02 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a breath of wind, a wicked spinner, blind like a bat, comfort you in sorrow, don't worry, endure to the end, enter the hallowed halls of heaven, from the storms of life, give you the abundant life, glory hallelujah, God shall wipe away all tears, hands fixed securely on the plough, hold your head and bawl, I am halfway home, I am here with you always, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, I am the way the truth and the life, it is the power of god unto salvation, Jesus is all we ever need, Jesus' Second Coming, laugh with you in times of joy, lead you home safely, led like a lamb to the slaughter, life is like a vapour, LOVE, more than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my Holy Spirit, neither sorrow nor crying, no man cometh unto the Father but by me, no more death, not looking back, our eternal lives, personally testify, root for Christ, spend eternity with me, thanks God, that's life, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the eternal home of the righteous, the former things are passed away, the grim reaper, the vicissitudes of life, throws you a curved ball, to a glorious future with Jesus, to every one that believeth, to love and protect you, to the mansions in the sky, today tomorrow and forever, trust in me, Wednesday Wail
John 14:6. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ah mih people, I believe we might have gone back to the damp, inclement, wet-snow, possibly rain weather yes. Chuh! It’s 3 degrees and cloudy and damp. And I was just getting accustomed to the bright sunshiny and cold days… But that’s life! It never likes you to be comfortable, and just when you are getting there, it throws you a curved ball, a wicked spinner, that causes you to hold your head and bawl. (smile)
However, that’s where our Lord and Saviour Jesus comes in, kisses our brow and says in a most compassionate and caring manner: “Don’t worry my child. I am here with you always to LOVE and protect you from the storms and vicissitudes of life. Just trust in me, and let me lead and guide you through my Holy Spirit that dwells within you.
I will comfort you in sorrow, and laugh with you in times of joy, and give you the abundant life that I died for you to have, and lead you home safely to the mansions in the sky that I have prepared for you, where you will spend eternity with me. When I shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Oh friends, what a marvellous promise, what a grand scheme to live our eternal lives under! No one else has ever promised anything better than that! Yes, life on earth might be rough, but this life is only a vapour, a short breath of air, while the promise of eternity is forever! What a reward for putting up with the troubles and tribulation of life! It could not get any better than that!
And that’s why it’s so important that we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, for it’s ONLY through Him that we can ever reap such a scintillating, life changing, everlasting reward. (smile) Remember what He said while here on earth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! We cannot enter the hallowed halls of heaven, where the Father resides, unless we are in covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, His Son. The problem here though, is that we all want to go to heaven, but we don’t want to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. And if we don’t, then we’ll never lay eyes on that marvellous place called the eternal home of the righteous. Instead, we’ll most likely end up in the fiery dungeons of hell, where death and eternal damnation are the order of the day.
Now those are the only two choices available in this universe: heaven through Jesus, or hell through Satan. Which one will it be eh, my people? And one more thing…we have to choose our option right now, because if the Grim Reaper calls your number, or Jesus returns before you can cast your vote for Him, then you will automatically end up in hades, with the enemy. For there’s no choosing after death or Jesus’ Second coming. And since our life is like a vapour, a breath of wind, that’s here one moment, then gone the other, it’s of the utmost importance that we make the wise decision soon, preferably right now, that’s choosing to spend eternity with Jesus.
And if a dogmatic and well-educated Pharisee like Bruh Paul could turn his life around, from being a hater and destroyer of Christ’s church and His people, and become the hardest working apostle of all time, then that must say a lot for the promises of Jesus! And you can see the total change in his mindset by these bold and confident words he wrote to the church at Rome. ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ (Rom. 1:16)
Now, if a man who was previously rounding up Christians to be jailed, and encouraging others to kill them, can have such a change of heart, then Christ and His gospel must indeed be powerful and mighty! And we can see that through his conversion, where, on his way to Damascus to round up more believers for jail, Jesus knocked him off his mount through a blinding light, then basically told him, Saul, which was his name before conversion, why are you persecuting me eh? It’s time to stop, for you can’t win. Now get up and continue on to Damascus, where you’ll be told what to do. You have plenty work to do for me.’
And Bruh Paul blind like a bat, went meekly along, like a lamb to the slaughter, and eventually became the voice of Christ to the Gentiles. And if you don’t like my paraphrase, (smile) then you can read the entire story in Acts 9. But that’s what happens when Christ decides that He needs you to work for Him.
And I can testify to that, on a much smaller scale of course. I always wanted to write, but never had the inclination, knowledge, desire or anything to write about the Good Book. However, when the Lord approached me about it, I laughed and made my excuses. But He never took no for an answer, and kept bothering me until I reluctantly agreed. And it’s been fifteen years now that I’ve been writing the Bit, and the Lord’s been with me every bit of the way. That’s why I can testify to His faithfulness.
I knew nothing much when I began, and still don’t know a whole lot, but the Lord worked with me and encouraged me every step of the way. And that’s how He operates. He never gives you a task without giving you the wherewithal to do it, and is always right by your side offering His help as you do His will. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried out to Him for help in writing the Bit, and He’s always been there offering it, though not always right away.
So friends, like Bruh Paul, I don’t have much choice either but to root for Christ, to not be ashamed of His gospel. And I do hope many of you will eventually come to the same conclusion, that is, before it’s too late. Now, for those of us who have already voted for Christ, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and most enviable position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and confident, but humble 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!’
And I just want to remind and encourage us to endure to the end, because if we do, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. Much LOVE!
