26 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool uttereth all his mind, a fool's wrath, a helping hand, a prudent man, a talebearer, a wise man keeps it till afterward, accept responsibility, barrier, bounden duty, Christian faith, defers anger, discretion, Eva Rose York, faithful spirit, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, giving, gospel truth, gossipmongers, heartache, heavy load, help others, holy spirit, I shall not pass this way again, ill-will, Jesus Christ, lash out, lime, looking down our noses, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, material possessions, mercy, motives of our hearts, needy, negative images, opposition, party, prideful, receiving, relaxation, relieve pain, renewed and refreshed, rest, run off at the mouth, secular world, selfish nature, slow to anger, strife, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the weekend, transgression, trouble, understanding, vents all his feelings, wearing our emotions on our sleeves, week of work, wisdom, worldly pleasures
Proverbs 29:11. A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward (holds it back).
And then it was Friday…
And the working people joyfully declared: ‘Oh Friday, glorious Friday! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend! Imagine nuh, for two whole days, no massa and his economic slavery! We can do whatever we want. Party and lime as much as we want. No wonder we shout, TGIF! Thank God is Friday!’
Oh friends, what can I say, it’s the basic truth. But then doing whatever we want, whenever we want, and as much as we want has never brought us anything but heartache and trouble. And continual partying and liming is definitely not the proper way to spend our weekends, though many of us seem to think so and thus perpetrate all sorts of misery on ourselves by wasting it in idle worldly pleasures.
In total opposition to that way of thinking though is our Friday Chant, so let’s chant it with sincerity and godly understanding nuh. 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 fellow believers in Christ, that puts the weekend into a much better and wiser perspective!
And today I want to share a few lines of a poem by one of Canada’s early female writers, Eva Rose York. The poem’s titled, ‘I shall not pass this way again.’
And the particular lines tell us. ‘I shall not pass this way again; Then let me now relieve some pain, Remove some barrier from the road, Or lighten someone’s heavy load, A helping hand to this one lend, Then turn to some other to befriend.’
Oh friends, what a telling description of our Christian faith! For that’s exactly what we are supposed to do as believers in Christ Jesus; HELP OTHERS!
And it doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, black or white, or of any particular creed, we all need help at some time or other, and it is our bounden duty to help the needy who come across our paths.
And my One More Day Devotional for People with Chronic Illness, describes that help thus. ‘LOVING help is not prompted by pity or superiority, but by empathy and shared humanness.’
That’s the kind of help Jesus wants us to show and share my brethren, not the kind prompted by looking down our noses at others in worse situations than us. Unfortunately though, too may of us who are fairly well-off, tend to behave in the latter manner.
But friends, I’m here to tell us that the Lord doesn’t welcome or accept that kind of prideful help, and He knows it, because He looks at the motives of our hearts, not our words or outward actions.
So please, let’s stop allowing our pride, our material possessions, our place and power in the secular world from dominating the way we think, and therefore the reason and manner for the help we give to others and also accept, because help doesn’t mean only giving, but also receiving, and receiving in the right manner too.
And that’s my sermon for today! (smile) I know it won’t resonate well with some, but them’s the breaks.
Now let’s turn to our Bit: ‘A fool uttereth all his mind (vents all his feelings): but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward (holds it back).’
Ah mih people, we all know that to be gospel truth, but nonetheless we too often run off at the mouth and/or show our emotions without first thinking about the reactions that they will cause. And sadly it’s a phenomenon that causes a lot of the strife in our world.
It’s ever so important that we, especially Christians, learn to listen and think seriously before we respond since our reactions can impact either negatively or positively for Christ. And remember, whatever we do is all about Jesus, so we definitely don’t need to create any negative images or reactions about Him and his great salvation.
We need to speak words, do things and have reactions that will boost His LOVE Revolution, rather than stuff that will negate it. We already have too much negative stuff re our faith, we certainly don’t need anymore.
And sadly too, in this dangerous and disgusting world, we tend to lash out at others more easily and quickly than we’ve hitherto done. I don’t know if it’s the more selfish nature that now pervades our society that causes it, but it has become a serious problem.
Look at things like road rage, how at the drop of a hat, with very little provocation, someone is ready to pull and use a gun or a knife, plus the amount of verbal, physical and emotional abuse that’s been heaped on others daily. A lot of it stems from selfish behaviour and our refusal to accept responsibility for our actions.
Now let’s check out some more scriptures on the subject from Cousin Sol, who deals with it a lot. Listen up: ‘A fool’s wrath is presently known (known at once): but a prudent man covereth shame.’ (Prov.12:16) Yes friends, wearing our emotions on our sleeves has its proper time and place.
Hear Cousin Sol again: ‘A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.’ (Prov.11:13) Christians ought never to be gossipmongers or congregate too often with them!
It’s all Cousin Sol today friends. ‘Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.’ (Prov.14:33)
And we’ll end with this gem from the wisest man ever. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger (makes him slow to anger); and it is his glory to pass over (overlook) a transgression.’ (Prov.19:11)
So my fellow brethren in Christ, in conclusion, let’s be wise and go out today being slow to anger and overlook transgressions nuh, just as our God has so often done, and continues to do, in each of our lives. Much LOVE!
…Christians ought to be steeped in LOVE…and LOVE bears no ill-will to another…
19 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a better tomorrow, advice, anger, Anselm, broken, Clifton Hills Resort, corruption, decisions, don't give up, drink the sweet, dysfunctional, eat the fat, encouragement, Ezra, fellowship, focus, for the joy of the Lord is your strength, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, heal, hockey wilderness, hurt, Jesus Christ, joy, joyful, lack of joy, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, mirth, money, mourn not nor weep, Nehemiah, one of the least, pain, party time, Point Fortin, rejoicing, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, resentment, rest, San Fernando, send portions to the needy, temptation, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the Levites, the Pitch Lake, the weekend, the words of the law, this day is holy, trust, try your spirit, understand, Uriah Buzz Butler Highway, water taxi, week of work, wisdom, wounded, ye have done it unto me
Nehemiah 8:10c. For the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And then it was Friday…
And we all know what happens on Fridays – the people rejoice with shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! The weekend’s here at long last, and we can say to hell with work for two days! Party time mih breddren! Oh thank the Lord for Fridays yes!’
