27 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a scripture of amazing promise, a tree planted by the rivers of waters, bless others, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, blessings shall overtake thee, bringeth forth his fruit in season, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, his delight is in the law of the Lord, his leaf shall not wither, in his law doth he meditate, Isaac reaped a hundredfold, Isaac sowed in the land, like the chaff which the wind driveth away, LOVE, negative word, obey the voice of the Lord, our hearts are in the right place, prosper, rejoice and be glad in it, sitteth in the seat of the scornful, standeth in the way of sinners, succeed, the breath of life, Thursday Blessings, until thy cup overflows, walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, whatsoever he does shall prosper, whose hope the Lord is
Jeremiah 17:7. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
One more day friends, we have been divinely gifted one more day, this one called Thursday! Wow! What a wonderful God we serve and worship! So let’s rejoice and be glad in it nuh, like our Lord God intended when He allowed the breath of life to continue flowing through our mortal bodies this bright and sunshiny day!
Ah, what blessed lives we live my faithful brethren! The psalmist said it thus: ‘Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly (wicked), nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate (ponder on) day and night.’ (Ps. 1:1-2)
What a beautiful scripture my people, one filled with such amazing promise! If we don’t let the enemy, or the ways of the world tie up our lives in knots like they want to do, but instead focus on the Lord and His word and will for our lives, we will be eternally blessed, down here on earth and also later on in heaven!
Now hear how the psalmist says that blessing will flow out. ‘And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers (channels) of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.’ (Ps. 1:3)
Mama oh Mama! We are so blessed my people! But are we grateful for those blessings, and do we show it in our lives? Do we give thanks and praise to the Lord for His goodness and mercy to us? Do we bless others with the blessings that the Lord so generously bestows on us? I do hope so, otherwise we’re simply living a lie!
And unfortunately, that can truthfully be said about too many of us supposed believers. That’s why the heathen don’t pay as much attention to us as they ought to. Why they don’t rush to embrace Christ as their Lord and Saviour. And you can’t give them wrong when they see the ungodly lives too many so-called believers are living.
However, hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘Psalm 1. The key word in the psalm is the word blessed. It serves here as a pronouncement upon a man – but a certain kind of man. In essence, the psalm is teaching that the blessed or happy man is the righteous man. The happy man avoids evil influences, deeds, and attitudes (v.1); he delights in God’s Word (v.2); therefore, God causes him to prosper (v.3).’ Yes friends, when we serve the Lord God Jehovah with a willing and faithful heart, He blesses us so much that our cup overflows, and others see it and want to come to him to receive blessings like us.
And hear how the prophet Jeremiah puts it, when he talks about the blessedness of trusting the Lord. ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see (fear) when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’ (Jer. 17:7-8) Wow! Imagine that nuh people! When we stay righteous, even in the times of drought and famine, hardship and trouble, we will still prosper because of the Lord’s blessings upon our lives!
And we have a good example of that in Genesis 26, where during a time of famine, the Lord instructed Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to stay in the land of the Philistines and He would provide for Him. And even though Isaac got himself in trouble with the Philistines, the Good Book tells us: ‘Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received (reaped) in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed (grew) great, and went forward (continued), and grew until he became very great.’ (Gen. 26:12-13)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord can, and will do in our lives, although we are not the best we can be, but He sees that our hearts are in the right place. Who else could cause Isaac to reap a hundredfold in a time of drought and famine eh? Only the Lord God Almighty, the God of his forefathers. And that’s why it is ever so important for us to read and meditate on God’s word and live the kind of life He expects of us, because hear what happens to those who don’t.
‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.’ (Ps. 1:4-6) Now that’s putting it mildly, because perishing will not be an easy matter for the ungodly, but more like going through hell fire and damnation!
Anyway, listen to this continuing explanation of the scholars. ‘On the other hand, the ungodly is worth no more than chaff (the dry, protective, worthless outer casing of cereal grains) (v.4), and his destiny is judgement (v.5). Finally, the evaluation by the Lord Himself is described (v.6). There is an ellipsis (omission) which is understood with both clauses in verse 6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous [and it will be blessed], but [He also knows] the way of the ungodly [and it] shall perish. The psalm forms an appropriate introduction to the Psalter since it sets before the readers the three characters who will figure mostly in the psalms: the righteous, the ungodly, and God.’
And I’m chuckling here friends, because I can see the mysterious moving of the Lord in Today’s Bit. I did not have any particular topic in mind, and He led me to Psalm 1, which teaches about the blessings of the Lord on the righteous, and what better day to do it than on a Thursday when we declare the bountiful blessings of our great God! So let’s do that right now nuh! As one strong and sincere voice, let’s shout out our Thursday Blessings to the world!
‘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 the divine purpose for bestowing those blessings on us, is for us to share them just as generously with others as the Lord shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…obey the voice of the Lord…and blessings shall come upon thee…and overtake thee…until thy cup overflows…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a mighty conqueror, a smooth talker, after that ye had suffered a while, be sober be vigilante, called us unto his eternal glory, casting all your care upon him, he may exalt you in due time, he that hath clean hands and a pure heart, His blessings overtake us, humble yourselves therefore, I am halfway home, I'm so glad to be alive, in His incomparable universe, lifted up his soul unto vanity, make you perfect, much joy in heaven, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not turning back, one true God, over one repentant sinner, parable of the prodigal son, retribution, seeing another day, spoon feeding us, stay alert and diligent, sworn deceitfully, thank God, the breath of life, the God of all grace, the great I AM, the incomparable gift, through God's mercy, to a glorious future with Jesus, to him be glory and dominion, unconditional LOVE, under the mighty hand of god, Wednesday Wail, who shall into the hill of the Lord ascend, who shall stand in his holy place
1 Peter 5:6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
And then it was Wednesday…another wonderful eye-opening day! (smile) Oh praise the Lord for His everlasting kindness, the incomparable gift of seeing another day in His incomparable universe! As the song says, ‘this is the day of grace,’ the day when His blessings overtake us and cause joy, peace and LOVE to rise up majestically and victoriously in our souls! Wow! No other supposed Deity even has the desire, much less the awesome power to do that for His followers.
