16 Oct 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, all that glitters is not gold, all the days of thy life, as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, blessed are the undefiled, blessed are they that keep His testimonies, blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, by the sides of thine house, children are an heritage of the Lord, come to know and love christ like we do, courage, creativity, curse, do no iniquity, eat the fruit of their doings, eat the labour of thy hands, faith, favour, fear the Lord, felt the heat of the sun, from the hand of God, fulfillment, futility, God's goodness to the children of men, God's supernatural wisdom, good health, grasping for the wind, happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, happy shalt thou be, he should eat and drink, holy spirit, in the heart of thine house, it shall be ill with him, it shall be well with thee, Jesus Christ, leads to a healthy holy life, LOVE, make his soul enjoy good in his labour, mercy, more glamour and glitter, negative consequences, negative word, nothing better for a man, one is never truly happy until he is truly holy, peace upon Israel, prosper, reverencing God, righteousness pays while evil does not, round about thy table, salvation, say ye to the righteous, see the good of Jerusalem, see thy children's children, seek him with the whole heart, sovereign of the universe, speak with the enemies in the gate, submission to the Lord and his revelation, succeed, sunshine lollipops and rainbows, talent, that walketh in his ways, the BIBLE, the children of the youth, the devil's enticements, the fruit of the womb is his reward, the fruit of thy labour, the holier than thou righteousness of God, the Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, the reward of his hands, the sinful pleasures of the world, they shall not be ashamed, this also is vanity, thy children like olive plants, thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, truth, vexation of spirit, walk in his ways, walk in the law of the Lord, wisdom, woe unto the wicked
Psalm 128:1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.
And we’ve rolled into Thursday, the second to last day of this short work week, with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows! I even felt the heat of the sun on my face when I went outside a short while ago. The sun is still releasing heat in the northern climes in the middle of October? Oh how blessed we are! Let’s hope and pray that when the weather turns negative, as it must at some time, it doesn’t go to the other extreme. But not to worry, we faithful believers in Christ can handle anything that comes against us with the help of our loyal and LOVING Savior who strengthens us in all we need to do! Give Him some thanks and praise for His awesome goodness to the children of men!
That brings us to this short but ever so important and encouraging Psalm 128, so aptly titled ‘Fear the Lord.’ And what wonderful advice that is! Reverencing the Lord God Almighty, Sovereign of the Universe, is always in our best interests. And from the opening verse the psalm gives us wonderful news. ‘Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.’ (Ps. 128:1) Wow! That ought to immediately capture our attention, and have us asking, why is that eh?
But before we get to the answer, here is some more scripture that offers the same wonderful advice, but breaks it down into more practical activity. ‘Blessed are the undefiled (blameless) in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.’ (Ps. 119: 1-3)
Now here is the awesome answer to why we should continually reverence the Lord our God. ‘For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands (fruit of thy labour): happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.’ (Ps. 128:2) What more can a man ask eh, than enjoying the fruit of his labour? It’s like Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good (his soul should enjoy good) in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.’ (Eccl. 2:24)
It’s also like the Lord said to Isaiah. ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him (done to him).’ (Is. 3:10-11) Yes friends, in every utterance of the Bible, righteousness pays, while evil does not! And the writer of Psalm 128 gives us even more good news when he continues: ‘Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of (in the heart of) thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.’ (Ps. 128:3)
Mama Mia! It gets better with each line my people! A fruitful wife with plenty children. And how is that good? Psalm 127 explains: ‘Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man (warrior); so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.’ (Ps. 127: 3-5) No wonder the inability to have children was such a big deal in the olden times! It was accredited as righteousness and viewed as a reward from God, much more than it is today.
Then the author of the psalm throws in a li’l langniappe or broughta, to sweeten the pot. ‘Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.’ (Ps. 128:4) And in conclusion, he offers a prayer for blessing. ‘The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.’ (Ps. 128:5-6) How can it get any better than that eh my brethren? Living to see not only your numerous children grow and prosper, but also your grandchildren and peace in Israel! That last one though might mean you will need to live a very, very long time to see it. (smile)
However, the psalm is so simple and straightforward that I can’t understand how many more of us are not following what it says. It’s like the scholars explain: ‘The message of this psalm is that one is never truly happy until he is truly holy.’ And there are so many scriptures that resonate with that same sentiment. But I guess the sinful pleasures of the world hold more glamour and glitter than the supposed boring and holier than thou righteousness of God. But please, let’s remember that all that glitters is not gold, and furthermore, all of the devil’s enticements are worthless and filled with many negative consequences. Or as Cousin Sol says in Ecclesiastes: ‘This also is vanity (futility) and vexation of spirit (a grasping for the wind).’ (Eccl. 2:26)
And to further improve on what the psalm says, the Lord has also bestowed on us several undeserved blessings to do His earthly work. We call them our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and thus activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And having made such a declaration (steups!!!) it now behooves us to go out and use those underserved blessings to help others, just a generously as the Lord bestowed them on us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…submission to the Lord and His revelation…the Bible…leads to a healthy, holy and blessed life…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
20 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all these things shall be added unto you, as the heavens are higher than the earth, be ready to suffer the consequences, boggles our imagination, call ye upon him while he is near, christianity, Dr Charles Stanley, endure to the end with Christ, eternity, faith, forgiving, free will, getting you into trouble with God, God created humans for good, gospel truth, gracious, halfway home, hands on the plough, have it more abundantly, he Sermon on the Mount, he will abundantly pardon, he will have mercy upon him, hold our heads and bawl, holy spirit, humans are more enamoured with evil than good, I am come that they might have life, if only I'd thought before doing it, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the best, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, let the wicked forsake his way, LOVE, merciful, mercy, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my thoughts higher than your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, my ways higher than your ways, negative consequences, not looking back at the past, obey God and leave all the consequences to him, our finite minds, our poor decisions end up hurting innocent people, our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, return unto the Lord, risk of flooding, salvation, Satan is all about deceit and greed, Satan's machinations, satisfying the thirsty earth, second wind day, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, so glad to be alive, some we cannot even comprehend, thank God, the atoning lamb of God, the awesome help of Jesus, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the cross at Calvary, the embodiment of all we can ask for or imagine, the good life, the King of Kings, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of Judah, the Lord is Sovereign over the earth, the Lord of lords, the material things of the world, the rains fell, the resurrection and the life, the Son of God, the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy, the unrighteous man his thoughts, the Way Maker, the way the truth and the life, thieves break through and steal, thieves do not break through and steal, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, unwise decisions, we can handle whatever comes against us, Wednesday Wail, where moth and rust doth corrupt, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, where your treasure is there will be your heart also, wisdom, wisdom to the nth degree
Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.