Ah mih people, I won’t even bother to say that that is not the best use for us to put the weekend to. (smile) I’ll just say let’s chant our Friday Chant so that we can get a better perspective on our two days off.
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.’
Now that makes a whole lot more sense than just partying away the two little days off we have, then going back out to work next week tired and miserable and complaining. I do hope that eventually most of us learn the right way, for until we do, our lives will keep on being dysfunctional, filled with complaints, resentment, anger and a sad lack of true joy, and that’s definitely no way to live.
And to further help us in living functional and joyous lives, here is a quote from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
Listen up: ‘You’re going to be okay. This pain you feel is going to pass. Maybe not this moment or today or tomorrow, but sometime soon. The hurt will fade. Don’t give up before things get better. You may be wounded, but you aren’t broken. You can and will heal.’
Oh friends, I don’t know about you all nuh, but the ole fella needs that message, that encouragement badly! Now deep down I do know that things will improve health wise, as I’ve already had an inkling of it, but still, when the aches and pains strike out of the blue, with no apparent provocation on your part, it does try your spirit.
That’s why we need to keep our focus steadfastly on the Lord and His tender mercies and LOVING-kindness, so that we won’t give in to the always nagging temptation to give up! And that’s why our Bit is ever so important: ‘For the joy of the Lord is your strength.’
And did I ever have my joy renewed yesterday friends! We took the water taxi from Port of Spain to San Fernando, a cool hour’s ride along the coast of Trinidad. There, a couple of friends met us and drove us through Sando (San Fernando), then down to their home in Point Fortin.
Oh, is the southland ever busy! Brother, the cars are numerous, with all sorts of traffic jams, and then others just swooping by under less than safe circumstances. We saw the highway that was never completed, ostensibly due to lack of money, aided and abetted by serious corruption. Ah Lord eh!
We also saw the Pitch Lake; that mass of regenerating pitch, (asphalt) from which I understand we export, but don’t use ourselves. Anyway it was a very interesting tour, with all sorts of big and beautiful homes along the way, as well as older, not so big ones.
The people are crying that the times they are hard, and no doubt they are for some, but looking at some of what is going up, one would deduce that there is money, and plenty too, in certain echelons of the society.
Nonetheless, we had dinner at a wonderful new establishment called Clifton Hills Resort, situated next to the beach. A small hotel, not yet functional is also situated on the property. It’s well landscaped, the food was delicious and the service excellent.
Then our friends drove us all the way back to Port of Spain, at least an hour and a half drive. The new Uriah Buzz Butler Highway made it a little easier. And wonder of wonders, as I was going up to my room I saw a hockey game on in one of the little booths in the lobby, and I obviously shouted for joy, because I’ve been in a hockey wilderness for three weeks now.
I was just in time to see the third period. And although my team, the Detroit Red Wings lost against the Pittsburgh Penguins, I felt like a thirsty man does when given a drink of water. (smile)
Now let’s end with the rest of the story re our Bit. ‘And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha (Governor), and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
Then said he unto them, go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace (be still), for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth (rejoicing), because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.’ (Neh.8:9-12)
Oh friends, how I wish that we could be so joyful when we hear the word read to us because we understood it. So many of us don’t even pay attention, much less understand.
Then again, we can get all sorts of advice, but we all have to make our own decisions, let’s hope we make the right ones today, especially that of closely following our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for that is indeed the wisdom of all time. Much LOVE!
…in our times of merriment and joy…let’s not forget to share with the needy…for as Jesus said…in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren…ye have done it unto me… (Matt.25:40b)
12 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: actions, basic foundation, Battlefield of the Mind, Bible Study, Christ-like, concentration spans, crucifixion, divine nature, eating solid food, Elementary my dear Watson, emptied himself, evil, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, glory hallelujah, God's Word, holy spirit, I made it through, in the form of God, individual basis, Jesus Christ, joy, Joyce Mayer, Lent, let our lights shine, let this mind be in you, LOVE, make time for God, mature in Christ, obedient, outward appearance, praise and worship, relaxation, renewed and refreshed, rest, salvation, servant's nature, Sherlock Holmes, sinners, strain, stress, testimonies, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the Godhead, the heathen, the likeness of men, the salt of the earth, the Son of God, trust, two cents worth, West Indian flavour, which also was in Christ, wisdom
Philippians 2:5. Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus.
And then it was Friday… yes friends, the first Friday in Lent! But that doesn’t make that much difference to the ordinary Joe Blow, who’s all week been enduring work, the workplace and the problems to get to and from there.
He’s still concerned with declaring: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and soon work shall be no more! The weekend is upon us and we can do whatever we want! Thank God for Fridays and some much needed respite from work!’
And who’s to say that worker nay eh? Our world and working lives are filled with so much stress and strain that we all look forward to some time off. However, the weekend is not necessarily for us to do as we please, but rather to get ourselves together for next week.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a better perspective on using the weekend. 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 fellow believers, that’s more the kind of attitude we need to adopt; rejuvenating ourselves, so that we can continue the process all over again, and hopefully in a more mature and Christ-like manner.
Anyway, yesterday was certainly an interesting day in the ole fella’s life. After writing the Bit; yuh know that comes first, the duchess and I went out to do some shopping. But was it ever hot! Brother!
It’s the first time that I’ve ever felt it so hot since I’m down here, although it’s possibly been just as hot all along, (smile) so by the time we got back home it was like moving from hell to heaven. Thank the Lord for some air conditioning yes!
Then later in the evening I went to what I was told was a Bible Study, just a small group of about twenty adults with a handful of children in the lobby of an apartment building, though it evolved into a full fledged worship service.
But was it ever good! And the West Indian flavour made it even better! It started out with some praise and worship, accompanied by the Pastor on an electronic keyboard. Then some prayers; then some testimonies. Obviously the ole fella had to get up and offer his two cents worth.
