean that He’s not in control or watching our every move, and the day will come when we will pay the serious consequences for neglecting His offer of salvation and eternal life, found only in acceptance of His Son, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Please note these ever so important words of Jesus, to the Jewish leader, Nicodemus, and subsequently to us. ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.’ (John 3:17-18)
There you have it friends; plain and simple. Believe and you’re saved; don’t believe and you’re condemned. There are only those two options. So which one will you choose eh? Believing and thus enjoying salvation and eternal life with Jesus, or not believing and enjoying hell fire and damnation with Satan? I don’t know about you nuh, but to me the choice seems real easy; believing in Jesus is the only wise way to go!
And yes, some of the carnal pleasures of earth you might enjoy by following Beelzebub are nice, but they don’t last very long, certainly not longer than this lifetime, and they invariably cause you to pay a steep price later on, so why be so desperate to enjoy them eh? Remember, this life here on earth as compared to the one after death is comparatively very short, so why do stuff that now that you’ll be paying high consequences for eternity, when you can believe in Jesus now and enjoy a free and comfortable life in the hereafter?
Remember the sayings: Short term pain, but long term gain; Short term gain, but long term pain. Now, I think that describes the situation quite nicely. You can either have some trials and tribulations following Jesus in this life, then enjoy total joy and freedom in the next; or enjoy the earthly sinful pleasures now and then pay the pay the price for that throughout all eternity. The choice is yours my people. Each one of us has to make up our own minds as to what we’ll do, but remember, whatever choice we make, after death there’s no turning back or around, we’ll have to live with the consequences of whatever lifestyle we’ve chosen.
And to help us all with that most momentous decision making, let’s listen to this wise advice from Moses to the children of Israel. ‘I call heaven and earth to record (as witnesses) this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:’ (Deut. 30:19) It could not get any clearer or wiser than that my brethren! So please let’s spend some lazy-day Saturday time contemplating those words and seeing how they fit into our current lives, and with God’s help, change whatever we need to change! Much LOVE!
…true wisdom is accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
04 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a daunting battle, a modicum of circumspection, a right to fight to protect what is yours, a scourge of small cords, a whip of small cords, an house of prayer for all people, atmosphere like a public bazaar, be repudiated on our watch, become a den of robbers in your eyes, believers must also wake up and smell the coffee, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, burn incense unto Baal, burnt offerings and sacrifices, by the good example we your faithful believers set, christianity, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, employers stranglehold on workers, end of summer vacation, faith, fighting for our rights, fraught with bloodshed and suffering, Friday chant, Friday Mantra, further your glorious kingdom, generous help, get sufficient fun fellowship and relaxation, greedy clutches, gross perversion of the temple, hard fought for rights, help us to be responsible, holy spirit, Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the son of David, inconsiderate, influence, it is written, Jesus Christ, Jesus drove out all that bought and sold in the temple, Jesus drove them out of the temple, Jesus healed the blind and lame ce, Jesus turned water into wine, Jesus went up to Jerusalem, Jesus' disdain for the corruption of organized religion, Jesus' first miracle, labour day weekend, lack of the purity of life and power of God, leverage, LOVE, made it into a den of thieves, make not my Father's house an house of merchandise, make them joyful in my house of prayer, mercy, my house shall be called the house of prayer, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffe, our witness for Christ is not good enough, overthrew the tables, overthrew the tables of the money changers, passover was at hand, poured out the changer's money, problems are escalating, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, salvation, selling animals in the temple, smell it sweet and strong, stand before me in this house which is called by name, stand strong and steadfast, take these things hence, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the BIBLE, the temple of God, the weekend is here at last, throne of grace, trusting faith, truth, uncompassionate, unexpected storms, we are delivered to do all these abominations, wisdom, wise guidance
Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 September 2026 Matthew 21:13.
Matthew 21:13. It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And then it was Friday, and our Friday Mantra rose up to high heaven with a glorious shout: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last!’ And though the day is not as beautiful as yesterday, with only a sprinkling of sunshine and some cloud cover, no one really cares because this is the start of the long, Labour Day weekend. Unfortunately it means the end of the summer vacation for the school children and some adults, but the cottage country will be busy with end of summer festivities this weekend, while the Canadian National Exhibition, the CNE, our grand summer fair, down at the shores of Lake Ontario, (not Lake America) (smile) will be doing a brisk business before it closes on Monday for another year.
And all around the world, there will be marches and parties to celebrate the lessening of the employers’ stranglehold on workers down through the last few generations. Oh, it’s been a daunting battle, fraught with much bloodshed and suffering, and the employers’ would be only too glad to get us back under their greedy, inconsiderate, uncompassionate clutches, and they are constantly trying to do so, willing to grab whatever bit of influence and leverage they can. But please, let’s not relax and allow our hard earned, hard fought for rights to be repudiated on our watch. End of the Sermon! (smile)
And I guess the Lord desires to reinforce our fighting for our rights with the scriptures because the Good Book just opened to that interesting situation where Jesus was fighting for His and His Father’s rights. That’s on Palm Sunday, the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the multitudes hailed Him with cries of ‘Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.’ (Matt. 21:9)
Soon thereafter, the Bible tells us: ‘And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast (drove) out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.’ (Matt. 21:12-14) Now that’s fighting for you and your Father’s rights!
