12 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: auspices, Beelzebub, believe it to see it, chimerical, christ jesus, compassions, contented, correction, deceit, destroyed, evil purposes, faith, faithfulness, furnished unto good works, God's great earth, God's will, God's Word, godliness, great is thy faithfulness, heartwarming, holy, Holy Scriptures, illusory, inspiration of God, Lamentations, live, living the life, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, lusts of the flesh, material possessions, maturity, meditating, mercies, mirrors, money, moths, obedience, oral instruction, patience, perfect, perks, planned it, praying, prince of darkness, profitable for doctrine, reading, reassuring, reproof, reverence, righteous, righteousness., rust, salvation, sleight of hand, spiritual life, steal your soul, the BIBLE, the good fight of faith, the man of God, treasures in heaven, wisdom, working for good
2 Timothy 3:17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.
Oh friends, another day on God’s great earth is dawning in our hemisphere, whether we like it or not. Hn! That’s how God, in His infinite wisdom planned it, and we have no say whatsoever in the matter. The only choice we have is how we live, how we spend this day that the Lord has so graciously granted us.
We can either live it under the auspices of Beelzebub, enjoying the lusts of the flesh and the material possessions of this evil world. Or we can choose to dwell under the righteous and holy auspices of the Lord God Jehovah, Maker of heaven and earth and all therein.
Now, I believe that the latter choice is the better one. First of all, the stuff of Beelzebub doesn’t last, can be destroyed by rust and moths etc., plus you can’t take any of it when you depart this life. And besides, a lot of Beelzebub’s work is done through deceit, sleight of hand and mirrors, only giving you the impression that you actually have something good, when in fact you have nothing at all; just a chimerical, illusory state.
However, with Almighty God, you have the ability to store up treasures in heaven, which you can’t do in hell. And secondly, living under the mighty hand of God also brings new perks each and every day. Glory Hallelujah! You certainly don’t get new blessings every day from the evil prince of darkness; he just tries to steal your soul or keep you locked up in darkness to suit his evil purposes.
As Jeremiah reminds us in his Lamentations: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’ (Lam.3:22-23).
Oh my fellow believers it is so good, so heartwarming and reassuring to see our heavenly Father working diligently for good in our lives every day. And don’t forget, He is the epitome of faithfulness, He will NEVER let us down under any circumstances, which obviously can’t be said about our evil enemy who roams the earth like a roaring lion, looking for those whom he might devour.
That brings us to our Bit, Bruh Paul’s admonishment to his young protégé Timothy. ‘That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished (equipped) unto all good works.’
And how do we get to be like that? By praying, reading and meditating on the scriptures and living the life it espouses.
As Bruh Paul explains before our Bit: ‘But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’ (2Tim.3:14-16)
And the scholars illuminate us thus: ‘3:14-17. Continue literally means “remain.” The things which thou hast learned were his oral instruction in the holy scriptures (the Old Testament, here) by his mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois). Inspiration of God (Gr. theopneustos, lit. “God-breathed) describes the unique character of Scripture. It is not only written by men, but authored by God.
For doctrine means to tell one what to believe. For reproof means to tell one what is wrong. For correction means to tell one how to correct wrong. For instruction in righteousness means to tell one how to live. Perfect (Gr. artios, “proficient, capable”) is having everything needed to do what God wants. Thoroughly furnished means “thoroughly equipped.” God’s inspired Word, properly used and applied, provides all we need for life and ministry.’
I couldn’t say it any better myself friends. And many of us were raised like Timothy, with oral instructions in the scriptures from some family member, friend or Sunday school teacher, which means that the Word of God was planted in our hearts early on in our lives, so it’s nothing new to us, however we need to continue studying it, so that we will know how to live a godly life as adults.
That’s because the Word is a complete set of instructions on how to live this life. We don’t need anything else beside it; just wisely and diligently follow its instructions and we’ll be well covered. I know that many of us might think otherwise, but you’ll never know the truth until you try it.
Remember in Jesus’ realm, you have to believe it before you see it. That means to have trust and faith in Jesus, regardless of the situation. Again, that’s how the Lord planned His realm and we have no real say in the matter; is either we accept it or not. And we’d be foolish not to accept it, because there’s no faithfulness to be had in Beelzebub’s realm. The word doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. So that’s not a very wise place to be in.
Meanwhile, in our Bit, Bruh Paul to a certain extent is reminding Timothy of his earlier words, re the good fight of faith. ‘But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, LOVE, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed (confessed) a good profession (confession).’ (1 Tim.6:11-12)
That’s after he warned him about the pitfalls of listening to false teachers and being contented with whatsoever he had, as well as the erroneous and disastrous ‘LOVE of money.’
And we’ll end with some thoughts from the scholars. ‘6:11. Flee these things means shun a LOVE for money (v.10) and the striving for material wealth (v.9) with all its resulting woes. Follow after means pursue. Righteousness is practical correctness, conforming to God’s will in one’s thinking and acting. Godliness is proper reverence for, and obedience to, God. Faith is a trust in God that grows stronger. LOVE is a maturing affection for God and man. Patience is perseverance or steadfastness in life and service. Meekness is gentleness.’
‘6:12. The good fight concerns the daily struggle with sin in the Christian life, and the hardships and adversities in the ministry. A genuine believer demonstrates the reality of his faith by being engaged in this warfare. Lay hold on eternal life does not negate the fact that a believer now possesses spiritual life (John 3:36); rather, it speaks of fully realizing or appropriating salvation as the believer matures.’
So friends, as usual, I’m asking us to ponder all that we’ve read today, then, with God’s help, let us try to improve , to steadily mature as we ought, for that is indeed true wisdom. Much LOVE!
…the Bible is God’s Word to us…still fresh through all the ages…and if we read it…we will find God’s wisdom on its pages…
19 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, advice, anger, Anselm, broken, Clifton Hills Resort, corruption, decisions, don't give up, drink the sweet, dysfunctional, eat the fat, encouragement, Ezra, fellowship, focus, for the joy of the Lord is your strength, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, heal, hockey wilderness, hurt, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful, lack of joy, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, mirth, money, mourn not nor weep, Nehemiah, one of the least, pain, party time, Point Fortin, rejoicing, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, resentment, rest, San Fernando, send portions to the needy, temptation, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Levites, the Pitch Lake, the weekend, the words of the law, this day is holy, trust, try your spirit, understand, Uriah Buzz Butler Highway, water taxi, week of work, wisdom, wounded, ye have done it unto me
Nehemiah 8:10c. For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And then it was Friday…
And we all know what happens on Fridays – the people rejoice with shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The weekend’s here at long last, and we can say to hell with work for two days! Party time mih breddren! Oh thank the Lord for Fridays yes!’