But what surprised me most was when the leader introduced the pastor who was going to address us. She called a female name, and a young lady who had been sitting quietly by the door with a young child in her arms, gave the child to the male pastor and she got up and preached us a wonderful and powerful sermon on James 1, re the power of temptation and the joy that believers should find in it. Glory to God!
The pair of them reminded me of Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) and her husband Dave, where she is the one who preaches and he listens and does behind the scenes work. But I enjoyed her preaching, like Sister Joyce, she spells it out loud and clear, the way it ought to be.
As I keep saying, we need to put actions to our words, tell our practical testimonies, let our lights shine in the darkness of this corrupt and evil world, truly be the salt of the earth, like Jesus desires, for that’s the only way that the heathen and the unbelieving infidel will ever come to know and trust Him as their Lord and Saviour.
But before all of that can happen, we first need to lay the basic foundation of what Christ is about, and we can only do that when we follow the wise and wonderful advice of our Bit. ‘Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus.’
Oh friends, we can only truly be like Christ when we truly begin to think like Him. ‘It’s elementary my dear Watson!’ as the famous sleuth Sherlock Holmes is reputed to have said to his associate. Although I recently read somewhere that Sherlock never really said that in the books, but it was something that came up out of the movies or some such scenario.
However, it is very appropriate to our talk today. We can’t be like somebody unless we know how they think because it all begins in the mind. And as Sister Joyce likes to call it, ‘The Battlefield of the mind.’
And that’s gospel truth friends, for the war begins and ends in our minds. That’s why Jesus had those twelve disciples hanging around Him; so they could learn His way of thinking and what ought to proceed from it.
Now I had some scholarly info to share on the great verses we read yesterday. (Phil.2:6-8) I don’t know if space and time will allow it, because it’s pretty long, but as true believers, we should always have time for understanding God’s word, (smile) so here goes.
‘2:6-8. These famous verses substantiate the assertion of verse 5b that Jesus did indeed have within Himself the same attitude of verses 2c-4, which the readers of Paul’s letters are also to maintain within themselves.
Verses 6-8 may be translated as follows: “For He, though eternally possessing the divine nature, did not regard His existing-in-a-manner-equal-with-God; (i.e. His heavenly existence or divine lifestyle) as something to be (selfishly) maintained, but He emptied Himself in that He assumed a servant’s nature and appeared in the likeness of men; and having been recognized in outward form as a man, He humbled Himself in becoming obedient unto death, even death by crucifixion.
Being in the form of God signifies that Christ has eternally possessed the very nature of God. To own the nature of God is to be God and to be equal with the other personalities of the Godhead (namely, the Father and the Spirit).
Thought it not robbery to be equal with God means that Christ decided not to continue enjoying His heavenly existence; He enjoyed the same divine life-style in heaven that God enjoyed. Though the Son could have lawfully maintained this heavenly existence, He did not. Rather He assumed a servant’s position and appeared in the likeness of men.
Consequently, being judged by His fashion (outward appearance) He was recognized by many people as a mere man. But He was much more than that – He was still the Son of God, who continued to possess the divine nature.
Why did Jesus willingly give up His divine existence with all its benefits and advantages? Because He had within Himself the attitude of verses 2c-4: He regarded sinners as more important than Himself (v.3), and was just as concerned with their needs as with His own affairs (v.4). So the Philippians were to cultivate within themselves this same attitude and express it to one another.’ And we are supposed to do likewise!
Oh my people, I know that it’s long and somewhat confusing, but as I keep saying, it’s time we learn to make time for God, expanding our concentration spans, and to start eating solid food, meat and potatoes, not baby milk and gruel, so that we can grow and mature in our faith. That’s what is expected of us as true believers.
So please, today, let’s get together with the Lord and work out our problems nuh, our salvation, with Him on an individual basis, because that’s where it all begins. Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christ’s church…to truly learn how He thinks…to start thinking in the same manner…and thus start behaving like Him…
05 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: afflictions, arthritic bones, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, backbreaking labour, be sober, be vigilant, blessings, Carnival Friday, doing wrong, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, evil, faith, fanciful, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, glamourous, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Granny's advice, Hallelujah, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, joy, jump and prance., leggo beasts, Lent, Lenten season, LOVE, Lucifer, make you perfect, mas, merriment, modicum of circumspection, New Orleans, penchant, pleasure, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation, relaxation, resist, rest, Rio, satisfy my soul, Scarborough, seeking whom he may devour, settle, spirit of Carnival, stablish, steadfast in faith, strengthen, suffered, sunburn, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the God of all grace, the Lord in favour, the weekend, time of feasting, trust, truth, ungodly world, walk with god, week of work, wiles, wisdom, words of encouragement, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Oh friends, on this Carnival Friday, a wet and windy one, I come to you from my little cottage by the sea in Tobago with these words of encouragement and LOVE! Glory to God!
Yes my brethren, it’s the start of the weekend, and I know that many of you around the world are going to, or have already shouted ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here at last! No more backbreaking labour for a few days! Thank God it’s Friday yes!’
And so it should be my people; constant work deserves a spell of rest and rejuvenation. But the first thing I want to remind us about is how we spend our weekend, not in debauchery and lustfulness, but in thanks and praise and general well-being.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant which helps us to truly understand what the weekend is all about. 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 friends, that’s the general scene we ought to hold to on a weekend, especially this Carnival one, where in places like T&T, Rio and New Orleans, where the god of pleasure and debauchery, Bacchanal himself will be ruling the roost and so many of us will be behaving like true leggo beasts.
I don’t know about the other festivals, but here in T&T many people won’t be working from today until Ash Wednesday, so that’s a five-day weekend. And you know what can happen in such a long layoff from work, especially when pleasure is the subject of the day.
At no other time is Granny’s advice more necessary than now my people. So let me spell it out right away. ‘Sonny boy…and young girl too…please, please, ah beg all yuh…this is Carnival time, so drunk or sober, please mind yuh business! For as Shadow says in his kaiso; ‘on Carnival night…when them men get tight…they doh care who they bite…’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! At Carnival time even the most peaceful and ‘geekish’ body seems to develop a penchant for doing wrong, whether it’s through drugs and alcohol, or simply the enervating spirit of Carnival.
