16 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a chance of rain, a cloudy day, a conscious decision, alive and kicking, Alpha, associated with the Saviour, Be All, believers in Jesus Christ, comforting power, confident, contentment, create happiness, day of trouble, defense, deliverance, deliverer, end all, eternal life, evil, fortress, glory to God, halfway home, happiness, healing, his anointed one, howl, I am helped, I will love thee, invalids, joy, let your light so shine, meaning, meat, mercy, Most High God Jehovah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my heart greatly rejoiceth, my heart trusted in him, my high tower, my rock, No one is guaranteed happiness, not looking back at the past, Omega, passion, pay for our sins, peace, refuge, rooted in Christ, sacrificed, salvation, saved from mine enemies, shining in our lives, shining like a light, sincerity, sing aloud, sinless life, solace, straight furrows, strife-filled world, stronghold, thank God, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the cross at Calvary, the foot of the cross, the horn of my salvation, the light of Jesus, the Lord is my strength and shield, the Messiah, the rich and famous, the right path, the saving strength, the spiritual Son, their own peril, time and space, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, ungodly world, wander up and down, Wednesday Wail, worthy to be praised
Psalm 28:7. 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.
Well friends, it looks like it might be a cloudy day in my area, with a chance of rain, but just because we can’t see the sun, doesn’t mean that it’s not up there behind the clouds.
And thankfully, contrary to the physical sun, the spiritual Son is always shining His light brilliantly in all His believers’ lives! Glory to God!
Without the light of Jesus shining in our lives we’d be little more than invalids in an evil and ungodly world. But through His awesome power and Spirit living in us, we can do any and every thing! What a joy to be associated with the Saviour!
Now here is an interesting quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. It tells us: ‘No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives us time and space. It’s up to us to fill it with joy and meaning.’
And isn’t that the indisputable truth! Even the rich and famous don’t just find happiness because of their wealth and fame. They too have to make a conscious decision to create happiness in their lives.
And as believers in Jesus Christ, we know that the best way to find happiness and joy is through His healing and comforting power. Constant companionship with Him, through reading His word and following His dictates gives us the wherewithal to find peace and contentment in this angry, strife filled world.
Now who wouldn’t want that eh? Apparently a lot of people don’t because they are turning away from Jesus, at their own peril.
Our job is to stop them from doing that. And for those who have already done it, to help bring them back to the foot of the cross of Jesus, where they can find solace, find joy, find eternal life and salvation.
But we can’t do that until we ourselves are fully rooted in Christ and are shining like a light in this dark world. And to help us do that today, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with true sincerity and plenty passion.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to be today; thankful that we’re alive and kicking. And having taken up our cross to follow Jesus, we’re focused on what’s before us, looking straight ahead so we can plough straight furrows in His name, keeping in mind the awesome future He’s promised us. Wow! What a beautiful picture my brethren!
No wonder Bruh David could confidently declare in our Bit: ‘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.’
Oh my fellow believers, anytime we can declare that with sincerity, means we’re on the right path! It’s not always easy to do, but the more we cling to Jesus and His ways, the more we see the truth in that declaration, the more it comes to pass in our lives, and the more confident we become.
Listen to Bruh David as he declares in the verse after our Bit. ‘The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed (the Messiah, the commissioned One). (Ps.28:8)
Without a doubt friends, the Most High God Jehovah is our saving strength through His Son Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins. Now how caring and LOVING is that eh! More than enough for us to desire to shout it from the rooftops!
Now let’s look at a couple of scriptures that reinforce our Bit. Bruh David says in Psalm 59 – A prayer for deliverance. ‘Let them wander up and down for meat (food), and grudge (howl) if they be not satisfied.
But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.’ (Ps.59:15-17)
Oh precious people of Christ, I do hope that that is the way we all feel, otherwise we’re in a whole lot of trouble!
Now let’s end with one of Bruh David’s most famous declarations; that 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 he Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.’ (Ps.18:1-3)
Ah mih breddren, what joy and peace fills our hearts when we reach that stage where we can truly trust and believe in our magnificent and magnanimous God! There’s nothing else in this world that compares to it!
So today, as we go out into the world, let’s stand tall, hold our heads high, with our shoulders thrust back, proud that we are followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, our Be All and End All. For that’s what He expects of us. Much LOVE!
…let your light so shine…that others will come to believe…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness of the Bit, it was just one of those late hockey nights. (smile) And please remember to pray for Scotty, our Scrip-Bit family member, sick in the hospital with blood pressure and diabetes problems. He desperately needs our prayers. Much LOVE!
09 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a done deal, a glorious future with Jesus, a hump in the road, a new day, a sense of healing, all aspects, as the U.S goes, aspiration, astonishment, be counted, bluster, Christians, despise, divided country, Donald Trump. President elect, double vision, earthly journey, edifying statement, end of the world, enslavement, enthusiasm, expect the unexpected, figuratively, forsaken me, glad to be alive, glitter and glamour, glory hallelujah, God's work, gospel truth, greater priority, halfway home, having loved the world, having put his hand to the plough, heaven, hold my head and bawl, is fit for the kingdom of heaven, Jesus, Jesus said unto him, literally, looking back, loyal, loyalty, material possessions, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negative rhetoric, no man, no man can serve two masters, no reason to be afraid, not looking back, number one, rejoice, righteousness, seek ye first the kingdom of God, sense of purpose, serve the Lord faithfully, shaking their heads in astonishment, stand up strong and steadfast, suitable, the breath of life, the goodness of God, the Lord's mysterious way, usable, wealth, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, you can't serve God and mammon
Luke 10:62. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Well friends, a new day has dawned, both literally and figuratively! Someone once said these wise words; expect the unexpected, and have we ever been hit by the unexpected – Donald Trump is the new President-elect of the United States of America.