Yes friends, as the scholars explain, in reality, the atmosphere around the temple amounted to a public bazaar. And apparently this was not the first or only time Jesus cleansed the temple of the wrongdoers. But only John tells us this story. According to John, after Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine at the marriage festival in Cana, ‘He went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge (whip) of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew (overturned) the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.’ (John 2:12-16)
Yuh see friends, Jesus was not afraid to fight for what was rightfully His, and so should we. And the scholars explain that Jesus’ display of anger indicated ‘His disdain for the corruption of organized religion which lacked purity of life and the power of God. In light of the seriousness of what He had come to do, Jesus could not tolerate such gross perversion of the temple, meaning the whole temple area on Mount Moriah including all the precincts and courts.’ And we could expect no less from Him.
And I like how Jesus just LOVES to quote scripture to bolster His actions. In the Palm Sunday instance, where He claims, ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ He’s most likely quoting from Isaiah and Jeremiah. Isaiah, in talking about God’s salvation and righteousness, says of the Lord: ‘Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.’ (Is. 56:7)
Then as per Jeremiah, where the Lord is telling the people to amend their ways. ‘Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it saith the Lord.’ (Jer. 7:9-11)
Unfortunately today also, many churches are run like business places more than houses of prayer and worship. But be that as it may, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine aid to help us handle all the stuff that’s coming against us. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work. It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. You know our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving, and we desperately need your help to fix them. Heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land.
So please give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And despite the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times, help us to be responsible, and get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that we can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out next week and further your glorious kingdom by the good example we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now two words of warning: remember to have a modicum of circumspection in your partying this weekend, and we believers also need to wake up and smell the coffee, because our witness for Christ is certainly not good enough! Much LOVE!
…you have a right to fight…to protect what is yours…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
29 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, a parable of covetousness and greed, all such rejoicing is evil, amidst all the anxiety and confusion, boast in your arrogance, boast not thyself of tomorrow, buy and sell and make profit, concentrate on the problems of today, contingency plans for tomorrow, continue there a year, defeat the simmering unrest in our land, discontent, dissatisfaction, divine aid, doeth it not, eat drink and be merry, enquire about the wisdom of our intentions, faith, for that ye ought to say, Friday chant, give first thought to God, go to now ye say, greed, holy spirit, honour worker's contribution to the labour scene, humdrum work life, hunger for power, if the Lord will, improve our witness for Christ, inhumane times, intorduce a new flock of believers, is not rich toward God, it is even a vapour, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, labour unrest and violence, legalization of unions, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, our sinful world, rejoicing in boastings is evil, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, say to my soul, show them the error of their ways, so is he that layeth up treasure for himself, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for any years, stand strong and steadfast, stand up strong and fight for what we have, strife-filled times, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, take therefore no thought for tomorrow, take thine ease, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away, the horrific labour scenes, the living truth, the morrow shall take thought for itself, the throne of grace, these ungodly times, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, thou fool, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth, times of lawlessness and uncertainty, to him it is sin, to him that knoweth to do good, today or tomorrow, truth, unexpected storms, wake up and smell the coffee, we shall live and do this or that, we will go into such a city, what is your life, whcih thou hast provided, when anything goes, whose shall those things be, wisdom, wise guidance, workers have little say in working conditions, working conditions, ye know not what shall be on the morrow, ye rejoice in your boastings
Proverbs 27:1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
And then it was Friday, a sunny but somewhat chilly day for August. It’s only about 15 degrees Celsius. But that did not stop the many shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ from going up to high heaven. There’s just something about Friday, whether it be hot or cold, that gets the populace in shouting mode. And it’s all because of the upcoming weekend, and the relaxing break from the humdrum work life that it promises.
And this weekend promises to be a big one, as it’s the last long weekend of the summer season, as well as the celebration of Labour Day on Monday. It’s a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September, dedicated to honour the contribution of workers to the current Labour scene, to remember all the labour unrest and violence that happened in the 19th century, when workers were brutally illtreated by management and had very little, if any legal rights. Those demonstrations, that met with extremely violent reactions by the owners, thankfully led to the eventual legalization of unions in 1894.
Most of us take the current situation for granted, but it certainly wasn’t so in the beginning, and many workers suffered and died at the hands of owners to enshrine the work system we now have. But even today, you can see the owners fighting to get it back to where the workers have very little or no rights or say in their working conditions. Unfortunately, the excessive greed and hunger for power still lives within the ownership class. But let’s hope that today’s workers won’t allow the situation to deteriorate to what it was like a couple of centuries ago, although that would please the owners no end.
So, although this is a weekend for celebration, it’s also one for remembering the horrific labour scenes that took place not that long ago, and pledging to stand up strong and fight for what we now have, and not let those inhumane times ever happen again. End of Sermon. (smile)
And today, our scripture lesson is also very applicable to these greedy, selfish, and strife filled times. The words come from the wise writings of Cousin Sol in Proverbs. He admonishes us thus: ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.’ (Prov. 27:1) And believe me people, those are indeed very wise words, especially in these times of lawlessness and uncertainty.
Remember Jesus warned us to ‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (troubles) thereof.’ (Matt. 6:34) So, although some contingency plans can be made for tomorrow, we should not worry about it, and instead concentrate on the problems and challenges of today, for tomorrow will bring it’s own problems and challenges. And we might not even make it to tomorrow if we don’t handle today’s problems properly.
And Jesus also gave a wonderful parable that spoke to covetousness and greed, but also highlighted the problems of placing too much interest and trust in tomorrow. He spoke of the rich man whose land produced so much fruit, that he did not have enough room to store it all. But after a moment’s contemplation, he hit upon this wonderful plan.
