18 Aug 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abundant provision, according to his riches in glory, all the days of my life, all these things shall be added unto you, an honoured guest, another work week, be eternally grateful, by Christ Jesus, Christians, divine intervention, do our part, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, ease the pain, eternal celebration of God's goodness, faith, faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers, for His name's sake, he leads me beside the still waters, he makes me lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, holy spirit, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I will fear no evil, improve our Christian witness, in the presence of mine enemies, independent, it's all for our benefit, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, lack any good thing, leads me in the paths of righteousness, live a life befitting the name of Christ, live the life God desires of us, LOVE, mass confusion in our world, mercy, mighty lions, my cup runneth over, my God shall supply all your needs, Praise the Lord, pray, prosper us, protector and provider, rebellious and disobedient sheep, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, self-sufficient, sincere repentance in our hearts, sincerely seek your face, sinned and disobeyed your Word, strong faith in Christ, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, the BIBLE, the God who heals, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the many suffering from negative situations, the role of God, the throne of grace, the utopian dream of sheep, the valley of the shadow of death, the very essence of God, things are on the upswing, thou anointest my head with oil, thou art with me, thou preparest a table before me, though I walk through, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to alleviate our problems, truth, turn from our evil ways, vindication before one's enemies, wisdom, wise guidance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing).
Well, well, well! If it isn’t another Monday, meaning the start of another work week. And it’s a different one too, not as hot as the last few, and it might just get up above the twenty degree mark, with a cool breeze to keep things in order. (smile) Even yesterday wasn’t that hot, and we did have some more rain in the afternoon. So hopefully, things are on the upswing now, with fewer very hot days. I even got to sit comfortably on my porch yesterday afternoon and watch the people passing by. Praise the Lord!
And since the sun is shining brightly, and the birds are singing sweetly, why don’t we give the Lord some sincere praise and thanks for allowing us to see another beautiful day on His marvellous earth? And what better way to do that than through the most beautiful and most appropriate words of Bruh David from Psalm 23. So please declare with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (lack any good thing). He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still (calm) waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
Wow! What beautiful sentiments…and they are all true too! And I like how the scholars put it: ‘The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life. The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs. 1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs. 5-6).’
And the image of the Lord as being a shepherd is not a new one, you can find it all through the Bible. In the Old Testament for instance in Ps. 78:52; 80:1; Is. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; and Ezek. 34:11. Then in the New Testament in Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; Rev. 7:16-17. And this one in John, which comes from the mouth of the shepherd Himself, where Jesus informs us: ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.’ (John 10:11) And that is exactly what He did; selflessly give His sinless life as atonement for our horrible sins against Almighty God!
Oh friends, Bruh David catches the very essence of God in those few verses, like no one else has ever done. So let’s look at some of the sentiments nuh. For instance, ‘I shall not want.’ That means the Lord his shepherd will provide all he needs. Jesus also said it loud and clear: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.’ (Matt. 6:33) And Bruh Paul corroborated that in his letter to the Philippians, when he writes: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
And what more can we ask for, when he makes us to lie down in pastures of green grass beside quiet and calm waters eh? Nothing! Because that is the utopian dream of sheep! (smile) Then He restores our souls, and leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. The Lord is surely powerful and merciful, if He can and is willing to do those things. And Bruh David certainly believed that, as he confidently declared in Psalm 31: ‘For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.’ (Ps. 31:3) And please note that it’s all in God’s name, all for His glory, not for ours.
And do I ever like the next verse, about walking through the valley of the shadow of death and not fearing. But why should we fear, when it’s only a shadow of death, and a shadow can do us no harm. But nonetheless, the Lord will not allow us to go through terrible times without being present at our side and helping us through them. For that’s what a good shepherd does!
Now here’s this interesting affirmation from the scholars. ‘Believers are never pictured in Scripture as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. But the Believer is more than a dependent sheep, however, he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him. Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, and eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’
No wonder that despite all of my failures, the Lord will still treat me as an honoured guest, preparing a table of lavish provision right in the presence of mine enemies; so much so that my cup overflows with His goodness and mercy, which will lead to a wonderful life with Him through all eternity. What more can one ask for eh my brethren! Absolutely nothing else! Christians are the ONLY ONES who have a gracious, merciful and forgiving God, who is not afraid to extend Himself to meet the needs of His people! For that we ought to be eternally grateful and live a life that’s befitting the name of Christ.
Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking grace and mercy in these desperate times. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, going to God in prayer is fine, but we won’t see divine intervention until we do our part and live the life God desires of us. And we all know where we’re faltering, so let’s be wise and improve our Christian witness nuh! Remember, it’s all for our benefit! Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s a good shepherd…but it doesn’t matter if the sheep are rebellious and disobedient…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Oct 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed sign, a rainbow, a spirit of power love and a sound mind, all the days of my life, an honoured guest, beside the still waters, covenant people, do it afraid, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, fear no evil, For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, for His name's sake, goodness and mercy shall follow me, HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!, I shall not want, in the presence of mine enemies, lie down in green pastures, my cup runneth over, preparest a table before me, protector and provider, Ray Conniff Singers, restoreth my soul, sacrifices of praise, sheep dependent on their shepherd, stick to God like white on rice, successes, the 23 Psalm, the God of his fathers, the Holy One of Israel, The Lord is my shepherd, the paths of righteousness, the role of God, the valley of the shadow of death, thou anointest my head with oil, thy rod and staff, thy rod and thy staff comfort me, trials, uplifting sentiments, wisdom to the nth degree
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!
Oh friends, yesterday evening I was travelling on the highway around 6 p.m. and was guided to look up to the heavens, and what did I see? A glorious rainbow arcing over the highway from north to south. And it wasn’t one of those thin ones you usually see, but a big, thick one shining forth in all its glory. And as I gazed at it in wonder, I noticed that my windshield was getting blurry.
