19 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a happier bunch of people, a slave trader, a song of worship, a testimony to God's strength, accept the praise I bring, all roads lead to God's house, Amazing grace, bless the LOrd o my soul, borne our griefs, boundless stores of grace, bruised for our iniquities, calms the troubled breast, carried our sorrows, Christ is our be all and end all, come unto me all ye that labour, crowns thee with loving-kindness, do justice to the song, drives away our fear, esteem him stricken, faith, find rest unto your souls, forget not all his benefits, forgives all thine iniquities, friend, guardian, have life more abundantly, heals all thy diseases, heals our wounds, heavy laden, holy spirit, how grateful we are to Jesus, How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, how weak the effort of my heart, I am meek and lowly in heart, I am the bread of life, I am the good shepherd, I am the light of the world, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way the truth and the life, I will give you rest, I would your love proclaim, in a believer's ear, in whom I will trust, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the embodiment of all human needs, Jesus' name resonates sweetly, John Newton, king, lay our problems before Him, LOVE, makes the wounded spirit whole, manna to the hungry soul, mercy, miserable believers, my burden light, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my high tower, my never failing treasury, my shield and hiding place, my strength, my yoke is easy, praise, praise you as I ought, priest, prophet, receive his awesome blessing, redeems thy life from destruction, refresh my soul in death, salvation, satisfies thy mouth with good things, saved from mine enemies, shepherd, smitten of God, soothes our sorrows, sweet sacrifices of praise, take my yoke upon you, tender mercies, thanksgiving, the chastisement of our peace, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the music of your name, the rock on which I build, the Sabbath Day, thy youth is renewed like the eagle's, to the weary rest, truth, when I see you as you are, wisdom, with every fleeting breath, with his stripes we are healed, worthy to be praised, wounded for our transgressions, zealous disciple
Psalm 103:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! A good day to be alive my fellow believers! Yes, since all roads lead to God’s house, where, along with praise and thanksgiving, we can lay our problems down before Him and receive His awesome blessing on this Sabbath day. And the good thing is that no other faith but Christianity offers that kind of renewal! So why aren’t we a happier bunch of people eh? Why are there so many grumpy and miserable believers, when Christ came to save us, that we could have life, and have it more abundantly?
Who knows? And with all we have going for us, we ought to be the happiest group of people in the world. However, that’s a question for another day, (smile) and today we have a beautiful song of worship that says how wonderful we feel about Jesus, and how everlastingly grateful we are to Him. The song ‘s titled, ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ And is that ever the gospel truth to His followers.
And it’s certainly interesting and amazing how the author of this song, John Newton (1725-1807), who, though born into a Christian home became a licentious, abominable sailor, and eventually a slave trader, could write such beautiful Christian hymns, over two hundred, including that wonderful, popular Christian anthem, ‘Amazing Grace.’ But that just goes to show how the Lord down through History has used some of the most disgusting and unchristian men to do great things in His name.
Just think of Bruh Paul, who was a persecutor of Christians until the Lord called him to ministry, and he became one of the most loyal and zealous disciples despite all the hardships he faced. Anyway, in the same amazing kind of conversion, John Newton turned to Christ, became an abolitionist and eventually a Christian Minister. Enough talk though, (smile) it’s time to offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise, in a soulful, scintillating, midtempo version of the song, letting the whole world know, in no uncertain terms, how truly sweet the name of Jesus is to us!
Singing: ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace.
O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, accept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your LOVE proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Oh, what beautiful sentiments my people! And did we ever do justice to the song, so much so, that we had the whole of heaven singing along with us, because it’s not only here on earth that Jesus’ name resonates sweetly, but also in heaven too. And friends, the song is so chocked full of references to scriptures that I don’t know where to begin. So why don’t we begin like the song and talk about Jesus healing our wounds and restoring our wounded spirits.
And there’s no scripture that says it as comprehensively as Psalm 103. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-KINDNESS and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5)
And then we have this most essential scripture, where Isaiah describes Jesus’ suffering on our behalf: ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs (sickness), and carried our sorrows (pains): yet we did esteem (reckon) him stricken, smitten of (struck down by) God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised (pierced through) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes (wounds) we are healed.’ (Is. 53:4-5)
Oh my people, we couldn’t ask for more than that from Christ! He took all the punishment for our sins. Meanwhile, we also have Jesus calling us in the Great Invitation to ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Now where else we can receive such a marvellous invitation eh? Nowhere else but from Jesus!
And when talking about the Lord being our strength etc. nobody says it better than Bruh David in Psalm 27. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18: 1-4) What a powerful testimony to God’s strength and protection my brethren!
