09 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mere pittance, baptism, barely survive, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, captains of industry, chasing demons, christianity, compassionless, controlled by circumstances, courage, deliverance, divine intervention, do thyself no harm, earthquake, faith, fellow believers, feudal times, fortune telling, foundations, Friday, Friday chant, fun, further God's glorious kingdom, generous help, glory hallelujah, god, God's purposes, good fortune, great things, greedy, human-rights, jesus name, loosed chains, LOVE, loving kindness, marvellous God, merry chase, mighty works, Paul, Philippi, pittance, positive results, Praise the Lord, prayer, prison episode, prisoners, profit, refreshed in body and soul, rejoicing, relaxation, religion, renewed, rest, reverence, right perspective, Silas, singing of hymns, stripes, suffer for my name's sake, testimony, Thank God it's Friday, Thank the Lord, the weekend, time to party, what must I do to be saved, wicked, wisdom, woe is me
Acts 9:16. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
And then it was suddenly Friday! And on realizing this, all the working population got up, danced and sang with great joy: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank God is Friday! This week’s been a rough one. But now the weekend is at hand. Time to get out and party!’
Not so fast mih people! The weekend isn’t only for partying. We also have other duties to fulfill. So before we get too carried away with this being Friday, let’s chant our Friday Chant that will give us the right perspective on how to use these upcoming very valuable two days off.
Altogether 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 mih breddren, that’s how we should use the weekend; as a combination of fun, fellowship and relaxation, not all out partying. And be thankful that we at least get a couple days off every week to rest and recuperate, because a lot of people around the world still have to labour seven days a week for a mere pittance, on which they can barely survive.
So let’s thank the Lord for our good fortune and pray for those who are still oppressed and have no rights or freedom to express their unfortunate and evil oppression. And don’t laugh either, for if the captains of industry have their way, we’d all be pushed right back to feudal times, so greedy, wicked and compassionless are they.
Neither did Bruh Paul often have the luxury to do as he pleased, because the Lord certainly led him on a merry chase, as He declares in our Bit. ‘For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.’
And yesterday we saw some of the suffering Bruh Paul experienced in Philippi after chasing a demon from a young girl’s soul. Silas and him were dragged before the courts by the girl’s masters, for Bruh Paul’s actions had cause them to lose the ability to profit from the girl’s fortune telling. They successfully stirred up the crowd against the brethren, had them beaten and thrown into the innermost part of the prison. (Acts 16:16-24)
But Friends, our God is such a great Deity, and works in such mysterious and wondrous ways, doing just as He promised, to turn all situations to good for those who sincerely LOVE and revere Him.
Now listen as the Good Book tells the story: ‘And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises (were praying and singing hymns) unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was an earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands (chains) were loosed.
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang (ran) in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (household).
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat (food) before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.’ (Acts 16:25-34)
Oh my fellow believers what a marvellous God we serve and worship! And all God’s children said ‘Wow! Praise the Lord for His mighty works!’ That’s for sure! Just look at the lengths he went to save the jailer and his family.
Now here is the scholars take on that situation. ‘Verse 25 is the key to the prison episode, since the earthquake was not intended to deliver Paul but to convert the jailer. God knew that Paul would be released the next day; therefore the earthquake was not merely for Paul and Silas’s benefit. The earthquake would have been meaningless had not the jailer and prisoners heard Paul’s testimony in prayer and song.
Their singing brought about the divine intervention in the earthquake, and all would understand its significance. Hence the jailer would run to Paul asking how he could be saved. God’s purposes of Peter’s deliverance of chapter 12, and Paul’s of chapter 16, are apparent. The purpose of Peter’s imprisonment was his execution; for Paul, the intention was only to threaten him.
Surprisingly Peter sleeps whereas Paul prays and sings. Neither is controlled by his circumstances. In Peter’s case God puts the guards to sleep and delivers Peter by means of a silent angel. The guards are executed. In Paul’s case God awakens the sleeping jailer with an earthquake. The jailer is saved; Paul chooses to remain in jail.’
Oh Friends, yuh see the unique way in which the Lord used Bruh Paul to bring unbelievers to Jesus!
And even today, He’s still in the business of bringing unbelievers to Christ through our efforts. So please, whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations, let’s not simply hold our heads and bawl, ‘woe is me,’ but instead let’s take a serious look at what’s happening and consider how we can use it to influence others in Christ’s name, through prayers and singing of hymns, for that’s what Bruh Paul did, and we can all see the positive results.
And we can begin doing that right away by considering our current situations and instead of complaining, seeing how we can use them to further God’s glorious kingdom. Now that’s wisdom, faith and courage of the highest order! Much LOVE!
