27 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: boat cruise, born of God, children of Lucifer, Christ's redeeming presence, desire, faith, forgiveness, God's awesome peace, God's infinite compassion, God's night light, habitual wrongdoing, heartfelt feeling, human understanding, leggo-beast, locks-down, LOVE, LOVE is of God, LOVE of others, LOVE one another, LOVE springs eternal, lust, modicum of circumspection, party hearty, passion, personal interaction with God, practice sin, religion, rent-a-tile music, right belief about Christ, right response to God, saviour jesus christ, sinful acts, spirituality, the things of God, theology, trust
1 John 4:7. Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.
Oh Friends, please use that spirit of forgiveness that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has put in your souls to forgive the ole fella for sending this Bit a tad late. (smile) Yuh see the ole fella went partying last night and didn’t get home till after one this morning. And since He’s no longer a young pup, he had to get some rest before attempting to write the Bit.
And yes, the partying was decent! It was the second annual Boat Cruise held by my church out on the Toronto waterfront. This year though, unlike last year’s day timer, it was a night-time jaunt, from 7.30 p.m to midnight. And I never tire of seeing Toronto’s coastline at night, lit up like a necklace of sparkling jewels, although it’s daily morphing more and more into a true concrete jungle.
But Friends, when that big, beautiful, golden night light of God’s, the full moon, rose over the surrounding hills, it certainly overwhelmed the man-made lights, showing just how powerful and majestic are the things of God.
This year’s attendance on the cruise was better than last year’s, possibly because we held it in conjunction with another organization. However, I think I enjoyed myself better last year, possibly because my left knee was acting up, so I couldn’t party as heartily as I wanted to. Had to show a modicum of circumspection and respect to the ole knee joint. Hn, hn!
In any case, my days for prancing and dancing like a leggo-beast, seem to be over. That must please the duchess and some family members a whole lot, since I won’t embarrass them anymore with my over-exuberant behaviour. (smile) But yuh know, the duchess partied heartier than me last night, so she has nothing to complain about.
My one other complaint is that the D.J, though he played some decent enough music, he stuck with the fast and furious young people stuff too much. Don’t get me wrong, the party, once it got going, never lacked for exuberance, but you can’t play music for four hours and not even play one slow, locks-down, rent-a-tile music.
No way José! That is just not apropos, especially with the number of older folks that were there. Although I was made to understand that in the world of today’s youth, holding on to dance is no longer the norm.
Ah Lord eh! How foolish can our young people get eh? There’s no better feeling than wrapping your arms around another human, or being wrapped in someone’s arms, and just slowly floating and drifting along the dance floor, eyes closed, mind quiet and worry free, while some slow, sweet, soulful music caresses your soul!
Ah Friends, that’s the experience from which LOVE springs eternal. (smile)
And talking about LOVE, it’s time to introduce our Bit: ‘Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God.’
Now before we get into any scriptures, let’s hear from the scholars on that verse. ‘John returns to the theme of mutual LOVE. Perhaps the false teaching he felt compelled to combat had contributed suspicion and contention in the fellowship.
In context, John is not saying that everyone who LOVES is somehow a Christian, whether they trust in Christ or not. He makes it clear elsewhere that true knowledge of God entails right belief about Christ, as well as right response to God, including LOVE of others.
Mere human LOVE apart from Christ’s redeeming presence and motivation falls short of LOVE in its fullest dimension as a human response to God’s perfect and infinite compassion. (cf. 1 Cor. 13)’
Yes Friends, we’re not talking about the wishy-washy, erroneous emotions of lust, desire and passion that nowadays pass for LOVE. Instead we’re referring to the true, heartfelt feeling of care and consideration for others that fill our souls, as a result of our trust, faith and close, personal interaction with Almighty God.
And earlier on in chapter 3, John explains his reasoning. ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.’ (1 John 3:9)
Now that deserves some explanation, which the scholars provide. ‘John is not teaching sinless perfection (see 1:8,10; 2:2). He speaks here of habitual practice of known sinful acts. The true believer’s actions will conform to the character of his true father, either God or Satan. The person born of God will reflect this in his behaviour.’
Yes my people, we all sin from time to time, but it’s the habitual wrongdoing, especially when we know better, that marks us as children of Lucifer.
But enough for today, time and space have run out. However we’ll continue this message tomorrow, if our great and LOVING God so desires. Till then, please ponder the topic, and may the Lord bless and keep us safe from all harm, give us His awesome peace that passes all human understanding, and help us to LOVE Him and each other with deeper conviction. That is wisdom for all the ages! Much LOVE!
…to truly know God…is to LOVE Him…with all our heart, mind, body and soul…
26 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be glad in the Lord, bless the Lord, blessed are the righteous, bright eyed, bushy tailed, chomping at the bit, Christ's Church, Christ's gospel, consume sinners, conviction, deliverance, end of the wicked, excellence, eyes of faith, faith, faithfulness, fellowship, Friday, Friday chant, fruitful and prosperous, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, good things of God, Jesus, jesus name, lies, LOVING actions, meditation of God, passion, peace, plight of the wicked, psalm 104, refreshed in soul body and mind, relaxation, repentance, salvation of the righteous, second chances, sing praise to God, sing unto God, spreading the good news, surrender, testify in Jesus' Name, thank God, the ungodly shall perish, the weekend, time of trouble, transgressors, trust, vigour, vim, wickedness in the world, wiles of Lucifer
Psalm 104:35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.
