10 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a need is something that's necessary to sustain life, a want is a desire wish or aspiration, an adverse outcome, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, blessed is the man that endures temptation, bowing here, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Christians, cling to Him, come boldly to the throne of grace, come unto me all ye that labour, death, dissipation, doctrine, dysfunction, excess, faith, fearfully and wonderfully made, feel alone, feel desperate, find grace, find rest unto your souls, for all things, for my yoke is easy, gentle and humble, giving thanks always, god formed us in our mother's wombs, God is all that we need, God knows our thoughts, God wants us to run to Him, heavy laden, holy spirit, I am free, I am meek and lowly, I confess, I find my rest, I need you every hour, I will give you rest, I'll fall on you Jesus, in the fear of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, indisputable truth, Jesus Christ, keep our faith going strong, learn from me, Lord I need you, LOVE, making melody in your heart to the Lord, making the most of every opportunity, mercy, my burden is light, my hope and, my one defense, my righteousness, needing Christ as much as ever, not as fools but as wise, obtain mercy, practical advice, praise, receive the crown of life, redeeming the time, sacrifices of praise, salvation, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, spiritual songs, submitting yourselves one to another, take my yoke upon you, teach my song to rise to you, thanksgiving, the amazing truth, the BIBLE, the gospel truth, the great invitation, the infallible truth, the Lord hath promised to them that love Him, the Lord's sanctuary, the vicissitudes of life, to help in time of need, trust him at all times, truth, turbulent times, understanding the will of the Lord, walk circumspectly, we cannot hide from God, when he is tried, when I cannot stand, when temptation comes my way, where grace is found is where you are, where sin runs deep, where you are Lord, whetehr it's painful or hard, wisdom, without you I fall apart, worship, you are the one that guides my heart, your grace is more
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
And since today is a bright and sunshiny Sunday friends, hot like those of the recent past, and also with a heat warning, it means that all roads lead to the Lord’s Sanctuary – hope they are air-conditioned. (smile) We go there to offer up praise, worship and thanksgiving, and to receive His amazing grace, mercy, strength and joy, to help us handle the vicissitudes of the upcoming week. And today we begin our worship with a marvellous and most appropriate contemporary Christian song for these tough and turbulent times. It is simply titled, ‘Lord I Need You.’
And that is the indisputable truth, for in these ungodly and scary times, we need the Lord more than ever. However, before we get into the song, since we are talking about needing God, I believe it would be helpful to define ‘a need.’ So, here’s an interesting definition from this commentary.
It says, ‘A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished from wants in that, in the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or death. In other words, a need is something required for a safe, stable and healthy life (e.g. food, water, and shelter) while a want is a desire, wish or aspiration.’
Now, taking that definition of a need into consideration, saying that we need the Lord is certainly another indisputable truth. For without Him in our lives, leading, guiding, and protecting us, we would surely die, both physically and spiritually! Oh yes, He is certainly someone we need to help our human organisms lead a healthy life. (smile) And now that we know what a need is, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise through this beautiful and most timely song, in an uplifting and lively version, like that done by the renowned Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
Singing: ‘Lord I come, I confess Bowing here, I find my rest Without You, I fall apart You’re the one that guides my heart (Chorus: Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You) Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free Holiness is Christ in me (Chorus)
So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay (Chorus. Lord, I need You, oh I need You Every hour, I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You You’re my one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You.’
And as we said before that is the indisputable truth! And not only the indisputable one nuh, but also the gospel truth as well as the infallible one…and any other serious truths out there! (smile) Yes my people, God created us and still controls us, therefore we need Him big time. And if we read Psalm 139, Bruh David’s Praise to the All-Knowing God, we will see how He formed us in our mother’s wombs, knows our thoughts, and everything we’ll say before we even say, we cannot hide from Him, and above all how ‘fearfully wonderfully’ we’re made. So how can we not need Him eh?
Then, we see, the chorus in the song confesses our need for the Lord every hour as our “one defense, my righteousness.” Meanwhile the first verse talks about finding rest in God, and without Him, we’d fall apart. That’s very true, and recalls Jesus’ Great Invitation to cover just such needs. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (gentle and humble): and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:28-30)
And all who hear that invitation and don’t accept it, they are certainly crazed in the head! For there’s nothing like it to be gained from anyone else. And as the chorus tells us how badly we need the Lord, the second verse let’s us know that ‘Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more Where grace is found is where You are And where You are, Lord I am free…’
And where is the Lord’s grace found? The author of Hebrews reminds us: ‘Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ (Heb. 4:16) Yes friends, grace can be found most abundantly at the throne of grace!
Then the last verse declares: ‘So teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You Jesus, You’re my hope and stay’ Oh my fellow believers, it’s like James says: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that LOVE him.’ (James 1:12) And to help us endure the temptation, these practical scripture verses from the pen of Bruh Paul to the Ephesians could be our guide.
‘See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time (making the most of every opportunity), because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:15-21)
That’s the good thing about Bruh Paul, he doesn’t only fill us with doctrine, but always gives some practical advice on how to integrate it into our lives. And we’ll end with this testimony from an unknown believer. He testifies: ‘God has used this song so much in my life over the past couple months. There are moments when we feel desperate, when we wonder why, we feel alone, we are so joyful, we feel so blessed…or we ask that God would show us what He wants from us and how to live.
And that’s where these words touch my heart so much…”Lord, I need You, oh I need You. Every hour I need You. My one defense, my righteousness, oh God how I need You.” He is ALL that we need. That’s what He wants from us. For us to run to Him, cling to Him and trust Him with everything we’re going through. Whether it’s painful and hard, or joy filled and exciting! We need Him!’
And that’s the amazing truth, my brethren! So let’s keep our faith going strong by needing Christ as much as ever! Much LOVE!
