02 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a spark of hope, acuity, being fashioned like Jesus, compassionate heart, curse, darkness, divine protection, endurance, faith, faith is based on hope, favour, fulfillment, generously shared, God's faithfulness, hell in a handbasket, hellfire, imploding into war, Jesus' triumphal entry, Joyce Meyer, long term goal, mental sharpness, misdirected world, negative word, not selfishly hoarded, on the edge of the precipice, our descendant's sake, perseverance, Plato, prisoners of hope, promotion, prosper, put my hands to, render double unto thee, ride for Jesus' sake, salt and light, saved by hope, succeed, the beginning, the evidence of things not seen, the most important part, the stronghold, the substance of things hoped for, Thursday Blessings, to hope or not to hope, today I do declare, turn you, urgent word of the Lord, while there is life there is hope, wisdom, with patience wait for it, Zecharaih
Zechariah 9:12. Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.
Well here I am, on this first Thursday in the new year, anxiously asking the Lord what I should write about today. Hn! It certainly seems like the ole fella is lacking in mental …what’s the word…I think it’s acuity – mental sharpness, this cold but somewhat sunny winter’s morn. And I seem to remember the great philosopher Plato saying something like, remember the beginning is the most important part of the work. And the beginning certainly is important, that’s why I want to begin good today. (smile)
But I don’t know if it’s the most important part, because with Jesus, it doesn’t matter so much where we begin, but more so where we end! And on His continuum, as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say: ‘I’m not where I want to be just yet, but thank God, I’m certainly not where I used to be’ ….or something to that effect. (smile) And is that ever good news my fellow believers!
The fact that Jesus will take us however and wherever we are, at any particular moment in time, and make us into what He desires us to be, with the long term goal of being fashioned in His unbeatable and wonderful character, which ought to lend a spark of hope to all who hear His Word and believe His awesome promises! A Bruh Paulian sentence, if there ever was one! (smile) And believe me my brethren, that just sparked a thought, obviously a God-given one, re what I should write about today.
Yuh see God’s awesome faithfulness! One of my favourite scriptures just jumped up and became number one for today. Hear this great promise from the Lord our God, through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah when talking about Zion’s future king; a prophecy that Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday uniquely fulfilled. ‘Turn you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render (restore) double unto thee.’
Oh my people, what a beautiful promise! But what I like most about that scripture is the descriptive term, ‘prisoners of hope.’ It just so aptly describes what followers of Jesus ought to be; people with unending hope because He is the ‘stronghold,’ the fortress, the high tower, the fountain, the eternal source from wherein hope is spread abroad.
Yes mih breddren, hope is the believer’s greatest treasure, since it’s the forerunner of faith. You can’t have faith without first having hope. Because as the Good Book says: ‘Now faith is the substance (realization) of things HOPED for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.’ (Heb.11:1) So you see faith is indeed based on hope. And as Bruh Paul reasons in Romans: ‘For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (perseverance) (eagerly) wait for it.’ (Rom.8:24-25)
Now that’s what separates the goats from the sheep, what shows up the true prisoners of hope! If we truly believe in Jesus and all that He’s said, done and promised, then with strong hope and faith, meaning endurance and perseverance, we will eagerly await His coming and the fulfillment of His awesome promises! But friends, it’s all got to begin with belief and hope that lead to an indestructible faith! No wonder we have the clichéd but oh so true statement, that while there is life, there is hope!
Indeed there is, especially in Christ Jesus, who never turns away anybody, even when they are down to their last and dying breath! Wow! So how can we not have strong faith and indescribable hope if we claim to be true believers eh? O mih people, this new year of 2020 is calling us to be awesome prisoners of hope and faith because our world is in a very disastrous place, right on the edge of the precipice of imploding into war, darkness and hellfire! More than ever, we believers need to be the sensational salt and light of this misdirected world as Jesus declared of and still desires of us.
The fate of our world, and thus our children’s and children’s children lives depend on our faith and hope and desire to try and set things right! There’s no denying that so far our generation hasn’t done a great job, we’ve allowed our world to keep falling to hell, like you know what in a handbasket. But as we said earlier on, while there is life there is always hope. So this morning I’m imploring, begging, bullying; yes whatever it takes, for us to get on our horses and ride; ride for Jesus sake, also for our descendants sake, for if we don’t do something in the near future, we won’t like to see what our world will come to.
And I guess that’s the highly inflammable, important, and urgent word the Lord wanted me to pass on this morning! (smile) Let’s get serious friends, and realize the sense of immediacy, of urgency in His message, and thus get totally and seriously involved. And we can’t say that we don’t have the wherewithal to do the job, because the Lord has already given us all the tools we need, so artfully contained in our Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare them out loud now nuh, so that they can be put into force.
In strong voice and sincere purpose: ‘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!’
In closing, I must remind us that those tools are to be generously shared, not hoarded for our selfish benefit, especially in this new year, which will be such a pivotal one in the annals of mankind! Much LOVE!