…Jesus is ALL we ever need…today, tomorrow…and forever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Jan 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, and none shall make them afraid, blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, bring backsliders back to your fold, Christ comes back, Christ is working all things out for good, come let us go up to the mountain of God, common pandemic, down by the riverside, Friday chant, God shall wipe away all tears, hast spoken it, in the last days, introduce a new flock, is as a thousand years, it shall be exalted above the hills, keep our promises, lay down my burden, learn to rely on Christ and His word, mankind is capable of much evil, nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war no more, neither sorrow, no more death, no regard for human life, nor crying, omnipotent help, one day with the Lord, our sinful world can wake up, peace and love instead of violence, right motives, smell the coffee, soon come, study war no more, take heart, the days of the Millennium, the example your faithful believers set, the former things are passed away, the mouth of the Lord of hosts, the unrest in our streets, to set up His earthly kingdom, tongue in cheek, unexpected storm, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
Micah 4:4b. and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
Oh blessed be the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for filling us with life, LOVE and sunshine on this real cold winter’s Friday! According to my computer, the temperature out there is somewhere around minus 15 degrees Celsius. And that’s plenty minus! (smile) But with the strength and perseverance that Jesus brings to our lives, we will handle it superbly! And I can say that tongue in cheek because I don’t have to go out there today…at least not yet.
So what’s happening today eh friends? Friday is here, meaning the end of the workweek and not a whole lot of frivolity, for Covid is still here too, as well as political, racial, religious and economic strife. All over our world, despite the common pandemic, which ought to bring us together, we’re still finding time to physically fight each other, senselessly kill each other with no regard for human life, purposely impoverishing some, while holding back much needed and affordable relief from others.
I don’t know if all the evil and ungodliness in mankind has ever shown up all at once, like it has now. And believe me, mankind is indeed capable of much evil. He can be truly the devil’s son when he chooses to be! But then again, he can be sweet, LOVING and caring like Jesus! The problem though is we don’t know which aspect of his nature will show up on any given day. And I don’t know if anything will change much until Christ comes back to set up His earthly kingdom, as this passage from Micah foresees.
He confidently declares: ‘But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in (on) the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people (peoples) shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth (out) of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among (between) many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks (pruning knives): nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.’ (Mic. 4:1-5)
Oh my people, how our world longs for that blessed day when war and strife will be no more! When our weapons of war will be turned into productive instruments ensuring peace and LOVE instead of violence! And it will come, but we just don’t know when, for these last days are kind of lasting rather long. (smile) But that’s to be expected when time, in the Lord’s sight is totally different to time in ours.
As Peter so sensibly reminds us: ‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8) So if we figure that the last days began around the time of that momentous Pentecost Day, when the Holy Spirit fell on the early church, that’s two thousand years ago, then it’s only about two days in the Lord’s sight. (smile) So it’s early days yet.
But getting back to Micah’s prophecy, the scholars tell us this: ‘4:1-3. The phrase in the last days, as well as a comparison with other prophecies (e.g. Is. 2:2-4), indicates that the prophet is looking beyond the restoration from Babylonian captivity to the days of the Millennium when every promise given to Abraham and to Israel will ultimately be fulfilled.’
Yes friends, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the same thing (Is. 2:2-4) and we know that all of God’s promises will eventually come true, but it’s taking so long to come, like the Jamaicans ‘soon come,’ and in the meanwhile our world is such a mess with the enemy in the ascendance right now. But as followers of Jesus, we must take heart and learn to rely on Him and His word. Remember, He’s working all things out for the good of those who LOVE Him, and that takes time.
But until Christ comes again, we can hold on to this great promise from the Book of Revelation, where John says: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:3-4)
It’s coming my fellow saints, it’s only a matter of time. Till then though we have to make the best of what we have by staying close and faithful to our great God. And there’s no better way to do that than through prayer. So let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Friday Chant and ask for His divine help in our earthly matters. As one confident but humble voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 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, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. 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 please remember that the Lord not only listens to our voices in prayer, but more importantly, checks out the motives of our hearts, and if He finds them wanting, will not grant our desires. So it’s always to our benefit to have right motives and to keep our promises. Much LOVE!
…I’m gonna lay down my burden…down by the riverside…and study war no more…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day of judgement, a humble and Christ-like day, a thousand years as one day, as far as the east is from the west, be incredibly grateful, coming down from God out of heaven, do the right thing, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, God doesn't make idle promises, God shall wipe away all tears, holy conversation and godliness, I am the beloved of god, I will send mine anger upon thee, I'm not what I do, in god's eyes, judge thee according to thy ways, LOVE, makes countless thousands mourn, man's inhumanity to man, no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, No more tears, not what I have, not what people say about me, only believe, perdition of ungodly men, recompense upon thee, repay you for all your abominations, reserved unto fire, righteous and blameless, share His love with the world, the end is come upon the four corners of the land, the final apocalyptic judgement, the former things are passed away, the new Jerusalem, the tabernacle of god is with men, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what manner of persons ought ye to be
Ezekiel 7:2b. An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.
It’s Tuesday friends, that means there’s cause for much celebration, because we’ve been given that awesome thing called life for at least one more day! It’s a blessing that many others did not receive today, so we need to be incredibly grateful and show that appreciation by the way we live today.
That means living a good, clean, righteous, compassionate, generous, thankful, humble and Christ-like day. For who knows if we don’t live that way, if we’ll see another tomorrow turn into a blessed today. Yes, living that kind of life was never easy in this evil world, and it will never be, until Christ comes back to claim His throne.
However, what our heavenly Father expects of us is not perfection, but a sincere and diligent effort to do the right thing by our fellow man. And yuh know what mih people, living right and kind is so wonderful that I don’t understand how anybody can live in evil, anger and the disgusting and disgraceful inhumanity in which so many of us spend our entire lives.
No wonder we have the saying that man’s inhumanity to man makes thousands mourn. And unfortunately, we need to change it from thousands to millions, because our inhumanity seems to be getting worse by the day. I’m sure the Lord must be sitting on His throne in heaven, shaking His head and wondering where He went wrong, what kind of monster He made as His most precious creation, why there’s so much evil and wrongdoing in His universe?