…when you have Christ…you don’t need anyone or anything else…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
17 Mar 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a rebirht of love, across the empty squares, antidote, as long as I live, beloved of God, blue and grey, bolster our faith, buying panic, death, enter his gates with thanksgiving, faith, fea hath torment, fear, Fr. Richard Hendrick, friend of Jesus, he made us, he that feareth, hear the sounds of family, hope, hurry, hymns, in a new way, in psalms, isolation, lessen our fear, lockdown, looking at neighbours, LOVE, making melody in your heart, middle of Lent, no fear in love, no medical solution in sight, not made perfect in love, perfect love casteth out fear, public celbrations in green, reclaim your joy, righteousness., seek ye first, serve the Lord with gladness, share His love, sickness, sing unto the Lord, singing to each other, sky thick with fumes, songs of praise, speaking to yourselves, spiritual songs, spring is in the air, St.Patrick's Day, surrender to God, the kingdom of God, the Lord is God, the streets of Assisi, trust, Tuesday Mantra, world lockdown, worry, Wuhan
1 John 4:18. There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.
Well a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We’ve now reached the middle of the Lenten Season. But unfortunately there’ll be no public celebrations in green this year as the lockdown of the world continues… with the panic moving right along with it! Ah Lord eh! Canada has now barred certain people from certain places from entering the country. You’ll have to check out the Canadian Government Website to find out exactly who or whom are no longer welcome. And sadly, every day, it seems to be getting worse; more people contracting the virus, more people dying, more empty shelves in the groceries and supermarkets, more places closing, but absolutely no word of how and when this pandemic will end, and certainly no reassuring news of some antidote been found to contradict the virus.
But friends, when the Lord made man, He instilled one truly admirable quality in him; that of hope which leads to faith; of being able to fight through extremely tough situations with His awesome help. And in these turbulent and tremulous times, with no positive end in sight and no medical solution on the near horizon, it’s our faith and trust and surrender to Almighty God that is going to get us through. And to bolster our faith and courage and lessen our fear, here’s ‘A Great Message for the moment.’ A beautifully written piece by one Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM. I received it from a friend yesterday, and thought I just had to share it because it was so true and beautiful and uplifting. Please read carefully, inwardly digest and take the necessary outward actions. It’s titled “Lockdown!”
‘Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is buying panic. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death. But, They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise You can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet The sky is no longer thick with fumes But blue and grey and clear. They say that in the streets of Assisi People are singing to each other across the empty squares, keeping their windows open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound. Today, a young woman I know is busy spreading fliers with her number through the neighborhood So that the elders may have someone to call on. Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples are preparing to welcome and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary. All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting. All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way.
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality. To how big we really are. To how little control we really have. To what really matters. To LOVE. So we pray and remember that, Yes, there is fear. But there does not have to be hate. Yes, there is isolation. But there does not have to be loneliness. Yes there is buying panic. But there does not have to be meanness. Yes, there is sickness. But there does not have to be disease of the soul. Yes, there is even death. But there can always be a rebirth of LOVE.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now. Today, breathe, listen, behind the factory noises of your panic The birds are singing again. The sky is clearing, Spring is coming, And we are always encompassed by LOVE. Open the windows of your soul. And though you may not be able to touch across the empty square, SING!’
Oh friends, isn’t that touching! I certainly hope that it resounds powerfully within each and everyone of us. And if you will, please share it, because it’s the first positive reaction I’ve seen throughout these crazy and panic-filled times. And strangely enough, earlier on this morning, when I got up and went to the bathroom, I heard birds singing outside for the first time this year, and smiled to myself, thinking, spring is near! Glory be! (smile)
And the psalmist said it in spades, so long ago: ‘Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all ye lands (all the earth). Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord, he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.’ (Ps.100:1-5)
Precious people, just in those five verses the psalmist has spelled it all out for us; the Lord God is good and mighty, and we need to bow before Him with singing and praise and thanksgiving! And singing has always been a way to ease the pressures of life. As another psalmist says: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.’ (Ps.104:33-34) And as Bruh Paul told the Ephesians on how to be Spirit-filled: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:19-21)
Ah my people, that is the first move we ought to make in this crisis; seek God! And I do hope that we see His hand at work in this fear-filled time, because it is present. It’s His way of reining us in, of bringing us back to our senses, and as the author says above, of showing us how small we really are and how little control we do have over our lives and situations. It’s His way of bringing us back to him, killing our false and foolish pride, of showing that the most important thing is not worldly wealth and power, but His righteousness. That’s why His Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ said so emphatically during His earthly sojourn: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
But no, we in our false pride and bravado, with the li’l intelligence we’ve gleaned over the years, have now gotten so big for our britches, that we now desire to, and foolishly believe we can remove our Creator from our society. Hn! What a nonsensical desire and belief! And I have to sadly chuckle when I think about the small virus that the Lord has used to bring us to our knees. Think about it nuh people. Some small, simple, unknown infection is driving the mighty mankind crazy! Can you believe it?
But yet in all the confusion, many of us are finding, new hope, stronger faith, trust and LOVE! And why is that? Because as John says: ‘There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casteth out fear: because fear hath (involves) torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in LOVE.’ And having said all of that, my faithful followers of Christ, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are!
In strong voice with sincere hearts in these trying times, let’s be strong in our Triune Godhead. ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ And in our current situation, we do need to share the warm, reassuring LOVE of Christ and His amazing friendship with each other more than ever. Much LOVE!
…when you’re sad…sing songs of praise…and you’ll reclaim your joy…
12 Feb 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pitying smile, a sigh, a tale that is told, a vapour, arise form the dead, awake, desires of the sin nature, dissipation, does no hrm, drunk with wine, Ethan the Ezrahite, excess, futility, greetings, halfway home, hands on the plough, how short my time is, hymns, insensitivity to Christ's demands, Jesus comes back, love is the fulfilling of the law, love worketh no ill, made all men in vain, making melody in yoru heart, not looking back, our lives are light and airy, procrastination, psalms, put on the armour of light, putting off for tomorrow, redeeming the time, reign of righteousness, rewarding, salutations, share by talk and deed, short lasting, spiritual songs, taken home, thanksgiving, the breath of life, the new life in Christ, the works of darkness, time, to a glorious future with Jesus, vanity, walk circumspectly, waste time, Wednesday Wail, working for christ, worth every heartache
Psalm 89:47. Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain (for what futility hast thou made all men)?
