28 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, abundance, advice, at low ebb, battle, be not afraid, be strong, be terrified, blessed, blessing, chariots, claiming, creativity, despair, dismayed, do not tremble, doubts, dread not, Egypt, enemies, enjoy, faith, favour, fear not, for His name's sake, frightening shadow, fulfill the statutes, God is faithful, God's goodness, God's laws, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, health, help, horses, I shall not want, integrity, judgements, keep the law of God, let not your hearts faint, lie down in green pastures, more than thou, Moses, nor be afraid, of a good courage, One Year Book of Bible promises, prosper, queries, quietly, quivering emotion, rejoice, restoreth my soul, secretly, self-control, self-discipline, slowly, still waters, strain, strength, success, takest heed, talent, thankful for life, the Lord be with thee, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord thy God goes with thee, the Old Testament, the paths of righteousness, the promise, the promises of God, the wilderness, this is the day the Lord has made, Thursday's Blessings, times of peace, times of stress, to fight for you, to save you, true to your word, unblemished integrity, understanding, we will be glad and rejoice in it, weak, wealth, weary, wisdom, worn
Deuteronomy 31:6. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.
Awright mih breddren, another bright and beautiful day is upon us! So let’s be thankful for life, for health, wealth and strength by declaring as the psalmist did: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24)
Yes friends, we need to rejoice and enjoy God’s goodness and blessings, because that’s why He bestows them on us. But unfortunately, sometimes our faith is at low ebb, and thus we have doubts and queries like found in this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings from Ruth Harms Calking.
Listen to it. It’s called ‘The Promise.’ ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering emotion within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale.
Often you do the most When you seem to do the least. Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word.
And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn Help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
Yes my people, the Lord WILL keep His word! There’s absolutely no doubt about that! So when we go through those rough patches, we need to remember that our God is ALWAYS faithful to His promises and we can utterly rely on Him to fulfill them!
And the scripture verse attached to that poem is one we all know, rely on and LOVE! I’m talking about those magnificent and encouraging words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:1-3)
Oh my fellow believers how tender, moving and reassuring are those sentiments eh! Millions of us turn to that psalm for comfort in times of stress and strain. But here’s another powerful, reassuring and mountain moving promise of our great God that we can also hold on to.
It features the words of Moses found in our Bit. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’
Ah precious people of God, what more can we ask of our God eh? Nothing really, for it’s all found in those words! And the promise is so pervasive, it’s found in several parts of the Old Testament. Let’s check out a couple of them, beginning with when Moses was laying out God’s laws concerning wars to the Israelites.
‘When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, And shall say unto them,
Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is he that goeth before with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ (Deut.20:1-4)
Yes friends, in times of war, our wonderful God will surely fight for His people! Now listen to Bruh David as He counsels Cousin Sol re being strong in times of peace.
‘Now, my son, the Lord be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the Lord thy God, as he hath said of thee. Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.
Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgements which the Lord charged (commanded) Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.’ (1 Chr.22:11-13)
Oh my fellow believers, a parent couldn’t give their child any better advice, because it’s in keeping the Lord’s commandments that one prospers!
And no, I did not forget, I was just keeping the best for last. (smile) It’s Thursday, so let’s go home with a powerful, sincere and overwhelming declaration of our Thursday Blessings nuh.
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!’
Remember friends, a blessing is not a blessing until its been declared! Much LOVE!
…one can utterly rely on the promises of God…for they are never broken…
06 Jul 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, accomplished, assistant, beyond comprehension, beyond expectation, blesses, blessing, brilliant light of Jesus, but by my spirit, cnadlestick, coming in, coming of the Messiah, empowers, encouraging, escape, evil night, expectations, flying colours, glad to be alive, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's great earth, godforsaken, going out, Guide, halfway home, He that keepeth Israel, hide, holy spirit, I'm not turning back, imbued, impossible, invade, Israel, Jesus, Joshua, magnanimous god, magnificent God, marvellous, Messiah, move mountains, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, neither slumber nor sleep, no way Jose, nor by power, not by might, olive trees, omnipotence, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, penetrate every fibre, Pentecost, permeate, praise the performance, praises, preserve thy soul, Protector, ramifications, reassuring words, reward, run, Ruth Harms Calkin, saith the Lord, shade upon thy right hand, strength, the breath of life, the dark, the Lord is thy keeper, the moon by night, the Spirit of God, the straight and narrow path, the sun shall not smite thee, the Task, unite, victory, vision, walk on water, Wednesday Wail, wherewithal, wisdom, You electrify me, Zechariah, Zerubbabel
Zechariah 4:6b. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
And then it was another bright and sunshiny day on God’s great earth!
And all His people joyfully declared: ‘Glory to God for bringing us safely through the dark and evil night into the glorious and brilliant light of His Son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!’
Yes friends, our wonderful God is always working on our behalf! What does the scripture say? ‘Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth,and even for ever more’ (Ps.121:4-8)
Ah mih people what encouraging and reassuring words! They tell us all about the sustaining power of our omnipotent God!
Now hear this other aspect of our marvellous and magnanimous God. It comes in the form of a poem ‘The Task,’ from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
And it says: ‘Lord, You give me a task So utterly impossible So totally beyond comprehension – The very thought of it Startles me. I want to run hide escape Anything, Lord. Then You electrify me You invade and permeate me
You penetrate every fiber of me Until the task is accomplished By Your own magnificent power. Then You praise the performance Your creativity achieved And You reward me beyond expectation – As though I had done it All by myself, My Father.’
Wow mih breddren! Isn’t that a most magnificent God? He gives you a task that seems utterly impossible, then gives you the wherewithal to perform it with flying colours, then turns around and praises and blesses you, as though you had done it all on your own, when, without His omnipotence, you couldn’t even have accomplished the initial step!