However, with time and space running out on us, I want to get in some of Jesus’ famous I Am’s, which cover so much of all He said and did. Like this one. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35) Then there’s this: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Now listen to this one: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And what about this gem? ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11) And we’ll close with this other gem, where Jesus said to Martha, Lazarus’ sister. ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live.’ (John 11:25)
There you have it friends, so many reasons why we ought to be grateful to Jesus and just burst out with joy when we hear His name. For He is indeed our Be All and End All! Let’s remember that! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the embodiment…of ALL that human beings need…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
23 Jun 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false hope, a horse is a vain thing for safety, a merciful forgiving and gracious God, a mighty man, a reverential awe of God, accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, all you that labour, as hot as, as we hope in thee, be careful what you ask for, beholds all the sons of men, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, call upon the Lord, cannot afford to waste, come unto me, deliver their soul from death, desirous of summer, divine aid, ease the pain, even one more day, faith, faithfully keep your promise, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, fashions their hearts individually, find rest unto your souls, for his own inheritance, forest fires, gentle and humble, give you rest, God will never let us down, goolish to turn down such an offer, he is our help and shield, health problems, heavenly help, heavy laden, high U.V. Index, holy spirit, hope and pray, humble ourselves, humble servants, I will love thee O Lord, if you can't stand the heat, in whom I will trust, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep them alive in famine, learn from me, let thy mercy be upon us, LOVE, meek and lowly in heart, mercy, my burden light, my deliverer, my god, my high tower, my shield, my strength, my yoke is easy, no king saved by, not delivered by much strength, our Father who art in heaven, our heart shall rejoice in him, our soul waits for the Lord, Praise for God's Goodness, praise Your Holy Name, pray, put your hope and trust in Almighty God, salvation, saved from my enemies, shall not deliver any by his great strength, show this evil world, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek God's face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, skin problems, stay out of the kitchen, take my yoke upon you, thank you for life, thank you for life and strong faith in Christ, the eye of the Lord, the fiery place down under with Sata, the God who heals, the great invitation, the horn of my salvation, the Lord is my rock and my fortress, the Lord looketh from heaven, the many suffering from negative situations, the mass confusion in our world, the multitude of an host, the note of sarcasm, the only one, the people He's chosen, the power to solve our many problems, the proverbial place down below, the throne of grace, the wisest decision, to alleviate our problems, to prosper us, trusted in his holy name, truth, turn from our evil ways, understands all their work, upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy, who is a rock except our God, who is God save the Lord, wisdom, wise guidance, worthy to be praised, you'll be disappointed
Psalm 33:20. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield.
And we’ve been so desirous of summer, let’s hope that we like it now that it’s here. I hope you detect the note of sarcasm there, because yesterday Sunday, was as hot as that proverbial place down below, (smile) with temps in the thirties, and wind that was just as hot. It’s also predicted that today Monday, and tomorrow Tuesday will be just as hot, with possible health problems to children and old folks, as well as a high U.V Index that can cause skin problems to all.
So, if you can’t stand that earthly heat then I’d strongly advise you to make sure that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, so you will be in paradise with Him, and not in that fiery place down under with Satan. As the saying goes, if you can’t stand the heat, then stay out of the kitchen. Some of us might also remember the august warnings from our parents; be careful what you ask for, because there’s a high possibility that when you get it, you’ll be very disappointed.
Therefore, let’s hope and pray that the summer won’t be as hot for too long, since it will probably set off more forest fires, and cause even more health problems. But yuh know what, let’s do what we’ve been taught by our faith to do, lay all those problems in the hands of Jesus. And what better words can we use for reassurance than these from Psalm 33 – Praise for God’s Goodness.
The Psalmist confidently declares: ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike (individually); as he considereth (understands) all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing (false hope) for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.’ (Ps. 33:12-17)
Now that tells us something about the Lord’s power, that He is overseeing all that happens in the universe He created, and is controlling it as He sees fit, with neither man nor beast able to overcome Him or His desires. Then the psalmist continues with even more assurance: ‘Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him (have a reverential awe of Him), upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.’ (Ps. 33:18-22)
Yes friends, the wisest decision we can ever make on this earth is to put our hope and trust in Almighty God, for as Bruh David so assuredly proclaims in Psalm 18 – A Call for God’s Deliverance: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock , and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
And that’s how we ought to consider our God: strong, fortress-like, a shield to protect us, as well as to deliver us from our enemies, be they man, beast or nature. And when we think of Him thus, it allows us to put our total and sincere trust in Him, because we know that He will not let us down. No! NEVER!
And it’s all covered by the protective umbrella of Jesus’ Great Invitation, where He sincerely offers: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
Wow friends! What a magnificent invitation! And the truth of the matter is that ONLY Jesus was and is able to make such an invitation and have the awesome power to keep it. And we would not only be unwise, but rather foolish to turn down such an exceptional offer, especially in these uncertain, very difficult and fearful times. So without further ado, let’s show Christ that we’ve accepted His wonderful offer by going to the throne of grace through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn seeking divine aid for our many earthly problems.
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!’
But, having said all of that, we now have to begin doing the things that will cause divine aid to start flowing. That’s turn from our evil ways, humble ourselves, pray and sincerely seek God’s face. So please, let’s get right to it nuh, because we cannot afford to waste even one more day without heavenly help! Much LOVE!
…for who is God…save (except) the Lord…who is a rock save (except) our God… (Ps. 18:31)
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Jan 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lifelong relationship, Ah cyar leave Him, ah cyar live life without him, an unbreakable seal, being justified by his blood, Bible, chocked full of truth, Christ died for the ungodly, christianity, Christians, come from the darkness, Denyse Plummer, divine ownership, eternal separation from God, faith, fellowship, for God I go dead, For God man I living, from revelry to righteousness, from sin to salvation, full of life but so empty, gather in the Lord's house, gave my life to Jesus, getting to know Jesus, glee, go tell my enemies, God commendeth his own love toward us, gospel lyrics, He came to earth and died on the cross, he is my shelter, heard the word of truth, heat up the place, holy spirit, hot hot hot, I am under the rock, I found the truth, I recommend you try him, I saw the light, in due time, in his arms you'll find me there, in times of storm, in whomw I will trust, Jahovah, Jahovah hides me, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best upgrade, Jesus is the cause, Jesus offered up his sinless life, Jesus shed blood on the cross, journey down south, justification, kept forever by the power of God, King of Kings, land of carnival and calypso, LOVE, mercy, more than gold, more than silver, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my high tower, my strength, Na Leaving, never condemn or forsaken me, no remission of sins, on my way to a fiery end, our great high priest, reconciled to God, reverence, reworked song, righteousness, rose up just like a boss, salvation, sanctification, saved by his life, saved from wrath, sealed until the day of redemption, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, someone told me about a Saviour, surrender our all to Jesus, the amazing transformation Jesus brings, the Christian walk, the darkness of sin, the death of his son, the gospel of salvation, the greatest decision, the horn of my salvation, the identification mark of a believer, The Lord is my rock, the reason I'm still living, the rock is higher than I, the soca hit, the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, to save us from eternal death, tribute, truth, wallowing deep in a pig pen, when we were yet without strength, when you see me smiling, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, why are ye so fearful, why don't you have faith, wisdom, without the shedding of blood, Yahweh, Yeshua
Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly.
