22 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a celebration of life, a childhood friend, accept it change it or leave it, actively rejecting ideas, affirmations, against the knowledge of God, altogether vanity, any good that i can do, any kindness I can show to any human being, apply our hearts unto wisdom, as an handbreadth, as he thinks in his heart, based on fear or doubt, Battlefield of the Mind, bringing into captivity every thought, Casting down imaginations, come to know and love him like we do, contradict the principles of faith, depart this life quickly, Easter Tuesday, Etienne de Grellet, every high thing, every man at his best state, faith, false arguments, gain a heart of wisdom, Goat races in Tobago, his heart is not with thee, holy spirit, hurry, I may know how frail I am, I shall not pass this way again, I shall pass this way but once, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, let me do it now, let me not defer or neglect it, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, made up my days, make hay while the sun shines, make me to know mine end, mercy, mighty through God, mine age is nothing before thee, positive affirmations, prayer, pulling down of strongholds, rest in peace, salvation, share His love with my neighbour, share the amazing Love of Christ, spiritual practices, spiritual warfare, sso is he, take root in the mind, teach us to number our days, that exalteth itself, the beloved of God, the goal is, the gospel truth, the measure of my days, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they become actions, they become character, they become habits, though we walk in the flesh, thoughts that do do not align with God's truth, three solutions to every problem, to replace the harmful thoughts with God's truth, to the obedience of Christ, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, watch your actions, watch your habits, watch your thoughts they become words, watch your words, we do not war after the flesh, went our separate ways, WentWorth Eccles, wisdom, worry
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
And then it was Easter Tuesday! However, instead of getting ready to go down to Buccoo village in Tobago to check out the Goat Race Celebrations, (smile) I was here in Canada watching the Celebration of Life for a childhood friend, Wentworth Eccles. And that’s why the Bit is so late. Ah Wenty, mih brother, we did have some good times during our long years of friendship, beginning as children, when I would come from Tobago to holiday with you, your mother and sister in San Fernando in Trinidad. But as we grew older, we went our separate ways.
However, we reconnected when I came to Canada and began attending the Labour Day celebrations in Brooklyn, New York, where I would sometimes stay with your mother. And boy, did we ever do some good partying during those early years. And though life, family and work separated us, every so often you’d write and tell me about your job and travels. Recently though, you began sending me a daily message titled ‘Today’s Quote,’ with interesting useful quotes. The last one I got on Friday April 11was this: ‘Three (3) solutions to every problem: Accept it, Change it or leave it. In other words, Lead, follow or get out of the way. Have a GREAT day, every DAY!!!!’
So, can you imagine my consternation when I received an e-mail a few days later informing me about a Celebration of Life, the new speak for a funeral service, for Wentworth. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it seems like it was a sudden occurrence. As the priest who conducted the service reminisced; he’d spoken to him at church on the Sunday, then on the Monday he was no more! Yes friends, that’s how quickly, without any notice whatsoever, that we can depart this earthly life!
That’s why we should all pray like Moses did in Psalm 90: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps. 90:12) That’s also why this quote attributed to Etienne de Grellet (1772-1855), a French-American Quaker Missionary ought to ring true in all our lives. It says: ‘I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. I shall pass through this world but once.’
And that’s the gospel truth my brethren! We only pass this way once, and we don’t know for how long either, so it’s best that we do the good that we’ve been created to do, as soon as possible, and as much as possible. Let’s stop procrastinating and making excuses, for we don’t know when our light will dim, or even go out unexpectedly on us. That’s why Bruh David could write in Psalm 39: ‘Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made up my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity (vapour). Selah.’ (Ps. 39:4-5)
Yes my fellow believers; man’s life is certainly one of innate frailty; today you’re here, then gone tomorrow, like a breath of vapour. Therefore, it’s absolutely necessary to be on our p’s and q’s all the time. Like this quote from Wentworth’s missive always had at the bottom. ‘Watch Your Thoughts: They become words. Watch your words: They become actions. Watch your actions: They become habits. Watch your habits: They become character.’ And that’s more gospel truth my people! For everything begins in and with the mind and filters down to every other part of our lives.
As Cousin Sol puts it in Proverbs. ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.’ (Prov. 23:7) And what does all of that mean? This commentary explains it thus: This verse is interpreted as a warning about the importance of inner thoughts and motivations, as they are reflected in outward actions. It suggests that internal mental states shape external behaviors and ultimately determine who a person becomes.’
Consequently, ‘If someone believes they are capable, successful, and worthy, they are more likely to act in ways that align with those beliefs. Conversely, if someone is plagued by negative self-talk, doubt, and fear, their actions and outcomes will likely reflect that mindset, potentially limiting their potential and opportunities.’ That’s why we talk about the battlefield of the mind, for it’s right there that all the conflicting stuff, between good and evil begins, where the devil tries to infiltrate our defenses, and then, whatever wins that battle, filters down to our words, actions and character.
Now, we cannot stop thoughts from occurring in our minds, but we can certainly get rid of them if we don’t want or need them. It’s all a part of our spiritual warfare. It’s like Bruh Paul says in Romans: ‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (thoughts, false arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;’ (2 Cor. 10:3;5)
And this commentary explains; ‘”Casting down imaginations” refers to the act of actively rejecting and subduing thoughts, ideas, or visions that are not in alignment with God’s truth or that are harmful. It’s a spiritual practice where individuals combat negative or false thoughts, refusing to allow them to take root and influence their thinking and actions. This involves recognizing thoughts that contradict the principles of faith, are based on fear or doubt, or are simply not beneficial. Once these thoughts are identified, they are actively rejected and not allowed to take root in the mind. This can be done through prayer, affirmations, or other spiritual practices. The goal is to replace the harmful or false thoughts with God’s truth and positive affirmations.’
And that’s a good place to end this Easter Tuesday as we mourn the loss of our dear, departed friend Wentworth Eccles. May your soul rest in peace with the Lord my brother. Now, for all of us left behind, who are trying to cast down those ‘imaginations’ and do the good we can, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with my immediate neighbours, as well as with the whole wide world! Glory be!’
