29 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and all these things shall be added unto you, be careful for nothing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, casting all your care upon him, catch our second wind, childish intensity, distractions bombarding us, endure to the end, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, free to be myself, give balance to my boggled mind, hands on the plough, he careth for you, holy spirit, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I'm frightened, in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, infuse me with your poise and power, Jesus Christ, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, my total self is submerged in you, not easy times to navigate, not turning back, One Year Book of Bible promises, pull me off the merry-go-round, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life, the peace of God, the tension etching my somber face, to a glorious future with Jesus, too many irons in the fire, Wednesday Wail, What's Myself Doing to Myself, which passeth all understanding, your plan for my personal fulfillment
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And then it was Wednesday, the mid-week workday when we are supposed to catch our second wind and move on down to the end Friday with improved enthusiasm and excellence. (smile) Unfortunately, I don’t know if it actually works that way, because from my own experience, I’ve found that you get more tired as the week winds down. But it’s always nice to have something to fall back on to liven up our days, give us a reason to go on. (smile)
Now, let me apologize for the lateness of the Bit, but I had to go out the street early this morning and do some time sensitive errands, and by the time I got back from running around in the cold, cloudy, windy morning with the occasional snow flurries floating down from on high, hunger, thirst and tiredness and taken over my ole body, so I had to satisfy those needs before I could do a worthwhile Bit. (smile)
And today we’re going to get into this most appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, aptly titled ‘What’s Myself doing to Myself?’ And that’s surely a good question for many of us to be asking ourselves in these trying and difficult times.
So please read with me: ‘With childish intensity she asked “What’s myself doing to myself?” I couldn’t help but smile As she stood before the mirror Struggling so impatiently With a stubborn jacket zipper. But I’m not smiling now, Lord As I pass my own mirror and glance at the tension Etching my sombre face. I’m frightened, Lord. Her innocent question clutches me. “What’s myself doing to myself?” Frustrated, frantic So often breathless Too many irons in the fire…
What am I doing to my body – To my mind, my emotions? What am I doing to my family? What am I doing to Your Plan For my personal fulfillment? Why do I live like this, Lord As though Your world Couldn’t exist without me? Why do I so often Tear myself from Your control? Dear Lord, calm me. Pull me off the merry-go-round Of converging conflicts. Give balance to my boggled mind. This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free To be myself.’
Wow! What very appropriate but encouraging words! Yes friends, many of us are doing harm to ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually, trying to live up to the all the conflicting convergences that are engulfing our lives. And when we do stop and think about it, we realize that we can’t fix them all, if any. And furthermore, the only way to find peace in our daily struggles is by turning back to Almighty God and surrendering our all to Him. Placing all the conflicts in His hands, while receiving His grace and mercy to go about our many tough tasks in peace and contentment.
Now, that’s not always easy to do either, especially when the many distractions of this ungodly world are constantly bombarding us from all directions, and the bills, the rent-man and whoever else is breathing down our necks for what we owe them. No my bredrin, these are not easy times to navigate, especially on our own, but we’re so blessed to have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, our Comforter, our Go-to -Guy, whom we can count on to help us in our troubles. However, if we desire His awesome help, we have to be confident and faithful enough to give ourselves and our troubles over to Him.
As the poem so rightly expresses: ‘This very hour, Lord Infuse me with Your poise and power Until my total self Is submerged in You – Yourself. Only then will I be free to be myself.’ Yes my fellow believers, if we sincerely ask the Lord for His poise and power, He will give it to us, fill us with His Holy Spirit that will allow us to be free to be ourselves once again, and not totally distracted and confuffled by the many headed dragons that the world is constantly sending against us. It’s the only way to win the battle against Satan and his evil doers.
And yes, the theory is very sound, but how does one go about it practically? Well the Bible Promise for today’s poem gives us some idea of how to do it. They are words of encouragement written long ago by Bruh Paul to the Philippians, but words which are still filled with strength and encouragement for today. He wrote: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7)
And that sounds oh so easy, but like everything else, it takes practice. The more often you do it, the easier it becomes. And when the world is coming at you, it’s not so easy not to worry, but please remember that He that is in You, the Lord Jesus Christ, is greater than he that’s in the world, Satan. (1 John 4:4) And that’s the awesome truth! But you have to believe it and then put it into action by humbling yourself and casting all your care on Christ. Peter says it quiet nicely: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Now there’s the magical or miracle words my brethren: the Lord cares for us! And since He cares, He will not allow us to suffer more than we need to, if we bring all of our troubles to Him in a humble and sincere manner. And if you don’t believe Bruh Paul, John, Peter, or me, mayhap you’ll believe Jesus when He tells you:
‘Wherefore, if God so clothe (clothes) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought (don’t worry), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; ad all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:30-33)
Now, let’s hope that you believed Jesus! (smile) But for those of us who do, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And we’ve also been promised that if we endure right to the very end with Jesus, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s plan to mee there nuh! Much LOVE!
…only in Jesus Christ…can the answers to our problems be found…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
26 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joy divine, Anthony J Showalter, Elisha Hoffman, everlasting security through Christ, faith, fellowship, fellowship with other believers, give his angels charge over thee, he hath set his love upon me, he is my refuge and my fortress, holy spirit, how bright the path grows, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim's way, I will set him on high, in him will I trust, Jesus Christ, leaning on the everlasting arms, Lord thou hast been our dwelling place, LOVE, mercy, no evil shall befall thee, the eternal God is thy refuge, thrust out the enemy from before thee, to find refuge in pur Father's arms, tread upon the lion and adder, underneath are the everlasting arms, what a peace is mine, what have i to dread, what have I to fear, where two or three are gathered, wisdom, with long life will I satisfy him
Deuteronomy 33:27a. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:
And would you know that it’s Sunday again, which means it’s time to worship and fellowship with other fellow believers in the Lord’s sanctuary, or wherever two or three people are gathered in His name. He’s promised to be there, and we all know that He keeps every promise faithfully. And today friends, when our world is in a state of deadly chaos and total uproar, when we all need something to hold on, to give us some kind of comfort, to be a bright light in our shining world, to lend encouragement to our puny efforts to turn things around, we’ll open with this old but ever favoured hymn written in the late 1880’s by Anthony J Showalter and Elisha Hoffman, most appropriately titled ‘Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.’