…to hope…or not to hope…that is the question for believers today…
25 Jun 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a joy to behold, alive and kicking, Alpha, bounden duty, Christians, Day of Pentecost, death is swallowed up in victory, dwell in you, ending, exaltation, fear not, First and Last, friend of Jesus, give life to, gives us the victory, Hallelujah, hath God raised up, hurry, in exile, in god's eyes, Jesus is alive, John, message of reassurance, no match for, Omega, paid for our sins, Patmos, praise, Praise the Lord, resurrection power, saints in Christ, selflessness of Christ, share His love, sin, substitutionary death, the Almighty, the beginning, the beloved of God, the cross of Calvary, the disciple Jesus loved, the grip of the grave, the most joyful people, the power of God, the Revelator, the Spirit of him, the sting of death, this Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, victory, was and is to come, we all are witnesses, white on rice, worry, worship, your mortal bodies
Acts 2:32. This Jesus hath God raised up, wherefore we are all witnesses.
Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! And it is indeed a beautiful day in my neighbourhood! But you wouldn’t believe that daunting shower of rain that fell around midnight last night! Thought for sure it was going to be a ‘riney’ day. But thanks be to God, when I awoke it was bright and sunshiny with everything washed clean by God’s showers of blessings. Isn’t He a most wonderful God? He most surely is!
And a note of info here: the ole fella is two thirds of the way through his radiation treatment, 20 down, 13 more to go! Wow! And so far, all thanks, as always, be to God, I haven’t experienced any serious side effects! But the best news of the day my faithful brethren is that Jesus is still alive! Alive and kicking! Kicking gloriously too! Like a powerful and artful kick-boxer, He’s just a joy to behold in His wonderful moves! He’s all over His opponents like white on rice! (smile)
And just to give you a glimpse of how majestic and beautiful our Lord and Saviour is, check out this quote from a Daily Bread Devotion. ‘The grip of the grave is no match for the power of God!’ And all God’s people declared a loud and proud: ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! For He is indeed a mighty and powerful God, deserving of much praise, exaltation and worship!’
And is He ever my people! For who do you think had the resurrection power to raise Jesus from the dead eh? None other than Almighty God! As Peter declared (right ho!) to all of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost: ‘This Jesus hath God raised up, wherefore we are all witnesses.’ Yes friends, the Father raised the Son from the dead after He had paid for our sins on the cross of Calvary.
Thus Bruh Paul could say with great assurance to all who believe in Jesus Christ: ‘But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (give life to) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.’ (Rom.8:11)
Glory Hallelujah my fellow saints in Christ! Just like the Father raised Christ from the dead He will also raise all those who sincerely believe and obediently follow in the footsteps of His wonderful Son! That means us! And since Christ has defeated hell, death and the grave through His substitutionary death and most awesome and amazing resurrection, the victory is already ours. Glory to God!
No wonder Bruh Paul could also quote from the Old Testament Scriptures: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave (Hades, hell), where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Cor.15:54-57) How can we not then, as believers in Christ Jesus be thankful and joyful eh, since victory is already ours through the magnificent work and selflessness of Christ?
That’s why Christians ought to be the most joyful people on God’s great earth! But unfortunately too many of us supposed believers are so miserable, dragging around and unhappy that it’s not funny, which just makes a mockery of Jesus’ great sacrifice on our behalf. Oh, by the way, the Old Testament verses that Bruh Paul quoted above there came from Isaiah.25:8 and Hosea 13:14.
And Jesus Himself told His disciples, after Peter acknowledged that He was indeed ‘the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ (Mat.16:16): ‘And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (a stone), and upon this rock (large stone) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ (Matt.16:18)
And please realize that Peter himself was not the rock that Jesus meant to build on, but the entire discipleship that He had put together. They would be responsible for building the church, for going to all nations and witnessing, teaching and baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
And coming up, is what Jesus said to John, as He revealed awesome wonders to the disciple that He LOVED while on earth. Who knows whether John was being presumptuous or not when he wrote that in his gospel. (John 13:23) (smile) And it can be argued that he was right since Jesus chose him to be the Revelator of those things to come, while in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching Christ’s gospel.
And John says of his encounter with Jesus: ‘And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades) and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.’ (Rev.1:17-19)
I have to chuckle here, because John’s initial reaction to encountering Jesus in all His glory in the vision was one of fear, and who would not be afraid under those circumstances eh? But as was so typical of Jesus while on earth, He used one of His favourite lines to His beloved disciple. ‘Fear not.’
And friends, today He is still giving us that same message of reassurance and conviction, that as true believers in His power and glory, we have nothing to fear. And we all said, a loud and confident: ‘AMEN!’ Now let’s go home displaying that confidence as we declare (yeh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know who and whose we are.
