02 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all flesh is grass, all scripture, awesome grace and mercy, blasphemers, boasters, carried about with divers doctrines, Christ is the only true refuge, compliance to your word, covetous, disobedient to parents, false doctrines, for correction, for reproof, forgive us, given by inspiration of God, God has no pleasure in fools, grow in spiritual maturity, heady, heal our land, high-minded, humble servants, I am the Lord thy God, I change not, in the last days, inclement weather, instruction in righteousness, it is a good thing, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus - a steady rock and refuge, Jesus Christ, Jesus is not temperamental, LOVE, lovers of pleasure, lovers of their own sleves, made a vow to God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, not lovers of God, our foundation is built on sinking sand, perilous times shall come, profitable for doctrine, proud, religious strife, repentance, sinned and come short of obedience, the coming apostasy, the flower fades, the grass withers, the heart be established with grace, the same yesterday today and forever, the unchangeability of our God, the word of God shall stand forever, traitors, uncertain like the weather, uncertain times, unholy, unthankful, wet snow, what a crazy world we live in
Hebrews 13:8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
Well friends, we saw the first signs of inclement winter weather yesterday evening. Thankfully though, in my area, it was just some wet snow; the kind that falls and quickly dissipates. But a warning nonetheless of what’s in store in the not too distant future. (smile) But would you believe too, that the weather people are forecasting temperatures in the mid-teens for later this week? What a crazy world we living in eh Dr. Jack!
It’s a good thing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is not as temperamental and uncertain like the weather nowadays, otherwise we would be in even worse shape than we currently are. Thankfully the Good Book describes our Lord and Saviour thus: ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8) That means we have a steady rock and refuge to look to in times of need.
Our world is constantly changing…and so are we, but not our God. Malachi says it boldly and plainly on His behalf: ‘For I am the Lord thy God, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal. 3:6) Yeh mih people, if our God wasn’t steady and long-suffering, we would have been fish food long time! (smile)
And to cement the unchangeability of our God, and our everchanging hearts, hear the prophet Isaiah as he talks about the voice crying in the wilderness: ‘The voice said, Cry (out). And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth on it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.’ (Is. 40:6-8)
I don’t think we need any more scripture to tell us of our frail and short earthly lives, or the everlasting standard that our God maintains. But because we are so frail and fickle, we tend to fall into all sorts of stuff, moving from one to the next without much rhyme or reason, unsure of what we want or intend to do. In other words, we don’t stick to any one thing for long; because our foundation is built on sinking sand.
That’s why the author of Hebrews, after telling us that Christ is steadfast, continues with this important warning. ‘Be not carried about with divers (various) and strange doctrines (teachings). For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats (food), which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.’ (Heb. 8:9) And are there ever a whole host of various, strange and false doctrines that abound in these turbulent times my brethren!
No wonder Bruh Paul could warn Timothy of the coming apostasy (abandonment of the faith). ‘Thus know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, covetous (money LOVERS), boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy…’ (2 Tim. 3:1-2) And isn’t that the indisputable truth in these last days of the church age. All those things above are rampant in our current society.
And Bruh Paul also adds to the list of ungodliness of our time. ‘Traitors, heady (reckless), high-minded (haughty), LOVERS of pleasures, more (rather) than LOVERS of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’ (2 Tim. 3:4-5) Yes friends, there are a whole lot of false teachers out there, who tout a form of godliness, mere religion, but without power or spiritual life. We definitely don’t want to get mixed up with that kind. We need to stay pure and true to the gospel of Christ.
Bruh Paul said to Timothy. ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (tell us how to live): That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Yes precious people of God, the Word of God was inspired by His Holy Spirit, meant for mankind to read, study and obey, to help us grow in spiritual maturity, and be useful in whatever situation we find ourselves. We need nothing else but the Word of God in this world to live a godly life! (smile)
So with all the false and evil stuff that’s currently bothering us, let’s go home now taking all of our problems to God in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And now, please remember that we just made a vow to God change our evil ways and sincerely seek His face, so let’s pay that vow nuh, because God has no pleasure in fools, who don’t pay their vows. Much LOVE!
…in uncertain times…Christ is the only true refuge…
27 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a living sacrifice, all day long, all things are become new, an ugly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, ask and it shall be given to you, awesome friendship, be not conformed to this world, be ye transformed, built for those who believe in Him, by the renewing of your mind, carnally minded, carry me over to the other side, dominated by righteousness, dominated by sin, each and every day, enmity against God, enter your spirit, give me Jesus, God works everything out for our good, he is a new creature, heaven, holy spirit, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, if any man be in Christ, in god's eyes, Jesus is the greatest gift, joy, keep me running smoothly, keep percolating there, life and peace, living after the flesh, living after the Spirit, LOVE, mind the things of God, mind the things of the flesh, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, old things are passed away, our eternal home, our old sinful systems, peace, present your bodies, purring like a well-tuned engine, reinvigorate my soul, share His love with the world, sincere hearts, subject to the law of God, that good acceptable and perfect will of God, the carnal mind, the mercies of God, to be carnally minded is death, to be spiritually minded, to those wonderful mansions, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, until eternity, ye have not because ye ask not, ye may prove, you can have all of this fallen world
2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
‘Give me Jesus… give I Jesus… You can have all of this fallen world…Just give I Jesus…’ Oh friends, I’m chuckling here because you know how a song can just enter your spirt and keep percolating there constantly? Well that’s how ‘Give me Jesus’ has been constantly percolating in my soul since we sang it last Sunday. And why shouldn’t it eh, since Jesus is the greatest gift we’ve ever been given, and the greatest request we can ever ask. Remember Jesus’ words: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you…’ (Matt. 7:7) And His brother James says: ‘yet ye have not, because ye ask not.’ (James 4:2b) Cause even when we ask, we ask for the wrong things, so we don’t get anything.
So yes, I’m asking for Jesus! Why? Because I need Him in the morning when I rise to help me get going, so I can do His work with diligence and excellence. And all during the day, I need Jesus to keep me running smoothly, purring like a well-tuned and oiled engine. And at night, when I lay me down to rest… oh brother, I need him to cleanse, purify and reinvigorate my soul, body and spirit, so I can have the strength and energy to go out and do His work again the next day.
