04 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, aches and pains, Anselm, ask, ask bread, aspires to inspire, be in the same place, best y date, Caribana, come to the Father in prayer, come tumbling down, do all things in His name, exercise our authority, exhilaration, fall in love, fervent prayer, find the courage to let go, frequent prayer, friend, generosity of god, genuine prayer, give a serpent, give a stone, give good gifts, Glory to christ, go after what you want, go out and party, high pedestal, it shall be given, it shall be opened, Jesus' logic, knock, learn to let go, living for Christ, LOVE, love others like yourself, make ends meet, make the sacrifices, multitasking, narcissistic times, no excuse for failure, nothing is impossible, perseverance, puny minds, raise clenched fists, relief, seek, self-esteem, self-worth, selfish, sleeping in, spread thin, step forward, step out in faith, venture forth, victory, what you're doing now, where you want to be tomorrow, working, ye shall find, your Father in heaven
Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
And so we come to Saturday – Caribana Saturday in Toronto…and again I’m up before I planned to because of the many aches and pains coursing through the ole bod. But I don’t think they are as bad as yesterday morning. And in any case, though they might slow us down some, we’re not going to let them stop us. Glory to Christ Jesus who strengthens us and allows us to do all things in His name!
So some people are getting ready to go out and party, some are sleeping in, and some are working, like me here, asking the Lord to show me what He wants me to write about today. But before we get to that, let’s look at some quotes from our friend Anselm, who aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And we have a full slate of them this week.
The first one tells us: ‘Learn to let go.’ Now that is indeed some wise advice, because we often hold on to things and people we ought to let go, because their season in our lives is over. And holding on to stuff and people who’s best by date has expired, does us no good whatsoever, just causes more problems than we need.
And that segues very nicely into this next quote: ‘One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.’ Yeh friends, letting go brings a kind of exhilaration and relief to our spirits, as we say ‘Yes!’ and raise our clenched fists in victory.
And then there is this: ‘Fall in LOVE with yourself before anything else.’ Now there is some truth to that statement, but we have to be very careful with it, especially in these selfish and narcissistic times. LOVE for ourselves should be one about self-worth and self esteem, in conjunction with Jesus command to LOVE others as ourselves.
Now there’s no way we can LOVE anybody else if we don’t first LOVE ourselves. So please pay close attention to how you think about yourself. Do appreciate and value yourself, but don’t put yourself up on any high pedestal, and think you’re so much better than others, for you’ll eventually come tumbling down.
And the next quote poses a very interesting question. ‘Ask yourself if what you’re doing today will get you closer to where you want to be tomorrow?’ Now that’s a question a lot of us need to ask ourselves! So many of us are doing stuff we don’t like, and are spread very thinly amongst so many things that we can’t focus on the thing or things we truly want to focus on.
And in these days of multitasking and people having to work at several jobs just to make ends meet, steadily focusing on, and getting ahead in the area you particularly desire is difficult. But you can do it, if you know what you want, and are ready to make the sacrifices involved, and above all, with God’s awesome help. Remember NOTHING is impossible to Him!
And last quote gives us: ‘Three life rules: 1. If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. 2. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. 3. If you don’t step forward, you will always be in the same place.’ And they are all quite true. We just have to put them in the context of living for Christ and what He said concerning those things. ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’
Yeh friends, it’s only when we venture forth, we step out in faith that things truly begin to happen for us. As Jesus continues: ‘For every one that asketh receiveth; and that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt.7:8) And here Jesus was referring in particular to prayer, but in reality before we do anything, we ought to come to the Father in prayer about it.
The scholars offer this explanation. ‘7:7-10. The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (v.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’
Now that’s certainly a very interesting statement…and it’s also true. Our wonderful God has given us ALL that we need to be successful down here on Planet Earth. We just need to exercise our authority over it all! And what better way to close than with the words of our Leader, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as he concluded His talk on the above subject.
‘Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matt.7:9-11)
You can’t beat Jesus’ logic there my people. If we, in our sinful nature, know how to give good things to our LOVED ones, then can you imagine the generosity of the God of LOVE and Giver of ALL good things? No! Our puny minds won’t allow us to. But if we have faith, and persevere in fervent prayer, we will get some idea of how generous He is. Much LOVE!