In strong voice and sincere sense of purpose: ‘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 our bounden duty now is to go out and action those statements we just declared. Much LOVE!
…I am Alpha and Omega…the beginning and the ending…saith the Lord…which is…and which was…and which is to come…the ALMIGHTY… (Rev.1:8)
P.S. Not making any excuses for the Bit being somewhat late. I just got up late. (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Apr 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, Alpha, Christ's saints, dark evening hours, darkness, death, destruction, doubleminded, eternal party, everything in between, eyes fixed straight ahead, First, God's self-revelation, halfway home, hands on the plough, hell fire, hereafter, hitch your wagon, hope for the best, immortal truth, Jesus Christ, Jesus' horse, John, John Wesley, Last, not looking back, offer the best hope, Omega, rejoicing, saltwater, Scarborough, shower, sitting on the fence, the Almighty, the beginning, the Creator, the end of the ages, the ending, the Lord, the revelation, the vision, the world, therapeutic properties, Wednesday Wail, which is, which is to come, which was, windstorm, wishy-washy
Revelation 1:8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Greetings my faithful Scrip-Bit friends and family from this earthly Paradise so aptly named Tobago! (smile) I can’t believe that I’ve been here already for a week! And the strange thing is although I’ve been out the street every day, I haven’t journeyed to the capital, the big city of Scarborough as yet! But time will take care of that.
Sorry but I did not get back down to that gas station yesterday, went to another one close by, so I couldn’t get that quote for you. I did have a nice li’l swim in Grange Beach, in the early dark evening hours. Obviously I was the only one in the water, while the duchess and some of my Tobago family sat on the sea wall chatting and laughing.
They were dubious about me going for a swim at that time, but I was adamant that I wanted some salt water on my skin, I’d already missed one day, wanted to miss none really! Well why should I eh, when the salt water was one of my main reasons for coming to Paradise? I’ve been known to boast about its therapeutic properties, so I need to have some true testimony about it, otherwise I’m just talking from hearsay, which isn’t good! (smile)
And for your information, it’s been a cloudy and rainy kind of morning – the rain’s actually falling now, not the li’l 10 seconds thing it likes to do, but a good shower. Earlier on we had a small windstorm along with a shower. The dry earth desperately needs some heavenly blessing!
But yuh know what, to my left the skies look dark and somewhat foreboding, but to my right the sun seems to be coming out again. And that just struck me as an interesting contrast between darkness and light, between hope and hopelessness. That brings us to this quote attributed to the great English cleric John Wesley (1703-1791), one of the leaders of the early and formative Methodist Church. He reputedly said: ‘The world hopes for the best, but the Lord offers the best hope!’
Words of immortal truth my people! Where then should we place our hope eh? In the world, or in our Creator? In our Creator obviously, because it’s impossible for the world to make a better offer than it’s Creator! The created can never be better than the Creator! And that’s what this world refuses to believe and to accept in its mad journey into decline, decay, destruction and death!
There is some hope in the world and the things it offers, but they are all transitory and without real substance. The only hope that provides real substance and lifelong continuity is that which comes from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – the First, the Last and Everything in between! He made that quite clear in His vision to John: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.’
It couldn’t be any plainer that that my brethren! Jesus Christ is indeed the First and the Last of this universe! He was here before it was created, and He’ll be here long after it’s destroyed! The scholars offer this explanation: ‘1:8. Alpha and Omega, the first and last words of the Greek Alphabet, refer here to God’s eternality and sovereignty, and possibly to the fullness of God’s self-revelation.’
So in light of such convincing evidence, (smile) where then should we, as wise and true believers place our hope eh? Nowhere else but in the hands of the Living and Risen God! In His nail pierced hands lie the hope of this evil world! He bore the pain and paid the price for our sins, so who then should we look to but Him eh?
Hear how He said it to John later on in the vision, or the revelation. John says: ‘And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (hades) and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.’ (Rev.1:17-19)
What more can I say eh friends? Not a whole lot. When John saw the vision, he was initially fearful, but Jesus told Him, as He had said on earth so often, ‘fear not.’ Christ died and rose again, thus defeating hell, death and the grave, so He is in fact the mighty conqueror over the powers of darkness and evil! They cannot prevail against Him, because He was raised to the highest level by the Father for His selfless sacrifice on the cross; to be the name above ALL other names, and to whom ALL knees will eventually bow!
So who else are you going to look to eh? Who yuh going to call when things get rough and tough eh? Not Ghostbusters! (smile) But Jesus! That’s the only wise and sensible name to call out to for hope and help in this life my people. But you can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be doubleminded and try to sit on the fence in the hope of getting the best both sides have to offer, because you’ll end up with nothing from either.
And remember too, that only Jesus has good things to offer after this earthly life is over. All the enemy has is darkness, death, destruction and the hellfire of hades! And you know who conquered all of that nuh? Jesus of course! So please be wise and hitch your wagon to His horse, and He’ll lead and guide you aright.