That now behooves us to go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…we don’t know the number of our days…that’s why it’s ever so important…to make hay while the sun shines…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Mar 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a crying shame, a new flock of believers, And now Lord what wait I for, apply our hearts unto wisdom, backsliders, Bible, Christ the son of the Living God, distractions, doing God's work, faith, Friday chant, god, Jesus Christ, leave a positive legacy, like a flash of lightning, living on overtime, LOVE, make an uproar over nothing, make me to know mine end, man walketh in a vain shew, my hope is in thee, our time on earth is short, prayer, problems are escalating, psalms, simmering unrest, spending time with god, teach us to number our days, the dustbin of history, the error of their ways, the evil of procrastination, the example we faithful believers set, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the measure of my days, want time to pass us by, wisdom
Psalm 39:7. And now Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Late to bed, late to rise! And I’ve proven it once again, this sunny Friday, the first day of March 2024, for I was abed late last night, and still abed late this morning! (smile) And I’m shaking my head here, because I had to run around in the cold, windy weather yesterday, doing chores that should have been done before in the good weather. But that’s the evil of procrastination, you are forced to go out when you don’t want to. And even though it’s a bright sunny Friday with temps on the plus side, I think I deserve a day at home, to just relax and do my own thing. (smile)
But here’s something else to consider; that even with 29 days, February has gone off the map in to the dustbin of history, like a flash of lightning. Two months of the year are already in the annals. And what is that trying to tell us eh? That time is not waiting for us, or for anything. It’s just going its merry way like the Lord planned. That means we have to get up and get ourselves together, unless we want time to pass us by, and we reach the end of our journey and have not done half of the things we either planned to do, or that God desired that we do.
Now that would just be a crying shame! And I can vouch for that, because I still have a lot of writing to do and music to make, as well as God’s work, which I have not yet embarked upon, and I’m already in my later years. Hn! I’ve already passed my three score and ten, so who knows how much is left. One of my friends, some thirteen years older, keeps chirping that he’s living on overtime. But who knows if I will be granted the same amount of overtime? (smile) That means I need to get up off of my fat, lazy fanny and get rolling soon, and very soon too, if I want to leave some kind of positive legacy, something to at least say that I passed this way.
However, in this busy life there are so many distractions and so many things calling out to be done, and as I heard one preacher say recently, to do what you need to do, that includes spending time with God, some things must be left undone. And that’s the gospel truth! We therefore have to prioritize our thoughts and actions, especially when the enemy takes vast pleasure in distracting us from the important things, like doing God’s work, or spending time with Him. That reminds me of Moses’ prayer in Psalm 90, when he pleads: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps. 90:12)
Yes my people, it would definitely help some of we knew the length of our lives, but that’s not God’s way. He desires us to seek wisdom and apply it as early as possible in our lives, and to continue seeking and applying it until the very day He calls us home. It’s interesting though that in Psalm 39, Bruh David also pleaded like Moses. ‘Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth (hand span); and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity (vapour). Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew (as a shadow): surely they are disquieted in vain (make an uproar over nothing): he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.’ (Ps. 39:4-7)
And that last phrase ‘my hope is in thee,’ is the most important one of our Christian journey my fellow believers! If we don’t know or think of anything else, we must always remember that our hope is indeed in the great God Jehovah; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s where all our trust and faith must lie, regardless of what happens to us ,where we go, or what we do! Christ, the Son of the Living God must always be first place in our lives, and knowing that, we can carry any and every problem we have to Him for a just resolution. That’s His promise, and he never reneges on any of His promises.
Now that’s another useful thing for us to know and believe. So what’s it all about to day eh? To tell the truth, I really don’t know; (smile) I’ve just been going where I believe I was led. But it all seems to revolve around the fact that our time on God’s good earth is relatively short, and consequently we cannot afford to waste it in pursuing inconsequential matters. Therefore, whatever we desire to do, or that God desires us to do, we need to get up RIGHT NOW and begin doing it! Let’s not waste another moment of our invaluable time on Mother Earth! And having said that, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant seeking divine help to initiate it.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly.
And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you. Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And interestingly enough, the answer to our prayer is found right in our prayer; ‘the example that we your faithful believers set.’ Yes friends, until we begin setting a good example to those around us, divine help will not be forthcoming. Much LOVE!
…time is not meant to be wasted…but to be used productively…in God’s work…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
22 Feb 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a little folding of the hands to sleep, a little sleep, a little slumber, a self-starter, and doeth it not to him it is sin, apply our hearts unto wisdom, arise out of thy sleep, as an hedge of thorns, as one that travelleth (a prowler), because the days are evil, Bible, consider her ways and be wise, curse, disobedience, faith, favour, gathereth her food in the harvest, go to the ant thou sluggard, god, handcrafted cane, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, is made plain (level), Jesus, Jesus Christ, laziness, live the life God planned for us, LOVE, loving each other like Christ loved us, negative word, prosper, Proverbs, provideth her meat in the summer, put things off until the last minute, redeeming the time, self-control, so shall thy poverty come, succeed, talent, teach us to number our days, the light of the world, the result of procrastination is poverty, the salt of the earth, the way of the righteous, the way of the slothful man, Thursday Blessings, thy want as an armed man, time is of the essence, to him that knoweth to do good, wisdom
Proverbs 15:19. The way of the slothful (lazy) man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain (like a level highway).
Sorry friends, but we’re somewhat late with the Bit, this cloudy, spring -like Thursday. But that’s nothing new! (smile) However, the reason for today’s lateness is that I had to go out this morning and do some bloodwork. And would you believe I used my trusty Jamaican handcrafted cane for the first time in several years. A cane that sits unused beside it’s more polished, professionally made and heavier brother at the edge of one of the steps between my bedroom and living room.
Yes, the ole hip is still acting up, but I had to go out and do the blood work since I have run out of time to do it. That’s what happens when you keep putting things off until the last minute. Hopefully, today will be one of the few days I have to use the cane. Although if the hip-pain continues, I’ll probably use it to go into the city tomorrow to have a post-op check on my eye. Sadly, that means the Bit will most likely be also late tomorrow. But fear not; once there’s life in the ole fella, the Bit will arrive eventually. (smile)
And today we’ll look at some Bible comments on the remark I made earlier; that of putting off things until the last minute, or even completely. God’s Word makes it very clear that we are to guard against laziness and sloth. And what better place to find wisdom than in Proverbs, the writings of Cousin Sol. On the subject of procrastination, he says: ‘The way of the slothful (lazy) man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain (like a level highway).’ (Prov. 15:19).
