07 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a modicum of free will, a new work week, all sinned and disobeyed your word, always bearing about in the body, associte with Satan, behold who created these things, bringeth out their host by number, by the greatness of his might, cast down but not destroyed, christianity, created beings of God, delivered unto death for Jesus sake, don't adhere to God's commandments, ease the pain, even the youths shall faint and be weary, evil cohorts, fainteth not, faith, forgive our sins, free will, gives power to the faint, God's promised, God's will for our lives, goody two shoes, grace, hast thou not heard, hast thou not known, he calls them all by names, he increaseth strength, he is strong in power, heal our diseases, hear and answer our prayers, holy spirit, hot and humid, humble ourselves, humble servants, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lift up your eyes on high, LOVE, mdae manifest in our mortal flesh, mercy, Monday Morning, mount up with wings as eagles, my way is hid from the Lord, negative situations, neither is weary, no searching of his understanding, or shall I be equal saith the Holy One, our youth is renewed like the eagle's, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, pray, redeem us from destruction, run and not be weary, salvation, satisfy our mouths with good things, separate the sheep from the goats, shower us with blessings, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, strong faith in Christ, surrender, thank you for life, the BIBLE, the crazy world we live in, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the dying of Jesus, the everlasting God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the God who heals, the life also of Jesus, the living is not easy, the Lord will make a way where there's no way, the young men shall utterly fall, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, to earn a living, to our detriment, to them that have no might, to whom then will ye liken God, troubled on every side, trust and obey God's directives, truth, turn from our evil ways, walk and not faint, wisdom, wise guidance, with the help of Jesus, yet not distressed
Isaiah 40:25. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Saith the Holy One.
Aye friends, as the song says: ‘Monday, Monday, Monday…Monday morning!’ And you better believe it’s another new work week, another of the numerous Mondays in our lives, where we get out into the crazy, misdirected world to earn a living. Let’s hope today is not as hot and humid as the last two days, especially when the living is already not easy. We don’t need the weather to make it any more difficult. (smile)
However, with the help of Jesus and His Holy Spirit dwelling within us we can make it successful, if we sincerely stand by their teaching and guidance. If we surrender, trust and obey God’s directives, then He’s promised to forgive our sins, heal our diseases, redeem us from destruction, shower us with blessings, with mercy and grace, and satisfy our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Ps. 103:3-5)
And who would not want those wonderful things eh? It seems like many of us don’t, because many of us don’t adhere to God’s commandments and His will for our lives. Why is that eh? Is it because we believe that we know more than God, and we don’t need Him to help run our lives? Granted, He gave us a modicum of free will, hoping that we would use it to choose His way and standard of living.
But apparently He was ever so wrong, since so many of us prefer to go our own way, and associate with Satan and his evil doing cohorts, than with Jesus and His goody, goody two shoes people. And when Jesus comes back and separates the sheep from the goats, (Matt. 25:31-46) and many of us end up on His left hand with the goats, we’ll wonder why, but it’ll be all because we did not value His importance enough to listen to Him and follow His directives.
Instead, to our great detriment, we followed idols and other man-made doctrines that have no power whatsoever. But there’s none that can compare to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who created the world and still rules over it, although with all of the current confusion, strife and hardship that’s currently manifesting itself, some of us might not think so. Ah my people, it’s time we paid serious attention to this passage from the Book of Isaiah, where he expounds on the Greatness of God’s Might.
‘To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? Saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth (is missing). Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement (just claim) is passed over from my God?
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God , the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ (Is. 40:25-31)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord does for those who wait on Him! Can Satan or any of his evil cronies do that kind of thing for you? The obvious answer is a loud and resounding ‘NO!’ For they are created beings of God, just like us. So it’s utterly foolish to trust them and their evil and wicked schemes over the righteousness of God. And though life might be somewhat rough in this ungodly world when living for Jesus, we have these marvellous and encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth to bear us up.
‘We are troubled (hard pressed) on every side, yet not distressed (crushed); we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast (struck) down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.’ (2 Cor. 4:8-11)
Yes my fellow believers, though we suffer and are persecuted for Christ, even killed for His sake, we can stand on His faithful promise that if we die with Him, we will also live with Him. So let’s not give up on our faith when there seems to be no way out, for the Lord has promised that He will always make a way where there seems to be no way. (1 Cor. 10:13) And now having those words of encouragement lodged securely in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, let’s go to the throne of grace, seeking divine aid to help us turn our world around.
Altogether: ‘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!’
Ah mih bredrin, our own prayer shows what we have to do to receive divine aid: humble ourselves, pray, turn from our evil ways, and sincerely seek God’s face. So, let’s get on with that nuh, if we truly desire heaven’s help! Much LOVE!