And most importantly people, when the breath of Jesus’ awesome Spirit has left my mortal body, I need Him, more than ever, to carry me over to the other side of the river, which ONLY He can do. To carry me to those wonderful mansions that He’s built for those who believe and have faith in His miracle working powers; those who believe that ALL things are possible with and through Him, and that in His LOVING-kindness, He works everything out eventually for the good of those who LOVE Him!
So please, please, ‘Give I Jesus nuh! Just give I Jesus…cause He’s ALL I need… You can have all of this fallen world…Just give I Jesus…all day long…each and every day…until eternity…Just give I Jesus…!’ And that’s my spiel for today! (smile)
Oh my people, my people, what a blessed and awesome day it is when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and His magnificent Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us! Brother! There’s no better day, than perhaps the one when we finally set foot in heaven! It’s such a life changing moment! As Bruh Paul puts it to the Corinthians: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17)
Mama Mia! What a transformation; like that of an ugly caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly! And that’s only possibly through the receiving of Christ as one’s Lord and Saviour! So, as Bruh Paul further states to the church at Rome on becoming a new creation in Christ. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service. 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. 12:1-2)
Yeh friends, remember when we become a new creation in Christ, all the old things and evil ways of our lives are thrown out, so we also have to become transformed in body and soul. Those bodies of ours which had hitherto been used as instruments of sin, now have to work instead, on God’s behalf, as channels of righteousness. We have to manifest the works of God through them if we want to be hailed as true and serious believers in Christ. Thus we need to stop conforming, ‘to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world.’
Yes mih brethren, our lives need to take on a mighty change when Jesus comes into them. That means when His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we need to begin living after His Spirit and not by our old sinful systems. ‘For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.’ (Rom. 8:5) And that makes sense people. You can’t live by both the old way and the new one; you have to make a choice. And if you’ve chosen Jesus, then you must live by the leading and guidance of His Spirit if you want to fulfill His will for your life.
As Bruh Paul continues: ‘For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ (Rom. 8:6-8)
The long and short of the story friends, is that you can’t live like the world lives, fleshly, carnally, sinfully, and please God, because that style of living does not suit His kingdom, and if you want to be seriously considered one of His people, then you have to give up the fleshly, carnal, sinful style of living. As simple as that! Oh, we will sin and do wrong sometimes, but it will no longer be a lifestyle; our lives will no longer be dominated by sin, but by righteousness, by our living in the Holy Spirit of God! Isn’t that wonderful? It most certainly is!
And for those of us who sincerely try to live thus, let’s go home now declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
Now then, as new creations of Christ, let’s go out and share that awesome friendship, trust and LOVE of Jesus with those around us nuh. Much LOVE!
…when Jesus comes into our lives…He brings us…everlasting joy… peace…and LOVE… with heaven as our eternal home…
21 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bright sunshiny day, a fearful heart, all for our benefit, all the prophets witness, be strong, better not to vow, but after this the judgement, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalme, commanded us to preach, defer not to pay it, egg all over my face, endure until the end, even God with a recompense, ever-faithful God, fear not, fear ye not the reproach of men, give you all the praise, glad to be alive, grace mercy forgiveness loving-kindness, guiding and taking care of us, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hang in there, he hath no pleasure in fools, he will come and save you, he will save us, hellfire and damnation, I should not reign over them, in whose heart is my law, it is appointed unto men, like a garment, lo this is our God, look like a walrus, looked foolish, LOVE, lowly, much deserved thanks and praise, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my righteousness shall prevail for ever, my salvation from generation to generation, neither be ye afraid of their revilings, not looking back at the past, once to die, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, paid the price for our unfaithfulness, Palm Sunday, pay that which thou hast vowed, promise to try and do better, rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, rewards, riding upon an ass, see the error of our ways, shall receive remission of sins, suffer not thy mouth, sufficient in Himself, than to vow and not pay, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the foal of an ass, the Holy One of Israel is our King, the Lord is our defense, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the moth shall eat them up, the Preacher, the rain is fickle and faithless, the watchwords of the believer, the worm shall eat them like wool, there is one lawgiver, they have rejected me, to a glorious future with Jesus, to be the judge of the quick and dead, to cause thy flesh to sin, to testify, truth, undeserving sinners, unfailingly generous, ungodly times, upon a colt, we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation, Wednesday Wail, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, when thou vowest a vow unto God, whosoever believeth in him, ye that know righteousness, your God will come with vengeance
Isaiah 33:22. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.
Oh friends, today I’m not going to say anything about the rain falling outside nuh, because yesterday after penning the spiel on it, it made me look like such a walrus. Yes, I looked foolish, because by the time I got upstairs there was no sign of the rainy day that was supposed to be in the offing, but it had turned into a bright, sunshiny day. Steups!
And there I was, with egg all over my face. Hn! Well today it can fall or not fall, do whatever it wants, and I couldn’t care less, because the rain is rather fickle and faithless, like so many of us human beings, including believers. And that’s my spiel for this morning. (smile)
So instead of focusing on the faithless rain, this morning we going to focus on our ever-faithful God, who is so many things to us, re this passage of scripture from Isaiah. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22).
Oh my people, what a wonderful God we serve and worship; one who is all things to us! One who is sufficient in Himself, and unfailingly generous to provide everything that we can ever need or want in this great universe that He’s so wisely created! Please give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise nuh.
And all God’s children gave a mighty shout of: ‘Thank You Lord! Thank You ever so much for being our be all and end all! Thank You for your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness, and LOVING-kindness to such fickle, faithless and undeserving sinners like us! We promise to try and do better in the upcoming days, but You know that we can’t do anything worthwhile without Your help, so we plead with You, to keep LOVING and guiding and taking care of us, although we don’t deserve it. We thank You and give You all the praise. We pray this in the name of your glorious Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Amen!’
Ah my fellow saints in Christ, let’s hope that we have not just made an insincere vow to our God to be better behaved and obedient in the upcoming days, for you know what Cousin Sol says in his role as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin…’ (Eccl. 5:4-6a)
And yes my people, those statements hold true even today. It’s best that we not vow at all, than to vow and not pay, an attitude that is rampant in our current world. Oh, how does our mouth cause our flesh to sin in these ungodly times! And the worse thing we can ever do is make a pledge to God and not keep it, although we have been doing it from the beginning of time….but we have also paid the price for our unfaithfulness. No wonder our world is in such an inglorious uproar, with no sign of any improvements soon.