As the scholars explain: ‘The lazy man multiplies his own obstacles, but the righteous man moves freely down life’s road.’ And that’s gospel truth. Procrastinators find all sorts of obstacles in their way, but those who face their tasks mano a mano, find smoother going. And earlier on in Proverbs, Cousin Sol also wisely advises. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard (lazy person); consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide (leader) overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov. 6:6-8)
Yes friends, the ant doesn’t have a leader or guide, neither needs a taskmaster to stand up over it and tell it what and when to do something. It’s a self-starter; gets up on it’s own and does what it needs to do to live a good life. Furthermore, as verse 8 describes; ‘the ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances;’ like gathering food in the summer so they can have food stored up for the winter. And with that in mind, Cousin Sol continues by asking these very important questions of the lazy person.
‘How long wilt thou sleep (lie down, be lazy), O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:9-11) In other words, the result of too much sleep, too much laziness and procrastination is dire poverty, and it won’t come as lazily or as ‘procrastinatingly’ as you, (smile) but it will come suddenly, unexpectedly and decisively as a thief does. Now that ought to wake us up some!
But if you’re like the fellow who said: ‘I started to procrastinate, then decided to put it off,’ then you’re in a lot of trouble. For as James says: ‘Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.’ (James 4;17) And I like this commentary on the subject from the website wf.org/daily-devotions/procrastination-costs-you-dearly#. It reads: ‘Procrastination is a form of disobedience. When God tells us to do something and we don’t do it, we can label our actions with all kinds of fancy words, but the bottom line is, it’s sin. Each day gives you 1,440 minutes. Days are passing and time cannot be stopped. You can’t call a “time out” in life.
And time can’t be stored like money in the bank. A #1 hit song in the 70’s began, “If I could save time in a bottle….” You can’t. Really, the only thing you can do with time is use it or lose it. The oldest of all the psalms, written by Moses, says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Someone once wrote, “Lost: One golden hour, studded with sixty diamond minutes. No reward offered, for it is lost forever.” And Ephesians 5:16 cautions us, “Redeeming the time, because the days are [filled with] evil.” These are evil times. Make every minute count.’
Oh my fellow believers, I could not say it any better. Time is indeed of the essence in these evil and ungodly days, and we ought to appreciate it much more, and use it much more wisely than many of us are doing, if we intend to make something of our God-given lives, if we intend to live the life God planned for us, the abundant life that Christ died for us to have. No friends, we cannot procrastinate and be lazy while the enemy is active and seriously about his business of evil and ungodliness. We need to be up and about doing God’s work, standing up to and fighting the enemy by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world and LOVING each other like Christ LOVED us!
And, unfortunately, we cannot achieve any of that through procrastination and/or laziness. So, let’s declare (chuh!!!) and thus activate our Thursday Blessings that have been so generously bestowed on us by Almighty God so that we can do His earthly work. Altogether: ‘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 every day! Amen!’
And having activated those blessings, we’re now duty bound to go out and use them to help others, just as generously as the Lord bestowed them on us! Much LOVE!
…believers must not be procrastinators…but be self-starters…like the lowly ant…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
03 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accept God's forgiveness, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be courageous, be kind to yourself, be of good cheer, be strong and of a good courage, challenge orthodoxy, define your own life, don't let others write your script., forgive yourself, i have overcome the world, I may know how frail I am, in the world ye shall, Jesus is our guide through the storms of life, Jesus is the best expert on life, Jesus offers peace and strength, lazy day Saturday, let go of guilt, life is like a coin, LOVE, make me to know mine end, our friend Anselm, stand up for yourself, teach us to number our days, the Lord thy God is with thee, the measure of my days, the power of the Holy spirit, the ups and downs of life, time flies, times of trial, we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, you are the pilot of your life, you only spend life once
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
And then it was Saturday, our lazy day…and yuh better believe that I’ve been enjoying some of the laziness pervading the atmosphere this bright and sunshiny morning; lying in bed later than normal, and taking my own sweet time to come down and write the Bit. But when you have God’s work to do, you can only enjoy so much lazy time before He gently nudges you to get up and get a move on. So here I am, having been gently nudged (smile) as we venture to look at the quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow.
And the first quote says: ‘Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.’ And that’s the God-awesome truth my brethren! Life is like money, and you can spend it anyway you desire, but the fact of the matter is that once you’ve spent it, it’s gone. You can’t take it back and spend it again. That’s why we must be ever so careful about how we spend our lives; on what and with whom we spend them. We only have one life to live, and once you’ve spent even a li’l piece of it, that piece is gone forever.
Unfortunately, life is not like writing on paper, we don’t have the luxury of erasing whatever we’ve done and doing it over on the same piece of paper. That span of life has been used up once and for all. And since our days on earth are short enough as it is, we cannot afford to use up too much of our life unwisely. That’s one of the reasons why Moses in Psalm 90, asks the Lord: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps. 90:12)
And likewise in Psalm 39, A prayer for self-understanding, Bruh David beseeched: ‘Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.’ (Ps. 39:4) None of us know how long or short our time will be on earth, hence the necessity to use that time wisely. And it all segues nicely into the next quote. ‘The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.’