And the rains fell; from early evening through the night, until the morning hours, finally satisfying the parched and thirsty earth! Thankfully though, it was not an onslaught of powerful showers but mostly a constant drizzle, which greatly reduced the risk of flooding. Understandably then, Wednesday, our second wind day has opened damp, cloudy and cool, and we possibly ought to brace ourselves for more rain because that warning just showed up on the computer. But let’s remember that whatever comes against us, we can certainly handle it with Jesus’ awesome help! And all God’s children said a loud and grateful: ‘Thank You Jesus! You’re the Best!’
And that’s the awesome truth! For there’s none like Jesus! He’s the Son of God, and is thus godly, gracious, forgiving, merciful, the atoning lamb of God, the Way Maker, the Lion of Judah, the Way, the Life and the Truth, the Light of the World, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lily of the Valley, the Resurrection and the Life, and a host of other names which it would take the whole day to list. (smile) But seriously though, Jesus is the embodiment of all that we can ever ask for or imagine…and even then some that we cannot even comprehend with our finite minds.
As the prophet Isaiah writes: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is. 55:8-9) That’s why we cannot understand a lot of what the Lord does, or is doing, both in our own lives and in the world. We know that He still sits as Sovereign of the world, but some of the stuff that He allows to happen when He can either prevent them or stop them just boggles our imagination.
However, the Lord has His own plans for the world He created and still rules, while giving us free will to make independent choices. He did not make robots, but human beings with minds that they could use to do what’s right or wrong, but must be prepared to suffer the consequences of each decision. And that’s exactly where we’re falling down. We rush to live like the world, like Satan desires, but when the negative consequences of those unwise decisions come rushing up against us, we hold our heads and bawl, saying, ‘if only, if only I’d thought about it before doing it.’
But then it’s usually too late my people, and unfortunately our decisions end up hurting not only ourselves but a lot of others around us. And that’s the really sad part about us making unwise decisions; it never hurts us alone, but other innocent ones in our proximity. That’s why Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) always admonished us to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. For when we do as God desires, the consequences are usually good, and if not, then he will certainly help us to handle them.
But Satan doesn’t help us to handle the bad consequences we suffer when we follow him. Not at all. He just sits back and laughs at us and considers us stupid to be following him, when all that ever comes from his machinations are negative consequences. And that’s why the prophet Isaiah, when informing Israel of God’s abundant pardons, declared: ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7)
Yes friends, that’s an international call to all people, to both Jews and Gentiles, to come to the Lord for salvation, for forgiveness and the good life throughout eternity. And He certainly made it all possible by the unselfish but heartbreaking offering of His only begotten Son Jesus as a sacrifice, the Lamb of God, on the cross at Calvary. I don’t know why we keep forgetting that God is generous and merciful, forgiving and compassionate, while Satan is all about deceit, greed, and taking whatever you have and getting you into trouble with God.
It’s as Jesus so eloquently and truthfully puts it: ‘The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) And I don’t understand why we cannot believe that and make it a part of our lives because it’s the absolute truth. All Satan wants to do is to destroy, to break down, to bring people down to damnation and hellfire with him, while Jesus wants to build, to give life, eternal life to all who are wise enough to embrace Him and what He stands for.
So, again, I don’t know why we’re so adamant at following Satan, killing ourselves to get the material things of the world, and then we don’t even have time to enjoy them. Remember the same material things Satan tempts us with, are the same material things we can get from God if we do as Jesus says: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And believe me, if you get these things from God, rather than through Satan’s evil machinations, you will enjoy them more and they will last longer.
But it’s all about wisdom and where your hearts truly lie. For as Jesus wisely say in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt (ruin), and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt. 6:19-21) And that’s the gospel truth friends! So please, let’s stop concentrating on storing up earthly treasures and wisely decide to store up heavenly ones instead nuh! For that’s wisdom to the nth degree!
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now there’s an addendum to that declaration which states, whoever endures to the very end with Jesus will enjoy an even more glorious future than we can ever comprehend or imagine. So let’s plan to meet at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!
…why is the human being more enamoured with evil…than with good…when he was created by God…for good…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
24 Mar 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guiding principle, a lack of spiritual guidance, a lack of spiritual leadership, a purpose for life, breathe some godly revelation, busy bodies, cast off restraint, chaos, christianity, coast along on our laurels, command and exhort, desires to bless us, destruction, dies from apathy, dog eat dog world, eat their own bread, entitled to a good living, even when we were with you, every man did that which was right in his own eyes, faith, fell on hard times, for doing as little as they can, forgot God, get as much as they can, get with the programme, gossip, help in times of need, holy spirit, humble servants, idle hands are the Devil's workshop, if any would not work, in a spiritual context, in those days, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, keep your promise to prosper us, lack of a strong work ethic, lack of divine guidance, LOVE, meddlesome ways, mercy, ministered unto the Lord, Monday, negative consequences, neither should he eat, no open vision, no prophetic revelation, no sense of godly direction, nothing for free, please ease the pain, praise Your Holy Name, praying, refuse to work, salvation, show this evil world, sincerely seeking God's face, social media, some which walk among you disorderly, staring them full in the face, strong faith in Christ, suffering from negative situations, taking stock of ourselves, thank you for life, that frustrating day, that kills a societyeasy to coast along on our laurels, the BIBLE, the fabric of society, the God of our forefathers, the God who heals, the importance of having a vision, the mass confusion in our world, the master of death and destruction, the power to solve our many problems, the same old work cycle, the throne of grace, the word of the Lord was precious (rare), there was no king in Israel, this we commanded you, times of entitlement, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, we are our worst enemies, went their merry way rejoicing, where there is no vision the people perish, wise guidance, with quietness they work, without a sense of direction, without lifting a finger, working not at all
2 Thessalonians 3:10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
And then it was Monday, that disturbing and frustrating day, when we begin the same old, same old work cycle again. (smile) But if we want to eat, and have a roof over our heads, some kind of rewarding work is necessary in this dog eat dog world. For no one’s giving you anything for free these days, but that doesn’t stop many of us from being lazy and not wanting to work, believing that we’re entitled to a good living without lifting a finger.