Another Sunday! Another occasion to gather in the Lord’s house and fellowship with other believers. But since it’s somewhat cold and cloudy, we’ve decided to take a much-deserved break from those dreary weather conditions and for today’s worship session journey down south to the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, the land of calypso and carnival. And we’re going to warm up, no heat up the place, hot, hot, hot, with this beautiful meshing of African and East Indian riddims that we call chutney soca. It’s a reworked song with gospel lyrics based on the soca hit ‘Na Leaving’ by the late calypso songbird Denyse Plummer.
And just as ‘Na Leaving,’ was a big hit as it celebrated all the good things of T&T, that those who were leaving would miss, likewise the renamed song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him!’ referring to Jesus was, still is, and will always be a mighty gospel hit! So let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise with a sincere and heartfelt, scintillating rendition of this gospel song ‘Ah Cyar Leave Him,’ one so chocked full with everlasting truth!
And as the sweet, easy rocking chutney soca music starts, we hear a couple bars, then we shout out ‘Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. There I was, in my glee, wallowing deep in a pig pen, full of life, but so empty, on my way to a fiery end. But someone told me about a Saviour, who said He LOVES me and He cares. In times of storm He is my shelter, so in His arms you’ll find me there.
Yuh see ah cyar live life without Him, He is my King of Kings, He’s the reason I’m still living. Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. There are so few, who made it through, and come from the darkness of this world. But I saw the light, I found the truth. I have more than silver, more than gold. I gave my life over to Jesus, the greatest decision I’ve made. Boy I recommend you try Him, Jesus is the best upgrade. He came to earth and died on the cross, rose up just like a boss, when yuh see me smiling, He’s the cause.
Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. Never condemn or forsaken me dread…Ah cyar leave Him…ah cyar leave Him. For God man I living, For God I go dead. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock. I am under the rock. The rock is higher than I. Jahovah hides me. I am under the rock. Go tell my enemies, that I am under the rock. Jahovah hides me, I am under the rock.
From revelry to righteousness…Cyar leave Him. From hell-bound to holiness…Cyar leave Him. From sin to salvation…Cyar leave him. A kingdom destination…Cyar leave Him. Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah! (And we shout again) Jesus…Yahweh…Yeshua… Jahovah!’
Wow mih bredrin, that sure was wonderful! And yuh better believe that all of heaven, even the Father, was rocking along and singing with us as we gave much deserved praise to our great High Priest, our Lord and Saviour, our King of Kings, the One and Only Jesus Christ! And though Jesus seemed to be a li’l embarrassed by all the praise, nonetheless, He too was tapping His feet and clapping His hands as the sweet soca chutney melody permeated heaven and raised the level of joy normally found there!
Now that’s certainly saying something, for heaven usually has a very high level of joy. But the fact is that all the song says is true, and heaven acknowledged it with us. And yuh better believe that is the kind of difference, the amazing transformation Jesus performs in our lives when we surrender our all to Him! He does bring us from ‘revelry to righteousness, hell-bound to holiness and from sin to salvation.’ For remember that the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.’ (Rom. 6:23)
Yes friends, through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary, Jesus saved us from hellfire and damnation and brought us holiness and salvation instead. And when we were joyfully wallowing in our pig pens, clothed in the darkness of sin, but truly empty of God and heading straight for hellfire, we’d better thank the Lord that someone told us about Jesus who LOVES and cares for us, so much so that He freely offered up His sinless life to save us from our sins and eternal death, meaning eternal separation from the Father.
As Bruh Paul writes in Romans. ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time (at the right time) Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure (perhaps) for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now (having been) justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being (having been) reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.’ (Rom. 5:6-10)
Oh my people, all the good things that have happened to us, like salvation, justification, sanctification, reconciliation, righteousness, etc. etc. have all stemmed from Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, for without the shedding of blood there’s no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:22) And He not only saves us from sin, but also shelters us from the storms of life, because He can calm the seas and the winds as He did when crossing the Sea of Galilee with the disciples. And ended up saying to His terrified companions: Why are ye so fearful? How is that ye have no faith .’ (Mark 4:40)
And that word faith plays a rather big role in our walk with Jesus, for if we don’t believe, have strong faith in Him, then we will not have a successful Christian life. That’s the first step in our Christian walk, after we see the light and find the truth, which is worth so much more than silver or gold. And believe me friends, giving your life to Jesus is the best decision you can ever make, for as the song so rightly says, He is indeed ‘the best upgrade.’ (smile)
And the scriptures, especially the psalms tell us that Jehovah is indeed our rock, our shelter from the storm. Bruh David says it well in Psalm 18: ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower.’ (Ps. 18:2) We couldn’t get a better description than that friends!
And most importantly, once Jesus comes into your life, you cannot get away from Him, even if you want to, as the Bible tells us: ‘In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,’ (Eph. 1:13) In other words, ‘it is the mark of identification that the believer is truly God’s own and is kept forever by the power of God. It is an unbreakable seal of divine ownership and salvation.’
Wow! But yuh know what, my fellow saints, even without that seal unto the day of redemption, (Eph. 4:30) once we truly get to know Jesus, it’s simply impossible to leave Him, for such is the great LOVE and compassion He inspires in us! So please, let’s pay Him the awesome tribute and reverence that He deserves! Much LOVE!