Ah Lord eh! I don’t know if to rejoice that a different time is coming, or to hold my head and bawl having listened to his foul, negative rhetoric over the long period of the U.S Election campaign.
Let’s hope that a lot of the stuff he said was just bluster, and that he will work instead to bring a sense of healing to the country that’s become so severely divided over the last few months.
Whatever happens though, this is indeed a time for ALL Christians to stand up steadfast and strong and be counted, for in one way or another our faith and its institutions will surely be affected.
To tell the truth, the whole world be affected, because as the U.S goes, so does a lot of the world. And a lot of people all over the world are indeed shaking their heads in astonishment and dismay at Trump’s surprise win.
But as I’ve been saying all along, too many people in the U.S believed what Donald Trump said, and his rallies were getting bigger all the time, plus the media gave him so much attention that we had to respect the possibility that he could pull off the win.
It’s a done deal now though; the Lord in His own mysterious way has allowed it to happen. He obviously has a plan and a purpose in mind, so the sooner we stop questioning it and try to work with or around it, the better off we’ll be.
And all God’s people said a loud and somewhat less than genuine ‘Amen!’
Oh my people, it’s not the end of the world, just a hump in the road, though possibly a significant one. That doesn’t mean we have to give up on our faith, we need to keep keeping on, possibly even more than before.
And to help us do that this most significant Wednesday morning, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with a strong sense of purpose and enormous enthusiasm.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Ah mih people, though times may be difficult and somewhat unnerving, there is no reason to be afraid, it’s still great to be alive; to feel that awesome breath of God just pumping through us. But that also means there are plans of God in place for us to accomplish on this earthly journey.
That brings us to what I think is a rather appropriate Bit for today: ‘And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’
And the scholars explain: ‘9:62. Fit, occurring elsewhere only in 14:35 and Hebrews 6:7, means “suitable” or “usable.” One who makes life’s lesser matter of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to him.’
Now when and why did Jesus use those words? Several people were coming to Him, wanting to be His disciple, but first wanted to go and do something else. This one fellow said to Jesus: ‘Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.’ (Luke 10:61)
Sorry friends, when we become Christians, it’s not just for the pleasure and promise of going to heaven, but also to serve the Lord faithfully down here on earth. His work must always come first, not the world’s.
As Bruh Paul pointed out to Timothy: ‘Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having LOVED the world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.’ (2 Tim.4:9-10)
Yuh see friends, Demas found the world more interesting than Christ’s work and forsook the ministry. Unfortunately, that’s what happens to many of us; we are drawn to the glitter and glamour of the world and thus place Christ’s work last.
Remember what He said about trusting one master. ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ (Matt.6:24)
And the scholars tell us: ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s material possessions. A master (Gr. kurios) is a lord or an owner.
That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions of wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
And sadly friends, these days a lot of us, too many, both Christians and non-believers, are enslaved by the material possessions of the world. It’s thus impossible for us to put God’s work first.
And we’ll close with this other edifying statement from Jesus. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:32)
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! So if we want to experience the goodness of God, then we have to make Him, NUMBER ONE, in ALL aspects of our lives. That’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…true and total loyalty to Christ… should be the Christian’s number one aspiration…
02 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 110 percent, a faithful Creator, a glorious future with Jesus, apostle, assurance of salvation, be counted, brought to his knees, case from anger, Christians, commit thy way, confidence, cut off, delight thyself, destroyed, enthusiasm, evildoers, faithful, for I know whom I have believed, for the which cause, forsake wrath, fret not thyself, giving everything, glad to be alive, glory, glory hallelujah, God's gifts, God's grace, halfway home, hands on the plough, he is able to keep, honour, I also suffer these things, I am not ashamed, I am persuaded, inherit the earth, Jesus is the best, judgement, justice, keeping of their souls, mercies, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negatives, new blessings, no leftovers, not looking back, obedient, passion, positives, preacher, principles, prospers, Rest in the Lord, righteousness, salvation, sincerity, stand up, stewards, teacher, template, thank God, that which I have committed unto him, the breath of life, the desires of thine heart, the judgement seat of christ, the noonday, the will of God, this is the day the Lord has made, Timothy, today's journey, trust, trust in the Lord, until that day, wait upon the Lord, walk of faith, walking in God's will, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, well doing, wicked devices schemes
2 Timothy 1:12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.
And then it was Wednesday! Yes friends, it’s a brand new day filled with brand new blessings and mercies made especially for this day. No leftovers or anything from yesterday.
So please let’s appreciate it as such and seek all that our wonderful God has prepared for us today, starting by proclaiming with confidence; ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.” (Ps.118:24)
That’s the first step in today’s journey my people, acknowledging that we will enjoy the day. That will just lead us to focus on all the positives in our lives and not the negatives.
And to help us do that, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail, again with supreme confidence, overwhelming enthusiasm, strong passion and heartfelt sincerity.
Wailing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my people, what a wonderful declaration!Who isn’t glad that they are alive today eh? I certainly am!
And the breath of life is one of God’s greatest gifts to us mere mortals. Consequently, it should be highly appreciated, for a lot of people have lost that gift just today, and we are the blessed ones.
And on top of all that, we’re being faithful and obedient in our walk of faith, looking ahead to a glorious future with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Wow friends; that is the ‘mostest!’ (smile)
Yeh, nothing can beat a long and glorious time with Jesus, for He is the BEST!
That’s why, when Bruh Paul was finally brought to his knees by Jesus, he spent the rest of his earthly life working his ‘soulcase’ out in his honour and glory!. Long time I haven’t hear that word ‘soulcase.’ It just means giving your everything, 110 percent.