Remember though, what Bruh Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his second letter. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-12)
Oh my people, how wonderful it would be to implement such a system in these times of entitlement when a large body of our population hates and refuses to work, but delights in indulging in much gossip and meddlesome ways, especially on social media! Many of us would certainly be going hungry. Sadly, the work ethic that existed for generations has now disappeared and everyone wants to simply get as much as they can, for doing as little as they can. But that’s what kills a society, not what builds it.
The problem is that our society has reached such a high level of knowledge and technology, as well as prosperity, that it’s fairly easy to coast along on our laurels and get by. However, when too many people are merely coasting along in life, the fabric of the society soon begins to fall apart and the society eventually dies from apathy and lack of a strong work ethic. As the scholars tell us, ‘idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.’ And that’s no lie! Satan doesn’t want us doing anything that would enhance our society or standard of living, for he is the master of death and destruction.
That brings us to these wise words of Cousin Sol from Proverbs. ‘Where there is no vision (prophetic vision or revelation), the people perish (cast off restraint): but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.’ (Prov. 29:18) And that’s oh so true my people! But what does it mean?
This commentary explains it thus: ‘The phrase emphasizes the importance of having a vision, a guiding principle, or a purpose for life. Without such a vision, people are prone to unrestrained behavior and ultimately fail to thrive. Some translations use the word “perish” or “cast off restraint” to convey the idea that without a vision, people are left without a sense of direction or purpose, leading to negative consequences. Meanwhile, in a spiritual context, it refers to a lack of divine guidance or revelation, a lack of spiritual leadership.’
And we see that happening very clearly back in the days when the Israelites were ruled by judges. The Bible tells us: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’ (Judg. 21:25) And that’s exactly the evil and ungodly way that our society, or rather our world is moving; everyone doing their own thing, with no sense of godly direction. The Book of Samuel also gives us insight into the problem when it says: ‘And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (rare)in those days; there was no open vision (no prophetic revelation).’ (1 Sam. 3:1)
The scholars explain that’ the severity of Israel’s apostasy (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth of God’s revelatory work. The condition was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God’s grace, the prophetic institution would receive renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel.’
Oh by God’s grace, I wish we could have someone or some people powerful enough to breathe some godly revelation into today’s crazy, hateful and resentful society. But as has happened to every society which rose to great heights by working diligently and with a God-given purpose, but then forgot God and went their merry way rejoicing, they eventually fell on hard times, with chaos and destruction staring them full in the face.
Now, is that what we want for our society…what we want our children’s children to experience? I very much doubt it. But if we don’t start taking serious stock of ourselves RIGHT NOW, and turn from our evil ways back to the God of our forefathers, then that is the fate that will possibly befall us, but for sure, our progeny. So, with the Lord’s promise of coming to the throne of grace for help in times of need, let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
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!’
And it’s good to remember some of those things required to receive divine aid; like humbling ourselves, praying, sincerely seeking God’s face, turning from our evil ways, etc. etc. So, if we truly want it, let’s get with the programme nuh! Much LOVE!
…we are our worst enemies…foolishly turning away from God…when all He desires to do is bless us…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
13 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a name above every other name, became obedient unto death, Carnival Tuesday, Christ's sacrificial death, come unto me all ye that labour, do our bounden duty, everlasting life, every knee should bow, every tongue confess, hurry, I am meek and lowly, I am the bread of life, I will give you rest, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let this mind be in you, LOVE, mafe himself of no reputation, make Jesus the number one priority, my yoke is easy and my burden light, negative consequences, raise him up at the last day, salvation, share His love with my neighbour, that Jesus Christ is Lord, the beloved of God, the Great Invitation of Jesus, thought it not robbery, to be equal with God, to the glory of God the Father, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wisdom, worry, ye also ought to wash one another's feet
John 13:15. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
And then it was Tuesday; Carnival Tuesday, the big day of the pre-Lenten celebration, when all the real pretty costumes come out and everybody is anxiously waiting to see them. Let’s hope that the crowd will be satisfied with what they see and that there will be no negative consequences to befall the occasion. And just like yesterday, many of us less fortunate ones, have to go out into the crazy world to earn a living, instead of partying in some exotic part of God’s great earth. (smile)
But them’s the breaks friends; some of us can, and some of us can’t. It’s just the luck of the draw, and we have to accept it without too much disappointment and just move on with our bland, unexciting daily lives. However, here’s a li’l secret you ought to know: If you have Jesus as the number One priority in your Life, then your life will never be boring or unexciting! Now, it might be somewhat more difficult, but it will never be boring, for Jesus will keep you busy doing all sorts of interesting things. So, if you don’t have Jesus in your life, then I sincerely recommend that you get Him, and then put Him first place, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the changes that will occur in your life.
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to Jesus Himself as He issues this call, that we term the Great Invitation. He says: ‘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 (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30) Yes mih bredrin, that’s the Great Invitation issued by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and you’ll be wise to take Him up on it, because there’s none other like it, and no other person who can make such an invitation and also keep it! That’s a given fact: ONLY Jesus has the awesome power to both make such a wonderful invitation and also keep it!