Oh my people, I feel that way everyday when I come to write the Bit, for basically it’s not my idea, but the Lord’s, and through His Holy Spirit, He guides and enables me to write it. Yuh think I could have been writing the Bit for nine years now in my own strength and wisdom? No way Jose! It’s the Lord who empowers me each and every day!
And the scripture verse on which that poem is based is also our Bit for today. ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.’ Yes friends, it’s not through might nor power, but through His Holy Spirit that the Lord accomplishes His tasks through us!
Now that piece of scripture comes from a vision of the prophet Zechariah about a magnificent, golden candlestick and two olive trees. And the angel in the vision asked Zechariah if he knew its significance?
And when Zechariah said no, the angel informed him. ‘Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.’ (Zech.4:6) That’s the full verse there.
And the scholars offer us this explanation. ‘4:1-14. The fifth vision, the golden candlestick and the two olive trees: The work of God (the rebuilding of the temple) would be accomplished through God’s leaders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, who would be enabled to perform their tasks by the Spirit of God.
The vision indicates that future Israel will be a blessing to all the nations of the world through an abundant supply of the Spirit of God as the result of the coming of the Messiah, who will unite the offices of priest and king in Himself.’
And did it all come to pass as prophesied my people? It surely did! For since the coming of Jesus, beginning at Pentecost, all believers have been imbued with the Holy Spirit as their guide and assistant. In the olden days the Spirit would come upon someone when the Lord needed them to do something special, but didn’t dwell within them as He does in us now…
And all God’s children declared a loud, sincere and heartfelt, ‘Glory to God for His wonderful goodness to the children of men!’ And He certainly deserves oodles of glory my breddren!
Now we won’t get into the ramifications of our Bit today, we’ll leave that for tomorrow, the Lord willing. Let’s go home instead by declaring our Wednesday Wail with sincerity, truth, faith and hope, some of the things that keep us going on the right path, the straight and narrow one, in this evil, godforsaken world.
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh friends, I do hope those words were sincerely and truthfully felt and meant, because only then can we enthusiastically go out with great expectations of victory, and do the important work Christ has entrusted us with. Have a godly and blessed day my people! Much LOVE!
…when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…your life changes for the better…you can walk on water and move mountains…
29 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, artesian well, assurance, Beelzebub, belief, believe, blessed, bounden duty, bread, bread from heaven, bread of life, challenge, comes down from heaven, confidence, crapaud smoke we pipe, dissatisfaction, doubt, empty days, encourage, eternal, evil minions, flowers, fortify, freed me, glad to be alive, glorious kingdom, gloriously rich, glory hallelujah, God of glory, halfway home, hearts unfold, heaven, honest surrender, hunger, I'm not looking back, ignorance, immortal gladness, impoverished heart, Irreversible, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful joyful, life, life-changing thoughts, Lord and Saviour, Lord of love, LOVE, manna, melt the clouds, Moses, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, never hunger, never thirst, One Year Book of Bible promises, opening to the sun above, personal lives, positive vibes, praise and worship, Ruth Harms Calkin, sadness, seeking signs, sheer joy, signs, sin, spiritual, surrender, thanks and praise, the breath of life, the dark of doubt, the lake of fire, the light of day, the true bread, they that have not seen, thirst, thoughts, unmoved, uplift one's soul, vibes, vim and vigour, we adore you, Wednesday Wail, well, wisdom, wonders
John 6:48. I am that bread of life.
Awright friends, let’s begun the show with a li’l praise and worship nuh, like we ought to. Let’s sing the first two verses of the beautiful hymn, ‘Joyful, joyful…’
In full voice now: ‘Joyful, joyful, we adore You, God of glory, Lord of LOVE, Hearts unfold like flowers before You, Opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day Hallelujah we adore You! Hallelujah! Amen! Amen! Amen!’
Oh my people, that was indeed a rousing rendition! Nothing like giving thanks and praise to uplift one’s soul! Now let’s keep up the positive vibes by getting into this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings By Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s titled ‘Irreversible Yes.’
And it says: ‘God, You have done A beautiful thing for me. You have freed me from the dissatisfaction Of so many empty days and months. Into my impoverished heart You have poured life-changing thoughts of You Making each new day gloriously rich.
You have struck a deep artesian well in my soul As sheer joy springs forth. All because in an act of honest surrender When life had lost its challenge I said an irreversible YES to You!’
Oh friends, that’s the joy and beauty that springs forth when we say an irreversible ‘YES’ to God! Glory Hallelujah!
Those who refuse to say yes to Him, surely don’t know what they’re missing nuh, but it’s our bounden duty to point it out to them through our words and the godly actions of our lives. So please let’s do that sincerely and diligently nuh, so that we can glorify our heavenly Father and spur on His glorious kingdom as we ought to!
And we not done yet mih people; more positive vibes to come as we declare our Wednesday Wail with plenty vim and vigour, showing that we truly believe and mean it. (smile)
Wailing now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers, am I ever glad to be alive, having Almighty God’s awesome breath of life flowing through me this Wednesday morning at then end of June 2016! I surely hope you are too. For what good is being alive if you’re not enjoying it eh? None whatsoever!
And if we’re happy to be alive, then we need to do the things that keep the joy surging forth in our spirits, meaning keeping our hands firmly to the plough and focusing on the future, that glorious future that Jesus has planned for us.
And all God’s people declared a loud and thankful ‘Hallelujah! Amen!’
Now let’s turn to our Bit, which is also the promise upon which the ‘Irreversible Yes’ poem was based. And it’s such a simple but awesomely powerful statement made by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. ‘I am that bread of life.’