…why would created beings listen to other created beings…instead of their Creator eh…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart attack, alive and kicking, all flesh is grass, aura of love, but my words shall not pass away, come as a thief in the night, complaining, confidence, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, Creator of the universe, do the best we can, enthusiasm, evil, friends, friends and neighbours, glorious kingdom, glory to God, gospel truth, greetings friends and neighbours, Hades, heaven, heaven and earth, heaven and earth shall pass away, holy spirit, humble servants, in Jesus' name, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Second Coming, joy, keeping lives and families together, laze around, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, our God is long-suffering, pussyfoot, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, salvation, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, that all should come to repentance, that any should perish, the breath of life, the day of the Lord, the flower fades, the grass withers, the spirit of the Lord, the voice of wisdom, the word of the Lord will stand for ever, thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, trust, truth, ungodly world, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Greetings my wonderful Friends and neighbours on this most auspicious Monday morning! (smile) And I guess you’re wondering why it’s so auspicious eh? Well first of all we’re alive and kicking…sorry, not all of us are kicking, (smile) but God’s breath of life is certainly flowing through our mortal bodies.
And you better believe that’s a rather important and auspicious occasion. And I say that because just last Sunday at the early morning service in church, one fellow who usually comes with his wife, was there alone, and when I inquired of her, he said that she recently had knee surgery and was still recuperating.
Imagine my consternation when at the early morning service yesterday, the pastor announced that the fellow, Don, had unexpectedly and suddenly died of a massive heart attack this week. Ah Lord eh! Now the poor wife not only has to put up with her medical problems, but the sudden and unexpected departure of her spouse too. And we complain because we have to get up and go to work. Steups!
Look Friends, instead of being miserable and complaining, let’s just get up thankfully and get ourselves off to our jobs and do the best we can in Jesus’ name eh! For that’s what He has called us to do, not to laze around, pussyfoot and complain. And to help us get ourselves together this last Monday in September, which looks like it’s going to be another nice day in my area – oh glory to God – let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much joy, enthusiasm and appreciation.
As one trilling and harmonious choir 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!’
Now that wasn’t bad at all my people. I guess the news of my fellow parishioners’ sudden passing woke some of you up to the reality that one moment we could be here on earth, and the next floating away to heaven or Hades. I don’t know if Don had any prevailing heart problems but it just highlights the predicament we’re all in, of being ready to meet the Lord anytime He chooses to call.
That brings us to our Bit, where Jesus, having explained some of the signs that would indicate His Second Coming in glory to the disciples, He declares: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth my fellow believers! It certainly is!
And there’s a whole lot of scripture to prove it. Let’s look at some, beginning with the words of the psalmist from Psalm 102 –A cry in distress. ‘I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yea, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:24-27) More truth of an indisputable nature my brethren!
Now listen to Isaiah as he solemnly declares: ‘The voice said, Cry (out), And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is.40:6-8)
Now listen as Peter adds his two cents worth. ‘’The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet.3:9-10)
Yes Friends, our God is long-suffering and desires that all who trust Him will receive salvation. But He’s not going to wait forever, and the day of judgement is already set. So if you’re not amongst those who sincerely believe and trust in Jesus at the time of the Rapture, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe when the day of judgement comes.
That’s it in a nutshell my people. So please listen to the voice of wisdom that’s crying out to us get ourselves together, NOW, while we still have a chance, for that day could come like a thief in the night and take us unawares. Much LOVE!
…wisdom dictates that we should be ever ready…either for when the Lord returns…or if He calls us home first…
14 Sep 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a meaningful relationship with Jesus, adulterous situation, aura of love, Bathsheba, broad is the way that leads to destruction, Bruh David, by their fruits you shall know them, confidence, conquerors, consequences for disobedience, create in me a clean heart, Creator of the universe, depart from me, doeth the will of my Father, enter into the kingdom of heaven, enthusiasm, eternal life, evil, evil fruit, false prophets, few are chosen, followers of Jesus, friends, further God's glorious kingdom, good fruit, good news of Christ's gospel, holy spirit, humble servants, invincible, jesus army, Jesus Christ, lies, lord god almighty, LOVE, many are called, meet the enemy in battle, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nathan, new workweek, obedience, of the abundance of the heart, rejuvenation of spirit, renew a right spirit within me, renewed vitality, sacrifice, salvation, saviour jesus christ, slackness, spiel, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the evil things of the world, the first shall be last, the followers of Jesus, the good treasure of his heart, the last shall be first, the Light, the mark of a faithful soldier, the mouth speaks, the narrow gate, the powers of evil, the Way, true repentance, truth, ungodly world, unpreparedness, wiles, wolves in sheep's clothing, workers of iniquity, worthwhile inroads
Matthew 7:20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Come on my people, it’s Monday morning, the start of a brand new workweek, so let’s get up and get going! Time to join the battle against the infidel, and our Leader and Saviour Jesus Christ is already at the front waiting on us. So please let’s not keep Him waiting any longer than is necessary.
And if you’re tired, lazy and out of sorts this Monday morning, it’s your own fault. You knew that the battle would be joined early o’clock, but you just didn’t prepare yourself properly.
Now that’s definitely not the mark of any good and faithful soldier, much less one of Jesus’ army, fighting the most important fight in the universe against the powers of evil and darkness. That sort of slackness, of unpreparedness is definitely not becoming, and will not be tolerated amongst the followers of Jesus.
And now that I’ve railed at us, given us the management spiel, (smile) let’s see if we can do something about our tardiness and lack of enthusiasm by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with plenty zest.
As one harmonious choir 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!’