So let’s take our pledge this morning seriously, and with God’s awesome and most generous help, try to do better nuh. Remember, it’s all for OUR benefit, not His! Now let’s check out some scriptures surrounding our Bit: ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’
And the first scripture , re ‘the Lord is our judge,’ comes from Acts, where Peter is preaching to the Gentiles. ‘And he (Jesus) commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (forgiveness of sins).’ (Acts 10:42-43) Yeh mih people, Christ will be our judge on that fateful day. For let’s not forget the immortal words of Hebrews: ‘And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.’ (Heb. 9:27)
Now don’t get all upset and scared, for this judgement will not be about hellfire and damnation, but one for believers, who will give account of their lives before Christ, and receive, or lose rewards for the way they used their God-given talents and gifts down here on earth.
Now, per ‘the Lord is our lawgiver,’ hear Isaiah. ‘Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation,’ (Is. 51; 7-8)
Yes friends, it’s the Lord’s law that will prevail. As James says when he talks about our consideration for a brother. ‘There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another?’ (James 4:12). Good question that my brethren. (smile)
And finally, re ‘the Lord is our king; he will save us,’ there are several wonderful scriptures depicting just such a situation. Listen first to Ethan the Ezrahite, from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. ‘For the Lord is our defense; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.’ (Ps. 89:18)
Remember God’s disappointment when the Israelites asked the prophet Samuel for a king, like all the other nations. Hear God’s words to Samuel. ‘And the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken (heed) unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.’ (1 Sam. 8:7) God gave them what they wanted, as He ofttimes does, just so that we can see the error of our ways.
Now hear Isaiah in the song of praise by the redeemed. ‘And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation.’ (Is. 25:9) And more Isaiah (smile): ‘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 finally this awesome scripture from Zechariah, re Zion’s future king, to which we can all relate. ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just (righteous), and having salvation; lowly (humble), and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.’ ( Zech. 9:9) And we all know that that prophecy was fulfilled when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Wow! What a mighty God and King and Saviour we serve!
Now let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful, unchangeable, everlasting position in Christ Jesus. 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!’
And we know God’s faithfulness; if we endure until the end, our future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So please hang in there!Much LOVE!
…faithfulness and truth…the watchwords of the believer…
20 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a built-in sense of upliftment, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, a wonderful ray of sunshine, assurance, being egotistical, christianity, courage, disputed Jesus' authority, disunity amongst Christ's followers, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, free them from Roman atrocities, glorify your father in heaven, God is omnipresent, grow up as stall fed calves, guarding their earthly power, have seen a great light, he that followeth me, I am the beloved of god, I am the light of the world, I bear record of myself, in Christ's guiding light, in god's eyes, in the land of the shadow of death, inherent touch of melancholia, intimidating, it giveth light unto all that are in the house, Jesus as your Guiding Light, laziness, Let your light so shine before men, light will always overcome darkness, LOVE, Malachi, my witness is true, neither do men light a candle, not what I do, not what I have, our hold on life worldwide, our invaluable and unbreakable connection to the Father, peaceful Rabbi, put it under a bushel, rainy days and Mondays, relaxation, shall have the light of life, shall not walk in darkness, share His love with the world, tenuous, the great warrior king, the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Messiah, the outer recognition of the Father's creation, the people that walked in darkness, the Pharisees, the Sun of righteousness, they may see your good works, they that dwell, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto you that fear my name, upon them hath the light shined, will arise with healing in His wings, with Love as His testimony, words of awesome truth, Ye are the light of the world, ye shall go forth
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Another wet and dreary day seems to be in the offing. But yuh know, unlike what the Carpenters said in their hit song way back in 1971, it’s not only rainy days and Mondays that get me down, but rainy days period. (smile) It’s just that rainy days seem to have this inherent touch of melancholia in them; just like sunshiny days have a built-in sense of upliftment. You see the sun and spirits automatically lift despite your circumstances. Likewise, you experience the wet and dreary looking weather and your spirits tend to fall somewhat, the attitude of relaxation and laziness also seem to pop up. (smile) You have to actively lift them up again.
And so it is with this Tuesday morning, after a rather melancholy Monday. But yuh know friends, when you have Jesus as your Guiding Light, the kind of physical day doesn’t really matter, because He Himself is such a wonderful ray of sunshine that just thinking of Him and talking to him automatically lifts you up! Glory to God my people! Jesus Himself revealed His awesome Light. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
But unfortunately, the Pharisees disputed His authority because He witnessed to Himself, which to them, invalidated His claim. That however did not change anything, all it meant was that the Pharisees would remain on the outside looking in; stubborn, like the head-butting goats they were. (smile) As Jesus’ reply indicated. ‘Though I bear record (witness) of myself, yet my record (witness) is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.’ (John 8:14)
Now here is an interesting explanation on Jesus being the light of the world from the www.biblestudytools.com website. ‘Jesus saying He is the Light of the world is the outer recognition of His Father’s creation and presence, and the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit, by which we know our Father and walk with Jesus. Jesus is the Light of the world, our world, and in the world. Like God is omnipresent, so Jesus is Light.’ Ah friends, what a wonderful depiction of Jesus; His light just shining everywhere, being the ever-present reality, our invaluable and unbreakable connection to the Father!
And it’s obvious that the Pharisees, supposedly the most learned scriptural group back then, didn’t know or understand the true meaning of the scriptures, or were simply being egotistical and guarding their earthly power, for Isaiah said it loud and clear. ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2)
The prophet Malachi also told us about the bright Light that would come. ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the SUN of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves).’ (Mal. 4:2)
Now if the Pharisees were so wise or knowledgeable of the scriptures, they would have put two and two together and come up with four and not three, especially since Jesus was healing people like crazy, something they’d never seen before. Or, possibly, as I said earlier, they did come up with four, but were wary of losing their upper crust position if they acknowledged Jesus for whom He really was.
