11 Mar 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a sinful and fallen world, abuse, adversity, as many as I love, backbone and belly, bastards, be discouraged, be zealous therefore, church at Laodicea, compassionate, corporal punishment, despise not, even as a father, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, God is faithful, God Jehovah, goes gaga over us, halfway home, hands on the plough, he chasteneth, he that spereth the rod, holy, humble apologies, I rebuke and chasten, illegitmate, irresponsibility, just, living for Jesus, looking forward, LOVE, loves us with undying love, merciful, nor faint, not turning back, repent, responsible for wrongdoing, righteous Deity, rude, scourgeth every son, sensible punishment, sent His only son Jesus, spoileth the child, the breath of life, the chastening of the Lord, the muse sleep, the son in whom he delighteth, to a glorious future with Jesus, to save us, too much leeway, train up the children right, unconditional LOVE, unmannerly, Wednesday Wail, when thou art rebuked of Him, whom he receiveth, whom the Lord loveth, Wisdom 101
Hebrews 12:6. For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, (even as a father the son in whom he delighteth).
My most humble apologies friends as we’re a bit late this bright and sunshiny Wednesday Morning. That’s because I had one of those late nights, or early mornings, your choice, and then the muse called sleep was pretty good to me, kept me under for a decent spell. (smile) But welcome nonetheless to a new day of mercies and compassions from our most merciful and compassionate God Jehovah! Give Him thanks for His amazing, awesome and unconditional LOVE for us, who don’t deserve even one iota of His goodness.
But His heart of LOVE couldn’t help itself way back when He sent His only son Jesus to save us, and even now, despite our abominable sinfulness and disobedience and desire to rid our society of His overall presence, He still LOVES us with the undying LOVE of a heavenly Father! Wow! I know it’s hard to believe that with all the ungodly stuff we do and the low esteem in which so many of us hold Him, that He still goes gaga over us. (smile) But we’re His greatest creation, so just like how we hold important people in our lives to our hearts, He holds us to His.
Now isn’t it simply wonderful to know that we have a God, a Creator, who LOVES us dearly, despite our many shortcomings? It certainly is! But that doesn’t mean He won’t punish or discipline or chasten us for our disobedience, but even then it’s because He LOVES us that He chastens us. Hear the Good Book tell it nuh, as the author of Hebrews quotes Cousin Sol from Proverbs 3:11-12.
‘My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth (even as a father the son in whom he delighteth). If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate), and not sons.’ (Heb. 12:5-8)
Oh friends, a lot of us believe that if God is so good, He should not punish us, but that’s not right, He punishes us because He LOVES us, the same way our earthly fathers punish us for wrongdoing because they are interested in our well being! Remember Hs is not only a LOVING God, but also a holy, righteous and just Deity, which means wrongs have to be righted and justice done. Jesus, in his message to the church at Laodicea, says it thus to John in Revelation: ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.’ (Rev. 3:19) That’s also wonderful advice for us today friends.
And the scholars offer this insightful explanation. ‘12:6. Whom the Lord LOVETH, he chasteneth: God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (in line) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly).” (Prov. 13:24: cf. 22:15; 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous; they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
Now my people, please look at those reference scriptures because they are rather important in parenting. And it’s exactly why this generation is so unruly, undisciplined, ungrateful, irresponsible and figure the world owes them a living; we parents have not administered the necessary punishment for their wrongdoings. And don’t get me wrong, corporal punishment is not the only way to discipline children, but it is a necessary and useful method. Oh, we parents get so soft-hearted and foolish nowadays believing that if we hit our children it’s child abuse…Steups!
Yes, some parents overdo it, to the point where it does become abuse. But when there is no sensible punishment and the children turn back and are rude and unmannerly and even hit and kill us, as we’re seeing so much these days, we wonder why it’s happening. But it’s basically our fault; we did not train up the children right and the society is giving them too much leeway for irresponsibility, not holding them sufficiently responsible for their wrongs. And I’m sure that many of us parents, in our youth, were punished for our wrongs, and if it was within reason, I’m sure we’re much better off today because of it.
It taught us obedience, and responsibility. And sometimes just the threat of punishment is sufficient to keep us from doing wrong. I know in my case, my mother was LOVING and kind, but if she said do something, or don’t do something, and I stubbornly or foolishly refused to comply, I could get the strap. I didn’t always get it, sometimes she was indeed merciful, (smile) but I had no doubts whatsoever that it could be very quickly forthcoming if I didn’t obey. So friends this idea we have that because the Lord is so good and LOVING, bad things shouldn’t happen to us, and we shouldn’t be punished for our wrongs is totally unjustified.
We live in a sinful and fallen world, with sinful and fallen humans, so sin and wrongdoing and disasters will happen. The Lord never said that He would prevent us from going through all the rough times, but that He would be right there beside us in them. That’s because we need to go through the flood, the fire and the storm if we want our faith to grow, for it’s only in adversity do we see the real us come out and our backbone and belly grow. So today let’s concentrate on doing the best we can, with what we have nuh, and leave the rest to our wonderful heavenly Father, for He has promised to provide all our needs if we seek Him first. And He IS faithful to keep all His promises.
So let’s go home now declaring (yeeahh!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our enviable position in Christ! All together now, in strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘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!’
Ah mih people, that is certainly Wisdom 101! Living for, and with, and through, and in Jesus… Oh that’s the wisest action we can ever take in this sinful world. So let’s take it and stay with it till the end nuh, for if we do, the future will indeed be mucho mucho glorious! Much LOVE!