Much to my surprise, in all the sunshine, a thin drizzle of rain had begun falling. And it only fell for a couple of minutes. Then a couple of minutes later, when I looked for the rainbow, I didn’t see it. I don’t know if I had simply driven past it, or it disappeared. And you can call me foolish, but I took it as a blessed sign on this long Thanksgiving weekend, for I have not seen a rainbow, and one as thick as that, in quite some time. (smile)
Now, let’s get to some worship on this Sunday morning in the Lord’s sanctuary. And today we’ll open with possibly the second most favourite prayer in our faith…The 23 Psalm, better known as the Lord is My Shepherd. Those wonderful words of faith and encouragement penned by Bruh David most likely in one of his most difficult and trying moments when his faith in the God of his fathers definitely shone through. The Holy One of Israel who had been his strength and deliverer in both his trials and successes.
We couldn’t have a more appropriate song for today! And since it’s a song of joy and good news, we’re not going to do a dirge-like version that seems to be so popular. No sir, we’re going to sing a sweet, scintillating up tempo version, like that done by the Ray Conniff Singers, with beautiful voices raising sincere sacrifices of praise to high heaven.
Singing: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life : and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever…Yes, surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever…for ever…for ever and ever…’
Oh my my! What beautiful music my people! What moving and uplifting sentiments! Short and simple but capturing the whole essence of our faith! And I must share the wonderful explanation provided by the scholars. They say: ‘The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life.
The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to His sheep (vs. 1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs. 5-6). The image of the Lord as a shepherd is a frequent one in both the Old Testament (Is. 40:11; Jer. 31:10) and the New Testament (John 10:11-16; Heb. 13:20).’ That’s because the society back then was agrarian, dealing with the cultivation of land and the herding of animals, so the analogy to the Lord as a shepherd would be readily understood.
And the scholars continue: ‘Believers are never pictured in Scripture as mighty lions, independent and self-sufficient; rather, they are sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. However, the believer is more than a dependent sheep; he is also like an honoured guest, since the Lord prepares a table for him (vs. 5) Connected with this honoured position is abundant provision, vindication before one’s enemies, and eternal celebration of God’s goodness.’
Wow! How could you get any better looking after than that eh mih people? No way Jose! Our God is undeniable the Greatest! And it doesn’t mean that we don’t have problems, but He brings us through them and works it all out eventually for our eternal good! And for my money, the most evocative, the most expressive of all the sentiments is the one expressed by the first line: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ Yes friends, Bruh David could have stopped right there, and we would have known full well what he meant. The rest of the psalm is just an explanation of the first line, outlining what a shepherd does for his flock, and in this case what our great God Jehovah does for His covenant people.
But nonetheless, each sentiment offers encouragement for the believer. How could not lying in green pastures beside still, calm waters not encourage us eh? Then generously restoring or refurbishing our souls, while leading us along righteous paths… No other supposed god has ever promised those things. They only want to take from you, while our God desires only to give in return for our faithfulness.
Now this next verse is indeed a big one: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) Mama Mia! What courage and strength our God engenders and imbues in us! That’s certainly reminiscent of Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind). (2 Tim. 1:7)
Glory be my faithful brethren! The courage our God instills in us helps us to overcome the greatest fear. Or as sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say, we overcome fear by faith, and even if we are beset by fear, we nonetheless do the Lord’s work afraid, because we know that He is with us all the way. And who says our God isn’t audacious eh, that’s daring and intrepid? Boldfaced, boldfaced, He prepares a table of goodies before us in the presence of our enemies. Which other God has the parts to do that eh? NONE!
On top of all that, He LOVINGLY anoints us with oil, while our cup runs over with abundance! And as always, we’ve left the best part for last: ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:6) Yes, my fellow saints, that’s what we said, and it’s exactly what we mean…we will dwell in the Lord’s sparkling mansion with Him, have eternal life, spend eternity with Him…for ever and ever and ever…
And if after all we’ve said above there you don’t want to embrace that wonderful Shepherd and all that He stands for, then there’s nothing I can do about it. But yuh know what? As for me and my house we will embrace Him as tightly as we can; stick to him like white on rice! For that’s wisdom to the nth degree! Please have a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving! Much LOVE!
…only if you join the fold of the Good Shepherd…will you enjoy goodness and mercy…and live for ever and ever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
20 Mar 2023
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a momentous occasion, a perfect recipe for disaster, all the days of my life, anointest my head with oil, blessings run you down, divine help, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, eternal life, faith, free will, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he restoreth my soul, heal our Lnad, humble servants, I am the good shepherd, I will fear no evil, Jehovah Rapha, Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only way to go, joy, leadeth me beside the still waters, live for Christ, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, monumental news, my cup runneth over, one truth from the Bible, promised to hear and answer our prayers, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, still fresh through all the ages, the Bible is God's word to us, the fly in the ointment, the God who heals, the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, to demonstrate commitment, truth, unwise in an unwise world, victory, wisdom, wisdom at our finger tips, worth more than all man's wisdom
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Oh friends, on this sunny but chilly Monday morning, we want to open with some monumental news! Yes, it is a momentous occasion! One where we hear and understand that The Bible is God’s Word to us. That it is still fresh through all the ages, and if we read it, we will find God’s exceptional wisdom on its pages! Wow! What magnificent news that is my people! Because it means that all of us who are sincerely seeking wisdom just have to read the Bible, God’s Word to find it.
Yes friends, wisdom is right at our finger tips, no further than the Bible that sits looking pretty on your desk or table, but is truly gathering dust, since you don’t read it. And by the way, here’s this other piece of monumental information: One truth from the Bible is worth more than all the wisdom of man! That’s worth another Wow! Yes mih bredrin! Imagine that nuh. One li’l truth from God’s Word is worth more than all of man’s wisdom! Meaning to say that man’s wisdom is not worth very much, especially when compared to God’s.