…getting to know Jesus…is a beautiful lifelong relationship…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Jul 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new flock of believers, all have sinned, Bible, carnal desires, Christ died for us, Christ's atoning death, christianity, clean up our act, come short of the glory of God, compassion, crying out for help, divine aid, eternal life through Jesus Christ, every good and perfect gift is from above, faith, fellowship, firstfruits of his creatures, Friday chant, god, God commendeth his own love toward us, God is the same yesterday today and forever, grace, gratitude, in whom I will trust, Jesus, Jesus Christ, LOVE, mercy, my deliverer, my strength, no shadow of turning, omnipotent help, reciprocate God's love, return backsliders to your fold, salvation, set free from bondage to sin, simmering unrest, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the earth is the Lord's, the error of their ways, the Father of lights, the fulness thereof, the gift of God, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my rock, the throne of grace, the wages of sin is death, the weekend, the word of truth, trusting faith, truth, ungodly times, wake up and smell the coffee, while we were yet sinners, wisdom, with whom is no variableness, worthwhile examples of Christian living
Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.
And then it was Friday, that magical day, where much of the world joyfully shouts ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and the weekend is here at long last! No more dreary and dreadful work for a couple of days! Thank The Lord!’ Then we go off for the weekend, do our own carnal and lustful thing and entirely forget about the Lord who granted us the weekend away from the dreary and dreadful work! Now that’s gratitude for you! Forgetting about the One who has given you all good things!
Remember what James, Jesus’ brother says about that? ‘Do not err (be deceived) my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (variation), neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.’ (James 1:16-18)
Yes friends, God is the creator and owner of everything in this universe, as Bruh David so rightly informs us in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) And as James tells us above, He’s good and faithful and all good things originate and emanate from Him.
Then He’s also stable, solid as a rock, He doesn’t change! He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! And there could be no more appropriate scripture to show that attribute than these words of Bruh David from psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee. O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps. 18:1-2)
And furthermore, on top of all of that, God has redeemed us to be the first step or first fruits in His redemption of all creation! And isn’t that the most wonderful fact ever! It most certainly is! For if God didn’t LOVE us with an immeasurable passion, we would all be headed straight for hellfire and eternal damnation. But because of His great LOVE, as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his great LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8)
Wow mih bredrin! Can you imagine a Creator LOVING His creation so much that He would move heaven and earth to give them a chance to survive their sinful and rebellious nature and be reconciled back to Him? Well that’s exactly what our great God did! He put a plan in place that we could have a second chance; that we could repent, believe on His Son, Jesus Christ and be set free from our bondage to sin and live in eternity with Him. Now, if that isn’t the greatest and most unselfish gift ever, then I don’t know what is!
Remember friends, the Lord broke His own heart on our behalf, by pinning all our abominable sins on His sinless and selfless Son, and having Him die the death we were supposed to die. And let’s not forget what the Good Library says on that subject. ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23) Consequently the scriptures say: ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Rom. 6:23)
So, my fellow believers, you can see that Jesus death on the cross of Calvary had the greatest impact in this world, since its original creation! It was an atoning death! A death in our stead! Imagine a father condemning his only son to death to pay for a bunch of ungrateful, rebellious people nuh. Very few fathers, if any, would make that great sacrifice. But our God did it on our behalf! That just goes to show how much He LOVES us!
That then raises the question, why can’t we reciprocate that LOVE, which is only good and proper, compassionate, longsuffering, filled with grace and mercy, amongst many other attributes. It just boggles the imagination that after the Lord did so much for us, that we still have the ‘boldfaceness,’ the audacity to refuse His LOVING attentions and turn to the sinful and death bearing things of the evil one, Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer, who got kicked out of heaven for having the audacity, the foolish pride, to try to overthrow God’s kingdom!
He forgot that he was only a creation of God, and how can the created overthrow the Creator eh? But, unfortunately, it’s the same thing that so many of us are doing right now; thumbing our noses at God and blatantly fulfilling the carnal desires of our flesh, devilishly and selfishly encouraged by Satan. Oh friends, it’s time for us to get wise to the devil’s shenanigans. He doesn’t care one iota for us. He’s just looking for company in eternal separation from God. Meanwhile Almighty God cares so much for us, as He’s proven through Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s go to His throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, and ask for His help to handle our earthly problems in these desperate times of need. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times.
We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Let’s be aware though, that no divine aid will be forthcoming, until we clean up our act and show ourselves to be worthwhile examples of Christian living. Much LOVE!
…God has done all He can to win our LOVE… the rest is up to us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
06 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all for sin could not atone, ascribe ye greatness to our God, Christ's redemptive wotk on the cross, find shelter, from the deluge of sin's guilt and power, from thy wounded side, give thanks and praise, he is the rock, his work is perfect, I will love thee O Lord, let me hide myself in thee, let the water and the blood, LOVE, my deliverer, my god, naked come to thee for dress, only a fool will say there is no God, receive inspiration and reassurance, Rev. Augustus Toplady, Rock of ages cleft for me, run to God for refuge, see thee on thy judgement throne, shed for us at Calvary, simply to the cross I cling, the Lord is mu rock and fortress, the sacrificial blood ofHIs Son Jesus, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, trust ye in the Lord for ever, when I soar to worlds unknown, when there is so much evidence to the contrary, whose mind is stayed on thee
Psalm 18:1 I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.
It’s the first day of the week friends – Sunday, the Lord’s Day! That means it’s time to gather round to give thanks and praise, to hear God’s Word and receive inspiration and reassurance for the upcoming week. Now, some of our churches are still closed because of the Covid virus, but others are open, but with the many technological advances at our beck and call, none of us ought to miss attending worship in some form and fashion today.
And we are going to open today’s worship session with a golden oldie titled ‘Rock of Ages Cleft For Me.’ Yeh, it’s a favourite we’ve been singing for over two hundred years, and it still retains the flavour and delivers the message that we all need to hear, especially in these turbulent times.