…come to Jesus…stick with Him…and everything will be made right…eventually…
07 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dedicated life, a toothless tiger, able to stand before thee, adversity, all over us, all that comes against us, an awesome promise, as I was with Moses, be not afraid, be strong, be wise, believers in Christ, bondage in Egypt, borders, brewskis, burgers, calm, changeable like the weather, come to Jesus, common sense, crosses the line, do mih own thing, dogs, embrace Jesus, enemy territory, evil self, expletive deleted, fear not, fellowship, fences, Friday chant, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, gives us the wherewithal all, goes overboard, goes with thee, gospel truth, grill, having the enemy infiltrate, hold on for dear life, I will be with thee, I will never leave thee, I will not fail thee, in blazing sunshine, in God's great universe, in Jesus name, in soul body and mind, Jesus, Joshua, kinda weather, life, life's ever changing circumstances, like white on rice, living for Jesus, mama yo, mature souls, Moses, no shame, nor forsake thee, not any man, of a good courage, one and only one, peace, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, right now, sense of purpose, short shorts, sip a few, stay away from danger, steadfast life, steaks, storm, tank top, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the enemy, The Israelites, the Light, the Lord your God, the most wonderful thing, the North Pole, the only one, the Promised Land, the slave driver, the way the truth and the life, the weekend, the workingman's song, to handle, to live for Jesus, to love Jesus, vicissitudes of life, week of work
Hebrews 13:5a. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Ah mih people, life is as changeable as the weather! Yuh remember yesterday I complained that it was going to be another ‘riney’ day? Well, lo and behold, by mid-day, it had turned into a perfectly beautiful warm and sunshiny day, lots of blue skies and cool breezes! Shorts and shirtsleeves weather!
Well it’s the same way our lives can change rather abruptly, with no warnings at all. One moment you might be going through a perfect period of peace and calm, then all of a sudden calamity and adversity strike and you feel lost and out of your element. Or the opposite can happen; you’ll be going through a real rough time, and then for no apparent reason, the storm, the winds and the seas just suddenly become calm and you find yourself sailing along in perfect peace!
Wow! That’s what we call life! Unpredictable, unreliable and unforeseeable! (smile) Consequently, too many of us struggle to maintain our equilibrium in the sudden and scary ups and down of life. But there is a most positive antidote, a positive and productive way to handle life…His name is Jesus!
Yes friends, Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can help us successfully handle and navigate through the vicissitudes of life! Without Him, we are at the very mercy of life’s ever-changing circumstances. And that’s the gospel truth! But more on that later, because the workingman is just dying to bellow out his song this bright and sunshiny morning. (smile) So let’s give him a listen nuh.
‘Woyoyo! At long last I can shout TGIF! Thank God is Friday! The weekend, the weekend, it’s here, alive and in blazing sunshine too! Let’s just hope it stays so yes. We’ve been disappointed too often in the last few weeks. And I’m all ready to get out there in mih short shots and tank top and grill a few steaks, dogs and burgers, while sipping some cold brewskis! It’s June now, a week into it, so is high time we could go out there and do that sorta thing without any worries about cold weather!
Steups! Wuh happen, we living in the North Pole or something, that the weather so blooming cold and miserable? And if yuh check it out, up there right now they must be having long, hot bright days, enjoying a good summer already, while we down here having this expletive deleted kinda weather!
But is not much we could really do about it nuh, so let me stop complaining and just have a positive mindset and get mih self ready to get out there this evening when ah get home and do mih own thing. Mama Yo! Thank God for Fridays and weekends yes, at long last, ah chance to get away from the slave driver and them work…and party hearty too! I’ll be in mih essence then!
Yeh friends, the workingman surely tells it like he sees it. And generally speaking, nothing’s wrong with that, it’s just sometimes he goes overboard, or crosses over the line that we believers in Christ Jesus can’t afford to cross over, for fear of having the enemy infiltrate our already less than strong and mature souls. (smile)
And there’s no shame in that, it’s just common sense to shy away from danger before it hits you…and believe me the enemy we’re fighting is pretty dangerous when we give him a chance. On his own, he’s harmless, a toothless tiger, but once we open the door, brother, he’s all over us with his evil self like white on rice! (smile) That’s why our Friday Chant is not as expansive and expressive as the workingman’s song. So let’s chant it now nuh, in full voice and strong sense of purpose.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes brothers and sisters in Christ, ours is a dedicated life that requires some borders and fences so that we don’t cross over into enemy territory. But that’s the beauty of living for Jesus…He gives us the wherewithal to handle ALL that comes against us, as well as constantly being by our side. And furthermore, He’s made an everlasting and ever faithful promise: ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’
Wow! What an awesome promise! And we know He’ll keep it, because that’s the kind of Lord and Saviour He is. And it’s not like it’s something He just said the other day; He’s been saying it for ages now! Listen to how He said it to Joshua when He assigned him leadership of the Israelites after Moses’ death. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Josh.1:5)
And we know that the Lord kept that promise to Joshua in spades! But even before that, the Lord had made the same promise to the Israelites through Moses, when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt, leading them towards the Promised Land. Hear this encouraging and reassuring part of Moses’ last speech to the Israelites: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:6)
So friends, that’s definitely not a new promise, and every time the Lord made it, He kept it, so why should it be any different now with us eh? No reason whatsoever! The Lord our God never changes, so His promises last for a lifetime. That’s why we need to embrace His Son, Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW, and gratefully and humbly accept all that’s He’s already done, as well as all He’s promised to do for us.
That’s because there’s no one, or nothing else that can give us that kind of reliable, steady and steadfast life, through each and any situation, through calm and storm, through adversity and peace, like Jesus can! He is the ONE and ONLY ONE friends! So please, let’s be wise and come to Him in all sincerity nuh, and then hold on to Him for dear life, because He is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life…as well as the Light! Much LOVE!