What confidence and assurance our Saviour displays! Earlier on, He’s been trying to teach His listeners about what truly matters. They were seeking signs of Him that would encourage and fortify their belief. Then they taunted Him by saying: ‘Our father’s did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ (John 6:31)
I guess Jesus spirit must have been moved, and He sadly shook His head at their ignorance. ‘Then said Jesus unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.’ (John 6:32-34)
No doubt the hungry crowd was thinking in terms of physical bread, but Jesus was talking about spiritual stuff. ‘And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.’ (John 6:35)
What a powerful statement friends! The problem though, is do we believe it, or are we like those who heard it spoken from Christ’s lips, but remained unmoved? I certainly hope that we do believe it with all our souls, bodies, hearts and minds, otherwise crapaud smoke we pipe!
Why do I say that? Listen to this explanation from the scholars. ‘6:35. I am the bread of life means the bread that gives life. The life of which He speaks is spiritual and eternal.’
Oh my people, that means if we don’t believe we won’t have eternal life! And that’s the worst thing that can happen to a human being! Just imagine being eventually cast into the lake of fire with Beelzebub and all his evil minions nuh? Think what it would be like to endure such tribulation?
Yuh think our earthly trials and tribulations are bad? Well that will take the cake! And all because we did not believe the simple words of our Lord and Saviour. It boggles my mind to think that so many of them saw the signs and wonders He did here on earth and yet still refused to believe.
Oh friends, we didn’t see those personally, but thankfully we do believe, and our belief is strong and irrepressible because in these modern times, He’s also wrought signs and wonders in our personal lives.
Let’s keep on believing friends, and keep on doing what He desires of us, for that is undoubtedly the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…blessed are they that have not seen…and yet have believed… (John 20:29b)
24 Jun 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spring of water, a watered garden, Abraham, abyss, Always there, anger, believers in Christ, blessed be God, comfort, compassion, confusion of face, conviction, cry out, Daniel, deity, despair, dregs, drought, fellowship, fires of Hades, forgiveness, forgiving, Friday chant, fun, generous help, God is ever-faithful, God's glorious kingdom, Hades, helplessness, I call your name, impoverished, iniquity, Jacob, leggo beast, LOVE, loving kindness, mankind, massa, mercies, merciful, mercy, Micah, One Year Book of Bible promises, pardons, partying, perspective, promise, rebelled, rebellion, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, repentance, rescue, rest, rock bottom, Ruth Harms Calkin, satisfy thy soul, self-sufficiency, shame, sinned, slain for our benefit, spotless Lamb, strengthen thy bones, taste the dregs, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the bottom of the abyss, the depths of despair, the depths of the sea, the Father of mercies, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of All Comfort, the redemptive work of Christ, the working class, transgression, trials, tribulations, truth, umbrella of love, vanish, work soon done
2 Corinthians 1:3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.
And then it was Friday; that day the working class holds so dearly, because it heralds the upcoming weekend, the couple of days off from work when they can do their own thing.
That’s why they continually declare, ’TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and massa work soon done! The weekend is upon us, and the time will be fine, partying and carrying on like leggo beast! Thank God for Friday and the weekend!’
Ah friends, as we keep on saying, some partying on the weekend is fine, but the overdoing and leggo beast thing is definitely not. The weekend is made for a sensible mixture of rest and otherwise. So let’s chant our Friday Chant nuh, so we that can get a better perspective on how to use the couple days off we have.
As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my people, that’s putting the weekend to much better use! The important thing there is that we’re healthy, rested and ready to undertake next week’s work in the proper manner befitting a child of God, so that our work, character and attitude will glorify Him. Anything less than that is not good enough!
Now here is an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, which many of us can no doubt attest to in our own lives. It’s simply titled ‘Always There.’
And it says, in all sincerity and truth: ‘So often, Lord I reach the bottom of the abyss. So often I taste the dregs Of my own helplessness. Yet it is there, exactly there That you come to my immediate rescue. When I feel totally impoverished Of all self-sufficiency When I want to vanish into nowhere From the depths of despair I call your name And you are always there for me.’
And isn’t that the awesome living truth my fellow believers in Christ? It surely is! For many of us don’t call to God until we reach rock bottom and the searing fires of Hades are burning all around us. But our God is such a wonderful Deity that whenever we do cry out, in sincere conviction and repentance, He will come to us and bring us safely through our trials and tribulations.
Oh, what a majestic, magnanimous and magnificent God we serve my brethren!
And the Bible promise attached to that poem comes from Isaiah. ‘And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought (dry places), and make fat (strengthen) thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.’ (Is.58:11)
Oh what a beautiful promise precious people of God! And we know that God is ever faithful, and will keep every promise that He’s made, so there’s absolutely no need to worry if we’re travelling under His umbrella of LOVE!
And that ties in ever so nicely with our Bit. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.’
Yes friends, our God is indeed a God of mercy and comfort! He showers us with mercy and comfort so that we can go out and share it with others who desperately need it. So through us, He accomplishes His holy desire.
Now let’s turn to some scriptures which complement our Bit. Listen first to the prophet Daniel. ‘O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face (shame), to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan.9:8-9)
Yes my brethren, yuh see the vast difference between our God and us? We are rebellious, but He is merciful and forgiving, in spite of that rebellion! How can we ever want for a better Deity eh?
Now hear Micah, as he extols the wonders of our great and mighty God. ‘Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by (over) the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy (LOVING-kindness)?
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast their (our) sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform (give) the truth to Jacob, and the mercy (LOVING-kindness) to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.’ (Mic.7:18-20)
Now what can be more assuring and uplifting that that eh friends? Nothing really! So as we go about doing the Lord’s work today my brethren, let’s remember these promises, keep them throbbing in our hearts, so that we can be confident in all that we do and say.
And let us never forget, as the scholars tell us: ‘7-18. The forgiveness and pardon of a merciful and gracious God toward sinful mankind is declared by the Scriptures to be based on the redemptive work of the Saviour.’
And all Christ’s followers declared a loud, proud and hearty shout of ‘All praise, honour and glory be to the innocent, spotless Lamb that was slain for our benefit, for our forgiveness of sins. May He live and reign forever!’ Much LOVE my people!