One stumbling block for the whole Jewish society though, seemed to be the thinking that the Messiah would be this great warrior king who would come and through war-like means, free them from the Roman atrocities, not a gentle, meek, peaceful Rabbi with LOVE as the basis of His testimony. And no doubt we have also been influenced by what or whom we believe Jesus to be in our lives, not what He truly is, and thus have erred in our direction, belief and behaviour, just like the Pharisees did.
That can clearly be seen in all the different religions and denominations, doctrines, beliefs and behaviour held under the same great umbrella called Christianity. Thus the great disunity amongst Christ’s supposed followers. And thus, the lack of substantial testimony from us on Jesus declaration. ‘Ye are the light of the world.’
Yes friends, when Jesus returned to heaven, He designated us as His replacement for light in this ungodly world. But have we done that? Not to the extent that we should have, for there are still too many unbelievers out there, who have never heard about Jesus, or heard about Him and refused to believe because of our dark, unlit testimony.
So my people, this dark and cloudy morning, please let’s remember Jesus words and do our best to put them into action nuh. ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.’ (Matt. 5:14-15)
Those are words of awesome truth people, and if our light was shining as bright and as far reaching as possible, our hold on life worldwide right now would certainly not be as intimidating and tenuous. That means we have to raise our level of shining. In the immortal words of Jesus: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
And that’s all Jesus really expects of us yes friends; that we give good testimony of Him through our beliefs and behaviour, so that the Father can be glorified, which is what the Father sent him to do. And in these dangerous and uncertain times, it behooves us Christians to come up higher than we ever have, so the world around us can take some courage and assurance in Christ’s guiding light that shines forth through us. So let’ step up to the plate and do better nuh mih people.
And now, as we go home, let’s boldly and confidently proclaim to the world, who and whose we are by declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra. ‘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 if we’re sincere, we’ll now go out and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of Christ with others who, in these desperate times, so desperately need to know and come to LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…light will always overcome darkness…but only when it’s shone there…
19 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundantly pardon, action our words, as the heavens are higher than the earth, as the universe unfurls, bring light to the darkness, call ye upon him, Christ bashes some sense in our heads, Christ comes back, come short in obedience, common sense dictates, confirmation of our sincerity, continual turmoil, death, ease their suffering, evil, hardhearted, have mercy upon him, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, joy, lays down the law, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, need your divine help, our Father who art in heaven, pandemic of Covid 19, peace, praise Your Holy Name, return unto the Lord, roll along with the tumbling tunbleweed, seek ye the Lord, sin, sincere repentance, standing in faith, stubborn, the days of man, the fool say in his heart, the Garden of Eden, the God who heals, the mass confusion, the only one, the power to solve our many problems, the unrighteous man his thoughts, there is no god, Togetherness, tumultuous times, until we implode, violence, we have all sinned, wherever the unseen wind blows us, while he is near, while he may be found, whomsoever will may come, wise guidance and direction
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.
And the days pass, one after the other, just like they were programmed to do since the beginning of time. Likewise, the days of man, with God fulfilling them as He promised. (Ex. 23:26) And from the day that our forefathers fell for the deception of the enemy, and were kicked out of Paradise, the Garden of Eden, there has been sin, death, evil, violence and every ungodly thing that the devil and fallen man could devise corrupting the world. And I guess it will remain like that until Christ comes back and lays down the law; sets up His eternal kingdom, because mankind doesn’t seem to truly want, desire or like the things of God, like LOVE, joy, peace and togetherness.
So it’s no wonder our world has been in continual turmoil down through the ages, and right now is experiencing one of the most tumultuous times ever. And just to show that we’re not as brilliant or wise as we believe, we can’t seem to get a handle on any of the problems we’re currently facing, because we can’t even agree that there’s a problem. And those who do agree that we have problems, can’t agree on how best to fix them either. Thus, it looks like we’ll just roll along with the tumbling tumbleweed, wherever the unseen wind blows us, until we implode, or Christ comes back and bashes some sense in our heads.
But thankfully, on this Monday morning, as the universe unfurls like it ought to, I am here, on Jesus’ behalf, to try and put a li’l sense in our heads, so that we at least don’t get any worse than we currently are. We’ll bring a li’l light to the darkness that’s covering way too much of our wonderful world. And we’ll try to do that by expounding the Word of God, through His prophet Isaiah, as He generously offers free mercy to all and sundry. ‘Whomsoever will may come.’ That’s it in a nutshell.
Now hear the words the Lord put in Isaiah’s mouth, way back then, words that are still applicable to us today, since our world has not changed, possibly gotten worse, if anything. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.’ (Is. 55:6) Now isn’t that marvellous advice my brethren, especially in these rough and tough times? It surely is, especially since we can’t seem to solve our many problems in our own strength. And common sense dictates that if you can’t solve a problem, then you go to a higher power for help.
And the highest power we can ever go to is Almighty God. And He spells it out for us in no uncertain terms. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) Now if that isn’t putting us in our place then I don’t know what it is nuh! (smile) And the scholars tell us that ‘While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes.’
Yeh friends, though our God is close to us, our minds are too puny to even contemplate His true greatness. And despite His awesomeness, He’s most magnanimous and merciful. Hear how Isaiah puts it. ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:7)
Oh mih people, what a wonderful promise from our Creator! And we all know that He faithfully keeps all His promises, so why are we so reluctant to turn back to Him and receive forgiveness and mercy, grace andLOVE, reconciliation, righteousness, justification and sanctification, all earned on the strength of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary eh? It just doesn’t make sense. As I keep saying, when the Israelites messed up and suffered for it, they were quick to run back to God and receive forgiveness.
Why won’t we eh? Why are we so stubborn and hardhearted, revelling in our disobedience, as we pay an exorbitant price for it? I really don’t know nuh. I guess my mind is just not big and wise enough to fathom such mighty things. (smile) Anyhow, for those of us who are willing to stand by the promise of God, let’s seek His face right now nuh, let’s call upon Him through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, so that we can find Him and receive forgiveness and all the other wonderful things He has to offer.
As one now, in confident humility: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
The next move is for us to action those words, and begin showing sincere repentance in our hearts, for that’s where the Lord is looking for confirmation of our sincerity.Much LOVE!