Oh time does fly, and you don’t realize how fast until you’re getting on in age. I’m sure that time’s been flying at the same speed when I was young, but now that I’m on the downside of life, it seems that time is flying more quickly than ever. And you continually see my surprise in the Bit about how quickly the days and months are flying by. However, as the quote reminds us, we are the pilot of our lives, and thus can do whatever we want with them. The problem there, as we said earlier on, is using our time wisely. And we can only do that successfully if we are guided by the one who made time; our Creator and heavenly Father, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Yes friends, we can pilot the ship of our lives half decently in calm waters, but when the storms and crises of life come, it takes a greater and more experienced pilot than us, Jesus Christ, to guide us safely through them. It’s like in many big ports around the world, when a big ship comes in, a pilot from the port comes on board to take the ship into safe anchorage, because they know the harbour more intimately than the regular ship’s pilot. And it’s the same way with life friends, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ knows much more about life than we do, because He lived it, died, and rose again, so with that experience under His belt, He’s better able to offer us good advice on it. (smile)
That brings us to this next quote. ‘You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script.’ Now there’s lots of truth to that, because nowadays there are a lot of people, so -called experts who want to tell us how to live our lives. And it does help to pay attention to some of what they say, but ofttimes they will lead you to live the kind of life they want you to live, not necessarily the kind that you want to live. We need to keep a fine balance between what we want, what others advise us, and how it will eventually affect our lives.
But there again, the best expert on life is Jesus! No one else has done what He’s done, or can ever do it. In a nutshell: ‘Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior. His Atonement makes it possible for us to be resurrected and to repent and be forgiven so we can return to our Heavenly Father’s presence. In addition to saving us from our sins, Jesus Christ, our Savior, also offers us peace and strength in times of trial.’ So, it makes ever so much sense to turn to Him and live the life that He advises or guides us to live, through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within each person who believes in Him.
And this next quote is a meaningful one. ‘I just want you to know that if you are out there and you are being really hard on yourself right now for something that has happened … it’s normal. That is what is going to happen to you in life. No one gets through unscathed. We are all going to have a few scratches on us. Please be kind to yourselves and stand up for yourself, please.’
Now that’s oh so true! In this life we all face tough times, through rejection, persecution, whatever, but that’s normal, for life never runs smoothly. There are always ups and down, mistakes and disappointments, but through it all, we certainly need to stand up for ourselves and not be too harsh on ourselves because of any errors we’ve made. Forgiving ourselves ought to be our number one priority in times of poor choices or lack of wisdom. We must learn from the mistakes, but don’t let them weigh us down like unnecessary baggage.
Unfortunately, many of us forgive others much quicker and easier than we forgive ourselves. The same sorry situation occurs when God forgives us, we don’t truly accept it, and keep on trying to make amends of our own. But forgiveness means letting go of the guilt. We are not called to be martyrs, just to live life to the fullest, which includes forgiveness of self and others.
Or, like this last quote advises: ‘Be courageous. Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in. When you are in your rocking chair talking to your grandchildren many years from now, be sure you have a good story to tell.’ Now that’s the basic definition of life. As the Lord reminded Joshua: ‘Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.’ (Josh. 1:9)
Yes friends, if we follow that wise advice, we’ll not go wrong. We will have problems, but we will also have wonderful adventures, even within the times of problems, because that’s the kind of life Jesus offers. As He says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
And that’s an acknowledged fact! So, if we want to live a life filled with good stories to both tell our grandchildren and reminisce about ourselves, as we rock gently during the twilight of our lives, the best one to follow and listen to is Jesus! He’s the only real expert on the subject. There’s no doubt about that. Much LOVE!
…only JESUS…can take us safely through the ups and downs of life…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Nov 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a powerful presence, a thorn in my side, an explosion of life, calamity, emptied my spleen, God has our best interest at heart, grin and bear it, Hope is a revolution, household chores, I am the beloved of god, I am the Lord and there is none else, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I form the light and create darkness, I girded thee, I make peace and create evil, into a world marked by death, Joshua Ryan Butler, keep on fighting the good fight, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, LOVE, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, plans to give us a future and a hope, share His love with the world, teach us to number our days, the choosing of life over death, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Prince of Peace, them's the breaks, there is no God beside me, though thou hast not known me, Tuesday Mantra, we may apply our hearts unto wisdom
Isaiah 45:5a. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:
Ah friends, it’s a pleasure to be with you all this bright and shiny but chilly Tuesday morning. Sorry that I’m only now getting to you, although I’ve been up for over an hour, but I had household chores to do that required doing asap. That’s putting out the garbage, the easy part, but before that picking up the humongous pile of leaves sitting in the driveway outside my side door and bagging them, for at least the third time this week, so that the garbage truck could take it away later on.
It’s a thorn in my side (smile) that the Lord’s given me for the last thirty odd years that I’ve lived here. Unfortunately, for me, the way the houses are built, it creates a whirlwind in my driveway, right outside my side door, so every fall the leaves blow from all over and congregate in my driveway, and so does the snow. You look outside, and all the neighbours’ driveways are spotless, but mine is either filled with leaves or snow.
In my more youthful years, it wasn’t a major problem, but now with the onset of age and all its aches and pains, it’s become a pain in the butt and back, both literally and figuratively. (smile) But I guess them’s the breaks. You win some, you lose some, and you just have to grin and bear it. So now that’ I’ve emptied my spleen, (smile) let’s see what the Lord wants us to talk about today.
And it seems that it’s a very timely reminder, as the Good Book just opened on this most important scripture, where the Lord is giving a charge to the Persian king Cyrus. And yes, He often used the heathen or pagan kings for His purposes. This is a portion of what He said to Cyrus, through the prophet Isaiah.
‘For Jacob, my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by name; I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting in the west), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things.’ (Is. 45:4-7)
Yes friends, the Lord was going to use Cyrus to liberate His people Israel from exile in Babylon, and that message through Isaiah was a means of reassuring them that their God, He of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, was still on the throne and still had their best interest at heart. And that’s the same message He’s sending to us today my faithful brethren: Our God is still on the throne, still controlling things, with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sitting at His right hand advocating on our behalf!
And since He doesn’t change, it means, He still has our best interest at heart, He still has plans to give us a future and a hope, but we need to come to Him and make things right. The sinfulness, the depravity, the ungodliness, the move to drive him out of our society is not sitting right with Him. And how can we expect anything else eh, when we defame, blaspheme and turn away from a most holy, righteous and just God?
How do you think He feels when we refuse to acknowledge His Son as the Saviour of the world, as the King of kings, the Lord of Lords and the Prince of Peace, amongst His many other titles? He must feel UNLOVED, hard done by, not wanted or needed, like all of us would feel, and do feel, when we are rejected by our fellow human beings.