So why then do we all insist on learning and spouting the wisdom of man and not God’s eh? If man’s wisdom is worth so little, we should all be hungry and thirsting for the wisdom found in God’s Word. But to get that means reading God’s Word, the Bible, which so many of us claim to be too busy to do. That’s why so many of us are unwise in an unwise world, because the world doesn’t value God’s Word and His immortal and infinite wisdom.
And it’s the basic answer to all of the earth’s problems. If you ignore the Word of the Creator of the universe and all therein, and the amazing truths it contains, how can you ever live a successful life, either individually or communally? No way Jose! The fly in the ointment here is that in addition to His Word, God also gave us free will to do as we please, sincerely hoping though that we’d be wise enough to read His Word and then follow His plan for our lives. But unfortunately, too many of us are trying to do it our own way without God’s help, and that is a sure and perfect recipe for disaster.
Jesus Christ. God’s Son, whom He sent to earth to help us see the light said it quite simply and clearly. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33) Now that’s one of the essential truths of God’s Word. If we seek His kingdom and His righteousness before anything else, then we will have all our needs fulfilled. How did Bruh David put it in that marvellous psalm that we all know and revere with our mouths but not our hearts: ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1)
And what does a shepherd do for his sheep eh? ‘A shepherd is committed to a flock and the one responsible for guiding the sheep, protecting them, and attending to their needs. So, to serve as a shepherd means to demonstrate commitment to the well-being of other people. It involves watching out for them, helping them, and teaching them.’ Therefore, that means if the Lord God Almighty is our shepherd, then He is thoroughly committed to our well-being. And His Son Jesus Christ said it in so many words. ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11)
And that’s exactly what He did; gave His sinless life on the cross of Calvary so that we, His sheep could be saved, could have victory, salvation and eternal life. So why is it so difficult to follow him eh? So hard to read God’s Word, believe it and then live it, despite all the marvellous examples of great men of God laid out in that Good Library, we call the Bible? I truly don’t know. Instead, we’re all going crazy for the things of the world and its evil doings, which don’t truly satisfy, and therefore we have to continually run them down, regardless of how much we have already accumulated.
But friends, here is another word of wisdom for us. When you live for Christ, you don’t have to run down anything because God’s favour, grace and blessings run you down! But I guess we all have to find out the uselessness in running down the things of the world for ourselves before we believe. Meanwhile, here are the words of Bruh David, who as we all know personally lived them, and consequently experienced the joy of God’s favour. Hopefully, hearing them again will light a spark in our own souls and lives and wake us up to the reality that God, through Jesus Christ is the ONLY WAY to go.
Please read with me: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ (Ps. 23: 1-6)
Oh friends, if we look at all the things Bruh David wrote there, we will see that he experienced it all. His life wasn’t easy, but God never promised us an easy life. He promised us a full, abundant and interesting one. And that’s a big part of our problem as believers. We think that because we’re following Jesus, life should be easy. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth, because Jesus said it quite clearly. ‘If any man will come after (follow) me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) That doesn’t mean easy living my brethren, but rather a sacrificial sense of purpose, because Christianity was not made for cowards.
So now that we’ve acquired some godly wisdom, (smile) let’s go to God, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and place all our problems before Him, as He’s said in His Word that we ought to do. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And having said all of that, it now behooves us to turn our words into sincere action, so that the Lord can do His part. Much LOVE!
…if you’re seeking wisdom…why go anywhere else than to the fountainhead…Almighty God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ
13 Sep 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bunch of ingrates, always welcoming me, blame others for my failure, bounden duty, critical and obstinate, disobedience, dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, escape your penetrating gaze, feed his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those with young, Godd's goodness and mercy, goodness and mercy shall follow me, helping to build God's magnificent kingdom, hurry, I keep running back to you, I will fear no evil, judge harshly, know where your bread is buttered, lie down in green pastures, lock stock and barrel, LOVE, ministry of salvation forgiveness and eternal life, names not in the obits, One Year Book of Bible promises, pay for the sins of, pride, Ruth Harms Calkin, sacrifice His only son, share His love with the world, thank you for Loving me, the beloved of God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, the paths of righteousness, the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, worry
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
It’s Tuesday; a brand new day friends, and thankfully our names are not in the obits…Praise the Lord! That means we’re alive, though possibly not kicking as hard and powerful as we might want to. (smile) But the important thing is that we were granted at least one more day to see God’s goodness and mercy on His planet earth, another chance to continue doing His awesome bidding, helping to build His magnificent kingdom. Glory be my people!
What a gracious, merciful and LOVING God we serve! There’s none other like unto Him! And that’s for certain sure! Who else would sacrifice their ONLY Son to pay for the sins of a bunch of ingrates eh? Only the Lord God Jehovah; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! And that’s why this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin is ever so appropriate, ever so rich in reasons why the Lord God Jehovah is our God; our ONE and ONLY God!
It’s titled ‘I Keep Running Back to You.’ Please read with me: ‘You know how it is with me, Lord. So often I mess up my days. I judge harshly I am critical and obstinate I waste time and energy I blame others for my failure. There are people I try to avoid And tasks I try to evade And when I can’t have my own way I sulk in my own little corner. Lord, I even turn my back on You To escape Your penetrating gaze.
Then finally I get fed up with myself. The intolerable loneliness frightens me. And I can no longer endure my shame. It always happens, Lord – I keep running back to You! Where else can I go? Who else understands me so well Or forgives me so totally? Who else can save me from foolish pride? No one, Lord, but You. So thank you for accepting me For LOVING me For always welcoming me. I just can’t help it, Lord I keep running back to You!’
And that’s the way it ought to be my faithful brethren! Yes, we ought always to keep running back to our wonderful, unchangeable, ever-LOVING and always welcoming God, whenever the pressures of this world and our inherent sin nature get the better of us! That’s because there’s no place better to go when we can’t help ourselves. And here’s the reason why; it’s the Bible Promise on which the poem is based.