‘And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow (store) all my fruits (crops) and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat drink, and be merry. But the Lord said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:18-21)
Yes friends, whatever we do, we must first give thought to God, and enquire about the wisdom of our decisions or intentions, for He might have completely different plans and ideas for us, like He did for that greedy, rich man. And that’s why James also warns us that rejoicing in boastings is evil. He puts it thus: ‘Go to now (come now), ye say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain (profit): Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ (James 4:13-14)
And that’s the living truth my fellow believers! Our earthly lives are very short and can be taken away from us at any time by Almighty God, our Creator and Life-giver. So, instead of boasting about what we will do tomorrow or in the distant future, James wisely advises: ‘For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings (boast in your arrogance): all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4:15-17)
Oh my fellow believers, I could not put it any better than that, and it’s something we ought to seriously consider in our daily walk, especially in this season when anything goes. Are there good things we know we ought to do, and are not doing them? If so, we are only building up our sin account, which is not a wise move. So, let’s go right now to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine aid in these tough and turbulent times.
Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, despite our prayer, we still need to do our part; that’s improve our witness for Christ, because it’s our lack of good, strong and constant witness that’s caused the enemy to become so powerful in our world. And until we improve, divine aid will not be forthcoming. It’s as simple as that! Much LOVE!
…believers know what to do…but for one reason or another…we are not doing it…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
31 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a greater presence of God in our lives, a man after God's heart, a modicum of circumspection, a new yearning for God, all these things shall be added unto you, as the hart panteth after the water brooks, Bible, Christian witness, christianity, deepen my breath, early will I seek thee, entitled life, eternal life, faith, for the living God, god, goodness, hate, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, in a dry and thirsty land, increase my awareness of you, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, light of the world, LOVE, made for a time such as this, mercy, my lips shall praise thee, my soul shall be satisfied, my soul thirsteth for god, O God thou art my God, praise thee with joyful lips, proliferating darkness of the world, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, ruling the roost, salt of the earth, salvation, seek ye the kingdom of God, selfless sacrifice, slow my thoguhts, so panteth my soul after thee O God, spiritual renewal, thanksgiving, the believer's thirst for God, thy loving-kindness is better than life, thy right hand upholdeth me, trust, truth, warms the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, with marrow and fatness, your love surrounds and fills me
Psalm 42:1. As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
Well, it’s the last day of August 2024! Just imagine that nuh; the summer holidays done and over with…but we still have the whole long Labour Day weekend to cavort about and get in some last minute flings. (smile) But remember, a modicum of circumspection is always the best advice in those rushed circumstances. And this lazy-day Saturday seems to be tailor-made for laziness. (smile) It’s damp and cloudy, after a big thunderstorm last night, and there might even be some more rain later in the day. But right now the sun is making a valiant effort to overcome the dark clouds that insist on holding it up.
In the meanwhile, while we enjoy a lazy Saturday morning, there’s nothing better than offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So as one sincere voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
Now that’s the best kind of prayer we can ever pray; asking for a greater presence of the Lord in our lives and desiring to know Him better than we already do. Because there’s nothing the Lord appreciates more than His people wanting to have a closer association with, and knowledge of Him. That kind of prayer warms the cockles of His heart and He immediately answers it. That’s why we’re now feeling the increased warmth, the LOVE, the glowing presence of our God moving in our souls and spirits.
And that mind frame just reminded me of these yearning words of the Sons of Korah from Psalm 42. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2) Yes friends, that’s the kind of hunger and thirst we ought to have for our God, the One True Living God, Jehovah! For all that we are, everything we have, comes from, is derived from Him.
Obviously Bruh David was of the same mind, for although He was running from Saul in the wilderness of Judah, he nonetheless longed for the Lord; for spiritual renewal with thanksgiving and trust. Listen to how he puts in in Psalm 63. ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen (looked for) thee in the sanctuary. Because thy LOVING-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.’ (Ps. 63:1-4)
Now that’s how we ought to feel about our great and LOVING God, my people! And some might say that Bruh David was laying it on somewhat thick because He was out in the wilderness suffering, but we all know that from a youth, out in the fields as a shepherd, he was always entranced by and calling out to God. As these other verses testify. ‘My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow (the best) and fatness (abundance); and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after (close behind) thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.’ (Ps. 63.5-8)
Yuh see what happens when we keep God first place in our hearts and souls. He helps us, and when further tough times come, we can remember that earlier help and not be afraid, but rejoice that the Lord will help us again. And that’s why Bruh David enjoyed so much of God’s goodness in his life. He never strayed far from Him, always kept Him at the forefront of his mind. And that’s how we supposed believers in Christ Jesus ought to behave. As Jesus so wisely advised: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
And we see that in Bruh David’s life. He kept God first place and the Lord made him the greatest king that Israel ever had. His life was not easy, but the rewards were certainly worth it. And anyway, after he became king, most of his trouble came from his own doing. The Lord could have certainly demoted him to a lowly servant for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah, but He knew that Bruh David’s heart was right, that’s why He could call him a friend, and a man after His own heart. (1 Sam. 13:14)
And that basically means Bruh David valued the things of God, and generally walked with a heart filled with faith, LOVE and repentance. Now that’s what we ought also to be doing in these very troubled and critical times, because that’s why God has us here at this particular time. We were made for a time such as this; to show forth God’s praise and glory, His goodness and mercy, and challenge others to come to Him in faith and receive salvation and eternal life! We’re not here just to live the good, comfortable, entitled life, as so many of us insist on doing.
No, we need to be sacrificing some for Jesus and those who don’t know Him, and will thus lose out on His selfless sacrifice on their behalf. That’s what Jesus expects of those who call themselves, Christians, or His followers. But unfortunately we’re not doing enough good Christian witness, otherwise the world would not be in as sorry a state as it currently is. Hate, and not LOVE, is ruling the roost.