Ah mih people, I won’t even bother to say that that is not the best use for us to put the weekend to. (smile) I’ll just say let’s chant our Friday Chant so that we can get a better perspective on our two days off.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that makes a whole lot more sense than just partying away the two little days off we have, then going back out to work next week tired and miserable and complaining. I do hope that eventually most of us learn the right way, for until we do, our lives will keep on being dysfunctional, filled with complaints, resentment, anger and a sad lack of true joy, and that’s definitely no way to live.
And to further help us in living functional and joyous lives, here is a quote from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Listen up: ‘You’re going to be okay. This pain you feel is going to pass. Maybe not this moment or today or tomorrow, but sometime soon. The hurt will fade. Don’t give up before things get better. You may be wounded, but you aren’t broken. You can and will heal.’
Oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but the ole fella needs that message, that encouragement badly! Now deep down I do know that things will improve health wise, as I’ve already had an inkling of it, but still, when the aches and pains strike out of the blue, with no apparent provocation on your part, it does try your spirit.
That’s why we need to keep our focus steadfastly on the Lord and His tender mercies and LOVING-kindness, so that we won’t give in to the always nagging temptation to give up! And that’s why our Bit is ever so important: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
And did I ever have my joy renewed yesterday friends! We took the water taxi from Port of Spain to San Fernando, a cool hour’s ride along the coast of Trinidad. There, a couple of friends met us and drove us through Sando (San Fernando), then down to their home in Point Fortin.
Oh, is the southland ever busy! Brother, the cars are numerous, with all sorts of traffic jams, and then others just swooping by under less than safe circumstances. We saw the highway that was never completed, ostensibly due to lack of money, aided and abetted by serious corruption. Ah Lord eh!
We also saw the Pitch Lake; that mass of regenerating pitch, (asphalt) from which I understand we export, but don’t use ourselves. Anyway it was a very interesting tour, with all sorts of big and beautiful homes along the way, as well as older, not so big ones.
The people are crying that the times they are hard, and no doubt they are for some, but looking at some of what is going up, one would deduce that there is money, and plenty too, in certain echelons of the society.
Nonetheless, we had dinner at a wonderful new establishment called Clifton Hills Resort, situated next to the beach. A small hotel, not yet functional is also situated on the property. It’s well landscaped, the food was delicious and the service excellent.
Then our friends drove us all the way back to Port of Spain, at least an hour and a half drive. The new Uriah Buzz Butler Highway made it a little easier. And wonder of wonders, as I was going up to my room I saw a hockey game on in one of the little booths in the lobby, and I obviously shouted for joy, because I’ve been in a hockey wilderness for three weeks now.
I was just in time to see the third period. And although my team, the Detroit Red Wings lost against the Pittsburgh Penguins, I felt like a thirsty man does when given a drink of water. (smile)
Now let’s end with the rest of the story re our Bit. ‘And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha (Governor), and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
Then said he unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace (be still), for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth (rejoicing), because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.’ (Neh.8:9-12)
Oh friends, how I wish that we could be so joyful when we hear the word read to us because we understood it. So many of us don’t even pay attention, much less understand.
Then again, we can get all sorts of advice, but we all have to make our own decisions, let’s hope we make the right ones today, especially that of closely following our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that is indeed the wisdom of all time. Much LOVE!
…in our times of merriment and joy…let’s not forget to share with the needy…for as Jesus said…in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren…ye have done it unto me… (Matt.25:40b)
29 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, action movement, Adam and Eve, all's well that ends well, backbreaking work, black pudding, blessed is the man who trusts the Lord, brave and strong in Christ, calm and peaceful, Canada, Christ's love Revolution, christianity, darkness, disharmony, enthusiasm, equal rights, examples serve the Lord, faith, fear, fellowship, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, Garden of Eden, generous help, glory hallelujah, harmony, homage, in Jesus' name, infallible plan, Jesus Christ, joy, justice, lagoon, leggo-beast, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, money, Paradise, peace, pool, R&R, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, respects not the proud, Rest in the Lord, restoring energy, Scarborough, sea, silhouette, submission, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank the Lord, the market, the weekend, therapeutic, trembling, trust, truth, turn aside to lies, wisdom, zeppo
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Aye mih people, it’s that wondrous day in our weekly lives called Friday!
And as usual the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday oui! The weekend has come, and so has party time, with no backbreaking work scheduled for a whole, big, two days! Thank the Lord for Fridays yes!’
But Friends, as we keep reminding us, the weekend is not only to party and carry on like leggo beast, but to get ourselves together for another eventful week. So let’s declare our Friday Chant which gives us a somewhat better perspective on the weekend.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, the weekend is all about restoring the energy, so that we can face another week brave and strong in Christ!
Now what did we do yesterday? Nothing really nuh. After writing the Bit I spent some time in my waterhole, enjoying the refreshing sea water. Then just as we were about to go out, a few friends and family dropped by for a short while. And after that we just lost the enthusiasm for going out, which meant I didn’t get my black pudding…Chuh! But don’t worry, I will definitely get it tonight.
And this is what I wrote last night: As we sit out on the porch listening to some rocking ole time music from my computer, overlooking the blue freshwater pool, which doesn’t thrill me at all… But how could it ever eh, when the most beautiful and therapeutic sea is just up in front of it?
Anyway, the music is rocking in the early hours of the evening and while the first song was playing, something called ‘In the Beginning,’ the Lord in His wonderful and mysterious way sent me a li’l zeppo, telling me that that’s how it was in the beginning, in the garden of Eden.
Now this is beautiful, but I believe that Eden was even more beautiful, because remember it was God’s first big project. But on the other hand, even if this was exactly like Paradise, I certainly wouldn’t do anything to forego my wonderful life here.