But please remember this most salient fact; there is no God beside Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim, or whatever you choose to call Him. And remember too His words to Cyrus: ‘I form the light and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things.’ That means He has control over everything and every situation in our frail and finite lives, because He is our Creator and Controller.
Oh yes, he’s given us free will, but that’s only to a certain extent. In the long run, He’s still the BOSS, and can do exactly as He pleases without any input from us. And until we understand that, we will always live fearful and anxious, with a shadow of calamity hanging over our heads.
But let’s clear up one situation here. The scholars explain that ‘The phrase I…create evil. (in verse 7 above) refers to physical evil or calamity, rather than moral evil. God is in no way pictured in Scripture as the author of sin.’ So, let’s get that straight once and for all: God doesn’t deal in sin, but He does cause calamity to overtake us because of or sin!
And yuh know what friends, all I’m trying to point out here is the power and sovereignty of Almighty God. If he is Creator and controller of ALL things, then why are we so foolishly trying to fight Him, to have our own way, when we can’t even handle our everyday lives properly. That’s why Moses in his psalm prayed to the Lord. ‘Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps. 90:12)
And do we ever need hearts of majestic and godly wisdom in these turbulent and oh so dangerous times my people! It’s the lack of wisdom that’s catapulted us into the terrible times we are now experiencing. But friends, we know that once there’s life, there’s hope. And you ask, what’s hope, or what does it have to do with anything? Well hope is believing that good things are possible, then sincerely working towards those good things.
And I just LOVE how Joshua Ryan Butler described hope in an article titled ‘Prisoners of Hope.’ He writes: ‘Hope is a revolution, a powerful presence that breaks in from the future and transforms today. Jesus’ arrival has brought God’s destiny for humanity crashing into now – an explosion of life into a world marked by death. It changes everything!’
That’s the gospel truth my fellow saints. Jesus’ arrival marked the beginning of hope, the beginning of life in this world marked by death. And that’s what we ALL need to work towards – the choosing of life over death. Thus crushing the enemy, who desires a world continually marked by death. So though our world is in tumult, please, please, let’s not give up hope. Remember Jesus is still with us in ALL we do, and He will help us overcome each and every situation we face. So, we need to keep on fighting the good fight in His name, more than ever right now!
And for those of us who are sincerely doing that, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are, to whom we gladly and joyfully belong. As one strong and grateful voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having said that, we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and wonderful friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to trust and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…God is calling out to us through our calamities…but unfortunately…we are not listening to Him…and until we do…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
27 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a thousand years in thy sight, abnormal weather patterns, and be glad all our days, are but as yesterday when it is past, as a watch in the night, disobedient, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, gain a heart of wisdom, glorious heights of evolution, godless lifestyle, I am the beloved of god, in god's eyes, intimacy with god, LOVE, natural disasters, new mercies and compassions, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, O satisfy us early with mercy, our dwelling place, place of refuge, plagued by sickness, poverty, prideful, rulers of our own destiny, share His love with the world, sinful human pride, smelling our aram, strife, teach us to number our days, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the greatest thing since sliced bread, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, we may rejoice, worship idols
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
More new mercies and compassions from heaven on this new morning friends! Wow! Who else blesses His people with such wonderful gifts each and every day eh? No One but the mighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! So why do so many of us obstinately refuse to praise and worship Him eh? Just stupid, sinful human pride yes! We think because we’ve reached such glorious heights of evolution that we are the rulers of our own destiny…
Hn! What a joke! And if we’re so great, why can’t we avoid things like death and taxes eh? (smile) Because we are not the greatest thing since sliced bread. Yeh, I know that we are supposed to be the smartest and most wonderful creation in the universe. But we certainly don’t show our wisdom when we deliberately turn away from our Creator, the One and Only Living God Jehovah and worship all sorts of idols and dead things that can do absolutely nothing for us.
And though the Jewish people way back in time might have been dense and obstinate, when life got rough and tough with them because of their disobedience, they immediately turned back to the God of their forefathers and were once more gently and LOVINGLY ensconced in the arms of their Creator. But not this generation of humanity!
Because of the medical and technological strides we’ve made, we simply think that we are so great, we don’t need anybody else, especially some God far away in someplace called heaven. So this pandemic that’s been riding roughshod over our world for over a year now, and shows no signs of really going away anytime soon, hasn’t even made us think about returning to the fold of God. Instead, many of us are still touting the disgraceful and foolish idea of ridding our society of God period!
That’s why Moses in his only psalm, Psalm 90, and thus the oldest one in the Psalter, wrote these marvellous words of truth and wisdom. ‘Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place (place of refuge) in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.’ ( Ps. 90:1-2) Yes friends, those statements must have great truth in them because no other human being had as much intimacy with God as Moses did. So he should know a thing or two about God.
And thus, he continues: ‘Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return ye children of men.’ (Ps. 90:3) And that’s exactly what our heavenly Father is pleading with us to do right now in these sick and oh so turbulent times my people! Our magnificent and magnanimous God desperately wants us to come back to his fold, so that He can heal both us and our land. But instead of listening to and obeying Him, we are becoming more stubborn, arrogant, prideful, disobedient and stupid with each passing day!
Listen to how Moses explains it nuh. ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled (terrified).’ (Ps. 90:4-7)
Yes my brethren, we ought to be terrified at God’s wrath, but obviously we are not, if we’re still being totally sinful, disobedient and ungodly! And any sensible creation would realize that something is dreadfully wrong with its way of life if at one and the same time its world is being plagued by sickness and poverty, strife and all kinds of natural disasters, even to the point of abnormal weather patterns. But no, mankind, the supposed greatest creation ever, doesn’t seem to think anything’s seriously wrong with his immoral, sinful and godless lifestyle. It’s not a factor in the troubled times he’s now experiencing.
But hear Moses again nuh: ‘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 (a mere sigh). The days of our years are three score years and ten (our lives are seventy years long); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.’ (Ps. 90:8-11)
Friends, please, let’s wake up and realize that our God is not a joke or a plaything. He’s been in existence long before we were, and will still be there long after we aren’t! Remember a thousand years to Him is only like a night watch, three hours, and consequently our lives are like a vapour that floats away after a li’l time. It’s ‘like a blade of grass that sprouts, fades, withers, and dies in a day.’ So why do we insist on being so arrogant, stubborn, prideful and disobedient eh, when we have no proper grounds to do so?