It’s reputed that the hymn came into being when Showalter was answering letters from two of his of his former pupils who had earlier written informing him of the death of their wives. And in answering them, this verse from Deuteronomy 33:27 inspired him. ‘The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, Destroy them.’ Yes my brethren, that is indeed a powerful verse of scripture. And it’s so powerful that later on Showalter realized that the verse would make a great theme for a hymn. Thus was born this great hymn for times of solace, as we are encouraged to lean on the Everlasting Arms of God when seeking comfort.
And I don’t know if there’s ever been a time in this modern world when we need comfort more desperately than right now. So let’s open our hearts and mouths and allow sacrifices of sincere praise to rise to high heaven, as we offer up a soulful, mid-tempo version of the hymn. And as one commentary advises, as we sing the hymn, let’s ‘contemplate what it truly means to find refuge in our Father’s arms in times of fear and trial, and to allow His joy and peace to replace our loneliness and anxiety.’ Oh friends, we could not get better advice than that this Sunday morning in these trying times. So please let’s do it.
Singing: ‘What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. (Refrain: Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.) O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim’s way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms. [Refrain]What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms, Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning on the everlasting arms…leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus… oh how good it is to be, leaning on the everlasting arms of Christ my Saviour….’
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! It doesn’t get any better than that! Even Moses in his only psalm acknowledges it, when he declares (steups!!!) in the opening verses of Psalm 90: ‘Lord , thou hast been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed (gave birth to) the earth and the world, even from everlasting thou art God.’ (Ps. 90:1-2) And Moses had so many close and intimate dealings with God, he ought to know what he was talking about! (smile)
Meanwhile, the author of Psalm 91, enlarges on the scene with even greater figurative splendour. (smile) Please read with me: ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler (bird trapper), and from the noisome (deadly) pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust (take refuge): his truth shall be thy shield and buckler (small shield).
Thou shalt not be afraid for (of) the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth (lays waste) at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh (near) thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation (dwelling place). There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh to thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear (lift) thee up in their hands, lest thou dash (strike) thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder (cobra): the young lion and the dragon (serpent) thou shalt trample under feet.’ (Ps. 91: 1-13)
Ah friends, that’s the kind of security one will find when you make the Most High God your refuge and dwelling place. Obviously we will have problems, but they will not overwhelm us or make us afraid and anxious. But the psalmist left the best for last. As the scholars tell us: ‘There are two distinct voices in the psalm, and each speaks to the trusting believer in the Lord. The first voice assures the faithful of God’s protection (vs. 1-13). The second voice is that of the Lord Himself who likewise pledges His watchcare (vs. 14-16).’
Listen to them: ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16)
Oh my fellow saints, that’s the kind of stuff we have to look forward to when we place our trust in Jehovah God, when we lean on His everlasting arms. Fear doesn’t overcome us, a divine joy is ours, blessed peace envelops us, while our path grows brighter day by day. How can we ever refuse such security and blessedness for the only other option available, that of Satan’s evil desires and eternal damnation. Not if we are wise! Much LOVE!
…everlasting security…can only be obtained…through Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a roof over my head, another day of work, become anathema, committed to the mission of Jesus, discipleship is a lifelong process, discipleship is not cheap or easy, entitled to an easy life, faith, fans instead of disciples, food on my table, fuel for our fire, holy spirit, humble servants, if any one will come after me, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, let him deny himself, live the abundant life, LOVE, major downfall of christians, mass confusion, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not content to watch from the sidelines, our passion for Jesus, sacrificing for Christ, sincere repentance in our hearts, strong faith in Christ, take up his cross daily and follow me, the God who heals, treasure in heaven, we have all sinned, without having to lift a finger
Luke 9:23. If any one will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Oh Chuh! Another Monday, another day of work!’ we complain. But let’s look at it from another perspective nuh. In the first place we should be thankful we do have a job to go to, for many of our fellow citizens don’t have one, and would gladly trade your situation for theirs. Then what about this perspective: I have a job and thus I am able to keep a roof over my head, and put food on my table. My family is not homeless or starving. We might be finding things a bit rough in this unstable and directionless economy, but we are amongst the blessed few.
And that ought to be fuel enough for our fire, for our passion for life and Jesus Christ, under whose safe umbrella we are sheltered and looked after in good style. But sadly, that’s one of the major downfalls of our Christian society; we think we should be entitled to an easy life, what with all the amenities in our technology driven world, and as soon as something doesn’t go the way we believe it should, we throw up our hands and complain from now till next never, and threaten to give up.
Oh, we Christians today are such wimps, it isn’t funny! As the body of Christ, His church, we’ve gotten both individually and collectively frail and feeble, forgetting the tough, but interesting and rewarding things we experienced with Christ at the helm of our earlier lives. But now, the words giving up something for Christ, sacrificing for His benefit, have become anathema to us. Yes, truly living for Christ has become repugnant and hateful to His believers, who only want to live the abundant life without having to lift a finger to enjoy it.
And I hope it will be of benefit to remind us here of what we signed up for when we became disciples of Christ. Jesus said it thus: ‘If any one will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Now that is explicit as it can get. One commentator explains it thus: ‘Jesus called those who wish to be his disciples to discipline themselves in their everyday life by living in a way that is honoring to him and others.’ There is no hemming and hawing about it. You either are willing to sacrifice on behalf of Jesus and others or you are not, and it’s a lifelong process.
And that’s why believers are the laughingstock of our community. We talk a great talk, but our walk is far from credible. Now here are a few more commentaries on discipleship. This one says: ‘A disciple of Jesus is someone who is following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and is committed to the mission of Jesus.’ How many of us supposed believers can say we are truly committed to the mission of Jesus by the works that we do eh? Not a whole lot. For, ‘Being a disciple is more than just being a follower. In the time of Jesus, the relationship between a disciple and master (teacher) was deep commitment and loyalty by both the teacher and the disciple.’
Nowadays though, you certainly don’t see too many of us showing that deep commitment and loyalty to Jesus. What we are these days are more like fans of Jesus, rather than disciples, as this commentary explains. ‘In contrast to a disciple is what many call a fan. This is best illustrated by comparing the fan of a sports team with one of the players on the field. A fan sits on the sideline and cheers on their team. They may invest some time in learning about their team. And they may invest in purchasing some of the appropriate swag so that they can fly the team colors.