…asking…seeking…and knocking…are the only ways…to truly find out what’s happening…
09 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian, advanced society, always catches up to you, Anselm, ashamed of Christ, at your fingertips, backbone, be glad, belly, beloved, beneficial to you, benefits, blasphemed, blessed, can't change the past, Christ's glory is revealed, Christ's sufferings, culled, dismiss their concern, dwell in the past, each concern, eternity, faithful brethren, faking, fresh strawberries, friend, from glory to glory, good and faithful servant, groceries, heaven, house of god, household chores, insulted, Jesus, judge each situation, judgement, judgement day, keep the good ones, knickers tied in a knot, lessons learned from the past, like your sin, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, make ends meet, mental pain, move on in life, necessary assets, obey not the gospel, on its own merit, out of hand, overwhelm you, partakers, physical anguish, pill to swallow, puttering around, rejoice, reproached, self-centred, selfish, sleep in, some strange thing happened, spiritual guide, suffer, the faint of heart, the fiery trial, the name of Christ, the Spirit of God, the wisest path, the workweek, think it not strange, throw away the bad ones, to try you, unhappy with you, valid reason, wasting time and energy, welcome, with exceeding joy, work in your favour, working harder, working more
1 Peter 4:12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
Well, well, well! If it isn’t Saturday; the sleep in day! No, I did not sleep in. I was just puttering around doing a few necessary things around the house before coming down to write. (smile)
And do you really realize friends, that out of seven days, we only have one in which we can do some sleeping in; five days most of us work, and on Sunday we go to church, and most church services are fairly early. But even then, some unfortunate ones also have to get up early on Saturday to do household chores and groceries and other things that could not be done during the workweek.
So where are all those supposed benefits from our so advanced society eh? We seem to be working more, and harder too, simply to make ends meet, and also seeing fewer benefits.
But don’t worry my faithful brethren, if you have Jesus as your spiritual guide, Lord and Saviour, then you have all the necessary assets at your fingertips to make this life work in your favour. More on that later.
And since it’s Saturday, we ought to take a look at the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. The first quote is certainly interesting. It advises: ‘Whatever you do, wherever you go, there will always be someone who will be unhappy with you. They might have a valid reason for it or might not, but it’s not something that you should care about.’
The first part is definitely true. Wherever you go, someone will always be unhappy with you over something. However, I don’t know if you should always dismiss their concerns out of hand, because some of those concerns might actually be beneficial to you. Neither should you allow each concern to overly trouble or overwhelm you.
The wisest path seems to be to look at each situation as it arises, and judge each one on its own merit. Just note though, that nowadays people are so selfish and self-centred that they get their knickers all tied up in a knot very easily over simple nonsense. (smile)
And the next quote says: ‘Faking is something that causes a lot of mental pain, so avoid it as much as you can.’ And I’m here to tell you that faking causes not only mental pain but can cause great physical anguish too. And it always catches up to you. It’s like your sin; it will always find you out. So please avoid it at all costs.
Now here is the last quote, some true words of wisdom. ‘No matter how hard you try, you can’t change the past. So its better to move on in life with the lessons learned from the past instead of wasting time and energy on past.’
Ah friends unfortunately too many of us still dwell in the past. We let what happened before consume our lives and thus prevent us from moving on successfully to new things and people.
However, the past, like someone once said, should be culled like a box of fresh strawberries; keep the good ones and throw away the bad ones. In other words the past is best used to enjoy the good memories and learn life lessons from the bad ones.
And that brings us to our Bit, some rather tough, but true words from the apostle Peter. ‘Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.’
Yes my people, I know that is a rather difficult pill to swallow, but as true believers in Jesus Christ, we are expected to grin and bear the fiery trial, handle it with all the belly and backbone that Jesus displayed in His fiery time. And we’ll just let Peter explain why that should be so.
‘But rejoice, inasmuch (to the extent that) as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached (insulted) for the name of Christ, happy (blessed) are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of (blasphemed), but on your part he is glorified.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody (meddler) in other men’s affairs. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (matter). For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?’ (1 Pet.4:13-17)
And that’s a very pertinent question friends! Judgement Day is a must, and it includes those of us who have suffered for Christ’s sake in faithfulness to His word. Now can you imagine what will be the faith of those who have refuted Him and His gospel?
Ah mih people, being a true believer is not for the faint of heart, but as we persevere, we become stronger and stronger, we grow from glory to glory. So please don’t get all upset and scared and quit as you read Peter’s words.
The Lord has promised to give us the wherewithal to bear every trial, and if we do so in good faith, not being ashamed of Him and His word, then we will be welcomed into heaven by none other than the Father Himself, with words like these: ‘Welcome thou good and faithful servant!’ And believe me friends, heaven is the place to spend eternity! Much LOVE!
…if you suffer with and for Christ on earth…you will surely rejoice with Him in heaven…
06 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a prowler, a robber, a storm of nonsense, admonished, an armed man, be wise, cease to exist, Colorado, consider her ways, creating new worth, crumble, diligence, dire poverty, enriching feeling, feeding on themselves, fell to ruin, fire and brimstone, folding of the hands, foundation of joy, gathers food, get on board, get over the hump, glad to be alive, go to the ant, good fruit, grace, Guatemala, habitually lazy person, halfway home, hands on the plough, hard work, Hawaii, heavenly Father, homelessness, in the hands of a few, in the harvest, joy, joyfully declare, knock us for six, leader, learn from the ant, looking forward to, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, make ends meet, mercy, negative things, New Mexico, no guide, not looking back, overseer, part-time work, poverty, prayers, predictable circumstances, prosperity, relative comfort, right the wrongs, self-starter, sit on our laurels, sleep, sluggard, smell the java, summer time, taskmaster, the breath of life, the fallen lot, the middle of the week, the weekend, this is the day the Lord has made, threat, trash pile, uplifting, volcanic problems, wake up, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wealth, wealthy societies, Wednesday Wail, wildfires, winter season
Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
So friends, it’s Wednesday, the middle of the work week. Are you already looking forward to the weekend? I know a lot of us are. Wednesday just seems to be the day we get over the hump. (smile) But there is no need to relegate the other days to the trash pile because every day comes bearing good fruit and plenty of grace, mercy and LOVE from our heavenly Father.