…the fool says in his heart…there is no God…how foolish…
18 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of praise, Amazing grace, and not of evil, bounden duty, Buju Banton, Buried Alive, by hook or by crook, calamity, come together, day of our Lord, deserves a second chance, don't know what tomorrow may bring, faith, from freedom in Africa, going to keep us from worshipping God, gor religion, I am alive, I can do all things, I know the thoughts, I survived the worst of times, I've been blind, I've got a feeling, Jah made I brave, John Newton, judge not, living a life of sin, LOVE, move mountains in Jesus' name, my determination to win, my heart's still beating, no government, no pandemic, of whom shall I be afraid, once there's life, physically distanced, remember the Sabbath day, running against the wind, slave trader, that I think toward you, that ye be not judged, the awesome power of believers, the Lord is my salvation, the mote in thy brother's eye, the plank in thine own eye, there must be a reason, there's hope, thoughts of peace, through Christ who strengthens me, to keep it holy, to slavery in the Western Hemisphere, transported our forefathers, virtual technology
Jeremiah 29:11. 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.)
Let’s come together this Sunday morning my fellow believers to give our wonderful God much thanks and praise nuh! Yes, let’s come together on this Day of our Lord, whether it’s in a sparsely populated sanctuary with those few souls physically distanced, or by virtual technological means, for coming together is a must one day a week in keeping with the Lord’s command. ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ (Ex. 20:8) And by hook or by crook, we going to do just that. (smile) That’s the awesome power we believers have when we join up with our great God: nothing – no pandemic, or nobody – no government, can keep us from worshipping Him if we choose to do so.
And today we going to open our worship with a wonderful song of praise, though some might consider it somewhat contentious, or if it’s even appropriate to sing in church, not because of the song itself, but because of the artist who sings it. The name of the song is ‘Buried Alive,’and it’s done by the Jamaican Reggae artist, Buju Banton taken from his Upside Down 2020 album. And yes, the same Buju Banton who was released from prison last year, and for the record is now more popular than ever.
Now I know some of us are already turning up our noses and feeling mightily disturbed by the idea, but please remember who wrote the song ‘Amazing Grace’ that we consider such a splendid song and very worthy of being sung in church. It was the notorious slave trader John Newton, who transported our forefathers from freedom in Africa to slavery in the Western Hemisphere. It’s only after he got religion that he wrote that song. So for all we know Buju might have also gotten religion, and deserves a second chance, just like John Newton, who even became a minister after his slave trading days were done.
So let’s not judge Buju, remembering Jesus’ words: ‘Judge not (do not condemn), that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam (plank) that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold a beam (plank) is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.’ (Matt. 7:1-5)
And now that we’ve cleared up that li’l matter, (smile) let’s get on with the singing nuh. It’s a nice, simple, rocking reggae tune. I sent it to some of you by what’s app yesterday, so you should know it, but you can also look it up on you tube. So with voices strong, in perfect harmony, let’s sing these words of second chance, of forgiveness and thanks, with sincere hearts.
‘Oh Lord, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart‘s still beating. Buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating.
Now all this time… I’ve been blind… only running against the wind. Friends of mine …pass with time… After living a life of sin. Now many give up, many give in. It’s my determination to win. I survived, the worst of times, I survived. Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart‘s still beating.
Oh, they made a ditch for one, but there would be two, In their attempt to out my life, The wicked things they do. But Jah made I brave, and I can’t care the grave, Oh no, The Lord is my salvation, Of whom shall I fear? Yeah, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling.
Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating… (One more time) Yes, I was buried alive, but I’m still breathing, I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, But I’ve got a feeling. Oh Lord, Now I am alive, there must be a reason, I was given one more chance, my heart ‘s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…my heart’s still beating…’
Oh mih people, those words are so true of all of us! Every day we wake up alive, we must be thankful, because there’s a reason for it, or else the Lord would just take us home during the night hours. That brings to mind Jeremiah’s words on the Lord’s behalf. ‘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) That means the Lord has a good plan for our lives if He leaves us alive here on planet earth, and it’s our bounden duty to find it, through prayer and reading His Word, and then live it to the best of our ability.
Like the song says, we’ve been given another day, a second chance, so there must be a reason for it, and though we don’t know what today or tomorrow may bring, we have to take hold of the reins and stay with Jesus, stand strong with Him, have that determination to win! For as they say, once there’s life, there’s hope. And if we have hope, then anything’s possible.
And that’s exactly how we have to look at the current state of affairs of our world; we’re alive, God is still on His throne, in control of things, and He has a special plan for our lives, not calamity, which seems to be pressing in around us right now, but a future and a hope and we’ll survive the worst of times. So please let’s remember that awesome word ‘HOPE,’ which if held long and strong enough morphs into this other word ‘FAITH,’ with which we can move mountains in Jesus’ name! Much LOVE!
…I can do all things…through Christ who strengthens me… (Phil. 4:13)
17 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new future, a brand new life, a true believer in Christ Jesus, a whole cloud of witnesses, abide in me and I in you, abundant strife, affirm our worth and wisdom in Jesus, all things are become new, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, an abundance, anything's possible, aspires to inspire, bathing in the glorious sunshine, better yourself, celebrate your triumphs, come unto me, encourages a living friend, exhibiting a cornucopia, eye-pleasing, for a better tomorrow, he is a new creature, heart-breaking calamity, heart-warming colour, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am smart enough, I am the vine, I will give you rest, if any man be in Christ, Jesus holds all the answers, joy, lead to confusion, learn of me, LOVE, move mountains, multi-coloured leaves, my burden is light, my yoke is easy, never alone, not everyone will be happy, old things are passed away, our friend Anselm, peace, positive affirmation, pray with you, prosperity, Scrip-Bit friends and family, take my yoke upon you, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the great invitation, the questions of life, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the true power to transform, the very breath of life itself, through your tribulations, to make my own decisions, ungodly turmoil, without me ye can do nothing, ye are the branches, ye shall find rest unto your souls, your past is not a reflection of your future
John 15:5b. …for without me ye can do nothing.