Yes, friends, there is a true God, He is alive and looking down on mankind, His most wonderful creation with unconditional LOVE, and in Him we live, and we’ll survive, if we keep living in Him. His name is the Great I AM! But the crux of the matter, the answer to it all, is that we keep living in Him. If we do, we will be blessed and survive till eternity. However, if we don’t, we’ll be cursed and headed for destruction and eternal separation from Him forever.
Now, please believe me, eternal separation from the One and Only Living God is the worst thing that can happen to a body, soul, spirit or whatever you choose to call it. And how do we keep living in Him our whole lives? Peter gives us some examples in His epistle. ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
Oh my people, those are the first two steps to living successfully with our God! Knowing that He cares for us, and humbly going to Him, so He can later on exalt us, because there’s nothing He dislikes like pride and arrogance! Then Peter continues: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Pet. 5:8)
Now the real test begins. We must realize that we have an enemy, who only wants to deceive and trip us up as we try to live for our God. But the truth is that he has no real power over us, unless we give it to him. That’s why we need to be sober and vigilant, for though he might not have any real power, he is indeed a smooth talker and great deceiver. You just have to consider how he talked Eve into eating of the forbidden fruit way back in the Garden of Eden. And his methods have not changed, possibly have become worse since our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ defeated Him at Calvary and rose from the dead, a mighty conqueror of hell, death and the grave!
So Peter wisely directs us, re the enemy: ‘Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet. 5:9) And that’s no lie friends! All of us who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are tried and tested by the enemy in the hope that we will turn away from our God, and/or do things against His directives that will get us into His bad books. Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance that we stay alert and diligent in our life walk against the many temptations that the enemy will undoubtedly throw our way.
And when we do that, Peter promises: ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet. 5:10-11). Oh my fellow saints in Christ, isn’t that an awesome promise! Once we stand strong against the enemy, survive his tests, our great God will eventually strengthen and settle us. And what’s amazing about the whole situation is that those same temptations that we endure and refute are the exact things that help build our fate in our God!
So it’s exactly as we spoke about yesterday. The first thing is to draw near to God, for He will never turn us away, regardless of what state we’re in. Hear these scriptures that attest to that fact nuh. In this first one, Moses tells Israel: ‘For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them (a God so near to them), as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?’ (Deut. 4:7) And the answer is an emphatic ‘NONE!’ And Jeremiah declared it thus in his Lamentations: ‘Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.’ (Lam. 3:57-58)
Jesus, as always though, puts it best in the parable of the prodigal son. ‘And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.’ (Luke 15:20) Yes mih bredrin, our heavenly Father is always on the lookout for us, anxiously waiting for us to turn the corner, to come to our senses and know that with Him is our ONLY hope for a blessed, peaceful and LOVING life!
And you’ll notice that He doesn’t stand on any pomp or ceremony, He rushes forward to meet us, so great is His joy that we are coming back home to His safe and comfortable roost. He doesn’t even give us a chance to get in a word sideways, but orders a great celebration in our honour. He’s just so glad to see us come back home, not caring what we’ve done while we were gone. That could always be forgiven, though we might have to pay some retribution. (smile) Yeh friends, there are always consequences to our sins, thankfully though, through God’s mercy, not as much as we often deserve.
And I don’t know if you have realized that what I’m doing is taking us through the scriptures that we spoke of yesterday. I just couldn’t help spoon feeding us, (smile) because I know that most of us would be too busy to read those scriptures. And they do tie in nicely to Peter’s advice. Now hear this last scripture, that about hands and hearts being cleansed. Bruh David says it thus: ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto to vanity (to an idol), nor sworn deceitfully.’ (Ps. 24:3-4)
So friends, you see what it takes to make it up to God’s holy hill – clean hands and a pure heart. That means we have work to do. And for those of us who are serious about doing it, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Wednesday Wail, telling the world about our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now, in strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘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 should not have to remind us, but I will anyway, (smile) that if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we can ever imagine! Much LOVE!
…for there is much joy in heaven…over even one repentant sinner…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
19 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of opposition, an exposition of the greatness of God, Crystal Cathedral, Dr. Robert H. Schuler, dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, endure the journey to the end, forgiveness, from boring death, from discouragement to hope, from failure to success, from shame to glory, from weakness to strength, glad to be alive, Gramps Schuller, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, Hour of Power Devotional, humble apologies, I will move, If I ascend into heaven, if I make my bed in hell, if I take the wings of the morning, in you I come alive, it is high I cannot attain unto it, kind indulgences, Lord I want your heart to be in my heart, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, nemeses, not turning back, one of the grandest psalms, psalm 139, such knowledge is too wonderful, the breath of life, the catalyst of God's Word, thou hast beset me behind and before, thy right hand shall hold me, to a glorious future with Jesus, to exciting life, Wednesday Wail, whither shall I flee from thy presence, whither shall I go from thy spirit
Psalm 139:7. Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence?
My most humble apologies my Scrip-Bit friends and family for the lateness of the Bit. It’s just of those things; if one goes to bed very late, then the natural corollary is that one will also awaken very late! (smile) And thank you very much for your forgiveness and kind indulgences, but, as always, be it ever so late, the important thing is that the Bit, the energizer, the catalyst of God’s Word in our lives, gets sent out every day!
And to tell how soundly I slept, not even my two summer nemeses, a motorcycle in the neighbouring lane, and the seemingly ever-present sound of a lawn mower, didn’t disturb me at all this morning. Now that’s certainly saying something! But enough of my Irish blarney, let’s get down to brass tacks, which, this late Wednesday morning, begins with considering this interesting poem from the Hour of Power Devotional by Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) most appropriately titled ‘I Will Move…’
Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I want your heart to be my heart. For in you I come alive, moving ahead from boring death to exciting life! In your promises, I will move from discouragement to hope. In your pardon, I will move from shame to glory. In your power, I will move from weakness to strength. In your providence, I will move from failure to success! Thank you, Lord. Amen.’
Oh my people, when we take the blessings and promises of God seriously, we can certainly move ahead with a joyful heart, with oodles of hope, amazing strength, no shame or failure, but glory and success! That’s why Bruh David wrote these marvellous words of Psalm 139, explaining the everlasting presence and power of our great God.
‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (comprehendeth, understands) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset (enclosed or hedged) me behind and before, and laid thine hand on me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.’ (Ps. 139:1-6)
And that’s certainly the awesome truth friends: we cannot ever attain the wisdom and power of Almighty God! But with His help, we can certainly do much better than we’re currently doing, if we’d only listen to His Spirit speaking in us and read His word that bears so many important messages and promises.
Now hear Bruh David, as he continues. ‘Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:7-12) More everlasting truth there my faithful brethren!
And our Lord moves in such marvellous and mysterious ways friends, that as I was writing those moving words, I could see Gramps Schuller preaching them in his bold, expansive and daring style way back when in the Hour of Power Service at the Crystal Cathedral in California. That was the first time I can ever remember hearing those words preached, or acted out, as Gramps Schuller liked to do with his scripture readings. And believe me, that awesome picture of those words have remained with me down through the years, and every time I read or hear them, I picture that moment of revelation in my mind’s eye…
Oh, sorry mih bredrin for that little break, but I suddenly broke into a bout of laughter there because, as the Lord is wont to do, in His inimitable style, He just reminded me of a promise I made a couple days ago when we were talking about life in Psalm 16, that, if the Lord spared our lives, the following day we would continue and see how the saints of Christ ought to handle death. Now, that’s possibly because I had thought about making the same promise for Psalm 139, as there are some interesting scholarly explanations I wanted to add to our discourse today.
Anyway, now that the Lord has refreshed my memory, if He again grants us life tomorrow, we will continue talking about one of those two psalms. And there I was foolishly thinking I didn’t know what to talk about today eh. Yuh see what happens when you don’t consult, or properly listen to your Creator? But it’s too late to cry now, (smile) so here are those explanations from the scholars.
‘Psalm 139. Certainly one of the grandest of the psalms in all of the Psalter, it is also one of the richest theologically. It combines an exposition of the greatness of God’s character with the reality of human experience. From verses 19-22 we find that David wrote the psalm during a time of opposition. It therefore contains truths that were meaningful to him during these troublesome times. They may be summarized under four key thoughts as David addresses the Lord: You know me (vs. 1-6), You are with me (vs. 7-12), You created me (vs. 13-16), and Your cause is my cause (vs. 19-24).’
And that’s how it ought to be with ALL believers. Anyway, for those of us who have seriously taken up the mantle of Christ, let’s go home today declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, telling all and sundry of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
As one strong and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And will that future be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine if we endure the journey to end my dear friends! Much LOVE!
…living life with Christ can be tough…but it’s certainly never dull or uninteresting…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry of anguish, a song of praise, another marvellous day on earth, be not far from me, between a rock and a hard place, cries for help, despised of the people, enjoy the day to the fullest, for trouble is near, foreshadowing of Christ's lament on the cross, glad to be alive, God is good, halfway home, he is governor among the nations, I cry in the day time, I was cast upon thee from the womb, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my god why hast thou forsaken me, none can keep alive his soul, not turning back, praise him all ye seed of jacob, praise our God with sincerity, salvation, sentiments of praise, shouts of praise, the breath of life, the Good News of Christ, the grace and mercy of a compassionate God, the kingdom is the Lord's, there is none to help, this is the day the Lord has made, thou didst make me hope, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, ye that fear the Lord
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
All thanks and praise be to thee my wonderful God for offering your saints another marvellous day on your glorious earth! As the psalmist so rightly said so long ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And believe me fellow saints, if we don’t enjoy this day like it is the last one, we’re only shortchanging ourselves, for it just might be the last one.
Now that is certainly not wisdom, especially in the turbulent times we’re currently experiencing! It’s only the grace and mercy of a very compassionate God that’s keeping us from being swallowed up in the wily tentacles of the enemy’s negative circumstances. That’s why I am advising us to both enjoy the day to its fullest, but also to praise our God with as much power and sincerity as we can muster.
That brings me to these interesting verses from Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and a song of praise. That means the two; cry for help and words of praise are not inseparable or exclusive, but can exist together in harmony. And it’s not surprising that Bruh David is the author of this psalm. Let’s read with him as he opens with the state of his agony: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning)? O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not: and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (Ps. 22:1-2)
Yes friends, Bruh David was obviously between a rock and a hard place. And please note the similarity in that first verse, a foreshadowing of Christ’s lament on the cross, as described by Matthew. ‘And at about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) Then David tells how His forefathers had cried out to the Lord for help in time of trouble and had been delivered, (Ps. 22:3-5)
However, as he further explains: ‘But I am a worm, and no man: a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip (show contempt with their mouths), they shake their head saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.’ (Ps. 22:7-8) Ah my fellow believers, that’s how many of us are treated; laughed to scorn when we talk fervently about God, then get caught up in trouble with no seeming help coming from Him.
But please let’s not lose our faith or the sight that our God is good and will not turn away from us forever. Please believe like Bruh David did: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (cause me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’ (Ps. 22:9-11) And isn’t that the living truth my brethren. The Lord sees us in our mother’s womb and designates us as followers, and it’s only Him, and Him alone that can help us in times of misery and trouble!
Then, after pouring out some more of the anguish of his soul to God, (vs.12-18) Bruh David changes tack; he turns to sentiments of praise. But let’s pause here for a moment and take note of verse 18: ‘They part (divide) my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture (for my clothing).’ That’s another foreshadowing of Christ on the Cross. Matthew 27:35 reads: ‘And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.’ So, this psalm is incredibly significant in foreshadowing Christ’s coming.
But getting back to the praise section. Hear Bruh David: ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear (LOVE) the Lord, praise him all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps. 22:22-24) Yuh see friends, how praise and worship can cause our heavenly Father to look upon our affliction with grace and mercy? He never turns away from those who sincerely praise and glorify Him when they call upon Him in their time of trouble.
As Bruh David so reverently continues. ‘My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat (prosper) upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust (death) shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul (keep himself alive).’ (Ps. 22:25-29).