We ought to enjoy each and everyday regardless of what it’s called and what we have to do in it. That’s why I want to begin today by joyfully declaring like the psalmist of old: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’
Mamacita! What a good, uplifting and enriching feeling that produces! With that foundation of joy, we can now move on and handle whatever negative things that may come against us.
And in our relative comfort, let’s remember in our prayers those unfortunate people in Hawaii and Guatemala who are dealing with volcanic problems, and those in New Mexico and Colorado where wildfires are burning out of hand. Yuh know fire and brimstone are mankind’s biggest threat. (smile)
And I was just led to an interesting and very appropriate Bit for out times. Hear these words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise; Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (bread, grain) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov.6:6-8)
Ah my people, in these unfortunate times of excessive laziness, sloth and entitlement, there is no better example for us to follow than the ordinary ant, who though they have no leader or leaders like us, go about their business with such wisdom, gathering their food for the winter season in the summer time and storing it away for the rough times to come.
And Cousin Sol continues on the subject: ‘How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov.6:9-11)
And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘6:6-11. The sluggard is the habitually lazy person. He is admonished to learn two important lessons from the ant: (1) the ant has no guide, overseer, or ruler (v.7), meaning that the ant does not have a taskmaster standing over it to make it work; it is a self-starter. (2) The ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances (v.8).
Two questions about sleep are posed to the sluggard (v.9). His answer is given in verse 10: “Just a little bit more sleep!” The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and decisively as a robber (v.11).’
Oh friends, I don’t know if there has ever been a time when our interest in working, in being productive has been lower than now. But I guess to a certain extent it comes with the territory, meaning that the more a society becomes prosperous, the more we tend to sit on our laurels and forget what and who brought us to that position of prosperity.
It’s only hard work and diligence that enriches a society, and when we forget that, the society will inevitably crumble. That’s why our history is loaded with wealthy societies that soon fell to ruin, because they began feeding on themselves, rather than creating new worth.
And if we look closely and realistically we will see the same thing happening with our current society. In this supposedly wealthy and prosperous society, our young people are more into partying and chatting up a storm of nonsense than doing productive work and so many of us have to work at more than one job just to make ends meet.
Notwithstanding that jobs are becoming fewer and fewer, and when you find one it’s mostly part time. The level of poverty and homelessness is ridiculous for the amount of wealth we have, but so much of that wealth is in the hands of a very few fortunate and greedy ones.
And because of that wealth, they sit in their high towers and comfortable palatial homes and don’t recognize that our society is going to the dogs, is dying a slow and painful death, and unless that wealth is shared, some time, sooner than we expect, the full effects of a very lopsided economy and society will knock us for six!
Consequently friends, I implore us to wake up and smell the java, which incidentally is a huge aspect of our economy, and start trying to right the wrongs that we are able to. Yes, unless and until, each and every one of us begin to start making changes within our spectrum, our society will just keep going downhill, until we’ll be eventually numbered amongst the fallen lot.
It’s not too late friends, so let’s get to it nuh. The LOVE Revolution of Jesus is waiting, praying and hoping that you will get on board. And for those of us who are already on board, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know our position in and with Jesus.
In strong voice and sincere heart, let’s wail: ‘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 that that future with Jesus will indeed be most glorious! Much LOVE!
…anything that feeds on itself…will soon cease to exist…so let’s be wise…and learn from the ant nuh…
13 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a living sacrifice, a new name, abuse his holy name, amenities, atonement, Calvary, cleansing, earthly living, eternally separated, foolishness, gain access to God, gave up the ghost, grateful, halfway home, happiness, heavenly intercessor, high priest, holy space of God, hope, I am the way, ignorance, Jesus, joy, LOVE, make ends meet, meaning, no man comes to the Father, No one is guaranteed happiness, not looking back, on the outside looking in, panacea, physical things, put in the effort, remove God, rent in twain, sacrifice, Second Coming of Jesus, serving Jesus, sinful souls, space, the best life possible, the breath of life, the cross, the earth did quake, the Good Book, the high life, the Life, the rocks split, the sinless One, the Truth, time, truthful proclamation, unconditional LOVE, ungodly lifestyle, ungratefulness, veil of the temple, washing, Wednesday Wail
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Oh friends, it’s one of those days; the ole fella does not know what to say this Wednesday morning. Hn! Imagine that nuh! (smile)
I slept the night away and got up feeling worse than when I went to bed. Can you believe it? But that was just my ignorance, for I knew that if lay in bed too long my back would act up something terrible.