And that’s even after He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins, and cast away our abominable iniquity as far as the east is from the west. And I’m chuckling here friends, but I’m also concerned, because I just happened to look at the scripture passage where the Good Book opened today, in the book of the prophet Ezekiel, and it read thus about the judgement of Israel. ‘Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.
Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee (repay you for) all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.’ (Ezek. 7:1-4)
And if it’s one thing we know about our great God is that He doesn’t make empty promises, and Israel did feel the might and power of His awesome hand when they went astray, and He’s also promised that there will a day of judgement when He wraps up this old, evil earth as the apostle Peter tells us in his second epistle, re living in the hope of the Lord’s coming.
He first reminded believers of the day of the great flood, when the Lord destroyed the earth and all therein, except Noah and his family, because of the wretched sinfulness of its inhabitants. ‘Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ (2 Pet. 3:6-7)
Yes friends, that day of judgement is certainly coming. And let’s be clear, we are not talking about the Rapture, but that day when Christ returns in judgement, the final apocalyptic judgement. And you can read the descriptions of that fiery judgement in Revelations 17-19. So please don’t get all uppity and know-it-all, and question with a sneer, as so many do, why it hasn’t come as yet.
Peter though, gives a good answer to that question. ‘But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Pet. 3:8-9)
We see then, that the way God looks at time and the way we do are totally different, and furthermore, He’s giving us time to come to salvation because He doesn’t want any to perish. And Peter continues: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.’ (2 Pet. 3:10)
So we don’t know when all of this will happen, that means we need to be ready for whenever it comes. ‘Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness, Looking for and hasting (hastening) unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:11-14)
Ah mih people, regardless of what you believe, those things are going to happen. And when they do happen, we need to be found righteous and blameless. Then the scholars tell us that ‘the heavens that shall pass away with a great noise are the atmospheric heavens. The elements shall melt with a fervent heat certainly could refer to a nuclear holocaust. Thus, Peter urges his readers to look beyond this present world to the new heavens and a new earth characterized by righteousness.’ And the turmoil and upheaval our world is currently experiencing, certainly makes nuclear warfare a dreaded possibility.
Remember too, John’s words in Revelation. ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev. 21:1-4)
Oh my people, that’s what we have to look forward to when we believe in God, through His awesome Son, our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus! There’s nothing more I can say, for the Word of God speaks very clearly on its own. So, for those of us who accept it, then let’s go home declaring (chuh man!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
As one strong 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 the world. Amen!’
Now, let’s go and share that wonderful friendship and awesome LOVE of Christ with those who don’t know Him nuh, for that’s what He expects of us! Much LOVE!
…only believe…only believe…in Christ Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all tears from their eyes, anxiety, back to your fold, backsliders, be responsible, blatantly ignore warnings, Christian folks, comeuppance, common sense, compassion, conflict in public places, confusion, Covid-19, defeat the virus and the unrest, demonstrations, downtrodden, eternal kingdom of Christ, every dog have he day, faithful believers, foolish greed, Friday chant, God shall wipe away, hard labour, havoc, he who has ears to hear, heavenly Father, history repeating itself, in broad daylight, introduce a new flock, least amount of loss to life, let him hear, LOVE, lust for power, man's inhumanity to man, mistreated, neither sorrow, new earth, new heaven, no more death, no more pain, nor crying, omnipotent help, one day one day congotay, physical distancing, prophetic, public servants, racism, refusing to listen, reuse to hear, revolt, serious setbacks, slave master, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, street protests, talk the tlk, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the former things are passed away, the have-nots, the haves, time longer than twine, too big for them britches, walk the talk, want what is rightfully theirs, we'll feel, wise guidance
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Welcome to Friday friends; the end of another week filled with much talk about Covid-19 and no seeming relief from its deadly clutches, as well as street protests and demonstrations and confusion and conflict in public places and amongst public servants. And it doesn’t seem as though we’ll get any relief from that soon either. And isn’t it strange and somehow prophetic that both these conditions could rise up worldwide at the same time?
And I still maintain that the Lord God Almighty, Creator and Ruler of this awesome universe is trying to tell us something significant, but as always we’re refusing to listen, to pay serious attention to His warnings. Remember Jesus’ advice: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ And if we refuse to hear, then we’ll feel! There’s no doubt about that. Anyway, be all that as it may, (smile) let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself nuh.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday! Thank God for the weekend and a couple of days rest from the slave master hard labour and all the confusion in the world! Is it never going to end? Chuh man! They still can’t find no answer for this Coronavirus business and with all the protests and rioting and people gathering in big crowds, ignoring the physical distancing warning, this Covid-19 thing doh look as it going away any time soon nuh. In fact it might just get worse, because we still doh know how to handle it properly, and people still catching it and dying from it all around the world.
But what is wrong with we eh? And look at how this racism thing just suddenly blow up in we face because of one stupid, well four stupid men eh… Steups! Common sense ought to tell yuh that yuh can’t do them things in front of everybody, especially when everybody have cameras on their cell phones and quick to take pictures of everything. And that just shows the police and them getting too big for them britches, when they could do that sort of thing in broad daylight and blatantly ignore warnings from the people they supposed to be protecting. It so entrenched, and they so accustomed to getting away with it, they doh care no longer.
But thank the Lord, that every dog have he day, one day one day congotay, and we all going to get we just and rightful comeuppance in time, because time longer than twine. Ah not able nuh. Nobody doh listen to people like me. So ah just going to go home and enjoy mih weekend with mih family and give thanks to God for all I have yes! Can’t do no more than that nuh.’