…to LOVE and LIVE for Jesus…Wow!…it’s the most wonderful thing…in God’s great universe…
06 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fearful heart, Abba, adoption, afflictions of the gospel, afraid, afraid of life, be strong, benefits, Big Boss Man, Christian walk, Christians, comfort me, complaining, compromise ourselves, confront the heathen, damnation, deliverance, Egypt, Father, fear no evil, fear not little flock, fear ye not, freezing rain, glorious future with Jesus, Hades, halfway home, hands on the plough, heavenly rewards, hell fire, hold your peace, in jeopardy, Jesus compromised, lack of belief, living for Jesus, LOVE, make waves, middle of the workweek, Moses, no cause to fear, not looking back, of their own shadows, out of bondage, Pharaoh, power, power of our God, push come to shove, recompense, refresh our memories, rough going, satnd still, save you, snow, sons of God, spirit of bodage, spirit of fear, strong mind, the Good Book, The Israelites, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord shall fight for you, the man, the One, the Red Sea, the salvation of the Lord, the valley of death, thy rod and staff, to give you the kingdom, total control, unworthy actions, vengeance, walk through, Wednesday Wail, your Father's good pleasure
Luke 12:32. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Well it’s the middle of the workweek and most of us are catching our second wind, but we have to be careful because we seem to be playing some sort of weather musical chairs. Remember just last week it was a winter storm, then rain and flood? Well this morning I came down and looked outside and it was white as snow! (smile) It didn’t seem like a whole lot, but if the place is covered all over, then there’s too much snow in my opinion…as though that counts.
But then I heard some noise like stones hitting the window panes, only to discover freezing rain was also in action! And that’s possibly the worst combination you can have. So for all of you who have to go out today, please, please be careful because the snow is going to hide the ice and falling is definitely not recommended for this time of year. (smile)
But what’s certainly recommended is walking closer with Jesus, walking in lockstep with Him! For as the Daily Bread Devotional quote so rightly tells us: ‘There is no need to fear where you are going, when Jesus is going with you!’ Oh Glory Be my people! And that’s the living truth! Once Jesus is alongside us there’s no cause to fear because He is the MAN! He is the ONE in total control of ALL that happens in heaven and down here on earth!
So why should we fear if we have the Big Boss Man walking alongside us eh; securely holding our hands and whispering sweet encouragement? No reason whatsoever! So why are so many of us supposed Christians still so afraid of even our own shadows eh? We’re afraid to go out and confront the heathen, the devil, and whoever comes against us. We don’t want to make waves because somebody might complain, so we either stay quiet or compromise ourselves with some unworthy actions.
Now just think of what would have happened to us, what our situation would currently be like if Jesus had been afraid to make waves and just compromised with the heathen? We’d all be still headed for Hades, for hell fire and damnation, instead of having heaven as a wonderful and viable option! So what we going to do today is just refresh our memories with some doh fear talk from the Good Book that we all know and LOVE to spout, but when push comes to shove, we fraid to put into action!
And we going to start right at the beginning, where the Israelites on their way out of bondage in Egypt came upon the impassable Red Sea with Pharaoh and his Egyptian army hot on their heels. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation (deliverance) of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (be quiet).’ (Ex.14:13-14)
And we all know what happened on that most momentous day; the Lord parted the Red Sea through Moses, and the people walked across on dry land, then He closed back up the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh and his whole army. One would have thought that the Israelites would never have forgotten such a day. But unfortunately, as soon as they got over the other side and found a li’l rough going, they began to complain and carry on against Moses and God, and thus spent forty years wandering in the wilderness for their lack of belief and foolish complaining.
But don’t laugh nuh friends, because we’re doing the same thing today; full well knowing the power of our God, but still being afraid of life! But moving on: Here’s another verse we all know and spout, but don’t truly action. This is from Bruh David’s famous psalm -the Lord is my shepherd.’ Remember these words: ‘Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Think on that friends…and at the same time on these other words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps.27:1) Good question that my brethren!
And the Lord told Isaiah when He promised that Israel would be restored to Zion: ‘Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.’ (Is.35:4) And we all know that He did just that!
And how many times did Jesus tell His disciples and those around Him to fear not eh? We’ll just mention this one when He was talking about man’s first priority should be seeking the kingdom of God. ‘Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’ And if we don’t know that by now, then our Christian walk is really in jeopardy.
Then Bruh Paul had these words for the church at Rome: ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.’ (Rom.8:14-15) So friends, if we are the children of God, then what do we have to fear eh? I’ll let you answer that. (smile)
And we’ll close with this last and oh so popular verse; words of Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of (share with me) the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.’ (2 Tim.1:7-8) What more can I say eh friends? Bruh Paul said it all!
But we can definitely go home declaring (right ho) our Wednesday Wail with sincere hearts and minds, letting the world know our position in Christ! In strong voice now: ‘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 one of these days, when we’re all in heaven, I’ll remind us of how I kept saying that the future with Jesus would be even greater than we can ask or imagine, and you wouldn’t believe me! (smile) Much LOVE!
…doing anything right isn’t easy…but living for Jesus…oh my,my…it brings out of this world benefits…heavenly rewards…
28 Dec 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fallen world, afflictions, Alpha, always-lurking enemy, an open invitation, as a roaring lion, avowed purpose, be of good cheer, be sober, be vigilant, Casting all your care, celebration time, Christ-like, Christmas, cool weather, defeated foe, drinks, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, eternal optimist, Everything, everything's changing, exalt you, First, food, Friday chant, furthering your kingdom, generous help, glory and dominion, gospel truth, Granny's warning, grow spiritually, he careth for you, hold our heads and bawl, humble yourselves, i have overcome the world, in due time, in Jesus name, infiltrate our souls, keys to eternity, Last, live this earthly life, living for Jesus, long weekend, make you perfect, modicum of circumspection, narrower borders, Omega, only sensible way, parties galore, purists, resist steadfast, ring in the New year, Satan, seek the Lord diligently, seeking whom he may devour, slaving for the slave driver, snow for Christmas, springtime in December, stablish, stealing our peace, strengthen you, suffered a while, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the devil, the God of all grace, the mighty hand of God, the workingman's song, toothless tiger, tribulation, walketh about, week of work, weekends, white christmas, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Aye mih beauties, welcome to spring time in December! It’s raining outside, and they say it might go up to as much as ten degrees Celsius today! Brother! Imagine that scene at the end of December nuh! I feel sorry for the purists who did not get their white Christmas and might not even get to ski as they ring in the New Year. But what yuh going to do eh? Everything’s changing, and changing fast too! I remember the days when you could be assured of snow, and plenty too, for Christmas!