We’re not being the true salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus desires. Sadly, our salt has lost its flavour, and our light has been dimmed by the proliferating darkness of this ungodly world. That means we’re not seeking God and His presence in our lives as much as we ought to. But please, let’s try and turn that around with a new yearning for our Creator, so that we can do a better job, and thus leave our children’s children a better world. Much LOVE!
…the believer’s thirst for God…is not as dire as it ought to be…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
30 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, according to the beauty of man, all of them are vanity, battening down the hatches, better examples of Christian witness, Bible, christianity, confusion, crying out for your help, deceived hearts, deliver me according to thy word, faith, Friday chant, god, god made in the image of man, graven image, he hath shut their eyes, he makes a god and worships it, idols, Jesus Christ, labour day weekend, lay up treasures for yourself in heaven, LOVE, makes a god of the residue, makes it after the figure of man, omnipotent help, pagan idolatry, return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, stand strong and steadfast, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that they cannot understand, the dreaded winter season, the example we faithful believers set, the foolishness of worshipping idols, their hearts, there your heart will be also, they cannot see, they have not known nor understood, thou art my God, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and see the light, wake up and smell the coffee, wherever your treasure is, wisdom, worth a snowball's chance in hell
Isaiah 44:18. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
And would you believe it’s the second to last day of August, which means the Labour Day long weekend is on tap! So you can imagine the many joyous shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ that have been sent up on high this morning. Let’s remember though, that also means the end of the summer holidays, and on the other side of Monday is a return to school and work and less play. The time to begin battening down the hatches for the dreaded winter season that so many of us despise. But that’s life…and sometimes we make it seem so awful and terrifying, when it’s not, and we always take it in stride, because that’s what we do as true believers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
So what are we going to talk about today eh? I don’t have anything particular in mind. And when in doubt, what do we do? Obviously check the Good Library to see what it says. (smile) So let’s open it and see what comes up. Soon come. Oh, we’re back, a couple minutes later. And I’ve been led to a most interesting item of scripture from the prophet Isaiah, as he talks about the foolishness of worshipping idols. And that’s certainly a most important topic in our modern world, because so many of us worship idols, be they dead or otherwise, for an idol is whatever we treasure above the presence and company of God.
Remember what Jesus said on the subject: To lay up treasures for yourself in heaven not on earth. ‘For wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:21) That means unless you’re laying up treasures in heaven, you’re worshipping some idol on earth more than God. And Isaiah says on God’s behalf. ‘They that make a graven image are all of them vanity (useless); and their delectable (precious) shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten (moulded) a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
Behold, all his fellows (companions) shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men (mere men): let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith (blacksmith) with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter (craftsman) stetcheth out his rule; he market it our with a line (chalk); he fitteth it with planes (fashions it with a plane), and he market it our with a compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth (secures) for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash (pine), and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
He burneth part (half) thereof in the fire; with part (half) thereof he eateth flesh; he roastest roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.’ (Is. 44:9-17)
Oh friends that was true of the Israelites back then and it’s also true of us right now. Many of us don’t worship graven images of wood and metal, but we worship all sorts of other stuff beside the One True God Jehovah! And that’s utter foolishness! How can you plant a tree, then when it grows, cut it down, warm yourself and bake bread with it, then use the remainder to make a god in your own image to bow down and worship eh. Or as Isaiah says: ‘shall I fall down to the stock of a tree (a block of wood?’ (Is. 44:19) But we fall down nowadays to even more foolish things.
However, let’s get some further insight into the scripture from the scholars. They say: ‘This exposé of idolatry is the most taunting in all of the Bible. The prophet Isaiah, serving as the spokesman of Yahweh, reveals the utter foolishness of polytheistic pagan idolatry. The graven image (carved idol) is called vanity (nothing). Delectable things refers to the adornment of idols with gold, silver, and precious stones. The prophet announces that idols themselves are their own witnesses. They see not, nor know. Therefore these inanimate objects are profitable for nothing.
Isaiah then berates the workmen (artisans) for designing and constructing their idols in the figure of a man. He exposes the basic fallacy of idolatry, a god made in the image of man. Thus the prophet’s criticism of one who would worship an idol carved from the same tree that he would use for firewood is that he feedeth on ashes.’
However you look at it friends, worshipping anything in the image of a man or another God-created being is foolishness. But as Isaiah says of their deceived hearts: ‘They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.’ (Is. 44:18) Thus they are unable to see their folly.
And that’s exactly what happens to us when we are intent on rebelling against the Lord; He shuts our eyes and ears of understanding so we can continue in our foolish behaviour, until we wake up and see the light. And many of us need to do that today, as we are still considering other things in this material and evil world more important than God. But let’s go to Him right now, through our Friday Chant and ask for His omnipotent help in whatever is ailing us.
Altogether. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s not forget though, that our prayers won’t be worth a snowball’s chance in hell, if we don’t set better examples of Christian witness! Much LOVE!
…too many of us worship…everything else…but God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, Bible, bind them continually upon thine heart, by them is thy servant warned, christianity, endure to the end, enlightening the eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, falling prey, forsake no the law of thy mother, get ready for winter, god, guiding light, halfway home, hands on the plough, have good success, hibernate, holy spirit, in keeping of them is great reward, in whom I am well pleased, Jesus Christ, keep thy father's commandment, labour day weekend, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, making wise the simple, more to be desired than gold, moved by the Holy Ghost, no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation, northern climes, not by the will of man, not looking back, reproofs of instruction, salvation, sweeter also than honey, thank God, the author of our salvation, the breath of life, the commandment is a lamp, the drippings of the honeycomb, the fear of the Lord is clean, the infallibility of the scriptures, the law is light, the light that shines in the darkness, the way of life, the Word of god, this is my beloved Son, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, tie them about thy neck, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, Wednesday Wail, wiles of the devil, wisdom, write it indelibly in our hearts
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Another glorious summer day seems to be in the offing on this last Wednesday in August, as we wind down the summer holidays to the Labour Day Weekend, when all the fun and games of summer come to screeching halt. Chuh! The Ex (Canadian National Exhibition) closes. School reopens, adults go back to work and the long weekends are now fewer and further between. (smile) But that’s just the way it is these northern climes…after the summer comes the fall when you get ready for winter, then winter comes and you hibernate.