Aye mih people, greetings and salutations this chilly Wednesday morning, as time rolls on by. That reminds me of a conversation I had with the duchess yesterday. In my confusion as to the day, I asked if tomorrow would be Wednesday already? And in her own inimitable way, she answered, ‘Yes, all day!’ (smile)
My contention then was how could it be Wednesday already tomorrow, when yesterday was just Monday? With a pitying smile and a sad shake of her head, the duchess kindly informed me: ‘You think time waiting on you eh? Well it isn’t. Time’s going about it’s business as it should…and if you doh want to go about your business, as you should, then that’s your problem. Doh blame time for your procrastinating!’ Matter fix! (smile)
Yes friends, too many of us keep putting off things we can do today for tomorrow. And I should know, because I’m a master procrastinator! That’s one thing about the duchess, she likes to get her business done asap, no procrastinating on her part. Most of the time if she let’s something ride, it’s because I’ve talked her into it. (smile) But seriously my fellow believers (yeah! caught it just in time!) we can’t afford to waste the little time we have down here on earth, especially when we don’t know when it will be up; when we’ll either be taken home, or Jesus comes back.
And Ethan the Ezrahite said it thus in his maschil (contemplation) on the sure promises of God to Bruh David. ‘How long. Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself forever? Shall thy wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain (for what futility hast thou made all men)?’ (Ps. 89:46-47)
And Moses, in his psalm (90) also mentions our comparatively short time here on earth, to that of eternity. ‘Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told (like a sigh).’ (Ps. 90:8-9) Yeh friends, that’s how short our lives are, like a sigh, especially in the eyes of God.
And Bruh David describes our lives thus in Psalm 62. ‘Surely men of low degree are vanity (a vapour), and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid (weighed) in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity (a vapour).’ (Ps .62:9) So I hope we get the picture; our lives are light and airy like vapour, and short lasting like a sigh, therefore we need to get our act together and do what the Lord has called us to do, without procrastination, fear and/or anxiety.
For as Bruh Paul wrote to the church at Rome. ‘LOVE worketh no ill (does no harm) to his neighbour: therefore LOVE is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it’s high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk honestly (properly), as in the day; not in rioting (revelry) and drunkenness, not in chambering (licentiousness) and wantonness (lewdness), not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.’ (Rom.13:11-14)
And the scholars explain: ‘13:11-12. Sleep means insensitivity to the demands of Christ on the Christian’s life. Now is our salvation nearer: The coming of Christ to deliver us from this sinful world grows nearer every day. The night is the time while Christ is out of the world, and the world has been delivered into the control of the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). The day is a reference to the time when Christ will return and establish His reign of righteousness.’ ‘13:14. Make not provision for the flesh: One should not seek opportunities to satisfy the deep-seated desires of the sin nature, but should seek occasion to manifest works that are consistent with the new life in Christ.’
And to the Ephesians, Bruh Paul was a li’l more explicit. (smile) ‘Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly (carefully), not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:14-21)
Yes my people, those are the things we should not be doing and be doing! Cut out the unbelief, arise from our slumber, procrastination, and stop the idle talk and behaviour, go easy on the alkie, but be filled with the Spirit instead. (smile) Oh friends, in this evil age we have to be very careful of who we talk to and what we listen to. Our souls and lives ought to be filled with thanksgiving and the things pertaining to heaven much more than the those pertaining to earth, for we have a job to do as ambassadors for Christ, and we can’t do that if we embrace the things of the world over those of Christ.
So let’s start making melody in our hearts nuh, and singing godly songs, and giving much thanks, and interacting honestly and righteously with each other, all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father! For that’s what we’re called to do as workers in Christ’s business! And with all of that stirring up our hearts, minds and souls, let’s go home confidently and sincerely declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our enviable position in Christ.
As one voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And if we go out and sincerely share Christ’s message by talk and deed, then our future will be indeed glorious! Much LOVE!
…working for Christ isn’t easy…but it certainly is rewarding…well worth every heartache and difficulty…
28 Nov 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: as in the revocation, bow down, Caleb, celebrating, come before His presence, compassionate heart, curse, drinking, drunk or sober, eating, forty years in the wilderness, give thanks, Granny's warning, harden not your heart, he is our god, his hands formed the dry land, his possession, if ye will hear his voice, in everything, in his hand, Joshua, kneel before the Lord, let us worship, make a joyful noise, making melody in your hearts, mind yuh business, Moses, negative word, not to hoard, our Caretaker, our Maker, positive outlook on life, psalms, rebellion, saw my work, share generously, shout joyfully, songs, spiritual songs, success, sufferation, testing, thanksgiving, the day of temptation, the deep places of the earth, the Holy Spirit, the Lord is a great God, the people of his pasture, the Promised Land, the sea is his, the sheep of his hand, the strength of the hills, the will of God, Thursday's Blessings, today, trial, U.S.A Thanksgiving Day, under his care, warnings of snow ice and rain, weather not cooperating, with psalms, with thanksgiving, your fathers tempted me
Psalm 95:2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs).
Let me open this dry but windy Thursday morning with sincere Thanksgiving wishes for our Scrip-Bit friends and family in the U.S. of A! Yes, today is their Thanksgiving Holiday, one of their biggest and most celebrated days! And so it should be, for a land that the Lord has blessed so plentifully, although now He’s definitely withdrawing some of that blessing because of their abundant and willful sinfulness. But it’s never a bad idea to give thanks, even when we don’t have a lot to give thanks for.
Unfortunately though, the weather is not cooperating with the idea of Thanksgiving, for much of the nation is under severe warnings of snow, ice and rain, and many flights have already been cancelled and roads made impassable. So please be careful all of you who have to travel any distance to celebrate the occasion. And for those of you who have already hunkered down, please remember Granny’s warning; ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business!’ And this is the ‘rightest’ time for that warning, because it’s the day all Americans celebrate, and there’s more eating and drinking and general partying than at any other holiday.