And if you’re still bedeviled by doubt, then listen to Jesus once again as He reiterates His awesome promise. ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth in me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise (certainly not) cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. and this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:35-40)
There you go friends; Jesus is the bread of life, the One who gives life; that’s eternal life. And He can do that because of His sacrificial death on the cross at Calvary, then His awesome resurrection on Easter Sunday, meaning that He has conquered hell, death and the grave. That gives Him the authority to raise up those who believe in Him from death unto eternal life. Now isn’t that something you’d much prefer rather than eternal damnation in hell with the evil one Satan? Bet yuh bottom dollar! Now that tells us about Christ’s supernatural power, but here is some scripture that shows His humility.
The night before His crucifixion, after Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with His disciples, He took off his clothes, put on a towel and washed their feet. Now how many supposed Masters or men of high worldly status would ever do such a thing eh? Very few! But our Jesus did it, and here’s what He said afterward. ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17)
Wow mih people! What an awesomely powerful, but also gentle and humble man is our Jesus! And though He was also deity, God in the flesh, He didn’t make any waves about it, just went about His humble way, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and inviting people to come to Him for salvation, as His heavenly Father had sent him to do. And Bruh Paul enshrined that behaviour in the scriptures when he wrote thus to the church at Philippi. ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his heavenly privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every other name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ (Phil. 2:5-11)
Yes my fellow saints, that gives us a general idea of our Lord and Saviour’s humility, obedience and exalted power because He wasn’t striving to collect accolades for Himself, but steadfastly and sincerely concentrated on doing His Father’s bidding. Let’s hope that we will also concentrate on doing Christ’s bidding rather than trying to raise accolades for ourselves.
Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world to whom we joyfully belong, lock, stock and barrel. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
And having said that, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…the only way to live this earthly life successfully…believe in Christ…and follow His example…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
29 Jun 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, as God for Christ's sake forgave you, as some of them also murmured, be ye kind to one another, build belly and backbone, complaining, complaining rewires your brain for negativity, curse, don't associate with negative people, forest fire smoke causing inhalation problems, forgiving one another, fornication, gossip, grudge not one against another, lead by example, learn to accept changes, less stressful lives, lest ye be condemned, Let no corrupt communication proceed out of thy mouth, lust after evil things, negative consequences, negative word, neither murmur ye, not complaining creates a happier environment, salvation, self-control, sexual immorality, slander, that which is good to the use of edifying, the human brain loves familiarity, the judge standeth before the door, the Promised Land, these things were our examples, Thursday Blessings, wandered forty years in the wilderness, were destroyed by the destroyer, written for our admonition
1 Corinthians 10:10. Neither murmur ye (grumble, complain), as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
And then it was Thursday, our penultimate day of the work week, with promises of it being mostly sunny…and hopefully no smoke like yesterday. It’s amazing the way the smoke from those wild forest fires is spreading all over the continent and causing so much inhalation and sight problems. But what to do eh, we are suffering from our own lack of foresight in the climate change arena. So we’ve just got to grin and bear it, while doing our best to make what changes we can to improve the situation.
And as promised, today, since the Lord gave us life (smile) we’ll continue looking at that human phenomenon we term complaining. And whatever the reason(s) for it, complaining has become a serious cancer in our society, causing much controversy, negativity and heartache. Now, yesterday we saw what continuous complaining did for the Israelites; all those who came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb never made it into the Promised Land, and furthermore, they wandered forty years in the wilderness until they all died.
Now, I’m sure that our constant complaining is also causing us problems that we can’t even define. And throughout the Bible we find scriptures warning against gossip (Rom. 1:29, 2 Cor. 12:20) and slander, busybodies and those who won’t work (1 Tim. 5:13, 2 Thess. 3:11). It’s all a part of the same problem; we do and say what we should not, words and behaviour that are unfitting for Christians. James tells us right up front. ‘Grudge (grumble) not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned, behold the judge standeth before the door.’ (James 4:9)
Yes friends, the Lord’s right there listening, no wonder Bruh Paul warned the Corinthians in his first letter, using Israel’s History as an example of complaining and ungodly behaviour when they came out of Egypt and were making their way through the wilderness. He writes: ‘But with many (most) of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown (strewn) in the wilderness. Now these things were (became) our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication (sexual immorality), as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt (test) Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye (grumble, complain), as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.’ (1 Cor. 10:5-10)
Oh my fellow believers, all the misfortune that happened to the Israelites in the wilderness was because of their infidelity and complaining against the merciful God who had brought them out of four hundred and odd years of slavery in Egypt. They were so accustomed to the comparatively easy life in Egypt that they couldn’t handle the trials of the wilderness, which is the exact reason that the Lord took them the long way, so that they could build some belly and backbone.
But the old folks fumbled the ball, died in the desert, and only the young ones walked through the Promised Land. And I’d encourage us to pay close attention to this next verse, because it is of the utmost importance to us today. Bruh Paul writes: ‘Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written for our admonition (instruction), upon whom the ends of the world (ages) are come.’ (1 Cor. 10:11)
Ah mih people, please understand that all that’s written in the Bible is for our instruction and understanding, to give us wisdom and knowledge in every possible circumstance. The Bible wasn’t just written because God wanted something to do, but so that His wonderful creation could know about Him and how He desires them to live in close and familial communication with Him.
Now let’s look at a couple of other facts about complaining. And this first one contemplates why we should not complain. The commentary suggests that ‘A focus on not complaining creates a happier and more positive environment. This leads to everyone being a bit more fulfilled with every day of their lives, not needing to or being tempted to engage in negative discussion around any given topic.’ And that’s certainly true, for if we don’t complain and thus revel in negativity, then our lives will obviously be less stressful and more pleasant.
Then there’s this treatise on how and why we complain and the physical effects it causes. ‘Some factors that play a role in complaining: Emotional regulation: Sometimes people complain as a way to manage their emotions. By venting their feelings, they hope to lessen the severity of these distressing emotions. Mood: People may be more likely to complain when they are experiencing negative moods. Complaining Rewires your Brain for Negativity, Pessimism, and Unhappiness.