The hymn was written by the English minister, Rev. Augustus Toplady around 1763, and the hymnary.org website tells us: ‘There is a legend that Augustus Toplady was inspired to write this hymn after finding shelter from a thunderstorm in a cleft (space, opening) in a rock at Burrington Combe in Somerset, England. While evidence to support that story is lacking, it does provide a vivid image through which to understand the hymn. Christ and His redemptive work on the cross are like that cleft (space, opening) in the rock, where we can find shelter from the deluge of sin’s guilt and power.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth! So with that in mind let’s offer a rich, soulful and sincere sacrifice of praise to our wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ, as we sing: ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die. Wash me, Saviour or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…Let me hide myself in thee…let me hide myself in thee….’
Yes friends, only the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary has the power to atone for our sins, and only through accepting Him as Lord and Saviour can we ever come to salvation. And once He comes into our lives, He’s always there with us, through His Holy Spirit, never leaving nor forsaking us.
And I like this excerpt from an article on the website Godtube, which states: ‘Even when we may feel like we are all alone, remember that God is always by our side and will never abandon us. He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can stand upon always. What an amazing feeling to be loved by such a kind Father and to give praise to His name with the beautiful hymn ‘Rock Of Ages.’ Hearing the story behind the hymn made this classic song even more powerful. What a way to worship!’
Ah mih people, our God is indeed a refuge from the storms of life; the solid rock that has a cleft or space under or in which we can always hide. And it’s a figure of speech, a metaphor that’s used throughout the Good Book to describe our marvellous Creator. So let’s check out a few of those scriptures nuh. Listen first to Moses as he sang his song of praise to Almighty God:…Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:3-4) Yes my brethren, those words describe our God to a T!
Meanwhile, the prophet Isaiah, in his hymn of praise, said it thus: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (or Rock of Ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) Ah friends, more gospel truth about the attributes and excellence of our wonderful God.
But hear the definitive proclamation on the mighty power of our Jehovah, which comes from Psalm 18, from the pen of Bruh David, who knew the awesome majesty and power and faithfulness of the God of his forefathers. And though it took some twenty years after his anointing for him to become king of Israel, most of which he spent running for his life from the jealous king Saul, the Lord kept him safe. Even when Saul threw a javelin at him at close quarters, he missed twice. (1 Sam. 18:10-11)
Bruh David solemnly declares: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (lit. rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
And Bruh David did call upon the Lord, and he was saved from his enemies. We know his story, so what better or other testimony do we need eh my fellow saints to run to God for refuge when the troubles of this world threaten to overwhelm us? It’s a no-brainer! God created us and has saved us from the eternal damnation to which our sin originally relegated us, by the sacrificial blood of His Son Jesus shed on the cross at Calvary.
In His great LOVE for us, He reconciled us to Himself, what more do want eh? All He’s asking is that you believe in His Son, and come to Him for help in time of need. The choice is yours. But please note there are serious negative consequences for refusing His offer. So the wise man will gladly accept it. Much LOVE!
…only a fool will say there is no God…when there is so much evidence to the contrary…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: call upon the Lord, eternal trust, even today do I declare, everything that comes against us, eyes fixed straight ahead, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's faithfulness, halfway home, hold on tight to our faith, hope deferred makes the heart sick, I shall not want, I will love thee O Lord, I will render double unto thee, in this will I be confident, in whom I will trust, it is a tree of life, keep the commandments of my God, king of heaven and earth, learn to live with it, let me not be ashamed of my hope, my buckler, my deliverer, my fortress, my heart shall not fear, my hiding place, my high tower, my rock, my sheild, my strength, no weapon formed against us, not looking back, omnipotent deity, reverence God, summer flies by, the breath of life, the cold winter season, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the horn of my salvation, The Lord is my shepherd, the name above all names, the power of Christ's Holy Spirit, they stumbled and fell, time of pandemic and strife, to a glorious future with Jesus, to eat up my flesh, trust in Christ Jesus, turn you to the stronghold, we will conquer, Wednesday Wail, when the desire comes, when the wicked came upon me, will prosper, worthy to be praised, ye prisoners of hope
Zechariah 9:12. Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.
Well friends, it’s Wednesday the 8th of July already! I can’t believe how the days are flying by, although that’s how the summer usually passes, like in a blur of time, barely noticeable, then the cold winter season comes along and lasts for ages. But that’s life, and however it comes, we must learn to live with it, in fact conquer it!
And with the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we can and do and will conquer everything that comes against us, for our heavenly Father has decreed that NO weapon formed against us will prosper, and that through Christ Jesus we can do whatever is necessary because He strengthens us!
Wow! And all of God’s children declared a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and glory to the King of heaven and earth, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose name is higher than any other name, and to whom ALL heads will bow when He comes to reign in His holy kingdom!’ And if that sacrifice of praise doesn’t uplift us fellow saints in Christ, I don’t know what will nuh! (smile)
Ah mih people, it’s so good to be alive on another glorious summer day, that thanks is all that ought to flow out of our mouths. Yes, life is rough for many of us, but again, once we have life, then we can have hope that things will turn around, as they say: ‘better must come!’ And so it will, if we hold on tight to our faith and hope and surrender and trust in Christ Jesus! For He has promised to make our lives worthwhile, and He is indeed faithful to keep all His promises.
And if there’s one thing the Bible is chocked full of is verses on hope. That’s why this morning I want to remind us of some of them, in particular this one that touches my heart ever so much. The words of the prophet Zechariah to his people Israel, and words that are ever so appropriate in our current time of pandemic and strife. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’ And some of us ask, who or what is our stronghold, where can it be found, and why should we be prisoners of hope?