…Jesus expects ALL His followers to spread His Word…to manifest His LOVING-kindness…in whatever situation they find themselves…
05 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 4th July celebrations, a walk with Jesus, adjustments, birthday celebrations, christianity, common sense, essence of wisdom, excuses, faith, fellowship, forsaken the Lord, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's kingdom, glorious kingdom, God's assurances, great victory, I cannot speak, I'm a child, introspection, Love the Lord, nations prosper, New Year's resolution, people volunteer, relaxation, reluctance, right mood, right perspective, simpering, sing praise to God, sufficency for God's service, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, unworthiness, weekend, when leaders lead, whimpering
Jeremiah 1:6. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… And everybody’s jumping and shouting, whooping and hollering: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! No more work! Party Time!’
Yes mih people, the weekend is here and the party mood is taking over, especially in the good ole U.S. of A, where the 4th of July birthday celebrations continue in full glory.
But Friends, as we remind ourselves every week, the weekend is not just for fun and frolic, but also for rest and contemplation. And would you believe that July is already a week old. That means we should also take some time over this weekend to do our monthly reflection and introspection on our New Year’s resolution; that of taking a closer walk with Jesus this year.
I recommend this because it’s much easier checking out small steps in short time periods, than trying to figure out how we’ve done over long periods. It’s also easier to make adjustments as we go along, than wait for a whole year to pass before trying to adjust. And besides when we keep track over short periods, we’re less likely to forget or move away from our resolution.
Anyway, let’s get in the right mood, the right perspective for this upcoming weekend by chanting our Friday Chant. With one accord 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 let’s all go and put those words into serious action, so that we can stay on the right path.
And turning to our Bit: ‘Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child (youth).’
Yes Friends, it’s the same as the last two days, because Moses took up all the time yesterday with his ceaseless simpering and whimpering, even though God gave him so many assurances.
But as the scholars’ declare: ‘Jeremiah’s sense of unworthiness recalls others such as Moses (Ex.3:4), Barak (Judg.4:8), Gideon (Judg.6:15), Saul (1 Sam.10:22), David (2 Sam.7:19), Solomon (1 Kin.3:7), and many others who understood clearly that the sufficiency for God’s service comes only from God Himself. (c.f. 2 Cor.2:16)’
And all that’s true my brethren, but how long are we going to put up barriers and excuses even when God is plainly promising to be with us and help us eh?
Let’s check out Barak. In his time judges ruled Israel, the current one then being the prophetess Deborah. Israel had again forsaken the Lord their God and enemies were lined up to come against them.
Then Deborah sent for Barak ‘and said to him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw (deploy troops) toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me; then I will not go.
And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour (be no glory for you); for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.’ (Judg.4:6-9)
Ah mih breddren, another instance where people are reluctant to answer God’s call. And would you believe the great victory that Deborah and Barak wrought over their enemies! So much so that they sang a song afterwards: ‘Praise ye the Lord, for the avenging of Israel (when leaders lead in Israel), when the people willingly offered themselves (volunteered).’ (Judg.5:2)
Yes Friends, when leaders truly lead, and the people willingly volunteer to do service to God, their nations prosper!
And the song of Deborah and Barak continues: ‘Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel… So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that LOVE him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest for forty years.’ (Judg.5:3,31)
You can read the in between portion of their song of victory in Judges 5. But Barak, like many of us, was at first reluctant to answer God’s call, and only with Deborah’s leading, did he take up the mantle of God to fight for his God and country.
Ah Friends, I don’t know why we’re so reluctant to answer God’s call to do His work nuh, but as soon as a sinful man calls we go running to do his oftimes evil bidding!
Is it that we revere or have more faith in man than in Jehovah God, our Creator and Provider? I surely hope not. But that’s how it seems, for we always come up with some excuse not to do God’s bidding, but when we eventually do, we discover what a joy and pleasure it is to answer His call.
So let’s promise ourselves my brethren, from today, from RIGHT NOW, we’ll no longer hesitate or find excuses not to heed God’s call, but as soon as He calls, we’ll say, ‘Yes Lord, thy servant hears, and will gladly do your bidding!’
That my Friends, is the very essence of wisdom and common sense! Much LOVE!
…to willingly answer God’s call…without any fuss or excuses…is the mark of a mature believer…
28 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirmations, affirming Christ-like stuff, baptizing, believing in jesus, bestowed on man, blessed opportunity, body, born again, bounden duty, Canada Day, children of God, Christian ethic, confidence, cooperate with God, damnation, death, directive to the disciples, eternal life, evil, excellence, fellowship, Friday chant, generous help, gift, glorious kingdom, good works, grace, greatest gift, hammer, holy spirit, hope, justified, lamp, lawn sprinkler system, life, light, Live our fatih, Lord and Saviour, Love God, mercy, mind, mirror, modicum of circumspection, new life, only way, profitable, promise, refreshed, regeneration, relaxation, rhythm of the falling rain, right perspective, salvation, soul, sound of rain falling, spiritual armour, spirituality, Spread God's Word, sufficient fun, summer madness, sword, teach all nations, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, the name of the Father, the SON, the weekend, thinking right things, true believer, truth, ungodly world, wisdom, works of righteousness
Titus 3:8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Oh Friends, there’s nothing nicer than awakening in the early morning hours to the gentle sound of rain falling outside! That happened to me earlier on, and it was a tad difficult to get up out of the warm, cozy bed, as I lay there listening to ‘the rhythm of the falling rain; pita pata, pita pata.’ (smile)
But I eventually forced my self to get up, like I might have to force myself and go out in the rain and turn off the lawn sprinkler system, that’s just spurting away like crazy out there, while the rain is falling. Now it’s not supposed to come on if the rain’s falling, but I can’t curse it today because I’m not sure if it came on before the rain began to fall. I know though that when I went to bed around 2.30, no rain was falling.