So please don’t allow Beelzebub to get any deeper into your souls than he already is. If possible, use this occasion to try and flush him out. (smile) And what better time is there to get into some thanksgiving scripture than on the day of Thanksgiving eh? (smile) So let’s begin with these most appropriate words of Psalm 95, as the psalmist takes us through words of praise to our great God. ‘O Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto him with psalms (songs). For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.’ (Ps. 95:1-3)
And is that ever so true my people! Our God is the greatest of all supposed gods. In fact, He is the ONE and ONLY true God there is! And how do we know that? Listen to the psalmist again: ‘In his hand (his possession) are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills (the heights) is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.’ (Ps. 95:4-5) Wow mih breddren! Our God must be the greatest if He did all of that! Consequently, it is only natural for us to do as the psalmist continues: ‘O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (under his care).’ (Ps.95:6-7a)
And right there we have our very reason for being, our reason for thanksgiving precious people of God! The One and Only true God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is our Maker and Caretaker, so for that very reason, it is of the utmost importance that we offer up praise and thanksgiving and glorify His holy name! And a further consequence of all that is as the psalmist so wisely advises: ‘Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the revocation (rebellion), and as in the day of temptation (trial, testing) in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted (tried) me, and saw my work.’ (Ps. 95:7a-9)
Yes friends, if the Lord should call to us today, please don’t harden our hearts and rebel like the Israelites did way back when, and thus experienced forty long years of ‘sufferation,’ of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. Our God is indeed a most LOVING and compassionate Deity, but by the same token, He doesn’t take kindly to the rebellion of those whom He blesses abundantly. As a result of that foolish rebellion by the Israelites, only two people, Joshua and Caleb, of all who left bondage in Egypt, ever entered the Promised Land. Not even Moses laid foot thereon, but Lord was nice enough to show it to him from a hill on the other side. (smile)
So this current widespread attitude we now have of trying to get rid of God from our society is pure and total foolishness…no stupidity! And here is the perfect scripture to address that stupidity, this thanksgiving day. Hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of God is. And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:17-21)
Oh my people, there couldn’t be wiser advice for us this Thanksgiving Day of 2019! So let’s take it nuh, and recognize the will of God for our lives, go easy on the imbibing, and fill our souls and bodies with the Holy Spirit and not alcohol, simultaneously making melody in our hearts to the Father through Christ Jesus, as we follow the ‘royal law,’ LOVING our neighbours as ourselves.’
Mama Yo! Is there ever rejoicing in heaven when we give thanks! And no, I haven’t forgotten our Thursday Blessings, (smile) with which the Lord has so generously blessed us. So let’s declare them right now, in strong voice and sincere belief: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
However my people, please don’t forget those wonderful blessings were not giving for us to hoard, but to share just as generously with the unfortunate ones around us. Much LOVE!
…in everything…GIVE THANKS…for this is the will of God…in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:18)
15 Sep 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: any afllicted, blood red, cheerful, cymbals, dance, early morning sun, entreaties, everything that hath breath, game drive, gay abandon, generosity, gullible, hippos, hymns, in heat, king of the beasts, leopards, making melody in your heart, mating season, McDonalds, merry, omnipotence, Praise the Lord, pray, psalms, rough trails, sing psalms, singing, speaking to yourselves, spiritual songs, Sunday, the firmament of power, the Lord knows his heart, the Lord's sanctuary, the wilds, timbrel
Ephesians 5:19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t that wonderful day called Sunday! The one where we ought to visit the Lord’s sanctuary to give Him thanks and praise and fellowship with other believers, hear His holy Word and receive strength to face another daunting week in this evil and ungodly world. Unfortunately though the ole fella is unable to do that since he’s way out in the wilds of northern South Africa, with no TV or internet. But the Lord knows his heart and will hear whatever prayers I send up to him this day. (smile)
So, obviously without access to the net, I can’t get words for a song, therefore we’ll just have to sing our own individual songs. (smile) As Bruh Paul says: ‘Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.’ And as James declares: ‘Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful)? Let him sing psalms.’ (James 5:13) So since we’re all merry, let’s sing psalms nuh…and we don’t need any internet to do that. (smile) So let’s sing this rather appropriate psalm # 150 – Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.
In strong voice and sweet harmony: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power (his mighty firmament). Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet (cornet): praise him with the psaltery (lute or lyre) and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah!)’
Yeh friends, anything, or anybody who draws breath in this crazy world ought to give the Lord God Almighty much thanks and praise just for that fact alone, because it is through His omnipotence and generosity that we are even able to draw breath, much less enjoy all the other benefits! Anyway, my Sunday began with a 5.a.m. wake-up call from our guide Fortune, so we could get to the Lodge for coffee and take off on the morning game drive by five thirty.
Well there we were heading out in the dark at five thirty in the crisp morning air, hoping to see at least one of the big five we had not yet seen. And the big five are: elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards and hippos. So far we’d seen the first two, but no trace of any of the other three. And believe me, driving out in that Land Cruiser in the darkness, especially as Fortune drives, is something else, because he slashes through and over the thickets with gay abandon. I learned early on, in my co-pilot seat, to keep my hands inside and move towards him when he began slashing through the brambles and numerous thorn trees. (smile)
Unfortunately, we rode around the rough trails for a while without seeing anything besides some smaller animals, like guinea hens and impalas, or what they call McDonalds, because they have a big black, capital ‘M’ stenciled on their rear ends, that resembles the McDonald’s sign. (smile) What we did see however, was the spectacular rising of the early morning sun, coming up blood red above the eastern horizon, while the big, full moon still stood fairly high in the western sky! And as the Almighty God who made them so wisely planned it, the former eventually rose higher and commanded the day, while the latter decreased in stature and soon disappeared altogether.
Sometime during that game drive though, the word came out that some lions had been seen, and we journeyed to the spot, joining two other groups of people. Now check out this scene. It’s my favourite of the whole trip. The male lion is lying quietly in the shade, barely discernible because his coat is so much like the brown, dry grass, while the female who seems to be in heat (it’s mating season) prances by him, goes off a li’l way, then lies down. Soon the king of beasts comes, mounts her from the rear, does his thing…and it’s all over in like five seconds. Then he casually strolls off and lies down below a shade tree, while the female moves off a short distance.
It’s said that they have to copulate every twenty minutes, but I don’t think the lady waited that long, then she came back to the gentleman lying quietly below the tree, pranced around him, rubbed her rear end on him, and made all kinds of entreaties. But the ole boy was having none of it. He just lay their stoically, head held high in the air, till the lady got tired of not so subtlety making her intentions known and walked away to lie down on an incline where he could see her, and prostrate herself in all her glory. And I had to laugh, because a couple of minutes later, the ole boy just put down his head and apparently went to sleep, completely ignoring the lady.
This just goes to prove the falsehood of the oh so prevalent and prevailing theory that a man never refuses a woman, that he will undoubtedly fall for all of her sensuous wiles and tricks! Let that be a lesson to you women! (smile) Man is not always as foolish and gullible as he seems! We left the scene shortly after the ole fellow put down his head, indicating that no further action was going to happen for a while, and eventually got back home around minutes to nine, had breakfast then went to sleep. We even told them not to prepare lunch because we were all so tired and filled with food. We’d come for high tea at four, before going out for another drive at four thirty.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see much on that drive besides what we’d already seen. We went driving along the river, over and through the brambles and thickets, with Fortune’s dexterity, looking for hippos or leopards, but failed to see any. Then it was back to the lodge in time for supper. Oh, can you imagine I fell asleep on the way home driving through those rough roads with all the noise, with Fortune driving one handed while shining his spotlight from side to side with the other. I was surely surprised by that. Just goes to show how tired the ole fella was. Tomorrow’s another day though! Much LOVE!