The duchess and I might even have wasted money paying for snow removal, since we can’t do it ourselves any longer, and there hasn’t been any to remove so far. But like my friend Scotty, I’m the eternal optimist! (smile) We will get snow, it’s only a matter of time…and then we’ll get so much, that we’ll all hold our heads and bawl! Matter fix!
Now let’s hear what the workingman is singing this spring-like Friday morning nuh: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! And another long weekend…in cool weather to boot, as New Year’s rolls on in! Wonder what 2019 going to hold for we eh? Most likely the same old slaving for the slave driver…but we going to cross that path when we come to it yes! Right now is celebration time, ringing out the Christmas season and ringing in the New Year!
And brother, what a Christmas we had; food and drinks and parties galore, though not as much presents under the tree as usual! But everybody was happy and had a good time. So we can say that Christmas 2018 was wonderful, as we thank the Lord for Fridays, weekends and Christmas time!’
Ah mih people, I do hope that we all had a good Christmas, and that unlike the workingman, we included Christ in it, because in spite of everything the unbelievers say and do, He is the reason for all this celebration, every year, in the month of December.
Let’s also hope that we didn’t overdo any aspect of the celebrations, kept Granny’s warning in mind: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ And consequently, did not give the always lurking enemy a chance to get even a toehold in our souls, for we all know that’s his avowed purpose.
Now let’s sing our weekend song, our Friday Chant. It’s not as colourful as the workingman’s but it serves our purposes admirably. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh friends, our song elicits a modicum of circumspection that’s absent from the workingman’s; we tend to keep narrower borders, so that the enemy isn’t given an open invitation to infiltrate our souls. That’s why Peter steadfastly warns us: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’
And that’s gospel truth friends! Satan is only interested in stealing our peace and joy found in Christ Jesus! When he has us low down and miserable and doubting then he laughs and believes he’s won. But the truth is he can NEVER WIN unless we allow him to, for Jesus has already won the battle for death, hell and the grave, He has the keys to eternity, and the prince of darkness is a defeated foe! He’s only trying to fool us into thinking that he has some sort of authority and power. But he’s actually a toothless tiger! (smile)
Nonetheless, we still need to follow Peter’s advice: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:9) Yeh mih people, all of us experience some kind of affliction in this earthly life, because it’s a fallen world. Jesus said it clearly: ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33b)
Oh friends, I know that’s easier said than done, but Peter also has some advice for how we can best resist the adversary. Listen up: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet.5:6-7) Oh faithful believers, truer words were never spoken! Our heavenly Father cares for us more than we can ever imagine!
And He is the ONLY ONE who can help us to steadfastly resist the enemy! But we do need to acknowledge His supremacy, and humbly come to Him asking for His help. And please note, He will NEVER turn away anyone who comes to him sincerely and humbly asking for assistance. That’s his ever-faithful promise! So let’s not be proud and foolish nuh, thinking we can do it on our own, because we can’t.
But if we seek the Lord diligently, Peter promises: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen and settle you.’ (1 Pet.5:10) Wow mih brethren, what a wonderful promise! We can’t expect life to be all wine, roses and song, there must be some tough times so that we can grow spiritually, become more Christ-like!
However, when we’ve valiantly withstood those times, with Christ’s help of course, then our wonderful God will indeed establish and strengthen us in His might and power. That’s why Peter ends thus: ‘To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen!’ (1 Pet.5:11) Oh what a great God we serve and worship my people! Let’s not forget that He is our Alpha and Omega, our First and Last, our Everything! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus…is the ONLY sensible way…to live this earthly life…
30 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: amazing feat, appearing, aquamarine surf, barbecue, begun a good work, beloved of God, Blue Hole Waterfall, blue skies, bright sunshine, brokenness, cloudy skies, coconut trees, colourful fall season, compassion, confident, count it all joy, dead brown leaves, divers temptations, Don't stop Lord, Dunns River falls, faith, flambeaus, flaming torches, found unto praise, friend of Christ, genuine, glory, gold that perishes, grace, honour, hurry, in god's eyes, island talk, Jesus Chirst, joy, life unfair, living for Jesus, LOVE, magnificent shoulders, make me whole, maturity, more precious than gold, multihued trees, my weakness, nature trail, North East Trades, not easy, nothing left, of this very thing, of your faith, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, perseverance, poster tree, Praise the Lord, rafting, ransacked me, redeeming feature, refurbishment, renovations, Revelation of Christ, rewarding, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love, strength, testing, thanksgiving, the credit, the fire, the flood, the Lord carried me, the product, the White river, till the coming of Jesus, tough times, trial, tried with fire, Tuesday Mantra, various trials, wasted, what I do, what I have, will complete it, worry, worth the process, yellow leaves
1 Peter 1:7. That the (genine) trial (testing) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ.
Ah friends, life can be so unfair at times eh! Chuh! For the past two weeks I was waking up to bright sunshine, blue skies, aquamarine surf rolling up on the shores, and tall coconut tress swaying gently in the cool North East Trade Winds, with refreshing island talk drifting up to my room.
But all of a sudden, I got up this morning and looking out my bedroom window, somewhat cloudy skies, multihued trees and a set of dead brown leaves on the cold looking grass shockingly greeted my sleepy eyes. It certainly brought my system to a standstill. (smile)
But there was one redeeming feature; my neighbour has a tall tree in his backyard, don’t ask me what kind, and it is covered in golden yellow leaves from head to foot! It looks real beautiful, could be a wonderful poster tree for the colourful fall season.
Yeh mih people, the ole fella is back home, dressed in his old red spring jacket, sitting in his old chair before his aged desktop, and writing much more comfortably than I did for the last two weeks on my laptop in J.A. But that vacation has been enshrined in the top ones that the duchess and I have taken.