The human brain loves familiarity and efficiency – so what you feed your brain it will settle for it and seek more of it. In other words, the more you complain, the more you make this the default mode of your brain’s operation. Complaining is a way they have learned to attempt to get this. They use complaining as a form of control, hoping to guilt others into giving them the attention, caring and compassion they seek. Complaining is a “pull” on other people.’ And I’m sure we’ve all experienced some of those things, either as the complainer or the one being complained to. (smile)
But here’s the best part of the whole program; ‘7 ways to stop complaining: Learn to accept changes. …Think about how you affect others. …Remind yourself to be grateful. …Don’t associate with negative people. …Exercise. …Stop being judgmental. …Lead by example.’ Voila! There we have it! The end to complaining! But unfortunately, some of us will keep complaining because we just like it, and it’s useful for our nefarious purposes. But please remember the fate of the Israelites and too much complaining. Eventually it will come back to bite you in the rump.
And we’ll end with this magnificent and immortal scripture on the subject, from Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus. ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’ (Eph. 4:29-32)
There could be no better end to complaining than that my brethren! Now, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Thursday Blessings that have been generously bestowed on us to do Christ’s earthly work. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
It’s now our bounden duty to take those blessings and go out and share them generously with those we meet, so that they can come to know the LOVE of Christ and His marvellous free gift of salvation! Much LOVE!
…complaining will only get you so far…before it brings negative consequences…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
15 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bastards, Carnival Moday, die hard fanatic, disobedience, give Babylon a run for their money, J'ouvert, Jehovah Rapha, mas in yuh mas, mas mas, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative consequences, no carnival in 2021, no drunken sailor, no paint powder or mud in the streets, pay the devil, play mas, scourgeth every son he receiveth, striving against sin, they will drown, those who inted to test the waters, whom the loveth he chasteneth
Hebrews 12:6. For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Oh mih people, is J’ouvert morning! So we sing: ‘Mas, mas! Play mas! Mas in yuh mas! Play mas! Ole mas!’ Yes it’s Carnival Monday in T&T, time for plenty fete, much wining and drinking, plenty pretty costume and half-naked women too as Carnival rolls around for 2021. But yuh know what? Unfortunately, because of the Covid-19 virus, there’ll be no official carnival this year. Who would have ‘thunked’ it eh? And the Police are adamant that they will have no nonsense in the streets, no fetes and liming or any such gatherings.
According to the newspapers, one high ranking Police official said there must be no paint, powder or mud on the streets… What? So how yuh going to play ole mas eh? (smile) No drunken sailor awash in baby powder; no jab-jab, no red-devil all painted up, blowing His whistle ‘pay the devil;’ no pan on the avenue either? The police officer also claimed that some foolish people are planning to come out for J’ouvert, but those who intend to “test the waters”, they will “drown”.
Tough words from Babylon. I certainly wouldn’t want to test them, but it is a given fact that some brave, or foolish Trinidadian (take yuh pick) going to ‘test them waters.’ Some die hard fanatic going to claim: ‘No mas! Deh crazy?’ And then come out to prove their point. Make no doubt about it, the police will be busy, because Trinbagonians won’t take their lack of mas very easy and polite. When coming to their carnival, T&T has never been known to be the quiet, obedient type, so my bet is that they going to give Babylon a run for their money. (smile)
And I searched for a while to find a scripture that could be used in this scenario. Finally, the Lord led me to this one about His discipline. From the author of Hebrews, who quotes Cousin Sol from Proverbs 3:11-12. ‘Ye have not yet resisted unto blood (bloodshed), striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children (sons), My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ (Heb. 12:4-6)
Yes precious people, the Lord is a disciplinarian, and there’s nothing wrong with that, as the scholars explain. ‘12:6. Whom the Lord LOVETH, he chasteneth: God’s principle of disciplining His own people is completely congruous (in agreement or harmony) with human practices. This quotation from Proverbs 3:12, stating God’s practice, corresponds to the commands God gave to fathers. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that LOVETH him chasteneth him betimes (promptly)” (Prov. 13:24; cf.22:15, 23:13). LOVE and corporal punishment are not incongruous (incompatible); they are two complimentary and necessary aspects of training.’
Ah friends, all of that is oh so true! But unfortunately, our world has gotten so soft and fearful that many of us refused to discipline our children, consequently we have ended up with a lot of undisciplined, entitled, rowdy, selfish, unmannerly children in this generation. And please remember that chastening doesn’t mean abuse, or even necessarily corporal punishment, but it certainly means holding children accountable and finding some useful punishment in cases of gross disobedience.
Hear how the author of Hebrews continues. ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards (illegitimate) and not sons.’ (Heb. 12:7-8) Oh, we have certainly bastardized a lot of our children by not chastening them for whatever mistaken reasons.
‘Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence (respect): shall we not much rather be into subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure (what seemed best to them); but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.’ (Heb. 12:9-10)
Yes my brethren, we respected those earthly fathers who disciplined us according to their timetable, so why won’t we accept God’s discipline eh, which is meant for our betterment, so that we can be partakers of his holiness? That’s a very good question? And the answer might just be that we are naturally rebellious and don’t like to be disciplined. But hear this last verse which sets the table right. ‘Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb. 12:11)
And that does bring the matter to a head: chastening never seems good when it happens, but it’s always useful in the future. In hindsight, many of us parents would now admit that the chastening we received in our youth was indeed beneficial in our older years, so why did we spare the rod and spoil our own children eh? And why are we also disobedient to God eh when He only has good things planned for us? I don’t have answers to those questions, but I do know that the first requirement to fix any of them is going to God in prayer and baring our souls before Him.
So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now we just have to wait and see the Lord’s response, while being obedient and patient. Much LOVE!