Ah mih people, we all can surely identify with the workingman because most of us don’t have any real say in the crises that are currently surrounding us, and that’s just why the racism thing is rearing its ugly head. The powers that be are so short-sighted that they can’t see that their system of holding down people can’t last forever, and the downtrodden and mistreated will eventually rise up and want what is rightfully theirs. It’s been this way ever since history began; the have’s refusing to share with the have-nots…until they revolt.
We talk about history repeating itself, but we still don’t pay significant attention to it, otherwise the disturbances in our streets worldwide would not be happening now. But it’s jut a symbol of foolish greed and lust for power, highlighting man’s inhumanity to man. And it doesn’t seem as if it’s ever going to end until Jesus returns with the new heaven and the new earth and sets up His eternal kingdom. ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’
But until then friends, we need to keep up our good work and pray; pray like there’s no tomorrow, for who knows if there’ll be one, or what it will look like! So let’s cry out to our great and merciful God nuh, let’s chant up a storm; a storm of peace, LOVE and understanding through our Friday Chant.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have riots and protests to put up with. Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help. Yes, 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 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!’
And having said all of that, we must now behave like faithful believers ought to behave in such situations. Christian folks, it’s time for us to rise up and show the world how true believers behave, like Jesus! Much LOVE!
…we can’t just talk the talk…we must also walk that talk…
18 May 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a li'l pressure and hardship, all tears from their eyes, answer our prayers, called to do His work, Christ sacrificed His life for us, confident humility, ease their suffering, eh that believes in me, eternity, fear knocks at our hearts, frogiving, give up, God shall wipe away, God will owrk everything out for good, gracious God, Great Britain, greater than he that's in the world, He who is in us, heal our land, heal them, humble servants, I am the resurrection, Jehovah Rapha, lockdown, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no crying, no end in sight, no more death, no more pain, no sorrow, Our Father, physcial distancing, pilgrims, positive attitude, repentance, saints in Christ, send faith to answer it, severe cleansing measures, stand strong and steadfast, the former things are passed away, the grim reaper, the Life, the new Jerusalem, those love him, trillion dollar question, turn from our evil ways, Victoria Day, while there's life there's hope, who art in heaven, will never die
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Thank you Queen Vic (Victoria) for this holiday Monday, although we can’t celebrate it as we usually do in outstanding form, (smile) mainly because of the lockdown, the physical distancing and severe cleansing measures made necessary by the Coronavirus pandemic. But not to worry, we will get in some celebrations, just not as much as we usually do. We certainly won’t let your day go by without honouring your strength, positive attitude and good governance. That’s why they say B.S. baffles brains! (smile)
Ah friends, in some of the old British Crown Colonies we’re celebrating a public holiday in remembrance of Queen Victoria (1817-1901). She ruled Great Britain from 1837 until her death in 1901. Her 63 years on the throne was the longest of any of her predecessors. And though a little more than five feet tall, she was reputed to be saucy and outspoken and not easily cowed, thus the prosperity of Great Britain during her reign. And who knows how she would have reacted to our current circumstances, but we know that our first reaction today ought to, and will be prayer, because it’s the most powerful too in our tool box.
So without further ado, let’s get to our Monday Morning Battle Hymn nuh… And I can’t help but chuckle as I remember how we touted it as the antidote for all that ailed us. Now it’s still very useful, but this Covid-19 stuff has brought it up somewhat short. But nonetheless, the One to whom we pray is more powerful than whatever is in the world, and He can change everything by simply lifting a finger, so there’s no shame if our prayer takes a while to be answered. So altogether now, in confident humility, let’s call on our great God for grace and mercy in these disastrous times.
‘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 hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. Despite the crucial lockdown, those of us considered essential, still have go to work, and we’re somewhat fearful, because we have no idea, how, when and where the virus might strike. Our anxieties have even deepened in the last few days because some restrictions have been lifted, and more of us have to go to work now.
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.
Please show us how to successfully handle this scourge that’s plaguing the earth, and help the scientists to find a positive solution, a sure antidote to it as quickly as possible. And for those who have already contracted the virus, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them Father. 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!’
Ah precious people of God, right now we’re in some treacherous times, times like we’ve never experienced before. Times of pain and sorrow, sickness and death are manhandling us, the Grim Reaper seems to be in every corner of the universe at the same time, with no sure end in sight, well man’s end. But I want to remind us of two things; the first being that while there is life, while God’s breath is flowing through our bodies, there’s always hope that things will get better, especially if we walk in sincere obedience to His will. So let’s not fret and fuss and fear too much. Let’s have faith in our God to answer our prayer for healing in His own time. He’s always been faithful, so why should He change now eh?
And the second is for us to remember this magnificent promise, though it be for another time: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ Oh my fellow saints in Christ, we are indeed shaking it rough today, and most likely will do so for the near future, but we have God’s faithful promise that one day, when the New Jerusalem comes down to earth, that all the sorrow and pain and death and crying will be no more! Now isn’t that something great to look forward to? It certainly is!
Remember too that earth is not our real home, we’re only pilgrims down here, but heaven, or wherever Jesus is, that’s our real place of abode, where we’ll spend eternity with Him. Remember the basis of our faith and eternal life is Christ’s resurrection from the dead. As He said to Martha after Lazarus had died: ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Now friends, that’s the trillion dollar question we all have to ask ourselves today? Do we truly believe in Christ’s resurrection, and that we will live triumphantly with Him in the glorious end? If so, then we cannot allow today’s problems to frighten us so much that we give up. Remember the words ‘give up,’ are not found in Jesus’ vocabulary, and consequently not in that of His followers either.
So please, I implore us this Monday morning in the middle of May 2020, during this time of pandemic, let’s stand strong and steadfast for Christ nuh! He sacrificed His life for us, the least we can do is stand a li’l pressure and hardship for Him, especially when we know for a fact that He who is in us is greater than he that’s in the world, and that our great God will eventually work all our problems out for good, because we sincerely LOVE Him and are called to do His work! Much LOVE!