But I just refused to get out of the bed. If people could lie in bed for ten to twelve hours straight, why couldn’t I do it for a mere five or six eh? And now I’m paying the price. But that’s okay, because I have a rather appropriate quote for us from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster.
It says: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’ End of story!
Yeh friends, it’s up to us to make our lives as joyful and meaningful as we can. Nobody else can do that for us. We have to put in the effort to make our lives whatever we want them to be. And believe me, that’s not always easy, since most of us want to live what is considered the high life, which is not easy to attain or maintain.
But I’ll let us into a li’l secret here (smile)… serving Jesus is the way to live the best life possible here on earth, and even into eternity. And if you doubt that, hear what He says in our Bit. ’I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’
What an awesome statement my brethren! But it’s true! NO ONE else has ever made, or been able to make such an enormous and truthful proclamation! Only through Jesus can we gain access to our heavenly Father.
Remember how it was before Jesus? There was a heavy veil that covered the holy space of God within the tabernacle and only the high priest could enter there once a year to make sacrifice and atonement for man.
But note when Jesus gave up the ghost on that cross at Calvary, the Good Book declares: ‘And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain (torn in two) from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent (split).’ (Matt.27:51)
Yes my people, the tearing down of that oppressive veil opened the way for each and every one to come to the Father through Jesus! Wow! How amazing and reassuring is that eh? From then on Jesus became our high priest and heavenly intercessor, giving us individual access to the Father.
And all of that was done out of the Father’s great and unconditional LOVE for us, His sinful and disobedient children. That’s why we should be eternally grateful to both the Father, who offered His only Son, Jesus, as a living sacrifice, and to Jesus who willingly paid the enormous price for the cleansing and washing of our abominably sinful souls.
Only Jesus, the sinless One, could have paid the exorbitant price the Father required to wash our sins away. And now we refuse to live for Him, abuse His holy name, doing our best to remove Him completely from our society. What ungratefulness my people, what ignorance and foolishness!
Please note what’s happening to our society as we try to remove God from it. Our lives are getting rougher and tougher despite all the supposed amenities we now have. Nobody is really happy, and we have to work harder and longer to just make ends meet.
It just goes to show that the physical things and the ungodly lifestyle that the world wants us to adopt are not the panacea for earthly living. JESUS IS! And until we get around to truly believing that and living it, our world won’t get any better. In fact we’ll just keep wallowing in the mire of sin and ungodliness and keep being unhappy and strife-filled.
Oh friends, I don’t know what else to say to make us believe that Jesus is the WAY nuh. I guess most of us won’t give Him a try until we hit rock bottom. But don’t worry, whenever and however we come to Him, He will always receive us with open, LOVING arms, for that’s how magnanimous He is.
But please don’t put it off until it’s too late. He is coming back a second time, in all His magnificence and splendour, and if you’re not a member of His flock then, you will be eternally separated from Him and the Father, and end up on the outside looking in. And I can guarantee that that won’t be a very good situation.
Now for those of us who sincerely believe, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail as we go joyfully marching home. (smile) ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh, how great it is to live for Jesus! Much LOVE!
…hope has a new name…that name is JESUS…
08 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 21st century, 24/7, a blessed day, a bonded unit, a positive outlook on life, abuse, abusive spouses, adulthood, agony, appreciation, bring shame, call to remembrance, cash, complain, disgusting, divorce, door-mats, elbow grease, emotional strain, equal of men, Eunice, family, fearful, feelings, foundation of our families, genuine faith, gift of faith, God's blessings, godless, gripe, guilty, Happy Mother's Day, help, hurts, immature, irresponsible, kind, lazy, Lois, LOVE, make ends meet, male dominant traits, Mother's Day, motherhood, nuclear society, nurturing, Old Boys Network, onerous duties, personal experience, recognition, responibility, rough times, running away, sacrifice, second class citizens, single mother, sons of mothers, stay at home moms, superwoman, take for granted, the glass ceiling, Timothy, truth, two jobs, Western society
2 Timothy 1:5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Well a Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mother’s out there! Many of you have earned it through much sacrifice and a lot of elbow grease. (smile)
You know it’s strange, but a lot of the time we don’t ever really know what our mothers went through, or are going through to keep our families afloat, because they don’t gripe and complain like many of us. They just put their heads down and do whatever is necessary.
I can talk about that from personal experience with my late mother Molly. As I got older and looked back at some of the rough times we experienced, I now understand how hard she must have had it as a single mother doing two jobs, or having no job at all, and the emotional strain she must have felt. But I never heard her complain one day. She always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook on life, even in those rough times.