Therefore, as a preacher, an apostle and a teacher to the Gentiles, he could confidently declare to the young pastor Timothy, the words of our Bit.
‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against (until) that day.’
And the scholars offer these insights into that verse. ‘1:12. Persuaded (Gr. peitho): The perfect tense indicates that “I was persuaded in the past and remain so now.“ That he is able to keep refers to the assurance of salvation which is committed…against that day, when we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.’
Yuh see friends, our faith and our assurance of salvation are not things to be trifled with. They are very serious aspects of our lives, both here on earth and in eternity.
That means we have to be strong in Jesus, be fully committed to doing His earthly work, being good ambassadors for Him, not ashamed of Him, or be afraid to stand up and be counted in His name. Only then can we consider ourselves true followers.
Believers believe, but followers act on their beliefs!
Now hear this corroboration of Bruh Paul’s words by Peter, talking about being good stewards of God’s grace. ‘Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.’ (1 Pet.4:19)
And so it should be my brethren! If we’re walking in and suffering in God’s will, then it’s only logical that we should commit our very beings to Him, especially since He is also our Creator, and a faithful one at that.
But it’s Bruh David who puts it in true layman’s terms, as he confidently declares in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked. ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil (for it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:3-9)
Oh friends, I couldn’t put it any better. Bruh David has laid out the template for all Christians in that short passage of scripture. If we sincerely adhere to it, then we won’t go wrong.
Please, I implore us to check our lives today and see if we’re adhering to those wise principles, and as always, ask the Lord to help us wherever we are not coming up to scratch. Much LOVE!
…a Christian’s vocabulary should abound in these words…trust, delight, commit, rest and fret not…
26 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a liar, a pillar of salt, blessings, bound for heaven, care, casual, commandment, compassion, conquerors, Creator, dread, dread of punishment, enjoy life, enjoying the journey, epitome of hypocrisy, faith, fire and brimstone, fit for the kingdom of god, flippant, glory hallelujah, God's judgement, God's LOVE, good health, greatest destination, halfway home, hate his brother, heaven, heavenly Father, him that loved us, hope, hypocrisy, I'm not looking back, in all these things, journey, joy, lead and guide, Lot's wife, LOVE, mercies, more than conquerors, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, nay, no fear in love, our Lord and Saviour, peace, ploughing, punishment, rejection, sacrificed His sinless life, steady, suitable, the breath of life, the Christian walk, the glory train, the Holy Spirit, the joy of the Lord, the mansions of heaven, usable, Wednesday Wail
Romans 8:37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.
Well hello there my fellow travellers on the glory train that’s bound for heaven! I do hope that this short (smile) missive finds you in good health and hope and that you are enjoying the journey towards the greatest destination ever – HEAVEN!
Oh yes, we are meant to enjoy the journey too, that’s why our Lord and Saviour sacrificed his sinless life for us.
Now, no long journey is ever easy, but we’ve been given the wherewithal to also enjoy this one; things like hope and faith, LOVE and peace, blessings and mercies, care and compassion, as well as the Holy Spirit of God that dwells within us to lead and guide us along the right path.
Why do you think our Creator and heavenly Father ensured that we had all that good stuff eh? So that we could enjoy life here on earth! We don’t have to wait until we reach heaven to enjoy life, heaven begins right here on earth.
He knew that earthly life wouldn’t always be easy and fun, but He’s given us enough tools to make the overall journey enjoyable.
So please let’s start using those tools and begin enjoying our little bit of heaven right here on earth, else we’d just be disappointing our Father, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that’s working so hard to encourage and fill us with joy.
Please remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength. (Neh. 8:10) So if we lose our joy, as the enemy desires, then we’ll also lose our strength in Almighty God. Sermon done! (smile)
And since today is Wednesday, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with the appropriate enthusiasm, passion and JOY!
Wailing: ‘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!’
Yes friends, therein lies the joy that we’re supposed to have and show to this evil and ungodly world! We’re alive, and as true believers ought to be steady in our ploughing, concentrating on the wonderful future that Jesus has planned for us in the mansions in heaven, not our rough and cruddy past.
Remember what Jesus said: ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)
As the scholars explain. ‘9:62. Fit, occurring elsewhere only in 14:35 and Hebrews 6:7, means “suitable” or “usable.” One who makes life’s lesser matters of greater priority than God’s work is of little use to Him.’
And remember too what happened to Lot’s wife when she looked back, as fire and brimstone were pelting down on Sodom and Gomorrah, she turned into a pillar of salt. (Gen.19:26) Nuff said.
Let’s get into our Bit, perhaps for the last time. ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’
Oh friends, that is such a wonderful scripture! It ensures of us the power we’ve been granted through God’s everlasting and unconditional LOVE for us! Wow! Are we ever blessed!
And we’ll continue today with John’s treatise on LOVE. ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ (1 John 4:18)
Now, before we go any further, please listen to this explanation of that verse by the scholars. ‘4:18. Fear hath torment: Abject fear of God is based on dread of punishment. But God’s LOVE for us renders such dread obsolete.
Fear is still part of the Christian walk in the sense of profound reverence, the unwillingness to violate God’s trust in us (see Acts 10:35; 13:26; 2 Cor.7:1; Eph. 5:21; Phil.2:12; 1 Pet.1:17).
Believers need not fear eternal rejection as a result of God’s judgement (John 5:24), but this does not mean a Christian’s approach to God is to be casual and flippant.’
Please pay serious attention to that explanation my people, because it can make or break our Christian walk.
And John continues: ‘We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us. If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.’ (1 John 4:19-21) End of story my people!