…when fear knocks at our hearts…send faith to answer it…
25 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Abaraham, adorned for her husband, as a bride, at rest, builder was God, by water and the word, charter of salvation, cherish, coming down from God, confidence, consummation of peace, defend, enthusiasm, eternity, exalting god, face the upcoming week, faith, fellowship, final judgement, foundations, give thanks, God's will, God-given fix, Guide, Hall of faith, heaven is our home, heresies, holy bride, indisputable fact, isms, Jesus Christ, Jesus is alive, listen to God's Word, LOVE, lowly, meek, morn of song, new creation, New Jerusalem, no crying, no more death, no more pain, no sorrow, one faith, one hope, ONE Lord, passed away, passion for Jesus, pilgrims, praise, receive encouragement, rent asunder, Rudyard Kipling, sacrificial praise, saints, Samuel John Stone, schisms, son of god, stoked in our hearts, strangers, sustain, the Apostles Creed, the church, the church's one foundation, the former things, the holy city, the Lord's Day, the medium of song, the Millennium, the tabernacle of God, tumult of war, victorious, walk in obedience, weeping, wipe away all tears, worship
Revelation 21:2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
It’s praise and worship and fellowship time once again friends! The Lord’s Day is upon us, so we need to have the proper response, that’s going en masse to His sanctuary to give thanks, praise His holy name, listen to His awesome word and receive encouragement, confidence and enthusiasm to face the upcoming week. Yeh mih breddren, it’s time for our weekly God-given fix. (smile)
And as always, we’ll open the proceedings with praise and worship, exalting our heavenly Father through the medium of song. Today’s hymn is another old favourite, ‘The Church’s One Foundation.’ It’s a Christian hymn written in the 1860s by British Pastor, Samuel John Stone.
According to Wikipedia, ‘The song was written as a direct response to the schism within the Church of South Africa caused by John William Colenso, first Bishop of Natal, who denounced much of the Bible as fictitious. This topic is alluded to within the fourth verse of the text “Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed.”
When Bishop Colenso was deposed for his teachings, he appealed to the higher ecclesiastical authorities in England. It was then that Samuel Stone became involved in the debate. It inspired him to write a set of hymns based on the Apostles’ Creed in 1866. He titled it, Lyra Fidelium; Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles’ Creed.
“The Church’s One Foundation” is based on the ninth article, The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints.’ The song also served as inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s 1896 poem, Hymn Before Action. It is typically set to the tune “Aurelia” by Samuel Seba.’
Yuh see friends, the rich history of today’s hymn, born of isms and schisms as it was. Anyway, in strong voice and rich harmony, let’s offer it up with the sacrificial praise of our lips, to glorify the solid rock of our immortal faith, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘The church’s one Foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is His new creation, by water and the Word; from heav’n He came and sought her to be His holy bride; with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth, her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued. Tho’ with a scornful wonder, men see her sore oppressed, by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, “How long?” And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
The church shall never perish! Her dear Lord, to defend, to guide, sustain, and cherish, is with her to the end; tho’ there be those that hate her and false sons in her pale, against the foe or traitor she ever shall prevail. ‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace for evermore; till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we, like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with Thee.’
Yeh friends, the church of Christ will NEVER die, regardless of all the trials and tribulations it may go through, because it is built on the greatest foundation that the universe has to offer, The ONE and ONLY SON of GOD: JESUS CHRIST! Bless His holy name my people!
As the hymn says, she is His creation, through water and His word, the very purpose for which He came down from heaven. Then He bought her with His blood, paid for her life with His own. So how could it ever die eh? As long as Jesus is alive His church will exist. That’s an indisputable fact. It might not be going as strong and unified as it ought to, because of the current presence of all the same nonsense, the dissension and disunity that caused the hymn to be written a couple centuries ago, but it’s definitely going to be around until Jesus comes back for his bride.
Glory be my brethren! No wonder John the Revelator was shown the vision of how things would be after the Millennium and the final judgement. He saw a new heaven and a new earth, birthed, as beautiful as ever, the everlasting state, where there would be no sin. ‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.’ Yes friends, that would be Jesus’ eternal kingdom.
And John continues: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:3-4)
Ah mih people, that’s what we have to look forward to in eternity! Isn’t it a wonderful picture? It surely is! And if we want to be around to see it, then we have to keep the passion for Jesus well stoked in our hearts and lives from now; for who knows how much time we have until Jesus returns. We need our faith to stay strong and walk in obedience to God’s will. That’s why it’s so important for us to go to church, to gather and fellowship with each other and encourage each other.
As the Good Book points out about Abraham in the Hall of Faith: ‘By faith he sojourned in the land of promise…For he looked (was waiting) for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker is God.’ (Heb.11:9a:10) And if we’re wise, my fellow believers, that’s how we’ll be, constantly on the lookout for the New Jerusalem in this our earthly journey. Much LOVE!
…this earth is not our home…we are strangers and pilgrims down here…heaven is our home…
25 Jan 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bride, a compassionate heart, a new day, a positive outlook, abundance, adorned for her husband, all will be well, are passed away, as a thief in the night, be diligent, be prepared, blamesless, created the universe, creativity, crying, curse, dire toll, don't give up, Erwin Raphael McManus, everlasting peace, every moment of the day, faith, faithful and true, fallen, favour, fear, fight the good fight, friends, god, God shall wipe away all tears, greetings, habitation of the saved, hang in there, holy spirit, home free, I make all things new, in living colour, in peace, Jesus Christ, Jesus is right there with us, John the Revelator, joy, keep on believing, limit your freedom, lose hope, Mosaic church, negative word, no more death, no more sea, not to hoard, our Lord and Saviour, pain, ploughing straight furrows, power in the Word, promises, reassuring message, redeemed people, righteousness, self-control, self-discipline, share with others, sinful world, sorrow, success, talent, tears, the bride of Christ, the day of the Lord, the effects of sin, the Father, the former things, the holy city, the Last Arrow, the Milennium, the new Jerusalem, the obstacle to our future, the pain of life, the second coming, the tabernacle of God, Thursday's Blessings, treasure trove, we will succeed, weekend break, what a joyful day, with His help, without spot, your future
Revelation 21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Greetings friends, from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! He wants us to know that this Thursday morning we are only one day away from our weekend break, and that we have done a good job so far this week, we’ve been ploughing straight furrows, so we should not give up or lose hope, because He is right there alongside us, every moment of the day, and with His help, we will certainly succeed.