Truer words were never spoken my people! The universe and all therein is the Lord’s! And He will judge it righteously. And furthermore, NONE of us can save ourselves. So what’s our best option? Turn to the Lord, like Bruh David did, with shouts of praise and thanksgiving, with the spreading of His salvation, through the good news of Christ, and calling on Him in times of trouble without fear. In other words, living a life that glorifies Him! That’s the only way to make it through this sinful world with peace, LOVE and joy in our souls, despite the trials and tribulation we all will suffer.
And for those of us who believe that, and are doing our best to live such a life, let’s go home now declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether 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 it is a given, that if we endure to the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Glory Be! Much LOVE!
…cries for help…can only be based…on shouts of praise…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of turmoil and uncertainty, at the foot of Christ's cross, be not afraid or dismayed, cast all our cares on god, desperation and anxiety, endure to the end, fear and confusion, I am halfway home, I'm so glad to be alive, in the waiting arms of God the Father, Jehoshaphat, keep your eyes steadfastly on Christ, LOVE, mid-week crisis, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither know we what to do, Nobody can possibly help me, not focusing on the past, not turning back, one place of safety, our eyes are pon thee, raise the level of our faith, standing achingly helpless, Stay with God, stumbling through confused days, thank God, the battle is the Lord's, the breath of life, the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, the Lord has given me cause to rejoice, to a glorious future with Jesus, tossing through sleepless nights, we have no power, Wednesday Wail, wisdom of the ages
2 Chronicles 20:12b. …neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
And then it was Wednesday; the mid-week relief moment, the time when we were just getting reaccustomed to the new work week. But that was then…now, Wednesday is the mid-week crisis moment, when we’re wondering how and if we are going to make it through the rest of the week. Life has changed so drastically and unexpectedly during the past year that everything is in a state of turmoil and uncertainty.
But yuh know what friends, in all the desperation and anxiety, fear and confusion, there is ONE place of safety for all of us, one place that has never, and will never change. That is at the foot of Christ’s cross, or in the waiting arms of our heavenly Father, or in the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. It simply means that our great God is the definitive place we must turn to for refuge from anything, or anyone, that comes against us in this earthly life.
And these words from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin magnificently describe the process. The piece is titled: ‘Nobody Can Possibly Help Me.’ And as true believers in Christ, deep down we know that is not true, but it’s just when troubles keep coming relentlessly at us, we tend to lose the faith we need to carry us through the moment.
But listen to what Ms. Calkin writes: ‘How wonderful! You can shake hands with a king. His name is Jehoshaphat, and his story reads like a letter from someone who feels desperate – maybe like how you feel right now. You don’t know where to turn. Neither did he. Jehoshaphat had no forces to oppose the “great company” marching against him. Standing achingly helpless (as you are), what did he do? He literally threw himself on God. He prayed. “O our God, we have no power to face this vast army attacking us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” (You’ll find the story in 2 Chronicles 20.)
Do you see yourself in the mirror of the story? Do you feel overpowered by a “great company” of temptations? Are you stumbling through confused days and tossing through sleepless nights? What is the answer? Stoic endurance? No. That brings only deeper despair. But you can pray Jehoshaphat’s prayer! His God is your God if your faith is in Jesus Christ. You can plead with God on the grounds of His great power, His promises, and His LOVE. And all the while you can keep your eyes steadfastly on Him. The result? As you trust, you will one day say as Jehoshaphat said, “The Lord has given me cause to rejoice.’
And that’s the gospel truth my fellow believers! In times of difficulty the Lord wants and expects us to cast all of our cares upon him, because He cares for us. Remember, Jesus unequivocally invited us in His Great invitation, to bring our burdens and woes to Him because He can take them from us and lighten our load. So, in spite of how things may seem, once we turn in all sincerity to God, our rocky road will gradually get smoother. As we raise the level of our faith in our Creator and Provider, we get better at handling the problems that we encounter in this earthly life.
So as the song says: ‘There’s life in Him…There’s Hope in Him…There’s a bright future in Him. So don’t give up now… don’t give in…hang in there until things get better.’ And they will eventually, if we do like Jehoshaphat did; that’s stay with God. And here is the Bible Promise for our story today, Jehoshaphat’s pleading prayer. ‘O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen (nations)? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? …O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.’ (2 Chr. 20:6-7, 12)
Ah friends, the same thing applies to us today: we need to keep our eyes steadfastly focused on God, for that’s where the answer to everything and every question in our lives lie. Like Peter, when he walked on water with Jesus, if we take our eyes off Him and focus on the circumstances and problems then we’ll begin to sink. And if the great king Jehoshaphat could call out to God in such fear and uncertainty, who are we to do differently eh? And yuh see how the situation ended?
Jehoshaphat and all his people of Judah fasted and prayed, then God sent them a message through Jahaziel: ‘Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s….Ye shall not need to fight in the battle: set (position) yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chr. 20:15, 17) And the next day the Israelites went out and didn’t lift a hand but ended up victorious, for our great God made the three armies that were coming against them to fight amongst each other and destroy themselves.
Oh my people, our God has not changed or become weak and immobile. He is still the omnipotent Creator and Provider, and He is telling us the same thing in these trying times: to not fear, leave your life in His powerful hands, just do what we are supposed to do, and He will protect us, because the battle is not ours but His. So let’s remember that in these turbulent times and stand strong and faithful. That’s all God is asking of us. He will do the rest!
Now for those of us who are sincerely trying to do just that, let’s go home declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 just in case you’ve forgotten, (smile) if we endure to the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…in spite of what comes against you…stay with God…that’s wisdom for the ages…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of exaltation and praise, all his promises are faithful, ambassadors for Christ, circumstances should not run our lives, don't give up, end of sermon, everlasting kingdom of peace, for his mercy endureth for ever, give thanks and rejoice, glad to be alive, guided by the Holy Spirit, I am halfway home, I will exalt thee, I will praise thee, I'm not turning back, if we endure to the end, let's be joyful and celebrate, magnificent magnanimity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, O Give thanks unto the Lord, panic mode, still flowing through me, thank God, the amazing benefit of living for Jesus, the breath of life, the Great tribulation, the help of Jesus, the joy of Jesus, the nations have been brought low, the peace and love of Jesus, the song of the redeemed, the story ends in our favour, the triumph of His judgement, the year of the variants, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art my God, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, words of awesome wisdom
Psalm 118:28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Glory be, mih people! It’s another day in the life! That means our great God has something useful for us to perform this Wednesday of April 2021, the year of the variants! (smile) So let’s be joyful and celebrate that nuh, for many aren’t around to do it.