But the fan watches the performance from the stands or watches the game on TV. But they do not get directly involved. And if their team disappoints them, they may switch their allegiance to one they find more satisfying.’ Now that’s what so many of us do; watch from the sidelines and offer up glib, empty promises, and move from church to church seeking to satisfy our inner lusts. However, that’s not how true disciples operate.
‘Disciples are those who are not content to watch from the sidelines. Their commitment to the Savior means they are actively engaged in the kingdom even if it is inconvenient, or difficult, or even if they don’t fully understand what Jesus is asking of them. For example, when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God, even without perhaps knowing all that would be required of her, she nevertheless responded with faith and declared, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38)
Yes friends, those are the realities of the true disciple. Yuh see the different responses to Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James and John, and that of the young rich man. Jesus said to the first four: ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.’ (Luke 4:19-20) They left lucrative business simply to follow a rabbi they didn’t know. But the pull must have been very strong for them to just walk away from everything they had spent their whole lives building. But that’s the kind of obedience and loyalty Jesus desires from His followers.
Meanwhile the rich, young ruler’s response to Jesus’ words was entirely different. When Jesus told him: ‘One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up thy cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.’ (Mark. 10:21-22) Who knows if Jesus really expected the fellow to sell all his possessions and give away the proceeds to the poor, but He was surely testing the level of his devotion to God. And unfortunately, that’s how many of us react to God’s challenges; with a sad, grieved countenance.
But please friends, although none of us wants to go through the fiery furnace, let’s remember what we signed up for: just that, if the Lord deems it necessary. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for grace and mercy to live up to our promises. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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!’
Now the seed we need to sow to get divine help is ingrained right there in our prayer…turn from our evil ways. Please, it’s high time we begun doing that! Much LOVE!
…being a disciple of Christ…is not cheap or easy…but the price is surely worthwhile…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: blowing away the heather, breathed the breath of life, faith, free choice, friendship with the world is enmity with God, giveth grace to the humble, he shall lift you up, heavenly light, holy spirit, humble servants, humble yourselves in the sight of God, I am the vine ye are the branches, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is our everything, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, nothing without Jesus, on the cross at Calvary, pray and sincerely seek your face, reconciled back to the Father, resist the devil and he will flee from you, sacrificed His sinless life, salty flavour, submit yourselves to God, the earth is the Lord's, the God who heals, the good shepherd, the grim reaper, the Lord giveth thee power to get wealth, the way the truth and the life, truth, wisdom, without me ye can do nothing
James 4:10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
And we’ve been blessed with a bright sunny Monday to begin our new work week, with double digit temperatures! Please give the Lord some thanks and praise for it, because it could have easily been rain and snow instead! (smile) Ah friends, I do hope that we’re out there blowing away the heathen with our superb salty flavour and blinding them with our heavenly light, so that they can know we’re not just ordinary people, but sincere followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the One who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary so that our sin debt could be paid in full, and we could thus be reconciled back to our heavenly father. Glory be!
What a wonderful Lord and Saviour is our Jesus! He is the shepherd of our souls: He said it Himself: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep….I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.’ (John 10:11, 14) And not only is Jesus our good shepherd, but He’s also the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father but through him! (John 14:6) Wow! Jesus has the best way for us to live this earthly life! In other words, He’s our EVERYTHING! And we are NOTHING without Him!
Listen as He tells it loud and clear: ‘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)
Mama Mia! What a powerful, all-encompassing statement! Without Jesus we can’t do much of anything. And that’s the gospel truth, for the universe and all there is belongs to Him, He created it, for His pleasure. Bruh David said it thus in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
And likewise friends, the Lord created us in His own spiritual image to honour and glorify Him. He breathed the breath of life into each human being He created and can just as summarily take it away. And we had better learn to respect that li’l piece of info, for it’s why, when the Grim Reaper appears to take us home, we are helpless to say no.
Furthermore, since the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord, that means it’s also the Lord who allows us to get wealth and live the good and comfortable life. As Moses reminded the Hebrew children so long ago on their way to the Promised Land. ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.’ (Deut. 8:18) In fact my faithful brethren it’s the Lord who gives us power to get or do anything whatsoever! And physical wealth and abundance is one of God’s great blessings for those who are obedient and follow His divine will.
And since God did not want us to be merely robots, He gave us what we call free choice; the ability to do as we please. However, that free choice does come with serious repercussions if we don’t do His will. He gave us the free choice expecting that we’d be wise enough to use it follow Him not the evil Satan, like so many of us are doing. And that’s why the sin and evil in this world are eating us up and spitting us out like wood chips from a wood factory. We cannot control the evildoers and their evil deeds by our own efforts. No, we need the health and strength and the complete wherewithal of Christ Jesus to do it.
And it’s not always easy to fight off the devil, but as James says it begins thus: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted (lament), and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness (gloom). Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.’ (James 4:7-10) Now that right there says it all friends. We need to humble ourselves in God’s sight, not behave proud and arrogant and like we have no need for Him.
As James says earlier on: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will (wants) to be a friend of the world, is (makes himself) the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy (yearns jealously)? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.’ (James 4:4-6)
Oh my people, once upon a time we were complete enemies of God, but when the time was right He sent Jesus to die for us so that we could become His children once again. Now we have the choice, the option of being a child of God or one of Satan. It only makes complete sense to choose the best option, that of being a son of God, for the other option only leads to hellfire and damnation. But that calls for humbling ourselves before Him. So let’s do that right now nuh, approach the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for divine help.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 if we’ve truly learned our lesson, then we’ll turn from our evil ways and humble ourselves before Almighty God! Much LOVE!