I’m sorry, but I don’t think our forefathers, Adam and Eve were too bright nuh. Not even God could talk me into doing something so dreadfully foolish and wrong to make me leave here and live the rough life they, and consequently we, ended up living.
And I must apologize for the roughly four-hour break here, because the duchess took me up town to the big city of Scarborough to the market. And believe me, this is the first day that we have seen and felt the real sun, and by the time I came back I was dead tired and a friend dropped in.
Then I had to have a nap, then go to the bank to change some money and the line was ever so long. However, all’s well that ends well! (smile)
So let’s continue with last night’s writing: Yes friends, this part of Paradise is calm and peaceful, with the choppy sea gurgling in the background and the breeze still whistling through the trees. I don’t know what’s causing the wind to be so strong for so long nuh, but it surely is refreshing. Across the expanse of the lagoon I can see the vague silhouette of the forest on the other side, shrouded in darkness as it is.
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Canada; I’ve spent the greatest part of my life there as prescribed by the Lord’s infallible plan, but He agrees with me that I’ve reached a stage now, where I have to get away from some of the cold winter days to rejuvenate and regenerate my soul, body, mind and spirit.
We all need some serious R&R every so often. That’s why the Lord blessed us with abundant life! Now abundant life is not simply plenty money, although some of that does help. But abundant life is more about the spiritual aspects, the spiritual quality of our lives.
Obviously a roof over our heads and food on the table are important, but so are the other things like peace and LOVE, justice and equal rights. The Lord made us to live in harmony, we are the ones who choose to live in disharmony.
And friends, all of that is simply because we don’t adhere to the wisdom of our Bit. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’
Yes my brethren, if we would only truly surrender our lives to our most magnanimous, magnificent and generous Creator, we would not be in the hot spot that we are currently in.
And as I keep saying, it’s only we true believers who can turn this troublesome and tempestuous world around. Only we can bring the world to understand and join Christ’s LOVE Revolution. And besides, that is also our bounden duty!
But how can we do it eh, when we don’t sincerely believe and surrender and trust the One who created us and gave us His breath of life? Remember we can’t only talk the talk, but even more importantly, we have to walk the walk, so that the heathen can really see the LOVING-kindness of our wonderful God in operation.
Remember Christianity is an action movement! That’s the only way they will believe. As I keep reminding us too, examples speak more loudly than words.
And we’ll close with two rather instructive verses of scripture from Psalm 2 – Why do the heathen rage? ‘Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (perform an act of homage and submission), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.’ (Ps.2:11-12)
Oh my people I couldn’t say it any better. Please be wise and follow it nuh, for it’s wisdom at the zenith! Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no other way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but it was all out of my control. Remember a happy wife leads to a happy life…most of the time! (smile) Much LOVE!
26 Mar 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, abyss of sin, all is well, allergies, as wool, ask for guidance, atonement for sins, be acceptable in thy sight, be reasonable, believers in Jesus, bloodguiltiness, Bruh David, caffeine, cleanse, come to God, condemnation of sin, confess our sins, confession, covenants of God, devoured by the sword, do what is right, dominion, dungeon of sin, eat of the good of the land, errors, eternal damnation, forgiveeternal life, friends, glorification of God, glory hallelujah, God's gracious invitation, good for the soul, gospel truth, guilt, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, hearsay, if we confess our sins, iniquity, innocent, Isaiah, Israel, keep a sharp eye, late morning, late nights, life-changing grace of God, living colour, living truth, LOVE, love is like wildflowers, Love makes the world go round, loving kindness, magnanimous god, mercies, money, money makes the world go round, most wonderful God, obedience, obediently, our Lord and Saviour, penitent heart, personal experience, pilgrim's journey, prayer, presumptuous sins, put God first, reason together, rebel, red dye, red like crimson, Redeemer, refuse, repent, repentance, riding with Jesus, running around in the rain., Sacrifical Lamb, scarlet, secret faults, selflessly, sin, sorrow, strife, surrender your life to God, the meditation of my heart, the mouth of the Lord, the words of my mouth, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, transgression, travelling companion, truth, turn to God, watchword, white as snow, willing, wonders
1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ah Friends, it’s just one of those late nights that naturally morphed into a late morning. And running around in the rain yesterday didn’t help matters any, as my allergies are threatening to act up. (smile) But not to worry; the caffeine is hot, strong and sweet, and we’re riding along with Jesus, which means that all is well. Glory Hallelujah!
We couldn’t want, ask for, or find a better companion to journey with through this confused, troubled and sinful world. And the word for today is ‘LOVE!’
Oh my people, for serious believers in Jesus, LOVE should be our watchword each and every day, because that’s the quality that our Lord and Saviour put forth the most when He came to earth to be the sacrificial lamb for the atonement of our sins.
If He hadn’t LOVED us dearly and deeply, He would have remained resting on His laurels in heaven. But instead, He selflessly and obediently became man, became one of us, so that we could be released from the dark and dangerous abyss of sin in which we were then floundering.
Unfortunately though, too many of us are still floundering in that dark dungeon of sin. However, in keeping with our talk on LOVE, let me share a few words from my ‘p.s. I LOVE YOU’ poster, designed to bring out the LOVE in us. It says that, ‘LOVE is like wildflowers. It’s often found in the most unlikely places.’
And isn’t that the gospel truth Friends! LOVE, the real thing that is, often crops up in places we least expect to find it. So please, in our travels today, let’s be aware, let’s keep a sharp eye out for the LOVE we might find in those unusual places.
And though some say that it’s money which makes the world go round, I believe it’s LOVE! Just look at the numerous households and places where there’s plenty money, but also lot’s of strife and little or no LOVE.
Meanwhile, in so many other households and places, where there’s little or no money, but the absence of strife is very notable, and true LOVE abounds in abundance! (smile)
Oh Friends, our God is a most wonderful God, please believe that! But you won’t really experience Him in all His glory until you truly surrender yourself to His will and wise plan for your life. That’s when He shows up in bright and living colour!
In other words, God makes His move when we do as our Bit advises: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
And that’s the living truth, my brethren! I wouldn’t lead you astray. I’m talking from personal experience, not hearsay. When you put God first in your life and sincerely and diligently work towards obedience and His glorification, you’ll see wonders that you never dreamed of, or even imagined possible!