And it’s sad that we don’t appreciate our mothers as much as we should. Too many of us just take them for granted and don’t consider that they are human beings just like us with human feelings and hurts just like us. Our mothers are usually the first ones we run to for comfort when we’re hurt, either physically, mentally or emotionally.
But have we ever thought about whom they run to when times are rough and they are hurting? Many of us don’t even consider that, because for some unknown reason we have this idea of Mom as superwoman, who doesn’t need any help. Well friends, that’s the furthest thing from the truth! Some Mothers are pretty strong and can handle a lot of stuff, while others are not and need plenty help.
But they ALL need our LOVE and appreciation. Ofttimes that’s all they want from us. And unfortunately we don’t give them sufficient appreciation, except on days like these.
But mothers are such powerhouses, the basic foundation of our families, who bear us for nine months in the womb, then suffer such agony birthing us, and are then responsible for nurturing and raising us to adulthood – and even after. (smile)They are usually the ones who teach us the basics of life, who keep us tightly knit together as a bonded unit of family. What in the world would we ever do without them eh? I won’t even bother to contemplate it.
Now not all mothers fit the model I’ve painted above, some can be downright disgusting and bring terrible shame to the role of motherhood. But most do a decent job, trying their best to accomplish their God-given roles as nurturers, comforters, guides and the host of other tasks that mothers perform, or are expected to perform.
And in this nuclear society, sadly mothers are having it harder than ever before. At one stage they were mostly stay at home moms, but with the recent boom and bust in our world, mothers are now also going out to work to help make ends meet, with little help from many fathers – those who are around – and are still expected to do their usual motherly chores.
There are even more single moms around than before; either through divorce or men simply impregnating them and moving on without a care as to how the mother and child or children will survive. All of that simply adds to the breakdown and failure of our most important unit in society; that of the family. No wonder our children are irresponsible, godless, lazy and immature, amongst other things.
But if we turn to our Bit, we’ll discover one of the most important things a mother can give to her child or children; the unparalleled gift of faith in Almighty God. ‘When I call to remembrance the unfeigned (genuine) faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.’
There Bruh Paul is encouraging Timothy to keep the sincere faith which he first learned at the knees of his mother Lois and his grandmother, Eunice. And teaching one’s family about God, and showing by personal example, is another job that usually falls to the mother in our Western Society.
But yet for all these onerous duties, mothers, in fact women, are still not compensated, in cash or kind, not shown proper recognition and appreciation and treated as the equal of men. Ah Lord eh! Women still make less money than men, and relegated to lower class jobs even with better qualifications and more experience than their male counterparts. The Old Boy network is still running the world, and the glass ceiling for the advancement of professional women is still too low.
And to make matters worse, abuse seems to be the order of the day in these supposed modern times. I don’t know if the abuse is actually on the rise or if it is just being highlighted more these days. But mothers shouldn’t have to be as fearful as they are and running away from abusive spouses in such great numbers. There are nowhere near enough shelters or programs to assist the abused mother today.
Ah friends, mothers are the most important people in our society, and need to be appreciated and recognized as such. We men, who are all sons of mothers, ought to stop our selfish, male dominant traits and give God’s blessings and appreciation to the women in our lives, because they truly deserve better than what we’re currently handing out.
You women too, you ought to try and stand up stronger to the abusive, feel-they-are-entitled men of today, and don’t let them push you around and treat you as doormats, as so many are wont to do. You also have a responsibility to yourself and womanhood in general.
It’s the 21st century, and time to stop treating mothers, and women in general like second class citizens. So for all of you who have mothers, good, bad or indifferent, I urge you to show them LOVE and appreciation today, as they so rightfully deserve. And not only today, but each and every day of the year, because many of them are on the job 24/7, 365 days and need our appreciation and help.
Trust me friends, if you still have your mother around, please enjoy her, just LOVE on her, for you will be real sorry and feel guilty when she goes over to the other side. I don’t have my mother here in person with me again, but Molls sugar, you know you are always on my mind and in my heart.
And though I didn’t do too badly in our relationship, I still feel I could have done better than I did, knowing what I know now. But you know what; if you ask her, she’ll tell you that I was a most wonderful son! Hn! That’s another thing that mothers do. Have a blessed day, all you Mothers! Much LOVE!
…mothers are the closest thing to God on earth…they give life…offer comfort and succour, provide food and shelter…and teach us about God…
P.S. Oh friends, in the beginning my mind was blank, didn’t know what to write. But as usual, with God’s help, look at how much I’ve written nuh! (smile) Hope it does make sense and encourages us to be better sons and daughter. Much LOVE!