…giving thanks and praise…for simply drawing breath…should be a top priority…..
23 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Adam, asaph, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, be not unwise, blackbird has spoken, Cat Stevens, dissipation, elation, Eve, excess, Garden of Eden, giving thanks always, glorify the Lord, God's recreation, hymns, in psalms, Isaiah, make a joyful noise, morning has broken, of the wet garden, praise for the morning, redeemed thy people, sing a new song unto the Lord, speaking to yourselves, spiritual songs, sunlit from heaven, the fear of God, the God that doest wonders, the Lord rested, the Lord's Day, the Sabbath, the sweetness, the Ten Commandments, who is so great a God as our God, with thine arm, Yusuf Islam
Ephesians 5:19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Well, well, well… the first Sunday in this summer season of 2019! And it’s shaping up to be a beautiful one, so there can be no weather related excuses for not heading towards the Lord’s sanctuary at some time today, to praise, worship and exalt Him, fellowship with other believers, and receive the confidence and assurance of His Holy Word that will enable us to go back out and face the enemy mano a mano in the upcoming workweek.
Let’s be obedient for a change nuh, and do as the Good Book says: ‘Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God day: in it thou shalt not do any work. …For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.’ (Ex.20:8-11)
Ah friends, yuh see that rest and fellowship and spiritual renewal were so important in the Lord’s plan that He enshrined them in the Ten Commandments! So who are we to say otherwise eh? And as always, we’ll open the proceedings with a song of praise and adoration to soften up our hearts and put us in the mood to receive all that our wonderful God has to offer us.
And today’s song is one that pays tribute to God’s creation of the earth and the majestic nature that He’s created thereon. It’s the old Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) classic: ‘Morning has broken.’ So without further ado, let’s sing it out from deep within our hearts and souls, with much thanksgiving and feeling, like we really believe and mean what we singing nuh.
As one glorious choir now: ‘Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven Like the first dewfall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight Mine is the morning Born of the one light Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning God’s recreation of the new day Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing Praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world.’ Short but sweet!
And isn’t it just amazing my faithful brethren how this morning has broken just like the first morning did eons ago, and as every morning has done in between, and like every morning will continue to break until the Lord decides otherwise! And likewise how the birds greet each morning like the first one with their songs of joy, praise and thanksgiving! Mama Mia! Only a Deity of omnipotent power and wisdom can create such a constant happening down through the ages!
And yuh see how He created the beautiful Garden of Eden to house Adam and Even, and the other marvels of nature for their descendants. And it’s the very same sunlight and morning that our forefathers saw in Eden so long ago. And He’s such a wonderful God that although our forefathers were disobedient He didn’t destroy us completely, but kept mankind around until it was time for His Son Jesus to make His marvellous appearance as our Lord and Saviour, sin-bearer and Redeemer.
That’s why, as the song says we ought to praise Him with elation, every morning that we open our eyes to a new one with birds singing and the sun shining down from heaven. Oh, and don’t forget to also praise Him when the sweet rain falls gently on the ground, because that is also His doing, and it does serve many useful purposes in our lives.
That’s why there are so many scripture passages praising the Lord and also advising us to praise Him. And yuh know what friends, it’s all for our benefit. So let’s check out a few of them in the time and space we have left nuh, beginning with these awesome words of truth from the psalmist Asaph from Psalm 77.
‘Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary (in holiness): who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.’ (Ps.77:13-15)
And hear Isaiah when talking about the servant (Jesus) coming to glorify the Lord. ‘Behold the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles (coastlands), and the inhabitants thereof.’ (Is.42:9-10)
Meanwhile another psalmist declares (wrong again!) ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory….Make a joyful noise (shout joyfully) unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise (break forth in song), and rejoice, and sing praise.’ (Ps.98:1,4) That’s just like we did earlier on friends!
And we’ll end with this wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians, as he talks about the ways of the true believer. ‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit.
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:17-21)
Oh friends, if we take that wonderful advice, we can never go wrong in our LOVE walk, because it will just raise our faith and keep us tripping on top of the world! Wow! And do I ever LOVE that last part of our Bit: ‘singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;’ It just touches the soul of the writer and musician in me!
Anyway, it’s time to go home now, we done late already, going to church spoil mih business. (smile) So please have a blessed Sabbath day, singing and praising and fellowshipping and hearing and reading the immortal Word of God, as we faithful saints of Christ are meant to do! Much LOVE!
…let the whole earth…all of creation…praise the Lord…for it is His just dessert…
21 May 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: admonition, all you've done for me, always comforts me, awesome, be ye thankful, Bebe Winans, beloved bowels, better to me, can't live without your touch, Christ forgave you, Christ's people, Christian virtue, comfort, compassion, dissension, disunity, do all in the name of Jesus, dwell in you richly, eternal life, forbearing, forgiving, friend, from the depths of my heart, funky style, give thanks to you, guidance, guide for kingdom living, heartfelt gratitude, holy, hymns, I can't live without your love, I could never repay, I've been to myself, in word and deed, live in love, long-suffering, meekness, my heart's confirmation, my life's uncertain, psalms, put on, put on charity, rule in your hearts, salvation, set my feet a dancing, spiritual songs, standing here beside you, sufferation, teaching, tender mercies, thank you, thanks for being a friend, the elect of god, the Holy Spirit, the peace of God, the word of Christ, true, whatever ye do, when things are going wrong, wisdom, you keep me going strong, you're my salvation, your love
Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Well a blessed Sunday to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and family, in whatever part of God’s great universe that you might currently be ensconced! (smile) Consequently, it being the Sabbath Day, the Day of the Lord, we are expected to join other believers at the Lord’s house to praise, give thanks, fellowship, hear His Word and receive His awesome strength and confidence to go forth into the new week, refreshed and renewed!