So just hang in there, keep on fighting the good fight, and all will be well! What a reassuring message my people! And Jesus is nothing, if not a ‘reassurer.’ And His promises are ever-faithful and true. So please keep on believing.
And I have an interesting thought to share from one Erwin Raphael McManus, author, futurist, designer, filmmaker and Pastor of a Los Angeles church called Mosaic. He apparently says in his book, ‘The Last Arrow,’ that ‘The pain of life is the obstacle to our future. Do not let fear and pain limit your freedom to your future.’
What wise and truthful words my brethren! In this fallen and sinful world of ours, it is fear and pain that take a dire toll on our freedom to enjoy this earthly life. If we didn’t have fear or pain, we’d be home free. (smile) But we know that that situation will only be rectified after the Second Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when Almighty God births the new heaven and earth. What a joyful day that will be my people!
And we have that on good info from John the Revelator, who writes, after seeing a vision: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.’ (Rev.21:1-5)
Wow mih breddren, what an awesome promise and time we have to look forward to; living in the New Jerusalem where there will be no night or day, no pain, sorrow, or death and Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit will dwell amongst us in living colour! Mama Mia! I can’t wait for that day when there will be no more pain! (smile)
Now let’s check out some explanations from the scholars’. ’21:1-2. Chapters 21 and 22 are a description of the eternal state (following the Millennium and the final judgement), centering in the new Jerusalem as the eternal habitation of the saved (cf. Heb.11:10; 12:22-24).
The first heaven and the first earth are replaced by a new heaven and a new earth, predicted by Isaiah (cf. Is.65:17; 66:22). The present universe will thus be cleansed from all the effects of sin (cf. 2 Pet. 3:7, 10-13). Since there will be no more sea, the increased land space will be fully capable of handling large numbers of redeemed people from all ages.
The New Jerusalem is fully described in 21:10-22:5. It is a holy city, totally separate from sin (cf. vs, 8, 27; 22:15). It is being prepared (cf. John 14:3) as the habitation of the bride of Christ (cf. v.9). From God shows its divine purpose, and out of heaven its divine origin.’
Yeh mih people, a new day is coming, we know not when, that means we have to be prepared and constantly on the lookout for it. As Peter warns: ‘But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (robber) in the night…Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.’ (2 Pet. 3:10a, 13-14)
Yeh friends, we have that awesome promise of Jesus that after He’s wrapped up, destroyed all the sin and evil in the world, He will bring us to a place of everlasting peace and joy to dwell with Him forever. But it’s imperative that we make the necessary preparations RIGHT NOW, because Jesus can come back at ANY time. Oh, and please read the references in the scholars’ explanations, for they are a treasure trove of scripture. (smile)
And having read and digested all of that, let’s go home loudly and sincerely declaring our Thursday Blessings. As one now: ‘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 everyday! Amen!’
And please remember that those blessings were granted to us not to keep and hoard for ourselves, but to share with others, so let’s go out and share them now nuh. Much LOVE!
…there is awesome power in the word of Jesus…because that’s what created the universe and all therein…
11 Sep 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little child shall lead them, accepting Christ, adrenaline, antidote, apathy, aura of love, beasts of the field, blues, break the bow, confidence, covenant, crapaud smoke them pipe, enthusiasm, eternal harmony, faithfulness, fowls of heaven, generous help, glorious kingdom, God's promise, holy spirit, Hosea, humble servants, invincible, Israelites, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, justice, kingdom work, lies, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative derivatives, no crying, no more death, no sorrow, pain, passed away, peace, primary purpose, redemption, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., salvation, sin, sleeping bags, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, tears of joy, the fatling, the former things, the leopard lie down with the kid, the tabernacle of God, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the young lion, trust, ungodly world, unsaved souls, wipe away all tears, wisdom
Isaiah 11:6. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Come on friends, it’s Monday, time to roll out of our sleeping bags and get ourselves together to go and labour. We had the chance to rest and relax over the weekend, and it’s our fault if we didn’t do so. Now both the Master and massa are calling out our names for work this morning.
Oh, I know Mondays are hard for many of us, that’s why we have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to liven us up. So let’s sing it now with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. You’ll be surprised at how it will drive away your Monday morning blues.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes friends, that’s the antidote for Monday’s apathy! (smile) And as the adrenaline is now rushing through our bodies, let’s take advantage of it nuh and get going, for there’s plenty kingdom work to be done.
Ah mih people, the times they are rough, and getting rougher by the minute, and there are still lots of lost and unsaved souls in the world. That means we have plenty work ahead of us; convincing the many unbelievers that accepting Christ as their Lord and Saviour and living for Him is the wisest thing they can do. One of the things we can point out to them is the everlasting peace that will envelop the world when Jesus sets up His eventual kingdom.
Our Bit paints such a lovely picture of those times. ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.’ How beautiful that is to the mind’s eye! That’s the total opposite to what’s happening today. And even we believers can take heart from that awesome promise of our great God.