11 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: against powers, against spiritual wickedness in high places, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, all them that Love Jesus, Bruh Paul, but against principalities, coerced, demonic forces, evil strategies, exuberant celebrations, fellowship, fodder for the enemy, Friday chant, fun, generous help, get ahead, glorious kingdom, grace, having done all to stand, having your loins girt about with truth, imprison our spirits, Jesus Christ, Labour Day, LOVE, love with faith, Lucifer, maelstrom, make ends meet, pay the price, peace be to the brethren, perseverance, physical warfare, praying always, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, soul body mind, spiritual battle, spiritual warfare, stand our bounce, supplication for the saints, take up the whole armour of God, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the armour of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the evil day is at hand, the evil one, the fiery darts of the wicked one, the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the protective armour of Almighty God, the right perspective, the shield of faith, the spiritual realm, the sword of the Spirit, the weekend's here at last, the Word of god, walk safely in god's light, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, week of work, whirlpool of madness, withstand in the evil day
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of ) wickedness in high places.
And then it was Friday…
And obviously the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here at last!’ are heard everywhere. And even though it’s been a short week, only four days, a lot of us are extremely happy to see it because we’re pretty tired from the exuberant Labour Day celebrations on Monday, then right to work without a refreshing break.
But Friends, if we want to party too heartily, knowing that work is right around the corner, then we will have to stand our bounce and pay the price it calls for. Anyway, the weekend is upon us, and we’re all glad that it’s here, so let’s chant our Friday Chant to find the right perspective, so we don’t mess up our lives any further. (smile)
As one 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.’
Ah Friends, I do hope we take that simple prayer seriously, because one of the negative things in our crazy world is that everyone is so busy and consequently so tired, trying to make ends meet or simply get ahead in this maelstrom, this whirlpool of madness, that our world’s become.
But my people, we have to be careful in this apparent madness, because it is not all instantaneous and/or unplanned. Not on your life! The evil one and his associates have planned a lot of it to throw us off balance, get us weary and disappointed and thus more easily coerced into their evil strategies and schemes.
And thankfully, our Bit so wisely informs us: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (hosts of) wickedness in high places.’
Yes Friends, physical warfare is not the only kind that’s widespread in our world, but an even more vicious and threatening and dangerous one is being waged in the spiritual realm. This one to capture, enslave and imprison our spirits and souls in a dark and wicked dungeon controlled by Lucifer and his evil forces, from which the chances of escape are rather slim.
That’s why, as we saw yesterday, Bruh Paul strongly advised the Ephesians. ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
And believe me my brethren, we need to take that advice today even more seriously than the Ephesians, because the evil day is at hand!
Yes my fellow believers, the powers of evil and darkness are in the ascendance right now. Oh so sadly, they are indeed holding sway in our confused and troubled world, that’s why we so badly need to put on the protective armour of God, for that’s the only thing that will offer us protection from the attacks and machinations of the dark and evil powers.
And what, you ask, is this armour of God that’s so powerful to protect us from Beelzebub? As believers in Jesus Christ, we should all know it, but I’ll let Bruh Paul refresh our memory.
‘Stand therefore, having your loins girt about (having girded your waist) with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (an eagerness and willingness to take the fight to the devil).
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:14-18)
Yes Friends all that protection is absolutely necessary in the spiritual battle against the evil and demonic forces of this ungodly world!
And you’ll notice how Bruh Paul lays it out just like the armour of a soldier going into battle, with a helmet, a breastplate, waist securely girded, with proper shoes to handle the terrain, a shield, and a trusty sword, all backed by the power of prayer.
Oh my people, without the armour of God, we are simply fodder for the enemy. He will cut us down like a sharp scythe cuts grass or a lawnmower mows it; with no problems at all. So please, please let’s be wise and take this most important advice to heart nuh, provided you want to be saved from the unpleasant advances of the wicked world.
That’s enough for now. Tomorrow we’ll continue looking at the wonderful protective armour of God, delve into it a little deeper. Till then, please walk safely in God’s light.
Or as Bruh Paul would say: ‘Peace be to the brethren, and LOVE with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.’ (Eph.6:23-24).
Much, much LOVE my people!
…one cannot walk this wicked earth safely…unless one has on the protective armour of Almighty God…that’s a proven fact…
11 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of love, conquerors, death, Dieppe, divine truth, footsteps of Jesus, freedom, get lost in the woodwork, God's glorious kingdom, good life, grief, handouts, health care, heavenly advocate, humble servants, hypocrisy, In Flanders Field, invincible, Jesus Christ, just rewards, justice, Lest we forget, lies, long & short of story, LOVE, lust, make ends meet, man's inhumanity to man, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nickel and dime, pain, Patriarch, peace, political purposes, politicians, power, refuge & strength, rejuvenation of spirit, Remembrance Day, renewed vitality, sacrifices, sons of Korah, sorrow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thirst, true nature of God, undeniable truth, useful purpose, veterans, Veterans Day, Vimy Ridge, war, wealth, weary souls, week of work, wiles
Psalm 46:9. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in fire.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR OUR VETERANS !