Yes Friends, until we come to God like Bruh David did in Psalm 38 – The prayer of a penitent heart – and earnestly declare: ‘For I am ready to halt (fall), and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity, I will be sorry for my sin.’ (Ps.38.17-18) We won’t fully experience the mercies and LOVING-kindness of our magnanimous God.
And He makes that abundantly clear from this passage in Isaiah, where he calls for repentance from His sinful people, Israel. ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat of the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’ (Is.1:18-20)
Oh my brethren, it couldn’t be put any clearer and simpler than that. And believe me, that provision still stands today. That’s one of the reasons why our world is in such a disastrous mess; we are refusing and rebelling against the Lord.
And the scholars give us some good information, re those verses. ‘1:18-20. The prophet’s appeal to come and reason together reveals God’s gracious invitation to all men. It literally means to be “reasonable” by repenting and turning to God.
Their sin is described as scarlet and red like crimson, referring to their bloodguiltiness before God. The term crimson also means “worm,” referring to the colourfast red dye of the scarlet worm.
The eradication of this stain turns it snowy white and is symbolic of the life-changing grace of God, which delivers men from the guilt and condemnation of sin. Thus the prophet reminds his readers that God stands ready to cleanse and forgive all who turn to Him.’
And Friends, today, I’m re-reminding us of all of that! So please pay serious attention, for it can mean the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation!
And we’ll end with these most appropriate words from Bruh David from Psalm 19 – The creation and covenants of God. ‘Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great (much) transgression.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength (rock), and my redeemer.’ (Ps.19:12-14)
Yes Friends, that is what we need to do today, as we make our pilgrim’s journey through this wicked and deceitful world! Let’s confess our sins, then ask for guidance to do what is right in the sight of the Lord.
If we’re sincere in our requests and desires, then His mercy and LOVING-kindness will be showered down on us, for that’s the faithful kind of Deity He is! Much LOVE!
…confession is good for the soul…and repentance leads to eternal life…
13 Sep 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the earth shall fear God, almighty god, always on the go, anger, anxiety, at the beck and call, ball is in our court, bless us, blessings, busy with work, Calvary, confidence, down time, dress, education, Elohim, evil, faithful, feeding frenzy, frustration, generous father, glorify the mediocre, God be merciful unto us, godly attention, gratefulness, greedy business people, harbinger, heavenly wisdom, high standards, in the swing of things, Jesus Christ, judge the people righteously, Labour Day, let the nations be glad, let the people praise thee, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving, low standards, may God cause his face to shine on us, modern conveniences, money, morals, no separation between work home and play, obdeience, old rugged cross, only one superstar, our imagination playing tricks on us, patient, pedestals, perception, reconciled to God, resentment, rudeness, salvation, saving health, seamless continuum, Selah, selfishness, sincerity, sing for joy, sit and relax, social happenings, societies flourish, spare time, technological innovations, technology monster, tension, thanskgiving, trust, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, wonderful opportunity, work ethic, worry, Yahweh
Psalm 67:1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
Aye Friends, do you realize that we’re already in the middle of September…and it was just last week we celebrated Labour Day? (smile) Ah brother! The days they surely seem to be passing rather quickly. I don’t know if time is actually speeding up, or it’s simply our perception that it’s going by faster; just our imagination playing tricks on us. (smile)
If I were to guess though, I’d say that it’s our imagination playing tricks on us. Our days have become so busy with work and looking after home and family and the myriad of things those tasks entail, including the presence of worry and anxiety, that the time just speeds away on us before we even realize what’s really happening.
Even a generation ago, our lives weren’t so busy. What’s happened eh? Unlike what we were led to expect and believe, in spite of all the technological innovations and modern conveniences, we seem to have lees spare time, less down time where we can just sit and relax. It seems like we’re always on the go.
Now there’s no separation between work, home and play, they all seem to have morphed into one seamless continuum. With our wonderful technological devices we now work everywhere; at home, at work and at play. We’re now constantly at the beck and call of the technology monster and its feeding frenzy. If we’re not constantly in touch with the social happenings then we feel lost and behind the times, not in the swing of things.
And sadly, that feeling is perpetrated by the greedy business people who are just out to grab whatever they can from us, without caring even one iota about our situations. It’s all about the money. That’s a big part of the reason for the unnecessary tension, frustration, resentment, anger, selfishness and rudeness in our current society.
Our standards, including morals, work ethic, dress, education and otherwise have fallen so low, that now we glorify as superior, of superstar status, what was once considered mediocre, and even of no account. And yet we expect to flourish.
How foolish of us Friends, for societies only flourish when truly high standards are the norm, not the exception. As standards fall, so do the societies themselves. And if you don’t believe me, just check out man’s history that’s littered with so many examples.
And before we go any further my people, let me remind us that there’s ONLY ONE SUPERSTAR in this evil, ungodly world – that’s our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And don’t you forget it! Stop buying into the nonsense that the world is selling us; putting people on pedestals who can’t even run their lives properly.
Anyway, that’s enough pontification from me for today. (smile) Let’s see what our Bit has to say: ‘God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.’
And yuh better believe my brethren that we desperately need such godly attention today, right now, if we’re ever going to turn this wicked and ungodly society around. As the psalmist so wisely and truthfully continues: ‘That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health (salvation) among all nations.’ (Ps.67:2)
But for that to happen, the psalmist tells us: ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Let all the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase (give her produce); and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.’ (Ps.67:3-7)
Yes Friends, without God’s blessings, we’re doomed, and we won’t get God’s blessings unless and until we praise and worship Him in faithful obedience and trust.
And according to the scholars: ‘Psalm 67. This national psalm of thanksgiving expresses the gratefulness of the people to their God and their confidence in His continued blessings. The point of the psalm seems to be that God’s blessing on Israel is only a harbinger of divine blessings for the entire world.
This universal outlook is revealed not only by the explicit statement of the final verse, but by the exclusive preference of the general word for God, Elohim, to the complete exclusion of the personal name of Israel’s God, Yahweh.’
So you can see Friends, from early on, God planned to have the entire world, His entire creation, bowing at His feet, praising and worshipping Him, while He showers them with untold blessings and mercies. Unfortunately though, that plan has gone somewhat awry, because of our rebellious and disobedient nature.