Well my people, Bruh David answered those questions for us long ago. Listen to him. ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold, fortress).’ (Ps. 18:1-2)
Oh mih bredrin, is there a more comprehensive and powerful entity than that described by Bruh David? Certainly not! Just look at how many positives he’s laid at the Lord’s door nuh: his strength, his rock, his fortress, his deliverer, his buckler or shield, the horn of his salvation, his high tower! Mama Yo! How could there ever be another being with such power and strength and authority eh? NEVER! That’s why such awesome wisdom lies in putting our entire hope in the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
As Bruh David continues: ‘I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:3) Glory be people! If we can’t call upon such an omnipotent Deity with perfect assurance, then whom else can we call on eh? That’s also why Bruh David could later on write: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Ps. 27:1)
And I am proud to say the answer to those questions is definitely NOBODY! Yes friends, when we reverence the great God of Israel, put our sincere trust in him, we need not be afraid of anything or anyone. For as Bruh David proudly and most assuredly proclaims: ‘When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ ( Ps. 27:2-3)
Oh my people, my people, in these troubling times that’s the kind of confidence and assurance we need to show in our God! And what I truly LOVE about Bruh David, is that all the endearing and confident words he speaks about his awesome God are not based on hearsay, but on his personal experience. And I’m sure that most of us have some, enough of that same kind of experience of Jehovah God’s everlasting faithfulness, which ought to enable us to completely surrender to Him and place our eternal trust in His mighty hands.
Friends, Bruh David surely knew on which side his bread was buttered, and so too should we, if we’re wise and thinking straight, not ensnared by the lies, deceits, the evil and the plentiful poppycock that’s currently running through our society. But as the psalmist asserts: ‘Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up (uphold me), and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto (observe) thy statutes continually.’ (Ps. 119:114-117)
What more can I say eh friends… except to add these momentous words of Cousin Sol to our mix: ‘Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.’ (Prov. 13:12) Yes fellow saints, when we lose hope, we become sick, get depressed. But when our hope is realized… oh me oh my, we are refreshed, revitalized, renewed, and move on with a new vitality. And I know that these anxious times tend to dry up our hope, but please, please, let’s not allow that to happen nuh, let’s stay full of the hope that God has placed in our hearts, and remember that this too shall pass, it’s only a matter of time.
And having said that, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. With sincere hearts and strong voices: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we don’t let our hope die, we WILL enjoy a glorious future with Christ! Much LOVE!
…the Lord is my shepherd…I shall not want…
20 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: always by our sides, Augustus Toplady, awesome reverence, Christ's redemptive work, cleft for me, covenant people, descendants, faithless, fear the Lord, fickle, find shelter, finding shelter, Godtube, Hymnary.org, in a cleft of rock, in whom I will trust, mind is stayed on thee, my buckler, my deliverer, my fortress, my god, my strength, never abandon us, of my salvation, our light in the dark, perfect peace, rock of ages, seed of jacob, shield, sin's guilt and power, strength, such a kind father, Sunday, the day of the Lord, the deluge from, the horn, The Lord is my rock, thine anger, thunderstorm, turned away
Psalm 18:2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).
Hear it comes friends, the big day, Sunday; the day of the Lord! And it’s time to gather in His sanctuary to fellowship with other believers, to sing and praise His holy name, hear His Word and be refueled for another week. And as always, we shall open the proceedings with some music of praise, aptly titled ‘Rock of Ages.’ Yes friends, we’re talking about that beautiful Christian hymn written by the English Pastor, Augustus Toplady in 1763.
And the Hymnary.org site informs us: ‘There is a legend that Augustus Toplady was inspired to write this hymn after finding shelter from a thunderstorm in a cleft in a rock at Burrington Combe in Somerset, England in 1776. While evidence to support that story is lacking, it does provide a vivid image through which to understand the hymn. Christ and His redemptive work on the cross are like that cleft in the rock, where we can find shelter from the deluge of sin’s guilt and power.’
And I wonder if during that storm Augustus ever considered the similarities when the Lord passed before Moses on Mt. Sinai, when He gave him the Ten Commandments, (Ex.34 & 35) and Elijah in the cleft of the mountain when he ran away from God, after Jezebel promised to kill him. (1 Kin.19:10-15) We’ll never know until we get to heaven and ask Augustus. (smile) So let’s sing his wonderful hymn nuh. As one strong, sincere voice, in sweet, harmonious tones.
‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die. Wash me, Saviour or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…Let me hide myself in thee…let me hide myself in thee….’
Yes my fellow saints in Christ, Almighty God is our refuge and our rock! He’s at once the source of our protection and our strong tower. We hear it loud and clear in Moses’ song: ‘Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:3-4)
And as the scholars explain: ’32:4-9. A faithful God and a faithless people are pictured. The Rock: The word is placed first in the Hebrew for emphasis. It emphasizes the stability and permanence of the God of Israel. His unchanging nature is contrasted with the fickleness of the covenant people.’
Unfortunately though, nothing much has changed with us, today’s covenant people; we’re still fickle and faithless. But thankfully our God does not change, but remains the same yesterday, today and forever! And if you don’t believe me, hear Bruh David declare it from Psalm 18 – Thanksgiving for deliverance.
‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3) Oh friends, you couldn’t get any surer or more trusting than that!
And Isaiah echoes those same sentiments in his Thanksgiving for God’s mercies. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.’ (Is.12:1-2)
Then in his hymn of praise, he solemnly and surely declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (Rock of Ages).’ (Is.26:3-4) Yeah mih people, our God certainly deserves the name Rock of Ages!’
And we’ll close with these wonderful and oh so true sentiments from the Godtube site: ‘ Even when we may feel like we are all alone, remember that God is always by our side and will never abandon us. He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can stand upon always. What an amazing feeling to be LOVED by such a kind Father and to give praise to His name with the beautiful hymn ‘Rock Of Ages.’ That says it all precious people of God!