Oh I know this is the time before the Lenten Season when we are supposed to release all our pent up energy and frustrations before settling down to a more holy and godly time. But there is a way to do that, and also a way not to do it.
And our Bit today from 1 Peter gives us admirable, wonderful advice, advice truly akin to Granny’s. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
And the sad part is that at this particular time of feasting and merriment, the ole crook and scoundrel Lucifer doesn’t have to look far or wide, or even search hard for people to devour, because we open wide the doorway for him to come in and take up residence within our souls, with the kind of behaviour we put down during Carnival.
Now nobody’s saying we shouldn’t celebrate or party, but we ought to do it with a modicum of circumspection, as Jeeves would say. We can’t afford to give the evil one, even an inch, because you know he’ll end up taking a nail. (smile)
As for me, my days for the leggo beast kind of partying seem to be over. Hn! I can’t even walk properly, much less to jump and prance! The last couple days my left knee began acting up on me, and I’ve been limping around, just doing whatever I need to do, plus the duchess had a bout of the flu, so we’ve just been sitting around mostly, trying to get ourselves together.
I have been going to my waterhole every afternoon though. Got to get the ole arthritic bones soaking in that therapeutic sea water as much as possible. I don’t need to worry about the sunshine, because it’s been very hot the last few days, I might even have gotten sunburn. (smile)
This morning though I want to go up into the big city of Scarborough and try to get some proper channels on the t.v. Hn! Now that I have satellite t.v, the channels don’t appeal to me. Not even a good sports station, or a Christian one to boost my spirituality! Chuh! It might cost me more money, but what’s a few dollars for one’s comfort and satisfaction eh!
I’ll be in quiet Tobago for the weekend, hopefully watching some of the mas on the tube. And if my knee feels better, I might even go down to Scarborough on Tuesday afternoon to take in some Tobago mas. Oh it’s not as big and fanciful and glamorous as that in Trinidad, but it will satisfy my soul.
And besides, the overall mas scene has gone downhill as far as I am concerned; the good costumes are few and far between, with just a bikini top and bottom with a few feathers being more the norm, but still costing a lot of money.
Anyway friends, let’s end up here with the continuation of Peter’s warning after our Bit. ‘Whom (the devil) resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:9-11)
And all God’s children said a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!’
So my fellow believers in Christ, until tomorrow, the Lord in favour, please let’s walk safely and securely under His comforting umbrella, successfully thwarting the evil wiles of the enemy. Much LOVE!
…to successfully thwart Lucifer…one MUST walk with God…
29 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant life, action movement, Adam and Eve, all's well that ends well, backbreaking work, black pudding, blessed is the man who trusts the Lord, brave and strong in Christ, calm and peaceful, Canada, Christ's love Revolution, christianity, darkness, disharmony, enthusiasm, equal rights, examples serve the Lord, faith, fear, fellowship, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, Garden of Eden, generous help, glory hallelujah, harmony, homage, in Jesus' name, infallible plan, Jesus Christ, joy, justice, lagoon, leggo-beast, LOVE, loving kindness, magnificent and magnanimous God, money, Paradise, peace, pool, R&R, relaxation, renewed and refreshed in soul body and mind, respects not the proud, Rest in the Lord, restoring energy, Scarborough, sea, silhouette, submission, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, Thank the Lord, the market, the weekend, therapeutic, trembling, trust, truth, turn aside to lies, wisdom, zeppo
Psalm 40:4. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Aye mih people, it’s that wondrous day in our weekly lives called Friday!
And as usual the shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday oui! The weekend has come, and so has party time, with no backbreaking work scheduled for a whole, big, two days! Thank the Lord for Fridays yes!’
But Friends, as we keep reminding us, the weekend is not only to party and carry on like leggo beast, but to get ourselves together for another eventful week. So let’s declare our Friday Chant which gives us a somewhat better perspective on the weekend.
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, the weekend is all about restoring the energy, so that we can face another week brave and strong in Christ!
Now what did we do yesterday? Nothing really nuh. After writing the Bit I spent some time in my waterhole, enjoying the refreshing sea water. Then just as we were about to go out, a few friends and family dropped by for a short while. And after that we just lost the enthusiasm for going out, which meant I didn’t get my black pudding…Chuh! But don’t worry, I will definitely get it tonight.
And this is what I wrote last night: As we sit out on the porch listening to some rocking ole time music from my computer, overlooking the blue freshwater pool, which doesn’t thrill me at all… But how could it ever eh, when the most beautiful and therapeutic sea is just up in front of it?
Anyway, the music is rocking in the early hours of the evening and while the first song was playing, something called ‘In the Beginning,’ the Lord in His wonderful and mysterious way sent me a li’l zeppo, telling me that that’s how it was in the beginning, in the garden of Eden.
Now this is beautiful, but I believe that Eden was even more beautiful, because remember it was God’s first big project. But on the other hand, even if this was exactly like Paradise, I certainly wouldn’t do anything to forego my wonderful life here.
I’m sorry, but I don’t think our forefathers, Adam and Eve were too bright nuh. Not even God could talk me into doing something so dreadfully foolish and wrong to make me leave here and live the rough life they, and consequently we, ended up living.
And I must apologize for the roughly four-hour break here, because the duchess took me up town to the big city of Scarborough to the market. And believe me, this is the first day that we have seen and felt the real sun, and by the time I came back I was dead tired and a friend dropped in.
Then I had to have a nap, then go to the bank to change some money and the line was ever so long. However, all’s well that ends well! (smile)
So let’s continue with last night’s writing: Yes friends, this part of Paradise is calm and peaceful, with the choppy sea gurgling in the background and the breeze still whistling through the trees. I don’t know what’s causing the wind to be so strong for so long nuh, but it surely is refreshing. Across the expanse of the lagoon I can see the vague silhouette of the forest on the other side, shrouded in darkness as it is.
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Canada; I’ve spent the greatest part of my life there as prescribed by the Lord’s infallible plan, but He agrees with me that I’ve reached a stage now, where I have to get away from some of the cold winter days to rejuvenate and regenerate my soul, body, mind and spirit.