Now for those of us who have done so, let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our true and sincere position in Christ! All together 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 I need to keep reminding us, that the future planned for Christ’s saints, will be even bigger and better than we can ever imagine! So please stand strong and run a good race, because you don’t want to miss that eternal party! Much LOVE!
…only those in Christ will be rejoicing…at the end of the ages…
07 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a leader, a wake up call, an excess of rain, Anselm, blaming, Central America, come crashing down, creation, damage, destruction, diligence, disaster, do more, dream, earth, eternal life, eternity, excellence, excuses, fraudulent schemes, friend, God's work, grin and bear it, heaven, heavenly blessings, heavenly rewards, hit the nail on the head, Honduras, ignorant of, in the water, influence human behaviour, inspire, kept in store, learn, learn more, LOVE, manipulate, meant for harm, my words, Nate, Nicaragua, perdition, Ponzi Scheme, reboot, reserved unto fire, responsibility, right relationship with God, righteousness, salvation, Saturday, seek Jesus, shall not pass away, shall pass away, shower of rain, strengthened my resolve, the beginning, the day of judgement, the enemy, the fountain head, the most powerful instrument, the stockmarket, the U.S Gulf Coast, the Word of god, tropical storm, turned into good, two edged sword, understanding, ungodly men, wisdom, wishy-washy
Matthew 24:35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Ah friends, the enemy always finds some way to disturb God’s work yes! Would you believe that a short while ago, just as I was going to start writing, my trusty computer froze on me and I had to reboot it and start from scratch again?
And though the unexpected delay frustrated me some, overall it just strengthened my resolve to complete my task with diligence and excellence! So that what the enemy meant for harm, the Lord turned into good! All praise and glory to our heavenly Father who so wonderfully inspires us to do His work!
And then there was Nate; just a li’l ole tropical storm, but it has already caused loss of life and done oodles of damage to Central American countries like Honduras and Nicaragua, and is now supposedly heading for the U.S Gulf Coast.
Down there they are busily preparing to weather it as best they can. Meanwhile in my area we are thankful that we finally got a decent shower of rain earlier this morning. Heavenly blessings have been conspicuously absent from my area for a while now.
Hn! How do you reason it out eh: one place getting a surfeit, an excess of rain, while another gets a little to none? The answer is, you don’t, because that’s God’s department. You just have to grin and bear it as best you can, with His help of course.
Anyway, let’s pray that the Lord averts further disaster in the Southern U.S, or causes it to be minimal. I don’t think they can handle much more, but that whatever happens, it will serve as a wake up call to return to right relationship with the God of their forefathers.
And since it’s Saturday, let’s consider some of the inspirational quotes that our friend Anselm sent us this week, in his noble aspiration to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first one let’s us have it with both barrels: ‘Stop making excuses.’
It hits the proverbial nail right on the head, for we are an excuse making society. We don’t want to take responsibility for anything, always blaming something or someone else for whatever has happened. And until we stop making excuses and start taking responsibility, our society will continue to be wishy-washy.
Then there’s this quote: ‘There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate it or you can inspire it.’ That’s full of truth, but again, in our evil and ungodly society, unlike our friend Anselm, (smile) we focus more on manipulating people than inspiring them.
And that’s not wise, because at some stage of the game people will realize they are being manipulated and then the whole Ponzi scheme will come crashing down. Just look at the stock market and all the other fraudulent schemes existing in our society.
Now the next quote is in direct contrast to the last one: ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ Lots of truth in that friends! In fact our aim should always be to inspire others, as that’s what Jesus came to earth and died for; to inspire us to seek Him and His righteousness.
And I particularly like this last quote: ‘You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.’ Yes my fellow believers, that’s the gospel truth! A lot of us only recognize those who can do something for us, while neglecting, oftimes contemptuously, those who can’t help us in any form or fashion.
But we’re dreadfully wrong in that kind of thinking, for the latter might not be able to do anything for us here on earth, but they’ll do lots for us in heaven if we treat them with respect and help them as best we can. In other words, looking on them favourably will build up heavenly rewards for us. The Lord’s Word says that.
And as our Bit says: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ That means all that our wonderful God has said will remain true even into eternity…and beyond. (smile)
And we’ll close this series of messages on the power and purpose of God’s everlasting Word with this scripture from 2 Peter, where the apostle is talking about living in the hope of the Lord’s coming. ‘Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers (mockers), walking after (according to) their own lusts (desires).
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep (died), all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of (forget), that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water (the great flood):
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now (currently exist), by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ (2 Pet.3:3-7)
Yeh friends, it’s all in the Word, and done by the Word, and of the Word! And we can only be afforded salvation and eternal life through the Word! So let’s make sure we write all of that indelibly in our hearts, and souls nuh, because it’s the source, the fountainhead of wisdom and understanding. Much LOVE!