But I’m in somewhat of a quandary here, as to which version to use, the King James or the New International which the Book of Poems used. So to solve it, I’m just going to give us both. (smile) The promise comes from the Old Testament, through the prophet Isaiah. And it says: ‘He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is. 40:11) Now that’s the King James Version.
Here’s the New International translation. ‘He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads them that have young.’ And I guess the only real difference between the two translations is that the former uses the future tense, and so it should, since the necessary situations had not yet unfolded. Meanwhile the second version uses the present tense because the Lord God has already begun what the prophet prophesied about; the coming of Jesus and His wonderful ministry of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life.
Anyhow, the important thing is that we know where our bread is buttered and where we need to run for help and succour when, because of pride and disobedience, life gets a bit too much for us to handle. And it all revolves around the pastoral imagery of the shepherd, who is responsible for the health, wealth and livelihood of his flock. The shepherd makes sure that his flock is well looked after and taken care of, thus the comparison of our great God to that of the Good Shepherd.
Remember Bruh David’s opening remarks in our second favourite scripture, Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’ (Ps. 23:1) That’s the purpose of a shepherd; to make sure that his sheep lack nothing or want for anything. And the Lord God Jehovah admirably performs that duty in the lives of those who believe in, and sincerely accept His Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Glory Hallelujah!
And how does He do that, you might ask? Well, I guess the best explanation is Bruh David’s in the rest of Psalm 23. So let’s read it together. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still (restful) waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:2-6)
Wow! Life couldn’t get any better under any other shepherd my people, for the Lord gives us everything; from rest in this world, to rest with Him eternally. He causes us to walk in the straight and narrow paths of righteousness; takes away our fear, even when death threatens us; protects us with His powerful weapons, His rod and staff, as He refreshes us with an anointing of restorative oil, and prepares a feast for us right in front of our enemies, who can’t do a thing to overturn it!
Now, that to me is the perfect shepherd! And I want to be in His fold, and none other, because no other fold or shepherd meets the excellence of Jehovah God! End of story! And for those of us who are sincerely trying to walk in Jesus’ fold, let’s go home now declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra letting the whole world know to whom we belong lock, stock and barrel.
As one strong and confident voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having broadcast that to the world, it’s now our bounden duty to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with all we meet, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…Jesus is the epitome…the best example of a Good Shepherd…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Lover's Concerto, a supernatural peace, birds serenade the flowers, Christians never give up, comapssionate heart, curse, divine assurance, faith, favour, good health, how gentle is the rain, I will fear no evil, in the name of Jesus, keep on fighting the good fight, let not your heart be troubled, LOVE, made this day for us to fall in love, my glory and the lifter up of my head, my peace I give unto you, negative word, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, Peace i leave with you, peace of mind, pilgrim's journey, prosper, see there beyond the hills, some magic from above, spiritual maturity, succeed, that falls softly on the meadow, that have set themselves against me, The Botanical Gardens in Scarborough, the bright colours of the rainbow, the Lord sustained me, the peace of Mother Nature, the Prince of Peace, The Toys, the valley of the shadow of death, there is no help for him in God, thou O Lord art a shield for me, though I walk through, Thursday Blessings, with their melodies, working for Jesus is so wonderful
Psalm 3:3. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) my head.
It’s a wet and cloudy Thursday morning, but for some reason, when I looked outside earlier on, the opening words of the old song, ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ by the Black Female group ‘The Toys’ came to mind. Please sing along with me, if you remember it. (smile) ‘How gentle is the rain, that falls softly on the meadow. Birds, high up in the trees, serenade the flowers with their melodies. See, there beyond the hills, the bright colours of the rainbow. Some magic from above made this day just for us to fall in LOVE!’
Ah friends, most of you are too young to remember that song when it first came out in 1965. However, you can check out several versions on YouTube, including some by later reincarnations of the ‘The Toys.’ Didn’t even know that there were others…and some good ones too. (smile) But I always remember the first time I heard it, sitting in the old bandshell at the top of the Botanical Gardens in my hometown of Scarborough, Tobago, looking down on the harbour in the distance, surrounded by all the lush, beautiful, tropical scenery that was the gardens.
It’s changed up now, but back then ‘the gardens’ as it was popularly known, was a haven for both the eyes and the soul – and lovers too (smile) – a place where one could simply relax and enjoy the simplicity and peace of Mother Nature. Oh, how I miss those slow, carefree days of youth! Now, everything is just hustle and bustle, and it’s difficult to even find a quiet green space that can offer peace of mind. But friends, I know a place, or rather a man, or better yet, a God-man, who can help you to find that peace which you are so desperately seeking. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, the Prince of Peace!
If you turn to Him, and live the way He desires, you will find the utmost peace in whatever situation you might encounter! That His promise. And He doesn’t make or take promises lightly. So you can be assured that whatever He tells you, will come to pass. And if it’s peace of mind you are looking for, then you’ve certainly come to the right place. Listen to Jesus as He offers this assurance. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27).
Yes my brethren, the peace of Jesus is a completely different kind of peace to that found in the world! It’s a divine, a supernatural peace! A peace that flows from God, not from man, or any of his doings. A peace that one can find in any kind of situation, be it fraught with fear or danger. Yes, the peace of Jesus gives one the confidence to handle whatever comes against you, although it may be bigger and tougher than you.
And Bruh David puts it so eloquently in Psalm 23. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps. 23:4) What greater peace, confidence and assurance can one have than not being afraid, even in the face of death eh? None whatsoever! And that’s why it’s ever so important to come to Jesus, because He is the ONLY One who can offer that kind of assurance! And it’s that divine assurance that kept Bruh David going, despite all the problems he faced.
Listen to how he puts it in Psalm 3, when he fled from his son Absalom, who was trying to usurp his kingdom. ‘Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for (around) me; my glory, and the lifter up of (the one who lifts up) my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept. I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.’ (Ps. 3:2-6)
Oh my people, do we have that kind of confidence in Jesus Christ, that though thousands come against us, we will not be swayed, that we can sleep peacefully in the night? We need to, if we are to stand strong against the enemy and his evil minions. Yuh see, even at one of Bruh David’s lowest points, the rebellion of his son, he still sought and found solace in the Lord his God. That’s the kind of spiritual maturity we need to get us through our pilgrim’s journey here on earth.