Anyway, I’ll give it a few more minutes, and if it doesn’t turn off automatically, then I’ll go and turn it off. Oh, the headaches that these supposed modern conveniences cause eh! I believe the guy was here up to yesterday trying to time it properly.
But Friends, here’s the good news, it’s Friday! And all the voices rose like one: ‘Yes, oh yes! TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! The weekend’s here at last! What a blast it’s going to be!’
And in Canada it’s certainly going to be a blast, except for those unfortunately flooded out in the Western Provinces, because it’s the long weekend when we celebrate Canada Day, our Independence, on Monday. So you can imagine what it’s going to be like, especially if it’s sunny and warm.
I finally had to go outside and turn off the sprinkler, if only to minimize the real risk of flooding, because who knows when the rain will stop, plus stopping an unnecessary increase in my water bill, which has gone up a fair amount since the sprinkler system was put in.
Anyway, summer madness will definitely be on display this weekend, so let’s see if we can keep it in check a little by chanting our Friday Chant, which gives us a better and brighter perspective on how to handle it.
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 brethren, we have to enjoy the couple days off, but as Jeeves would say, ‘with a modicum of circumspection,’ so that Lucifer doesn’t even find one li’l pinhole in our spiritual armour, that he can use to cause us to go against God’s will.
But instead that we should do as our Bit tells us. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’
Yeh Friends, it’s the same Bit as the last two days because there’s some useful information from the scholars that I thought was important to share with you. It’s on the topic of regeneration, which we read about yesterday.
‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That we being justified (declared righteous) by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope (strong confidence) of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5-7)
Now, per the scholars: ‘Regeneration refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation experience that produces new life in the believer. To express this concept, Jesus used the expression “born again” in His conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:3-7). Regeneration is the work of God, through the Holy Spirit, of placing in one who has faith a new nature, capable of doing God’s will.
The Holy Spirit is the agent or divine workman of this regeneration. His instrument is the Bible, which is likened to a hammer that judges sin (Jer.23:29), a mirror that reveals sin (James 1:23), a sword that defeats Satan (Heb.4:12), and a lamp that guides the believers (Ps.119:105).
Illustration: People are instantaneously “born again,” the moment they trust Christ as Saviour (1 Pet.1:23). Application: Christians should be careful to cooperate with God in growing as children of God after they are regenerated, or given new life. (First Ref. John 3:3; Primary Ref. Titus 3:5; cf. Eph.1:15)
Oh Friends, what greater gift can we be honoured with eh? None really!
Just ponder it for a Selah moment nuh: To be able to move from a situation of eternal death and damnation immediately to one of salvation and eternal life, simply by believing in Jesus, that He’s the Truth, the Light, the Life and the ONLY Way to God.
What a most blessed opportunity that is! One that we as believers have wisely taken hold of, but also need to share with others, because it’s the greatest gift ever bestowed on mankind, and right now too many people have not heard about it, so they’re still living in darkness, seriously threatened by eternal death and damnation, because they don’t know better.
And they won’t know better unless somebody tells them the Good News. And that somebody is us, Friends, the church of Christ!
Please remember Jesus’ last directive to the disciples: ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt.28:19-20)
Yes my fellow believers, that’s our job, our bounden duty! But we can only accomplish it by first thinking the right things, affirming Christ-like stuff, then going out into this evil, ungodly world and putting them into action.
Please, let’s live up to the promise we made when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour nuh; that is truly LOVING our wonderful God, sincerely LIVING our Christian faith, and faithfully SPREADING the Lord’s Word!
That my brethren is definitely wisdom and Christian ethic at their highest levels. And Jesus desires nothing but excellence from His followers. Much LOVE!