Oh Friends, that wasn’t bad, but we’ve surely done better. And though our choirmaster, Jesus, wasn’t displeased, He would have appreciated a much better showing. So to make up for that, let’s get out there and rail against the enemy, bombard them with the good news of the gospel of Jesus and thus enable them to see the true Light and the only Way to salvation and eternal life.
And remember what we were talking about yesterday? Re Jesus’ warnings about false prophets and entering through the narrow gate, and by their fruits you shall know them? Well today we’ll continue with that topic, headed by the same Bit. ‘Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’
Yes Friends, that’s ever so true; by their fruits we shall know the good and true ones from the corrupt and evil wolves masquerading in sheep’s clothing.
As Luke so nicely puts it: ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.’ (Luke 6:45) Oh my people, what indisputable truth!
So my brethren it will be definitely in our best interest if we plead to the Lord, like Bruh David did when Nathan castigated him for his adulterous ad murderous liaison with Bathsheba. ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.’ (Ps.51:10)
And we should also pay particular attention to Jesus’ words after the Bit. ‘Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils (demons)? and in thy name done many wonderful works (miracles)? And then will I profess unto them; I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’ (Matt.7:21-23)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, please remember the broad way that leads to destruction, and the narrow gate that opens unto the difficult road to heaven, which only a few find. (Matt.7:13-14)
Now listen to the scholars. ‘7:21-23. Not everyone professing Christ is genuinely saved. Even the outward verbal acknowledgement of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith. A genuinely saved person is one that doeth the will of my Father, the Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.’
I can’t put it any clearer and truer than that my brethren. If we want to enjoy salvation and eternal life with Jesus, then we have to make the sacrifice, forsake the evil things of this world and be obedient to His will, just like He was obedient to the Father’s will and sacrificed His holy and sinless life for us.
In the long run Friends, it all boils down to an individual decision to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus or not. Just remember that there are always consequences for disobedience. Much LOVE!
…so the last shall be first…and the first last…for many are called…but few are chosen… (Matt.20:16)
24 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, a positive attitude, a strong purpose, all things work together for good, almighty god, anxieties, aura of love, be confident of this very thing, begun a good work, believers in Jesus Christ, Bruh Paul, calamity, called according to God's purpose, Christian's security, complain about life on earth, confidence, diligence, enthusiasm, excellence, fears, fight a good fight, focused on Jesus, friends, gospel truth, head for heaven, holy spirit, humble servants, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, in Jesus' name, integrity, invincible, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, lies, Lord of Lords, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not of evil, rejuvenation of spirit, righteousness., saith the Lord, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, thoughts of peace, to give you an expected end, to them that love God, under the weather, ungodly world, until the day of Jesus Christ, wiles, wisdom
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
Well a good Monday morning to you all, my fellow believers in Jesus Christ! Now I know that some of you are probably a bit under the weather, and are finding life rough down here on earth, but I doubt that many, if any of us are ready to check out and head for heaven, despite all the wonderful stuff that’s waiting there for us. (smile)
We humans are something else yes; we complain vociferously about our life on earth, but nobody wants to check out the alternative just yet, because deep down we’re afraid, still not sure of what exists after this earthly life.
So, since in our small-mindedness, we refuse to see through our eyes of faith and instead choose to stay with what we can see and touch, Mother Earth, then let’s stop complaining about our earthly lives, and do whatever it will take to make them better. We’re talking about things like going out to work this morning with a positive attitude and strong purpose, with our minds steadfastly focused on Jesus.
And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn as though we mean it. As one fantastic choir 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!’
Ah Friends, that was good, heaven was pleased, but not good enough to deserve a standing ‘O’ and an encore. (smile) And to further help us with our earthly endeavours this Monday morning, we’ve been directed to a Bit that’s well known and full of promise, words of Almighty God spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.
‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ Oh my people, my people, what a wonderful promise!
And if we sincerely believe that our God is ever-faithful, then that should fill us with such joy and enthusiasm that we’d come out fighting each and every day. We wouldn’t be miserable, anxious and doubting, because then we’d truly feel that the Lord has our back, come whatever may. But it’s obvious that we don’t feel that strongly about it at all, since we are allowing the fears and anxieties of this world to determine our moods and attitudes.
Now we know it’s not going to be easy, but with true belief and strong faith in the awesome power of our God, we are certainly able to do much better than we’re currently doing. Remember too, that we also have this awesome promise via the words of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘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)
Yes my fellow believers, God is indeed working all things out for those whom He has called and who LOVE Him. And they are best able to appreciate God’s purpose because they LOVE Him come what may, regardless of whatever happens. So if God has called us, and we LOVE Him, then there should be no doubts or insecurities re His intentions towards us.
And all this is further enhanced and solidified by Bruh Paul’s words to the Philippians. ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it (keep doing it) until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil.1:6)
Yes Friends, God will not stop working His good work in us until Jesus comes again. Then and only then will it be completed, finished. Until such time we have to keep on moving along with the Lord, strong in faith, diligence, integrity and excellence.
The scholars state it thus. ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned or unrealized.’
Have faith my brethren, for that also applies to us. The Lord had a purpose when He saved us, and that purpose will be carried out to the very end, that is, the Second Coming of Jesus in all His regal majesty, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! Oh Glory to God for His wonderful promises, plans and purposes for our lives!