…disobedience…ALWAYS has…negative consequences…
29 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afraid of the corona virus, are afflicted, because of their transgression, bound in affliction and iron, bring backsliders back to your fold, bring us back to God, broke their chains, contemned the counsel of the Most High, Covid-19 virus, declare His works with rejoicing, despised God's word, fools, for he satisfieth the longing soul, for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men, Friday chant, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he saveth them out of their distresses, in a bleak and challenging way, in the shadow of death, issuing from our hearts and mouths, kick Him out, life goes on, Lucifer, negative consequences, no denying of God's Word, obvious place of refuge, oh that men would praise the Lord, old fashioned and obsolete, on which side their bread was buttered, our godless society, racial strife, rebelled against God, run God out of town, sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, such as sit in darkness, thanks and praise, the joy of the Lord in our souls, the process of elimination, their iniquities, they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, they rebelled against the words of God, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Well it’s Friday, and life goes on in a somewhat bleak and challenging way. Nonetheless, there is the joy of the Lord in our souls and thanks and praise issuing from our hearts and mouths for God’s wonderful goodness to the children of men.
Psalm 107 says it. ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:8-9) And there can be no denying of God’s Word.
I also like how the psalmist describes the situation. ‘Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners);’ (Ps. 107:10) And it is fair to say that many of us today are sitting in darkness, prisoners of the world and all its evil spells; afraid of the corona virus and all that it’s doing to our godless society.
But why is that eh? Hear the words of the psalmist. ‘Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the Most High:’ (Ps. 107: 11)
Oh my people, we cannot deny that charge of rebellion, since we have indeed despised God’s word, even to the point of desperately trying to kick Him out of our modern, technological society, because we think He’s old fashioned and obsolete!
But we obviously have not learned from the history of mankind, where many other nations rebelled and tried to get rid of Jehovah God, with no success whatsoever, because the universe is His; He created it and still controls it, and will not let mere mortals, His creation, push Him around.
Remember how Lucifer, the then archangel rebelled in heaven? And where is he now eh? Walking around the earth as the evil Satan. Kicked out unsolicitously from heaven for his foolish pride and insolence, wanting to overthrow his Maker. Israel is also a very good example of that rebellion.
Remember, we’re supposed to learn from History. But we obviously are not, for there are inevitable negative consequences when you despise God’s word and try to run Him out of town. The psalmist puts it thus: ‘Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.’ (Ps. 107:12)
Yuh notice how we falling like flies these days, and we don’t seem to have any help? But that’s not quite true; there’s always help available, if we look in the right places. And the Israelites were famous for finding help when the consequences of their rebellion stung them to the core.
Hear the psalmist again nuh. ‘Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of the darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces.’ (Ps. 107:13-14)
Oh my people, my people, the Lord God Jehovah is our obvious place of refuge, our sure solution in these times of abject darkness and sorrow and despair! It’s the only place where we can find succour and true refuge from all that afflicts our society. It doesn’t even require much wisdom, but mere common sense, since nothing else we’re trying is working.
Just the process of elimination alone, should bring us back solemnly, respectfully and repentantly to Almighty God! No wonder the psalmist thought that this verse was so nice he had to include it twice: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:15)
I don’t know why we’re not doing that on a much larger scale nuh friends, ‘For he (God) hath broken the gates of brass (bronze) and cut the bars of iron in sunder (asunder). (However) Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.’ (Ps. 107:17-18)
That’s us, our current society the psalmist is talking about friends. When are we going to wake up and realize that Almighty God is our ONLY solution to EVERY problem we face eh? That’s why I admire the Israelites to a certain extent. Although they were foolish to turn away from God in prosperous moments, in the consequential tough times, they always remembered that it was with Him that their bread was truly buttered and turned back to Him.
As the psalmist records: ‘Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.’ (Ps. 107: 19-20)
Oh my brethren, the Lord did send His Word, Jesus Christ to heal us and save us from our self-destruction, but we’re not paying sufficient attention to Him, and that’s the major reason why we’re currently suffering our current ‘sufferation.’
Disobedience to God WILL ALWAYS bring negative consequences! That’s a given! But repentance and subsequent obedience is rewarded with God’s goodness to the children of men. So let’s be wise and turn to God for help nuh, through our Friday Chant. We have absolutely nothing to lose, and so very much to gain.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, if we’re truly sincere in that prayer, then we need to do as the psalmist advises: ‘And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:22) Much LOVE!
…the smart money…in whatever situation…is ALWAYS on God…
14 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful autumn day, a dire proposition, a major dose of pride, an individual choice, anger, be not proud, before your feet stumble, bitterness, bring us our better, celebrate our great God, collect his rightful dues, day and night, endure till the end, for your pride, Give glory to the Lord your God, great shall be the peace, greed, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, hard-hearted, hate, have good success, in this sinful world, inhumanity, Isaiah's warning to Israel, Jehovah Rapha, knowledge revolution, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, negative consequences, not turning back, obey God, our duty to teach the children, power-hungriness, prideful, put the children at a disadvantage, reverencing God, run down with tears, see us through tough times, show faith and rust, strife, stubborn, sufferation, teach them diligently unto the children, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord our God is one God, the shadow of death, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, thou shalt meditate therein, thy children shall be taught of the Lord, to a glorious future with Jesus, ungodliness, Wednesday Wail, weep in secret places, willful disobedience, with all thine heart, with all thy might, with all thy soul, withstand the barrage of negative stuff, ye look for light
Deuteronomy 6:5. And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And then it was Wednesday; another beautiful autumn day! So let’s be glad and rejoice in it nuh, celebrate our great God and give Him thanks for all He’s done, still doing and faithfully promised to do for us in the future! Yeh, times might be a tad rough right now, but He has also promised to see us through those tough times, and bring us out better on the other side…if we have faith and trust in Him. That means we have to show faith and trust now more than ever, since the rough times seem like they’re going to last for longer than we expected. (smile)
As Jeremiah so wisely warned his people long ago, I am here today to warn us of the consequences of lack of faith and trust, of ungodliness and willful disobedience and sinfulness. ‘Hear ye and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:15-17)
Ah mih friends, I know that sounds like a dire proposition, but it’s a true one. Sinfulness and ungodliness, especially when laced with a major dose of pride, WILL undoubtedly bring negative consequences from Almighty God! And our society has been guilty of all those things, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if we’re suffering some major heartaches now. And the sad part is that though our efforts to quell our problems in our own strength aren’t working, we still refuse to turn to the great healer, Jehovah Rapha for help.