…oh, what would we worthless sinners do….without a merciful, forgiving and compassionate God eh…
P.S. Just one of those days. (smile) Much LOVE!
20 May 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a very present help in trouble, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, action, an artesian well, blessed, blissful, breathed with God, Christian friends, commuting, contentment, drudgery, expectation, faith, fears, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, glory, God is my rock, God is our refuge and strength, gospel truth, heart attacks, heart's desires, hope, I shall not be moved, incredible happenings, insurmountable, joy, long-suffering, look to Jesus, melted like wax, no need to worry, obedient to god, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, opened windows, opens doors, patience, peace, poured into my heart, problems, provides opportunities, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, rest, Revelation, Ruth Harms Calkin, salvation, saturated my mind, Selah, sheer joy, slave labour, stress, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the mountains shake, the valley of despair, the waters roar, the weekend, though the earth be removed, threatening clouds, traffic jams, trust, wait for Jesus, walked with God, wax, You did all the rest
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.
One more day friends, just one more day, and then we’ll all have the short rest we so badly crave…
But unbeknownst to me, the word had already been spread that it was Friday, and the joyful shouts all around the place were deafening.
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes mih breddren! Hurrah for the weekend, when we do our own thing! No more massa and his slave labour to worry about for two, whole big days! Thank God for Fridays yes mih people!’
And so it went on. The working people were surely glad to have a couple days off from what has become pure drudgery in this supposed enlightened and advanced world.
Just the commuting alone; twice a day, five days a week, in the ever-increasing traffic jams is enough to cause untold stress. It’s a wonder we don’t find more people just dead from heart attacks while sitting in the stifling and irritating traffic jams.
Anyway my Christian friends, that’s where the patience and long-suffering of our Christian belief comes in. (smile) Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a fine perspective on how to spend our weekends. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s the route we ought to follow if we expect to be bright and fresh and reinvigorated on Monday morning.
Now here’s an interesting poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled: ‘You Did All The Rest.’
And it says: ‘O Lord God! I did what You asked me to do: I just opened windows Wide… Wide… And You did all the rest! You poured into my heart A blessed, blissful contentment. You saturated my mind With gigantic thoughts of You.
You struck an artesian well within me Until sheer joy sprang forth. You led me out of the valley of despair Into a succession of incredible happenings. Problems which seemed insurmountable Melted like wax before my eyes. Fears faded away like threatening clouds.
You startled me You amazed me With the glory of Your revelation. It is true Gloriously true – I have literally walked and breathed with God. I just opened windows Wide… Wide… God, You did all the rest!’
Oh my fellow believers isn’t that truly beautiful? It surely is! And the awesome thing about it is that it’s also gospel truth! For that’s how we feel when we sincerely look to and patiently wait on Jesus.
In His time He opens doors and provides opportunities and gives us our heart’s desires and just fills our souls with His joy and peace, like we never thought possible.
And the Bible Promise for that writing is our Bit. ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present (an abundantly available) help in trouble.’
And if that is true, then this corollary from the sons of Korah, the psalmists, obviously applies: ‘Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst (the heart) of the sea: Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.’ (Ps.46:2-3)
Yes friends, let’s just sit and ponder that for a moment nuh. If our God is all that we claim Him to be, then we shouldn’t be afraid of anything that happens in our world. Unfortunately though, it’s not the way it happens in real life. Too many Christians live afraid and anxious lives, despite the assurance of God.
What does that say about us eh? That although we talk the good talk, deep down we’re still not as strong and faithful as we ought to be. That we have not truly or fully surrendered our hearts, minds, bodies and souls to our Creator, and we don’t trust and obey Him like we ought to.
But yuh know what friends, our wonderful God knows our weaknesses and our frailties because He made us, and despite it all, He still LOVES us with that unimaginable, unconditional, never-ending LOVE of His.
And all God’s people shouted a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Praise His Holy Name! May He reign for ever and ever!’
Oh my fellow believers, once we’re doing our sincere best to follow and be obedient to Almighty God, there’s no need to worry. He will undoubtedly stand beside us and help us along our pilgrim’s way.
Now let’s end with some of Bruh David’s thoughts on the subject from Psalm 62 – God only is my rock and my salvation. ‘My soul, (silently) wait thou only upon God; for my expectation (hope) is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved (shaken).
In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps.62:5-8)
Oh my brethren, that says it all! It’s up to us now to put all of that into action, if we desire to see better days both down here on earth and in heaven. Much LOVE!
…if the omnipotent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our God…then there’s absolutely no need for believers to be afraid…
24 Apr 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a doer of the work, a forgetful hearer, a party, an inspiration, believers in Christ, believing in jesus, celebrate, Christians, coiffured, dancing, energy, faithfulness, force ourselves, free from bondage, giving thanks, glorify God, glory hallelujah, go to church, God's mercy, happy, joy, joyous, led astray, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, man-made rules, meet in secret, One Year Book of Bible promises, outward show, peace, persecuted, pick sense from nonsense, pinned their hopes, praise, praising, radiance, reading the Word, redemption, religiosity, religious achievement, revelation of God, righteousness, Ruth Harms Calkin, shall be blessed in his deed, singing, spiritual acumen, talking to God, the Alpha and the Omega, the be all and end all, the First and the Last, the goodness, the perfect law of liberty, the Secret, time, to know Jesus, traditional church law, union with Christ, wisdom, worship
James 1:25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, it’s Sunday! Glory Hallelujah! What a joy it is to be able to get up and go out to church and worship with other believers!
How awesome it is to get together and praise and celebrate the goodness and LOVING-kindness of our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Receiving in return His unbeatable strength, unsurpassed wisdom, unconditional LOVE, ever-faithful care and heart-felt compassion! Glory Be!
Oh friends, how I wish the majority of us would feel like that on Sunday mornings. Hn! The sad reality though is that too many of us force ourselves to get up and go to church because it’s expected of us; just like work on a Monday morning. There’s no joy in our spirits like if we were going to a party.