…to act like a true believer…our thoughts must first be in sync…with those of Jesus…
27 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: affirm constantly, affirmations, anointed, believe in God, calling of Christ, Christian citizenship, Christian ethic, christianity, cleansed, compassion, confidence, contentious, contentiousness, damnation, death, divers lusts, envy, eternal life, faithful saying, fallen angel, glory hallelujah, good works, goodness, gossipmongers, great god, hate, heaven-sent, hope, Jesus Christ, kindness, LOVE, LOVE of God, loving kindness, Lucifer, magnanimous god, maintain good works, malice, meekness, merciful God, mercy, new blessings, new mercies, obey authority, pleasures, praise his holy name, Praise the Lord, prince of darkness, redeemed, reverence, right perspective, righteousness., sacrifice, sanctified, sinful world, strife, thanks and praise, works of righteousness, worthy to be praised
Titus 3:8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly; that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
And then it was Thursday! Yes Friends, another heaven-sent day loaded with new mercies and blessings for God’s people is in the offing! Wow! What a most magnanimous and merciful God we serve! There’s none other like Him in the entire universe!
And all God’s people declared a mighty: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Praise His Holy Name, for He is indeed worthy to be praised!’ Yes my brethren, our great God Jehovah is most definitely worthy of all the thanks and praise we can give Him!
Unfortunately though, I don’t believe we give Him enough glory. We keep wanting and requiring from Him, but our giving to Him is sadly lacking. Please let’s start turning that around now nuh. If you think we get plenty blessings now, you wouldn’t believe what’s in store, if we truly give Him the reverence and praise He deserves.
And since my hand is feeling fairly good, much better than I expected, I’ll give Him one big, ‘Thank You Lord for looking after me! I knew you wouldn’t do anything to stop me from spreading your Word, because that’s what you’ve anointed me to do. It’s not the greatest, but I can get the job done, that’s the important thing, with Your help of course. Amen.’
And now without further ado, let’s turn to our Bit. ‘This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly; that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.’
As promised my people, it’s the same as yesterday. But instead of putting forth our affirmations, as we did yesterday, today we’ll look at those Bruh Paul was referring to in his missive to Titus.
And in this chapter dealing with Christian citizenship, he strongly advises Titus to: ‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities (rulers) and powers (authorities), to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers (not contentious), but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.’ (Titus 3:1-2)
Yes my people, those are just some of the things we should do as true believers in Jesus Christ! We ought to obey authority, because it originates from God Himself. In fact we should always be ready to do whatever good work is requested of us. Neither should we be gossipmongers, or given to strife and contentiousness, but be kind and LOVING to all, just as Jesus, our leader was in His earthly sojourn.
It’s not easy to live like that in this fallen, sinful world, but as believers, it’s our duty to attain to that lifestyle. And as we all know, our gracious God won’t ask us to do something without giving us the necessary tools to accomplish it. So we just have to be steadfast and press ahead towards the mark, the calling of Christ.
Then Bruh Paul continues, giving us the basis of our Christian ethic. ‘For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.’ (Titus 3:3)
Wow Friends! Can you imagine living like that? But that’s exactly how we were living until the Lord had compassion on us. ‘But after that the kindness and LOVE of God our Saviour toward man appeared.’ (Titus 3:4)
And all God’s people gave a heartfelt shout of ‘Praise the Lord for His kindness to the undeserving children of men!’
Yes my brethren, the Lord God Jehovah really and truly deserves our eternal thanks and praise, as we said at the beginning. But for some unknown reason(s) we seem to be very reluctant to do so, or do it very grudgingly, as though we were entitled to God’s grace and mercy, or we’re doing something great for God by giving Him the little thanks we offer.
But make no mistake Friends, it’s we, you and I, who are receiving the goodness and LOVING-kindness that we’re not entitled to, and neither are we receiving our just deserts for our sinful behaviour. So please let’s get off our high horse and stop thinking that we’re doing God a favour by worshipping and serving Him. Let’s get the right perspective; it’s Him that’s doing us the favours we don’t deserve!
For as Bruh Paul so rightly continues to inform Titus: ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed (poured out) on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace (declared righteous), we should be made heirs according to the hope (the strong confidence) of eternal life.’ (Titus 3:5-7)
Ah mih breddren, yuh see what the kindness and LOVE of God did for us! Hn! Before Christ’s sacrifice of LOVE, we were hateful and sinful, but through the shedding of His blood and God’s awesome mercy, we were cleansed, made whole, redeemed, sanctified, made right with God, so much so that we became rightful heirs of God with Christ.
And Friends, to end, I want to drive home the point that it was not by any good works of ours, that we were and are saved, as Bruh Paul points out, but by the LOVE, the Mercy, the Kindness, the Compassion and the Forgiving Nature of a most magnanimous, magnificent and omnipotent God, who created us and did not want to see His most wonderful creation end up in death and damnation with the foolish, fallen angel, the prince of darkness, Lucifer.
Please let’s get that straight, for until we do, we’ll never give God the true honour and glory He deserves. Much LOVE!