…the Lord hates the haughty…they are an abomination unto Him… (Prov. 6:17)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
09 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, aiding and abetting the devil, all or nothing at all, Ananias And Sapphira, blessed with creativity, Christ's church needs cleaning up, Christians living more like the devil's children, courage, curse, faith, fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body, fear the Lord thy God, great fear came upon all the church, he that wavereth is like a tossed wave in the sea, holy spirit, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, Jesus Christ, let him ask in faith, LOVE, lying to the Holy Ghost, mercy, negative word, not concentrating on our Christian duties, nothing seems right in our world, pay lip service, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, thou hast not lied unto men but unto God, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, Thursday Blessings, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, truth, upon as many as heard these things, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind
Acts 5:11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Awright! So I’ve finally caught up on all my backlogged tasks and can now devote my time seriously to the Bit! Glory Be! And we had our first spell of winter weather yesterday evening and night with freezing rain amidst some heavy showers. The warnings had been sounded, but you know these days we’ve become so obstinate and know-it-all that we don’t pay sufficient attention to the warnings. And I’m sure many people paid for that lack of attention last evening as they made their way home from work. Anyway, that situation has now been rectified (smile) and there’s some sunshine out there amongst the clouds with a decent non-freezing temperature. So all’s right with the world!
Not true at all friends. Nothing seems to be right with our crazy, war-like, power hungry, hateful world, for everywhere you turn, there’s disaster and chaos aplenty. And most of it is man made. And when you add the many natural disasters constantly occurring, it balloons to a situation that only our great, omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God can fix! That is, if He so desires. But are we giving Him occasion to have that desire? Certainly not! For even His supposed believers are not living as right as we should be, and living more like the devil’s children than those of Almighty God.
There’s no way on earth, nor in heaven for that matter, for our world to be in such man-made chaos if the majority of Christians were actually living a truly Christian life. That is truly having God as the Number One priority in our lives, by doing as Jesus demanded. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) We only pay lip service to that scripture. As well as to this one about the great commandment in the law. To which Jesus answered: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’ (Matt. 22:37-38)
What’s so difficult in that to understand eh? Nothing whatsoever! It says quite plainly that you must LOVE the Lord with every fibre of your being, not to LOVE Him partially, or conveniently, as so many of us do. With the Lord it’s ALL or NOTHING at ALL! And until many more of us realize that and begin giving ALL of ourselves to Him, our lives won’t improve and thus our world will continue to sink into the evil mire that the devil so eagerly wants to happen. And we’re aiding and abetting him by not concentrating fully on our Christian duties. Oh friends, what will it take for us to shake up ourselves and rise to the occasion for which we’ve been called eh?
And I recently heard a pastor mention what might just be our problem. We don’t FEAR the Lord! Don’t truly reverence Him and consider His awesome power and sense of justice and righteousness. We claim to LOVE the Lord, trust Him, believe in His infinite grace and mercy, but you never hear us talking about fearing Him, both in terms of reverence and outright fear. Jesus said it thus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt. 10:28)
No my faithful brethren, let’s not be afraid of people, who can only kill our body, but cannot harm our souls. However, we should fear God who can destroy both our bodies and souls in hell. And Cousin Sol pointed that out right at the very beginning of Proverbs when he so wisely wrote: ‘The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is the beginning (the principal beginning or very start) of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Prov. 1:7) There it is in black and white, written thousands of years ago, but it’s still the God-awesome truth!
You don’t achieve any kind of true, serious or lasting wisdom unless it comes from God, and you first have to fear and reverence Him to get it. As James so correctly said: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). for he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. a double minded man is unstable in all is ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
And I like the reference the pastor pointed out in the New Testament pertaining to God’s awesome sense of justice and righteousness. The scripture is found in Acts 5, where the New Testament church was growing and people were sharing what they had with each other. But this bumptious husband and wife (Ananias and Sapphira) decided to try and pull a fast one. They went out and sold a piece of land, but only decided to give a portion of the proceeds to the church. And that was quite okay, everybody only had to give what they wanted. But the fools went up to John and Peter, and said they’d given all they got for the land.
‘But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own, and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power (control)? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost (died): and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound (wrapped) him up, and carried him out, and buried him.’ (Acts 5: 3-6)
Yes friends, there was no need for him to lie. But that’s not the whole story. Listen to this next part that’s even more interesting. The Bible tells us: ‘And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt (test) the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then she fell down straightway (instantly) at his feet, and yielded up the ghost (breathed her last): and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.’ (Acts 5:7-11)
And yuh know what happened after that friends? The church settled down and it grew in numbers and grace and goodness to each other! And I believe we need some such awakening like that, or whatever it takes to bring great fear on the church today, so that we can get up off our fat, lazy, comfortable fannies and do what we’re supposed to do, instead of fighting each other and doing the things we ought not to do. And the sad part is that we have all the tools to do it in what we call our Thursday Blessings, conveniently bestowed on us for the express purpose of doing our earthly work. So let’s activate them right now by declaring (yesss!!!) them out loud.
As one sincere voice! ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now it’s time to rise up, to get out and use those blessings just as generously on Christ’s behalf, so that we can make the productive and positive difference we were placed here to make! Much LOVE!
…Christ’s church cannot positively affect the world…until it positively cleans up its own house…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
08 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a near death experience, an unhappy camper, C.T Scan, cold and cough, coughing and hacking, Covid 19 virus, Credit Valley Hospital, Daylight Saving's Time, excellent medical treatment, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, halfway home, hands on the plough, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, keep a decent attitude during adversity, LOVE, mercy, not turning back, so glad to be alive, thank God, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the Lord's mysterious movements, to a glorious future with Jesus, to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, truth, University of Adversity, we know that all things work together for good, Wednesday Wail
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Well hello there my beautiful and loyal Scrip-Bit friends and families! The ole fella is back from the dead…NO! It was definitely not a near death experience, but too much of a real life and living one. First of all let me apologize for the lack of Bits for the last three days, and those of you who have been with me for some time will know that that has never happened before. In the seventeen years I’ve been doing this the longest break we’ve ever had was possibly two days, and that’s some four years ago when I was in the wilds of South Africa on safari (smile) and the wi-fi was out of order. But even then I wrote something on the computer everyday and sent them out later.
Even when I was in the hospital with prostate cancer surgery or with heart problems, I don’t believe we ever missed more than one day. But this time it was not meant to be, and let’s be clear it was not my fault, (smile) because you all know that wherever I am, be it early morning or late night, I always send out something. Enough with the suspense and excuses. (smile) The long and short of the story is that I was involved in one of the Lord’s sudden and very effective mysterious workings. Hn! I can chuckle now… but the story unfolded like this. During the latter half of last week I was bothered and battered by the return of a disgusting and debilitating cough and asthma attacks.