But friends, it is a party we’re going to! Isn’t there singing and dancing, and praising and giving thanks? There surely is! It’s not just a mournful, dirge-like experience that we’re forced to live through. So why, for so many of us, going to church is like pulling teeth eh?
We ought to be happy and joyous, celebrating the occasion to be able to get together freely in public to glorify our Creator. Many of our fellow believers around the world don’t have that privilege. They have to hide and meet in secret, in out of the way places to have church. And in many places they are persecuted for simply believing in Jesus! That means we have the best of all worlds, but simply don’t appreciate it.
Anyway, enough of my ranting, (smile) listen to this excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. As soon as I read it, I knew that it would be most appropriate for this glorious Sunday morning.
It’s titled ‘The Secret,’ and it says: ‘I couldn’t help but watch her As we sat in the service together Last Sunday morning… Her white hair so neatly coiffured Her hands resting on her open Bible Her smile so beautifully tranquil. When the hymn was announced She sang with a glowing smile. Occasionally during the message She nodded her head in assent.
(O Lord, what peace she portrays.) After the service I spoke to her: “You are an inspiration, my dear. I hope I may sit with you again.” She thanked me profusely. Then she added with shining joy “Isn’t it wonderful to know Jesus? I mean – really KNOW Him!” In that instant, dear God I knew the secret of her radiance.’
Oh precious people of Jesus, that is how we ought to be, and can be if we’d only invest some more time and energy in truly getting to KNOW our amazing, magnificent and magnanimous God! And we can only do that by seriously reading His Word, sincerely talking to Him in prayer and joyfully fellowshipping with other believers.
And by the way, the promise attached to that poem is ‘Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ (Phil. 3:8 NL.V)
Oh what indisputable truth that is my brethren! There is nothing that’s worth more in this mish-mash world than truly KNOWING Jesus! For He is indeed the Be All and the End All of our world; the First and the Last; the Alpha and Omega! Oh praise His Holy Name my people!
That brings us to our Bit: ‘But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed (in what he does).’ More truth of enormous proportions my brethren!
And we’ll continue looking at the references that the scholars gave re ‘the perfect law of liberty.’ We saw what Jesus had to say about His coming to fulfill the law not destroy it. (Matt.5:17) Now listen to Bruh Paul, as he talks about zeal but no righteousness.
‘Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record (witness) that they have a zeal of (for) God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.’ (Acts 10:1-4)
And the scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘10:4. Christ is the end of the law: Israel mistook the purpose of the law. The law pointed to the righteousness that is attainable only by belief in Christ. Israel also mistook the scope of the law. The righteousness to which it pointed was universally available to all who responded to God’s revelation of Himself through the law.
But by Paul’s time many had substituted works for faith. Rather than seeking redemption in God’s mercy, they pinned their hopes on their own religious achievement.’
And unfortunately many of us are doing the same thing today my people. We are concentrating too much on our religious works and achievements, and not enough on the righteousness that is necessary, and can be attained from a sincere and purposeful union with Christ.
Ah friends, many of us are being led astray by the religiosity of the church; the concentration on man-made rules and regulations, the many do’s and don’ts that have become institutionalized down through the ages. It’s time for us to be free from the bondage of traditional church law and return to what is truly important, the spiritual acumen that Jesus died for us to have; the true inner faithfulness and righteousness, not merely the outward show to look good in public.
Now I hope that this message makes sense, but as I always say, we Christians are bright enough to pick sense from nonsense. (smile) And if the message does nothing else, I hope that it puts a joy in our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits to get up and go to church this Sunday morning, for that is indeed the wisdom of the ages my fellow believers! Much LOVE!
…oh the true joy of really knowing Jesus…nothing to it can compare…
29 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire, agape, assurance, at such times, Babylonian captivity, biblical promise, bondage, Buccoo, comfort, comprehend, doing the Lord's work, Easter Tuesday, empower us, evil, faithful God, fear not neither be dismayed, Goat races, God's presence, He will not fail thee neither forsake thee, heartache, heartbreak, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, Israelites, keep on keeping on, lost and alone, LOVE, Moses, no longer endure, One Year Book of Bible promises, peace, people of god, promises, share His love with the world, shekinah glory, solace, state of mind, the Lord goes before thee, there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, Tobago, transforming peace, triumphantly risen Christ, true believers, trust, Tuesday Mantra, ungodly world, writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, Yahweh, zeal
Deuteronomy 31:8. And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
And then it was Tuesday my friends – Easter Tuesday! Now that means it’s also time for the great spectacle of goat races in Tobago!
Yes my brethren, it’s time to get us down to Buccoo and enjoy an afternoon of goat races and great partying at possibly the only stadium in the world built to host that sport. Only in T&T, you say!
They had a small offering while I was there the other day and it was really enjoyable. I hadn’t seen goat races in many a year. I vaguely remember the last time as being completely wasted and partying down the place with a friend’s sister on the verandah of a house near the track.
Ah Lord eh! Those were the days! In those times they had individual parties at houses that surrounded the track. But now, progress has come along, and it’s held in a brand new state of the art facility, with all the amenities; food, drink, music, etc, all in one place. So don’t hesitate to check it out. (smile)
And since Today is Tuesday, it’s of the utmost importance that we declare our Tuesday Mantra, with sincerity, joy and a true sense of belief and purpose.
All together now: ‘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.’
Yes my fellow believers, that’s exactly who we are, the beloved of God; a fact that NO ONE can take away from us. So as many of us go back out to work after the long Easter weekend, let’s hold that thought, that fact, close to our hearts, and let it empower us as we go about our day, doing the Lord’s work.