But He’s such a LOVING, generous and patient Father, that He gave us a second chance by sending Jesus to die on the old rugged cross at Calvary, so that we could be reconciled to Him. What a marvellous Deity!
That means the ball is now in our court, my people. It’s now up to us to embrace the lifeline that He’s thrown out to us through His son Jesus. Please, let’s show heavenly wisdom and grab hold of the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to us.
And now, may the Lord bless and keep us and cause His face to shine upon us as we praise and worship Him in all truth and sincerity. Much LOVE!
…as the praise and worship of Almighty God increases…so will the blessings and mercies that are showered down upon earth…
14 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: absolute truth, advantage of knowledge, affliction, all generations, baring our souls, come first, comforting words, Creator, defence, divine truth, earthly life, elementary observation, encourage, epic writing, evil, faithfulness, God's Holy word, God's wisdom, God's word shall stand forever, good and sensible life, heaven, heaven and earth shall pass away, heavenly Father, human creation, incontestable fact, irrefutable, Jesus Christ, logically speaking, LOVE, loving kindness, make known with my mouth, mercy, money, my delight, one truth from the Bible, ordinances, perished, pondering, principal thing, protective shade, psalm 119, put the cart before the horse, regular reading, scripture, Sherlock, singing God's praises, straight from the horse's mouth, studying of the Good Book, supreme ruler, testify, the BIBLE, the flower fades, the grass withers, the law, time immemorial, tome of directives, two-faced world, understanding, ungodly world, useful things, wisdom gives life, wisdom of man, workings of the world
Psalm 89:1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Oh Friends, on this cold and windy Saturday morning in this 2013 Christmas season, with a severe snowstorm in the offing, I’ve been directed to remind us of two highly important things in this our earthly lives.
Now the first reminder is that the Bible is God’s Holy and unchangeable Word to us, still fresh as when He first gave it, many many centuries ago. And if we read it, we will most certainly find God’s wisdom laid out in its pages.
And that’s not only divine truth my people, but also a major part of why we’re not, as a society, attaining more successfully to wisdom. We’re simply not reading God’s Word enough, so how can we ever hope to become truly wise eh? For without true wisdom we cannot successfully navigate the deceit, the lies, the evil machinations and all the other negatives that come against us in this godless world.
And the second thing I’ve been guided to point out is that ‘One truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man!’ Now isn’t that also the God-awesome truth my breddren? It surely is! And besides, it’s the most important truth you’ll hear today!
And what does all that add up to eh? When we are filled with God’s wisdom and truth from His Word, it enables us to lead a good and sensible life. As Cousin Sol so wisely declares: ‘For wisdom is a defence (a protective shade), and money is a defence: but the excellency (advantage) of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.’ (Eccl.7:12)
And that’s definitely more divine truth my people! A lot of stuff might be good or bad for us, but when we have excellent knowledge through God’s Word, of the workings of the world and this earthly life, then it puts us a step or two ahead of those without it.
Oh Friends, this crazy, evil and ungodly world unfortunately has us putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. That means we do everything else first, then if we have a spare moment, and feel so inclined, we might just open the Good Book and quickly peruse a few pages. But that’s ever so wrong my people! The Good Book should ALWAYS COME FIRST in our deliberations!
For logically speaking, if it’s so full of wisdom and knowledge and understanding and all those other good and useful things, how can we go out into the current two-faced world and lead a wise and sensible life without first consulting that mighty tome of God’s directives eh? Ole Sherlock would certainly have considered that an elementary observation my brethren. (smile)
And having done as directed, let’s turn to our Bit: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’
Now that, my Friends, is one of the many worthwhile things regular reading and studying of the Good Book will have us consistently doing. And there’s nothing like singing the praises of our most wonderful Deity, whose faithfulness and LOVING-kindness has been proven from time immemorial, right down to this very day.
And I know that many of us can personally testify to that irrefutable, incontestable fact. And just to prove that all we’ve said above is the absolute truth, let’s look at some scripture on the topic from God’s Holy Word.
And we’ll begin with some verses form that epic bit of writing, Psalm 119, where the author boldly proclaims: ‘For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled (stands firm) in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth (stands). They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.’ (Ps.119:89-92)
And that, my fellow believers still applies to all who populate the earth today!
Now hear this short but mighty verse from the prophet Isaiah, re comfort and trust in the Lord. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is.40:8)
Oh mih people, mih people, what strong, faithful and comforting words!
And if you think that the Lord didn’t truly imbue Isaiah with such a worthy insight, then listen to God Himself, through His Son Jesus, tell it like it truly is. ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matt.24:35)
There’s no need to say anymore my brethren, for you’ve heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, Jesus Christ incarnate, who WAS, IS and WILL ALWAYS BE the Creator and Supreme Ruler of this universe!
Nuff said for today, my Friends. Now let’s spend some time pondering what we’ve read and heard and hope that it will encourage us to come together more often with our heavenly Father, reading and studying His Word, and also baring our souls to Him, so that we can all attain to greater wisdom, for that’s what He truly desires of all His human creation. Much LOVE!
…Wisdom is the principal thing…therefore get wisdom…and with all thy getting…get understanding… (Prov.4:7)
06 Dec 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: age, anxiety, appreciation of gifts, appreciative, appropriate time, arrayed, be content, benefits, birth of Jesus Christ, body, Christmas Season, clothes, clothing, consciously cultivate, Creator, cubit, daily fight, dependent, discourse, don't worry, drink, economic situation, egging on, evil, evil powers, faith, feeds, fellowship, food, fowls of the air, Friday chant, fun, further your glorious kingdom, gather in barns, generous help, gifts, grass, greed, heaven, heavenly Father, height, in a tizzy, inferior things of the world, jealously guard, jesus name, Jesus' warning, key point, learn to be contented, life, lilies of the field, little faith, look askance at, lustful world, materialism, meat, money, more important, more more more, nature, need, partying, peace, plain and simple language, power, Praise the Lord, provision of god, raiment, reap, relaxation, rest, right direction, shopping, slave labour, Solomon, sow, span of life, spin, stature, strife, superior things of God, sustainer, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the reason for Christmas, the straight and narrow, toil, total confidence, true confidence, true contentment, truth, want, wanting more, wars, wealth, week of work, wisdom, worldly celebrations
Matthew 6:25. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… a normal Friday, one without some foolish nickname that invites us to become a part of the evil, lustful world. Praise the Lord! Instead it’s a normal Friday, where I can’t hear my ears, (smile) for your joyous shouting of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and this week of slave labour soon over!’