As the old people would say ‘we just smelling our aram.’ Meaning we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, we believe ourselves to be wiser and more powerful than we really are. And these words of Moses, written so far back in the past, are surprisingly still of immense importance today. He writes: ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom). Return, O Lord, how long? And let it repent thee concerning (have compassion on) thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.’ (Ps. 90:12-14)
Yeh precious people, the indisputable truth is that our world will only get better if we turn back to our God in repentance and obedience. For regardless of what or how we think, in the long run, we are definitely not masters of our own fate! And the sooner we wake up and realize that li’l fact, the better off we’ll all be. Now, for those of us who already recognize it (smile), let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know who and whose we are.
In strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the upshoot of that, is we must now go out and share that awesome LOVE and amazing friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…it’s so wonderful living and working for Jesus…but not always easy… (smile)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: apply our hearts unto wisdom, comapssionate heart, compared with eternity our lives are short, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, curse, deceitful and lying words, earthly wealth, eating of the forbidden fruit, every man walketh in a vain show, faith, favour, gain a heart of wisdom, good health, he heapeth up riches, heaven is the best choice, I may know how frail I am, Jesus is our Lord and Saviour, knoweth not who shall gather them, lay up treasures in heaven, living each day to its fullest, made my days as a handbreadth, make me to know mine end, making financial plans for eternity, man's best state is altogether vanity, negative word, one day at a time, only two options: heaven and hell, our bounden duty, our Guiding Light and Comforter, prosper, rejoice and be glad, Satan's hellhole, seize the day, share blessings generously, succeed, supernatural strength, supernatural wisdom, teach us to number our days, the brevity of life, the Grim Reaper came calling, the measure of my days, the number of thy days I will fulfill, the parable of the rich fool, Thursday Blessings, time is short, to whom we turn in all circumstances, use it wisely
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
Oh mih bredrin, it’s Thursday, so let’s rejoice and be glad nuh, because our days on God’s great earth have been extended by one! Glory be! Remember way back in time when the Lord brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt, He made them this promise: ‘There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill.’ (Ex. 23:26)
Yeh, God promised that we will be satisfied with a good, long life, but we can only live that long life one day at a time, which means we have to take each and every day as it comes, and enjoy it as though it’s the last one, for we know not when our time will be up. That brings us to Moses’ prayer in Psalm 90. ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps. 90:12)
And I like how the websitewww.theologyofwork.orgexplains it. ‘Numbering our days means, as the NLT (New Living Translation) indicates, realizing the brevity of life. It means knowing that we only have so many days on this earth, and therefore we want to “seize the day,” living each day to the fullest. When we recognize that we have only so much time on this earth, that truth will help us think rightly about how to spend our time.’
And that is exactly what we need to understand this Thursday morning at the end of October 2020 my people. Our lives are short, compared with eternity and time as seen by God, so we need to enjoy it to the best of our ability, and we can only do that when Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, our Guiding Light and Comforter. The One we turn to in ALL cases of difficulty or misunderstanding. The One who understands what we’re going through, because He also experienced the trials and tribulation of this earthly life.
Oh friends, Satan can’t do anything much to relieve our suffering in this his supposed world nuh, all he can do is increase that suffering, and eventually catapult us into his hellhole of fire and darkness. So please, let’s not place our misguided trust in him, despite his sweet, deceitful and lying words. And he is smooth and guileful; yuh see how easy he talked Eve into eating of the forbidden fruit. Please, let’s not allow him to do the same to us.
And when we remember Bruh David’s words in Psalm 39 – A prayer for self-understanding – the situation becomes even more critical. (smile) ‘Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity (vapour). Selah. Surely every man walketh in a vain show (as a shadow); surely they are disquieted in vain (make an uproar for nothing): he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.’ (Ps. 39:4-6)
Oh friends, that’s all so true! We spend so much time building earthly wealth, and seeking power and importance, all to what purpose eh? To leave it all behind for others to enjoy, because we can’t take any of it with us. Too many of us behave like the rich fool in Jesus’ parable, (Luke 12:13-21) who was only interested in laying up treasure for himself here on earth. But what happened eh? That same night he made all his grandiose plans was his last day, the Grim Reaper came a-calling.
So precious people, we must not live only for the things of this earth, but also for the things of heaven, be rich towards God, lay up treasures in heaven, for you know not when your time will come. If it comes and you don’t have treasures stored in heaven, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! (smile) And we’ve said all of that, just to say that our life on earth is fairly short, so we can’t afford to waste it, and our most important task down here is to decide where we will spend eternity, which lasts forever.
And unfortunately, there are only two options available to us: heaven, or hell. And I don’t need to tell us which is the best one – but I will nonetheless. (smile) Heaven is the best choice friends! No doubt about it! So let’s be wise nuh. Knowing that our time here is short, let’s begin laying up treasures in heaven nuh, for that’s where the wise money is headed; that’s where the best benefits and the highest interest rates are to be had, not down here on earth!
Oh my people, it’s time to examine our financial plans for eternity and bring them into line with true wisdom, otherwise we might just end up on the losing side of the equation, which will indeed be an irrevocable tragedy! And for those of us who are already engaged in making financial plans for eternity, let’s go home now declaring (chuh pool!) our Thursday Blessings which the Lord has generously bestowed on those who sincerely seek Him, to enable them to do His earthly work.
All together now: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And yes, because some of us might forget, (smile) I will remind us that our bounden duty is now to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others as the Lord has shared them with us. Our God is wonderful friends, I don’t see how we can ever turn away from Him nuh! Much LOVE!