Let’s remember too that Jesus is our friend, in fact our BEST Friend; one who sticketh, stands closer with us than a brother, as Cousin Sol says in Proverbs 18:24. And basically, all we are called to do is share His LOVE with the world. Now that shouldn’t be too hard to do, should it? (smile)
Unfortunately though, our world today is not interested in true LOVE, the agape, the brotherly kind of LOVE that Jesus desires to share. But friends, we’ve got to keep on keeping on and pursue our vocation to LOVE with a strong, never-ending zeal, for that’s what makes us true believers and followers of the triumphantly risen Christ!
Now here is something from our One Year book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one is titled ‘At Such Times.’
And it says: ‘God, there are times In the midst of heartache and heartbreak When there is no comfort, no solace Anywhere at all. There are times When in my crumbling state of mind I feel I can no longer endure – Not for a day, not even an hour.
It is at such times, O God That I draw heavily upon Your unfathomable LOVE. At such times I implore Your transforming peace. At such times I live By the power and promises Of a Father who cares infinitely more Than I can begin to grasp or comprehend. Today, dear God, is a “such time.”
Oh my precious and beautiful people of God, I’m sure that resonates so truthfully with us all, because there are times in all our lives when we feel lost and alone, and Almighty God is the ONLY One who understands our situation, and the ONLY One who can provide us true solace and comfort!
So let us never be afraid, ashamed or whatever, to call upon our heavenly Father for His peace and LOVE, because He’s always there, ready and able to help us.
And the Biblical Promise for that poem is also our Bit for today: ‘And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’
Yes friends, our God made that promise through Moses oodles of years ago, and it still stands even to this day!
And all God’s people loudly declared: ‘O heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises! We don’t always put our full trust in them, but deep down we know that they are solid, solid as a rock, and that You will never renege on any of them, because You are a faithful and true God.
Please help us to stand more securely on the many promise You have made to us over the years, for that is the only way we will ever successfully handle the evil and ungodly world that now surrounds us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.’
And one of the best-known instances of our God going before His people and neither forsaking nor failing them is this passage from Exodus when the Lord took the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt.
‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.’ (Ex.13:21-22)
And please note the last verse there friends. I believe the writer added it to assure us that God did keep His promise for the long haul. And we’ll close with these words from the scholars re the pillars of cloud and fire.
’13:21. This glowing cloud was the shekinah glory of Yahweh, which later filled the tabernacle (40:35) and then Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10), and finally departed from the temple and the city just before the Babylonian captivity (Ezek 8-11).
This “glory of the God of Israel” will not return to Israel until the second coming of Christ (Ezek.43:1-7), at which time the glowing cloud will once again cover God’s earthly people (Is.4:5). It guided the people through the wilderness, assured them of God’s presence, and protected them from the Egyptians (cf.14:19-20).’
Oh friends, what a faithful and mighty God we serve. Please never let us forget that. Much LOVE!
…the God of Israel…faithful and true…is His name and nature…
P.S. Please excuse the lateness. Just too much late night Easter Monday partying. (smile) Much LOVE!
16 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a solitary note, Advocate, appreciation, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, bicker, breathtaking knowledge, brother, chimes, Christian, complain, declarations, defer not to pay, difference, diligent, dissipation, enthusiasm, eternity, excess, exhort, faithfulness, friend, get on track, give ear, giving thanks always, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God has no pleasure in fools, God's work, grateful, hear, heaven, hymns, I am halfway home, I will sing praise, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in God's sight, in the fear of God, instruct, It's Good, Jesus, life symphony, life-giving love, LOVE, magnify, mercies, Messiah, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, o ye kings, o ye princes, One Year Book of Bible promises, praise the name of god, psalms, responsibility, Ruth Harms Calkin, saviour, serve, sing praise to the Lord God of Israel, sing praises to God, spiritual songs, steadfast, thankful, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the obits, to all generations, to be loved by God, tremulous heart, truth, unsettled questions, used for good, vow unto God, walk like the children of God, Wednesday Wail, with my mouth, worship Christ
Judges 5:3. Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.
Oh my people, another beautiful day has dawned on God’s great earth, and along with it our responsibility to walk like the children of God that we are! Glory Hallelujah!
And our God is so great that He gives us all the tools we need to do His work. Glory to God!
So let’s not bicker and complain this glorious Wednesday morn. Instead, let’s raise our voices and wail our Wednesday Wail with joyful enthusiasm and grateful appreciation.
As one 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 precious people, that’s what we ought to be doing and feeling; be grateful that we’re still alive, for a lot of others names are in the obits today, but not ours. For that we ought to be rather thankful.
Then we have to be serious about doing God’s work; being diligent and steadfast about it, while believing and looking forward to a wonderful future with Jesus, both down here on earth, and then in heaven for all eternity.
And all Jesus’ followers declared loud, proud and grateful: ‘Glory to God! Thank You Lord for giving us Jesus as our Messiah, Advocate, Saviour, Brother and Friend! We faithfully promise to do His work, serve, worship and LOVE Him for evermore! Amen.’
Now please remember what Cousin Sol says about promises in Ecclesiastes. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:4-5)
Yes friends, that puts us on the spot, for we have just promised to serve and worship Jesus Christ for ever. So please, let’s not break that vow, let’s keep paying it each and every day, so that we don’t end up as fools in God’s sight.
And today I want to share a poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘It’s Good.’
Please pray with me. ‘God, it’s good to be LOVED by You! The breathtaking knowledge Of Your life-giving LOVE Rings chimes in my tremulous heart. It fashions eternal declarations Out of unsettled questions. It creates a majestic life symphony from a solitary note. God, it’s good to be LOVED by You!’
And isn’t that the awesome truth my brethren! It’s so wonderful to be LOVED by a God as powerful and merciful and forgiving and understanding as ours! Give Him the thanks and praise He rightfully deserves my people!
And the biblical promise for that prayer comes from Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David. Ethan the Ezrahite opens it thus: ‘I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.’ (Ps.89:1)
And does that ever fit right in with our Bit, our continuing desire to sing praises to our great God. ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes: I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel.’