Oh, we’re so stubborn, hard-headed and prideful, thinking that we know so much, when in actual fact, we don’t know a blooming thing! That’s why we can’t even cut down the numbers of the Covid-19 pandemic, for so many of us refuse to do the only things we know will ease the pain. So we not only disobedient and stubborn towards God, but also towards man. That means ‘sufferation’ will be in the cards…unless we smarten up and get back to LOVING and praising, sincerely worshipping and reverencing our Creator. It’s as simple as that.
And yuh know, the Lord doesn’t have to bring anything negative against us nuh, because we are doing it to ourselves. We are our own worst enemies with all the hate, anger, bitterness, strife, greed, power-hungriness and inhumanity that’s currently running rampant in our society. No society can withstand the barrage of negative stuff that’s happening right now and survive, much less prosper. And I have to chuckle sadly as I turned the pages of the Good Book and these rather appropriate words shot out at me. Isaiah’s warning to Israel. ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.’ (Is. 54:13)
Unfortunately though, we have not taught our children of the Lord, so they obviously cannot find peace. They know only one option; that put forth by the world. And I don’t blame the children, I blame us, the parents, because it’s our duty to teach them about God, and it’s obvious that we haven’t done such a good job because so many of them don’t believe, and don’t even want to hear about God.
But from day one, Moses instructed Israel and all those who accept the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob thus: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.’ (Deut. 6:4-7)
And have we done those things? Hardly…or not to the extent that we should have. Our parents taught us about God and the way we ought to go, so we knew the two options available, but for some reason we have not done the same for our children, thus putting them at a disadvantage in this sinful world. Why? I don’t know. Possibly because we got too full of ourselves with the knowledge revolution that was going on in our time.
But hear what the Lord Himself told Joshua nuh. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Now have we spoken of the book of the law, or meditated on it continually? Obviously not!
And yes, some of us have had what the world terms success, but it’s not the good kind, the lasting kind. We’ve sold our souls to the devil to acquire worldly things, but be it known that that gentleman – hn! – will eventually come calling to collect his rightful dues. And what then eh? Hellfire and damnation…? Most likely.
But when we adhere to God’s Word and Will, the result is heaven… and rewards.. a peaceful and prosperous eternity with Jesus as the Light and King of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I think I much prefer to live for Jesus than Satan. It might be harder, but it’s much more rewarding in the long run. In any case, it’s an individual choice we all must make, hopefully we ALL will make the right one…Jesus!
And for those of us who have already made that right and most wonderful choice, let’s go home now telling all and sundry our wonderful position in Christ Jesus, through our Wednesday Wail. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘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 as Jesus has so faithfully promised, if we endure until the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…obey God…and leave all the consequences to Him…that’s true wisdom… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
24 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficent, be not afraid, be strong and of a good courage, blessed is the man, courage, day and night, evil forces, evil influences, grace, his delight is in the law of the Lord, humble servants, in his law doth he meditate, indelibly written, LOVE, make thy way prosperous, meditate therein day and night, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative consequences, neither be thou dismayed, not depart out of thy mouth, our Father who art in heaven, pandemic, ponder, sincerely seek your face, sinned, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, standing in faith, strife, strong faith, the Lord thy God is with thee, the rich man and Lazarus, this book of the law, too big for our britches, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly
Psalm 1:2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night.
And moving along in strong faith this Monday morning, we prime ourselves to do whatever the Lord has called us to do; be it work from home, or get out there and face the unknown, lurking evil forces, or just do nothing at all. (smile) The important thing is that we don’t worry, for we are assured that He will give us, the grace, courage and mercy to do His will. But they don’t occur automatically, we have to let His promises that are indelibly written deep in our hearts, souls and minds from much study and meditation, rise to the forefront and propel us forward.
And that puts me in mind of one of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Good Book; the Lord’s instructions to Joshua when he took over from Moses as the leader of the Israelites. Our God was quite clear and very explicit in His instructions. ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (be constantly in) thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8)
What’s in that to misunderstand eh my people? Absolutely nothing! It spells it out loud and clear: if you want to be prosperous and successful, then you need to learn my Word and then live it. But you can only learn it if you keep feasting on it. Unfortunately though, in these modern times, we have not done that, no wonder our society is in deep distress. Instead of learning the Word, we have chosen to disregard it, throw it on the junk heap, make it of no account in our lives.
So what can we expect from that ungodly and unwise behaviour eh? Serious negative consequences, for our God doesn’t make idle promises. If He says to do something or else something negative will happen, then that’s exactly what He means. But we’ve become so big for our britches with our advanced technological society that we think we don’t need Him any longer. What foolish wisdom! And the necessity for delving deeply and constantly into the Word and living by it is again highlighted right at the beginning of the Psalms.
Psalm 1 – Blessed are the righteous tells us in no uncertain terms. ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, not sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder by talking to oneself) day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:1-3) I think that’s self-explanatory.
And the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (vs.1); he delights in God’s Word (vs.2); therefore God causes him to prosper (vs.3).’ Yes friends, when we walk seriously and sincerely with the Lord our lives will be enriched, not necessarily with material possessions, although that is very possible, but with a spiritual experience that trumps everything else.
Obviously, the ungodly, the wicked are not so. And don’t ask why so many ungodly are so wealthy and so many godly people so poor? The answer is simple; ‘the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:6b) Oh they might wax rich and fat and powerful here on earth, but in the next life they will be on the outside looking in, like in Jesus’ parable about the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man is being tormented in hell, but the earthly poor Lazarus is living it up in heaven. (Luke 16:19-31) Please read it, it will give you a good idea of how ungodly earthly living is a very dangerous and foolish thing.