Well a good Saturday morning to you my Scrip-Bit friends and family, wherever you are! I know that by the time some of you get this it will already be afternoon, but we hope that you’ve had a fine morning and will be having and even better afternoon. (smile) Yes, we wish nothing but peace, LOVE, joy and prosperity for us all this beautiful fall morning, when all the multi-coloured leaves are bathing in the glorious sunshine of our Creator, and thus exhibiting a cornucopia, an abundance of beautiful eye-pleasing, heart-warming colour. (smile)
Anyway it’s Saturday, so let’s get on with our Saturday task; that of checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And here’s the first one: ‘Positive affirmation: you should tell yourself to remind yourself just how awesome you are. I am smart enough to make my own decisions.’ Now that’s certainly a situation that can only lead to confusion, especially if you’re a true believer in Christ Jesus.
Yes, we ought always to positively affirm our worth and wisdom, but in Christ Jesus, not in ourselves. For remember His immortal words re our earthly abilities. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:4-5)
Yuh see that last phrase friends: ‘for without me ye can do nothing.’ Well that’s the living, daylight truth! Without Jesus we can do very little, but with Him in us, and we in him, we can move mountains, anything’s possible, that’s when we become truly awesome!
And this next quote leads us to delve deeper into our association with Jesus. ‘If you see that some aspect of your society is bad, and you want to improve it, there is only one way to do so: you have to improve people. And in order to improve people, you begin with only ONE thing: you can become better yourself.’
Ah friends, bettering oneself is what Jesus majors in! The quote itself contains much truth, to improve anyone or anything, we ought to begin with ourselves. Improvement ALWAYS begins with us! But who has the best improvement plan eh? JESUS! Yes mih people, you can’t beat Jesus’ plan for improving souls and selves, because He takes you at whatever state or level you are at and transforms you into a brand new person!
Wow! Hear how Bruh Paul puts it to the church at Corinth nuh: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.’ (2 Cor. 5:17) Yes mih bredrin, when you become a follower of Christ, your old sinful life is discarded, thrown away, and Christ offers you a brand new start which certainly improves the standard of life that you had before.
And that’s exactly what’s wrong with our current society; not enough people have thrown away their old lifestyles and taken up the new one that Jesus offers, no wonder our world is in such ungodly turmoil, featuring abundant strife and heart-breaking calamity. That only shows us the error in our first quote, that we’re not smart enough to make our own decisions. (smile)
But having said all of that, this next quote further defines our awesomeness in Christ. ‘Not everyone will be happy when you begin to better yourself. Those who are for you will not just celebrate your triumphs, but they will also pray with you through your tribulations.’ Oh my, oh my! What words of indisputable truth!
Unfortunately, when we try to better ourselves, be it in Jesus or any other way, not everybody will be pleased, for one reason or another. But that’s just the way life is. Some people are never pleased to see others trying to improve. However, those who are pleased with your improvement decision will go to any lengths to help you, even standing strong with you through the trials and tribulations we all encounter when we decide to improve.
And there again, that’s what you gain when you become a follower of Jesus; a whole cloud of witnesses to help you work through that improvement! You’re never alone when your Lord and Saviour is Jesus Christ. Even in the most difficult times, He is there with you, walking alongside, and ofttimes He also encourages a living friend to walk with you through it all too. Sorry, that should be a living human being, because the three parts of our Deity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – are ALL living beings.
That brings us to our last quote. ‘Your past is not a reflection of your future.’ And is that ever so true, especially when you become a follower of Christ! Remember we said that you become a new creation when Christ comes into your life and all the old things are thrown away? That means your past doesn’t have to affect your future anymore, because Jesus will give you a brand new life with a brand new future! Glory be! Regardless of how evil or sinful or poor or sick your old life was, a new life with Jesus washes all of that away, cleanses you and makes you whole.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this Great Invitation from Jesus Himself nuh. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Mama Yo! There’s no better invitation to be found in all the world my people! And though others might offer all sort of stuff, ONLY Jesus has the true power to transform, to improve lives. We can’t even do much on our own. So please don’t listen to any falsehood or false doctrines from other false teachers. If you truly want to improve your life, in some particular area, or in all areas, the ONLY ONE to turn to is JESUS, because He holds ALL the answers to ALL the questions of life, even the very breath of life itself! Much LOVE!
…the only sensible way to live this earthly life…is with Jesus as your Lord and Saviour…
16 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lazy rainy day, a short work week, all the turkey and stuffing, an abundance of sunshine, avoid serious setbacks, bare our hearts and souls to God, be responsible, be ye doers of the word, bring backsliders back to your fold, carest thou not that we perish, Christ's ability to handle all our problems, Christ's bride, clear blue skies, collapse of our society, common sense, consistently read the Good Book, Covid-19 virus, deceiving your own selves, faithful believers, feared exceedingly, Friday chant, give the Covid-19 more steam, godliness, handle the situation properly, how is it that ye have no faith, I must be getting old yes, inmates ruling the asylum, keep taking their toll, LOVE, monkey see monkey do, not hearers only, omnipotent help, on a smaller scale, peace be still, pray always, racial strife, rebuked the wind, restoring faith in you, scared and confused, stand strong, stay safe, stormy times, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, Thanksgiving holiday, the church is divided, the negative problems, the ordinary workingman, the weekend's here, unprecedented times, vim and vigour, why are ye so fearful, widespread suffering, wise guidance, wishful thinking
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is that ye have no faith?
And after yesterday’s constant drizzle and cold dreary weather, who wouldn’t be glad to see a dry morning with plenty of bright sunshine amidst clear blue skies eh? Yeh friends, it was just one of those days that shouted out: ‘Today is a rainy day, just right for lazing around. So stay inside; don’t go out unless it’s absolutely necessary!’ And that’s exactly what I did: I stayed inside and had a lazy, rainy day at home. Although the duchess might beg to differ, because that’s the kind of day she feels I usually have anyway. (smile)
But it’s Friday, amidst an abundance of sunshine in a short work week, so let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say today nuh. And as always, he declares (awright!) with some vim and vigour: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui and the weekend is here! But brother, I must be getting old yes, because I’m never usually so tired, especially after a short work week like this one. It’s possibly all the turkey and stuffing and hops that I had over the Thanksgiving holiday last weekend.