But we’ll reinforce it with the advice of Bruh David. (smile) ‘Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence). All ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him he heard.’ (Ps.22:23-24)
So let’s go home today, renewed and refueled, trusting in the Lord God, our strength and refuge, who will always hear us when we cry out to Him, for He is indeed our Salvation. Much LOVE!
…true salvation…can only be found…in the Rock of All Ages…
13 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anniversary of my mother's death, benefits, blessings, bygone days, cheerfulness, Christ-like life, comes from the heart, courage, crying, crying shame, cup of salvation, dealt bountifully, death, deliver my soul, delivered my soul, distress, evil world, faith, faults, forgetfulness, forgiveness, frailties, good name, gospel truth, gravestone, greed, guilt, holier than thou, lack of commitment, land of the living, laughing, laziness, life of honour, live for God, live our faith, LOVE, Love our God, loving kindness, magnificent God, mea culpa, mercies, my deliverer, my fortress, my salvation, my stronghold, passion, passionate words, pay my vows, persecution, Praise the Lord, prayer of St. Francis, promises, psalm 116, righteousness., rought times, selfishness, shame, sorrows of death, spread His Word, supplications, take advantage, The Lord is my rock, the Lord's gracious, trust, urging of the Spirit, wisdom, zeal
Psalm 116:1. I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Oh Friends, oh Friends, the ole fella shame! Why? Because the end of this month marks the second anniversary of my mother Molly’s death, and yesterday was the first time I went to look for her in her new resting place.
And though I have lots of excuses – like the weather, the distance, the traffic, work, and general busyness, I believe the most prominent reasons were truly laziness, forgetfulness and a lack of sufficient commitment.
What a crying shame! Yes, I certainly agree. But yesterday with the urging of the Spirit, I decided it was definitely the day I would do my long postponed sonly duty. And as the Lord would have it, everything worked out perfectly. I had a couple of errands to run in Toronto, and since I was finished by midday, I just headed north on the Don Valley and on to the 404.
And strangely enough, in death, as well as in life, the only real guilt I feel over my mother is not visiting her as often as I believe I should have. But not to worry Friends, though the ole girl obviously wasn’t thrilled by my long absence, she understood that the son she bore so long ago was merely human and thus liable to possess many faults and frailties, and she readily forgave me. Praise the Lord!
But that’s the kind of person she was. And in my opinion, sometimes too willing to forgive, as we’ve had arguments over the years, when people close to her did her wrong, and she didn’t make a big fuss over it.
Anyway, we had a good visit, as I stood over her gravestone in the cool of the cloudy afternoon, surrounded by the well-manicured lawns of the cemetery.
And on an aside, the difference between cemeteries here and those in the West Indies have always fascinated me. In the West Indies you wouldn’t be caught dead (smile) in a graveyard just chatting or admiring the scenery, because we have a certain amount of fear or dread attached to it back there and they’re not as well kept.
But here the cemeteries are some of the most beautiful and well kept places on God’s earth, and it’s very easy and comfortable to even just walk through them.
But getting back to my visit. Mols and I chatted about the current happenings in my family’s life, and we also reminisced about bygone days, when it was just the two of us against the world. And believe me, there were some rough times.
And as luck would have it, I met a lady at the Calypso show last weekend who remembered me from one of those tough times, when we lived downstairs of her aunt out in Bacolet. But the wonderful thing about Mols is that I never heard her complain. It was always my well-being that drove her wagon train.
Yuh know, I thought I’d cry when I went to visit her, but funnily enough, the opposite happened, we did a lot of laughing. That should not have surprised me though, because from my earliest recollections she was always a cheerful person.
We visited for somewhere between twenty minutes and half an hour, during which time we prayed the prayer of St. Francis, as we always did when she was alive. Then she blessed me, and I sincerely promised not to let so much time go by before I visited her again.
I also promised to try and walk in such a way as to not besmirch her good name, basically fulfilling the words engraved on her tombstone. ‘To truly follow Christ, One must walk, talk, live and LOVE good – as she did.’
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! Though she was not one of those holier than thou persons, she did live as Christ-like a life as most of us will ever do.
So okay Mols baby, Sonny boy has done his mea culpa’s, and his conscience has been assuaged, cleansed, (smile) time to turn to our Bit now. ‘I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.’
And that my brethren is the usual and normal reaction of most human beings; to LOVE and cherish those who help them. But sadly in this evil world, there are many whose selfishness and greed propel them to take advantage of those who treat them good. Steups! That just reminds me of one such situation my mother encountered when we lived out in Bacolet.
Anyway, the psalmist continues: ‘Because he hath inclined his ear unto (listened to) me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed (surrounded) me, and the pains (distress) of hell gat hold upon (took hold of) me. I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped (saved) me. Return unto thy rest; O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.’ (Ps.116:2-9)
Yes my people, that is indeed the nature of our magnificent God! The souls of those who continually seek Him and call upon His most worthy name will be delivered from persecution and even from death.
Bruh David recognized that fact from young and made it his habit to live for the Lord. Thus he was later able to declare in Psalm 18: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ (Ps.18:1-2)
Oh Friends, those are extremely strong and passionate words! But if you are a believer, then they ought to be also true of you! And just supposing they are, meaning that you have received mercies and blessing from Almighty God, how can we thank and honour Him for those oftimes undeserving benefits eh?
As the psalmist confidently declares: ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.’ (Ps.116:12-14)
Yes Friends, the only proper way to thank our wonderful God is to live a life that honours Him, and spread His Word and His LOVING-kindness to all we meet. And if at all possible, shout your LOVE for Him from the rooftops, so that the whole world can hear you! (smile)
Now that’s not only wisdom, but courage, faith and trust! Much LOVE!