Oh Friends, I can’t help reminding us of the mysterious and wonderful workings of our awesome God nuh, because everyday He shows me something from His powerful arsenal! Now yesterday I got to writing about the foolishness of war, without even remembering that this was the weekend to remember the many fallen in war, through Remembrance Day in Canada and the British Commonwealth, and Veterans’ Day in the U.S.
I never realized it until I got to church and saw the minister, Father Jeff, putting up a Canadian flag on the altar and seeking someone to read the commemorative poem, ‘In Flanders Fields,’ and I just had to chuckle.
But the Lord wasn’t done with His mysterious workings, for just then, a most appropriate line from the once very popular song, ‘War’ suddenly popped into my mind. I believe it was first done by Edwin Star, but also covered by several others, including the Temptations. And the very apt line was: ‘WAR! What is it good for? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!’
And that’s the undeniable truth Friends! Because all it brings to God’s great universe is a host of negative things like grief, sorrow, pain, mourning, destruction and ultimately, in great numbers, unnecessary death! At the time I even wondered why I never remembered that line yesterday, but then figured out that the Lord wanted me to use today.
Ah mih people, so many unfortunate humans have lost their lives, many at rather tender ages, because of man’s insatiable lust and thirst for wealth and power! But many have also died for freedom, so that we can live freely in a certain amount of peace and tranquility, and it behoves us to remember them. As the slogan says: ‘LEST WE FORGET!’
The problem though is that most of the veterans of the early wars are dying out and I’m not sure that this current generation knows much about them, has any idea of what they went through, so that they can live the good, irresponsible, no respect for authority lifestyle they’re currently living. And even the comparative few, who do know about the veterans’ sacrifices, don’t seem to pay much attention because they figure it doesn’t affect them.
But they’re ever so wrong! For without the millions who died in foreign places like Vimy Ridge and Dieppe, Korea, Vietnam and places around the Pacific Ocean, they definitely wouldn’t be enjoying the good life they do today. So Friends, just like we need to teach the children God’s Word, we also need to teach them about those veterans, and the ones we’re currently creating from places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The sad part about this whole Remembrance and Veterans Day business is that it involves a lot of hypocrisy. The politicians get up on their pedestals and talk so glowingly of the veterans, trotting out a few to add as exhibits, then nickel and dime them in terms of jobs, health care, pensions and proper housing. Numerous veterans are suffering in many countries, unable to make ends meet, while governments even claw back money from them.
The long and the short of the story my people, is that in real life the veterans are not being properly taken care of. They’re just being used for political purposes whenever convenient, then are expected to get lost in the woodwork and accept whatever handouts they receive and say the Lord be praised. Steups!
As we noted yesterday, man’s inhumanity to man… Chuh! It’s truly something else yes! But please remember Friends that all of us will have to stand before Almighty God one fateful day and give account for our earthly lives. I guess the veterans will have to wait until then to get their just rewards and justice they so rightly deserve.
Now, lest we also forget, to day is Monday, and though it’s a holiday in many places, in our 24/7 society, it’s still a work day for many people. So please let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with a special appreciation, in grateful memory of those who selflessly gave their lives so that we could enjoy ours in relative peace and freedom.
As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was excellent Friends! I’m sure our heavenly Advocate and Patriarch both felt the spirit of gratitude rising in our hearts.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is so appropriate for these warring times. In this psalm, ‘God is our refuge and strength,’ the Sons of Korah invite us in the verse before our Bit to: ‘Come behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in fire.’
And that my people is divine truth! However, unfortunately another truth is staring us in the face; that of time and space running out. The Bit’s already ‘longish’ and since I don’t want to tax or strain our mental capabilities too much, (smile) we’ll close for today. Tomorrow though, God in favour, we’ll continue this topic.
Till then, let’s consider all that we can enjoy because of the veterans, pray to God to help us treat them better, and walk safely in the footsteps of Jesus. Much LOVE!
…the followers of Jesus must embrace…peace, not war…LOVE, not hate…for that’s the true nature of our Lord and Saviour…
24 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a step backwards, actions of man, back to school, believers, blame game, breakdown of the family, chameleons, church, commensurate action, confidence in man, confidence in princes, constant fear, deceitful above all things, deceitfulness, deceptions, deceptiveness, divine direction, ever-faithful God, evil deeds, faithful God, faithful promises, fellowship, food for thought, fruit of his deeds, gospel truth, grieved the Lord's heart, hazardous act, heartbreaks, holy presence, incurably sick, Jesus Christ, lazy weekend, let our faith soar, lies, LOVE, make ends meet, man's innermost being, man's natural disposition, outsourcing, price to pay, progress, proper fellowship with God, redeemed heart, redeeming grace, refined by the fire, religion, righteous purposes, spirituality, stand strong in Christ, sunshine and roses, take heart, the heart is deceitful, the Lord searches hearts, theology, tree of life and knowledge, true motives, trust, umemployment, untrustworthiness, weekends, wickedness, working two jobs
Jeremiah 17:9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?