…before we can truly LOVE Jesus…we must truly understand what He did for us…
31 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a genuine Christian, absolute confidence, cancer, Comforter, death where is thy sting, eternal death, eternal life, fellowship, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good and faithful servant, grave where is thy victory, harbingers of bad news, loving kindness, man's inhumanity to man, much work to be done, oppressions increase vanity, positive outlook, positive outlook on life, praised the dead, refreshed in soul, rejoice exceedingly, relaxation, rest, rest in peace, right perspective, sad voice, scourge of mankind, second sense, sense of logic, the bitter in soul, the way of the grave, the weary be at rest, welcome home
Ecclesiastes 4:2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday… But a somewhat subdued one, because when I got up earlier on, I saw the message light on the phone blinking, and I wondered if it was really a message or just the phone malfunctioning as it sometimes does.
You can imagine my concern, since I’d gone to bed late and there had been no calls up to that time, and calls late at night are usually harbingers of bad news.
And I had a second sense when I checked the message and heard this small, sad voice with its lilting British accent asking us to call when we received it. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that; my wife’s Aunt, Aunt Ivey, had finally gone home to be with the Lord from over the pond in England.
That supposition unfortunately turned out to be true. I believe we can change that last sentence though, and say fortunately, since she had been suffering for sometime with mankind’s dreaded scourge, cancer.
I spoke to her several times on the phone, but only met her once, however from the little I saw, and what I heard from others, she was one of the sweetest, dearest persons you could ever find; a genuine Christian, thoughtful and kind, raising several children, none of which belonged to her.
She reminds me of my mother, Molly, and my mother-in-law, Enid, women who all had tough lives, but never allowed the dirtiness and evil of the world to affect their pleasant, positive outlook on life.
Aunt Ivey, you’ll certainly be missed a whole lot by all those whom your life touched. Your LOVING-kindness won’t ever be forgotten. And I know that right now you are talking with the Saviour, and He’s embracing you and saying, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Welcome home!’ May you rest in peace with Him forever.
Ah mih people, though we know that we all must go the way of the grave at some time, it still brings sadness to our souls. But those of us left behind cannot afford to grieve too long or too intensely, because there is still much work left behind for us to do, by those saints who’ve gone on before us.
So on this Friday, the last day in May 2013, let’s chant our Friday Chant to put the right perspective in our souls for this weekend. ‘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 please pay serious attention to what we just chanted Friends, because in the long run it can be the deciding factor in our fate, between eternal life and eternal death.
And no, I didn’t go looking for a Bit on death, that’s where I was guided. But before we get to it, let’s look at what brought Cousin Sol to that unusual conclusion.
He opens the chapter, oppressions increase vanity, by saying: ‘So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side (at the hand) of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.’ (Eccl.4:1)
Oh my brethren, Cousin Sol saw so much oppression in the world that he began to believe that the oppressed would truly be better off dead. Thus he declares in our Bit: ‘Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.’
It’s a challenging statement, but it does have some sense of logic to it. Why stay here on this evil, ungodly earth, oppressed, dispossessed and with no comforter, when you could be living a much better life in heaven with the Lord, your comforter and Saviour?
Bruh Paul struggled with the same question. He felt like he would much prefer to be with Christ in heaven, but he had work to do down here.
And Cousin Sol continues in the same vein: ‘Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.’ (Eccl.4:3)
And sadly my people, we can still voice the same opinion today, thousands of years later, because the oppression of mankind is at an all time high. I don’t know if man’s inhumanity to his fellow man has ever been this gross, especially when we’re supposed to be living in the most enlightened times ever.
And if the oppressed choose death over life, we can’t really fault them because many of us in their positions would probably feel and do likewise.
And we’ll conclude with some appropriate scripture from Job, where he bewails the day of his birth. ‘There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master.
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?’ (Job 3:17-22)
Oh Friends, none of us really know the answers to those questions posed by Job, but of one thing we’re very sure; when this earthly life is over, we shall all be in a better place, with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which means we can handle anything meted out to us here on earth with absolute confidence, for He has faithfully promised to look after us down here, then LOVINGLY receive us to Himself when we shuffle off this mortal coil.
There can be no better promise, no better ending than that! Much LOVE!