But let’s remember that through it all, both the bad times and the good, we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, to whom nothing is impossible, and His Holy Spirit as our Guiding Light, who will lead us on to glory, if we pay sincere attention to His guidance. But it all begins and ends with us knowing the Word of God, constantly reading and meditating on it, for as the Lord told Joshua, ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
We need to write that indelibly in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds friends, if we desire to achieve success in this ungodly and evil world. Yes, it’s only by following God’s Word that we will rise above the evil and ungodly wiles of the devil. And the scriptures says it quite plainly: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) That is gospel truth my people! When you allow God’s word to lead you, you will never go wrong.
And Cousin Sol says as much in this section of Proverbs that deals with keeping the Father’s Commandment, and a warning against adultery. He writes: ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:’ (Prov. 6:20-23)
Then Cousin Sol goes on to tell about how keeping God’s word will keep you from falling prey to an evil, adulteress woman. (Prov. 6:24-29) But the truth of the matter is that the keeping of God’s law will also keep you from falling prey to Satan’s many other deceitful schemes. Yes friends, our safety net all depends on knowing God’s law and keeping it! And for a more detailed testimony on the subject, let’s listen to Cousin Sol’s father, Bruh David from Psalm 19. He expounds thus on the perfection of God’s law:
‘The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the (drippings of the) honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:7-11)
Oh my people, what good news that is, re the benefits of knowing and keeping God’s law. Wow! It certainly is awesome: it makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and is much more to be desired than gold, even fine gold, and it’s even sweeter than honey, or the drippings from the honey comb! Brother! What a magnificent thing is the Lord’s law, and such a wonderful thing to have always at one’s beck and call!
Meanwhile, the apostle Peter puts it this way about the Lord’s law. Early on in the passage he talks about being on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus, and being an eyewitness to His majesty. ‘For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy (the prophetic word made more sure); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation (origin). For the prophecy came not in old (any) time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet. 1:17-21)
And there again Peter refers to the Lord’s law as a light shining in the darkness, that shines in our hearts when Jesus ,the day star, comes into them. But the general meaning of the passage is the assurance of the infallibility of the scriptures, because the revelation of God’s word didn’t originate with men, but came to them directly through the Holy Ghost. Thus we can lay our lives down on the truth of scripture. And let’s hope and pray that we’ll all continue doing that today, keeping the Lord’s commandments and enjoying the benefits that emanate from so doing.
Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘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!’
And furthermore, if we endure with Jesus right down to the very end, then it’s been promised that that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So, looking forward to seeing you there at the very end! Much LOVE!
…who is Jesus…the author of our salvation…and the light that shines in the darkness…to show us the true way…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Sep 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a badge of honour, a future and a hope, busyness, coddling a pent-up rebellion, don't know whether we're coming or going, drunk or sober mind your business, embrace your love and compassion, for His name's sake, Friday chant, get away from alarm clocks, God has our best interest at heart, he leadeth me beside still waters, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I shall not want, introduce a new flock of believers, labour day weekend, LOVE, Once in a while we can, once in a while we can do what we want to, One Year Book of Bible promises, only God can satisfy our deepest longings, our competitive society, return backsliders to your fold, running on the treadmill of life, show them the error of their ways, simmering unrest, take a break, the constantly spinning merry-go-round of life, The Lord is my shepherd, the shattering pressures, the unexpected storms, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
And as we open our day and say ‘TGIF Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend is here at last!’ we are beholding a bright, new, sunshiny day, as well as a new month, that of September, which unfortunately spells the end of the summer vacation season, and a return to work and school. But them’s the breaks, as Job so rightly said, we can’t expect to have all good and no bad, at least what we consider bad. (Job 2:10)
Now, if the weather forecasters are to be believed, September is supposed to come in like a lion with a week of hot temps, and not like the lamb it usually is, bringing cold temps after Labour Day. And this is the Labour Day long weekend, so you know the partying will be plentiful, but I’m pleading with us, to not overdo the celebrations, and as Granny would say: ‘Sonny boy, please, ah beg yuh, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ Yes friends, this weekend, please, let’s all mind our business, and let’s be sober, rather than the former state nuh. (smile)
Now here’s an interesting and encouraging tidbit from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Once in a While We Can.’ So please read with me: ‘One bright Sunday when I was twelve, I didn’t want to go to church. I wasn’t coddling a pent-up rebellion. I simply pictured a leisurely day away from “have to” things. How to explain and be understood! Finally I just blurted it out as Mother prepared breakfast.
She listened attentively. “Honey,” she said calmly, “we can’t always do what we feel like doing without hurting someone.” That settled it, I thought. I was sorry I had asked. Suddenly I heard. “But once in a while we can do what we want to – just because we want to. You may stay home this Sunday.” The memory of that day is still vivid. Not because I stayed home from church, but because I learned a profound lesson. Once in a while we can!
Once in a while we can get away from alarm clocks, peanut-butter jars, milk cartons… away from the shattering pressures of our competitive society. Once in a while we need to get away from work, family, friends, and pressing commitments. Often we lose the capacity for personal enjoyment. Once in a while we need to walk, think, and meditate. Only God can satisfy our deepest longings. He longs for us to share our private secrets with Him. Once in a while we can.’