So let’s come before our wonderful God now nuh, and lay our earthly concerns confidently, but humbly before Him, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. All together now. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now let’s go home reminding ourselves of this other powerful verse of the Lord to Joshua, and ultimately to all believers. ‘Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9) There’s no more to say my brethren, for a word to the wise is sufficient. Much LOVE!
…he who does not hear…will most certainly feel…
02 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, a christian writer, a sigh of relief, abide in my word, anger endures, Anselm, aspire to inspire, beg another man, bow to somebody, build your own dreams, climate change, cold spell California, darkness, deepest darkness, destined to be, direction of your dreams, disgrace, dissension, dream makers, endures for ever, enlightening, free, free indeed, freedom, friend, glory hallelujah, go confidently, gospel truth, grace, greatest joy, in the beginning, include Jesus, iniquity, insignificant dream, interesting, Jesus, joy, joy comes in the morning, know the truth, light, loving-kindness, merciful, Moses, my disciples, negative consequences, never be free, no man is an island, ongoing fight, personal experience, Pilate, rain, rain and snow, responsibility, satisfaction, Saturday, set you free, shame, stay free, struggle, sunshine, sync your dreams with God, the BIBLE, the law, the only way, the Rock, the Son sets free, the Truth, the truth of the Lord, the Word of god, the Word was God, the Word was with God, true freedom, truth, under heavy manners, was the Word, weeping, what is truth, within God's plan
John 8:32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
And then it was Saturday…And are we ever breathing a sigh of relief that we might finally get a li’l relief from the deep freeze that’s held us prisoner for the last week! But plenty places are still under heavy manners from the cold spell, and it’s been forecasted that the west coast, especially down in California is going to get rain and snow and all the other negative consequences associated with those things this weekend.
Brother! And some of us still foolishly don’t believe in climate change? Steups! It’s just simple logic: If you put a whole lot of negative stuff in the atmosphere over a number of years, it will eventually change the way atmosphere functions! Anyway, it’s Saturday, so let’s turn to some quotes from our friend Anselm, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Hear this first one: ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.’ Now the basic part of that is certainly true; you have to follow your dreams. But then as a follower of and believer in Jesus Christ, you need to sync up your dreams with the plan He has for your life, otherwise you won’t be overly successful as a believer.
I can tell you that from personal experience, because once I decided to accept Jesus’ offer to write the Bit, my life changed substantially, both inwardly and outwardly. It was never my intention to be a Christian writer, a writer yes, but certainly not on Christian matters, but that seems to have been His plan for me. And I’m glad now that I accepted it. Now it hasn’t been all wine, roses and song, (smile) but it has certainly been very interesting and enlightening.
So please remember to include Jesus in your dreams! That leads us to this quote: ‘The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.’ I do have some argument with that on the Christian basis, because we claim that the Lord has a plan destined for each and everyone of us, and the only way we’ll ever unfurl that plan successfully is with His help. However, technically speaking, the choice is ours, to be whom we decide to be, either within God’s plan or outside of it.
And then we have: ‘Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.’ And that’s oh so true! We either build our own dreams, or help somebody else build theirs. The only problem there is if everybody builds their own dreams, who’s going to help them build it eh, since no man is an island and we all need help to grow.
In the long run we have to realize that not all of us were meant to be dream makers, but some were assigned to help build those dreams, and it’s no shame or disgrace to help someone else build their dream. And we can often get more satisfaction from helping someone else build something great, than from building our own small, insignificant dream.
Now hear this quote: ‘It is only after the deepest darkness that the greatest joy can come.’ And isn’t that gospel truth! It’s usually after the most negative circumstances occur that we get the most positive situations. And as they say, you can’t enjoy the sunshine without having experienced the rain. And as Bruh David so elegantly puts it. ‘For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ (Ps.30:5) Yeh friends, light certainly comes after darkness!
Then this last quote says: ‘Any time you beg another man to set you free, you will never be free. Freedom is something that you have to do for yourselves.’ There we go again with that elusive word ‘freedom!’ Are we ever, or can we ever be truly free? No! It’s just not possible. For as the man says we all have to bow to somebody in this life!
And freedom is NEVER free; you always have to pay a great price for whatever kind of freedom you’re seeking, and then there’s an awesome responsibility that comes with it, not even mentioning the struggle that it takes to stay free. Just look at all the struggles for freedom down through the ages!
How many of them were considered successful eh? And how many of them lasted for any real time eh? Most of them just bred more dissension, and then, some other group decided to fight for their freedom! So there is always an ongoing fight for some kind of freedom in our messed up world!
But all is not lost friends, hear me now, the closest we can come to real freedom in this life is that freedom offered by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And all God’s people shouted a loud and grateful: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise the holy name of Jesus!’ Yes friends, it’s only when we know the Truth, the Truth that’s associated with Jesus, that we can ever come close to being truly free.
Listen to Him tell it: ‘Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) And like Pilate asked of Jesus, so do many of us: ‘What is truth?’ (John 19:38)
My people, the ultimate truth is the Word of God, found in His Word; the Bible! As John says: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ (John 1:1) And hear Moses tell it in his 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 judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut.32:3-4)
And if you don’t believe Moses, then listen to Bruh David: ‘For his merciful kindness (LOVING-kindness) is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord.’ (Ps.117:2) And if you still don’t believe, then listen to the real authority on the subject, Jesus: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
Yes friends, there it is in black and white! If you desire what amounts to true freedom, then Jesus is the ONLY Way to get it! He fought to give it to us, by being crucified and thus paying for our sins. So glory to God, all those who follow Him are now free! For whom the Son sets free is free indeed! (John 8:36) Please remember that and act accordingly! Much LOVE!
…the law was given by Moses…but grace and truth came by…Jesus Christ…
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