And the scholars have this to offer. ‘4:19-21. Our LOVE, if it exists and mirrors God’s LOVE at all, is not our own but God’s doing. The epitome of hypocrisy is the claim to LOVE God while withholding LOVE from others. For Jesus Himself commanded that he who LOVES God is to demonstrate this through LOVING others.’
So my fellow believers, when we’re bandying around the word ‘LOVE,’ as is our wont today, please let’s remember its true meaning and give it its rightful due, for that is wisdom of untold proportions. Much LOVE!
…only the true LOVE of Jesus…can truly make the world go round…
19 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a basic principle, actions, ambassadors, Azariah, blessings, burn incense, censer, character, compassions, consecrated, devices, every work, forget who brought us to the dance, glory hallelujah, greetings, habits, halfway home, he prospered, Hezekiah, honour, I'm not turning back, in the law, in the service of God, jeopardy, Jotham, judging the people, leprosy, leprous, lifted up to destruction, LOVE, love towards us, mercies of God, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not seeing the obvious, pride, priests, salutations, search our hearts, spiritual defeat, stand for God, taking someone for granted, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the commandments, the house of God, the sons of Aaron, the thoughts of God, to a glorious future with Jesus, to seek God, toughts, transgressed against the Lord, trespassed, Trini Quote, truth, Uzziah, valiant men, violate the law of God, we praise and glorify your holy name, Wednesday Wail, when he was strong, with all his heart, words, wroth, yuh need two more eyes to see, yuh so blind
2 Chronicles 31:21. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Greetings and salutations friends on this new morn where all the mercies of our wonderful God are new! Can you imagine that? We begin everyday with new blessings and compassions because the thoughts of our God are of LOVE towards us…
And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful, ‘Thank you Lord! We LOVE You too and praise and glorify Your Holy Name!’
Now please be careful how we go around uttering those claims, because the Lord will search our hearts to see if they are really true, like we saw He did king Hezekiah’s yesterday. And if they aren’t, He’ll probably just leave us to our own insufficient, unsuccessful devices.
And I think that ties in nicely with this recent Trini Quote Of DE Day from my Trini friend: ‘Yuh so blind dat yuh need two more eyes tuh see.’
‘Now that’s generally said to a person who is not seeing the obvious, has a great opportunity ahead and within their grasp, and yet they hesitate, as well as if they are taking someone for granted. Have a GREAT day, every DAY!!!!
Watch your thoughts. They become words Watch your words: They become actions Watch your actions: They become habits Watch your habits: They become character.’
And my fellow believers, when we ponder it all, we discover that it is all indisputable truth! That’s why we need something like our Wednesday Wail to keep us focused, to keep us tuned in to heaven.
So with true sincerity and unbridled passion let’s declare it in unison. ‘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!’
Ah friends, I do hope that we are thankful for God’s breath of life, and that we are concentrating on the future with Jesus, rather than the past, because if we’re not sincere, then we’re only putting the rest of our lives in jeopardy.
That brings us to our Bit, a beautiful and very encouraging piece of scripture. ‘And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.’
Yes my brethren, that is a basic principle in the Lord’s playbook. You sincerely toe the line, and you prosper. As we saw recently, that’s what happened to Hezekiah and Uzziah, two kings of olden Israel.
Then yesterday we saw where the Lord left Hezekiah alone and his pride and vanity shone forth in showing all of his treasures to the ambassadors of Babylon. Today we’re going to look at what happened to Uzziah.
The Good Book tells us: ‘But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar.’ (2 Chr.26:16)
Ah mih people, why is it eh, that when the Lord raises us up, we suddenly forget our beginnings and behave as though our own power put us there? Uzziah knew that it wasn’t his job to burn incense, but foolishly he insisted on doing it.
‘And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him four-score priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: and they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah to burn incense unto the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the Lord God.
Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar.
And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, (he) himself hasted (hurried) also to go out, because the Lord had smitten (struck) him.’ (2 Chr.26:17-20)
Oh friends, that’s a story that’s repeated almost everyday somewhere in our world. Once we get dancing, we conveniently forget, as it were, who brought us to the dance. But our God doesn’t.
As the scholars mention: ‘How often spiritual defeat and pride go together!’ And that’s gospel truth!
They also offer this insight:’29:17-19. This passage illustrates the truth that although the believer should obey (Matt.22:21) and support the legally constituted government (1 Pet.2:13-17) and even pray for governmental leadership (1 Tim.2:1-3), where rulers violate the law of God, the believer is to stand for God. No man is above the law of the land or the law of God.’
We all know that, but again, we conveniently ignore it when it concerns our power. But my people, we do so at our own risk. So what of Uzziah then?
‘And Uzziah the King was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house (an isolated house), being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.’ (2 Chr.26:21)
Let’s hope we all learn that most valuable lesson, as the Lord lifts us up. Much LOVE!
…man’s power will never last long…unless he truly understands that it all comes from Almighty God…
12 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: alive and kicking, believers in Jesus Christ, constant cry, diligently, earthly problems, energized, find me, fruit, give a stranger one of your smiles, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, God's goodness, God's great earth, gold, hard times, honour, I love them that love me, in the beginning, inherit substance, Jesus Christ, judgement, justice, loathe, looking back at the past, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, our best days are still ahead of us, potential, riches, righteousness., sacrilege, seek me early, seeking God, silver, sunshine, the breath of life, the obits, this is the day the Lord has made, to a glorious future with Jesus, treasures, uplifted, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wealth, Wednesday Wail, what a shame, wisdom, words of wisdom
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Oh my beautiful believers in Jesus Christ, once again we’ve been blessed to see another day on God’s great earth. Wow!