Yes friends, each and every day we’re alive, we ought to give thanks and rejoice, for as the psalmist so wisely said a long time ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Words of awesome wisdom, that ought to make a significant impact in and on our lives as believers in Christ Jesus, for our circumstances are not supposed to run our lives, but the Word of God. So let’s be grateful we made the wake-up list and celebrate it and give thanks despite the negative things in our lives.
Remember the good thing about being a believer is that unlike the unbeliever, we have the awesome help of Jesus when things are not going our way; His peace, His LOVE, His joy, which is our strength. So, in these pandemic and uncertain times we need to stand up strong and show the world the amazing benefit of living for and with Jesus.
As He said, we can cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us. But we have to truly believe that our lives are in God’s hands before our mountains can become like li’l molehills. So no matter what comes our way, we have life and hope and a bright future in living and working for Jesus, because He’ll never leave nor forsake us, because He sincerely promised that, and all His promises are faithful and reliable.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s of the utmost importance that as ambassadors for Christ, we stand up strong and steadfast and be good examples to the unbeliever, be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, like Jesus desires of us. For it’s only through us that others will see Him and the wonderful things He has to offer.
That’s why on this Wednesday, when everyone and everything around us seems to be in panic mode we can quite calmly and truthfully declare in the words of the psalmist: ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 118:28-29)
What marvellous words of praise and thanksgiving, of encouragement and reassurance my brethren! It’s only when Christ is in our corner, that we can stand up strong to the storms and other negative things that come against us on this evil and sinful earth, and that deserves enormous praise and gratitude.
And the opening words of the song of the redeemed in Isaiah 25, puts it so wonderfully. ‘O Lord thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is. 25:1)
And the scholars offer this marvellous explanation of this chapter, ‘25:1-12. Chapter 25 begins with a song of exaltation and praise to God for the triumph of His judgement of the world. The survivors of the Great Tribulation lift their voices in praise to God for His protection.
The cities of mankind have fallen into ruin and the nations of the earth have been brought low (i.e. humbled) before the mighty God who alone has been a refuge from the storm. The veil does not refer to the veil of the temple but to the covering of death that hangs over all nations. Yet God will swallow up death in victory (cf. 1 Cor. 15:54) and the Lord God will wipe away tears (Rev. 7:17). This act of His grace will then bring in the millennial kingdom.’
What more can we ask for eh my faithful believers? We know the end of the story: our God wins and then brings us into His everlasting kingdom of peace, LOVE, joy, and all the other good things available in His magnificent magnanimity!
So, if we know that the story ends in our favour, why the awful worries and anxieties eh? Just cast all your cares upon Him! Don’t give up! Don’t give in! In spite of how things may seem or appear, the only place we are truly safe is with God, through His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, as we are led and guided by His Holy Spirit! End of sermon mih bredrin! (smile)
And I do hope it makes some impact in all of our lives this Wednesday morning, and causes us to live a better life, be better ambassadors for Christ, than we might have been without it! But how can it not eh, when all it says is truth? (smile) So for those of us who are sincere in our desires to live for Christ, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, telling all and sundry about our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And let’s not forget that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can ask or imagine. So please hang in there my friends, for Jesus will never leave or forsake us if we hold tightly to Him and His awesome ways! Much LOVE!
…O give thanks unto the Lord…for his mercy endureth for ever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
21 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a test of one's trust in Christ, as ye have doen it unto the least, commitment to Him, digging deeper into the word of God, don't move away from the hope of the gospel, enriching the christian relationship, eternal life, faith if it hath not works is dead, faith ought to show out in our works, hang on to Jesus, he that shall endure to the end, I am halfway home, I was a stranger and ye took me in, I'm not turning back, it will all be worth it in the end, Jesus is never late, Jesus surprises us with good things, live up to the desires of Jesus, living good with our friends, LOVE, Mother Nature, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, naked and ye clothed me, our faith is worthless, perseverance in the Christian's faith, sends deliverance, snow on the rooftops, testing our faith, the breath of life, the Lord acknowledges our trust, the parabe of the talents, the same shall be saved, those things which are needful to the body, to a glorious future with Jesus, trials and tribulation, unknown adventures await, Wednesday Wail, well grounded in the faith, worthwhile ambassadors of Jesus, ye have done it unto me
James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Oh, how lovely it looks out there my people; white and virginal! (smile) Yes friends, there’s snow on the rooftops and the hitherto blossoming green trees. Was I ever surprised when I saw it this morning, but apparently it was predicted by the weather department. I don’t expect it to cause any serious problems though, because the roads seem bereft of the white stuff, and most likely it will all melt by this afternoon. Let’s hope so anyway. (smile)
But that’s one of the exciting and adventurous things about living in the northern climes; you’re never sure when Mother Nature will surprise you with something that’s supposedly out of season. And that’s exactly how our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ surprises us with good things when we walk sincerely with Him. So, although this earthly life provides many trials and much tribulation, let’s not lose faith and give up, because those are the times when the Lord acknowledges our trust in Him and sends deliverance.
Oh yes, He sees all of our struggles and helps us get through them all. Even when He’s testing our faith and commitment to Him. And in these turbulent and controversial times, we need to hang on to Jesus even tighter than before, because no other system or faith, or whatever, appears to have the power to answer all the questions and problems we are now facing worldwide. And believe me, if you stick close to Jesus, it will all be worth it in the end. That’s His promise: ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.’ (Matt.24:13) And we know that all His promises are true and faithful, though probably not in our timing. (smile)
And yes, sometimes it feels like He will never show up, and I can personally tell you about that, for many times, He’s taken me right to the brink of the precipice, but He’s NEVER allowed me to go over. So I can also testify that Jesus is NEVER late! It might seem so to us, but He always catches the crisis before it drags us under. The problem is that we like to be relieved of our problems right away, but Jesus likes to test our faith, to see us walk our talk, and that’s what He is expecting of us right now in this unusual time of pandemic, strife and natural disasters.