…O death…where is thy sting…O grave…where is thy victory… (1 Cor.15:55)
05 Apr 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, blind, Christian faith, cleanse our souls, Cross of Calvary, egotistical, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, Herodians, human-rights, hypocrites, incriminating questions, insincerity, jesus name, LOVE, loving god, miserable, Pharisees, proper perspective, religion, right perspective, spiritual failure, steeped in tradition, tempt, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the things of Caesar, the things of God, theology, undeniable truth, unfulfilled lives, weekend
Matthew 22:21. They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
And then it was Friday! That recognition was greeted with joyous shouts in work places all over the world: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ Yes Friends, the weekend’s upon us once again, granting us a short respite from our labours. And I know how we all look forward to it, but as everything else, there’s a right and wrong way to spend it. So let’s chant our Friday Chant that helps us to put the weekend into proper perspective. 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.’ Now that should hold and guide us for the next couple days. (smile) So let’s turn to our Bit, another interesting one – sorry, all of them are interesting since they come from the Good Book – (smile). This one features a serious principle espoused by our Lord, Saviour and Leader, Jesus Christ. ‘They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render (pay) therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ Oh Friends, I chose, or rather the Lord guided me to this Bit today, because it’s related to the tithing situation we’ve been discussing over the last few days. It was even our footnote, thought for the day, yesterday. Now here’s some background on the scene as it was played out. As usual, the Pharisees were trying to entrap Jesus, so that they could have solid grounds to persecute Him. ‘And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful (permitted) to give tribute (pay taxes) unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived (knew) their wickedness, and said, Why tempt (test) ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute (tax) money. And they brought unto him a penny (Gr. denarius). And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription (inscription)?’ (Matt.22:16-20) Then Jesus delivered the coup de grace, which is our Bit. And the Good Book continues: ‘When they had heard these words, they marvelled (were amazed), and left him, and went their way.’ (Matt.22:22) Oh Friends, as the saying goes; there’s none so blind, as they who refuse to see. That applies to many of us in these current times, as well as the Pharisees and other groups who tried to get Jesus to incriminate Himself during the three years of His earthly ministry. They were too dimwitted, egotistical and steeped in the traditions of men to see that every time they posed an incriminating question, His answer was always astute and impeccable. Unfortunately, many of us today behave the same way; we allow the traditions of men, rather than the true principles of God to run our lives. That’s why so many of us lead such miserable and unfulfilled lives, and sadly don’t understand why. Anyway, here’s some historical background and further explanations from the scholars’. ‘The Herodians were a party that favoured the dynasty of Herod and stood for the Roman connection. They cared little or nothing for religion and normally were bitterly opposed to the Pharisees. The statements recorded in verse 16 are insincere and intended as hypocritical flattery. Their question was intended to place the Lord in a dilemma. If he says yes, He can be held up to the people as a traitor. If He says no, He can be denounced to the Roman authorities. Caesar was the Roman Emperor and head of the Roman state. Caesar was the family name of Julius Caesar, the first man who aspired to autocracy (absolute government, controlling influence). The name was taken over from him by his adopted son Octavian, afterward titled the Emperor Augustus. Render therefore unto Caesar: The Lord means that we are to give the civil magistrates all that is due to them, as long as it does not interfere with the honour due to God. Jesus had broken the Herodians dilemma by making light of the ultimate significance of Caesar’s claim. The idea is: “If the penny is his, let him have it.” Jesus’ response, render unto God the things that are God’s, exposed the spiritual failure of the Herodians. In essence, Jesus made light of Caesar’s temporal claim in favour of God’s greater claim over men’s lives.’ And that’s the undeniable truth my Friends! Therefore all of us should also embrace that same distinction, for it’s God who created us, in His own image to boot, not sinful, fallible, short-lived man. And we’ll stop there for today. It’s enough for us to contemplate, what with our short attention spans and busy schedules. (smile) Tomorrow though, God willing, we’ll continue with giving to man what belongs to him, and to God what’s His. It’s a major principle in our Christian faith, and there are lots more scriptures concerning it, to be looked at. Till then, please, let’s all try and walk worthy of our most awesome and LOVING God. And may He bless and keep us safely as we do our earthly pilgrimage, allowing His shining countenance to light on us, and give us His wonderful peace that passes all human understanding. We pray this in Jesus’ Holy Name, and His sacrificial blood that was spilled on the cross at Calvary to pay for our abominable sins and cleanse our unworthy souls. Amen. Much LOVE my fellow followers of Christ!…though everything belongs to God…He’s ordained that some things will be looked on as belonging to earthly rulers… and true believers should acknowledge them as such…
19 Nov 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: aura of love, further God's kingdom, God's Word, great confidence, happiness, holy spirit, humble servants, lies, Monday Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, right perspective, sure conquerors, tested and true, wiles, work
Psalm 18:30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