…the Word of God…a mighty two-edged sword…the most powerful instrument in the universe…
11 Oct 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bonanza, a Christian life, a golden platter, abominable sins, all praise be to, an integral part of our lives, antidote, anxious, are ashamed of, be careful fro nothing, belief, blessings, busying ourselves, call upon his name, children of God, common task, convicts, cower, enthusiasm, eternal life, favour, first fruits, give thanks, Glory be, god the father, godly faith, good report, graciousness, guard your hearts and minds, harvest, honest, hurry, Jesus, King of Kings, life, Lord of Lords, LOVE, make known his deeds, meditate, moderation, motto for Christian success, noble, occupying our minds, passeth all understanding, Philippians, praise, prayer, pure, reconciliation with the Father, refuse to acknowledge Jesus, rejoice, Rejoice in the Lord always, responsibility, salvation, sense of purpose, share His love, shirk our responsibility, smorgasbord, supplication, thanksgiving, the Alpha, the beginning, the beloved of God, the daily grind, the end, the good news, the heathen, the Holy Spirit, the Lamb, the Lord is at hand, the Messiah, the Omega, the peace of God, the Prince of Peace, the right activities, the SON, the Son of God, them's the breaks, think, through Christ, tranquility of mind, true, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unto the Lord, virtue, work, worry
Psalm 105:1. O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Aye friends, it’s Tuesday; Thanksgiving weekend finish now, which means you have to get up and go back to the daily grind and common task; something called work. Hn!
And I know that many of us are feeling like we usually do on a Monday morning, possibly worse, because of all the Thanksgiving celebrations, but as the man says, them’s the breaks! As the Good Book says, if you want to eat, you have to work. (2 Thess.3:10)
But don’t worry my fellow believers, just as we have an antidote for Monday’s problems, we also have one for Tuesday’s. So without further ado, let’s declare our Tuesday Mantra with the enthusiasm, belief and sense of purpose that it deserves.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Glory be, my people! What a bonanza of godly faith, favour and blessings! Just imagine nuh, we are beloved children of Almighty God, the Creator and Controller of this great and magnificent universe! Mama Mia!
You’d think it couldn’t get any better than that. But it does get better. We are also not defined by what the evil, ungodly world says and/or thinks of us.
And now here’s the crowning glory: we are friends of the ONE and ONLY Son of God; Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End!
And that’s not all: He’a also the Lamb that was led to the slaughter for our abominable sins, who once and for all paid the sin debt in full for all those who believe in Him, thus making reconciliation with our heavenly Father possible!
Now when we put all of that together, there’s indeed nothing better on the face of God’s great planet earth!
And all of God’s people loudly, proudly and gratefully declared: ‘All praise be to the name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; the Holy Trinity, who blesses and looks after us with everlasting care, compassion and LOVE!’
Yes my faithful brethren, we are indeed the cat’s pajamas! (smile) But we also need to remember that there are two parts to everything; the blessing and then the responsibility. We have already received the blessing; God’s favour and grace, now we need to accept the responsibility which those awesome blessings bring.
And what’s that responsibility you ask? It’s simple, just like our Messiah, our Friend Jesus; go out and share His LOVE with the rest of humankind. Tell others about Him, the good news of salvation and eternal life that He has bought for us with His sinless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
Now that’s certainly not too much to ask eh, after all that He has done for us? So why then do so many of us cower, are ashamed of and refuse to acknowledge our Friend and Saviour Jesus before the heathen eh?
I don’t know all the reasons why, but I do know that we’re not keeping our part of the bargain, shirking our responsibility, when we don’t spread the wonderful news of Jesus’ gospel.
And I do hope that the Holy Spirit, which dwells within us, convicts us each and every time we shirk that responsibility, until we are mature and faithful enough to stand strong and steadfast, proud and true in the name of Jesus.
Now here is how the psalmist quotes that responsibility in our Bit. ‘O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.’
Yes friends, it’s all one big smorgasbord that’s termed life; giving thanks for our blessings, calling upon Him for faith and favour in a wonderful relationship, and letting others know about His mighty deeds down throughout the ages!
Ah mih people, as we said yesterday, thanksgiving is not a one time thing; simply the act of bringing the first fruits of our harvest to God on a particular day, but something that should be an integral part of our lives, each and every day.
And I don’t think anyone puts it better than Bruh Paul in his missive to the Philippians. He declares: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (His return is imminent).
Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God (the tranquility of mind) which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ.
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest (noble), what soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise (anything praiseworthy), think (meditate) on these things.’ (Phil.4:4-8)
Oh my fellow believers, Bruh Paul has laid it all out on a golden platter for us! It’s not always easy to live a Christian life, but we can certainly try by occupying our minds with the right things and busying ourselves with the right activities. That’s the motto for Christian success. Much LOVE!