It definitely is not number one. That place of honour permanently resides in one we took some fifteen to twenty years ago, in the same Jamaica, but we stayed in a town house somewhere down in the Parish of Trelawney. And brother, the things we did; climbing Dunns River falls, rafting down the White River and numerous other tours.
But I guess the highlight was boating up some river in the night with flambeaus, flaming torches all around, and drums beating in the distance, going to a night time barbecue somewhere along the river bank. Sorry, don’t ask me any more, because it seems I was totally wasted that night. (smile) The things we do when we are young eh!
But in my maturity and brokenness, I was still able to do one amazing feat; walk up the winding, dangerous nature trail to the Blue Hole Waterfall, and then walk back down in my flip-flops. And I would indeed be foolish to take all the credit, or rather any of it, because it was the Lord who carried me back and forth on His strong, massive, magnificent shoulders.
If I had known what it was like before attempting it, I doubt I would have done so. So please give the Lord all the glory, because in my weakness, His grace and strength were more than enough to see me through. Glory to the wonderful Deity we serve!
And on that note of thanksgiving, here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that certainly describes my life in the past couple of years. It’s titled ‘Don’t Stop Lord.’ Please pray with me. ‘Lord In asking You to make me whole I certainly didn’t know What I was in for. You have ransacked me Until I sometimes feel There is nothing left. But don’t stop Lord Please don’t stop! I’m trusting that the product Will be worth the process.’
Yes mih breddren, when I asked the Lord for healing, I surely didn’t know the paces He would put me through. And if I had known, I can’t say for sure that I would have asked for it. But since we’ve come so far, it’s too late to turn back now. And even if I don’t feel like crying out to Him to continue, the wise and sensible thing to do is let Him finish the renovations and refurbishment, because as Bruh Paul confidently told the Philippians:
‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6) Yes my brethren, once the Lord begins working in us, He never stops until the job is done, even if it takes till Jesus’ Second Coming. So please don’t ever give up on Him!
And the Bible Promise for the poem above is also our Bit. ‘That the (genuine) trial (testing) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried (tested) with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing (revelation) of Jesus Christ.’
Oh friends, the Lord puts us through some tough trials to simply test our faith, to see how committed we truly are to Him. But He only does it for a ‘season,’ a short time. And if we stand strong and steadfast, He will bring us out of the testing fire, stronger, purer and more mature, like when gold and silver are burnished.
As James says: ‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (various trials); Knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh (produces) patience.’ (James 1:2-3) And patience, re perseverance, is something ALL believers need to acquire, and sadly, it cannot be acquired without going through tough times.
So please friends, let’s all try and bear up under whatever adversity comes against us, knowing that our ever-faithful God will not give us more than we can handle, and in any case will help us through the fire and the flood. And it’s going home time, so let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with much sincerity, in loud voice and strong sense of purpose, proudly letting the world know who and whose we are.
In unison now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And to be true to our word, let’s go out now and share the wonderful LOVE and compassion of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus is not easy…but praise the Lord…it is certainly very rewarding…
08 Sep 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a gift, a li'l bit of Jesus, affliction, all one body, an obstacle, an opportunity to grow, Anselm, aspires to inspire, assurance, barriers, be of good cheer, be thankful, broken down the middle wall, caring, change, circumstances, Colossians, compassionate, conquer, control our attitudes, crowning grace, deceitful, Ephesians, feel sorry for yourself, flee seven ways, free from fear, from glory to glory, Gentiles, glory to God, have faith, have peace, holy spirit, human understanding, in Jesus name, in the world, insincere, Jews, keep your hearts and minds, leaving happier, live godly in Christ, living for Jesus, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, not stuck where you are, one church, overcome the world, peace, persecution, persevere, perspective, put on charity, shalom, sincere, spoken unto you, spread LOVE, suffer persecution, Thank You Lord, the bond of perfectness, the evil world, the Lord delivered me, the peace of God, these things, things will look different, tranquility, transform, tribulation, true, truth, unpalatable situations, walking with Christ, worry, you choose, youlook at things
John 16:33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
‘Shalom friends, Shalom! Peace! Everlasting Peace! May the peace of God, that peace that passes all human understanding, which is instilled in us by the Holy Spirit, be unto you and yours this somewhat cloudy Saturday morning!’
And all God’s people said a loud and grateful, ‘Thank You Lord!’ For there is nothing that’s so badly needed right now in our world, than peace, the peace of Almighty God! And though it’s cloudy, the sun is valiantly pushing through, just like our efforts in Jesus Christ to transform this evil world, to have His LOVE Revolution conquer it! Have faith my brethren. If we persevere in Jesus’ name, it will happen.
Now let’s look at some of our friend Anselm’s quotes for this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change.’ Now that’s simply logical. If you look at things differently, then in the majority of cases, they will appear differently to you. I guess it’s all about our perspective.
And the second one tells us: ‘You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.’ And isn’t that the glorious truth! My people, wherever we are, is where we have decided to be, at least for the time being, otherwise we’d be somewhere else.
That’s unless we’re living for Jesus, and He has us in a particular position or situation right now that we don’t like, and as far as we’re concerned, He is moving us too slowly from glory to glory. But even then, we can always change it. It might not work out for the best under your terms, but it’s always changeable.
Now this quote is simple but ever so important in a believer’s life. ‘Spread LOVE wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.’ Yeh friends, that’s what Jesus has called us to do, ‘SPREAD LOVE!’
His kind of LOVE; the kind that’s sincere and true and really caring and compassionate, not the empty, insincere, deceitful words that the world utters. That means whoever we interact with, we must leave them with a li’l bit of Jesus, so that their souls and spirits can be lifted through His awesome power.
That leads us to this last quote: ‘With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.’ That’s also very true my people! We might not be able to always control our situations, but we always have the power to control our attitudes towards them.