And just one more goody here from Bruh David before we close. (smile). In total confidence, he declares: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up (devour) my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.’ (Ps. 27:1-3)
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, are we that confident in the Lord our God? Can we stand up and confidently make those statements? I do hope so. Otherwise our faith is not as strong as it ought to be. For it’s only with a strong and mature faith that we can stand steadfast in the knowledge that Christ will enable us to do whatever it takes to defeat the enemy. But unfortunately, that level of faith only comes through experience; through spending much time with Christ – studying His word and talking to Him – then seeing, both in our own lives and those of others, the wonders He can perform, and the strength that He is able to give.
And if you are not yet at that level of faith, many of us are not, please don’t give up hope, just keep on fighting the good fight of faith. Every day you fight, your faith will grow. And believe me, I’m talking from personal experience, the day will come when you will be pleasantly surprised at certain decisions you make, which show your awesome increase in faith. So please keep plugging on, for Christians NEVER GIVE UP!
Now, let’s go home declaring (yeah!!!) our Thursday Blessings, those divine blessings so generously granted to strengthen us for God’s 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!’
So enough with the talk, (smile) let’s go out and put all those blessings into action nuh… and remember to share them, just as generously as they were granted to us. Much LOVE!
…working for Jesus is so wonderful…but you will never know it…until you do it…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Amazing grace, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, futile to run from God, How Sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, I shall not want, Jesus christ is Lord, John Newton, my cup runneth over, our magnificent and magnanimous God, personal experience, that every tongue should confess, The Lord is my shepherd, the name above every name, the power of God's grace, the valley of the shadow of death, to a believer's ear, to sweeten a sour soul -call out to Jesus, to the glory of God the Father, to whom all knees must bow
Philippians 2:11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gather round friends, gather round! It’s time to give thanks and praise to our magnificent and magnanimous God on His special day, Sunday, when He rested from all His labour, having created this wonderful universe and all therein in six days. Bless His holy name my faithful brethren, as we get together to hear His word and offer up songs of praise and worship. And yes, we are still gathering by technological means, although we are now allowed a few more people in the physical church, but it’s still not enough to warrant opening up.
And today, we are going to open the proceedings with a hymn by John Newton. Yes, the same John Newton (1725-1807) who wrote the awesome hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ and several hundred others, after being a slave trader then finding grace and salvation with Almighty God. The website Hymnary.org, offers us this brief insight into Newton’s life. They say he “was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven.
His licentious and tumultuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton’s conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ.
In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide-surveyor in Liverpool, England, Newton came under the influence of George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley and began to study for the ministry. He was ordained in the Church of England and served in Olney (1764-1780) and St. Mary Woolnoth, London (1780-1807). His legacy to the Christian church includes his hymns as well as his collaboration with William Cowper (PHH 434) in publishing Olney Hymns (1779), to which Newton contributed 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace.”
Ah friends, that just goes to show the power of God’s grace. He can take the biggest sinner and turn him into the greatest saint! And although we often try to run from Him, when He’s really ready for us, we don’t stand a chance! (smile) And I can tell you that from personal experience. Yuh see who the Lord put Newton with in his latter years; the abolitionist William Wilberforce. That had Newton plugging to abolish the very same abominable trade in which he was previously involved. And then the Wesley brothers, amongst the founders of the Methodist Church, and finally turning him into a priest and hymn writer.
So my people, let’s wake up and acknowledge that it’s futile to run from God, but ever so wise and sensible to run to His always open and welcoming arms, as we sing this other wonderful song penned by John Newton, another of our church favourites, titled ‘How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.’ And does it ever sound sweet mih bredrin. Therefore, let’s just take a moment and roll it around our tongues nuh, as we quietly and proudly say: ‘Jesus…Jesus.’ (smile) Yes, it’s a name that just trips off the tongue my people!
Now, finally, let’s sing; in a medium tempo, with great gusto and sincerity, let’s raise our harmonious voices to high heaven. ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear! It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest.
Dear name! the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place. My never-failing treasury, filled. With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend. My Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, My Way, my end, toaccept the praise I bring. How weak the effort of my heart, how cold my warmest thought; but when I see you as you are, I’ll praise you as I ought. Till then I would your love proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of your name refresh my soul in death.’
Oh friends, only the amazing and awesome grace of God can cause a human being to write such authentic meaningful and true words! And without a doubt, there’s no other name in the universe that can do or accomplish the things that the name of Jesus can. As Newton so eerily writes: ‘It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds, and drives away our fear. It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast; ’tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest.’
Wow! Which other name in this universe can do all of that eh friends? None whatsoever! That’s because Jesus is all these other things to us: ‘the rock on which I build, My shield and hiding place, My never-failing treasury, filled, With boundless stores of grace. O Jesus, shepherd, guardian, friend, my Prophet, Priest, and King, my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,’ There again my people, no other person in this whole wide world can fulfill all those aspects of a human’s life. Only JESUS!
Why, you ask? Because He poured out His sinless lifeblood for us on the cross at Calvary, to pay for our sins, showing the wonderful LOVE He bore towards us. And when He rose triumphant from the grave, then He most generously invited us to come to Him for rest and solace, safety, grace and mercy, salvation and eternal life with Him in heaven for all eternity. Now why wouldn’t I jump for joy when I hear that sweet and beautiful name of Jesus eh?
Oh friends, I want to quote some scripture to back up all I’ve said, but time and space will only allow me to do a few. So here goes. Right up front, Jesus lets us know: ‘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.’ (John 3:16) Right away friends, we see that to get eternal life, one must believe in Jesus, otherwise, no dice!