And believe me, that’s about the only thing I truly hate in this world and which very easily annoys me, because I’ve suffered from it for the last sixty of my seventy something years. And Bruh Paul complained about the thorn in his side given to keep him humble. Let him try living a lot of his life bothered by constant coughing and not being able to breathe properly. And by the way, I wasn’t given any world breaking revelations, so why the impediment eh? (smile) I guess I’ll only find that out in the next life.
Anyway, on Sunday morning the attacks had gotten so bad that I finally agreed to let my big daughter take me down to the Emergency Department of the local Credit Valley Hospital. We got there around 5.am. I thought it was six, and only later on found out that the clock had been turned back an hour as the Daylight Savings Time madness had struck again. But there was no line up and I was quickly papered up and sent in to the medical waiting area. And even then, within a couple of hours I had seen a doctor and we had agreed on the procedure we’d follow. It’s then the real waiting began.
But hang on a minute here, many of you don’t believe when I tell you that the Lord is the greatest dramatist there is, was, and will ever be! You’ve seen all the twists and turns, the behinds and befores, that He laid out in Bruh Joseph’s story. Well check out this one. Right now my young daughter who lives close by, is away in Africa working and my eldest daughter just happened to be down early from her Northern Ontario country lair (smile) for a conference in Toronto scheduled to begin on Tuesday, thus she was on hand to take me down to the hospital and stay with me because the Duchess herself was somewhat under the weather and it would have been a bit much for her.
But back to the waiting for the tests, and may I add, without food. I eventually managed to convince my daughter to get me some soup, because in her superior opinion, I should not have anything to eat since it could interfere with the tests. Chuh nonsense! But I thankfully drank the soup and soldiered on. Finally, somewhere in the early afternoon hours I was called for the C.T. Scan of my chest. A porter took me down to the C. T Scan Department, and obviously I had to endure another waiting spell there.
But here’s another of the Lord’s dramatic movements. Recently I’ve been seeing a lung specialist to try and alleviate some of my lung problems, and as luck, or the Lord, would have it, a C.T. Scan had been scheduled for this Thursday, that’s tomorrow the 9th of November, but here I was in the hospital on Sunday, getting the scan done, but under rather less auspicious circumstances. How much closer can you cut it eh? But that’s our great God! And the story gets even better with time. (smile)
So, we have the five minute chest scan and go back to the original waiting area to await the results of the scan, which a couple of hours later still hadn’t shown up. And when I checked with the nurse in charge of the area she informed me that there was ONLY ONE Radiologist to read and decipher over a hundred scans. But I guess the Lord saw my state and sent out some grace and soon thereafter my test results showed up. However, it was then time to wait on the doctor who had ordered the scan to come around and discuss the results. By this time the ole fella was dying of hunger, notwithstanding the irritation of the coughing and wheezing.
When the doctor finally showed up, he informed me that the scan showed a bit of a problem with my heart and my lungs, and though it might not be anything serious, he himself would not be sending me home, but would turn my case over to the internists who specialize in that stuff, and so would make a more educated decision. You can imagine my state. More waiting again. But then again friends, the Lord proved that He is indeed a Good God, and when you keep a decent attitude during adversity, He does indeed show favour. And shortly after the doctor voiced his verdict, the charge nurse offered me a stretcher to lie on in an adjacent corridor, but away from all the hustle and bustle and noise of the crowded waiting room.
And did I ever jump at the opportunity with much prayer and thanksgiving, for I had been sitting bundled up in a corner of the waiting room all day, unable to stretch out my feet properly. So there I was, lying in the corridor at position D10, yes there are bed locations in the corridors too. And though far from the madding crowd, I was betwixt and between private rooms that also saw constant activity, but not as noisy and nerve jarring. And because I had not been officially admitted to the hospital they could not officially feed me. What they did have to offer was just some dry, bland egg salad and cheese sandwiches. But eventually I got one of the assistants to go out front and purchase some chili from Tim Hortons. Now that had some salty flavour and it satisfied me while I lay coughing and wheezing in the corridor, for all they gave me was some Tylenol and blood thinners.
Finally, sometime around 9.pm, a lady doctor showed up and revealed that she was the internist to whom my file has been assigned. The good news was she didn’t see any real problems in the scan, but nonetheless they’d keep me overnight to be on the safe side. So they finally admitted me, but I didn’t move from my corridor location, because space there was at a premium. So I lay there napping and coughing and being an unhappy camper. Then, suddenly, around 3.am on Monday morning, they moved me to a private room. Obviously I was overjoyed as the circumstances would allow.
But shortly thereafter my bubble was busted with a big pop, when I was informed that the move was not one of mercy or kindness, but of medical necessity, for I had just been diagnosed with the dreaded Covid virus. I didn’t even know that I was being tested for it. That meant I had to be isolated from the other patients and could not leave the room without a mask. But even with that bit of bad news, the Lord conveyed it through a stocky, bubbly, black nurse who was filling in for my regular nurse then on a break. And believe me, I have never seen a jollier nurse, or possibly a jollier human being, because she had my daughter and I laughing in spite of the unfortunate news.
But if I thought things were bad then, I was sadly mistaken, for by daybreak, when the news spread, I was bombarded by a host of medical people from the lowest to the highest, and many asking the same questions. But the treatment was undoubtedly excellent. They didn’t miss a beat, and though it was rather invasive, I couldn’t complain because it was all for my benefit. And by yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, they considered me well enough to be released. So here I am back at the ole homestead, not a hundred percent, but certainly not as bad as I was, and with some rest and proper food and medication I should be okay in a few days. And that’s my story. And I’m sticking to it.
Ah friends, our God is truly something else yes, and we never know what He’ll do or won’t do from one minute to the next, but if we remember this all important scripture and hold on to it faithfully, we’ll be able to handle most of our adversity with a good attitude. In the famous words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Now let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our most excellent position in Christ Jesus! As one voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And don’t forget the promise that if we endure with Christ right to very end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. So let’s agree to meet there nuh! Much LOVE!