What did Jesus say about such situations? ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Wow! What assurance friends! Our Lord and Saviour has already overcome the world, so we should not allow our circumstances to drag us down and keep us down for too long. Through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us, we can have peace in even the most unpleasant and unpalatable situations.
Bruh Paul told Timothy in no uncertain terms: ‘Persecutions. Afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured; but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ (2 Tim.3:11-12)
And that’s indisputable truth! Once we stand up and proclaim the name of Jesus, the enemy WILL come against us. But as the Good Book says, he will come against us one way, but flee seven ways! Glory to God!
Now let’s end up with some significant scriptures on peace. Hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, re Christ: ‘For he (he himself) is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition (division) between us.’ (Eph.2:13) Yeh people, by His death and resurrection Christ has broken down all barriers between Jews and Gentiles. We are all one body, one church under His name now.
Meanwhile to the Colossians, Bruh Paul advised: ‘ And above all these things put on charity (LOVE), which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.’ (Col.3:14-15) Oh friends, LOVE is the crowning grace of a believer, and right behind it is peace!
And to the Philippians, Bruh Paul wrote: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard, sustain) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:6-7)
Now isn’t that wonderful! Though we don’t understand God’s peace, we certainly have it available to us. So let’s use it nuh mih breddren, for it’s wisdom personified. Much LOVE!
…walking with Christ…brings tranquility of mind…frees us from fear and worry…
27 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a little child, a new creation, abides for ever, area of obedience, be not conformed to this world, be transformed, can't serve two masters, clear direction, come to our senses, compromise, confidence, conformity with God, devotion to God, disquieted, disturbed, Divided Heart, does the will of God, earthly wealth, evil desire, food crops, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, go up in smoke, half-motivated, half-satisfied, halfway home, human existence, inhospitable desert, Jesus advocating, jump rope, living for Jesus, LOVE, love not the world, lust, Mammon, miserable, mix weeds with seeds, nature to admire, not looking back, obey, One Year Book of Bible promises, perfect will of God, pledge loyalty, pointed question, pride of life, prodigal son, rain, receive good and no bad, righteousness, rock her doll, Ruth Harms Calkin, saint, seek first the kingdom of God, side trips, sin, sinner, solid ground, stoic, surrender our all, take it to the Father in prayer, thank God, the breath of life, the far country, the love of the Father, the renewing of your mind, the things in the world, the world passes away, tormented, walk a straight path, Wednesday Wail, welcomes us back, wisest decision
1 John 2:15. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.
Oh friends, like Job so famously said, we can’t expect to receive good all the time and no bad. That means we can’t expect glorious sunshine every day, there must be some rain too. And really, the rain’s not bad nuh, it’s just the opposite of sunshine, and it is in fact very good itself, for if we had no rain there’d be no food crops or beautiful nature to admire, just a dry, brown inhospitable desert.
Hn! And all of that just to say it’s a rainy day in my neighbourhood today. (smile) Now here’s a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but when I read it yesterday, it reminded me so much of our behaviour, that I just had to share it. It’s titled ‘Divided Heart,’ like ours are so much of the time.
Please pray with me. ‘Lord I am so often tormented By my lack of clear direction – So often disturbed By my divided heart. I am like a little child Who wants to rock her doll And jump rope at the same time. I want to obey You in part If I can choose the area of obedience. I want to be real except at those moments When compromise is more appealing. I want to be half-motivated And half-satisfied with things as they are.
I want to walk a straight path If now and then I can enjoy A few side trips into the far country. I don’t want to be a miserable sinner but neither do I feel excited About being a stoic saint. I want to be partly Yours And partly my own. But in the secret chamber Of my divided heart I am so often disquieted By the pointed question: “Why do you so foolishly Mix weeds with seeds?”
Now isn’t that a very good question my brethren? We all do it at some time or the other, because we find it difficult to surrender our ALL to Christ. And oh, do we ever want to choose our areas of obedience to God! But God wants it ALL! And isn’t it a good thing, that when we foolishly take a side trip into the far country, like the prodigal son did, He welcomes us back with open arms when we come to our senses!
And yuh know what friends, there’s no reason to be a miserable sinner or a stoic saint, because we’ve become a new creation in Christ, which puts us on firm and solid ground, makes us able to go to the Father with confidence and ask for whatever we need, with Jesus right there advocating on our behalf. So there’s no need to compromise; just take it ALL to the Father in prayer!
And the Bible Promise for that prayer is also our Bit for today; those famous words of John in his first epistle. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’ Yes my people, it’s that simple. As Jesus said, you can’t serve two masters at the same time; you can’t serve God and mammon (earthly wealth) too. (Matt.6:24)
And John continues: ‘For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1 John 2:16-17)
That puts it so plainly and simply my people; all the evil things of the world will one day disappear, go up in smoke, but those obedient to God’s will, will live forever Now it’s your decision to make; whether you’ll go up in smoke, or live forever.
And the scholars tell us: ‘2:16. World for John signifies the evil desire and sin so much a part of human existence.’ Therefore we are to sincerely pledge our loyalty and devotion to God first and foremost. Like Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things (worldly needs) shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33)
And we’re going to add Bruh Paul’s voice to it all, as he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
Yeh friends, again we’re reminded that it all takes place FIRST in our minds; that’s where the change needs to be made before it can me manifested anywhere else. Unless we bring our minds into true acceptance and conformity with God, His will and His word, we’ll continue to follow the unhealthy and ungodly value systems and evil conduct of the world. Nuff said!
Now for those of us who have made the right decision and are truly trying to be righteous, (smile) let’s go home sincerely acclaiming to the world, our position in Christ, by declaring our Wednesday Wail. Altogether in strong voice now: ‘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 what a glorious future that will be! Our puny minds can’t even imagine it. But we know that it will be great, because Jesus promised it! Much LOVE!