And if you did not get that, then He clears it up even further with these immortal words: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) That sets the stage right there; nothing to do with God is possible without belief in Christ Jesus!
Then we all know how Bruh David characterized Him: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps. 23:1-6)
That’s simply talking about the perfect shepherd my people! And finally, as to Jesus’ glory, Bruh Paul had this to say: ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of (those) things in heaven, and (those) things in earth, and (those) things under the earth.And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’(Phil. 2:9-11)
What else can I say eh friends? Jesus is the Greatest; El Numero Uno; Number ONE! And if you don’t know that already and sincerely acknowledge it, then please do so as soon as possible, otherwise, crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Much LOVE!
.
..to sweeten a sour soul…just call out…Jesus…Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
26 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acknowledge God in all thy ways, awesome grace and mercy, be as a tree planted by the waters, blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, cease ye from man, come short in obedience, cursed be the man, depart from evil, desperately wicked, for we have all sinned, happy is he, he returneth to his earth, he shall be like the heath in the desert, heal our land, her leaf shall be green, his breath goeth forth, his thoughts perish, holding on tightly to Jesus, honour the Lord with thy substance, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, in a salt land not inhabited, in that very day, in the year of drough, in these troubled times, in whom there is no help, inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, Jehovah Rapha, lean not unto thine own understanding, maketh flesh his arm, mass confusion, merciful forgiving God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, neither shall cease from yielding fruit, nor in the son of man, pandemic of Covid 19, put not your trust in princes, salvation, shall not be careful, shall not fear when heat comes, shall not see when good cometh, show this evil world, sincere repentance, spreadeth out her roots by the river, that hath the God of Jacob for his help, that trusteth in man, the confusion that's currently reigning, the God who heals, the heart is deceitful, the storms of life, the valley of the shadow of death, this fallen wolrd, to give every man according to his ways, trust can only be earned through faithfulness, trust in the Lord, trust to tell us the truth, wherein is he to be accounted of, whose breath is in his nostrils, whose heart departeth from the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord his God, whose hope the Lord is, with all thine heart
Psalm 146:5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:
‘Come Monday, everything will be all right. Come Monday, I’ll be holding you tight.’ Ah friends, just hoping that this Monday morning in this crazy year of 2020, we’ll be holding on tightly to Jesus and nobody else, because, as we can see from the confusion that’s currently reigning, there’s no one else that we can trust to tell us the truth in these troubled times.
That’s why the psalmist wisely warned us so long ago. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man (a human being), in whom there is no help (salvation). His breath goeth forth (his spirit departs, he dies), he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.’ (Ps. 146:3-4) Yeh friends, once the prince, or the human being dies, all his thoughts perish with him, and he is no longer of any real use to you, can’t offer any advice or do anything for you.
As Isiah concurs with the palmist. ‘Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?’ (Is. 2:22) Good question my brethren. And Jeremiah puts it this way: ‘Thus saith the Lord; cursed be the man that trusteth in man (man’s strength), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath (a shrub) in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.’ (Jer. 17:5-6)
Yuh see what trusting mankind brings? And I think that should be enough scripture for now to show us that trusting in mankind is definitely not wisdom. However, listen as the psalmist continues: ‘Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:’ (Ps. 146:5)
Brother, oh brother! What wisdom! And Jeremiah corroborates it when he proclaims 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)
Ah mih people, who else can make those kinds of true and faithful promises eh? Nobody but the Lord God Jehovah; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! That’s why He’s the ONLY person we should put our total trust in, because He’s the ONLY One with the power, might and whatever else it takes to bring us successfully through the valley of the shadow of death and the storms of life that constantly buffet and harry us!
And that’s the gospel truth, for hear what Jeremiah says about the human condition. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it?’ (Jer. 17:9) Only God alone! For He says: ‘I the Lord search the heart, I try (test) the reins (mind, the most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (his deeds).’ (Jer. 17:10)
Yes my brethren, I hope those scriptures were sufficient to have us thinking in a wise and godly manner, re putting too much trust in mankind. But just in case it wasn’t, here is some lagniappe from Cousin Sol. (smile) ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (guide) thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10)
I rest my case friends. We’ll let the Holy Spirit work those scriptures into your spirit now. I’ve done all I can. Oh sorry, there’s one more thing I can do, (smile) that’s lead us in prayer, our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, taking all our problems to God in prayer, as He desires us to do. So altogether now in strong voice, in humble confidence:
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And please remember the Lord is searching our hearts to see if we’re since about that repentance, and it’s not just talk. So we have to make good our vows. Much LOVE!
…trust can only be earned through faithfulness…and in this fallen world…ONLY the Lord God Jehovah is truly faithful…
04 Feb 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: carry them in his bosom, darkness, everlasting peace, for His name's sake, gather the lambs with his arm, Gentiles, gently lead those with young, glad to be alive, have it more abundantly, he shall feed his flock, hurry, I am the good shepherd, I am your God, I shall not want, joy, judge between cattle and cattle, lie down in green pastures, like a shepherd, no more a prey, no more pain, One Year Book of Bible Pthe Lord God will comeromises, optimism of Christ, paths of righteousness, selflessly, share His love, sheep of His pasture, sinless life, soul's soaring, surrender, the beleoved of God, the flock of my pasture, the Good Book, the light of Jesus, The Lord is my shepherd, the thief comes to steal, the valley of the shadow of death, they might have life, to high heaven, trust, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, with a strong hand, worry
Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Come Tuesday…I’m glad to be alive! Come Tuesday…my soul’s soaring to high heaven, because the Lord has kept His promise to get me through Monday all in one piece! Wow friends! I hope we’re all in the same boat…the one with Jesus being the guide, captain and pilot! For it’s only that boat, the one with that commander, that will get us safely through the storms of this earthly life to the other side, where there is no more pain and suffering, no darkness, just joy and everlasting peace in the light of Jesus!