Now, with all that godly power working in us, let’s go out into the evil world and fight a good fight in Jesus’ name. Amen! Much LOVE!
…if Jesus called you…and you truly LOVE Him…then there’s no need to worry about anything…
17 Aug 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed day, a labour of love, almighty god, aura of love, blessings, confidence, conquerors, contentment, Cornelius the centurion, cycle of life, daily routine, enthusiasm, evil, faith, follower of Christ, friends, glorious kingdom, glory hallelujah, God anointed Jesus with the Holy spirit, God was with him, good news, he who doesn't work shouldn't eat, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, holiness, Holy Ghost, holy spirit, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus christ of Nazareth, Jesus went about doing good, joy, lies, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, peace, persecutions, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, rewards, right attitude, right motives, spiritual armour, spread the good news, standing'O', steadfast faith, taunts, tears of joy, temptations, the breath of life, Thessalonians. Bruh Paul, trials, ungodly world, wiles, wisdom, work ethic
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Monday, Monday, Monday! Oh what a blessed day this Monday the 17th day of August 2015! Glory Hallelujah!
No Friends, the ole fella is not crazy, this Monday is certainly a blessed day. In fact, every day that the wonderful breath of life courses through our frail and fragile human bodies is indeed a blessed day! And until we truly believe and learn to appreciate that, we won’t ever be able to enjoy the LOVE, peace and contentment that are to be found down here on Mother Earth.
Oh, I know that many of us get annoyed, frustrated and disturbed because we have to go back out to work on a Monday morning. But Friends, that’s just the natural cycle of life in our society. So we might as well get accustomed to it and do it gladly, since we have no choice, except not to work.
But please remember Bruh Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians in his second missive. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’(2 Thess.3:10)
Bruh Paul lays it down simple and to the point my brethren; you don’t work, then you don’t eat. I wish that could be implemented in these days of a very poor work ethic. But we just have to keep on working on our work ethic. (smile) And to help us do that, let’s sing our Monday Morning battle Hymn with much gusto and sincerity.
All together 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!’
Now that wasn’t too bad my people, but nowhere as good as last week’s; no tears of joy flowing down Jesus’ cheeks and the Father and the angels giving us a standing ‘O’ and calling for an encore. (smile) But Jesus understands. He knows that we’re not perfect, so we can’t be wonderful every time. Once our hearts and motives are right, and we make a sincere effort, He’s happy.
That brings us to our Bit; Peter’s words when he preached to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius the centurion. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’
Now some might wonder, or question what that has to do with us? And the answer is EVERYTHING! For when we were born again, became full blooded Christians, heirs with Christ, we were also anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power. Now healing and casting out devils like Jesus did, is not in our everyday workbook or workload, but doing good, certainly is. Some might be able to heal and/or cast out devils, but ALL of us are certainly empowered to do GOOD, for Jehovah God is with us all the time!
Yuh know Friends, I believe that we make life much harder than it ought to be by our attitudes toward it. Let’s take a quick glimpse into Jesus’ lifestyle, His day. He would get up early, go out to a quiet place and pray; (Mark 1:35) then He would set out on His daily routine, going from place to place, preaching, healing and generally doing good.
Now we have it much easier than Him. We don’t have to go outside to pray, we can all find a quiet time and space in our homes, and we don’t have to walk everywhere we go, like He did, we have the comfort of cars and bikes. So we’re two up on Jesus right there. (smile)
My contention is that all we need to do is adopt the right attitude, a pleasant, positive one, which should come easily if you are a follower of Christ, then go out and simply concentrate on doing good, whatever it might be. Have no fear, the Lord will guide us to wherever we are needed if we ask Him to.
Now granted, we don’t have all the power and holiness that Jesus had, but we do have more than enough to do what is required of us. We just have to make up our minds to do it, then ask God to help us. And we all know that He won’t ever leave us in the lurch if we’re trying to do His will.
And as I keep saying, doing God’s will is not always easy; Jesus Himself said that there will be trials, temptations and persecutions, but the rewards, both here on earth and in heaven, will be well worth it. So it all comes right down to us Friends; having the right attitude, a warm and tender heart, with a willing and obedient spirit, and above all a great LOVE for Jesus.
If we have those prerequisites, getting up to go to work on a Monday morning will not be a problem, we will be rather eager to get out into the ungodly world and spread the good news of His sacrificial doings on our behalf. So let’s get out there this morning and put it all into practice nuh, for that’s wisdom of unbelievable proportions. Much LOVE!