…you cannot be a disciple of Christ…unless you attend the Holy Spirit’s University of Adversity…
P.S. I know it’s long, but good and insightful and ought to make up for the three days we missed. (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Nov 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accustomed to an easy amenity filled life, and dwelt among us, and the world knew him not, as many as receive him, be of good cheer, divine help, faith, Friday chant, Glory and Honour to the Lamb that was slain, he was in the world, His Name is Christ Jesys, holy spirit, i have overcome the world, Jesus Christ, keeps you in bondage, King of Kings, let not your heart be troubled, Lord of Lords, LOVE, mental illness, mercy, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, obedience to God's will, our sins could be washed white as snow, Peace i leave with you, quack doctor, salvation, saving grace, sincerely seek His face, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the light of the world, the storms of life, the throne of grace, the word was made flesh, the world was made b him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, truth, wisdom
John 1:10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Wow! It’s that miracle day called Friday! And it’s sunny and twelve degrees in my area! Good reason to shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at last!’ What a way we look forward to Friday and our weekend off work. To some of us that’s such a saving grace, because we find it rather difficult to handle the five consecutive days of work, travelling back and forth through never-ending traffic jams and crowded public transportation. Yes, the daily rat race is stressful and debilitating, but unfortunately that’s the way it is in this Western Hemisphere, and there’s not much we can do about it, so we just have to make up our minds, get strong and go about our work week the best way we can, if we don’t want to fall apart, to break down with mental illness, which is currently wreaking havoc in our society.
And why is that? Because we don’t have the belly and the backbone that our forefathers had. We’re accustomed to an easy, amenity filled life, so when adversity strikes, we don’t know how to handle it, and simply fall to pieces, while running to some quack doctor who can’t do anything for you, and only keeps you in bondage to him, having you visit him for ages, while paying exorbitant fees you cannot afford. I’m here to tell you friends, that there is a better way! Yes, one where you don’t pay any money and are surer of healing than with the shrinks.
His name is Christ Jesus! The Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the One who created the world and all therein, then came to earth in the form of a man and sacrificed Himself on the cross of Calvary so that our sins could be washed, white as snow! And all God’s people gave a loud and grateful shout of: ‘Glory and honour be to the Lamb that was slain for our benefit! Praise His holy name, now and forever!’ Yes my brethren, that’s whom we need to turn to whenever we can’t handle this earthly life. And that, at least in my case, is oh so often, because the storms of life just keep coming; as soon as you deal with one, another one shows up.
For as Jesus so wisely and rightly told us long ago: ‘ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27) Please notice that Jesus’ peace is very different to the peace of the world. His peace stays with us, regardless of our circumstances, but the world’s peace fluctuates according to our circumstances. And then, later on Jesus again talks of His particular kind of the peace, when He says to the disciples: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And if you know anything about Jesus, you’d know that He overcame Satan in the battle for hell and the grave, then rose triumphantly on Easter morning, giving us the amazing victory that those who sincerely believe in Him, now possess! And that’s exactly why we need to turn to Jesus instead of the worldly shrinks? Because Jesus is our Creator and Controller! He made us and still reigns on His throne in heaven controlling things down here on earth. And since He made us, He knows us better than anyone else and thus can fix our problems if we will just turn from our evil ways, seek His face and live obediently to His will. Now that’s what is called everlasting wisdom!
But the problem is that too many of us are not practicing it, we’re too taken up with the perishable things of the world and not with the imperishable things of God. Therefore, we don’t posses the necessary parts to live this life in the abundant manner that Christ died for us to have. In other words, we’re shortchanging ourselves. Remember, Jesus Christ was the Light of the World! He came to take us out of the darkness, out of the sinful bondage in which Satan had us enveloped. Now, please pay serious attention to these words of John the gospel writer as He further writes of Jesus. ‘He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own (His own domain, or universe), and his own received him not.’ (John 1:10-11)
Ah mih people, what a sad state of affairs. Jesus comes to the world that He created, in the form of the man that He’d created, but, in general, the world didn’t pay Him any mind, neither did the Jewish people, in whose apparel and culture He came. Both the world in general and the world of the Jews, His people rejected Jesus. Nevertheless, as John continues writing: ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ (John 1:12-13)
And all God’s people shouted: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Blessed is the name of Christ Jesus, who defeated the armies of Satan, so that we could be set free from his evil bondage! Consequently, Christ gave all those who believe in Him, were born again, not of blood, but of the spiritually of God, the amazing blessing and benefit to be called the children of God! Wow! How wonderful is our Lord and Saviour Jesus! And you’d notice that although He was rejected by so many people that He still remained obedient to the Father’s will, and His everlasting LOVE for us!
And this last scripture for today is ever so powerful and wise! John writes: ‘And the Word was made flesh (became flesh), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Yes my fellow saints, Christ came to earth clothed in the flesh of man, and showed us the true character of Almighty God, the One who revels in grace and truth! And Jesus’ marvellous example of earthly living is what He expects His followers to emanate. Now, though we’re not doing such a great job, Jesus still has faith in us, and if we truly believe, then we still have hope that a complete turnaround is possible.
So, let’s confidently but humbly, go to the throne of grace, asking for divine help in this time of great need. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And if we know anything about our great God, it’s that obedience to His will and sincerely seeking His face are the two characteristics that will make Him offer divine help. So, there we have our answer! Much LOVE!
…only two options exist for mankind…hell and eternal damnation with Satan…or salvation and eternal life with Christ Jesus…which one will you choose…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: crapaud smoke we pipe, Drinking from my Saucer, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, faith, fellowship, goodness and mercy shall follow me, holy spirit, I am the door of the sheep, I am the good shepherd, I lay down my life for the sheep, I shall not want, I've got a friend in Jesus, in the fires of hell, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my cup runneth over, never give up, never too busy to help others, reaping better than I sow, sacrificial praise, salvation, the dark clouds broke, the joy of the Lord is our strength, The Lord is my shepherd, the sun peeped through again, there shall be one fold and one shepherd, truth, wisdom
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
And that day which the Lord declared sacred and special, Sunday, has come around again friends, meaning it’s also time to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary for fellowship and worship, with a joyful rejuvenation of our souls and spirits. Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength, (Neh. 8:10) so when we gather together, His joy percolates through us making us strong and confident in this evil world in which we live. And today we’ll open our worship celebration with a song that reminds us of the never-ending goodness of God, of His marvellous mercies and grace to the children of men who hold Him in high esteem.