…time is short…so let’s use it wisely…
11 Jan 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blade of grass, a breath of air, a challenging day, a flood, a sleep, a thousand years in thy sight, a wake up call, a watch in the night, apply our hearts unto wisdom, as yesterday, blessings, brevity of man, children of men, destruction, eternality of God, fades, flourishes, foolishness, from everlasting to everlasting, gain a heart of wisdom, generously provided, get ready now, glory hallelujah, God's great earth, God-given day, goodies, grwos, guidance, halfway home, heart, heart-failure, in the evening it is cut down, like grass, LOVE, man's life is like a vapour, man's standards, mercies, mortality, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, not turning back, prayer of Moses, reap, shortness of breath, teach us to number our days, thank God, the breath of life, the Lord's vision, the Promised Land, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art God, time, to a glorious future with Jesus, Top o' the morn, we will be glad and rejoice in it, Wednesday Wail, when our number will play, wisdom, withers
Psalm 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).
Well hey, hey, hey, my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Top o’ the morn to you!
The ole fella’s up and about, alive, and though only kicking some, nonetheless ready to face a challenging day on God’s great earth! And is that ever a mouthful! (smile)
Consequently, it causes us to joyfully declare, as the psalmist did so long ago: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’
And you know what I just realized? If we aren’t glad and rejoicing in this God-given day, we are the ones who will suffer. The Lord will still be on His throne in the high heavens enjoying His life, but we, foolishly, will not reap the myriad blessings and mercies that our ever-LOVING God has prepared for us afresh each new morning.
And that’s foolishness in the heights! So please let’s get wise and begin enjoying every day that we are privileged to see nuh. That brings us to our Bit, taken from the prayer of Moses, the only Psalm attributed to him in the Psalter, and thus the oldest.
‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’
And we couldn’t ask for a wiser thing my friends, since our lives here on earth are so short, like a breath, a breath of air passing through our lungs. You see how long one breath lasts us? Not very long at all.
And that’s the way our lives are; here one moment, then gone the next, often without any notice or chance for preparation. Therefore we need wisdom and guidance to live them to their fullest and also be ready for whatever comes, when it comes.
That brings me to a serious realization and pulls me up short too. A couple weeks ago, unbeknownst to me, my heart was in rough shape, but generally speaking I felt fine, no pain or anything. That is until the shortness of breath became somewhat annoying and uncomfortable.
All I’m trying to say here is that my life could have been blown out in a split second, and I’d be none the wiser. That’s why we need to get ready NOW for Jesus, living the way He desires of us, for none of us knows when our number will play, and everybody will not be lucky or blessed like me to get a wake-up call.
And I have a very good example of that recently with a friend in Jamaica; he had no pain or apparent heart problems either, but in the twinkling of an eye he was taken home unexpectedly, from apparent heart-failure.
Oh friends, you don’t know how much I appreciate that wake-up call nuh, especially when I thought that I was doing okay. Just goes to show that we’re not always right, even when by man’s standards, it seems so.
Listen to how Moses describes our lives. ‘Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep; in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.’ (Ps.90:2-6)
Yeh friends, that’s just how it is! And the scholars tell us.’Psalm 90:.. It is a prayer for the new generation of Israelites who will enter the Promised Land.There are four parts to its message. First Moses describes the eternality of God (vs.1-2).
Then, in contrast, he explores the brevity of man before God (vs.3-6). Four key comparisons are used: (1) A thousand years are like one day to God. (2) A thousand years are like a watch in the night (three hours). The implication of these comparisons is simple: if a thousand years to God are like a day or a nightwatch, man’s life is like a vapour.
(3) Your life is like a particle swept away by a flood. (4) Your life is like a blade of grass that sprouts, fades, withers, and dies in a day. Moses was most qualified to speak of death, since he witnessed an entire generation perish in the wilderness…’
Now that should have us all thinking about our mortality and propel us to do the RIGHT THING, RIGHT NOW! But in the meantime, let’s also enjoy the goodies our Lord has so generously provided.
So let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, in strong voice and everlasting belief. ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Yes friends, that’s what we are called to do. Much LOVE!
…time to man might seem long…but it’s the Lord’s vision of time…that truly matters…
15 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a faithful saying, a gift, an extra one, Anselm's Quote, apply our hearts unto wisdom, aspires to inspire, be honour, braata, broughta, can, cannot, challenge yourself, Christ came to save sinners, comfort zone, conversion, Damascus, DETERMINATION, determine your life's direction, enabled me, encourages others, eternal life, favour, glory, he counted me faithful, I thank Christ Jesus, immortal, invisible, lagniappe, laughter, lay not this sin, long-suffering, LOVE, mercy, Moses, new opportunities, one day closer to heaven, one day older, patience, Paul, putting me into ministry, satisfaction, Saul, Stephen, teach us to number our days, thankfulness, the best free medicine, the King eternal, the nth degree, the only wise God, Timothy, undeserved favour, waste time, wisdom
1 Timothy 1:12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into ministry.
Awright friends, it’s another brand new day! That means that we are one day older and one day closer to heaven! (smile) Therefore we can’t afford to waste any of the finite and limited time God has given us on this earth.
What did Moses say in psalm 91 – From everlasting to everlasting thou art God – the only one he wrote, and therefore the oldest in the Psalter? ‘So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom). (Ps.91:12) We don’t know how long we have left, so we’d be wise to make the best use of it.
And on that note, since it’s Saturday, let’s check out some quotes from our friend Anselm, who always aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And today we have a lagniappe, a broughta or braata; an extra one, a gift, used by vendors to encourage customers to return.
The first is T&T slang, although according to Dictionary.com, it’s used in Southern Louisiana and South East Texas, I guess it comes from French Creole. And the second is a Jamaican term. That means we have three instead of two.
The first one says: ‘The difference between can and cannot are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life’s direction.’ And that surely makes sense. ‘Can’ will take you in one direction, while ‘cannot’ will take you in a completely different one. The choice is up to you.
The second quote from Anselm declares: ‘Challenge yourself! Look for new opportunities, step outside of your “comfort” zone and find new things to do. Do something special, just for you, something you’ve always wanted to do. Meet new people, learn what you need to know… be optimistic!’ That also is good advice, especially in these trying times.
And the last one says: ‘You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.’ And ain’t that gospel truth my people! Even if laziness is your goal, you have to get up determined to be lazy, if you want to go to bed satisfied with your lazy day. (smile) That’s why laughter is the best free medicine available.