…from a believer’s standpoint…doing good in Jesus’ name…is truly a labour of LOVE…
27 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doubleminded man is unstable, as numerous as the dust of the earth, aura of love, confidence, Cousin Sol, Creator of the universe, enthusiasm, equity. Jehovah God, faith, fight the good fight, fountainhead, friends, glorious kingdom, God guards the paths of justice, God is a shield to those who walk uprightly, holy spirit, honour, humble servants, if any of you lack wisdom, invincible, invincible conquerors, Jesus Christ, jobs, keeping lives and families together, let him ask in faith, let him ask of god, lies, litigation, Lord giveth wisdom, lord god almighty, LOVE, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not doubting, out of God's mouth comes knowledge and understanding, Pan Am Games, prayer, proviso, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, riches, righteousness., Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto, see it through eyes of faith, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, take it to the Lord in prayer, that gives to all men liberally, the Lord gives wisdom, tourism. Caribana, traffic congestion, truth, ungodly world, wealth, weary souls, wisdom, without reproach, workings of man and nature
Proverbs 2:6. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and like summer has finally hit these parts! The last couple of days have been fairly warm and this week, Caribana week in T.O. is supposed to be sweltering. Thank God that the Pan Am games are now over, and the temporary HOV lanes on the highways which needed a special permit or three people in a vehicle to use them, will be once again opened for ordinary traffic. Now we can go back to our normal traffic congestion. (smile)
This should indeed be a good summer for tourism in Toronto, what with all the visitors for the games, and all those coming for Caribana, or rather to give it its official title, Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto. Steups! It’s all in the litigation over the use of the Caribana name. But I guarantee you, that as long as this festival goes on, it will always be called Caribana by the masses.
Anyway, despite all the games and the partying in the offing, the ordinary people still have to go to work this Monday morning, so to give us some encouragement, let’s sing a lusty and vigorous rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
All together 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!’
Good going Friends! Our choir conductor Jesus was well pleased. But let’s see if we can also please Him by seriously considering the words of Cousin Sol in our Bit and writing them indelibly in our hearts minds and souls nuh. ‘For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh wisdom and understanding.’
Yes my people, that’s where true wisdom comes from; the Lord God Almighty! And Cousin Sol continues: ‘He layeth up (stores up) sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a buckler (shield) to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgement (guards the paths of justice), and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness; and judgement (justice), and equity; yea, every good path.’ (Prov.2:7-9)
Yeh my brethren, only by honing in on the wisdom of Jehovah God, and not the wisdom of the world, can one truly understand things like righteousness, justice and equity. For He is the architect and creator of this great universe, the only source, the true fountainhead of all that pertains to it. And if we study the great and wonderful workings of man and nature, we will see that His knowledge and wisdom are both literally and figuratively out of this world. (smile)
That’s why James tells us: ‘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.’ (James 1:5)
However Friends, there is an important proviso to James’ words. ‘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 that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:6-8)
Ah Friends, words of indisputable truth! God will give us all the wisdom we desire if we come to Him in serious and sincere faith. And one of the best examples of that is in Cousin Sol’s own story. After Bruh David’s death, the Lord made him king over Israel, but he was still fairly young and had no real experience in governing, so when the Lord appeared to him one night in a dream and asked what he could give him,
Cousin Sol’s request was simply: ‘Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude (as numerous as the dust of the earth). Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.’ (1 Chr.1:9-12)
No wonder my people that Cousin Sol was so wise and wealthy! That’s how our great God operates, even to this day! Whatever you come to Him for in faith and sincerity, once it falls under His will, He will most likely grant it in His time. But you have to believe, to see it all through your eyes of faith.
Now let’s go out into the evil world that surround us and fight the good fight for Jesus, sincerely asking for the wherewithal to successfully engage the enemy. For that my Friends, is the undisputed wisdom of heaven, and of God. Much LOVE!
…whatever our heart’s desire…be wise…and take it to the Lord in prayer…
20 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Christ, adrenalin pumping, aura of love, back-breaking labour, blood relatives, Bruh Paul, church families, confidence, Creator of the universe, defraud, divide and conquer, do wrong, enthusiasm, evil, failure, faith, fellowship, for all that jeus has done, for brethren to dwell together in unity, friends, give your life to Jesus, glorious kingdom, go to the law, good stewards of God's grace, gratefulness, grumbling, gusto, have fervent charity, heartless slave master, holy spirit, hospitality, how good and how pleasant it is, humble servants, infighting, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, joy, lies, live in harmony, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, love shall cover a multitude of sins, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morbid fear, no way Jose, Oh Lord God Almighty, Peter, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, shame, slave, Sparrow, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, strength, taunts, trust, truth, ungodly world, unity, wash our dirty laundry, wickedness, wiles
Psalm 133:1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Well Friends, once again it’s our favourite day, Monday…!
‘Hn! Yuh must be joking yes man!’ is the quick response I receive from one disgruntled member. ‘How the devil could Monday ever be one of my favourite days eh, especially when I have to go back out and do more back breaking labour for that greedy and heartless slave master? Steups! No way Jose!’
‘Awright, awright mih breddren, cool yuhself nuh,’ I try to pacify. ‘It’s not all that bad yuh know’ But to no avail.
‘Doh tell me to cool mihself man! You don’t know how I feel when Monday morning rolls around nuh. I feel like Sparrow sang in the song ‘Slave’ many years ago every time he thought about escaping. “But when ah think about the whip…and them dogs…oh Lord…mih body just start to tremble and shake.” Now that is how I feel on a Monday morning, knowing what I have to go out there and face. What yuh have to say to that eh?’
‘I have plenty to say about that mih friend!’ is my reply. ‘First you have to give your life to Jesus, and He will enable you to get over that morbid fear you have of going to work on a Monday.