We all need some serious R&R every so often. That’s why the Lord blessed us with abundant life! Now abundant life is not simply plenty money, although some of that does help. But abundant life is more about the spiritual aspects, the spiritual quality of our lives.
Obviously a roof over our heads and food on the table are important, but so are the other things like peace and LOVE, justice and equal rights. The Lord made us to live in harmony, we are the ones who choose to live in disharmony.
And friends, all of that is simply because we don’t adhere to the wisdom of our Bit. ‘Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’
Yes my brethren, if we would only truly surrender our lives to our most magnanimous, magnificent and generous Creator, we would not be in the hot spot that we are currently in.
And as I keep saying, it’s only we true believers who can turn this troublesome and tempestuous world around. Only we can bring the world to understand and join Christ’s LOVE Revolution. And besides, that is also our bounden duty!
But how can we do it eh, when we don’t sincerely believe and surrender and trust the One who created us and gave us His breath of life? Remember we can’t only talk the talk, but even more importantly, we have to walk the walk, so that the heathen can really see the LOVING-kindness of our wonderful God in operation.
Remember Christianity is an action movement! That’s the only way they will believe. As I keep reminding us too, examples speak more loudly than words.
And we’ll close with two rather instructive verses of scripture from Psalm 2 – Why do the heathen rage? ‘Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (perform an act of homage and submission), lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.’ (Ps.2:11-12)
Oh my people I couldn’t say it any better. Please be wise and follow it nuh, for it’s wisdom at the zenith! Much LOVE!
…trust and obey…for there’s no other way…to be happy in Jesus…than to trust and obey…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit, but it was all out of my control. Remember a happy wife leads to a happy life…most of the time! (smile) Much LOVE!
22 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a soft spot in my heart, a word of warning, an intimate relationship with God, backbreaking work, be in vain, by grace ye are saved, caring, christ jesus, Christian, compassionate, Creator, dead in sins, divine response, energy, enthusiasm, Ephesians, eternity, faith, fellowship, for God so loved the world, Friday chant, fun, generous, generous help, glory to God, God hath quickened us, God's goodness, grace, have everlasting life, he gave his only begotten son, in heavenly places, LOVE, magnanimous god, massa, morally dead in sins, motivating factors, nefarious purposes, new life, party, raised us up, relaxation, rest, sacrificed, sin, sit together, spending time with god, spiritual life, surrender, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that whosoever believes in him, the best use of our time, the weekend, to the ends of the earth, ultimate purpose, undeserving children of men, week of work, will not perish
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
And as the world turns my people, it has finally turned to Friday…
And that simple remark brings forth all kinds of joyful shouting: ‘Oh TGIF! Thank the Lord it’s Friday! The weekend’s here! Mama Yo! The good times are here at last! Party fuh so mih breddren! Thank You yes Lord that Friday has rolled around at last! No more of the evil massa and his backbreaking work for a couple days. Thank You again Lord!’
Yes Friends, it’s certainly interesting what comments a Friday can elicit from the work force. And some of them are truly genuine, though many still use it as an excuse to just party.
But we know that’s not the main reason for the brief respite from labour, so let’s chant our Friday Chant which gives us a better perspective on the situation.
In unison and harmony 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.’
Yeh mih people, the weekend is also a time for rest and relaxation and fellowship with other believers, so that we can go back out revitalized and do God’s work with energy and enthusiasm. In this sinful and godless world though, we sadly use it for all sorts of other nefarious purposes.
But a word of warning friends; please remember that the Lord is watching, and in due course, He will do whatever He thinks is necessary to correct the situation.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, that most awesome, auspicious and momentous piece of scripture which shows how much our magnificent God truly cared, and still cares for us, despite our lacklustre approach to Him.
‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Oh my brethren, after hearing such caring and compassionate words, how can we not have a soft spot in our heart for our wonderful Creator eh? I really don’t know nuh. I guess it depends on whether you believe them or not.
But as for me and mine, we will believe them and follow the Lord to the ends of the earth! Such a magnanimous and generous God deserves to be followed any and everywhere!
Now listen to this scripture that enhances that picture. It comes from Bruh Paul’s missive to the Ephesians and it deals with two huge motivating factors in the Christian’s life; grace and faith.
‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great LOVE wherewith he LOVED us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ, (by grace ye are (have been) saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:’ (Eph.2:4-6)
Oh Friends, what a wonderful Deity we serve and worship! Which other supposed deity has ever sacrificed their only Son on behalf of their followers eh? NONE, my people, NONE whatsoever!
And not only that, in our sinfulness He has also raised us up to sit in heavenly places with Him and His resurrected Son. Oh glory to God for His undeserved goodness to the undeserving children of men!
And here are some useful explanations from the scholars. ‘2:4-6. But begins to disclose God’s response to man’s sin of verses 1-3. This divine response is expressed in three main verbs:
(1) God…hath quickened us. Because they were morally dead in sins, the Lord gave them spiritual life;
(2) and hath raised us up together, that is God has not allowed those Christians to remain in the grave of their old life with its sinful ways and habits, but He brought them into a new life and demonstration of it; and
(3) God made us sit together in heavenly places, that is, He has brought us into His presence and into an intimate relationship with Himself.’
And if that isn’t stuff to sing and shout about, to be everlastingly thankful and grateful for, then I don’t know what is nuh mih breddren!
And why you ask, did God do all of that for a bunch of ungrateful sinners? The Good Book answers that question. ‘That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through (in) Christ Jesus.’ (Eph.2:7) Wow! What a truly magnanimous Deity!
The scholars explain that verse thus: ‘2:7. That …he might show (or, demonstrate): This denotes the ultimate purpose for all that God did for the Ephesians in verses 4-6. It is that throughout eternity He might make us understand more and more His goodness to us.’
And friends, if he did it for the Ephesians, He also wants to do it for us. However, we have to surrender ourselves to Him, so that He can work in our lives. We can’t fight against Him, otherwise His efforts will all be in vain.
So please, let’s be wise and spend some time today pondering our relationship with our Maker nuh. There can be no wiser use of our time than that. Much LOVE!