…truly living for Jesus…is the wisest decision a human being can ever make…
26 Mar 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: adversity, an even keel, aura of love, battlefield of life, confidence, conquered the world, conquering hell, dark door of death, disbelief, doubt, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, excitement, faith, fearful, friends, given us the victory, glory to God, have Jesus in our hearts, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, lies, living for Jesus, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mortal life, nothing is impossible with God, O ye of little faith, peace, push comes to shove, put up or shut up, reams of faith, rebuked, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, sacrificially, salvation, same old, save us, selflessly, shining gate of life, sinful ways, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, struggling, the name that's above all others, trust, truth, ungodly world, waffle, whine, why are ye fearful, wiles, wisdom, with God's help, workweek cycle
Matthew 8:26a. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Here we go again friends; one more time around the workweek cycle. I know it’s tiring and otherwise; the same old, same old, but that’s just life. We can only have so much fun and excitement in this mortal life before we get overwhelmed, so the constant work cycle is here to keep us on an even keel. (smile)
But yuh know what, when we’re sincerely living for and in Jesus, that bland, oftimes hard and controversial cycle doesn’t bother us at all, because we know that Jesus has already conquered the world and all its evil, sinful ways, and given us the victory. Glory to God my brethren!
Yeh, so though it’s hard to get up and go out to work every week, it’s just something we have to do, and when we have Jesus in our hearts, it makes it that much easier. And on days like these, when we’re struggling, it’s ever so important to sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which brings us such solace and encouragement and gets our adrenaline running. So let’s sing it with as much enthusiasm as we can muster.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Mama Mia! Doesn’t that just lift your spirits my brethren! It surely does. Now let’s get ourselves together and join our Leader and Field General, Jesus Christ, on the battlefield of life, as we fight to subdue the unbelieving hordes and bring them to salvation and eternal life, in His name. Amen!
And as we journey through this Holy Week, where Jesus suffered so many trials, moving from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, to His crucifixion on Good Friday, and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, here is a li’l something very appropriate for us to remember. It comes from one of the Daily Bread Devotionals, and says: ‘Jesus has replaced the dark door of death with the shining gate of Life!’
Glory be my faithful friends! For that’s exactly what He’s done, through conquering hell, death and the grave, then rising triumphantly back to life, so that we too can have life in the ever after. That’s why we should never give Jesus occasion to ask us this rather embarrassing question, as stated in our Bit. ‘And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’
Yes my fellow believers, Jesus asked that question of His disciples, men who had been with Him for some time and seen Him do so many miracles. But yet, when they got caught in a storm, aboard a ship, and He lay sleeping quietly in the back, in considerable fright, they awakened Him, saying, ‘Lord, save us: we perish.’ (Matt.8:25).
That’s when Jesus awoke and rebuked them with the words of our Bit. ‘And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man id this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!’ (Matt.8:26-27)
Oh precious people of Christ, please let’s not allow ourselves to fall into that trap of doubt and disbelief. Remember what we said at the beginning of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn? ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein!’ That means if the Lord created the winds and the seas and everything in the world, therefore He ought to have control over them.
And we keep bleating that nothing is impossible with God, but do we truly believe it when push comes to shove and some circumstance faces us that needs God’s almighty power? That’s where true faith comes in my brethren! That’s when God calls us to put up or shut up!
Oh, it’s never easy to call up great reams of faith amidst adversity, but with God’s help, we can certainly do it. So let’s remember why Christ died and rose again, and keep on fighting the good fight of faith, so that we can faithfully acknowledge all that He’s done so sacrificially and selflessly for us. Much LOVE!
…the true believer…doesn’t whine and waffle in times of calamity…but remembers Jesus’ work…and stands strong and steadfast in His name… the one that’s above all other names……
28 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cloudy day, a pathway to peace, abominable sins, accepting hardship, better to be safe than sorry, controls the lives of men, courage, crapaud smoke we pipe, deep in their hearts and souls, despise wisdom, enjoying, ever-faithful, eyes fixed straight ahead, fear, foolish, fools, glorious future with Jesus, grace, great urgency, grim reaper, halfway home, hands on the plough, instruction, let wisdom have her say, living for Jesus, living one day at a time, make all things right, memorable day, miss out, mortal men, not looking back, one moment at a time, place in heaven, preparations, promises, reasonably happy, reverential awe, sacrifice, salvation, serenity, shining brightly, sincerity, sinful world, sinless life, supremely happy, surrender, take stock of Almighty God, the beginning of knowledge, the breath of life, the fool hath said in his heart, the forever joys of heaven, the history of mankind, the Serenity Prayer, the SON, there is a God, there is no god, things that cannot be changed, to God 's will, trusting God, truth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, wisest decision
Proverbs 1:7. The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
So it looks like it’s going to be a somewhat cloudy day in my neighbourhood, but the important things is that the light of the SON is shining brightly all over the world, wherever there are believers in His holy name!
And all God’s children declared a loud and grateful, ‘Thanks be to the Father for Jesus, who’s sacrifice of His sinless life paid for all of our abominable sins!’ And was that ever a great and most memorable day in the history of mankind!
Now listen to something I discovered the other day; the original form of the Serenity Prayer. I never even knew it existed, just knew of the short version that’s popular. But here is the real McCoy. (smile)
Please pray with me: ‘God give me the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed. Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time. Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is. Not as I would have it. Trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life. And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen!’
Ah mih people, isn’t that beautiful? It surely is! The short version is okay, but this longer version say it so much better. Oh, if we could only parcel or packet it and give it to each believer to keep deep in their hearts and souls! How much more effective we’d be in this tremulous world.
Remember, taking it as it is, like Jesus did, and not trying to make it what we want it to be. Having the grace to know what’s what, and then the wisdom and courage to change what’s necessary. And above all, trusting the Lord and surrendering to His will, so that we can be happy here on earth.
And I sincerely hope you know friends, that the only way we’ll ever be happy on earth is by trusting God and surrendering our will to His. Nothing else will ever work! And that just sets us up for the supreme happiness of being with the Lord in heaven forever! What a magnificent time that will be!