And secondly, right now you can join us in singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn which gets the adrenalin going, pumps you up, so that you go out in confidence and strength , knowing that you are LOVED and protected by the might and power of Jesus and His resurrection. Now let’s sing with great gusto and gratefulness for all that Jesus has done, is doing, and has promised to do for us.
As one loud, harmonious and confident choir 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!’
Awright mih people, awright! That was wonderful! We even had the Father tapping His feet and keeping time with his hands on the sides of the throne. Mama Mia! And was Jesus ever proud of us. Glory Be! Now let’s go out and face the world with that same confidence and chutzpah and faith in Jesus, and really show the heathen what it means to be a follower of Christ.
And there’s no better way to do that than by living up to the gospel truth of our Bit. ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!’
Yes Friends, that’s how it ought to be! But sadly it just isn’t as good as it ought to be. We all know about the infighting amongst blood relatives and the church families which breaks the Father’s heart, but even more so Jesus’ since He put His very life on the line, sacrificed it so that we could have unity amongst believers and ordinary families.
Yuh know Friends, once there is disunity within the most important unit in society, the family, and also within church, the LOVE Revolution of Jesus will not prosper, will not win the battle over evil and wickedness. Now how can we afford to let that happen eh? We simply can’t.
Now here is how Bruh Paul put it to the Corinthians, re Christians and the civil law in his first missive. ‘I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to the law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault (an utter failure) among you, because ye go to the law with one another. Why do ye not rather take (accept) wrong? Why do ye not suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that (to) your brethren.’ (1 Cor.6:5-8)
Ah Friends, there is still a lot of truth today in those words written so long ago. Shamefully, we still defraud our brethren and treat them in an unchristian like manner, and we end up in the courts and wash our dirty laundry before the unbelievers. Obviously this does not set a good example for the people we are trying to bring to Christ.
And we’ll end with these wise words of Peter, re being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘And above all things have fervent charity (LOVE) among yourselves: for charity (LOVE) shall cover a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’ (1 Pet.4:8-10)
Oh Friends, all I can add to that is to encourage us to seriously and diligently take Peter’s wise advice and put it into effect in our own lives in these modern times, where it’s so badly needed. Much LOVE!
…the only way to beat the evildoers mantra of divide and conquer…is to live in harmony and unity with each other…
13 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant in goodness, all his works are done in truth, and new wine the maids, anxious, aura of love, being obedient to God's will, Bruh David, Bruh Paul, confidence, corn shall make the young men cheerful, Creator of the universe, encouragement, faithful, fearful, For how great is his goodness, friends, get up and go, God's favour, godless world, gospel truth, gracious, harmonious voice, hectic weekend, holy spirit, how great is his beauty, humble servants, in the land of the living, invincible, Jesus Christ, justice, labouring time, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, loving kindness, merciful, mercy, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Moses, Mt. Sinai, O Lord God Almighty, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, repentance, rest, right motives, righteousness., rightousness, Rome, sincere, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, taunts, the BIBLE, the goodness of the Lord, the judgement of God, the Ten Commandments, the word of the Lord is right, trials and tribulations, truth, ungodly world, uptight, wiles, wisdom
Zechariah 9:17. For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn (grain) shall make the young men cheerful (thrive), and new wine the maids.
Ah mih people, it’s labouring time once again! That beautiful day of Monday has come around so that some of us can go to work and rest after a hectic weekend. (smile) Yeh, a few of us have life easier at work than at home; no family and/or children to constantly yell at and clean up after. Thus you are happy to get out of the house after a couple of hectic days at home.
But whatever your situation, all of us can always use some encouragement, some get up and go, come Monday morning. So let’s stir up the adrenalin with a loud and lusty rendition of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh.
As one harmonious 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 good Friends, not great, but good enough to bring a smile to our conductor, Jesus’ face. And anytime we can bring a smile to Jesus’ face, then we are surely on the right track. But now we have to venture out into the cruel and godless world and try to keep that smile on His face by being obedient to His will, otherwise our day will be all for naught.
That doesn’t mean we have to be uptight, fearful and anxious about Jesus’ reaction to our daily walk, because He knows our frail and fragile human nature and has experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of this world. We just need to be faithful and sincere and do our best out of a heart flushed with right motives.
And we don’t need to worry if we don’t accomplish all we set out to do in a manner glorifying Him, because as our Bit says: ‘For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn (grain) shall make the young men cheerful (thrive), and new wine the maids.’
Yes my people, the Lord’s goodness has been legendary right down through the ages. And He doesn’t wait for anybody to say it, He said it Moses, the second time he went up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The Bible details it thus: ‘And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth…’ (Ex.34:6)
And since our God cannot lie, that means His words were gospel truth! And eventually people began believing after seeing it for themselves. As Bruh David says in Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. ‘I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.27:13)
Ah Friends, that is also indisputable truth, for where would be if we couldn’t expect to see God’s favour and goodness down here on earth eh? Things would have been even rougher than they are now. But such is the wisdom, compassion and mercy of our wonderful God! He knows that we need to experience His favour down here on earth so that we can handle all the stuff that comes against us in a wicked world.
Then in Psalm 33 – Praise to the Lord for his creation, the psalmist boldly and confidently declares. ‘For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:4-5) And that’s no lie Friends; otherwise our world would be even more cruel, evil and topsy-turvy than it currently is.