…spending time with God…is the BEST use of our time…
15 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ., a believer in Jesus Christ, a great cloud of witnesses, a marathon, a watershed year, addle our brains, backbone, backbreaking, belly, bondage, carousing, chase away all our cares and fears, Christians, crapaud smoke we pipe, crucified, encompassed about, endurance, every foe is vanquished, faith, fellowship, Friday chant, frolicking, fun, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, have your wits about you, he that endures, heavenly abode, impedes, lay aside every weight, life threatening stuff, looking unto Jesus, LOVE, mountains to climb, never gave up, one receives the prize, patience, perseverance, progress, reconciliation, refreshed, rejoicing in hope, relaxation, renewed, repelling the enemy, respite from labour, rest, rivers to cross, run, run with patience, sacrificed, salvation, seeking prey, sensible approach, sin, slothful, soul body and mind, stand strong and steadfast, stand up for Jesus, steadfast in prayer, swift of foot, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, that ye may obtain, the author, the brown girl in the bottle, the crown of life, the finisher, the race of life, the race that is set before us, the roaring lion, the sin which besets us, the straight and narrow path, the weekend, time to party, tribulation, valleys to descend, week of work, witnesses
Hebrews 12:1. Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance, endurance) the race that is set before us.
Aye Friends, can you believe that it’s already the middle of January. These days surely seem to be rushing by quickly yes. But don’t worry, it’s Friday, which you already know, because long before I came around the corner, I heard you all enthusiastically mouthing: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday!
Mama yo! The work was backbreaking this week yes! But now is time to party; to chase away all our cares and fears with some drinks and some frolicking! Thank God that today is Friday oui! I don’t know if I could have handled another day under that slave driver, Massa nuh! Thank God for Fridays!’
Ah mih people, I know we – well some of us (smile) – work hard during the week and do deserve some respite from our labour, but drinking and carousing is not the way to overcome it.
And you certainly can’t trust the brown girl in the bottle, because she just doesn’t play fair. She’ll just addle your brains and have you doing all sorts of wrong things, even life threatening stuff.
And you need to have your wits about you all the time, otherwise our enemy, that roaring lion, seeking frail and feeble prey, will invade your soul and cause you to stray from the straight and narrow path.
Instead, let’s chant our Friday Chant, which gives us a better perspective on how to spend our weekends. 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 precious people, that’s the more sensible approach to the weekend, especially in light of our Bit. ‘Wherefore seeing (since) we also are compassed about with (surrounded by) so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset (ensnare) us, and let us run with patience (perseverance, endurance) the race that is set before us.’
Oh friends, the race of life that we’ve been given to run is much more important than just partying and having a rollicking good time, especially if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ.
It’s not an easy race to run, because it’s a marathon, fraught with all kinds of dangers and problems, like high mountains to climb, swollen rivers to cross, deep and dark valleys to descend and a host of other everyday stuff, many of which come upon us without any warning.
You’ll notice in chapter 11, the writer of Hebrews, whom I sincerely believe is Bruh Paul, gives us all kinds of examples of those witnesses that have gone before us, who had it difficult but never gave up, but through, and by faith just kept concentrating on their heavenly abode.
‘But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.’ (Heb.11:16)
And my fellow believers in Christ, our Creator has also prepared a city for us, so we can’t afford to be lackadaisical about this race of life. As Bruh Paul told the Corinthians: ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’ (1 Cor.9:24)
Yeh friends, we need to run hard and true, casting aside all and everything that impedes our progress, be it clothing or excessive body weight, as well as any sin(s) that hold(s) us in bondage. But most important of all my people, we must remember that this life race of faith is not a sprint, but for many of us a difficult marathon.
Therefore we need to run it with patience, with perseverance, with strong endurance. For as the saying goes, the race is not for the swift of foot, but for the one that endures…and just keeps enduring, right to the end and wins the prize, which in our case is the crown of life. (James 1:12)
Yes my precious brethren, that’s where so many of us fall by the wayside; sadly our endurance is not sufficient to keep us going. However as the author of Hebrews tells us, we have the best example of that endurance in our Lord and Saviour Jesus.
‘Looking unto Jesus the author (originator) and finisher (perfector) of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.’ (Heb.12:2)
Yeh folks, Jesus knew what was waiting for Him on the other side of the cross, an everlasting seat at the right hand of the Father, so He handled the shame of being crucified naked, mocked and ridiculed, injured and beaten, loaded down with our sins, so that we could enjoy reconciliation and salvation with the Most High. Don’t you think the least that we can do is be grateful for His sacrifice and show it by our faithful and true lifestyles?
Please friends, this year of 2016 will be a watershed year; our world will either get better or go up in flames, and Christians are the ONLY ones who can make the first option come true.
But we need to be strong and steadfast, standing up to wrongs, making them right, having plenty belly and backbone, staying on the straight and narrow, repelling the enemy on every front, otherwise crapaud going to certainly smoke we pipe!
Now let’s close with these awesome enlightening and inspiring words of Bruh Paul to the Romans. ‘Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly LOVE (agape); in honour preferring (giving preference to) one another;
Not slothful (lagging in diligence) in business; fervent in spirit (boiling over); serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfast) in prayer.’ (Rom.12:10-12)
Yes precious people of God, those ingredients are all essential and necessary for us to run and eventually win this race of life. Please, let’s stand up and be counted in these most troubled and uncertain times nuh. Much LOVE!
…stand up…stand up for Jesus…the trumpet call obey…till every foe is vanquished…and Christ is Lord indeed…
11 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a voice crying in the wilderness, all fired-up, around the mulberry bush, aura of love, boring, common task, confidence, covenant, Creator of the universe, darkness, elbow grease, enlightened, enthusiasm, evil, facade-filled lives, faithful believers in Jesus, fictitious, glamour, glory to God, graven images, gusto, hanker after, his inheritance in the saints, holy spirit, humble servants, hunger, I am the light of the world, invincible, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, jet-set life, jobs, John the Baptist, let your light so shine, lies, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Messiah, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, open the blind eyes, praise, prison, prisoners, quit complaining, rejuvenation of spirit, relaxation, renewed vitality, rest, righteousness., rise and shine, salvation, sit in darkness, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender, taunts, the children of men, the daily grind, the dayspring, the eyes of your understanding, the Gentiles, the hope of his calling, the light of life, the rich and famous, the riches of his glory, the shadow of death, truth, ungodly world, walk in darkness, wiles, worked their butts off, Zechariah
Ephesians 1:18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Well friends, here we go again; one more time around the mulberry bush. (smile) It’s Monday, that means getting into the daily grind and common task of work for another week. Obviously it’s no fun, but it needs to be done.