And in keeping with that theme of trust and surrender to Jesus, here is this simple but most appropriate prayer from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s titled ‘Heartstrings.’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, with no sense of direction I’m forever losing my way. Please tie a string From Your heart to mine So that even in the darkness I’ll feel the tug of Your heart And find my way home.’ Oh my people, that’s so simple, but ever so touching in its directness and simplicity.
What better way to stay attached to our Maker than with the awesome connection of a heart string. That way, we can never lose our focus, it will be ever stayed on Him, as it ought to. And that’s exactly what’s promised in Isaiah: comfort, through trust in the Lord. Listen to these most comforting words. ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11)
How can you ever beat such a promise eh precious people of God? You simply can’t! And our Bit is the Bible Promise for our poem today; the awesome promise of Almighty God to feed and gently care for all those who wisely come to Him for help, who desire to be in His fold and allow Him to lead and guide them like a kind and caring shepherd does his sheep. And there are so many references to God being our shepherd in the Good Book that we can’t cover them all, so we’ll just highlight a few; the first from the prophet Ezekiel.
‘Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle (sheep) and cattle (sheep). And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.’ (Ezek. 34:22-24). What a mighty promise friends! And according to the scholars the reference to Bruh David there is in regards to his role during the Millennium reign of Christ. He will be appointed a shepherd of Christ’s flock.
Now we’ll turn to the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, awesome words that we all claim to know, but as always, don’t fully put into practice, otherwise our lives wouldn’t be in such an ungodly mess. (smile) Hear the Master: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:10-11) And isn’t that exactly what He did on the cross at Calvary…give His sinless life so selflessly for us, the hoped-for sheep of His pasture?
That’s the amazing positivity and optimism of Christ; that before He was even sure of a flock, He died to preserve them! Wow! No one else would ever dream of doing that…except our Saviour! And as He continues later on: ‘I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold (flock), and one shepherd.’ (John 10:14-16)
Oh friends, the other flock Jesus was referring to there was us, the non-Jews, the Gentiles, whom He greatly desired to also include in His one worldwide flock at a slightly later date, through Bruh Paul. So this morning, whatever the circumstances in which we find ourselves, let’s make sure that we know, and are hearing the voice of our Good Shepherd nuh, as He walks and talks and guides us safely and LOVINGLY through our day.
As Bruh David so famously described it: ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me…’ (Ps. 23:1-4) Yes friends, those are gospel truths, if we believe in Jesus Christ!
So for those of us who sincerely belief, let’s go home now telling the world in no uncertain voice, who and whose we are as set out in our Tuesday Mantra. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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!’
So let’s go out now and do just that nuh; share the LOVE and friendship of Jesus with those unfortunate ones who don’t know Him! Much LOVE!
…and ye my flock…the flock of my pasture…are men…and I am your God…saith the Lord God…(Ezek. 34:31)
26 Feb 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a great calm, according to your faith, all the days of my life, anointest my head with oil, be it unto you, be of good cheer, believers, beloved of God, cast into the oven, clothe you, comfort me, difficulties, do our part, dwell in the house of the Lord, encouragement, everyday we draw breath, evil, faith, fall in our laps, fall short, fear no evil, follow me, foolishness, for His name's sake, found so great a faith, friend jesus, God's attention, goodness and mercy, green pastures, he arose, he hard, he saith unto them, heretic Roman, hide my face, i have overcome the world, I shall not want, improve our faith, in all Israel, ingodliness, Israel, Jewish people, leads me, LOVE, Love of Jesus, manna from heaven, mine enemies, miracles, Moses' song, no faith, O ye of little faith, panicked, paths of righteousness, perverse generation, prepare a table before me, promises, rebuked the winds and the sea, resores my soul, Roman Centurion, share friendship, share His love, show that faith, small in faith, snow squalls, Solomon's glory, still waters, talk a good talk, the disciples, the grass of the field, The Lord is my shepherd, the men marvelled, the sea obey him, the valley of the shadow of death, thy rod and thy staff, trials, tribulations, trust, Tuesday Mantra, what their end shall be, why are ye fearful, wind stroms
Matthew 8:26. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm.
Well it’s Tuesday now, and the crazy wind storms and snow squalls that have harried us for the past couple days seem to have died down, but it’s still beastly cold, somewhere around –12 in my area. And I’m chuckling here because I know that during the inclement weather many of us were praying, trying to get God’s attention to stop it. Not me so much, because I was praying rather that He’d get me safely to where I was going, cause I got caught out in it a couple of times.
But this time I don’t think Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat nuh, He was wide awake and just waiting to see how we’d behave. And we behaved just like the disciples did when the storm caught them going across the lake and Jesus was resting quietly, ostensibly without a care in the world, but the disciples panicked:
‘And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Matt.8:25-27) And that kind of behaviour from men who had been with Jesus for quite some time and seen Him do all sorts of miracles!
The point I’m trying to make here this morning friends is that too many of us supposed believers are still too small in faith like the disciples, though we have seen Jesus do great and extraordinary things in our lives! We talk a good talk about faith, but when the occasions come for us to show that faith, we always seem to fall short.
Why is that eh? Don’t we truly believe…or are we just scared and afraid of whatever comes against us? No, it’s not easy, and Jesus promised that we’d have trials and tribulations in this world…’But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes, and even with that encouragement, He knows that it will be hard for us, but He expects that our faith, which is supposed to grow each and every day we draw breath, will strengthen us and see us through whatever difficulties we encounter down here on earth!