A lot of others haven’t been so favoured. If you look in the obits, you’ll see their names there, but thankfully ours aren’t included. That means our heavenly Father has more wonderful and daring plans in mind for us to accomplish in His large and most excellent portfolio.
And the best way to initiate those plans is by declaring up front: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’
Yeh friends, if we don’t appreciate and rejoice in the day that we’ve been blessed with, our names might as well have been included in the obits, because we’re just wasting God’s time and goodness. And what a shame that would be!
Anyway, it’s Wednesday, and yuh know what that means? It’s wailing time! So let’s declare our Wednesday Wail with lots of enthusiasm, faith, trust, truth and whatever else it takes for these sentiments to truly blossom in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls.
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my faithful brethren, many of us are facing hard and difficult times, but I’m sure none of us are ready to go over to the other side just to get rid of our earthly problems. Well the next best thing is to grab on securely to the plough that Jesus has offered us, look straight ahead and plough like we mad! (smile)
We can learn from all the stuff that’s gone on in our pasts, but we must not let them weigh us down any further. A new day is dawning, our best days are still ahead of us, that’s why the Lord has left us down here.
So please, let’s be truly thankful nuh for God’s breath of life that still has us alive and kicking, and look forward with patience, but also eager anticipation to the glorious future that our wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ has promised us. Chuh! Anything less would be sacrilege.
Yeh friends, the ole fella seems to be in fine form this morning. (smile) But we all know that what I’m saying is gospel truth, we’re just too lazy, scared or whatever to get in the real groove with Jesus.
And before we get into our Bit, I’m going to give us one small, but very important task to do to show that we truly LOVE Jesus. It comes from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster. And it simply says: ‘Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.’
Now that isn’t so hard to do eh? At least it shouldn’t be. And we all know it’s true, it works, because we have all been energized and uplifted with a kind word or a smile from someone we didn’t know. Now I won’t know if we did our today task, but God will. Nuff said!
Now here is our interesting Bit from the Proverbs of Cousin Sol, as he tries to teach us about wisdom and its everlasting nature. ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’
Ah mih people, what undeniable words of wisdom about wisdom! (smile) And yuh know what? Seeking wisdom in this earthly life is really all about seeking God. Now hear some of the things we’ll find when we LOVE and seek after wisdom.
‘Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable (enduring) riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead (walk) in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgement (justice): That I may cause those that LOVE me to inherit substance (wealth); and I will fill their treasures.’ (Prov.8:18-21)
Now why would anybody in their right mind not seek after wisdom eh? She provides honour and riches; enduring riches to boot! Riches that will last, unlike that gleaned from the world. She walks in righteousness, provides fruit that is better than the best gold and silver, and justice is her middle name!
And she causes all those who seek and LOVE her to get wealth. Hn! True wisdom encompasses EVERYTHING my people! Once we sincerely seek her, we don’t have to seek for anything else, for she provides all that we need to live a good life. Ah friends, seeking wisdom is like seeking God! You cannot go wrong on either count!
And we won’t get into it here, but wisdom is and was so important, that before the Lord even made the world, wisdom was in His toolbox. ‘The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.’ (Prov.8:22-23)
Yeh friends, wisdom was around long before the earth was. So why are we so loathe to seek true wisdom eh, the kind that comes from God and not man? Who knows!
But please let it be said, that until we truly seek and acquire godly wisdom, our lives will not be fulfilled to their godly potential. Much LOVE!
…seek me, seek me…is the constant cry of wisdom and our God…
21 Sep 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Christian's life, admonishing, alive and kicking, begin to bless, begin to do, beneficial influence, blessed children, blessings, boring, bow down, celebrity status, celebrity worship, Christ's Church, Christian virtues, Commonplace Days, Creator of the universe, daily drain, day-by-day drudgery, DETERMINATION, direction, dissension, disunity, divine inspiration, drudgery, dwell together, enthusiasm, exciting, false impression, family in Jesus, fertile soil, fixed securely, foolish waiting for, forbearing, forgive me, friends, giving thanks to god, glamourless duties, glamourous, glory to God, God's people, godly ambassadors, good morning, grace, halfway home, hymns, in the name of the Lord Jesus, in vogue, in word or deed, indwelling word of Christ, Jehovah, lift up the wualities, living for Jesus, loving, money, mundane, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, peaceful, power, privilege, psalms, purpose, pushing on, quiet me, Ruth Harms Calkin, same old, sense of purpose, spiritual songs, spoon feed, strife, tasks, teaching, thank God, the breath of life, the Most High God, the way life is, the word of Christ, to a glorious future with Jesus, trite, true believers, unique fashion, unity, virtues, Wednesday Wail, whimper, whine, wisdom, work hard, worship
Colossians 3:17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
And a most enthusiastic ‘Good morning’ to you my friends and family in Jesus Christ!
It is indeed a good morning, meaning that we are alive and kicking, and regardless of our feelings and circumstances, we don’t have to let them control us because we are the blessed children of the Most High God Jehovah, the Creator of the universe and all therein, and He looks after each one of us in His own unique fashion. Glory to God!
And I just had to share this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin because it is so appropriate for most of us. It’s titled ‘Commonplace Days.’
Read with me. ‘Lord of my commonplace days Forgive me for foolishly waiting for “divine inspiration” Before moving in on the tasks Personally assigned to me. Hopefully I am learning To face with greater determination The day-by-day drudgery The trite, mundane tasks The pushing-pulling glamourless duties.
Lord, even when I think I’m getting no place Keep me pushing on and on With purpose and direction. Grab my heart and quiet me When I begin to whine and whimper. Despite the daily drain I think I see it more clearly now: It is only when I begin to do That you begin to bless.’