So it’s a matter of digging deeper into the word of God, more prayer…and the sincere kind at that, and living good with our friends, families and neighbours. This is a time when Christians and the church of Christ are expected to come to the forefront and help our world understand that Christ is the answer to ALL of our many problems. As we said yesterday, we desperately need to be good and worthwhile ambassadors for Christ. That means we have to set a good example, and we can only do that when we are well grounded in the faith.
And there are several instances in the Good Book where Bruh Paul admonishes the brethren to be go deep in the faith. Listen to this verse to the Colossians as he talks about his service for Christ. ‘If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled (steadfast), and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; wherefore I Paul am made a minister;’ (Col. 1:23)
And the scholars explain that verse thus: ‘1:23. If ye continue in the faith (or “since you will persevere in the faith”): the Colossians future entrance into God’s heavenly presence depends on whether they remain in the Christian faith. The words “since you will persevere” indicate that they will remain loyal to Christ. Perseverance in the Christian’s faith is a test of the reality of one’s trust in Christ. This verse implies that true believers will persevere.’
And isn’t that the living truth friends! We are expected to walk out our trust in the reality of the way we live our lives. And never more so than in these critical times of our world! And as true believers we WILL persevere unto the end! That’s also an indisputable fact! Glory be my people! It certainly warms the cockles of Jesus’ heart to hear us say that so definitely and confidently!
But it’s more than talk friends, it’s even more walk! Faith is indeed necessary, but that faith ought to show out in our works. As James says: ‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed, and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.’ (James 2:14-16)
Now that’s the gospel truth friends. We can talk all the talk we want, but if we have the wherewithal to help another and don’t, then our faith is worthless. That’s why Jesus showed it was ever so important to help the poor and downtrodden as He spoke the parable of the talents (Matt. 25) and ended with these words. ‘For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt. 25:35-36)
Then, when the righteous look at Him in astonishment and ask when they did these things? ‘And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch, as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ (Matt. 25:40) Yes, my fellow saints, in as much as we help the poor, downtrodden and needy, we’re helping Jesus; that’s what He desires of us, which means we need to take our responsibilities as a Christian very seriously.
And as one commentator questions? ‘Are you enriching that (Christian) relationship every day through your communication with God? Listen to His voice as He gets your attention while reading His Word. Talk back to Him in prayer. Communicate with Him! Do you truly know Him friend? Will He recognize your voice when you call out to Him?’
Oh my people, I believe those are all important questions that we need to seriously ponder and then do our best to live up to the desires of Jesus in these sinful, godless and evil times! And for those of us who have already decided to work for Jesus, despite the trials and tribulations, let’s go home declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus!
So as one strong and sincere voice: ‘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 as we all know, if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than we can think or imagine! So let’s keep on working diligently and efficiently for Jesus my fellow saints, for it will all be worth it, when He comes into His kingdom! Much LOVE!
…on earth with Christ…unknown adventures await…but for sure…eternal life with Him in heaven…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all these things will be added unto you, corruption, do whatever sutis their evil and ungodly purposes, every evil thing, God's bar of justice, halfway home, hands on the plough, heaven is more appealing than hell, inept cowards, Johnny yuh too bad, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, not turning back, persevere to the end, run to the rock for rescue, seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, so entrenched in power, take away the right from the poor, tarnished with greed, that write grievousness, the blatant manner in which it's now perpetrated, the breath of life, the LOVE of money, the Mighty One of Israel, the morally empty, the root of all evil, the season of dictators, there'll be no rock, they may rob the fatherless, to a glorious future with Jesus, turn aside the needy from judgement, Wednesday Wail, where yuh gonna run, which they have prescribed, widows may be their prey, wisdom in spades, woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees
Isaiah 10:1. Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed;
Morning mih bredrin. Yuh know, I was just thinking of how to begin today’s sermon, (smile) that’s what a friend of mine calls it, and for a moment I was lost in thought, thinking in my own strength, when suddenly it occurred to me, ‘Why not check the Good Book and see what it says eh?’ Yes friends, wisdom in spades! So I turned to the Lord’s Word, to check what it says at the place where I had opened it. And, lo, and behold, it had opened at this very appropriate scripture in Isaiah.
Listen up closely please. ‘Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness (misfortune) which they have prescribed; To turn aside (deprive) the needy from judgement (of justice), and to take away the right (what is right) from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!’ (Is. 10:1-2)
And yuh better believe that Isaiah could be writing to our very society right now, because it is so tarnished with greed, corruption and every evil thing in the corridors of power that those words written so long ago about the evils in Israel, also apply most appropriately to this current time. But what saddens me ever so much, is not the evil itself, but the blatant manner in which it is now perpetrated.
Oh, there’s always been greed and corruption and all the other negative stuff in leadership circles, but it’s never been as blunt, blatant and doh-care as it is now! Our current leaders simply don’t care about anything or anybody else but themselves and their evil cronies and just do whatever suits their evil and ungodly purposes, and who don’t like it, tough! They feel they are so entrenched in power, that the ordinary man in the street, the ones to whom they owe allegiance, fidelity and good governance, can’t touch them, so they’ve become bold faced enough to be thinking about dictatorship.
Yes friends, another era of strongmen, of dictators, is currently blossoming all over our world, and it doesn’t augur well for the lowly and downtrodden, because that’s where dictators, the morally empty and inept cowards usually plant their heavy yoke. But my people, those fools who crave earthly power so badly that they are willing to sell their souls to Satan and his evil dominion for it, unfortunately don’t realize that there is a power greater than all of us, including the evil one, and when that august personage, the Lord of hosts is his name, is ready to wreak vengeance on the perpetrators of evil, they don’t stand a chance of escape, like a snowball in the fiery chambers of hell!
Hear how the prophet describes that time of awakening nuh. ‘And what will ye do in the day of visitation (punishment), and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under (among) the prisoners, and they shall fall under (among) the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still (in judgement)’ (Is. 10:3-4) Oh my faithful believers in Christ, what a sad day it will be for the evil ones, when the Lord of hosts unfurls His awesome plan of justice for the poor and downtrodden! As the prophet queries: ‘To whom will ye flee for help?’