And is all of that ever so true my fellow believers! Our world is so competitive, so busy and running 24/7 that we can’t always be running on the treadmill of life and be successful. No! Sometimes we just have to get off of the constantly rolling treadmill, take a break from the constantly spinning merry-go-round and refresh ourselves. Take some time for us to think and walk peacefully, not at the pace our world wants to go. And in those quiet and thoughtful moments, our thoughts ought to be centered on our Creator, Almighty God, the ONLY ONE who can truly satisfy the longings of our troubled and tired souls.
Ah friends, our world is so busy, with most of us busy but going nowhere fast, or nowhere at all. Busyness these days is looked upon as a badge of honour. And it’s the number one excuse for not keeping our promises. ‘Oh, I was so busy!’ Busy doing what? Stuff the world considers important, but God considers unimportant! The world has us running so fast that oftentimes we don’t know whether we’re coming or going. It’s time to stop and consider our priorities my people. That is if we want to make it to the end, all in one piece.
And the only way to do that is by having the Lord God Jehovah as our Number One Priority, while following His will and plan for our lives. Remember what He says in Jeremiah? ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you and expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) Now does the devil have your best interest at heart? No way! He just wants you to do his evil will and couldn’t care less what happens to you, once you do it.
But our great God is different. He always has our best interest at heart, because He truly cares about us. We’re His creation and He wants us to spend eternity with Him, not with the evil Satan. That’s why He went so far as to send His sinless Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross at Calvary so our sins could be bought and paid for with his precious blood. Now doesn’t that spell compassion and care? It certainly does.
And before I forget, (smile) let’s see what’s the Bible Promise for today’s writing. And boy oh boy, it’s these marvelous words of Bruh David, but in the NLV translation. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honour to his name.’
I’m sorry though friends, that translation doesn’t cut it for me. So, let’s declare (yesss!!!) the real McCoy nuh. ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps. 23:1-3) Now that sounds more like it! And yes, I am biased towards the King James Version! (smile)
Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking help for our many earthly problems. As one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And having committed all of that to prayer, it will be in our best interest to keep our promises and improve our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…the Chrisitan life should not be a constant merry-go-round…every so often…we need to come off and take a break…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
04 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of justice, a time to every purpose under heaven, acceptance of waht we imagine to be true, all these things shall be added unto you, as for me and my house, be fruitful and multiply, blessed Saturday, Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, Covid 19 virus, do anything to get there, every one is born with a purpose, faith, faith is the substance of things hoped for, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, if ye then be risen with Christ, labour day weekend, LOVE, lurking in the weeds, not on things on the earth, our friend Anselm, position of a righteous judge, seeing is believing, seek those things which are above, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sell our souls, set your affection on things above, straighten out your soul, Thank you Jesus, the definition of faith, the evidence of things not seen, the Holy Spirit of Jesus, the reward of faith, the wages of sin is death, to everything there is a season, to give you an expected end, to see what you believe, touching is the naked truth, ways of getting anywhere you want to go, we will serve the Lord, when people care and cry for you, which we cannot prove, worldly pleasures
Colossians 3:2. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
Saturday, oh blessed lazy Saturday! Are we ever so glad to see you on this Labour Day long weekend. Hope you don’t have too many serious plans for me; except those that include lazing around and frolicking. Yes, I do know that the Covid 19 virus and its dangerous family are still lurking somewhere in the weeds, just waiting to catch and kill gullible, unsuspecting, unprepared folks, but I pray I won’t be one of those, because of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that’s leading and guiding me.
And all God’s children gave a grateful shout of ‘Thank You Jesus!’ Yes, friends, there’s an awful lot we have to be thankful to Him for. However, He doesn’t just want word of mouth thanks, but a beautiful showing of it in our behaviour, in our everyday living, as we be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in His glorious name!
So let’s try and concentrate on living the way He wants us to nuh. Let’s make it our top priority this Labour Day Saturday morning, even when we just lazing around or frolicking, because there is a time for each of those activities. As Cousin Sol so wisely says, as the Preacher. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’ (Eccl. 3:1)
And seeing that it’s Saturday, our purpose today is to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. (smile) Listen to this first one: ‘I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.’ And that’s true. We can go almost wherever we want to go, if we want it badly enough. But the problem here, is where do we want to go so badly that we will do anything to get there?
The truth of the matter is that too many of us want things that don’t really do any good for us, like worldly pleasures and accoutrements, and we just die, ofttimes sell our souls to get them. And that’s not wise my brethren, for as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And as Bruh Paul further reminds us: ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’ (Col. 3:1-2)
In other words friends, we are not to focus on anything, be it good or bad, that will lead us away, and not towards our heavenly Father. And sometimes when we do go astray, this next quote can be helpful. ‘When people care for you and cry for you, they can straighten out your soul.’ Ah mih bredrin, that’s the beauty of having people in your life that care enough to cry and pray for you in those times when you seem to have lost your way.
Oh, we don’t need a truckload of people praying and crying for us, just a serious and righteous few who will get through to God with their prayers, and to us with their tears! A praying and caring group of people around us is one of the most important assets we can ever have in this sinful and evil world.
That leads us to these next two quotes which are basically the same. ‘Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.’ ‘That is the definition of faith – acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.’ And indeed, so it is my fellow saints in Christ! As the Good Book tells us: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb. 11:1) Faith is having hope in our hearts, believing for things that we do not yet see in reality. And as the quote says above ‘the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.’