‘Mornin’ neighbuh!’ A bright and breezy tone. ‘Mornin’…’ Sour and surly. ‘Is a nice morning eh…’ ‘Steups! What so nice about it eh? Is Monday morning, that means I have to get up and go to the stupid government work!’ ‘So?” ‘Ah Lord eh! Ah don’t know what wrong with you nuh woman. You always so bright and bubbly on a Monday.’ ”That’s because the Holy Spirit of Jesus is living in me, and He makes me happy EVERY morning!’ ‘Well good for you and Jesus yes! I wish all yuh the best of luck in all yuh happiness.’ ‘Thank you neighbuh. Jesus and me wish you the best of luck too.’ ‘Steups! Jesus, Jesus…that is all she could talk about yes, especially on a Monday morning, when a body have to get up out of bed so early to go and labour for a pittance. Steups!’ Ah Friends, I hope you all see the difference in attitudes caused by the difference in perspectives. Followers of Jesus should always have the bright positive approach, regardless of what day it is, because we know that with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, EVERY day is a GOOD day. Trouble is, not all of us believers actually feel that way, and some days, particularly on Mondays, we fall into a blue funk, and need a spark, a boost to get up and get a move on. So with one voice, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get the adrenalin flowing nuh. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Yes Friends, now that our engine is purring smoothly, in perfect sync with that of the Holy Spirit that’s guiding us, let’s go out into the ungodly world with plenty vim and vigour and wage serious battle against Beelzebub and his evil cohorts nuh. And to help us stay in that Jesus groove, let’s use our Bit as a catalyst, a ‘strengthener’ to help us remember our earthly purpose – to help bring lost souls to the Saviour. ‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ Awesome words of wisdom and truth my people! Now yesterday we looked at some scripture that verified the first half of our Bit, today we’ll look at some that verify the second half. ‘…the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ And we don’t have very far to go to find corroboration of those facts, for in Psalm 12, Bruh David proudly proclaims: ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.’ (Ps.12:6) Ah mih breddren, how many things of the earth can we purify in fire seven times and have them remain, unbroken, unvarnished, vibrant and ever-resilient eh? Not many. But the Lord’s Word can certainly stand that rigorous test. Then in Psalm 17, a prayer for protection against oppressors, Bruh David invokes the Lord to ‘Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.’ (Ps.17:6) Meanwhile, in Proverbs 30, Agur also declares with great confidence: ‘Every word of God is pure (tried and found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.’ (Prov.30:5-6) Oh my brethren, please note that last verse very carefully. We’re not to add our two cents worth to God’s Word, as has become very prevalent nowadays, where we slant the Word to suit our own selfish purposes. And going back to the Psalms, we have the psalmist declaring in 119:140: ‘Thy word is very pure (refined or tried): therefore thy servant LOVETH it.’ How can we not LOVE the Word if it’s so pure, true and wise eh Friends? Now let’s close with some more encouraging words of truth and wisdom. ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12) And all God’s people exulted with a loud ‘Praise the Lord! Amen! And it really couldn’t be put any better than that Friends, so let’s grab hold of it all and diligently run the earthly race of glory laid out for us. It will be most worthwhile in the end. Much LOVE!…everything hinges on the WORD…it created the universe…controls it…and will eventually destroy it…in God’s perfect time…
28 Sep 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: affliction, cry out, deceitfulness, deliverance, disobedience, distress, fellowship, Friday chant, glorious kingdom, integrity, Jonah, refreshed soul, rejuvenation, right perspective, righteous, TGIF!, Thank God it's Friday, welfare
Psalm 120:1. In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
Oh Friends, I must say that I’m not as bright and bubbly as I was yesterday because my allergies are acting up. They had me feeling real lousy earlier on with the sneezing and sniffling, but I eventually took some medication and they are settling down now. And though I’m still not 100 %, my heart is still encouraged in our God. Praise Him for His tender mercies! Nonetheless, today is Friday, and as my buddy James remarked when I asked how he was doing: ‘Rough mih brother. Ah work out mih soul case this week. But yuh know what… Thank God is Friday yes, and the weekend soon come!’ Yes Friends, the weekend is here for us to rest up and refocus ourselves. So as always, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm nuh, while eagerly looking forward to the couple of days off. All together as one voice 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.’ Ah mih people, we have to keep our lives totally focused and in the right perspective at all times, otherwise we’re liable to fall prey to the evil of Beelzebub. But even when that happens, we ought not to fear, for as our Bit so faithfully declares: ‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.’ Yes my brethren, that’s exactly what we need to do when we’re under any stress or strain. The psalmist, befuddled by the wrong that was being done to him, continues: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.’ (Ps.120:2) Ah Friends, many of us have personally experienced the harsh and often wrong criticism, ridicule and deceitfulness cause by others spreading lies and false innuendo. And we know that it hurts a lot, for as Willie Shakespeare claims in one of his plays – I don’t remember which one – if you steal my purse, you’re stealing trash; but my good name, my integrity, now that’s a horse of a different colour. So our good name and integrity do mean a lot, especially to believers operating under Jesus’ triumphant banner. We cannot allow our character to be besmirched, because it reflects badly on our Saviour and our faith. But the wise thing to do, if and when that happens, or any calamity at all strikes us, is to first cry out to God for help. I can tell you that from personal experience, since there are many times I’ve cried out to Him for one reason or another, some of them when I couldn’t find a Bit or figure out what to write. And the good news Friends, is that our God has always helped me to come up over my problems. And on the matter of crying out to Him in distress, there’s no better example than Jonah in the belly of the great fish. Though Jonah was disobedient to God’s directive, spending some time in the fish’s stomach woke him up to the reality that his God was both powerful and merciful. ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason (because) of my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ (Jon.1:1-2) So Friends, if the Lord could forgive Jonah for his disobedience when he cried out in distress, why won’t He hear our cry when we’re wronged and persecuted eh? No reason whatsoever my people! Bruh David hit the nail on the head when he declared in Psalm 34, the Lord hears the righteous: ‘The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry…The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (Ps.34:15,17) And nobody knew that better than Bruh David. Then again in Psalm 65 he’s correct, when he says: ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps.65:2) And that’s the gospel truth Friends, as Isaiah proclaims on the Lord’s behalf. ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.’ (Is.66:22-23) Oh my people, there’s our God talking, and He doesn’t talk simply for talk sake, but because He wants us to get to know Him and His ways. And one of the things He sincerely wants us to know and do is to come to Him in prayer; cry out to Him when disaster strikes, for He’s totally interested in our welfare, the way a good, kind and merciful God should be about His subjects. So Friends, please don’t be afraid or ashamed to call upon His Holy Name when things get rough, for that’s what He desires of us. Remember that even Jesus cried out to Him when the going got tough, so why shouldn’t we, mere mortals that we are. Much LOVE!…what’s the purpose of having a God…if you can’t cry out to Him for help in times of trouble…
18 May 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: ask, fellowship, fun, greatest news of the day, hope on the horizon, in Jesus' name, knock, living God, relaxation, rest, right perspective, seek, talk to God, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, weekend
Matthew 7:7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, that day of joy, where we all shout, ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! That’s because the weekend cometh and our labours shall cease for two paltry days. No more sitting in traffic jams twice a day, for a whole two big days. Wow! And to give us the right perspective on how to use those two extraordinary days, let’s chant our Friday Chant. As one loud voice 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 let’s do our part in that equation, so that come Monday, we’ll indeed be fresh and eager to again go out and battle in Jesus’ name. But talking about being fresh and eager, since I’ve come back from J.A. I’ve been anything but that. I’ve been weak and listless, all my aches and pains have returned, neither have I been sleeping properly or getting enough sleep. Just been feeling real lousy, with no energy at all, unlike my time in Jamaica, where I was active and energetic. For some reason my ying and yang just can’t seem to get back in sync now that I’m home. However, there is some hope on the horizon. I went out for a walk last evening, and did a little physical stuff around the house, got some sleep and am not feeling as lousy now. But hear the greatest news of the day mih Friends! I have two car keys; one on a ring by itself, that I use most of the time, and another on a bunch with my house keys, that I keep for emergencies. Now since I had no need for the single key in J.A. I left it at home. But yuh think I could find it when I got back? Not on yuh life! From Monday night, right back to Thursday evening, with the help of the Duchess, I looked all over the house for it. Then yesterday, while in the laundry room ironing a shirt and thanking the Lord for making me feel a little better physically and mentally, I also asked for a bligh to find the key, since I could think of nowhere else to look. A few seconds later, I got this zeppo to look in a particular pants pocket in my clothes closet. I chuckled, because that didn’t ring a bell, putting it there didn’t sound familiar at all. Sometime later though, I went up to my clothes closet and checked that particular pants pocket. Hn! Lo and behold Friends, there was the car key in living colour! And it wasn’t like I hadn’t already checked other stuff and places in the clothes closet, with the pants in full sight, but it never even registered on my mental screen. I immediately called out to the Duchess to let her know how good and great is the God we serve! Yes mih people, we serve a real, a living, powerful and LOVING God, who through His Holy Spirit, interacts personally with those who trust and obey Him! Ah mih breddren, everyday the Lord does something amazing in my life. Not big miraculous doings, but small, everyday helpers, like pointing me to where I’d hidden the key. That’s the kind of stuff that I keep telling us to take note of and pay attention to as we walk with God, for it’s those little things that truly build our faith. And if anyone dares to tell us that our God isn’t alive and real, we can easily disprove it through our daily interactions with Him, for He truly is interested in everything, in all aspects of our lives. Oh Friends, who says our God doesn’t move in mysterious ways eh! I’m still chuckling over the incident. I guess I would have eventually found the key, whenever I wore the pants. But the beauty of the whole thing is that I was directed to this particular pants, that I never even considered looking in. That finally brings our Bit into play: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ And that’s the gospel truth my people! Our Saviour doesn’t lie, has no cause to since He can do all things. The problem lies with us believing and doing what He says; ask, seek, knock: ‘For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?’ (Matt.7:8-11) Oh Friends, the logic is simple but irrefutable! And you have my testimony that it does indeed work, so please let’s get in sync with our great God nuh. We talk plenty talk, but our actions don’t reflect that talk, and we are the ones who therefore suffer because of it. Let’s start talking seriously to our God today please. Not simply asking Him for material things, but also having serious conversations about our very lives with Him. More on this tomorrow, God willing. Till then, let’s truly LOVE our God, with heart, soul, body and mind, so that the fruits from such behaviour will be clearly seen and make an impact on others, hopefully causing them to come to Jesus for His free gift of salvation and eternal life. Much LOVE!…talking to God…is like…no it’s not like…it IS talking to your best Friend…
Next Newer Entries
SCRIP-BITS 