Too many of us look for and covet the exciting life we seem to think that others have, but believe me, most of what passes for glamour today is boring and fictitious. So please let’s not hunger and hanker after the façade-filled lives of the supposed beautiful people, the rich and famous who tool around in fancy cars and live the jet-set life, for many of them are not what they seem to be.
Oh I know we tend to say it’s better to be rich and unfulfilled, than to be poor and fulfilled. And besides, many of the rich actually worked their butts off to get to that position, so it’s not like you can just daydream and get rich and powerful, you do have to put in some elbow grease, whatever kind it may be, to reach those heights.
So quit the complaining, let’s rise and shine and get ourselves together like the faithful believers in Jesus Christ that we are! And as always, we do have our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get us all fired-up. So let’s sing it with plenty gusto and enthusiasm.
‘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!’
Good job mih people, good job! It wasn’t spectacular, but it was certainly good enough to please our choirmaster, Jesus, to bring a smile to His handsome face.
Now let’s turn to our Bit, the same as yesterday. ‘The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.’
And I do hope we pondered what we spoke about yesterday and the eyes of our understanding were enlightened, (smile) because today I want to look at some scriptures where the Lord promised to open our eyes to what He was about.
And we’ll begin with this promise from Isaiah, when the servant (Christ) comes to glorify the Lord. ‘I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of (to) the people, for a light of (to) the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring them out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.’ (Is.42:6-7)
Yes my fellow believers, from way back then, the good Lord promised to open our eyes and show us the light, which He did through the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now listen to the prophecy of John the Baptist’s father Zechariah when he regained his speech, re John’s mission. ‘And thou, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission (forgiveness) of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring (dawn, Messiah) from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 2:76-79)
And that’s exactly what John the Baptist did! He was a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the path for Christ. Oh friends, our God is and has been so wonderful to us, that it’s a crying shame the way we respond to His LOVING-kindness!
Those prophecies take us back to Isaiah, where He declares: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.’ (Is.42:8-9)
Now that we cannot dispute, because all the Lord’s prophetic dispensations have come to pass!
And we’ll end with the words of Jesus on the subject. ‘Then spake Jesus again unto them (the scribes and Pharisees) saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
Oh my brethren, Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy! And did He ever open our eyes and lead us out of the dark prison that we were languishing in! All praise and glory to the Most High God for His goodness to the children of men!
Now let’s go forth in that light this Monday morning in this leap year of 2016, and light up the world through the strength and wherewithal of Jesus, for that’s what we are called to do! Much LOVE!
…ye are the light of the world…let your light so shine…
09 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a child of God, a prayer for cleansing, Adam, at my worst, Bathsheba, blameless, blot out my transgressions, bone of contention, Christmas, cleanse us from all unrighteousness, come short of the glory of God, confess our sins, confession, create in me a clean heart, David, decorations, disobedient, Dr. Robert H. Schuler, evil, exciting thought, fantastic lesson, for all have sinned, forgive our sins, free spirit, gladness, glory hallelujah, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, God LOVES me, gone astray, good news, graceful truth, happy report, have mercy upon me, heartache, his word is not in us, holy sentence, honour and glorify, Hours of Power Devotions, hyssop, I acknowledged my sin, I will confess my transgressions, incomprehensible, iniquity, joy, justified, lights, lost sheep, LOVE, mine iniquity have I not hid, my faith is dim, no one can take away from us, Psalm 51, purge me, relaxation, renew a right spirit within me, repentance, rest, salvation, the Garden of Eden, the weekend, thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, top o' the morning, transgressions, True LOVE, we make him a liar, whiter than snow
Psalm 32:5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Top o’ the morning to you my Scrip-Bit family on this bountiful Saturday! I know it’s been an exhausting week, but that’s what the weekend is there for – rest. And I do hope that we’ll all get plenty of rest and relaxation as we take down our Christmas decorations and lights from the tree and from around our homes. Now the physical Christmas season might be drawing to a close, but the spiritual season of peace and goodwill to men never closes. Let’s remember that and act accordingly.
And I definitely could not pass up this poem from Gramps Schuler’s (Dr. Robert H. Schuler) Hours of Power Devotions, because I believe it deals with something we desperately need to acknowledge, believe and remember in this most promising year of 2016, that ‘GOD LOVES ME!’ That’s the title.
And it says: ‘Thank you, Lord, for this holy sentence, this good news, this happy report, this exciting thought, this graceful truth, this fantastic lesson. God LOVES me! Even when I’m at my worst – God LOVES me. Even when my faith is dim – God LOVES me anyway! It is incomprehensible and fantastic! Thank you, Father. Amen.’
Ah friends, what incomprehensible and fantastic news indeed that Almighty God LOVES each and every one of us! Glory Hallelujah! God knows us each by name my people, and He takes great interest in all the goings ons in our lives.
And if you don’t believe that He knows and LOVES us like… like an earthly father LOVES His children, then just think about the heartache He endured on our behalf when He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, on the cross so that we could be reconciled to Him. If that wasn’t true LOVE, then I don’t know what true LOVE is nuh.
So, as we go about our daily lives, please, let’s hold that fact first and foremost in our hearts and minds, and let it boost our faith, for it’s something NO ONE can ever take away from us.
And our Bit bears out the Father’s LOVE in spades: ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.’