Wow! How wonderful is that eh? And that’s the way God’s economy works my people! You believe, then you see! Not like the world acclaims: that seeing is believing, and touching is the naked truth! And that’s the unwavering kind of faith we need to believe in Christ Jesus and all the many promises He’s made us. Listen to how God’s Word puts it nuh. ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds (ages) were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).’ (Heb. 11:3)
That’s the first basis, the very foundation of our faith friends; to believe that God spoke the world into existence, made something from nothing! And if you can’t believe that, then faith in Jehovah God is not possible. For His Word also tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And all God’s children said a loud ‘Amen!’ Yes, my faithful brethren, we do need to say, ‘So let it be!’ Why? Because that’s how it is, how God desires it, and we can’t change it.
That brings us to this last quote, another interesting one. ‘I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself to step into your God-given calling.’ And if that isn’t the indisputable truth, I don’t know what is nuh! That’s because from the day God created man, He appointed him to a purpose. Adam and Eve were to look after the Garden of Eden, be fruitful and multiply, live in LOVE with each other and have a close relationship with God.
And though they spoiled the good thing they had, God’s desires and purposes for His most wonderful creation did not change. Hear what He said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer. 29:11) And God kept that promise in spades, gave us the option for a future and a hope, when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die in our place, so that we could be reconciled to Him and have eternal life!
How much more can He do eh? He’s also a God of justice, which means He has to fulfil the law, and the law said, the wages of sin is death, so He couldn’t just pardon us willy nilly, otherwise He wouldn’t be fulfilling His righteous purpose as a judge. If we were to be forgiven and live in everlasting righteousness with Him, some sinless somebody had to pay for all the sins in the world, and Jesus was the only sinless somebody available. That way God satisfied His promises to give us a future and a hope, and also satisfied His eminent position of a righteous judge; that is justice must not only be done, but also seem to be done.
So, God has done everything He can to bring us back into sincere fellowship with Him, because that was one of His original purposes for creating us. The rest is now up to us; whether we receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, or follow the foolish ex-archangel Lucifer to the eternal damnation. The choice is yours my friends! But as for me and my house…we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15) Much LOVE!
…oh faith…please help me to believe what I don’t see…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
03 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 3 Canal, a means of restoring faith in you, abominable sins, bring backsliders back to your fold, bring God back into our society, climate change, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, earthquakes, embrace your love and compassion, evil and ungodly machinations, faithful believers, flood in New York city, for my own sake I do this, Friday chant, God sent Jesus to die on the cross, How can I let myself be defamed, I am the Lord that is my name, I will not yield my glory to another, labour day weekend, littering the earth, living in the darkness of sin, LOVE, man now feels he is a god unto himself, man's woes result from his wrongdoing, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images, our sinful world, polluting the heavens, present in our worldly misfortunes, serious and unexpected storm, sinful shenanigans, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the fire next time, the hand of God, the unrest in our streets, the world's plagued by disease, to be saved from our ungodly lifestyle, use the pandemic, volcano eruption, wake up and smell the coffee
Isaiah 42:8. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
And then it was Friday, that blissful day we all look forward to, and joyfully declare: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui!’ It means the beginning of our weekend frolic time. And this weekend is even better because it’s the Labour Day long weekend. Unfortunately, I don’t believe there will be any big Labour Day parade in Brooklyn, New York after the terrible flooding that occurred over the last few days in that city. But mankind, being the quickest animal to rebound from a disaster, or even to celebrate in a disaster, one never knows. (smile)
Anyhow, let’s hope and pray for our besieged world, where so much of it has recently been plagued by disease, poverty, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, wildfires, floods, famine, hurricanes, hunger and our ever-present human strife. Oh my people, it’s really a sad time in the life of our world, and one that will only improve with our turning back to Almighty God. Yes, the same One who created and LOVED us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us to be saved from our abominable sinful and ungodly lifestyle.
And please note friends, that unless we soon do something about our evil and ungodly machinations, our world will continue to crumble under our feet, until it just simply implodes or explodes with a fierceness that we cannot imagine. Oh, we blame a lot of it on what we call climate change, but who has caused climate change eh? We the people, who insist on littering the earth and the heavens with our ever-increasing refuse and polluting it with new pollutants every day. And yet we still expect it to be such a glorious place to live, and can’t believe that we’ve done so much damage to our wonderful environment.
Now, let us not forget the strong possibility of the hand of God being present in our worldly misfortunes, because it is said that He will not allow the sinful to continue in their sinful ways for ever. Remember, one time He got so fed up with our sinful ways that He destroyed the earth and all therein by flood, except for Noah, his family and one set of every animal so that He could replenish the world, give us a brand new start.
Unfortunately though, over time, we returned to our sinful, ungodly ways. And unless you are so living in the darkness of sin, that you are totally blind to what’s happening around you, you will acknowledge that this is one of the most depraved and sinful eras of mankind’s existence, even as his intelligence and knowledge have reached unimaginable heights. That has led him to want to remove God from the society, because he now feels that he is a god unto himself.
But mankind forgets that he is a created being, meaning he cannot stop or prevent the death and the eventual destruction of his human body, and no matter how intelligent he becomes, he will never be able to fully replicate himself, because neither can he do the ultimate job of breathing the breath of life into a body. Yes, he can imitate it by creating an artificial being, a robot with all the accoutrements of a human body, but never the breath of life, because that’s reserved for Almighty God Himself, the creator and ultimate controller of the universe.
We have obviously forgotten, or simply choose to ignore God’s statement to the ungodly Israelites. ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8) And as the gotquestions.org website tells us on the subject. ‘God’s glory is His honor, splendor, and dignity, and He will not share it with anyone. In telling Israel of how He was sparing them from destruction and giving them new prophecies, God says, “For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another” (Isa. 48:11) I don’t know how much clearer the Lord can be nuh.