But first we have to set it up from down here on earth, make the necessary preparations for that great time while we are yet mortal men. That makes it a matter of great urgency, for none of us knows when the grim reaper will come calling. And if he comes before we’ve made the necessary preparations, then crapaud smoke we pipe!
And it will be very foolish to miss out on the forever joys of heaven, just to enjoy some of world’s now for now, short lasting, deceptive, carnal pleasures. That’s why Cousin Sol solemnly warns in our Bit: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (principal beginning) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’
Yeh friends, we are certainly being foolish if we don’t take stock of Almighty God and all that He brings to the table. Listen to what Cousin Sol says later on in Proverbs. ‘Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.’ (Prov.17:12)
Can you imagine that my brethren? A fool and his folly is so dangerous, that Cousin Sol believes it’s better to encounter a mother bear robbed of her cubs. And we all know how mother bears get very angry when her children are taken away from her. So what does it say about a fool eh, if it’s better to have an encounter with a desperate and angry animal than to be in cahoots with a fool?
And Bruh David says in Psalms 14 and 53, when he talks about the foolishness of men: ‘The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.’ (Ps.14, 53:1a) Now that certainly is foolishness! How can there be no God eh? There must be some greater Being than man.
So how was everything made that was made eh? It just evolved from nothing? I very much doubt it. Friends, believe me, there is a God, who looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any that do understand, and that do seek Him. He controls the lives of men and the fortunes of the universe.
Don’t let anyone try to fool you and tell you otherwise, because they would be playing with your salvation and your future place in heaven. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially where Almighty God is concerned. Wisdom dictates that we live as though there IS a God, trusting our earthly lives completely to Him.
And there are so many instances of God’s reality in so many believers’ lives, that it’s totally foolish to think and/or believe otherwise. So please let wisdom have her say. And having put that foolishness to rest, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail, gloriously telling the world of our situation with Jesus.
In sincerity, truth, and loud voice now: ‘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 we all know that that future will indeed be glorious, because Jesus promised it, and His promises are ever-faithful and true! Much LOVE!
…living for Jesus…is the wisest decision…a man can make…
03 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Anselm, aspire, be afraid, for a better tomorrow, friends, God said, Let there be light, living for Jesus, nothing is impossible, positive, Saturday, shake it rough, there was light, think big, to inpsire
Genesis 1:3. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
And then it was Saturday, your day to do as you please… Hn! Some sniff. Do as I please eh? You don’t see the amount of clothes waiting to be washed; the children to be cleaned and fed; the groceries that need to be made…?
Yeh mih people, for some of us the weekend is just as busy as the weekday, the work is at home though, doing the things we don’t have time to do during the week. But that’s just a product of our ever so busy society and the contrary lives we’re forced to live.
But friends, if we’re living for Jesus, then we won’t shake it so rough, because He will lend a hand in all our doings, if we allow Him to. He just wants to get involved in whatever we do. That’s just the kind of guy He is. So hopefully, you’ll let Jesus into your life this morning and allow Him to help you with your chores. That’s wisdom at it’s best.
And since today is Saturday, let’s see what other words of wisdom our friend Anselm provided for us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first quote is one of enormous wisdom: ‘Begin each day with a grateful heart.’ Oh friends, oh friends, there’s no better advice than that, especially as Christians! Christ has done so much for us, and still wants to do more, that we’d be foolish not to begin each day showing our gratefulness.
Then the next one states: ‘Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being positive about what could go right.’ That’s more excellent advice my people. The Good Book tells us on numerous occasions, not to fear or be afraid. In other words, think positively, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Why think negatively when the Creator and Controller of the universe is in your corner eh?
And ‘As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.’ You might as well. What’s the purpose of thinking small, when you can think big? Our God is a big and expansive God, and He has big plans for each of us, so we’ll be wasting His assets and attributes if we keep thinking puny thoughts.
And that quote segues nicely to this last one. ‘Nothing is impossible, the word it self says I’m possible.’ And that’s the awesome truth! Glory to God my fellow believers!
Oh my brethren, the word of God is the most powerful tool in the universe! And it has to be if God spoke the world into existence as our Bit declares. ‘And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.’
That’s why we are cautioned to be very careful with our words, because they not only have tremendous power, but we will also pay for any wrong ones later on. So God spoke the day and night into existence on the first day.
Then on the second, He said: ‘Let there be a firmament (an expanse) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’(Gen.1:6) So He made the heavens and the seas.
Then on the third day, He proclaimed: ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:9)
And on the fourth day, ‘God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.’ (Gen.1:14-15)
Then on the fifth day, ‘God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, (abound with an abundance of living creatures), and fowl that they may fly (and let birds fly) above the earth in the open firmament of heaven (across the face of the expanse of heaven). (Gen.1:20) So God made fish in the sea and birds in the air.
Then on the sixth day, He made animals on earth and mankind after His own image. (Gen:1:24-31) The only thing God did not directly speak into existence was man. Instead He took the dirt of the earth and formed Him from it, possibly to remind us of where we came from and to what we will return. But everything else God simply spoke them into existence. And if that doesn’t prove how mighty the word of the Lord is, then I don’t know what will.
That’s why the old saying that sticks and stones may hurt us but words never will is rubbish. Words have the power to hurt us more than sticks and stones. We usually recover from physical hurts with the passage of time, but emotional hurts don’t necessarily heal as time goes by. Consequently, we have to be very careful of the words we speak to each other.
And that’s why the world is in such an unholy uproar these days; people are talking too much and using too many inflammatory words. Negative and hateful talk is so rampant in our world, that those who talk of LOVE and positive situations are usually drowned out by the negativity.
But friends, that is what we as believers in Christ are called to do; speak positive words of LOVE and caring, so that God’s kingdom can take root here on earth. Please let’s do that, and thus warm the cockles of Jesus’ heart nuh. Much LOVE!
…the word…the word…all power is in the word…
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