…if we truly want to know and LOVE Jesus…then we first have to get to know Him…by studying and meditating on His Word…
27 Jan 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ah feeling hot hot hot, all tribes of the earth shall wail, apreciate the end product, blessings, Carnival, come what may, coming or going, dominion, every eye shall see him, first begotten, for God so loved the world, friends, glory, glory hallelujah, god the father, God's goodness, God's little Acre, good Tobago food, he cometh with clouds, he gave his only begotten son, heaven, holy spirit, I am halfway home, I want to be amongst their number, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, jealous, Jesus Christ, John the Revelator, joy, KFC, kings and priests, Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, LOVE, loving kindness, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, oh when the saints go marching in, ole, Paradise on Earth, Robinson Crusoe's Isle, saltwater, shall have everlasting life, sunshine, sweating, sweet Tobago, thank God, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, the Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, the Be All, the beginning, the Bit must go out, the blood of Jesus, the breath of life, the end, the End all, the First and the Last, the Rapture, them's the breaks, to a glorious future with Jesus, truth, undeserving sinners, washed us from our sins, Wednesday Wail, wisdom
John 3:16. For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
‘Ole, Ole, Ole! Ah feeling hot, hot, hot! Ah feeling hot, hot, hot!’
Oh friends, the ole fella really feeling hot, hot, hot; hot till ah sweating! (smile) But that’s the way it ought to be if I’m in seventy something degrees temperature.
Yes mih brethren, you must have guessed, the ole fella is in God’s Little Acre, Paradise on earth, Robinson Crusoe’s Isle, the Crown Jewel of the West Indies, and a host of other names I could mention. Hn, hn!
But suffice it to say, I’m in sweet Tobago! Praise the Lord for His LOVING-kindness to the children of men – especially me on this particular occasion!
Yes my people, the ole fella really needed some saltwater and sunshine and good Tobago food to revitalize my body; the aches and pains were getting to be a bit much, and the cold weather wasn’t helping any.
And as I look outside at the bay, with the waves on the choppy side, the wind blowing like crazy, causing the trees to dance to their tune, I do feel like I’m in Paradise. (smile)
Don’t be jealous now, your time will come, just like mine did; just believe, have faith and work on it.
The trip down wasn’t the greatest though. The plane was full, due to the upcoming Carnival celebrations, and though I’ve travelled economy class before, this time it really got to me. I’ve never been so uncomfortable before.
And to make matters even worse, there was a young child in the row behind me, who cried for a fair amount of the night. And as the Lord would have it, the first time I enquired about travelling Business Class, it was full. I guess He wanted me to appreciate the end product more. And believe me, I certainly do!
I left home at about six thirty last night, and did not arrive at my final destination until nine thirty this morning. And I’m so tired I don’t know if I’m coming or going, but I’m so dedicated to writing the Bit that I’m trying to complete it nevertheless. (smile) ‘The Bit must go out, come what may:’ that’s the motto!
Anyhow friends, soon come. A fella just showed up here to talk to me about a rental car. Hang tight!
Aye mih people, I want to apologize for the roughly three hour delay. But after getting the car, the duchess decided we should go to the mall to get some phone connections and something to eat since we had not had breakfast as yet.
Well the long and short of the story is that we had to wait awhile in the phone store and then, after eating the KFC we bought at the mall, I just had to have a nap.
But imagine that nuh; I’ve come to sweet Tobago to eat some good Tobago food, and first thing the Duchess have me eating is fast food! Ah Lord eh!
But I guarantee you that that will not become a habit! And I’m only now getting back to you at three o’clock T &T time. My humble apologies, but them’s the breaks! (smile)
And since it’s Wednesday, let’s wail our Wednesday Wail with great gusto nuh. As one now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my fellow believers the ole fella is ever so glad to be alive this Wednesday at the end of January 2016! I’m in Tobago! So what could be better eh? Only heaven! But hold on, I’m not ready for there just yet, and I do hope my Creator isn’t ready for me up there either. (smile)
So without further ado, let’s get to our Bit nuh; that awesome LOVING-kindness of our magnificent and magnanimous God! ‘For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
And Friends, if you don’t believe in the everlasting Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then I’m truly sorry for you, because He is indeed the Be All and End All; the Alpha and Omega; the First and the Last; The Beginning and surely the End!
Listen to the words and deeds John the Revelator ascribes to Him. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead, and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds (tribes) of the earth shall wail (mourn) because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty.’ (Rev.1:5-8)
Oh what wonderful scriptures friends, highlighting God’s goodness to us undeserving sinners!
Now let’s end with some explanations from the scholars. ‘1:7-8. Four aspects of Christ’s return are mentioned, each of which alludes to another passage of Scripture. He will come with the clouds (Dan.7:13) in the sky. Every person will see him (Matt.24:30). Those who pierced him (Zech.12:10), that is, those who rejected Him and wanted Him to die will repent and mourn (wail) over Him (Zech.12:10-11).