That reminds me of an old reggae song ‘Johnny yuh too bad,’ by the Slickers, featured in the Jimmy Cliff movie, ‘The Harder They Come.’ And the lyrics say: ‘Walking down the road With your pistol in your waist, Johnny yuh too bad. Walking down the road With your ratchet in your waist, Johnny yuh too bad. Yuh just robbing and yuh stabbing and yuh looting and yuh shooting And yuh too bad.
Yuh just robbing and yuh stabbing and yuh looting and yuh shooting, And yuh too bad. One of these days When you hear a voice say come, Where you gonna run to? One of these days When you hear a voice say come Where you gonna run to? Yuh gonna run to the rock for rescue There will be no rock, Yuh gonna run to the rock for rescue There will be no rock.’
Oh my fellow believers, in the day of judgement, that fateful day, when the Lord of hosts comes seeking justice for His people, the wicked will run to their rock, the evil one, for protection, but he will not be around, because the Mighty One of Israel will have already tethered him, securely imprisoned him in the fiery realms of hell!
For the life of me, I just can’t fathom what’s so grand and enthralling about a lot of power nuh, because the more power you have the more responsibility comes with it. And likewise money: the more you have, the more you have to take care of. But mankind just seems fascinated by the aura of power and prestige and money. But please remember what Bruh Paul told Timothy about the LOVE of money: ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil (all kinds of evil): which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Tim. 7:10)
Yes my brethren, whenever we covet something, it leads us astray, and often to ruin, because the inherent power of the word means we will do anything to get what we covet. And sadly, that’s what happens to so many of us, we covet the wrong things in life, like power, money, social status, and the things the world considers so important and must have.
But in the truthful words of Jesus, what we need to do is seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all those things shall be added unto us. (Matt. 6:33) And the beauty of getting those things from Jesus is that once we get them from Him, the probability of losing them is very low, unlike when we get them through selling our souls to Satan.
As the scholars explain: ‘10:1-4. A prophetic Woe is pronounced against those administrators who pervert justice. These government officials have abused their power and are now called to God’s bar of justice.’ And my Scrip-Bit friends and family, I sincerely hope that none of us will be amongst the sad and sorry lot that will eventually be called to God’s bar of justice, because it will be a sad day of reckoning. So for those of us who sincerely try to keep evil out of our souls, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether 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 there’s indeed no better place for us to be focused my fellow saints, because if we persevere to the end, that promised future will be even more glorious and amazing than we can either think or imagine. Much LOVE!
…the option of heaven…is definitely more appealing…than that of hell…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: animosity and strife, cantankerous people, endure to the end, envy thou not the oppressor, foolish litigation, fools crave to receive, glory hallelujah, go and come again, God blesses the habitation of the just, he giveth grace unto the lowly, he scorneth scorners, he that showed mercy, I am halfway home, I'm not looking back, I'm so glad to be alive, in the house of the wicked, inherit eternal life, inherit the glory that's Jesus, it is better to give than to receive, let's hang in there till the end, LOVE, love thy god, moving on, moving through life with Jesus, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, over petty peeves, prejudice and partiality, say not to thy neighbour, shame shall be the legacy of fools, strive not with a man without cause, the breath of life, the curse of the Lord, the parable of the Good Samaritan, the second is like unto it, the topic of neighbours, the wise shall inherit glory, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, to a glorious future with Jesus, Wednesday Wail, what a joy and pleasure, what an awesome promise, who is our neighbour, wise men seek to give, with all thy heart soul and mind, withhold not good from whom it is due, you reap what you sow
Matthew 22:39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself.
Moving on…Moving on! Thank God we’re moving on! Yes friends, we’re moving on with Jesus through another marvellous day in the annals of our lives! Wow! And what a joy and pleasure it is to be moving through life with Jesus! A body couldn’t ask for a better companion, a better Lord and Saviour, a better friend, a better neighbour than Jesus! And it’s that last accolade, the topic of neighbours that I want to discuss with us today, because it’s a very important part of our faith, and I don’t think we are being as neighbourly as we ought to.
So, I guess our first question should be, who is our neighbour? Now what did Jesus have to say about that eh? Remember when the foppish, arrogant lawyer tried to test Jesus by asking: ‘Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt LOVE thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:36-40)
That’s Matthew’s version. However, Luke tells it thus. (smile) The lawyer asked Jesus, ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He, (Jesus) said unto him, what is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said’ – exactly what Jesus said above. ‘And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he (the lawyer), willing (wanting) to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
And Jesus answering’, told them the parable of the Good Samaritan, which we all know. At the end of the parable, Jesus asks the lawyer, ‘Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among thieves (robbers)? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do likewise.’ (Luke 10:25-37)
Yuh see that friends, being neighbourly is basically showing mercy, kindness, LOVE and all the other fruit of the spirit to those around us. But no, it’s not easy with all the negative, angry and cantankerous people that we encounter. But it does get a tad easier if we have the first commandment truly embedded in our hearts, since all LOVE flows from revering our heavenly Father.
And I like how the scholars explain it. ‘10:37. The lawyer cannot even bring himself to say “the Samaritan.” That’s because of the deep racial hatred between the two groups, although they were related by blood; the Samaritans being Jews who intermarried with Gentiles. ‘However, Jesus shows that racial considerations are utterly transcended by God’s commands to LOVE Him, and thus to LOVE others as He does, without prejudice or partiality.’ Hn! I truly wish that somebody or bodies could get that message across to our world right now yes; a world that’s so inundated with prejudice and partiality, that it’s behind almost every action we take!
Now, before we get to the meat of our topic, I want to point out one other important aspect of being neighbourly, and that’s Jesus’ warning on the way His Father’s kingdom works. ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged (condemned). For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt. 7:1-2) That’s just to remind us that what we sow we will reap, or as Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) likes to say: ‘You reap what you sow, more than you sow and later than you sow.’ That means we can’t sow negative seed and expect to reap a positive harvest.
And all of that finally brings us to the wise and wonderful words of Cousin Sol on the treatment of neighbours from Proverbs. Just a bit more practical advice to help us handle all the cerebral stuff we’ve been talking about. (smile) Cousin Sol begins thus: ‘Withhold not good from them to whom it is due (the owners), when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.’ (Prov. 3:27-28) Oh my people, how often do we do that eh! Holding on to what rightfully belongs to others, until we are good and ready to give it to them is ever so rampant in our current society; which means selfishness and greed are too prevalent.