And we’ve said all of that friends, simply to say, that there is a higher power than mankind in this universe, and it will not let him destroy it or bring it to ruin through his sinful, ungodly behaviour. And having given us an option to reject sin, to get away from eternal damnation, through accepting His Son, Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, Jehovah God cannot be blamed if He just gets tired once more with our sinful shenanigans and destroys our world once more. And this time friends, He’s promised that it won’t be by water.
So, can you think of other methods of destruction? I believe they are all worse than water. One commentator asks these two interesting questions: ‘God promised no more floods. Is there a loophole—fire next time? Will God continue to self-limit when faced with our continuing evil? God promised not to destroy the earth (at least by a flood). Will God let us destroy it?’ Who knows the answers eh? And if yuh want a li’l heads up on it, listen to the album titled ‘The Fire Next Time’ by that awesome rap group from T&T, 3 Canal. (smile)
And right now friends, there are numerous wildfires burning in every corner of our universe, fires that we have been fighting for months, and are still unable to put out. Fires that are causing people to evacuate their safe and wonderful homes and cities every day. So, the world going up in flames, is not such an incredible option or idea, as so many of us would like to believe. All I know is that if we want to survive worldwide disaster, we have to, we must, bring God back into our society, re-establish Him and His rule as the Number One factor in the way we live our lives.
And we can begin doing that right now by going to Him in humble prayer, through our Friday Chant, sincerely asking for His help. So, as one voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, as always, the Lord’s answer will be based on the way we keep the promises we’ve made! Much LOVE!
…most of man’s woes…result from his own wrong doings…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a few pennies, alertness, back to school, benefits, bless the Lord, blood, chanting up a storm, Christians, cold weather, common sense, comrades, cottage season, deceit, direction, eagles, earthly journey, enthusiasm. week of work, evil attributes, evil soul, fellowship, forget not, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, hard done by, heavenly Father, in Jesus' name, iniquities, intercession, judgement, knowledgeable guide, labour day weekend, lay the eggs, leggo beasts, lies, LOVE, loving-kindness, massa . take advantage, measly pay, merciful gracious, mercy, motivating, mount up with wings, navigate, no rights, not be weary, not faint, on the same page, perilous waters, relaxation, renew their strength, rest, rewarded us, righteousness, run, September, sincerity, sinful properties, sins, slow to anger, stability, sweat, tears, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the children of Israel, the east is from the west, the forefront of our thoughts, the workingman, transgressions, wait upon the Lord, waiting on god, walk, walk in tandem, we are dust, wiles
Isaiah 40:31. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Ah friends, it’s Friday already! Can you believe it? And not only that, it’s also the first day of September! Glory Be! The days sure are passing rather quickly. Labour Day is here, meaning it’s back to school, and also that the cold weather is just around the corner. Hn!
But we should not be too surprised, or it should not make much of a difference because it has not been a really hot summer. The important thing here though is that this is the last long weekend of the summer. Cottage season will soon be over, and thus the workingman is chanting up a real storm today.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend is here…the Labour Day weekend to boot! That’s when we celebrate all our fallen and hard-done by comrades over the years, where massa take real advantage on him!
Them days he even had to work the weekend…for the same measly pay. But through plenty blood, sweat and tears we manage to wrestle two days off from massa evil soul, and a few pennies more in pay.
That’s why this weekend we going to laugh and play, dance and sing and make merry, behave like leggo beast, in remembrance of them real rough days earlier on! Thank God for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Oh my people, it’s important to remember those who have gone before us and weathered the awful stormy times when the ordinary workingman had no rights and was treated rather harshly by the powers that be.
But as sincere Christians, we should not be behaving like leggo beasts, because that only gives the enemy openings into our spirits to lay the eggs of his evil attributes, like deceit and lies and a host of other sinful properties. We need to be extra careful how we conduct ourselves in all situations.
And for the weekend, our Friday Chant offers a much better alternative to the workingman’s song. Let’s declare it now nuh, with suitable sincerity and enthusiasm.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yeh friends, wherever we are, and whatever we’re doing, we should always have Jesus in the forefront of our thoughts and hearts, for it is only through His intercession, the working of His Holy Spirit in us, that we can truly handle the enemy and all his wiles and lies.
After a long week of work, both our bodies and souls get tired and need refreshing if we’re to handle the upcoming week with any degree of alertness and success. That’s why our Bit is such a powerful and motivating piece of scripture.
‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’
Waiting on God and being on the same page with Him is essential for our very well–being my brethren! If we’re not in sync with Him then our lives will be wishy-washy and we’ll be drifting hither, thither and yon, rudderless, and also without a pilot.
Now that’s definitely not a good way to live this life. We need some stability and direction and a knowledgeable guide to help us navigate the perilous waters of this earthly journey. And there’s no one as qualified for the job as the One who created us in the first place.
Listen to how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 –Thanksgiving for God’s mercy. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:2-5)
How wonderful is that eh friends? Who else looks after us like our Creator eh? NOBODY! Because NOBODY cares for us like He does! So if we’re not wise enough to surrender our souls to Him, and place our complete trust in His all-knowing hands and ever-LOVING heart, then we’ve nobody to blame but ourselves.
Hear some more of Bruh David’s words from Psalm 103. ‘The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remebereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:6-14)
Oh my people, what else can we truthfully expect from our great God eh? Nothing really, because He gives us all that we need when we walk in tandem with Him.
So if we’re not having our needs fulfilled, then it possibly means that we’re not walking hand in hand with our heavenly father, and only we, as individuals, with His help of course, can fix that. Much LOVE!
…walking in step with Christ is simple common sense…since He created and controls us…
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