This refers to Christ’s return to the earth to establish His kingdom, not to the Rapture. Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, refer here to God’s eternality and sovereignty, and possibly to the fullness of God’s self-revelation.’
Ah mih people, that’s the end of our last message on this Bit, but please remember it is a pivotal piece of scripture, one upon which our destiny, our eternal life hangs! So it will be very wise for each one of us to acknowledge, accept, believe and practice His commands, and thus share in His eternal LOVE! Much LOVE!
…oh when the saints…go marching in…I would like to be amongst their number…oh when the saints go marching in…
10 Dec 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a well of water, a whole lot of sense, bane of our current world, born incarnate of the Virgin Mary, Christmas, competition, competitors, death, despair, down through the ages, drink of the wine I have mixed, eat of my bread, eternal separation from God, even paths, everlasting life, feast of Tabernacles, fellowship, for all eternity, free, friends, glorified, God's age old invitation, gospel, halfway point home, Harold Kushner, holy spirit, human creation, humanity, I am Alpha and Omega, individual goals, it is done, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jubilant cry, life is not a contest, life with Jesus, losing, LOVE, option, our Lord and Saviour, our spirits will soar, personal race to run, preached the gospel, process, references, rivers of living water, Samaritan woman, sensible way to live, source of new life, spiritual experiences, Thank you Father, Thank you for Jesus, the beginning, the end, the goal of life, the heavenly realm, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, the lustful pleasures of the world, the water of life, the well of Jacob, this earthly life, threats to our happiness, topsy-turvy, understand the scriptures, warm and cuddly, Wednesday, winning, Wisdom's invitation, worldly pleasures
Proverbs 9:5. Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).
And then it was Wednesday – the halfway point home my people! So please keep on keeping on, because the sun, the light of Jesus Christ will soon appear over the horizon. It’s also the tenth of December, which means we’re two weeks away from that fateful day, Christmas, the day when our wonderful Lord and Saviour was born incarnate of the Virgin Mary.
And all God’s people sent up a loud and jubilant cry of ‘Thank You Father! Thank You for giving us Jesus! Giving us Jesus as a baby! Thinking of Him as a baby, we can lavish all the LOVE on Him that we normally lavish on babies. He is so wonderful, so warm and cuddly. We embrace Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and bodies! Thank You again for Jesus heavenly Father!’
Ah Friends, the Father must be chuckling at that prayer, as I was while I was writing it. But there’s nothing wrong with it. It might just seem a little different from normal prayers, but it’s well within the borders of overall prayer. The same way we pray for our babies, the same way we can be thankful for Jesus as a baby to cuddle and snuggle Him.
Now here’s an interesting quote from the prominent American Rabbi, Harold Kushner (1935-) which I believe I have shared with you before, but it is one of those which needs repeating as often as possibly in this confused world. And it simply states: ‘To see the goal of life as “winning” forces us to see other people as competitors, threats to our happiness. For us to “win,” they have to “lose.”
And that my people is the bane of the current world we’re living in; everything is based on competition, on someone winning and some one losing. But that’s not a sensible or godly way to live. We need to understand that life is not a contest, it’s a process. One by which we establish our individual goals and work towards them. If we keep putting ourselves up against others, for whatever reason, we will bring too much despair into our lives when we lose one of those competitions, and our lives will constantly be topsy-turvy, up and down, up and down.
We need to have smooth, fairly even paths in our lives, and that certainly doesn’t come from judging life as a competition. Each individual has a personal race to run. As Bruh Paul says: ‘let us run the race that is set before us.’ (Heb.12:1) That’s just our race Friends, God’s plan for our lives, not a competition between us.
And all of that brings us to our Bit; Wisdom’s Invitation to: Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled (mixed).’
Yes my brethren, that’s God’s age-old invitation to His human creation! But unfortunately, down through the ages, not too many of them have accepted it, preferring the lustful pleasures of the world. But I can assure us that those worldly pleasures will not get us far, merely to the end of this earthly life.
But what happens after that eh Friends? What happens to the spirit that dwells with us? If we only hold on to the earthly stuff, then we’ll suffer the earthly consequences; death and eternal separation from Almighty God! However, if we accept wisdom’s invitation, which you’ll note in passing, is completely free, then after the return of our earthly bodies to the dust from whence it came, our spirits will soar in the heavenly realm with the Holy Trinity for ever and ever, throughout all eternity. Now I put it to you Friends, that is a much better option than the earthly one.
And we have so many instances where that invitation has been offered, and yet we refuse to even consider it, much less accept it. Let’s look at a few of those instances. Jesus, when talking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob, painstakingly informed her: ‘Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Oh Friends, what a powerful invitation! And that Samaritan woman was smart enough to accept it.
Meanwhile, ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast (feast of Tabernacles), Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (heart) shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:37-39) There again my people, that great, free invitation to come and have a wonderful life with Jesus.