Oh my fellow believers, why would a holy God forgive us our sins, if He didn’t truly care about us eh? Even when He knows that we’ll keep on being disobedient, He still continues to forgive, once we come to Him in sincere repentance. I don’t know about you all nuh people, but I will LOVE and honour and glorify anyone who treats me with such LOVING-kindness! Ah friends, from the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, sin has been the bone of contention between God and man. For as Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘For all have sinned, and come (fallen) short of the glory of God.’ (Rom. 3:23)
And that’s no lie mih breddren, all of us have gone astray like lost sheep, doing our own thing, not obeying God’s law. And as John tells us in his first epistle: ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.’ (1 John1:8-10)
Ah friends, it is ever so important that we own up to our sins, otherwise we’d not only be deceiving ourselves, but also making God a liar by denying His Word that says we’re all sinners. On the other hand, confessing our sinfulness, leads to a just and faithful God cleansing us of our unrighteousness, our sin. What more can a sinful man ask eh? Not much more my fellow believers.
And we’ll conclude this series of messages on sin, its confession, repentance and forgiveness with the words of a well-known sinner, but also a man after God’s own heart, Bruh David, from Psalm 51 – a prayer for cleansing, after his disastrous episode with Bathsheba.
‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy LOVING-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified (found just) when thou speakest, and be clear (blameless) when thou judgest….
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right (steadfast) spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not away thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free (generous) spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.’ (Ps.51:1-4, 7-13)
Ah mih people, yuh see sin can affect any human being regardless of their power and status! God was generous to a fault to Bruh David, but yet the sinful nature we’re born with keeps trying to pull us away from God. ‘Behold, I was shapen (brought forth) in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.’ (Ps.51:5)
But friends, the great part of it all, is that though Bruh David sinned grievously against the Lord, He forgave him when he confessed and repented of his transgressions. The price he paid was steep, with confusion reigning thereafter in his family, but the forgiveness was surely worth it, because it meant that he was still a child of God, sincerely LOVED and cared about by the heavenly Father. There can be no better situation than that my people.
So please, let’s be wise and confess our sins to Almighty God nuh. And even though the consequences of our sin might be pretty tough, believe me, the forgiveness will always outweigh it. Much LOVE!
…the forgiveness of sin…can only be accomplished…on the heels of sincere confession and repentance…
08 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a licence to sin, a penitent heart, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, Bathsheba, be not far from me, believers in Christ, burdens our hearts, celebrations, charles stanley, chasten me, confession, crying out for rest, displeasure, fellowship, forgiveness, forgives sin, forsake sin, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, God's good graces, Holy God, I acknowledged my sin, I am bowed down, I made it through, I will confess my transgressions, in Jesus' name, iniquity, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, loving kindness, magnanimous, makes haste to help me, mine iniquity have I not hid, mourning, my wounds stink, negative consequences, O Lord of my salvation, obey God, our talk, our walk, penalties, play, psalm 38, refreshed, relaxation, renewed, repentance, rest, Selah, sin, soul body and mind, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the devil's handiwork, the one and only true living God, the weekend, them's the breaks, thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin, what a wonderful God we serve and worship, work, working enables us to play, your arrows pierce me deeply
Psalm 32:5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Well Friends, I can just imagine how you all must be shouting it from the rooftops this morning eh: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! Thank God that the weekend is here at last! Wow! It certainly has been a tiring week! Thank God it’s Friday oui, and no more work for a couple days! The body certainly crying out for some rest!’
Ah mih people, I know that this first Friday of work in the new year has indeed been somewhat trying and tiring after all the season’s celebrations. But unfortunately, them’s the breaks. (smile) We can’t just play alone, sometime or other we need to work too.
And remember that it’s working which enables us to play. And I have to laugh how we crying out for rest, rather than the usual party scene. Hn, hn! Anyway, let’s all hang in there and chant our Friday Chant that will give us a better perspective on the weekend.
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 friends, rest and worship are essential parts of our weekend, so that we can come back out strong on Monday and continue the cycle of building Christ’s LOVE Revolution. Remember that this is the year that the LOVE Revolution must sweep the world if we want to have any chance of turning things around.
It’s our job, as believers in Christ, to go out there and make believers of the unbelievers through both our talk and our walk. Nothing else is going to change them!
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.’
Ah mih people, what a wonderful God we serve and worship! There’s no other supposed deity who forgives sin! Just the ONE and ONLY TRUE and LIVING God; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Yes my brethren, our God is indeed a truly magnanimous and forgiving Deity! But that doesn’t mean it gives us the right to keep on participating in sin, because on the other side of the coin, sin bears serious penalties from a holy God.
We saw yesterday, how God’s friend and man after His own heart, Bruh David paid an enormous price for his sin with Bathsheba, although he repented and was forgiven. But his sin had caused great occasion for God’s enemies to blaspheme His name, and that was definitely not acceptable.
So though we may sincerely repent and be forgiven, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be no negative consequences. So the best remedy is to sin as little as possible. (smile) Oh we all know that that is easier said than done, but we must always give it our best effort, with God’s help of course.
Now hear this gem on sin from Cousin Sol. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ (Prov.28:13)
Oh glory to God my people for His mercy and LOVING-kindness! But please note that Cousin Sol didn’t just say to confess our sins, but also to forsake them, stop committing them; especially the same ones over and over. That is also a necessary part of the whole scenario my brethren.
Remember, though confessions and repentance and forgiveness are ours, it doesn’t give us a licence to sin. But when we do sin, it is essential that we come to God in repentance and confession as soon as possible, because any sin that burdens our hearts, also keeps us out of God’s good graces, and we definitely don’t want to be excluded from that.
Now let’s look at some scripture on sin and its effects on the human body and psyche. Listen to Bruh David from Psalm 38 – The prayer of a penitent heart.
‘O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me (pierce me deeply), and thy hand presseth me sore (down). There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest (health, peace) in my bones because of my sin.
For mine iniquities have gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt (are foul and festering) because of my foolishness. I am troubled (bowed down) greatly; I go mourning all the day long.’ (Ps.38:1-6)
Yes friends, that’s how sin ought to make us feel, so that we can come running to God and sincerely declare: ‘For I am ready to halt (to fall), and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin…. Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.’ (Ps.38:17-18, 21-22)
Ah my fellow believers, sin is no joke, so please let’s not encourage it in our lives, because we’re liable to pay a hefty price of negative consequences if we do. As Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) so wisely declares: obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. Now that is indeed the wisest way to live! Much LOVE!
…sin is the devil’s handiwork…and it can only be erased through…confession, repentance and God’s mercy…
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