The song is aptly titled ‘Drinking from My Saucer’ and is performed by Jamaican gospel artist Javenius Walker, better known as Jabez. It’s a bright and soulful ditty, so let’s get into soulful mode and offer up heartfelt sacrifices of praise to heaven. And the song opens with these spoken words of praise: ‘We Worship You Lord, we worship You with all of our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.’ Then we burst into soulful song: ‘I’ve Never Made A Fortune, And It’s Probably Too Late Now, Oh but I Don’t Worry About That Much, Cause I’m Happy Anyhow. And As I Go Along Life’s Journey, I’m Reaping Better Than I Sow. I’m Drinking From My Saucer, Because My Cup Has Overflowed.
I haven’t Got A Lot Of Riches, And Sometimes The Going’s Rough, But I’ve Got a friend in Jesus, And That Makes Me Rich Enough. I Thank God For all His Blessings on me, And The Mercies He’s Bestowed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. I Remember Times When Things went Wrong, And my Faith Wore Somewhat Thin, But All At Once The Dark Clouds Broke, And the Sun Peeped Through Again,’
(Monologue: ‘You know, right now you may be going through some rough times in your life, but I’m here to encourage you today, not to give up. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! I pronounce a blessing upon your life, upon your family. You must prosper and be in good health in the name of Jesus. I believe it with all my heart.’)
Singing: ‘So Lord, Help Me Not To Grumble and complain About The Tough Rows That I’ve Hoed. I’m Drinking From My Saucer Because My Cup Has Overflowed. And If God Gives Me Strength And Courage to go on living, When The Way Grows Steep And Rough I’ll Not Ask For Other Blessings Jesus, For I’m Already Blessed Enough, And May I Never Be Too Busy, To Help Others Bear Their Loads, Then I’ll Keep Drinking From My Saucer Lord, Because My Cup Has Overflowed! Yes, I’ll keep drinking from my saucer Lord, Cause my cup has overflowed, Oh my cup has overflowed…. Yes My cup has overflowed…’
And that’s the unblemished truth my people, because some of us have been so blessed by the Lord God Almighty that we don’t know what to do with ourselves! (smile) Now, although there are many scriptures that can be applied to different parts of the song, the scripture that I believe best encompasses the whole song are those marvellous words penned by Bruh David, that we call Psalm 23,or more precisely, ‘the Lord is My Shepherd.’ And if you don’t believe me, there’s no better way to make my point than by us declaring it (chuh!!!).
So please pray with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow mih bredrin! That surely reads like the song! All the tough times and trials we go through in this earthly life are covered, made up for by our wonderful God, our mighty and ever-LOVING Shepherd! That’s what the shepherd is all about; taking care of the sheep, and Jehovah God does indeed take care of those who follow obediently in His fold. And one of the reasons why I believe that psalm captures our imaginations so much is because we know that Bruh David lived the words he wrote.
He didn’t have an easy life, and paid dearly for his mistakes, but through it all, he never strayed far from the Lord, and consequently the Lord gave him the desires of his heart, made him a mighty warrior, a LOVING and generous soul, and when all was said and done the most powerful and adored king that Israel ever had. Bruh David himself learned the tough lessons out in fields looking after his father’s sheep, so he was very conversant with a shepherd’s duties and thus could write from personal experience, that’s why the psalm is so real.
And let’s not forget that Jesus referred to Himself as a shepherd, the Good Shepherd. And He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him and will not follow another. Furthermore, He went on to boldly proclaim: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:7-11)
And that’s exactly what Jesus did for us my fellow believers; gave His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for our salvation. And since then He’s been looking after us as well as can be expected given our sinful and disobedient ways. So how can we not say that He is indeed our Good Shepherd eh? We cannot, if we are being truthful. And Jesus continues with the shepherd analogy. ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16)
Now, we had better give a big ‘Thank You!’ to Jesus for including us Gentiles in His fold, for we are the other sheep He was referring to. And if hadn’t included us, then crapaud would surely smoke we pipe down in the fires of hell with Satan! Ah my fellow saints, I jut can’t understand why so many of us refuse to believe in Jesus, when He’s the best option we have in this topsy-turvy, chaotic and evil world. But as they say, there are no accounting for taste buds. And all I can say to those unbelievers is, as for me and my house, we will follow Jesus, right down the very end. And I sincerely hope you’ll join me there. Much LOVE!
…the sheep that doesn’t follow its shepherd…will eventually get lost and be forsaken…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
23 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a God of surprises, a man of knowledge increaseth strength, a wise man is strong, be not thou envious against evil men, blessed is the man, by knowledge, by understanding it is established, commit thy way unto the Lord, enormous favour, faith, fret not thyself because of evildoers, his delight is in the law of the Lord, hope of unending possibilities, humble servants, in his law doth he meditate, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, neither desire to be with them, of unexpected affecction, possibilities filled with God's amazing grace, Rest in the Lord, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, soon be cut down like grass, standeth in the way of sinners, that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, the chambers be filled with precious and pleasant riches, the God who heals, their lips talk of mischief, then thou shalt have good success, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, then understood I their end, through wisdom is a house built, to such as are of a clean heart, trust in the Lord and do good, turn from our evil ways, until I went into the sanctuary of God, wisdom, wither as the green herb
Proverbs 24:1. Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them.
And a big, bright welcome to Monday! Yes friends, that’s how we ought to greet the first day of our work week, with enthusiasm and great expectations. For, as believers in Christ Jesus, every new Monday that dawns, means we’re alive, we’ve lived through another weekend, and the upcoming week brings with it a stellar hope of unending possibilities, possibilities filled with God’s amazing grace, mercy and bountiful goodness! And we all know that if are walking obediently in God’s plan for our lives, anything is possible at any time, because that’s the kind of God we serve; a God of surprises, of unexpected affection and enormous favour.
And having said all of that, what shall we talk about today? Well the Good Library opened at an interesting place in Proverbs, where Cousin Sol talks about the wise man’s strength. So let’s investigate that passage and see what we can glean from it nuh. Cousin Sol opens that chapter by advising: ‘Be not thou envious against (of) evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction (devises violence), and their lips talk of mischief (trouble). Through wisdom is a house builded; and by understanding it is established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’ (Prov. 24:1-4)
Now doesn’t all that sound very familiar? It should, because throughout the Bible we’re warned against evil doing and evil doers, and encouraged to take up wisdom and understanding instead. No wonder, in the very first psalm we’re poignantly warned: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night. (Ps. 1:1-2)
And that was the very same message the Lord God gave to Joshua when He made him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) 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) Straight from the horse’s mouth my people, no hearsay or telltale gossip! That means it must be true.