But mih people, though it’s a regular Friday, it still falls within the Christmas Season, which means more shopping and partying and things that Jesus might look askance at. So to try and keep us on the straight and narrow, let’s chant our Friday Chant with total concentration and sincere feeling.
As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that should guide us in the right direction. And on top of that, I guess the Lord chose this Bit for this most appropriate time, when we’re all in a tizzy about food, money and gifts to celebrate Christmas. But please remember my fellow believers that the worldly celebrations are not the reason for Christmas, but the incredible, God-LOVING, incarnate birth of Jesus Christ!
So even if we don’t have all the stuff we want, we have to learn to be contented with whatever we have. As Bruh Paul so rightly says to the Philippians, in appreciation of their gifts: ‘Not that I speak in respect of want (in regard of need): for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.’ (Phil.4:11)
And that is something we have to consciously cultivate my brethren, for it doesn’t come automatically. And we need it even more nowadays in the face of the world continuously egging us on to want more, more, more…
That’s why Jesus warned us in our Bit: ‘Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for (do not worry about) your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)?’
But I know it’s a daily fight my Friends to live up to Jesus’ warning, especially with all the wars and strife in our world and the economic situation getting worse for the majority of the population. The greedy, evil powers that be, are trying to get us caught up in the world system of materialism and want.
But my people we have to staunchly and jealously guard our hearts, minds and souls against that. For once we get caught up in that evil mess, we’ll never know peace again, because we’ll never be contented, even with great wealth and power, but we’ll keep on wanting more and more, just as the rich, evil and greedy are now doing.
Now let’s listen to Jesus, as He continues His discourse on the topic. ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (height)?
And why take ye thought (do you worry) for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (clothed) like one of these. 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?’ (Matt.6:26-30)
Oh mih breddren, more plain and simple language from our Lord and Saviour! What does it take to convince us eh? The birds don’t sow and reap and store away, neither do the flowers in the fields, but even Cousin Sol in his Sunday best couldn’t outshine them.
And since we’re a thousand, thousand times more important than them, we ought to show that importance by being appreciative and thoroughly dependent on our God and His gracious, abundant will for our lives. For remember that our Lord only has good thoughts towards us, and a brilliant future in store for those who submit to His will. (Jer.29:11)
Now here are some interesting comments from the scholars’: ‘6:26-32. Jesus illustrates His point by referring to objects in nature that were immediately at hand, the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. The key point of this passage is found in the phrases Are ye not much better than they? (v.26) and shall he not much more clothe you? (v.30).
The Bible clearly teaches that God is the Creator and sustainer of nature. Worry and anxiety are related to the length of one’s life in the phrase add one cubit unto his stature. A cubit is a measurement of 18 inches. However, this reference is probably not to one’s actual height but to length of his life.
The term stature (Gr. helikia) may mean “age.” Thus the idea seems to be that a man cannot add the smallest measure to the span of his life by worrying. This state of anxiety is related to having little faith (v.30) Faith is total confidence in the provision of God.’
And that my fellow believers is the ultimate in truth and wisdom!
So let’s try and attain to it nuh. Let’s stop running after the inferior, soon to be destroyed things of the world nuh, and instead focus on the superior, everlasting things of heaven and of our omnipotent God. For it’s there our greatest benefits lie. Much LOVE!
…true contentment…can only ever come…from true confidence in Jesus Christ…
29 Nov 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abraham, anger, anguish, anxious, Black Friday, blessed be the Lord, body soul and mind, buying stuff, cast off, comes to his senses, concerned, confession, confident, contemplation, convinced, credit, credit cards, debts, deeper in the hole, deleted expletives, didn't waiver, dog trying to catch its tail, economic downfall, fellowship, followers of Jesus christ, food banks, foreign countries, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, global village, glory to God, God will never leave nor forsake us, going round in circles, good works, gospel truth, gracious, greedy, hallmarks of Jesus, He is faithful that promised, hold fast, hope, individual situations, inferior quality goods, infrimity, interest rates, Internet, Israel, Jesus Christ, keep keeping on, less jobs, less pay, live our faith, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Love our God, meditate, mercy, minimum wage, money, Moses, no reason to doubt, not afraid, not failed one word, outsourced, peace, powerful, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, rich, Selah, shopping, spread His Word, strong faith, taken root in Canada, talk, tender mercies, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, thanksgiving, the Lord's promised, the wherewithal to pull through, U.S., up to our necks, wonders of old, works of the Lord
1 Kings 8:56. Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he hath promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
Ah Friends, it’s Friday once again… Unfortunately though, not a regular Friday, where the majority of workers are crying out ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ but what has now come to be known as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in the U.S. Steups!
Unfortunately too, it’s now spread to and taken root in Canada, where the merchants are trying to retaliate by also having sales on the Friday after the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday, that hopefully will keep shoppers up here. But I think they’re fighting a losing battle, for even if the bargains down south aren’t much better, the idea of going to shop in the U.S. has taken hold of too many Canadian minds.
The nonsense has even morphed on to the Internet. I had to utter a few deleted expletives when I turned on my computer this morning and saw a whole slew of messages touting Black Friday sales. Chuh!
Ah Friends, when is the nonsense ever going to end eh? It’s fast becoming all about money and buying stuff, a lot of which we don’t need and even more importantly cannot afford. For sadly there are even less people working these days, and many of them for less pay than before.
So where are they expected to get funds to buy all the stuff that’s been forced upon them eh? I guess that CREDIT is the next word. But we’re already up to our necks in debts and credit, and it’s those two that caused the last economic downfall.
And tell me how and when are we going to pay it off, if all the good jobs are being outsourced to foreign countries, and the few, part-time jobs available in the service sector are paying a measly minimum wage that can’t even support a single adult, much less a family.
Oh Friends, we’re going round in circles, like the proverbial dog trying to catch its tail. We work several low paying jobs, but still can’t meet our expenses, so we end up at the food banks, and run up the credit card debts, bearing enormous interest, which puts us even deeper in the hole.