But now it’s time to get serious, as we turn to our Bit. ‘And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into ministry.’ Yes friends, those are Bruh Paul’s words of thankfulness for mercy as he wrote to his protégé Timothy. And that’s indisputable truth, for without Christ’s enablement, Bruh Paul would not have been able to fulfill his apostolic duties.
He then continues to explain why. ‘Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious (violent): but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and LOVE which is in Christ Jesus.’ (1Tim.1:13-14)
The scholars explain that last verse thus: ‘1:14. Grace…was exceeding abundant (or, “grace…was more abundant”). Christ’s undeserved favour far outweighed Paul’s previous sinful life. With faith and LOVE: God’s grace brought about faith in Paul, in contrast to his former “unbelief” and it also produced LOVE in him, in contrast to his previous blasphemy, persecution and violence to the church (v.13). Which refers to faith: Paul’s faith or trust is in Christ Jesus.’
Ah mih people, we all know Bruh Paul’s reputation as a terrorizer of the brethren, then known as Saul, before he was called by Christ on the road to Damascus, even as he was on a mission to capture believers and take them back to Jerusalem for punishment. (Acts 9)
And many of us in reading the Good Book might have missed Bruh Paul’s part in the stoning, the martyrdom of Stephen. The brother was giving his testimony ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened; and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they (the masses) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, (as he was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’ (Acts 8:56-60)
No friends, Bruh Paul was not a very nice man in his younger days. That’s why he could continue to Timothy with all sincerity. ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’ (1 Tim.1:15)
He believes that he is the number one sinner, the worst one of the lot. ‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’ (1 Tim.1:16)
Now that’s a very interesting statement, and here is the scholars’ explanation. ‘1:16. We could read the verse thus: “But I obtained mercy for this reason: that in my case as the worst (sinner) Christ Jesus might demonstrate the fullest of patience; as an example for those about to believe on him for eternal life.” Paul’s conversion encourages other sinners; since Christ has already saved the worst sinner, He can save those less sinful.’
And that’s no lie friends! Christ Jesus can save the worst of us if we come to Him in true repentance!
And we’ll end with these beautiful words of praise and thanksgiving of Bruh Paul. ‘Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.’ (1 Tim.1:17)
That’s one thing about Bruh Paul; he never shies away from giving all the glory to God. May we also do likewise my precious people, for that is wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…to our wonderful God…all praise, honour and glory be given…for that is His rightful desert…
22 Jun 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Absalom, adversity, apply our hearts unto wisdom, aura of love, bear the yoke, before the evil days come, Blessed is the man whom the Lord chastens, Bruh David, call in sick, confidence, consequences, days of adversity, discern between good and evil, do good like Jesus, Father's Day, glorious kingdom, grief of soul, holy spirit, hope, humble servants, I have no pleasure in them, in his youth, in the days of thy youth, invincible, Jeremiah, Jesus Christ, joy, judgement, Lamentations, lies, LOVE, Monday Morniing Battle Hymn, Moses, nor years draw nigh, Oh Lord God Almighty, rejuvenation of spirit, remember now thy Creator, renewed vitality, righteousness., serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, taunts, teach us to number our days, the evil days, the Lord will not cast off his people, the pit be digged for the wicked, the thoughts of man, the voice of singing men, ungodly world, upright in heart, vanity, when thou shalt say, wiles, wisdom
Ecclesiastes 12:1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.
Oh Friends, before you realize it, the Father’s Day celebrations are over, and it’s Monday once again! Yeh, that means we have to force ourselves to get up to go and labour, under masa’s critical and constant eye and stinging whip. No doubt many are going to call in sick today, regardless of the consequences, but that’s a choice the individual has to make.
However, to help us get ourselves together, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, with as much verve and harmony as possible. (smile)
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!’
Ah Friends, let me just say that that definitely was NOT one of our better renditions. Hn! Our choir director, Jesus, only shook His head and smiled knowingly. But it ought to get us started in some form and fashion, so we can go out into the mish-mash world and do good like Jesus did in His earthly sojourn.
Now let’s turn to our Bit. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.’ Yes my brethren, that’s a wise and powerful warning for all of mankind, especially the youths.
And we have one remaining scripture passage that points toward the first part of our Bit. ‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…’ It comes from Jeremiah and his Lamentations. Jerry solemnly declares: ‘It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth (let him sit) alone and keepeth (keep) silence, because he (God) hath borne (laid) it upon him.’ (Lam. 3:27-28)
It’s wisest to remember our Creator in our youth, but even then, as so many other saints besides Jeremiah found out, it’s still possible to experience ‘great grief of soul.’
And as pertaining to the second part of our Bit ‘…while the evil days come not (before the evil days come), nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.’ Listen to this interesting scripture which takes place when Bruh David is returning to Jerusalem after the death of his rebellious son Absalom. (2 Sam.19)
This older fellow, Barzillai had looked after Bruh David with supplies while he had been on the run and now that he was going back to Jerusalem, Bruh David wanted Barzillai to go back with him. (2 Sam.19:31-33)
‘And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil (bad)? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king.’ (2 Sam.19:34-35)
Yeh Friends, there comes a time when our earthly days are drawing to a close that we don’t, or can’t enjoy the pleasures of life like we used to. And we need to respect and accept it, like Barzillai, otherwise we’ll just make ourselves even more miserable than normal.
Meanwhile, Moses, in Psalm 90 declares: ‘The days of our years (lives) are three score years and ten (seventy); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength (boast only) labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom (gain a heart of wisdom).’ (Ps.90:10-12)
Oh my people, it’s always best we can get on the right path from young, but unfortunately many of us never do so until we’re quite mature, then we have no choice but to stand the consequences of our unwise behaviour.
As the Psalmist says in Psalm 94 – How long shall the wicked triumph. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;
That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people , neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps.94:11-15)
Yes Friends, no matter how you slice it up, the result is still the same: the Lord will chasten those he LOVES and be forever faithful to them, while He destroys the wicked. So please, let’s advise the young to put their trust in Him as early as possible, so that they can fully enjoy the benefits of His many blessings. That’s just simple common sense and heavenly wisdom. (smile) Much Much LOVE my people!
… oh, if only the parents would teach the young about the Lord…and the young would listen…what wonders would be wrought throughout the earth…
SCRIP-BITS 