Ah mih people, it’s all so true! It certainly reflects the lives of most of us; the daily drudgery and same old, same old glamourless tasks by which we make our living. But please don’t allow it get us down, because it’s simply the way life is. Everyday can’t be exciting and glamorous, for too much of that will eventually get boring and mundane too.
So please don’t be fooled by the celebrity worship that’s currently in vogue, because even the true celebrities, not the hangers’ on, have to bow down and work hard at sometime or other if they want to keep their celebrity status intact.
Remember friends, they are people just like us, only with a little more money, power and privilege. And besides, what passes for glamour today is only an outward show, often used to give a false impression.
Now today is Wednesday, so let’s turn to our Wednesday Wail and wail it with sincerity, enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose.
Wailing: ‘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!’
Ah mih people, every Wednesday that declaration truly wakes me up! It has me being sincerely thankful for the breath of life that’s flowing through my body, and reminds me of what is truly important; keeping my hands to the plough and looking forward to the wonderful future that Jesus has planned for His followers.
And I sure hope you all feel the same way too, otherwise you’d be missing out on the most wonderful times in your lives which come from living for and with Jesus.
All glory be to our wonderful Lord and Saviour who sacrificed His sinless lives for us! And all God’s people declared a loud and grateful ‘Amen!’
That brings us to our Bit, which is also the Bible Promise for our poem above. ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’
Oh friends, that’s the summation of Bruh Paul’s advice to the Colossians as he talked to them about Christian virtues. And believe me, we couldn’t get any better advice than that for living this earthly life.
And the scholars tell us: ‘3:17. The beneficial influence produced by the indwelling word of Christ is not only to affect public and private worship (v.16), but it is also to control all areas of a Christian’s life.’
Yeh friends, what’s the purpose of God’s word and Spirit indwelling us, if they don’t control our lives eh? None whatsoever!
And I’m going to spoon feed you all today (smile). Here is verse 16, as mentioned above. ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.’ (Col.3:16)
Ah mih breddren, I only wish that we could truly do that on a much wider scale than is currently been done, for then our world would definitely be a much better place.
And the scholars have this to say about that verse. ‘3:16. When believers are forbearing (v.13), and LOVING (v.14) toward one another, when peace reigns among God’s people (v.15), then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’
But sadly, the church in its current state is not very fertile soil because we are not as forbearing, LOVING, and as peaceful with each other as we ought to be. There’s just way too much disunity, dissension and strife in the church.
That’s why I’m imploring us today to improve, to lift up the qualities that are needed in us, and consequently Christ’s church, so that we can be the true believers, the godly ambassadors that we’re supposed to be, for that is the wisdom of heaven. Much LOVE!
…only when Christians dwell together in true unity…is Christ’s church truly blessed…
31 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future, a hope, a man of his word, according to the power, all that we ask or think, an expected end, be strengthened, by faith, by his Spirit, calamity, change, Christ like attitude, Christ may dwell in your hearts, Christian, come what may, comprehend, Congratulations, corruption, crime, divinely enabled, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, easy going, Ephesians, ever-faithful God, fall from God's grace, fun and laughter character, glory hallelujah, glory in the church, glory to God, God's grace, gospel truth, Granny's warning, Happy Birthday, heartfelt, I am halfway home, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I'm not looking back, inner growth, Jawaharlal Nehru, LOVE, made its mark, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not evil, on the world stage, open the eyes of the people, positive, prayer, prosperous country, repent of their sinfulness, revolutionary, rooted and grounded in love, sincere, stand strong and steadfast in faith, thank God, that worketh in us, the breath of life, the error of their ways, the evil one, the inner man, the Love of Christ, the power, thoughts of peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, to do exceedingly abundantly, tremendous pace of change, Trini vibe, Trinidad and Tobago Independence, Wednesday Wail
Ephesians 3:20. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
Happy Birthday T&T! Wow! Congratulations! You’ve made it to a big 54 years old!
Yes friends, today is the 54th birthday of Trinidad and Tobago. It received Independence from Britain on August 31 1962, and has certainly made its mark on the world stage in several different areas.
Now obviously things have changed over those 54 years, some for good, others for worse, and although right now it’s allegedly steeped in crime and corruption, it hasn’t lost its essential Trini vibe; one of an easy going, come what may, fun and laughter character.
And you can imagine the partying that will be taking place today! But please, I implore us to remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny Boy, please, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ For it’s in those times of great celebration that the evil one does his best work.
And I sincerely pray that the Lord will open the eyes of the people of T&T and show them the error of their ways and encourage them to repent of their sinfulness and return to the God who once made them the most prosperous country in the West Indies.
I don’t know if any other small country had as many churches, and well attended ones too, in its heyday. And like so many other countries, these days that’s changing, God is also being pushed out of the society.
That brings to mind the quote of the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) that says: ‘The basic fact of today is the tremendous pace of change in human life.’ Hn!
And if Nehru thought that life was changing fast in his time, he wouldn’t like to experience it now, for at no other time in man’s history has change been as quick and revolutionary in all aspects, as today.
Now some change is good, but others not good. Unfortunately though, our world seems to be accepting more readily the changes that are not so good, thus our continuing fall from God’s grace.
But yuh know what my people? We’re not going to complain about all that’s wrong with our world nuh, instead we’re going to do our very best to fix it, while enjoying the good things. And that all begins with a positive, Christ like attitude which is found in our Wednesday Wail.
So, as one strong, positive enthusiastic, energetic Christian body, let’s wail it nuh! ‘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’re true Christians, that should be gospel truth my brethren! We should be excited about being alive, of securely holding the plough and moving forward with Jesus to what ever wonderful opportunities He has planned for us!