Now listen to Bruh Paul in his missive to the church at Rome, where he’s telling them that to judge others is to condemn themselves. And by the way, that still applies to all of us today. ‘And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest thou the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?’ (Rom.23-4)
Oh Friends, oh Friends, never were truer words spoken! As I keep saying, I don’t know what we would have done without the goodness of our magnanimous God!
And we shall end with the words of Bruh David from Psalm 145 – The Lord is gracious. ‘I will speak of the (meditate on) the glorious honour (splendour) of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible (awesome) acts and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly (eagerly) utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.’ (Ps.145:5-7)
My brethren, Bruh David did as he declared, and was amply rewarded for his faithfulness. Now it’s our time to passionately talk of God’s goodness and sing of His righteousness. Please, let’s go out and do that today and every day, for it is undoubtedly wisdom from above. Much LOVE!
…the goodness of God is what keeps us keeping on…
06 Jul 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, ambition, aura of love, be rich in good works, Bruh Paul, caressed the air, complaining, compromise, confidence, Cousin Sol, coveted, destruction, eternal life, fall into temptations, friends, generous, glorious kingdom, glory to God, godly enthusiasm, godly purpose, guiding light, haughty, highminded, holy spirit, humble servants, hypocrites, idol, in great spirits, invincible, Jesus Christ, joy, lies, LOVE, love for money, lusts, materialistic, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not on the things on the earth, on the ball, peace, pitfalls, praise and worship God, Praise the Lord, Proverbs, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., root of all evil, ruin, salvation, set your affection on things above, spiritual armour, spiritually concerned, steadfast faith, the goal of life, the house of God, the moral of the story, the Ten Commandments, the true light of the world, truth, ungodly world, wicked taunts, wiles, wisdom, working for the almighty dollar
Colossians 3:2. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, a fair number of hypocrites came to church yesterday, (smile) and did we ever sing and dance, praise and worship God, and enjoy each other’s company! Wow! So much so that we all left the house of God in great spirits, with our LOVE, peace and godly enthusiasm boosted sky high! Oh Glory to God, my people!
That’s why on this summer’s morn, this Monday morning, we are able to get up and get ourselves together to go out and labour without a lot of fuss and complaining. We set the tone for the rest of the week by affirming our convictions with Almighty God on the first day. And that’s why I keep advising us, that our Sundays set the tone and tempo for our Mondays.
Now for those of us whose spirits are still burdened and heavy laden, let’s get our act together by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much verve and gusto. As one earthly, but angelic sounding choir, let’s sing.
‘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!’
Oh Friends, that was wonderful, marvellous! And most importantly, Jesus was thrilled. You could tell by the dazzling smile on His face as lost in the music, He swayed and wielded – no, not wielded, because that carries a sense of a crude, rough and heavy manner – but rather, as He gently, lightly, but firmly caressed the air with His conductor’s baton. (smile)
Yes my people, I don’t know what happened, but we are definitely on the ball this morning. As we sang, we must obviously have done what our Bit says. ‘Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.’
Oh, if we could only do that in all the other areas of our lives, what a truly wonderful world this would be! But unfortunately that’s not the case; the things of the world still hold too much sway over us; we’re way too materialistic and not sufficiently spiritually concerned. And per the Good Book, my brethren, that is not a very good or wise way to be.
Cousin Sol puts it this way in Proverbs. ‘Labour not to be rich (do not overwork): cease from thine own wisdom.’ (Prov.23:4)
And why is that? As Bruh Paul explains to Timothy. ‘But they that will be (desire to be) rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful (harmful) lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition (ruin and destruction).
For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have strayed from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many arrows.’ (1 Tim.6:9-10)
Ah Friends, what absolute truth! When our main ambition is to be rich, to be materially wealthy, we lose sight of our godly purpose and fall into all sorts of compromises and wrong doing, just to make money. In other words we make money our idol, our god.
And that’s obviously not right. At least not in the eyes of our Creator and heavenly Father, who has faithfully promised that if we seek His righteousness, He will provide us with all we need to be successful in this world. (Matt.6:33) Unfortunately, too many of us don’t seem to believe Him and thus kill ourselves working for the almighty dollar.
Now here is an important explanation from the scholars. ‘6:10. The root of all evil means a root or source of all kinds of evil. The LOVE for money is not the only source from which evil comes. Coveted after means that some have “striven after” money as the goal of life.’
Yes my brethren, money, in and of itself is not bad, and we definitely need it to live, but when we make amassing it our be all and end all, begin coveting it, that is when we lose our way. Remember the last of the Ten Commandments; thou shalt not covet. (Ex.20:17) And that means anything that belongs to someone else. Any time you covet anything, it’s a sin. So the moral of the story is to not let material wealth be your guiding light, but rather Jesus, the true light of the world.
Now let’s conclude with some more wise and wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to Timothy. ‘Charge (command) them that are rich in this world (present age), that they be not highminded (haughty), nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (give), willing to communicate (share); Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.’ (1 Tim.6:17-19)
Oh Friends, what powerful and wise words! The scholars explain them thus: ‘6:17-18. Paul charges wealthy believers (1) not to be proud and look down on those who are not rich, (2) to confide in God, rather than in unstable riches, (3) to be rich in good works by generously sharing their surplus of financial resources with the needy. To be ready to distribute is to be generous in sharing. To be willing to communicate is to be liberal in giving.’