Oh my fellow believers, I don’t think that we do that as much as we should. We don’t seem to have time, or make time to do as Bruh Paul directed the Ephesians. ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yes friends, that’s how we ought to conduct our lives as true believing Christians! Unfortunately though, not enough of us are doing it to the extent that we should, and that’s why we are not making as powerful a difference in this evil world as we should.
And we’ll close today with some valuable info from the scholars on those verses. ‘5:19-21. There are four results of being Spirit filled (v.18): (1) believers speak to one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; that is, they exhort and instruct each other;
(2) there is singing and the making of melody, of individual song and praise for the Lord; (3) there is giving thanks always – the Spirit enables the Christian to be grateful for all things divinely allowed to enter his life since they will be used for good;
(4) there is mutual submission, that is, showing deference to the wishes of one another, as long as that to which the believer submits is in the fear of God, which is to say, in accord with what pleases Him.’
And there we have it my brethren; the way we ought to conduct ourselves as true believers in Christ. I therefore implore us, starting today, right now, to get on track and give thanks and sing praises to our wonderful God, the way we ought to, for that is indeed wisdom of the highest order. Much LOVE!
…I will praise the name of God with a song…and will magnify him with thanksgiving… (Ps.69:30)
09 Mar 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: balanced lives, children of God, common task, communing with God, Crusoe's Isle, daily grind, devotions, evil, fellowship, forgiveness, friends, friends of Jesus, giants, give thanks, glory hallelujah, glory to God, gospel truth, grace, grow in grace, harmony, holy spirit, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, ingenious God, Jesus Christ, kindness, knowledge of Jesus, LOVE, memorable, memories, mercy, midget, more like Jesus, One Year Book of Bible promises, pollinating, praying, reproduction, Rosie's rock cake, Ruth Harms Calkin, salt air, share His love with the world, sights and sounds of nature, sitting on the patio, spiritual growth, the Lord in favour, the party's over, Tobago, truth, Tuesday Mantra, warmth, wisdom, worth the waiting
2 Peter 3:18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.
Well friends, the music has ended, and the D.J is packing up his equipment, that means the party’s over! Steups! So sad, but oh so true.
The simple fact of the matter is that we can’t party for ever, we also have to have periods of work if we want to live balanced lives as the Lord, our Maker intended.
And all of that is just to say that the ole fella’s vacation in paradise, on sweet Tobago is over. Chuh! But them’s the breaks! Sadly, it’s time to get back to the common task and daily grind in the cold North country.
No longer will I be waking up to the sweet singing of the birds, coming out the front door and inhaling the fresh salt air from the sea as the waves rush foam-filled over the reef and crash against the rocky shore. No more sitting out on the patio in the early morning hours communing with the Father, watching the sun rise and feeling it’s heat permeate my very being.
No more watching the birds and insects play amongst the bunch of young date palms on the small tree as they go about their business, God’s business of pollinating the flowers so that life can go on.
And I have to stop and say what a wonderful and ingenious God we serve, the ingenious way He designed for nature’s reproduction. Please give Him all the glory!
Then no more walks along the rocky coastline after devotions… Hn! No more dips in my waterhole either. No more sitting on the patio with the duchess taking in the sights and sounds of nature, as she says, enjoying the ambiance. (smile) And she certainly won’t be able to see, or hear her boats, the ferries speed back and forth along the horizon.
And she won’t be able to have me drive miles down the road to get some of Rosie’s rock cake! Hn! Three times this past week I drove all the way down to this local bakery, in the hot sun to boot, only to discover that she was closed, or she had no drops. I wasn’t very thrilled.
But you know what friends; the vacation might all be over in reality, but the wonderful time we had on Crusoe’s Isle will never be forgotten, will never be erased from our memories. For as Johnny Bristol says in his old song: ‘Memories don’t leave like people do. They always stay with you. Whether they’ve been good or bad, They’re always something that you have.’
And that is gospel truth my people! And believe me, we made many many good memories over the last few weeks. As I sit in my rocking chair during the cold days and nights, I will recall many of them, chuckle and give thanks to the Almighty for having allowed me to make them.
And to all of you in T&T who made our stay so memorable, the duchess and I give you thanks from the very bottom of our hearts. We sincerely appreciated your warmth and kindness, and hope that we can savour some more of it next year, the Lord in favour. Can’t wait to come back! (smile)
Anyway, today is Tuesday, so let’s get on with our Tuesday Mantra nuh. Altogether now: ‘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.’
Glory to God my people for those true and wonderful sentiments! Please, let’s remember that what the world says or thinks about us is of no importance, once we are sincerely trying to do the Father’s bidding. We are indeed children of God and friends of Jesus! That’s our designation; nothing else!
And today I want to share a rather important message from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s aptly titled, ‘Worth the Waiting.’
Listen closely: ‘Growing spiritually is such a long, slow process! It’s painful too. Every day at the turn of the road I become acquainted with new pitfalls and heartaches. Sometimes the pain backs me into a corner. For example: There is a woman I know who is so sarcastic, so curt and unkind. Am I ever excused? Is forgiveness always a part of my growth?
So often I feel like a spiritual midget while my husband and friends appear to be spiritual giants. I seem to shrink in my own home. Another thing: I confess that I am a coward about pain. Emotional pain. Physical pain. The pain of loneliness, the pain of grief.
Yet, again and again it is true. What I must learn in my pain is that it is leading to something positive, something beyond what I can see in the present darkness. I do want to grow! I want to become more and more like Jesus. Even though it takes so long, surely it is worth the waiting.’
And friends, that is the immutable truth! Becoming more like Jesus, is indeed a long and ofttimes painful process, but believe me, it is worth the wait!
So for all of us who have problems like those above, and we all do at some time or other, the important thing is never to give up, just keep holding on tightly to Jesus, because in due time, in His time, He will bring us through the fire transformed, more like Him.