Remember His promise in Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).’ (Jer.29:11)
And our ever faithful God is truly a man of His word. So if He says that He has a good future in mind for us, then there is an excellent plan laid out for each of our lives. I don’t know about anybody else nuh, but I believe my best years are still ahead of me…Glory to God!
Now let’s check out our Bit. ‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.’
Steups! As usual, I’ve left too little time and space for our Bit. But we’ll soldier on and do our best. (smile)
Now yesterday we saw that Bruh Paul was praying for the inner growth of the Ephesians, and by extension us too. Today, we’ll look at the actual prayer, the three verses before our Bit.
‘That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in LOVE,
May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph.3:16-19)
Oh friends, in these desperate times, we also desperately need that prayer over our lives. We need to understand, be strengthened, rooted and grounded in Christ’s LOVE, so that we can courageously and faithfully go about His business here on earth.
Now here is some info from the scholars. ‘3:16-19. In these verses Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (v.16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life.
(2) That the readers be able to comprehend…the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Yes my faithful brethren, we need to have all of that worked into our lives too. So let’s end like Bruh Paul did; sending those prayers up to the One who could successfully answer them.
‘Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ (Eph.3:20-21)
And may the Lord answer our sincere, heartfelt prayer my people, as we stay strong and steadfast in faith! Much LOVE!
…only when our lives are built on the strong foundation that’s Jesus…can we truly enjoy our earthly life…
24 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a perfect man, alive and kicking, answer for our words, bad, beam at a moment's notice, blessed ones, cautious speech, childlike faith, Christian life, cloudy day, death, depth of understanding, dreams, eat good fruit, enthusiasm, Father of all grace and mercy, forbid them not, glad to be alive, Glory Hallelujah1, good, grace, great day to be alive, greet a new day, guards, he that keeps his mouth, hopes, innocence, keepeth his soul, keeps his life, life, life-changing words, listen more, LOVE, love it, major aspects, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, never let a cloudy day ruin your sunshine, none is perfect, not looking back, obits, offend, One More Day Devotional, our heavenly Father, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, perfected praise, personal sunshine, Praise the Lord, repercussions, responsibility, rewards, sense of purpose, shall eat the fruit thereof, simplistic, sincerity, smiles, stumble, suffer the little children, sunshine, thankful, the breath of life, the judgement day, the kingdom of heaven, the power of the tongue, think carefully before we speak, through the eyes of a child, to a glorious future with Jesus, troubling times, trust, understanding, unnecessary trouble, Wednesday Wail, whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, wisdom, words, work for Jesus, zenith
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Oh friends, what a great day it is to be alive! If you’ve read the obits and haven’t seen your name and/or your picture there, then you are one of the blessed ones! (smile)
And everyday we open our eyes and greet a new day, we ought to be immensely thankful to the Father of all grace and mercy for enabling us to partake, to participate in whatever activities He has planned for us.
And believe you me, He does have activities planned for us, that’s why we’re alive and kicking today. So please let’s do whatever we’re called to do today with a true sense of purpose and of responsibility. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let me share a wonderful quote with you – I’m pretty sure I’ve shared it sometime aback, but it is truly worthy of sharing again in the restless and troubling times we’re currently undergoing. It’s taken from my One More Day Devotional – Daily Meditations for People with Chronic Illness.
It’s the last stanza of a poem written by Amy Michelle Pitzele. And it says: ‘So never let a cloudy day ruin your sunshine, for even if you can’t see it, the sunshine is still there, inside of you, ready to shine when you will let it.’
Words of great truth my brethren. But can you believe that Amy was only nine years old when she wrote the poem? No wonder Jesus quoted Bruh David in Psalm 8:2: ‘Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings (infants) thou hast perfected praise?’ (Matt.21:16)
Yes friends, wisdom is not allotted only to the mature and elderly, but also to the young. As the Devotional says: ‘Life seen through the eyes of a child can be serenely simplistic. Where does a child get that kind of wisdom and that depth of understanding?’ From our heavenly Father of course!
Remember too what Jesus said to His disciples when they were turning away children from coming to Him. ‘Suffer (allow the) little children; and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt. 19:14). It just goes to show that childlike faith and innocence and trust are major aspects of our Christian life.
And the Devotional also tells us: ‘We can struggle to keep the child in us alive. We, too, can recognize that even when the cloudy days come, the sunshine – our smiles, our hopes, our dreams – is still there, ready to beam at a moment’s notice.’
So friends, regardless of the weather, let’s make sure that the personal sunshine that’s within us, shines today nuh, as we go about doing the work of Jesus. And all God’s children said ‘Praise the Lord!’
Now let’s further ramp up our faith by declaring our Wednesday Wail with plenty enthusiasm and sincerity. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my people, what a joy it is to feel God’s breath of life flowing through us as we work for Jesus and focus on the wonderful future He has in store for us! It can’t get any better than that my brethren!
However my fellow believers with all of that comes the responsibility and life changing words of our Bit. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’
That means that whatever we say will have repercussions, and according to the words we speak, those repercussions will either be good or bad, and we’ll have to answer for them come the judgement day. As Cousin Sol so wisely informs us: ‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.’ (Prov.21:23)
Meanwhile, James declares; ‘For in many things we offend all (all stumble). If any man offend not (does not stumble) in word, the same is a perfect man, and also able to bridle the whole body.’ (James 3:2) Unfortunately though friends, none of us is perfect, which means we all stumble and offend to some degree with our words.
But that doesn’t mean we necessarily have to shut up and say nothing, or only utter a few words. It means though that we have to do more listening, and then think carefully before we speak. That’s the only way for us to eat good fruit from our words and not bad ones.
And we’ll close off this topic with more of Cousin Sol’s wisdom. ‘He that keepeth (guards) his mouth keepeth (guards) his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.’ (Prov.13:3) And isn’t that the gospel truth my people!