Now please notice as the scholars remind us: ‘Salvation is not purchased by the giving of money, but generosity demonstrates the reality of one’s faith. Since the believer trusts God and not money, he gives. This giving shows where his heart is and that he views his wealth in light of eternity.’
More words of wisdom Friends, so please let’s ponder on it all and then come to some right conclusions re our attitude towards money, for that will certainly make or break us. Much LOVE!
…money is good and necessary…but LOVING it…allowing it to rule your life…is fraught with many serious pitfalls…
29 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, abounding in mercy, affliction, attributes of God, aura of love, blessed, brazen, Caleb, christianity, comapssion, comapssionate, commandments, common sense, confidence, consequences, corrupt, corruption, Creator of the universe, dealt proudly, did not heed thy commandments, disobedience, Egypt, elections, endure, enthusiasm, forgiveness, friends, Glory be, Hallelujah, holy spirit, humble servants, inefficient, inept, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Job, Joshua, kindness, lacked nothing, lies, long-suffering, LOVE, loving kindness, manna, mercy, Monday Morning, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, morning drive, Nehemiah, Oh Lord God Almighty, our Lord and Saviour, Pan Am Games, pardon, patience, persevarance, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality, righteousness., sinfulness, slow to anger, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, stiff necked, stubborn, the Lord is merciful and gracious, traffic snarls, two-faced, ungodly world, wine and roses, wisdom
Psalm 103:8. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).
‘Aye ah yie, mih people is Monday! (background voices) -Glory be now! – Oh yah yo, mih breddren is Monday! -Hallelujah!- That means is time to get up and get ready, ready to go out and labour; Labour for Christ Jesus, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour! -Praise His Holy Name! – Sing the chorus Friends. Aye ah yie mih people is Monday! -Glory be now! – Oh yah yo, mih breddren is Monday! -Hallelujah…!’
Yes Friends, just a li’l ditty, a li’l kaiso to lively up ourselves, to put a li’l amusement in our spirits as we face this Monday morning at the end of June. (smile) Thankfully, the rain seems to have stopped in my area, but the ground is still soggy and the roads might still be a tad wet and slippery, so please be careful in your morning drive.
And talking about morning drive, please remember that as of today, all the major highways are down to one lane less, because those lanes, in somebody’s false wisdom, have been converted to HOV lanes, where only cars with at least three passengers can travel for the next month. Ah Lord eh! And all of that was done so that people involved in the Pan Am Games beginning sometime this week, can get around quicker.
Chuh! Obviously the people who pay for all the expenses and the corruption that goes on in these artificial games don’t really matter. They will just have to endure even more traffic snarls with one lane lost to the already parking lot status on our highways. Normal HOV lanes only require two people in the car, so this will force those who carpool to avoid the traffic, right back into even more congestion.
Steups! Let’s just hope I don’t get caught up in too much of it nuh. But there’s no use complaining now, since there’s nothing we can do about it, except in the next elections not vote back into power, this brazen, inept, inefficient, corrupt and two-faced government. So let’s move on and sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with much gusto, and leave them to the Lord.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
That was pretty good Friends…in comparison to last week. (smile) Jesus wasn’t as disappointed. And we’ll get right into our Bit. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness).’
Oh Friends, I don’t know what we would have done without such a wonderful God nuh. Just listen to this litany of wrongdoing that the Israelites committed, and yet the Lord did not destroy them totally. The scripture comes from the book of Nehemiah.
‘But they and our fathers dealt proudly (acted presumptuously or insolently), and hardened (stiffened) their necks (became stubborn), and hearkened not to (did not heed) thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were they mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.
Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt and had wrought (worked) great provocations (wonders); Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way, neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old (did not wear out), and their feet swelled not.’ (Neh.9:16-21)
Oh my brethren, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! No other Deity would have put up with the shenanigans of the Israelites; they would certainly have been destroyed, or just left to paddle their own canoe, as best they could. But instead our magnanimous God showed them mercy and forgiveness and looked after them in the wilderness, in spite of their gross disobedience and sinfulness.
But it was not all wine and roses, for none of those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, even Moses, never set foot in the Promised Land. So though our God is wonderful, there are consequences to be paid for continual disobedience.
And we’ll end with a passage from James, where he’s talking about patience in affliction. ‘Behold, we count them happy (blessed) which endure. Ye have heard of the patience (perseverance) of Job, and have seen the end of (intended by) the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (compassionate), and of tender mercy.’ (James 5:11)
And every believer ought to be able to vouch for that because He has shown compassion, mercy and forgiveness to each and every one of us at one stage, or more like several stages of our lives. Now let’s go out and live up to the expectations and standards He expects of us, for that is indeed the zenith of wisdom and common sense. Much LOVE!
…how could anyone with even a drop of wisdom or common sense…not greatly appreciate the mercy…the long-suffering… the grace…the compassion…and all the other wonderful attributes of Almighty God eh…
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