And the Bible Promise for that passage is also our Bit for today. ‘But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever Amen.’
Yes my fellow believers, the only way to handle the wickedness and the temptations of this evil world is by growing in the grace and knowledge of our great and wonderful God. Without the bulwark that His favour and word provide, we’re easy pickings for the enemy.
And remember God’s basic plan for each of us is that we grow more like the Saviour each and every day, by studying His Word, praying and fellowshipping with other believers. Those things need to be constants in our lives, if we are to mature successfully.
And we have a very relevant scripture to quote from Bruh Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. As pertaining to the new life in Christ, he tells them. ‘That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight (trickery) of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in LOVE, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted (knit together) by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual (effective) working in the measure of every part (of each part doing its share), maketh increase (causes growth) of the body unto the edifying of itself in LOVE.’ (Eph.4:14-16)
Yes my brethren, the church of Christ is like the human body, to grow successfully, it needs proper food and all the parts working together in harmony. And the best way to do that is to come up over our problems with LOVE; the LOVE of Christ! Much LOVE!
…in all things…the LOVE of Christ suffices…
20 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundance, acceptance, affirmation, ailments, alive and kicking, as the heaven is high above the earth, behave appropriately, benefits, bless the Lord, blessings, burden, chameleon, Creator of the universe, crowns, deity, destruction, diseases, dust, enjoy your life, ever-faithful God, ever-LOVING God, faith, flesh and blood, forget, frail, friends, give yourself to God, glory hallelujah, glory to God, goodness, gospel truth, human nature, incomprehensible God, iniquities, inner being, Jesus Christ, living God, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are higher than yours, One Year Book of Bible promises, pains, plans, pray, redeems, revere, Ruth Harms Calkin, satisfies, Saturday, serve, slow to anger, so great is his mecry, the east is from the west, the Exception, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, top of the line, toward them that fear him, transgressions, truth, turn away from God, wisdom, worship, your ways, youth is renewed like the eagle's
Psalm 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
Saturday, oh Saturday! What a great day thou art! And isn’t that the awesome truth friends? It surely is! But what’s even better than that, is that every day that God makes is a great one! Glory Hallelujah!
That’s because He has great plans for those who LOVE and sincerely seek Him and dispenses His blessings and mercies in abundance to them each and every new day! Glory to God!
Ah mih people, I can’t impress upon us enough the fact that we worship a most mighty, awesome, generous and ever-LOVING Deity! The ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD, Creator of the Universe and all therein!
Yes Friends, all the other supposed Gods are dead, ours is the ONLY ONE who’s alive and kicking! So why worship something or someone that’s dead eh? No good reason at all my brethren.
And in response to the quote from our friend Anselm yesterday, here’s one similar to it that another friend sent me. Thanks Keith.
Listen up: “As you grow older, there are ailments and pains that beset you. Some will stay with you forever. But as you pray and give yourself to God, He gives you ways in which to deal with the aches, and in doing so, He makes them so much less a burden to you that you can still fully enjoy your life.”
And again I say: What an awesome God we serve and worship!
Now here’s some more indisputable truth, this time from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. Today’s writing is called ‘The Exception.’ Please pray with me, because we all need to come to this rather significant conclusion.
‘Lord, too often I demand From my family and friends More LOVE More affirmation More acceptance Than they are capable of giving. Today, dear God I ask You to burn this truth Into the depth of my inner being: Nobody in all the world Can ever LOVE me As much as I need to be LOVED – Except You!’
Ah mih breddren in Christ Jesus, I won’t even comment and say that that is the gospel truth! (smile) But we do expect a lot more from others than some of them are capable of giving.
Sometimes we need to remember that they are only flesh and blood, and though made in the image of God Almighty, yet are but frail and not as top of the line like Him. Thus we can only do so much and give so much, even though we may want to do and give more. Our human nature in other words is rather finite and at a very low level.
As the Lord has so rightly reminded us in His Word: ‘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)
Now that’s telling us friends! We can in no way truly comprehend the length and breadth of our incomprehensible God! But some of us still foolishly try.
Anyway the promise for today’s writing is also our Bit: ‘For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.’
More gospel and indisputable truth my people! The Lord’s goodness and mercy are unlimited towards those who serve and worship Him faithfully. And I can give testimony to that wonderful fact. Oh, all praise and glory be to our magnificent and magnanimous God!
Hear how Bruh David puts it in Psalm 103 – Thanksgiving for God’s mercy – from which our Bit is taken. ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps.103:1-5)
Oh friends, oh friends, how can I not serve and worship and LOVE and revere such a wonderful God eh! And the most important part of all that is ‘forget not all his benefits.’
And all God’s children gratefully shouted: ‘Oh praise and thank the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for His undeserved kindness to the children of men!’
And that we should truly do my brethren; much more than we actually do, because too many of us forget His benefits, especially when times get rough.
Now that is something I can’t understand; when times get rough, a lot of us forget or turn away from God. But the truth is, that’s when we most need the affection and caring of our heavenly Father, because ofttimes, He is the ONLY ONE who can set our matters right.
We tend to quickly forget what the Lord has done for us in the past. But friends, if He’s helped us in the past, why would He refuse to do the same in the present, if we’re still being obedient and faithful to Him eh? No reason whatsoever.
Remember that we also serve an ever-faithful God, who does not change, is not a chameleon; one moment this, another moment that, but is ever constant.
Listen to Bruh David again. ‘The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous (abounding) in mercy (LOVING-kindness). He will not always chide (strive): neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy (LOVING-kindness) toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear (revere) him. For he knoweth our frame (understands our constitution); he remebereth that we are dust.’ (Ps.103:8-14)
Oh my fellow believers in Christ, in ending, all I ask, is that we too remember that we are mere dust; nothing but dust, and behave appropriately. Much LOVE!
…all flesh shall perish together…and man shall turn again unto dust… (Job 34:15)
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