And then it was Saturday… Hip, hip hurrah! (smile) Long time I haven’t heard that one. Yes Friends, it’s Saturday with all its late rising due to tiredness from the workweek, plus from Friday night’s partying, with more plans for partying later on. Let’s hope though, that somewhere in our busy and /or lazy weekend, there are also plans for church and fellowship with other believers.
Unfortunately, some people work harder at home on the weekends than they do during the week at their places of employment. What with young children to look after – no baby sitter then, laundry to be done, groceries bought, the house cleaned, and all the necessary preparations for the following week.
Some people, especially mothers long for the week to begin. And with school soon opening, hn! That means more shopping for new fashionable stuff to wear, and all the other accoutrements for back to school. It’s a good thing my days for that stuff are over. Thank You Lord!
No wonder a lot of parents aren’t too enamoured of the weekends since their personal lives get even busier than during the week. But Friends, that’s the price they say we have to pay for progress, although I really don’t see how we can call it progress, when we’re so busy that we don’t have much time for ourselves.
And with both parents out working now, often at more than one job, just to make ends meet, that seems to be a step backwards rather than forwards, especially when you add stuff like the breakdown of the family, the high unemployment rate and the constant fear in the air of losing one’s job to outsourcing in some undeveloped country.
Anyway my brethren, I know it’s rough out there for many of us, and it’s liable to get rougher before it gets better. But as believers, we need to stand strong in Christ and the faithful promises of our wonderful and ever-faithful God.
Now He never promised that life would always be sunshine and roses, but that He will not cause us to suffer more than we can bear, and will bring us out of anything He allows us to go through, refined by the fire. So we need to let our faith soar, to take heart and believe that our Creator will come through for us, as He’s promised.
And talking about heart, let’s finally bring in our Bit: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?
And that’s gospel, gospel truth my people! Our hearts are so deceptive, and change so quickly, like chameleons, from one extreme to the next, who can really know what’s truly buried in them eh?
That’s why Jeremiah continues speaking on God’s behalf: ‘I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind, most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds). (Jer.17:10)
Oh Friends, the Lord’s lucky, He can see into the depths of man’s soul and reveal their true motives. Meanwhile, we humans can only judge another’s heart basically by their words and outward actions. And sadly that leads to an inordinate amount of lies, deceptions, heartbreaks and other evil deeds.
Now before we get into some relevant scripture, hear these important words from the scholars. ’17:9-10: The heart (cf. Prov.4:23) means man’s innermost being. The bent of man’s natural disposition, apart from God’s redeeming grace, is described as deceitful (lit. crooked) and desperately wicked (incurably sick).
Therefore man cannot trust his own heart but must leave all to God who alone knows the heart and judges all men fairly. Only a person with a redeemed heart can live in proper fellowship with God. (Job 11:13; 1 John 3:18-24).’
Yes my people, because of the naturally evil disposition of our hearts, trust in man is a very uncertain and hazardous act. No wonder the psalmist so strongly advised: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps.118:8-9) Please note that he specified that not even royalty can be trusted.
But all of this untrustworthiness began right at the very beginning when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the tree of life and knowledge. When the Lord came looking for them, they hid, because they knew they had disobeyed Him. Their eyes were also opened and thus they realised their nakedness and attempted to cover up themselves. And when God asked them what had happened, the blame laying began. Adam blamed Eve, and she blamed the serpent.
Ah Lord eh! But God was having none of their deceitfulness and kicked them out of the beautiful garden. (Gen.3) And sadly Friends, from that day onwards, man’s heart just kept getting more and more evil.
Until the day God finally took stock of man: ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (thought or intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day long). And it repented the Lord (the Lord was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.’ (Gen.6:5-6)
So much so, that He decided to destroy everything that He’d so tenderly made. Ah mih breddren, when man’s heart becomes so wicked that it alarms God and grieves Him so much that He considers destroying all the beautiful things He’s made, you must know that things are in a really bad state.
And we’ll end with some more important words from the scholars on those two verses. ‘Repented does not imply that God made a mistake in His dealing with men, but rather indicates a change in divine direction resulting from the actions of man.
It is “an anthropopathism” (a human emotion applied to God), describing the pain that is caused God by the destructiveness of His creatures. It is used 30 times with God as its subject, each time speaking of a change of mind or intention that accords with His righteous purposes, and results in action commensurate with those purposes.’
Wow! We’ll soon need someone to explain the explanations! (smile)
Oh mih people, there’s a lot more to come tomorrow, God willing of course. But let’s ponder today’s stuff with an open heart, remembering that it’s only as we turn to Almighty God with a redeemed heart, that we’re able to stand in His holy presence. That ought to give us plenty of food for thought. Much LOVE!
…who knows the true thoughts of a man’s heart…only the Lord God Jehovah…
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