And Cousin Sol continues: ‘Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by (in safety with) thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.’ (Prov. 3:30-31) And I don’t know if our world has ever seen such unnecessary animosity and strife between people who live close to each other, even between families and so-called friends, as we are seeing today. The petty squabbles that occur over unimportant things is mind blowing, And the courts are full of foolish litigation over petty peeves. The divorce rate is sky high, possibly higher than it’s ever been! We’ve become so adversarial and antagonistic to each other that it’s causing our world to fall apart.
But listen further to Cousin Sol. ‘Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward (the perverse person) is abomination to the Lord: but his secret (secret council) is with the righteous. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation (dwelling) of the just. Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly (humble).’ (Prov. 3:31-34)
Yes friends, I know we all envy the prosperous wicked some, but it’s unwise to follow in their footsteps, for it’s said in so many places of the Good Book that the wicked and their evil deeds will eventually be destroyed and what they have given to the righteous. So please, please, let’s not live merely for today’s pleasures and aggrandizement nuh, but seriously contemplate what will most profit us in the long run, what will put us in good stead with Jesus.
And this last word of warning from Cousin Sol is indeed precious. ‘The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion (the legacy) of fools.’ (Prov. 3:35) And the scholars break it all down this way. ‘3:27-35. The needy neighbour is to be helped (vs. 27-28); the innocent neighbour is to be respected and left alone (vs. 29-30); and the wicked neighbour is not to be envied (vs. 31-35).’ That makes it oh so simple my brethren! So please let’s be wise nuh, so that we can inherit the glory that’s Jesus!
And for those of us who have made that momentous and wise decision, let’s go home now proclaiming our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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 in these tough and trying times, we need to be reminded that if we endure to the end, our future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Wow! What an awesome promise mih people! So let’s hang in there till the end nuh! Much LOVE!
…it is much better to give…than to receive…wise men seek to give…but fools crave to receive…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: All Fool's Day, an imperfect created being, April Fool's day, call upon his name, clear direction for my life, compassionate heart, curse, devoid of spiritual reality, divine protection, enjoying the glories of heaven, eternal damnation, faith, favour, foolish pride, God is my salvation, he hath done excellent things, hell fire and damnation, Holy Thursday, I will trust and not be afraid, Jesus' sacrificial death, learn from the mistakes of others, negative word, Praise the Lord, promotion, prosper, province wide lockdown, religious ritual, selfish ambition, sing unto the Lord, succeed, the breath of life, the fall of Lucifer, the Lord Jehovah is my strength, the roof over our heads, this is known in all the earth, Thursday Blessings, with joy shall ye draw water, worthless to our Sovereign God
Isaiah 12:2a. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:
Aye mih people, can you believe that we are already entering the fourth month of this most controversial and troubling year of 2021? We thought 2020 was bad, but this one could be even more problematic. And would you believe that we’re on the verge of another province-wide lockdown in this wonderful Province of Ontario?
And no, it’s not an All Fools, or April Fool’s joke. It seems that all the ICU Departments in the hospitals are filled to overflowing, and we’re back up to some two thousand cases of Covid a day. And yuh better believe more confusion will reign after that decision is announced, because some things that were originally locked down, will apparently now stay open, while others that seem similar will stay closed.
Why is all of this happening eh? Is it because with vaccines available, some people are no longer obeying the few options we have to keep the virus in check? Or is it that the new variants are more highly contagious and the vaccines are not working so well on them? No one seems to have a good answer for our predicament, which might just be a combination of those two things, and even more. And though this is a serious matter, at times it seems even jokified, that the great creation called human beings with all their knowledge and understanding and foolish pride can’t get a handle on a li’l virus, that you can’t even see without a powerful microscope.
What does that tell us eh? That mankind is not as powerful, knowledgeable, and smart as we think, and that we’re only an imperfect created being, who ought to bow to his Creator and obey His commandments, not belittle and blaspheme His holy name and try to eradicate Him from our society. I don’t know why we can’t learn from other people’s mistakes nuh.
And we have a great example from which we can learn; that’s the demise of the archangel Lucifer, (Is. 14:12-16) a created being so much more powerful than us, but who, in his foolish pride and selfish ambition tried to overthrow Almighty God, and was kicked out unsavourily from heaven with the other angels, who foolishly sided with him. They were committed to a life of hell on earth after enjoying the glories of heaven, and eventual eternal damnation. So, why do we think a lesser mortal like us can overthrow our Creator eh?
It’s so senseless, so ridiculous, and on this Holy Thursday morning, the day before our Lord and Saviour, Jesus sacrificed His sinless life for us on the cross of Calvary two thousand years ago, I’m pleading with us, that instead of trying to get rid of God, to embrace Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, because He is the one who created us, and still looks after us, the One who owns the future and thus holds our future in the palms of His mighty, scar flecked hands.
Yes friends, instead of turning away from God, we should thank Him for all that He’s done for us, the breath of life He’s given us so we can go through today, the family and LOVED ones He’s provided, the food on our tables, the roof over our heads, the opportunity to get wealth and so much more! We should be offering thanksgiving for His mercies and not blasphemy!
And the Good Book opened today at this most appropriate song of triumphant praise from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah. So please offer praise with me. ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedest me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings (awesome deeds) among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’ (Is. 12:1-6)
Now that is the kind of stuff we should be doing and saying my people, in appreciation of all that our wonderful God has done for us. Remember all the pain and sorrow Jesus suffered that we could be saved from hell fire and damnation! And on the day before we mourn His sacrificial death, this is a rather good time to think on all the things we’ve spoken about this morning and get ourselves together so we can raise up His name instead of tear it down. And to further show our appreciation, let’s declare (steups!) our Thursday Blessings, that He so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
Altogether 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 every day! Amen!’
Now friends, it’s our bounden duty to go out and share those blessings just as generously with others, not selfishly store them all for ourselves. Much LOVE!
…religious ritual…without spiritual reality…is worthless to our sovereign God…
P.S. Isn’t it wonderful that it’s so short today! (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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