And the sad part is that even before Jesus came, the Lord was dissatisfied with the faith of His people Israel, as outlined in the words of Moses’ song to the Israelites. ‘And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very forward (perverse) generation, children in whom is no faith.’ (Deut.32:20)
So I guess nothing much has changed sine way back then! And how many times did Jesus lambaste, castigate His people for not having the faith they should have eh? And there are several! Here are a couple of illustrations: In talking about nature versus Cousin Sol’s glory, nature won out every time. ‘Wherefore, if God so clothe(s) the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall ye not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?’ (Matt.6:30)
That means we ought not to worry and be anxious or fearful of what’s going to happen because we’re more important to our heavenly Father than nature, which He looks after so well. And when the Roman centurion came to Jesus, asking Him to heal his sick servant, and Jesus offered to go to his house and do so:
‘The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in all Israel.’(Matt.8:8-10)
Yeh friends, the servant was healed, not because of his own faith, but because of His master, the centurion’s faith. Jesus was just showing up there the foolishness of His Jewish people who refused to accept t Him for who and what He proclaimed to be, but this supposedly heretic Roman, had no problem with doing so! And He’s doing the same thing today my people; crying out to us to truly believe and have the faith that belief ought to instill in us, but which seems to be sadly lacking!
Remember the words of the great psalm that we all like to quote: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:1-6)
Oh my people, how do you think all of that wonderful stuff, those mighty and awesome promises are going to happen eh? They won’t just fall into our laps like manna from heaven nuh, but we’ve got to believe them and have the faith to expect and do our part to allow them to happen.
So please my brethren, please let us improve our faith nuh, starting today, RIGHT NOW, both for our sakes and the sake of Jesus’ church, for if we don’t do better very soon, our world will surely fall apart with all the ungodliness and evil that’s currently being foisted upon it.
And having said all of that, let’s go home declaring (right ho) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the world, loud and clear, who and whose we are. In strong and sincere faith now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the corollary to that is for us to now go out and share the friendship and LOVE of Jesus with those who don’t know Him, but desperately need to! Much LOVE!
…according to your faith…be it unto you… (Matt.9:29)
19 Jun 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a friend, a godly manner, a good shepherd, a hypocrite, breath of life, Christians, close relationship to God, come to faith, defend my own ways, defends his integrity, direct thy paths, disaster, do good, do His perfect will, done God's way, dwell in the land, faith, feed on his faithfulness, friend of Jesus, from the palace to the pig sty, glory to God, God's strength, God's will, health to thy body, honour the Lord, Hudson Taylor, I will fear no evil, immortal words, improve lives, in all thy ways acknowledge him, Job, lean not on thine own understanding, man after God's own heart, men of faith, my salvation, never lack God's supply, new wine, our benefit, our sphere of influence, Scrip-Bit, share His love, strength to thy bones, strife, tear us away from serving God, the beloved of God, the first fruits, the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, Though he slay me, though I walk through, thy barns be filled with plenty, thy rod and thy staff comfort me, thy vats burst out, trust in the Lord, trying times, Tuesday Mantra, ungodliness, unquenchable faith, we will repel, weakness, with all thine heart, with God's help, working for God, yet will I trust in him
Psalm 37:3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).
Well a blessed Tuesday morning to all my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Glory to God, who has so mercifully and graciously continued His awesome breath of life flowing in our bodies, so that we can do His perfect will! Yes friends, we’re only alive to put whatever plan He has for our lives into effect, so let’s do it as best we can nuh.
Very few of us can make changes that cover the whole world, but we can all improve lives and situations in our own little sphere of influence, and that’s all God is asking of us. And the great thing about working for God is that He will help us do whatever He calls us to do.
That’s why Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) the British Protestant Christian Missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, could say with confident assurance: ‘God’s will done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.’ Isn’t that wonderful to know friends? It certainly is!
So let’s not worry about the enormous amount of strife and ungodliness that is rapidly plunging our world down to unimaginable disaster, just let us set our hearts to do as our Bit commands in the immortal words of Bruh David: ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness).’
Ah mih people, I know we used this scripture passage as our Bit recently, but it’s one of those scriptures that we need to hear over and over again so that it can truly sink into our hearts and minds, especially with all the ungodliness that’s out their trying to get our attention and tear us away from truly serving Almighty God.
Wow! What a mouthful! (smile) But it’s the truth! The world doesn’t want us to serve God, and will do anything in its power to pry us away. But we won’t be pried away by any means whatsoever! Let’s tell the enemy that in no uncertain manner. Whatever they throw at us, we will repel with God’s help.
And today I want to do something a li’l different with our Bit. I want to show forth scriptures of how men of faith come to faith. And one of the most amazing and well-known ones is that of Job, when he defends his integrity before his false friends. ‘Though he (God) slay me, yet will I trust in him: but will I maintain mine own ways (defend my own ways) before him. He shall also be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him.’ (Job.13:15-16)
And the scholars explain: ‘13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.’
Oh my people, what great faith Job displayed there. Even though God had apparently taken him from the palace and put him in the pig sty, his faith never crumbled. That’s the kind of faith we need as Christians in these very harsh and trying times. Oh, I know it’s not easy to do, but if we’re serious about our God and our faith, we can do it with God’s help.
And we all know about Bruh David’s close relationship to God; being called his friend and a man after His own heart. Hear how he declares his trust in the immortal words of psalm 23 – The Lord is my shepherd. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.’ (Ps.23:4)
Oh my breddren, my breddren, what awesome conviction on Bruh David’s part! Even though he’s surrounded by death, he won’t fear, because like a Good Shepherd, the Lord our God will be there to comfort and look after him. Do we have such conviction in these difficult times my fellow believers? We ought to, else we won’t get through them in a godly manner.
And then we have the also immortal advice of Cousin Sol: ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth, straight) thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov.3:5-10)
Glory be mih people! Right there is the best synopsis you can ever get of the Good Book and the true way to live a Christian life! Bubba! It just covers everything in a few short verses. And don’t fool yuh fat, the Lord inspired Cousin Sol to write those words as a guideline for us. So please, let’s be wise and follow them nuh, cause they are only for our benefit, not the Lord’s.
Now for those of us who truly believe, let’s go home declaring to the entire world, who and whose we are. In strong voice with sincere hearts: ‘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 if our hearts are right, then the next action is for us to go out and share Jesus with others. Much LOVE!
…faith… connects our weakness…to God’s strength… (Daily Bread Devotional)
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