And the scholars explain that all, re the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. ‘7:39. One of God’s purposes since the beginning has been to dwell with humanity and enjoy fellowship with us. He does it in this dispensation through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1) occurs automatically when a person is saved; (2) is not an “experience,” but produces spiritual experiences; (3) remains permanently; (4) is the basis of all other ministries of the Holy Spirit; and (5) is the source of new life in the believer.
Illustration: When Paul met 12 disciples of John who did not know of the Holy Spirit, he knew they needed to be saved. So he preached the gospel to them (Acts 19:1-5). Application: The Holy Spirit’s indwelling should motivate the believer to be careful not to harm his body nor indulge his body in sin (1 Cor. 6:19-20). (First Reference, Ex.35:31; Primary reference, John 7:37-39; cf. 1 cor.12:13.)’
Ah Friends, please check out those references, for they will help us to better understand the scriptures. And remember, it makes a whole lot of sense to come to Jesus, to accept wisdom’s invitation, rather than the foolishness of the world. Much LOVE!
…And he said unto me…it is done…I am Alpha and Omega…the beginning and the end…I will give unto him that is athirst (who thirsts)…of the fountain of the water of life freely…
05 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alpha, awesome God, believing in jesus, blessings, children of light, fatherly LOVE, flowers fade, fulfilling life, glorious day, glory of God, grass withers, holy spirit, humble servants, Jesus Christ, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, Omega, protection, reconciliation, sacrifice, thanks and praise, the beginning, the end, the first, the last, walk in light, Word of God
Isaiah 40:8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
One more morning, one more day, filled with new mercies, filled with new blessings, showered down from heaven with fatherly LOVE! Yes Friends, that’s what is happening on this new Today, and what happens on every new Today! And before we get too carried away, let’s realize that it’s not because of our goodness, or what we rightfully deserve, but because of our wonderful God’s LOVING-kindness towards us! His heart is so overflowing with LOVE and tenderness for us, that despite our lack of enthusiasm and strong faith, He has a hard time saying No to us. So in grateful appreciation, let’s offer a few words of thanks nuh. Pray with me: ‘Oh heavenly Father, we, your humble servants, created and so richly provided for by You, offer our sincere thanks and praise this new day. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we know that whatever comes our way, You’ll be right there with us to help us through it. Please continue to bless and protect us. We pray this in the holy name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless life at Calvary, so that we could be reconciled and once again have glorious fellowship with You.’ And all God’s people declared a loud and sincere, ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Ah mih people, I’m so glad that it was only supposed to be a few words. (smile) But yuh know, sometimes when you start giving our awesome God the praise and thanks He so richly deserves, you often get carried away by the deep LOVE for Him that’s in your heart. Now let’s turn to our Bit, which, as promised, is the same as yesterday. I’m trying my best to be like the Lord and keep my promises. (smile) And our Bit boldly proclaims: ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ And that’s no lie, my brethren! The Word of our great Deity will never depart from the life of this world, as long as it exists, be it in physical or spiritual form, because it comes from the Mighty One who created it and all it contains. Unfortunately many don’t believe that, and I’m genuinely sorry for them, because it means they are not enjoying the rich and fulfilling life that comes from believing and following the Word of the Most High God Jehovah. And as Isaiah confidently declares before our Bit, in this Chapter 40, that deals with comfort through trust in the Lord: ‘And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry (out), And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the godliness (loveliness) thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.’ (Is.40:5-7) Yes Friends, in the time line of our God, we certainly have short lives; lives comparable in our understanding, to that of the grass and flowers that spring up rich and beautiful one day, but by the next are withered and faded. However, the glorious Word of our omnipotent God will live much longer, indeed forever! Why? Because it comes from the One who is Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, who created everything that exists, controls it all, and can do whatsoever He wants with it! As the prophet Micah promises, when talking about turning swords into ploughshares: ‘And I will make her that halted (is lame) a remnant, and her that was cast far off (the outcasts) a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.’ (Mic.4:7) What an awesome promise my fellow believers! And it will eventually come true, because our God is ever faithful to keep His promises. Meanwhile, Isaiah solemnly delivers another of God’s promises in Chapter 24, that after judgement comes upon the earth: ‘Then the moon shall be confounded (disgraced or ashamed), and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients (elders) gloriously.’ (Is.24:23) Wow mih breddren! That will be such a glorious day that even the sun and moon will have to step back from the marvellous light of our enchanting God! And as we like to do whenever possible, we’ll end with some moving and meaningful words of the Master Teacher, Jesus. Here, He’s telling the people of His upcoming death, resurrection and ascension. ‘The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest the darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knowest not wither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.’ (John 12:34-36) Oh Friends, that’s the Word of our God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And yuh know what? It will certainly live on forever, so if we’re smart, we’ll consciously choose to follow it, so that we too can live on forever with Him. Much LOVE!…true believers…must use the wisdom generated by the Holy Spirit in them…to LOVE and obey the Word of God…
SCRIP-BITS 