And if you believe that is just ‘jestering,’ on God’s part, then hear Him promise the same thing through Hosea to the Israelites as He woos them back, because of His great LOVE for them. ‘And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break (shatter) the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement (justice), and in LOVING-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord. (Hos.2:18-20)
What awesome promises friends! Only the omnipotent Creator of the universe can make such promises! And if you’re thinking, well that was oh so long ago, who says it still hold true? Then listen to the Lord’s promise in Revelation.
John confidently declares in his vision of the new heaven and the new earth: ‘And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:3-4)
Oh my brethren, if that doesn’t touch you deep down in your soul and bring tears of joy to your spirit, then I don’t know what will nuh! For that means all sin and it’s ugly, negative derivatives, would have been wiped out and we’d be living in peace and eternal harmony with our wonderful God right there with us! Mercy, mercy me! I really can’t think of a better situation than that!
And according to the scholars, when that takes place: ‘A primary purpose of redemption will be accomplished: the complete fellowship of God with His redeemed people. In the eternal state, there will be no tears, death, sorrow, crying or pain. Everything will become new. God’s promises are true, and He is always faithful to His Word (cf.19:11).’
Beelzebub can’t promise anything remotely resembling that friends, so please let’s wake up and get a move on for Jesus, as the time for His return is drawing nigh – it gets closer every day. And who isn’t saved by then… well… crapaud smoke them pipe! Much LOVE!
…to live and work for Jesus…is the wisest decision ever…
27 Nov 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bastion of mercy, a strife-filled world, abundantly pardon, actions, as black as the sea, awe, burn your bridges, changed, character, commandments, covenant, crying, death, earthly pangs, enemies, eternal life, fasted, feared, fellowship, forgiveness, go alone, God's help, habits, hear the prayer, hope, in Jesus Christ, iniquities, Jerusalem, joy, lay down by the lamb, led by a child, LOVE, Mahalia Jackson, mercies, mercy, Nehemiah, no more death, no sadness, no sorrow, no trouble, oh Lord I pray, pain, passed away, peace, Peace in the Valley, praise, prayed, rebellious behaviour, reverenced, sinful, sinful vein, strength, tame, the bear, the beasts from the wild, the children of Israel, the day of the Lord, the former things, the gift of God, the lamp is alight, the lion, the morning's so bright, the night, the power of life and death, the unrighteous, the wages of sin, the wicked, the wolves, Thomas A Dorsey, thoughts, thy servant, tired, to the Lord our God, treat people badly, truth, wait for the Lord, weary, wipe away all tears, wisdom, words, worship
Daniel 9:9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.
Ah friends, it’s that great day, Sunday – the Day of the Lord – where we gather in His sanctuary to sing and praise and worship and fellowship and receive wisdom and strength to face the strife-filled world for another week. And to get us started, let’s sing this gospel song written in 1937 by Thomas A Dorsey for Mahalia Jackson. We all know it as ‘Peace in the Valley.’
In loud voice, with sincerity, harmony and passion: ‘Oh well, I’m tired and so weary But I must go alone Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes Well the morning’s so bright And the lamp is alight And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me Well the bear will be gentle And the wolves will be tame And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes And the beasts from the wild Shall be led by a child And I’ll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray There’ll be no sadness, no sorrow No trouble, trouble I see There will be peace in the valley for me, for me.’
And that’s the awesome truth as promised by our God! In the sweet bye and bye, life will be filled with peace: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4)
Yes my people, what a blessed day that will be! All our earthly pangs will disappear, as our wonderful God dwells with us, and we with Him, in everlasting peace and joy! It won’t get any better than that!
Now here is a Trini Quote of De Day from my Trini friend. It says: ‘Doh mess in de road, because yuh go pass back an mash it.’ Generally said to someone as advice not to treat people badly or make enemies, for you may have to pass back along that same road.’
I guess it could also be construed as don’t burn your bridges behind you, because one day you just might have to turn around and go back the way you came, and there’ll be lots of people waiting to give you what for. (smile)
And my Trini friend concludes: ‘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.’ That’s all gospel truth my brethren! So please, let’s pay serious attention to our words nuh, for they also contain the power of life and death.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same one as yesterday. ‘To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ More truth of awesome proportions precious children of God!
In spite of our very sinful and rebellious behaviour, our God is always ready, willing and obviously able to be merciful and forgiving if we come to Him in sincere repentance. It doesn’t mean though that there will be no consequences for our sinful behaviour. For the Lord just can’t let sin go by without some kind of retribution, otherwise sin would be even more rampant than it currently is.
Anyhow, today I want us to take a look at some scriptures which complement our Bit. And the first one comes from Isaiah, as he talks about free mercy to all. He solemnly declares on the Lord’s behalf: ‘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.55:7)
Yes friends, our God is a bastion of mercy! (smile) Now listen to the psalmist from Psalm 130 – My soul waiteth for the Lord. ‘If thou, Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope… Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy (LOVING-kindness), and with him is plenteous (abundant) redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.’ (Ps.130:3-5, 7-8)
Meanwhile, Nehemiah, after hearing of the sad plight of Jerusalem, prayed and fasted before the Lord, ‘And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible (awesome) God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that LOVE him (you) and observe (keep) his (your) commandments.
Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants , and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.’ (Neh.1:5-6)
Yeh friends, our God is a magnanimous and merciful God, but also a just and righteous God, He therefore cannot allow sin to go unpunished, especially when we, His supposed people, are so blatantly sinful and ungodly. Remember Nehemiah’s prayer for Jerusalem came about because of Israel’s unconcerned sinfulness, which caused the Lord to let them be taken captive to Babylon and the city destroyed.
The same thing could happen to us my people, or rather something disastrous WILL happen, if we continue in the very sinful vein that’s currently holding our society captive. Let’s pray, like Nehemiah did, for our sinful society, sincerely asking for mercy, as we try to get our sinfulness under control. And don’t forget, it’s only with God’s help, we can do that. Much LOVE!