As the scholars explain: ’13:3. The reward of cautious speech is fuller life and the avoidance of unnecessary trouble.’
Oh friends, I couldn’t put it any better! Now let’s go out today and earn rewards through our cautious speech nuh, for that’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…words are so powerful…that they are what the Lord used…to create the universe and all therein…
17 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abandoned God, an element of cloudiness, beautiful life, call upon me, calm all our fears, can cheer me so, comfort us, confession, Creator, crying out, cut off, deceitful, despair, destruction, empty-headed, eternal joy, eternal life, faith, false gods, forget thy misery, forgiving, from day to day, glorify, glorifying God, glory hallelujah, gracious, grey clouds hovering overhead, He makes me glad, He's my friend, Hour of Power, I am halfway home, I trust him now, I will deliver thee, idols, imprisons, in the day of trouble, in times of trouble, iniquity, Jesus is all the world to me, Jesus is my strength, Job, life's fleeting days, lift up thy face, living God, LOVE Revolution, loving, merciful, my all, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my joy, my life, no other, no push over, not looking back, omniscient God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, practicality, praise his holy name, prepare thine heart, provider, repentance, Samuel, satisfy all our needs, simplicity, sincerity, succour, thank God, the breath of life, the deepest and darkest times, the god of Abraham, the sun is shining, thou shalt glorify me, to a glorious future with Jesus, to Jesus I go, ungodly world, vain men, war, waters that pass away, We can do all things through Christ, Wednesday Wail, when I'm sad, wickedness, wisdom, with God's help, Zophar
Psalm 50:15. And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
And then it was Wednesday; a bright and shiny, but somewhat cloudy day! (smile) I know it sounds somewhat confusing, but the sun is shining and there are a few grey clouds hovering overhead.
However, the important thing is that the Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is shining as brilliantly as He always does. There’s never an element of cloudiness in Him! Praise His holy name!
And so, in honour of His constant faithfulness, I want us to begin today by singing this soulful ditty I heard the Hour of Power choir and congregation singing last night. I don’t know it personally, but the simplicity and practical nature of the song touched my heart and made me want to share it.
So let’s get soulful and sing: ‘Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, Without Him I would fall. When I’m sad to Him I go.No other one can cheer me so; When I am sad he makes me glad, He’s my friend.
Jesus is all the world to me, I want no better friend. I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when Life’s fleeting days shall end. Beautiful life with such a friend, Beautiful life that has no end; Eternal life, Eternal joy, He’s my friend!’
Oh what wonderful sentiments my brethren. And as I said earlier, I just LOVE it’s simplicity and practicality. And besides, there’s truly no better friend than Jesus; He is able to satisfy all our needs, calm all our fears and comfort us in the deepest and darkest times of our lives! No human being can do all that for us.
And to further honour and glorify Him, as well as lift our spirits, let’s declare our Wednesday Wail nuh with plenty enthusiasm, and sincerity.
Wailing: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my people, my people, how beautiful it is to be alive on this glorious morn, feeling the breath of God coursing through my body as I look forward to the wonderful future that Jesus has planned for us, if we stick to the programme that He’s outlined! It doesn’t get any better than that friends!
No wonder our Bit seems so appropriate. ‘And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.’ Yes my fellow believers, it’s all about glorifying Jehovah God, our Creator and heavenly Provider!
And we do that by living the life God has set before us, doing so in faith and sincerity, and in times of trouble, crying out to Him for succour so that He can uplift us and further glorify His holy name. Oh what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship my people!
Now let’s turn to some scriptures that corroborate our Bit. And to begin, we’ll go all the way back to the days of the prophet Samuel, when he lead Israel to repentance.
‘And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange (foreign) gods and Ashtaroth (images of Canaanite goddesses) from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines.’ (1 Sam.7:3)
Oh friends, that is exactly what we need to do in this current evil and godless world. Like the Israelites back then, we’re worshipping all sorts of idols and false gods, thus our world is quickly going to hell in a hand basket. And the only thing that will save it is repentance and a sincere return to serving and worshipping the One and True Living God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Yuh see how all the other societies that abandoned Him and worshipped other gods fared? There was never any true peace, just constant war, destruction and despair. Now why do you think our society would be any different, suffer a different fate eh?
Yes, our God is a merciful and gracious, forgiving and LOVING God, but He’s no push over, He’s very serious about whatever He says. And He’s said several times in His word that if you don’t serve and worship Him, you’ll be destroyed. So I don’t know where we’ve gotten this foolish idea to abandon God, kick Him out of our society, and then expect to prosper. Steups!
Ah friends, it’s up to us believers to bring about that repentance. It’s not going to be easy, but with God’s awesome help we can do it. Remember we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
And we’ll end with this appropriate passage from Job, where his buddy Zophar reproves him. ‘If he (God) cut off (passes by), and shut up (imprisons), or gather together, then who can hinder (restrain) him? For he knoweth vain (deceitful) men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
For vain (empty-headed) man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass’s colt (when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man). If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch forth thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles (tents).
For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shall not fear. Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. And thine age (life) shall be clearer (brighter) than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.’ (Job 11:10-17)
Yes my brethren, though Zophar was wrongly ragging on Job, believing that some hidden, serious sin caused his tribulations, his advice was right on. An omniscient God could clearly see man’s sin, and if he confesses and repents, the Lord will forgive Him and make his life better.
Now that is what we need to do in this ungodly world; bring about confession and repentance, so that our beautiful world can be lifted up, be without spot and without fear. That’s the wisdom of the age! Much LOVE!
…only Christ’s LOVE Revolution can save our sinking world…
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