Meanwhile, prices for everything, including inferior quality outsourced goods, are rising all the time. No wonder our economy is in such a mess, and the powers that be, the supposedly smart ones can’t seem to fix it, or simply refuse to at the behest of the greedy rich and powerful. And then they sit back and wonder why people are up in arms all over this worldly global village. Ah Lord eh!
Please be careful my Friends, for there’s a small group that’s trying to dominate the world, having begun by trying to get God out of our lives, and sadly, they are succeeding bit by bit. However, as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be concerned, but not be afraid and/or overly anxious about our individual situations, for the Lord has promised to look after all His people, regardless of colour, class, creed or race.
Oh Friends, please take note of the true and powerful words of our Bit, uttered by Cousin Sol when he dedicated the Lord’s temple. ‘Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he hath promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’
And the most important thing for us to remember there, is that even up to this day, many thousands of years later, ‘there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’
Gospel truth mih breddren, gospel truth!
So although the psalmist Asaph cried out in anguish: ‘Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever (ceased completely)? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.’ (Ps.77:7-9)
Obviously not! And after some contemplation, Asaph comes to his senses in the next verse. ‘And I said, this my infirmity (anguish): but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.’ (Ps.77:10-12)
Yes my people, our great and wonderful God will never leave nor forsake us, as he’s promised! (Deut.4:31, Heb.13:5) So though life and times seem to be somewhat rough and troubled, we also need to remember the times when the Lord stood solidly in our corner and the things He’s brought us through. There’s no reason to doubt Him now.
True believers ought to have a strong faith in their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For as Bruh Paul reminds us of Abraham: ‘He staggered not (didn’t waver) at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong (strengthened) in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded (convinced) that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.’ (Rom.4:20-21)
Likewise Friends, we should also be fully convinced that the Lord can do whatever He’s promised. And when we stand strong in faith, we will be able to do what needs to be done to keep on keeping on.
So as the author of Hebrews exhorts us: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke (stir up) unto LOVE and to good works.’ (Heb.10:23-24)
And since we all know that LOVE and good works are the hallmarks of Jesus, please my people, let’s stand strong and steadfast in the faith, and keep doing those things regardless of what comes against us, for the Lord WILL give us the wherewithal to pull through.
And now in closing, let’s chant our Friday Chant, so we can get the proper perspective on how to use the weekend. Hn! Thought I’d forgotten it nuh? Not a chance!
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Much LOVE my brethren in Christ Jesus!
…it’s time to renew our efforts…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our FAITH…and diligently SPREAD His Word…
P.S. It’s a tad long and late (smile) but it’s all worthwhile! Much LOVE!
22 Oct 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: America, American culture, anti-social, as America goes, atrocities, backbone, be of good cheer, Beatitudes, blessed, bright light, bullied, children, Christian families, compassion, confession, darkest hours, death, demeaning others, depth of promise, dire situations, disaster, dislikes, dope, dreadful happening, earthly lives, easier said than done, economics, exact revenge, faithful promise, Father of mercies, fellow believers, fiction copying life, former things, former things a, go viral, God directs, god of all comfort, god the father, god's compassion, going to the dogs, guns, handle the pressure, help, human anguish, human heart, hurting, inexhaustible, Internet freak, Jesus Christ, life copying fiction, likes, man plans, model of godliness, money, new heaven and earth, overcome the world, pain, passed away, pay serious attention, peace, pin-up girl for Lucifer, rampage, Reno - Nevada, school shooting, scripture, serious measures, Sermon on the Mount, sin, social media, sorrow, sorry state of our world, spine, succour, suicide, tears, teased, they shall be comforted, they that mourn, tragedy, trials, tribulation, trouble, undeniable truth, ungodly world, wicked, yokes and burdens
Matthew 5:4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Oh Friends, this was definitely not how I had planned to begin today’s message, but having heard of this dreadful happening, I had to change my plans. As Cousin Sol so wisely says: ‘A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ (Prov.16:9)
Now I’m talking about the tragedy of a 12 year old boy in a small town near Reno, Nevada, going to school early yesterday morning and shooting a Math teacher, wounding two other boys, then killing himself.
Ah Lord eh! How many times Friends, am I going to bewail the sorry state of our world before we see some improvement eh? In particular, what is America coming to eh? Once upon a time she was the model of godliness… Steups! But now she is the pin up girl for Lucifer.
This shooting up of schools, either by pupils or outside interests, seems to be turning into a habit now. And yet guns are still much easier to get than dope, on which they’ve wasted billions of dollars trying to curb it.
They’re not seeing the forest for the trees. Guns are killing many more people everyday than drugs. And you only hear about the gun deaths when it’s a rampage or some other high profile shooting. When is America going to wake up and realize that the old saying is very true: ‘If you live by the gun, you’ll die by the gun!’
And sadly, as in so many other things, their culture is being transferred all over the globe. It’s in more than money and economics that as America goes, so does the rest of the world.
And why that tragedy struck me more forcefully than normal, is because I’m currently reading a novel, ‘Nineteen Minutes,’ in which a 17 year old boy in small town America goes into his High School one inauspicious autumn morning and rampages through it, killing ten people both students and adults, and wounding many others.
This lad had been teased and bullied from the first day he got on the bus to attend kindergarten, even by his own star pupil brother. Apparently this 12 year old in real life was also being bullied. Now the question is, is life copying fiction, or fiction copying life? But whatever is following what, this bullying thing is really getting out of hand.
What is it, are we raising children without any spine, any backbone, so that they have to resort to such serious measures; shoot up the place or commit suicide?
I remember growing up that there were bullies around, and that some got bullied more than others, but it wasn’t the incessant type of thing that’s happening now, and I never heard of anyone picking up a gun or other weapon to exact revenge, or kill themselves because they couldn’t handle the pressure.
And apparently the supposed social media nonsense, more like the anti-social media, just seems to make matters worse, for some of the atrocities committed by our young people are brazenly posted there and go viral, oftimes with more likes than dislikes.
Doesn’t that tell us that our society is truly going to the dogs, when we’re raising children who take such pleasure in demeaning others? What kind of animals are they going to turn out to be as adults eh?
And sadly, we the parents don’t seem to have a clue about what’s happening with our children; we simply don’t care, or are too busy trying to make a living to pay serious attention to what’s happening to them.