Oh how wonderful that is my brethren! And what an amazing situation it also is when we lift our heads, hand, eyes and hearts to heaven in humble and sincere gratitude for all that our heavenly Father has done on our behalf. And as always, we’ll begin the proceedings with song! There’s nothing like song to convey true, heartfelt gratitude!
And this morning we have a song that will do just that in spades mih people! It’s simply titled ‘THANK YOU!’ It’s another Bebe Winans tune from his ‘In Harm’s Way’ album. And this morning mih brethren we going funky; funky as funky can be; real up-tempo style!
And I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed that when we giving sincere thanks in song, it always seems to sound more authentic when it’s upbeat, than when it’s just slow and soulful! And that’s what we going to do this morning in our time of worship! Pure funk right through mih people!
So let’s clap it in: One Clap, Two Claps, Three Claps, Four Claps! And vocals: ‘Yeh, yeh, yeh! Say it again, say – Thank You, Thank You! All I want to do is…Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Feel my emotions, You keep me going strong.
Source of my solution, When things are going wrong. When my life’s uncertain, There’s no place I’d rather be, Than standing here beside You. Your LOVE always comforts me! So – Thank You, Thank You! Thanks for being a friend! Thank You, Thank You! Over and over again. Thank You, Thank You!
I could never repay, The LOVE You sent in my way, my way. Thank You, Thank You! Something else I want to tell You. You’re my salvation…Oh yes You are! Don’t You know You’re everything? Set my feet a dancing, When I think of all You’ve done for me…Thank You, Thank You! Just for being a friend…Thank You, Thank You! Over and over again, Thank You, Thank You!
I could never repay, the LOVE You sent my way, my way. Here and now my heart’s confirmation…You are awesome and true! You’ve been better to me, than I’ve been to myself. I’ll always give thanks to You, to You, to You! I will, Oh yes I will!
Heavenly Father…Right now…I want to Thank You for what You’ve done for me. Right now…I want to Thank You for taking good care of me. Right now…I want to Thank You for all that You mean to me. Right now, right now…I can’t live without Your LOVE!
Thank You, Thank You! Right now…I don’t want to live without Your LOVE! No doubt about it! Thank You, Thank You! For all that You’ve been to me…Thank You, Thank You!
And all that You’ve done for me… I can’t live without Your LOVE…Can’t live without Your touch…No doubt about it! I just have to say…Thank You, Thank You! From the depths of my heart…Thank You, Thank You! Thank You, Thank You…!’
Oh friends, wasn’t that just wonderful! It surely was! I don’t know about you, but it surely set my feet a dancing, my soul a rocking, as I sang along, sang those oh so true words, and my fingers flew over the keyboard. (smile)
Obviously, in my excitement I made several mistakes, but that was okay, because the joy it brought my heart certainly overwhelmed the effort it took to correct a few mistakes. And don’t think it wasn’t funky in heaven too, because they like nothing better than a good funk tune, especially when it’s all about praise to our wonderful Triune God!
And yuh know what friends, we truly can’t ever thank or repay the Lord enough for all that He’s done for us nuh, especially for all the LOVE that He’s sent our way. How can we ever thank Him for Jesus eh? Or even the comfort and guidance of His Holy Spirit? What about salvation…peace…mercy…forgiveness…grace etc. etc.?
But we not going to dwell on all of that this morning, because if you’re a true believer, you already know it. Instead, let’s get to the Word; God’s magnificent guide for kingdom living here on earth. And in the words of Bruh Paul to the Colossians, let’s check out a li’l Christian virtue nuh.
‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels of mercies (tender mercies, heartfelt compassion), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering ; Forbearing (bearing with) one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity (LOVE) which is the bond of perfectness (the crowning grace). And let the peace of God rule in your hearts. To the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ (Col.3:12-17)
That says it all my people. And the scholars offer this explanation of our Bit. ‘3:16. When believers are forbearing, forgiving (v.13), and LOVING (v.14) toward one another , when peace reigns among God’s people (v.15) then the church is fertile soil for the blessings produced by the word of Christ.’
Oh my fellow believers, we all know that right now that the church is not fertile soil for Christ’s Word because there is too much disunity and dissension amongst its members, not enough compassion, LOVE or forgiveness. And I’m sure this breaks Jesus heart every time He thinks about the ‘sufferation’ He went through to bring us the Father’s good news of salvation and eternal life.
Please, let’s not let Him down nuh. Let’s make the effort to pull things together for His sake, in His precious name. That’s wisdom of the highest calling! Much LOVE!
…if Christ’s people can’t live in LOVE…then who else can eh…
26 Aug 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a shout of joy, Alleluia, an instrument of ten strings, appreciation, be not frunk with wine, Christians, come before the lord, dance for joy, David danced before the Lord, dissipation, excess, filled with the Spirit, filled your soul with song, from sleep, full of confidence, going to church, gratefulness, harp, heard my cry, hymns, in the name of Jesus, Jerusalem, joy, let your trumpets sound, loving, loving-kindness, making melody in your hearts, merciful, more faithfull, mountains high, open your heart and soul, out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, play glad tambourines, psalms, receptive to God's word, Rejoice in the Lord, righteousness, rise o children, set my feet upon a rock, sincere hearts, sing a new song, sing praises, spiritual songs, strong voices, thanks and praise, the ark of the covenant, the earth is full of goodness, the happiest people in the world, the joy of the Lord is your strength, The Lord is good, the Lord's people, to go or not to go, trust in the Lord, turned your sorrow to joy, upon a psaltery, waited patiently, your Saviour has come
Psalm 144:9. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery (harp) and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
To go or not to go? That is the question: whether, on this summer Sunday morning, I should stay in my warm, comfortable bed, roll over and go back to sleep, or make a determined effort to roll out, get dressed and go to the Lord’s sanctuary, to praise and worship, give thanks and fellowship with other faithful believers?
Hn! Oh friends, I daresay that many of us are facing that question, or have already faced it. Let’s hope that your reaction was, or will be the wise one; getting up and going to church. And while there you sincerely open your heart and soul to your heavenly Father, and you also take in all that He has to offer, so you can leave there stronger, more faithful and full of confidence.
And today friends, in our li’l get together, we’re going to open the proceedings the way we always do, by softening up our hearts in song, making them more receptive to God’s word, by first giving Him thanks and praise. And we’re going to do exactly what our Bit tells us to do: ‘I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery (harp) and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.’