Yeh, it was a quiet Thanksgiving with only the immediate family because of the ban on big and unprotected gatherings that just give the Covid-19 more steam. And although the lockdown was tightened in some places, the virus numbers still haven’t dropped appreciably, because people still not taking the bloody thing seriously. And to make matters worse, yuh know whatever goes on in the U.S. we always copy some up here. So with all the foolishness that going on down there, is obvious some of it happening up here too.
Yuh know the ole saying, ‘monkey see, monkey do.’ Well that is we up here in Canada. We like to say how we so different from the States, but it’s not as true as we claim nuh, because whatever they espouse down there, we seem to espouse up here too, just on a smaller scale. And things heating up down there with this election business, so expect it to heat up, up here too.
Ah Lord eh? What is the world coming to eh? Why li’l common sense and godliness can’t prevail eh? Everybody just seem to gone crazy all at once! And yuh know what happens when the inmates ruling the asylum… Steups! All I could hope for is that me and mine stay safe in we li’l corner yes, and keep on thanking God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, these are indeed unprecedented times, and we are all searching for answers, but are we searching in the right places? Now that’s a contentious question, if there ever was one. (smile) Why you ask? Because there are too many differing opinions on our problems, people are too divided over the whys and the wherefores, and therefore no real improvement is possible. One side says this; the other says that; and the middle ground add their two cents worth. Meanwhile the negative problems keep steadily taking their toll.
Even in the church, the bride of Christ, there is no unity on the subject, so some ignore the dire warnings and continue as normal, while others take a middle ground, and the rest shut down completely. I guess unity in the church is just wishful thinking on my part, since even in the best of times, Christ’s bride is divided and disjoined just like the outside world. But what’s supposed to set us apart from the world eh? Basic faith in Christ and His ability to handle all our problems.
And that brings to mind the occasion when He and the disciples were crossing the sea of Galilee and a great storm arose that threatened their lives. So all the disciples were scared out of their wits. But where was Jesus eh? Comfortably asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat. And the disciples in great fear ran and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:38-41)
Oh my brethren, we are going through terribly stormy times right now, and unfortunately, too many of us are behaving just like the disciples behaved back then. We’re scared and confused, our faith and trust in Almighty God has sunk to a rather low level because of the widespread suffering and collapse of our society. But God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, so we need to have faith, to stand strong against whatever storms of life come against us. That means we have to consistently read the Good Book and pray always, for we can only stand strong when the Lord’s Word is planted in our hearts and we are continually communicating with Him.
So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant; let’s bare our hearts and souls to Him. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that 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 sure and 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, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. 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!’
Saying the prayer is all well and good my people, but now we have to action it and actually behave like the faithful believers we claim to be. Otherwise, our prayers are useless. Much LOVE!
…but be ye doers of the word…not hearers only…deceiving your own selves… (James 1:23)
14 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful autumn day, a dire proposition, a major dose of pride, an individual choice, anger, be not proud, before your feet stumble, bitterness, bring us our better, celebrate our great God, collect his rightful dues, day and night, endure till the end, for your pride, Give glory to the Lord your God, great shall be the peace, greed, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hard-hearted, hate, have good success, in this sinful world, inhumanity, Isaiah's warning to Israel, Jehovah Rapha, knowledge revolution, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negative consequences, not turning back, obey God, our duty to teach the children, power-hungriness, prideful, put the children at a disadvantage, reverencing God, run down with tears, see us through tough times, show faith and rust, strife, stubborn, sufferation, teach them diligently unto the children, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord our God is one God, the shadow of death, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, thou shalt meditate therein, thy children shall be taught of the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, ungodliness, Wednesday Wail, weep in secret places, willful disobedience, with all thine heart, with all thy might, with all thy soul, withstand the barrage of negative stuff, ye look for light
Deuteronomy 6:5. And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And then it was Wednesday; another beautiful autumn day! So let’s be glad and rejoice in it nuh, celebrate our great God and give Him thanks for all He’s done, still doing and faithfully promised to do for us in the future! Yeh, times might be a tad rough right now, but He has also promised to see us through those tough times, and bring us out better on the other side…if we have faith and trust in Him. That means we have to show faith and trust now more than ever, since the rough times seem like they’re going to last for longer than we expected. (smile)
As Jeremiah so wisely warned his people long ago, I am here today to warn us of the consequences of lack of faith and trust, of ungodliness and willful disobedience and sinfulness. ‘Hear ye and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:15-17)
Ah mih friends, I know that sounds like a dire proposition, but it’s a true one. Sinfulness and ungodliness, especially when laced with a major dose of pride, WILL undoubtedly bring negative consequences from Almighty God! And our society has been guilty of all those things, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if we’re suffering some major heartaches now. And the sad part is that though our efforts to quell our problems in our own strength aren’t working, we still refuse to turn to the great healer, Jehovah Rapha for help.
Oh, we’re so stubborn, hard-headed and prideful, thinking that we know so much, when in actual fact, we don’t know a blooming thing! That’s why we can’t even cut down the numbers of the Covid-19 pandemic, for so many of us refuse to do the only things we know will ease the pain. So we not only disobedient and stubborn towards God, but also towards man. That means ‘sufferation’ will be in the cards…unless we smarten up and get back to LOVING and praising, sincerely worshipping and reverencing our Creator. It’s as simple as that.
And yuh know, the Lord doesn’t have to bring anything negative against us nuh, because we are doing it to ourselves. We are our own worst enemies with all the hate, anger, bitterness, strife, greed, power-hungriness and inhumanity that’s currently running rampant in our society. No society can withstand the barrage of negative stuff that’s happening right now and survive, much less prosper. And I have to chuckle sadly as I turned the pages of the Good Book and these rather appropriate words shot out at me. Isaiah’s warning to Israel. ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.’ (Is. 54:13)
Unfortunately though, we have not taught our children of the Lord, so they obviously cannot find peace. They know only one option; that put forth by the world. And I don’t blame the children, I blame us, the parents, because it’s our duty to teach them about God, and it’s obvious that we haven’t done such a good job because so many of them don’t believe, and don’t even want to hear about God.
But from day one, Moses instructed Israel and all those who accept the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob thus: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.’ (Deut. 6:4-7)
And have we done those things? Hardly…or not to the extent that we should have. Our parents taught us about God and the way we ought to go, so we knew the two options available, but for some reason we have not done the same for our children, thus putting them at a disadvantage in this sinful world. Why? I don’t know. Possibly because we got too full of ourselves with the knowledge revolution that was going on in our time.