…for the wages of sin is death…but the gift of God is eternal life…through (in) Jesus Christ our Lord… (Rom.6:23)
P.S. Please, remember to keep on praying for our friend and Scrip-Bit family member Scotty, who is still in the hospital. Much LOVE!
17 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a relationship with Jesus, adversity, apostate, assurance, atonement, Babylon, breath of God, calamity, courage, crying, dark night of sin, day of life, doomed to destruction, downfall, enemy, evil, exile, expectations, Ezra, fades, faith, Feast of Trumpets, final destination, for the joy of the Lord is your strenght, friends, glorious sunshine of Jesus, glory hallelujah, God shall wipe away all tears, God's plan for our lives, going to hell in a hand-basket, happiness, happy, heaven, holy spirit, hope, Hours of Power Devotional, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, I'm not turning back, indisputable fact, inner peace, Israelites, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Truth, joy, joyful, joyfulness, kind, LOVE, merciful, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, no more death, paganism, pain, peace, planet earth, pleasure, ponder, robert h schuller, self-esteem, sorrow, steadfastly, superstition, thanks and praise, the BIBLE, the breath of life, the clouds will clear, the former things are passed away, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the law of Moses, the Life, the Light, the promise of heaven, the sun will shine again, the Way, they have not known nor understood, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, understanding, vim and vigour, walking faithfully, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, world of darkness
Nehemiah 8:10c. For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Oh welcome my brethren to another interesting and satisfying day of life on God’s great planet Earth!
And as we keep saying, there must be a reason for us to have awakened this morning. So, after giving God some thanks and praise for bringing us through the dark night of sin into the glorious sunshine of Jesus, let’s get with His plan for our lives right away nuh.
And since today is Wednesday, it means declaring our Wednesday Wail with much vim and vigour. (smile) As one wailer 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!’
Yes friends, life is all about looking forward to a glorious future with Jesus! As they say; our best days are still ahead. And I do believe that. And how can we not be ever-thankful for the beautiful breath of God’s Spirit that’s flowing through us to give us what we call life eh!
Now today I want to share something from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H. Schuller) Hours of Power Devotional. Don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but if I have, it’s certainly worthy of another go round in this dark and dismal world.
He asks the question ‘Are You Happy?’ But I want to change it to ‘Are you Joyful?’ because happiness conveys a sense of now for now pleasure that soon fades, pleasure as the world sees it, not the long lasting joy that comes from a true relationship with Jesus. So in this passage, wherever we see ‘Happiness,’ let’s read it as ‘Joyfulness.’
So here goes: ‘Happiness – that deep inner strength that is made up of courage, faith, hope, and peace. Mix them together and you have happiness! Happiness – the courage to hang on in the face of severe adversity! Happiness – the faith that God will have the last word, and it will be good! Happiness – the hope that, even though you can only see the shadow, someday the clouds will clear away and the sun will shine again!
Happiness – the quiet sense of self-esteem that comes when you know you have done your best. Happiness – the assurance that you have been merciful and kind to enemy and friend alike. Happiness – the quiet assurance that God will be merciful and kind to you, too. Happiness – the beautiful belief that this life, no matter how difficult it may be, is not your final destination.’
Oh what beautiful, words, thoughts and emotions my people! Especially knowing that our final destination is heaven, to live with Jesus forever! ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ (Rev.21:4)
And all God’s people loudly and proudly declared: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank the Lord for the promise of heaven!’
And that’s all fine and dandy my friends, but the truth, the reality is that we can’t have all those things, all that happiness, all that joyfulness here on earth, unless we are walking faithfully and steadfastly with Almighty God!
And you ask why? Simply because, as our Bit says: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
And that my people is an indisputable fact! We cannot be truly happy or joyful for any length of time, unless the Lord’s joy is running through us. The Lord’s joy comes from a sense of inner peace, of expectations edged with faith in God’s promises, and the practical LOVE He showed to us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for the atonement of our sins!
No other faith can boast of those things! That’s why Jesus is the Truth, the Life, the Way and the Light that lights up this world of darkness!
Now some of us might not know where our Bit comes from, or how it is tied in to the scriptures, so let’s go back in time. The Israelites had recently returned from exile in Babylon, and having settled themselves in their homeland again, in the seventh month they came together to celebrate and thank the Lord.
‘And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street (plaza) that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the scribe brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month.’ (Neh.8:1-2)
Now friends, I think it’s very important that we listen to the scholars’ explanation here. ‘8:2. The time was the Feast of Trumpets (Lev.23:24) and was about September 27, 444 B.C. This was the most sacred of the new moons, and commenced the final month of the religious festivals (Lev.23:23-25; Num.29:1-6). The concept of understanding was important as Proverbs 1:2 indicates (cf. Ex.12:26-27; Deut.4:6; 6:6-9; 31:12-13).
Mindless superstition was the mark of paganism (“They have not known nor understood.” Is.44:18-20), and had been the downfall of apostate Israel (Hos.4:6: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”). Notice the stress on understanding in verses 2-3, 7-8,13.’
Oh friends, that is exactly what’s happening to our world today! We are suffering from a lack of knowledge and understanding of God, just like Israel was back then. Paganism is rearing its ugly head more and more, no wonder our world is going to hell in a hand-basket like happened to the apostate Israel!
What do you think happens when a society, a nation, a world turns away from Almighty God eh? Obvious calamity!
Oh my people, look at the number of places, cities and societies cited in the Bible who were destroyed because they had turned from worshipping and serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, including His chosen Israel several times.
What makes us thing that our turning away from Him now will end any differently eh? And I’ll leave us to ponder that question today. Much LOVE!
…apart from Almighty God…mankind is doomed to destruction…
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