Oh what a joy it is to sing unto the Lord my brethren, especially a new song, one that He hasn’t heard us sing before, because then He is eagerly looking forward to the praise we have to offer. Yuh know that’s one of the reasons He created us; to praise Him? So let’s not keep Him waiting any longer nuh, let’s belt out this new song with strong voices and sincere hearts.
As one soulful choir now: ‘(Chorus: Sing a new song unto the Lord, Let your song be sung from mountains high. Sing a new song unto the Lord, Singing Alleluia! Alleluia!) The Lord’s people dance for joy. O come before the Lord And play for Him on glad tambourines and let your trumpets sound. (Chorus)
Rise, O children from your sleep your Saviour now has come. He has turned your sorrow to joy, and filled your soul with song. (Chorus: Sing a new song unto the Lord, Let your song be sung from mountains high. Sing a new song unto the Lord, Singing Alleluia! Alleluia!)
Yes my people, that’s the way it ought to be! The Lord is good and merciful and LOVING, so His people should show their appreciation and gratefulness by dancing before Him with joy! That reminds me of when Bruh David danced before the Lord with all his might when they brought up the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Sam.6:14)
And the Lord just LOVES His music, so it’s a no-brainer that we should play happily and sweetly on our musical instruments and thus bring Him pleasure. So let those tambourines jangle, the harps sing and the trumpets sound out! An’ yuh see, even the song says we must rise up from our sleep, because our Saviour, Jesus has come! Glory be!
And what’s even better, is that He has turned our sorrow to joy, and filled our souls with song! Mama Mia! How can we beat that eh friends? No way! And as I keep saying, with a Saviour like Jesus, and all that He’s done for us, we Christians should be the happiest people in the world! Joy should be our watchword; ‘for the joy of the Lord is your strength,’ (Neh.8:10) And since we know that salvation has been granted and eternal life is waiting in heaven, our earthly life should be just one big sing along! (smile)
Like the Good Book says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp; sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (a shout of joy). For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:1-5) And there is no disputing any of that my people!
And now hear Bruh David in Psalm 40 nuh –Praise for answered prayer. ‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings (my steps). And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.’ (Ps.40:1-4)
Ah friends, that’s the power of trusting in the Lord: you cry out to Him in patient and sincere trust, and He raises you up, and puts a new song in your soul, so you can praise Him even more! Glory to our heavenly Father!
And we’ll end with this wonderful advice from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
We couldn’t get any better advice than that nuh friends, so let’s take it to heart and put it into action today nuh! Much LOVE!
…there’s nothing our God LOVES more…than us giving Him sincere thanks and praise…
11 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of joy, abide with me, all God's works, beautiful, bitterness, bubbling in our hearts, change, cloud, comforts flee, companionship, death, death's sting, decay, dissipation, done in truth, drunk with wine, earth's joys, encourage each other, Ephesians, Eventide, fear no foe, filled with the Spirit, first day of the week, flowing from our lips, foil the tempter's power, for all things, gathering, giving thanks always, gloom, God's presence, gospel truth, grace, grave, hearts, heavenly Father, help of the helpless, helpers fail, Henry Francis Lyte, human craving, hymns, in the name of, invite Jesus, joy, life, listen to God's holy word, looks death in the face, loves righteousness, loving kindness, making melody to the Lord, miss a great time, our Lord Jesus Christ, pilgrimage, praise, praise is comely, Praise the Lord, psalms, rain, Rejoice in the Lord, rejuvenating everyone, sacrifice of praise, shout of joy, sing unto God a new song, snow, speaking to yoursleves, spiritual songs, Sunday gatherings, sunshine, tarry with them, tears, thanksgiving, the darkness deepens, the day is far spent, the fear of God, the house of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Lord is in the house, the Lord's goodness, the Lord's sanctuary, the road to Emmaus, the upright, time everlasting, to offer up thanks and praise, triumph, true believers, unto God, vain shadows flee, victory, William Monk, ye righteous
Psalm 33:1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright.
And as the first day of the week rolls around again, let us gladly make our weekly pilgrimage to the House of God! There to meet in joyful fellowship, with praise and thanksgiving flowing from our lips and hearts, as we listen to His holy word and renew His Spirit within us. As I said the other day, there’s nothing as moving and monumental as a group of true believers gathering to offer up thanks and praise to our heavenly Father.
Now please don’t allow the snow, rain, or other physical circumstances to stop you from going to the Lord’s sanctuary, for you will miss a great time, where believers encourage each other and the Spirit of the Lord is in the house rejuvenating everyone. So let’s get the praise and worship going by singing another old faithful, ‘Abide with Me.’
Apparently it was written by an eccentric curate, Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) ‘haunted by the phrase, repeatedly muttered by his close friend, William Le Hunte, as he lay dying.’ Lyte wrote the hymn to its own tune, but it is now sung to the tune of ‘Eventide,’ a composition of the organist William Monk.
It’s supposedly based on the scripture Luke 24:29, where the two disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus but did not recognize Him, and as the daylight was drawing to a close, and they came to where they would spend the night, they constrained, petitioned, Jesus: ‘Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.’
Now let us, in our own way, invite Jesus to stay with us until time everlasting. In strong voice and humble hearts let’s offer up the sacrifice of praise that our Lord enjoys hearing so much. ‘Abide with me: fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away. Change and decay in all around I see. O Lord who changes not, abide with me. I need your presence every passing hour. What but your grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who like yourself my guide and strength can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
I fear no foe with you at hand to bless, though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, your victory? I triumph still, if you abide with me. Hold now your Word before my closing eyes. Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.’
And there is no one better to undertake that task than our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Now here are a couple of interesting comments on the hymn. One Erik Routley calls it a hymn that “looks death in the face” and embodies the human craving for companionship in extremis.’ So what of that eh? Though we know that all of us must face death, it’s till the hardest thing for us to come to terms with.
So if we have something that gives us comfort under the circumstances, why not cling to it? And besides, God made man to fellowship with Him and each other, so there is a built in need for companionship. (smile)
It’s also been noted that ‘the change to the singular pronoun is what gives the hymn its comforting emotional intimacy.’ That means the change from the disciples ‘abide with US,’ to the hymn’s ‘abide with ME.’ Whatever makes it more comforting yes!
And all of the above dovetails very nicely with our Bit. ‘Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely (beautiful) for the upright.’ Ah friends, that is exactly what our Sunday gatherings are about: rejoicing in the Lord, giving Him beautiful and comely praise in His house.