…the challenge of our earthly existence…to truly LOVE our God…sincerely LIVE our Faith…and zealously SPREAD His Word…
P.S. It’s a bit long and a bit late, but the important thing is that it comes from the heart. Much LOVE!
01 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome truth, benefits, cheap thing no good, cheapness mentality, downsizing, emulate jesus, equal rights, evildoers, exploited, faithfulness, food banks, food kitchens, good thing no cheap, healthy profits, human-rights, justice, Labour Movement, loving kindness, May Day, Maypole, mercy, my deliverer, my fortress, my shield, my strength, obedience, oppressed, outsourcing, poor getting poorer, rich getting richer, surrender, sweatshops, The Lord is my rock, trust, truth, tyranny, wages
Psalm 18:2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).
‘May day, May Day, May Day, May Day…!’ That was the shout my Friends, from an announcer in the city of Buffalo, some years back when the winning goal in a hockey game was scored by a player named Brad May. It’s one of the celebrated calls in hockey and serves as a fitting opening for today’s Bit on this first of May. Some of us old fogeys might also remember the opening days of May when we’d dance the Maypole at the annual May fairs. But I guess all those simple, enjoyable things in life have now gone the way of the dodo. Please remember too my people that May 1st is also an important day in the annals of the Labour Movement, when marches and other celebrations took place to celebrate the awakening and upliftment of the working class from the tyranny of those who owned the means of production. Unfortunately, like many things having to do with Labour, those May 1st celebrations have been relegated to the minor leagues now, but as a group, we have to be very careful because the greedy owners of industry are trying to push us back to the bad old days when Labour was woefully exploited and oppressed. And if we give them the chance, they will do just that, because they have no social conscience, and will make even healthier profits by cutting the benefits and wages of the ordinary working man … that is those who have a job, or can get one. The owners of industry don’t give a hoot about the poor, ordinary people who slave for them in their sweatshops. Just witness the disaster last week in Bangladesh, where a structurally unsound building that housed several garment factories collapsed with thousands of poorly paid, exploited workers inside. And it’s not like the owners didn’t know that the building was unsound, they just didn’t care enough to stop the operations, and therefore their enormous profits to try and fix it. And that’s the prevailing attitude these days, not only in the more impoverished countries, but also in the supposed first world nations. Why do you think all this work has been outsourced in the first place? To bolster the bottom line. The cheapness mentality that has recently invaded our society is partly to blame for the sweatshops and other disturbing actions. No longer do we expect to pay a decent price for a decently produced product. Now we expect a good product for next to nothing. That doesn’t ever happen Friends! We seem to have forgotten the old adage, attributed to Confucius: ‘Good thing no cheap, and cheap thing no good.’ Undeniable truth my people! Nowadays even some of the expensive things are no good, so what do we expect from the cheap ones eh? Have you noticed that all the rage these days in downsizing is to either cut the working man’s wage and give him more to do, or lay him off, though his wages are a pittance compared to that of the high and mighty C.E.O, whose remuneration keeps escalating, though the companies they run, keep losing enormous sums of money? The truth is, if they’d fire some of the useless, bloated, top echelon, they’d have enough money to pay the poor man a decent wage, one that he can live on, for now, even those who work several jobs, still have to use food banks and kitchens to make ends meet. What a crying shame Friends! It just speaks of the cruel inequality of resources that are becoming more unequal every day. The rich are getting richer, and the poor, poorer every day! But unfortunately, the social aspect doesn’t ever enter the equation, just the bottom line and the top echelon salary structure are all that matters. Fortunately though, the poor man has a powerful advocate, someone who truly cares about him and will consistently and continually fight on his behalf. Here’s how Bruh David describes Him in our Bit, taken from a Psalm of Thanksgiving for deliverance, when he was delivered from the hands of his enemies. ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ And that’s the God awesome truth, my brethren! The Lord God Jehovah is the ONLY ONE who will fight for us tooth and nail, the ONLY ONE who will never leave nor forsake us, the ONLY ONE to whom we can take all out troubles to and be assured that we’ll get a fair hearing, and some action on our oppressed behalf. Oh Friends, are we seeing the Lord in the same manner, the same light that Bruh David saw Him? I surely hope so, because if we’re not, then things will surely turn sour and disastrous for us. And we can see it happening throughout the world now, with God either absent from the hearts of a majority of the population, or He’s being made a mockery of by the surging and prevalent evildoers. Oh my brethren, we can’t allow this ungodly trend to continue, else Christ’s church will eventually be destroyed. It’s already been held in low esteem by many, the next step will be total extinction, if we don’t fight back with all the tools and weapons available to us. And where do we find the wherewithal to fight back? From our great God obviously! Bruh David spells it out again for us in Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help. ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’ (Ps.28:7) Oh my people, he believed that and based his whole life on it, and though it wasn’t an easy life, it turned out to be a rather successful one. We’re still talking about him and reading his words thousands of years later. The same way, my brethren, if we base our lives on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, we too can be successful in this earthly life. As I keep saying, it won’t be easy, but it will always be interesting. Remember, Jesus never took an easy step in this world, so if we’re going to emulate His character and lifestyle, then most likely our journey won’t be a bed of roses either. But yuh see how the Father lifted Him up for His obedience and faithfulness to His purpose, so that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He’s the mighty One, the Lord of all! Well Friends, it’s the same way the Father will lift us up and reward us for our persistence, faith, trust and surrender to Him. And eventually, we’ll al be able to say, like Bruh David: ‘But I have trusted in thy mercy (LOVING-kindness); my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.’ (Ps.13:5-6) Yes my fellow believers, that’s the wise and sensible attitude we need to adopt today, if we want to be successful in this our pilgrim’s journey down here on planet earth! Much LOVE!…only in Christ Jesus…can man be assured of…truth…equal rights…and justice…
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