It’s the same warning that the psalmist Asaph talked about in his own life. Thus he writes in Psalm 73: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I had almost stumbled); my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.’ (Ps. 73:1-3) And that’s exactly what’s happening to so many of us in these troubled times! Too many of us are being jealous of the prosperity of the wicked. That’s why Bruh David tells us in Psalm 37: ‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.’ (Ps. 37:1-2)
And luckily for the psalmist Asaph, he didn’t completely stumble spiritually, lose his faith and fall in his envy of the prosperous wicked. But as he says later on after experiencing the chastening of the righteous. ‘Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain (kept my heart pure in vain), and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against (would have been untrue to) the children of thy generation. When I thought to know (understand) this, it was too painful for me (too troublesome in my eyes). Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps. 73:13-17)
Yes my fellow believers, as the scholars explain: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vs. 17-28). He saw the destiny of the wicked (vs. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vs. 21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vs. 23-28) The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training (1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30).’
Oh my fellow saints, if Asaph, one of the highly spiritual and religious men who made music with Bruh David could be tempted to fall into the camp of the wicked through their prosperity, it’s obvious that the same thing could easily happen to many of us who are not so spiritually mature. That’s why we have to be ever so careful and do as the Lord told Joshua, meditate on His word day and night, because that’s the only way we will ever be truly prosperous and successful.
And Bruh David gave us some more practical tips in Psalm 37: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (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 the evil doers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps; 37:3-9)
Yes my faithful brethren, you couldn’t find more practical advice on how to live this earthly life. That means we need to adopt those principles in our own everyday lives so we can reflect the wisdom that Cousin Sol talks about in Proverbs. ‘A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.’ (Prov. 24:5) And with those words, let’s go to the fountain of wisdom, Almighty God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine help for the many problems that currently beset our world.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us 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 we’ll do well if we take God’s advice and turn from our evil ways. Much LOVE!
…don’t look at what the world offers…but at what God’s kingdom provides…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
19 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a positive outlook on life., a price to pay for disobedience, a reward for obedience, as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, as an ensign on a hill, as the light of seven days, be careful for nothing, be of good courage, blessed are all they that wait for him, by prayer and supplication, courage, crying out for rest, curse, give the rain for thy seed, graven images of silver, he shall strengthen thine heart, holy spirit, in every thing, Jesus Christ, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, leave all the consequences to Him, let your requests be made known unto God, LOVE, mercy, molten images of gold, negative word, obey God, passeth all understanding, the bread of adversity, the light of the moon as the light of the sun, the Lord is a God of justice, the peace of God, the still calm voice of the Holy Spirit, the sun shall be sevenfold, the water of affliction, thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, this is the way walk ye in it, Thursday Blessings, thy cattle shall feed in large pastures, turn from the straight and narrow path, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, with thanksgiving
Isaiah 30:18b. for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.
And then it was Thursday; the penultimate day of our workweek. And some of us are just dying to see Friday afternoon because the week has been so hectic and confusing, and our old bones are crying out for rest! But not to worry my fellow believers, for if you sincerely have Jesus in your heart, then He will calm your storm and get you to a safe port all in one piece. That’s what He promised, and He keeps His promises, unlike the selfish, greedy, evil and ungodly world of men, in which we live. So please stop fretting and being anxious and let Jesus hold your hand and guide you to a place of rest and quiet.
And in a world so filled with untold disaster and widespread tribulation, it will do us good today to remember these encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the Philippians. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) And that my friends is the best advice we can follow today! Just give it all to Jesus, for what we can’t handle, He’s most capable of handling.
Now, let’s see what the Lord had to say to His rebellious people Judah from yesterday, after promising that they would pay for their rebellious ways, and flee, till only a handful were left, ‘as a beacon (pole) upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign (flag, banner) on an hill.’ (Is. 30:17) The prophet Isaiah then talks of graciousness and mercy as he writes on the Lord’s behalf. ‘And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgement (justice): blessed are all they that wait for him.’ (Is. 30:18)
And is that ever the glorious truth my fellow believers! Those who wait patiently and expectantly on Jehovah God will indeed be blessed when He is ready! And nowhere is it better said than in Psalm 27, in the words of Bruh David. ‘Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14)
Then Isaiah continues with the good news. ‘For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.’ (Is. 30:19-20) That’s in direct contrast to yesterday where in their rebellion they didn’t want to hear the truth and caused the teachers and prophets to tell them lies to satisfy their lustful desires.
‘And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’ (Is. 30:21) Isn’t it the same way it is with us today? Whenever we turn from the straight and narrow path, to the right or to the left, we hear the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit encouraging us to turn back to the right way. The problem though, is do we listen to that still, calm voice? Let’s hope we do.
Then, having found the right way, Isaiah declares (yesss!!!): ‘Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous (unclean) cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. Then shall he give the rain of (for) thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat (rich) and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young asses (donkeys) that ear (work) the ground shall eat clean provender (cured fodder, good grain), which had been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.
And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach (bruise) of his people, and health the stroke of their wound.’ (Is. 30:22-26)
Yes, my fellow saints, that is what’s going to come that final day of judgement. God’s goodness and mercy is going to be there for those who walk the right path and wait on Him. The wicked and rebellious will be destroyed, but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth! And the scholars add these explanations. ‘Because God is gracious and has been willing to wait for His people to return to Him. He will certainly bless those who wait for him. “Waiting” is a confident and dependent trust in God. The reference to the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction shows that God teaches us lessons through circumstances when we will not listen to our teachers who call us to walk in the way (i.e., the way of God).’
Oh friends, the moral of the story is that there’s always a price to pay for disobedience…and a reward for obedience… So let’s be wise and follow the path of obedience nuh, especially since God has gifted us with some undeserved blessings we call our Thursday Blessings, so that we can use them to do His work. Let’s now activate them by declaring (awright!!!) them out loud.
Altogether: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, having activated those blessings, it’s our bounden duty to go out and use them on behalf of others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…as Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) would say…the best way to live this life…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
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