Now that doesn’t mean to say that it’s only in a building with several people is rejoicing and praise possible. Shoot no! Praise can be done anywhere, at any time, by at least one person! Our God doesn’t care so much about when, where and by how many He gets His praise, once He gets it on a regular basis from His children.
That’s why Bruh Paul warned the Ephesians, and by extension modern day believers: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation), but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph.5:18-21)
Yeh mih people, as true believers, we ought always to have a song of joy in our hearts towards our wonderful heavenly Father! And it’s only fitting that we end with some more of the Psalm from which our Bit is taken. ‘Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise (shout of joy). The word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth. He LOVETH righteousness and judgement (justice): the earth is full of the goodness (LOVING-kindness) of the Lord.’ (Ps.33:2-5)
And isn’t that the gospel truth my brethren! Wow! That’s why we ought to rejoice and give thanks as much as possible! So as we go to the sanctuary today, or worship wherever, let’s try and keep that joy, that rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness actively bubbling in our hearts nuh. For remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Much LOVE!
…if you’re not giving God regular and sincere praise and thanks…then you’re not a true believer…
25 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a difficult time., above not beneath, aches and pains, aging, alive and kicking, be not drunk with wine, begins a good work, believe, brand new, Christians, coming against me, completion, confession of sins, conquerors, death, dissipation, doctor heal thyself, doctor's appointments, doing my thing, encourage myself in the Lord, excess, faith, filled with the Holy Spirit, filling of the Spirit, giving thanks always, glorious future with Jesus, glory hallelujah, glory to God, God's power, halfway home, hands on the plough, he restoreth my soul, hell, holy spirit, hymns, indelibly in our hearts, inevitable, Jesus by our sides, lift my level of passion for life, looking straight ahead, LOVE, Lucifer, major renovation, making melody in your heart, medical institution, negative stuff, no control over, not the tail, not turning back, numerous problems, pass through the fire, prayer, psalms, refuel my spirit, relationship with god, serious butt, sincerity, singing, speaking to yourselves, spiritual man, spiritual songs, standing strong in faith, surrender, thank God, the breath of life, the grave, the head, the spirit would sag, traffic jam, trust, truth, utmost importance, victory, Wednesday Wail, wirte god's promises
Psalm 23:3a. He restoreth my soul…
Awright mih breddren, the ole fella is alive and kicking; kicking some serious butt too on this somewhat cloudy Wednesday morning in the fall of 2017! Glory to God!
Oh my aches and pains are still there, and whatever’s wrong inside is still wrong, but my spirit has been rejuvenated. More glory to God!
It’s just that lately so many things over which I had no control have been coming against me, that it was only a matter of time before the ole bod, the spirit and soul got tired.
When you suddenly find out that what you thought was improving, wasn’t really improving, while other things were still going wrong, and you’re constantly moving from one doctor’s appointment or medical institution during traffic jam hours, it does make for a difficult time.
Oh, I’ve been going along quite okay despite the numerous problems, not given up hope and standing strong in faith, but in the face of all that negative stuff, it was inevitable that the spirit would sag some.
However, after writing yesterday’s Bit, I just decided to refuel my spirit, lift my level of passion for life higher, bring it back to a level that allows me to function with more authority and energy. As the saying goes, doctor heal thyself, with me it was spiritual man, refuel thy spirit. (smile)
I’ve decided that like Bruh David did, to encourage myself in the Lord some more. Let the aches and pains, and whatever else is wrong, do their thing, I won’t let them stop me from doing mine. They will obviously slow me down, but that’s fine, once they don’t stop me completely.
I know the Lord’s doing a major renovation in me, and it’s not going to be easy, but I also know that if he begins a good work in me, then He WILL see it through to completion.
Plus He won’t give me more than I can handle, and will also help me pass through the fire unscathed, so that when I come out on the other side, I’ll be brand new! Glory Hallelujah!
That brings us to our simple but oh so important Bit from that great psalm of Bruh David, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ ‘He restoreth my soul…’
Yeh friends, the Lord does just that when we surrender all our aches and pains and whatever is bothering us to Him. But we also need to trust and believe and write God’s promises indelibly in our hearts and souls, so that when life comes against us, we’ll be able to use them to stand steadfast and strong.
Let’s remember that we’re the head and not the tail; above and not beneath; sure conquerors with Jesus by our sides. In fact, He’s already given us the victory over hell, death, the grave and their evil keeper Lucifer. But it all takes a magnum of faith, especially in these pretty evil and ungodly times.
However, please remember Bruh Paul’s admonition to the Ephesians: ‘And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Holy Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Eph.5:18-20)
Yeh friends, that’s the only way we can remain strong and grow in the LOVE and knowledge of God. And here is an interesting explanation from the scholars on the ‘Fullness of the Holy Spirit.’
‘5:18. The words be filled here mean “be continually filled,” emphasizing that the fullness of the Spirit is a repeated experience for believers. When a person is drunk with an alcoholic beverage, his walk, talk and sight are controlled by alcohol.
God desires that the minds of Christians be controlled by the Holy Spirit so that they will walk in the Spirit, speak on behalf of God, and understand the things of God. Because people are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at salvation, they do not need to get more of the Holy Spirit, but the filling of the Spirit occurs when the Holy Spirit gets more of the believer.
Illustration: As we establish our relationship with God through confession of sins (1 John 1:9) and yield to Him (Rom.6:13), we can be filled with the Spirit if that is our desire (Matt.5:6) and prayer (Luke 11:13). Application: Every Christian should be filled with the Spirit in order that he may have God’s power to serve Him. (Acts 1:8) (First Ref. Ex.35:31; Primary Ref. Eph.5:18; cf. 1 John 2:27.)’
Ah my people, it’s of the utmost importance that in these last days, we allow the Holy Spirit of God to get more of us! Please check out those references above, they give great insight into the use and power of God’s Spirit.
And to help us improve in our use and value of the Holy Spirit, let’s go home vociferously declaring our Wednesday Mantra with all truth and sincerity. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday!
Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back.
I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And that future WILL indeed be glorious friends! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for God’s Spirit to be lifted up in us… so that we can better do His work and will…
P.S. Please excuse the tardiness of the Bit. I just got up late, and even then thought it was 7.45, when it was 8.45. What to do eh? Aging is a helluva thing! (smile) Much LOVE!
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