The parents of this boy in the novel didn’t even know that he had guns in his room, or he was a big Internet freak on evil sites. And no doubt a lot of that is happening in real life today.
Ah Friends, I don’t have the answers, but somehow or the other we’ve got to stop the nonsense. And unfortunately all of that just links up so smoothly with our Bit. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’
Ah mih breddren, so far from that disaster, two families are mourning and badly in need of serious comfort. Who will provide it to them eh? I just hope, for their sakes, that they are Christian families. Our Bit is another of the Beatitudes that Jesus delivered in His Sermon on the Mount.
And according to the scholars: ‘5:4. Those that mourn…shall be comforted. The depth of the promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of God.’
Let’s sincerely hope and pray that those families mourning right now are somehow comforted by God’s compassion, because ONLY Jesus can successfully minimize the yokes and burdens that have just been laid on them. (Matt.11:28-30)
Yes my people, for all the unfortunate things that happen to us in this oftimes wretched life, Jesus stands out as the bright light shining in our darkest hours. He is the ONE we can and should always turn to in dire situations.
For as Bruh Paul said to the church at Corinth: ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4)
And that’s the undeniable truth Friends! God comforts us so that we can comfort others in their time of need. And we WILL ALL endure trials and tribulations and be in need of comfort at some time(s) in our earthly lives.
But please remember Jesus’ faithful promise: ‘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)
Oh my fellow believers, I know that’s easier said than done, but with strong faith and trust in the Almighty, we can get through it. And we’ll close with a scripture that we’re all looking forward to; the arrival of the new heaven and the new earth.
‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4)
Yes mih people, then, and only then, will the cause for mourning and comfort cease. Till then, please wisely take hold of ALL God’s promises of help and succour, for they are the only sure means of comfort we have in this wicked, ungodly world. Much LOVE!
…when a human heart is hurting…only Almighty God can truly comfort it…
27 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, bless His name, bright and bountiful day, cars, cell phones, christianity, computers, contentment, dead idols, disobedience, dumb, dumber, evil, evil cohorts, Facebook, fallacy, fantasy, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, godly insight, gold, gospel truth, hail the power of jesus name, happiness, heathen, holy spirit, houses, idols, idols of the world, Jehovah, joy, living God, LOVE, Lucifer, money, pandering to idols, passion, political power, power of Jesus' name, Praise the Lord, relaxation, religion, renewed in body soul and mind, respite from work, rest, see the light, sham, silver, social media, social status, spirituality, television, Thank God it's Friday, thanks to God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Most High, the work of men's hands, things of the world, time for God, too busy, true perspective, true wisdom, tweeting, twitter, unwise actions, wisdom of the foolish, worship idols, Yahweh
Psalm 135:15. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
All hail the power of Jesus’ Name this Friday morning Friends!
And all believers joyfully declared: ‘Praise the Lord! Bless His Holy Name! Thank Him for allowing us to see another bright and bountiful day! Thank Him that it’s Friday and we’ll soon get a much needed respite from our labour! Yes, thank God, it’s Friday!’
And that’s the way it ought to be my people, because it’s Almighty God who enables us to do all that we do. He is most definitely the ONE who enables us to get jobs, wealth, prosperity, peace joy and LOVE in this ungodly world, in these very troubled times!
As you can see mih breddren, Friday has come around again, and as always, we need to chant our Friday Chant, so that we can choose and keep the right options presented or available to us, and thus gain true perspective. (smile)
So let’s chant in full and grateful voice nuh: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Great chanting mih people! Now let’s turn to our new Bit. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’
And yuh know what Friends, all that stuff that’s gone before fits our Bit to a ‘T’. And it wasn’t my brilliance either, but the leading of the Holy Spirit. It’s only after I decided on the Bit that I realized how pertinent it was to the weekend.
And you ask why? Because it’s usually on the weekend, when we have some spare time, time to ourselves, that we most often turn to the idols of the world, the man made stuff which takes up so much of our time, and leaves little, if any for God.
We can always make, or find time for the television, the 500 channels with so much nonsense on most of them, that only about a dozen, if so many, are truly worth watching. Don’t talk about the computers, the cell phones, the tweeting on Twitter, the posting of our private and personal business on Facebook and all the other social media.
Unwise actions that are only getting us in trouble and causing our young people to get even dumber than they already are, while the purveyors of all the nonsense clap their hands in evil contentment and laugh all the way to the bank.
And they’re numerous other worldly things that we pay unnecessary attention to, which then become idols; like cars, houses, money, political power and social status, hoping that they will bring us joy and happiness on this earth.
But Friends, I’m hear to tell you that it’s all a fallacy, a fantasy, a great sham, engineered and perpetrated by Lucifer and his evil cohorts, to turn us away from the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
If you ask a lot of supposed believers, when last they went to church or read their Bibles, too many would be at a loss to give you an answer. And when you ask them why, the answer is usually they’re too busy.
Too busy doing what eh? Too busy pandering to the idols and things of the world! But my brethren that’s the wisdom of the foolish! For if you’re too busy for God now, in your time of need, He will also be too busy for you.
Our God LOVES us unconditionally and with great passion, but just like we don’t, or rather are not supposed to put up with disobedience from our children, He doesn’t put up with disobedience from us.
And listen to the psalmist as he continues to tell us about the greatness of the Lord and the vanity, uselessness of idols. ‘The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.’ (Ps.135:15-18)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! The idols of the world are pure foolishness! Some of them are indeed useful in our earthly lives, but to place as much attention on them as we do, to kill ourselves in acquiring them is certainly not wise.
How can you treat stuff made by man, as God eh? Especially when they have eyes but can’t see; ears that can’t hear, mouths without breath and can’t talk, and the men who made them have to carry them around.
Oh Friends, I’ll leave us to ponder those questions that we’ve raised today, sincerely hoping that many of us who worship these idols will see the light, will get some godly insight into our unwise actions.
May the Lord open our eyes and grant us true wisdom this Friday morning, for we badly need it. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Much LOVE!
…where’s the sense in worshipping dead idols eh…when there’s a vibrant and living Deity…known by names such as… Yahweh, Jehovah, The Most High, Almighty God…who’s created all…and still controls everything…
P.S. No complaining about the length of the Bit today please, because it’s pretty short. (smile) Much LOVE!
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