But hear what the Lord Himself told Joshua nuh. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Now have we spoken of the book of the law, or meditated on it continually? Obviously not!
And yes, some of us have had what the world terms success, but it’s not the good kind, the lasting kind. We’ve sold our souls to the devil to acquire worldly things, but be it known that that gentleman – hn! – will eventually come calling to collect his rightful dues. And what then eh? Hellfire and damnation…? Most likely.
But when we adhere to God’s Word and Will, the result is heaven… and rewards.. a peaceful and prosperous eternity with Jesus as the Light and King of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I think I much prefer to live for Jesus than Satan. It might be harder, but it’s much more rewarding in the long run. In any case, it’s an individual choice we all must make, hopefully we ALL will make the right one…Jesus!
And for those of us who have already made that right and most wonderful choice, let’s go home now telling all and sundry our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, through our Wednesday Wail. 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!’
And as Jesus has so faithfully promised, if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s true wisdom… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
13 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a continuous life-long thing, a glimmer of spiritual desire, a personally intimate relationship with Christ, a religion called Christianity, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, acknowledge that God is the instigator, be not envious against, blessings of water, bring forth thy righteousness, by Christ Jesus, cease from anger, Commit thy way to the Lord, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, dwell in the land, exceeding abundantly, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, get intimate with God, give thee the desires of thine heaert, grateful for life, His desire planted in us, I awaked, I laid me down to sleep, I will not be afraid, in god's eyes, inherit the earth, Knowing God Intimately, LOVE, Most High God Jehovah, not a one and done thing, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, nothing to give thanks for, of ten thousands of people, One Year Book of Bible promises, Rest in the Lord, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrificed His sinless life, set themselves against me, shalt be fed, share His love with the world, supreme confidence, Thanksgiving Day, the evil doers shall be cut off, the giving of thanks, the Lord sustained me, the Me first club, the perfection of Jesus living in us, the whole world is your oyster, the workers of iniquity, they shall soon be cut down like grass, throughout all the ages, thy judgement as the noonday, trust also in him, trust in the Lord, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto Him be glory in the church, unto him that is able to do, wait patiently for the Lord, washed clean, wicked devices, wither like the green herb, words of wisdom, your august Creator
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Aloha mih bredrin! Welcome to a bright, fresh, sunshiny Tuesday morning, washed clean by some blessings of water during the early morning hours! And yes, Thanksgiving Day finish now, but not the giving of thanks! The giving of thanks must be a continual thing, for without the continual giving of thanks, eventually, there will be nothing to give thanks for! Wow! What words of wisdom!
But seriously though, there is nothing like giving thanks to the Lord our God since there’s nothing that pleases Him more than His most important creation being grateful for life and all that He has provided for them. He also hopes that that gratefulness will consequently lead them to want to know Him better. And how do we do that you wonder?
Well here are the basics in black and white, taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This poem is appropriately titled ‘ Knowing God Intimately.’ And that’s how we ALL ought to know Him – through the auspices of His Son Jesus Christ! That’s His greatest desire!
So please read with me. ‘How do we learn to know God so intimately that all of life takes on a new freshness? We acknowledge that God is the instigator. We would not be wanting Him if He did not first want us. Even a glimmer of spiritual desire is HIS desire planted in us. We resign from our self-appointed office as president of the “Me First Club,” which gives God the privilege of saying. “Good! Now I’ll promote you.”
We focus on Jesus Christ, God’s Son. It is never a matter of how conspicuous we are. It only matters that He is conspicuous in us. We make no promise of perfection. All the perfection we’ll ever have is the perfection of Jesus living in us. We let God’s Word saturate our hearts. Five or ten minutes a day is far more helpful than three hours once a week. We trust God to do within us what we cannot do, knowing that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us.’
Yeahhhh friends! That’s how we get intimate with God! And it’s not a one time, one and done thing either, but is just like the giving of thanks, a continual, continuous life-long thing, that over time turns into a wonderful personal relationship between Creator and created. Mama Mia! There’s no relation more important or more beneficial that that one my people! For when you have such a close and intimate relationship with your heavenly Father, your august Creator, then the whole world is your oyster!
The devil will come against you in various guises, but he won’t be able to harm you, because you’ll be protected by the Most High God Jehovah and His majestic army of angels; your everlasting fortress and place of refuge. You will be able to say with supreme confidence, like Bruh David did: ‘I laid me down and slept: I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set them themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:5-6) That’s the kind of faith and belief that wells up in our souls and spirits when we know our Lord and Saviour on an intimate basis.
And by the way, that’s why He sacrificed His sinless self on the cross at Calvary…not to just have a religion called Christianity, but for each one within that awesome group to get to know Him intimately and personally. In other words, being a Christian means having a personally intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. And is that ever a whole lot of personal and intimate relationships! It surely is.
But that’s how great and how LOVING and wonderful our Lord and Saviour is, that He could have so many intimate relationships at the same time and give His best to each and every one of them! Wow! Give Him some much-deserved thanks and praise my fellow believers!
And the Bible verse associated with today’s poem is also very appropriate. Hear Bruh Paul in his missive to the church at Ephesus as he talks about prayer for inner growth. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph. 3:20-21)
Yes friends, through Christ and His church, glory must be given to God who has the amazing power to do more than our puny finite minds and imaginations can ever conceive. And just to add some biblical heft (smile) to our earlier contentions, listen to these marvellous words of Bruh David that also tell us how to achieve personal intimacy with our Creator.
‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (you shall feed on His faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps. 37: 1-9)
Oh my people, it couldn’t get any clearer or more basic than that! So let’s hope that we’ve all received the message – once again nuh (smile), and will keep on doing just what it dictates, so we can keep that wonderful personal relationship with the Almighty going strong and fervent. And as we go home, let’s bravely tell the world who and whose we are.
In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
So what we waiting for then eh? Let’s go out and show that trust and share that wonderful LOVE nuh! Much LOVE!
…fret not…trust…delight…commit…rest …cease…wait…and thou shall inherit…
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