Well Friends, our favourite day, Friday, is here at last! And the people declared a loud ‘Thank you God for that yes! It’s been a rotten week, we’re tired and just want to go home and sleep for the next two days!’
Ah mih breddren, I know how it is. I too have had a tiring week, though I can’t understand why, since I didn’t work exceptionally hard. But that doesn’t mean we should just go home and sleep away the weekend. Of course some rest is essential, but we’ve got to pack more than that into our two days off.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant that’s a useful catalyst to show us the right way to use our much deserved time off. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, that’s how we ought to use the weekend, with some fun, fellowship and relaxation, so that come Monday morning we’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed, just chomping at the Bit to get back to work and let our lives testify in Jesus’ Name.
No my people, I’m not off my rocker, or not as yet anyway. (smile) But that’s the way Jesus wants His followers to operate; full of vim and vigour, passion, excellence and all the other things He brings to those who LOVE and revere Him.
That’s why the psalmist confidently declares in the two verses before our Bit: ‘I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.’ (Ps.104:33-34)
Yes my people, that’s how we believers in Christ ought to behave!
Then the Psalmist declares in our Bit, his wishes for those who follow the evil Lucifer. ‘Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.’
Please note that though the psalmist’s request calls for getting rid of evildoers, he still ends with blessing and praise to Almighty God. That’s because the Psalm is basically one of praise, and God is indeed worthy of our praise. And today we’ll continue looking at some scripture that deals with plight of the wicked and ungodly.
In Psalm 1, Blessed are the righteous, we’re treated right off the bat to the difference between the godly, who don’t associate with evildoers, who delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it constantly. Thus, they will be fruitful and prosperous. (Ps.1:1-3)
The evildoer though is a completely different kettle of fish. ‘The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in 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 Friends that’s some of the best advice we can ever get! But do you think we take it? Not a chance! We still fall so easily for the lies and wiles of Lucifer, and prostrate ourselves to the things of the world, instead of before God.
And if you don’t believe the psalmist there, then listen to Bruh David from Psalm 37, as he tells us about the true state of the wicked, versus that of the righteous. ‘Mark the perfect (blameless) man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.’ (Ps.37:37-40)
Oh Friends, why do we choose not to believe the good things of God, as easily as we do those of Lucifer eh? Is it because it takes eyes of faith, trust, and complete surrender to behold the things of God, whereas the things of the world are readily and physically apparent?
I know it’s often hard to rely on faith, but that’s the beauty of believing in Jesus. Look at all He’s done for us, selflessly and sacrificially! It should therefore be a no-brainer to trust and believe in Him, since we’ve seen graphic and physical evidence of His faithfulness.
And I’ll leave us with one last thought on our Bit. Now if the Lord truly wanted to get rid of all the evil and wickedness in the world, with His might and power, don’t you think He could do it just by speaking the necessary words, as He did to create the universe and all therein? But it’s obvious that right now He has another plan in mind; that being the believers of Christ’s church bringing them to conviction and repentance.
Remember our God is known as the God of second chances, and right now He’s giving everybody a fair chance to hear the message and accept it. Consequently, that means we have to do a better job of spreading the good news of Christ’s gospel, than we’re currently doing. Selah.
Yes Friends, chew on that for a spell, and see if it doesn’t make sense. Much LOVE!
…there’s no need to weigh the merits of good versus evil…for good has already prevailed…it has triumphed through the LOVING actions of Jesus…
24 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a state of flux, adversity, affliction, be discouraged, blinding light, chastening, christianity, compassion, constant plodding, courage, death and destruction, discipline, divine will, earthly journey, everlasting mercy, faint, faith, faithfulness, fear, flower-strewn pathways, God's favour, God's LOVING-kindness, grace for trials, grief, hallmarks of the pilgrim, heavenly home, help from above, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy without sorrow, keep on keeping on, light for the way, living for Jesus, LOVE, no man's land, omnipotent god, patience, peace without pain, perseverance, power, powers of darkness, promises of God, religion, rest, rest amid labour, righteousness., spirituality, strength for the day, sun without rain, the One True God, thoughts of man, trust, undeniable truth, undying LOVE, unfailing sympathy, upright in heart
Lamentations 3:31. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
Well a good Wednesday morning to all you beautiful images of the ONE TRUE GOD, out there on planet earth!
How goes it mih lovelies? Good, I hope. It’s not too bad with me, though I’m tired, because I didn’t get to bed until after one, reading an interesting British set novel. Yuh know when the story gets juicy, (smile) then you see you’re almost at the end, so you decide to finish it. But for some reason, it always takes longer than you expected. Well that was my dilemma this morning.
But our most wonderful God, in His everlasting mercy and LOVING-kindness, looked down on me with favour and guided me to this poem I had sitting amongst some other papers. I don’t think I’ve shared it before, but if I have, it’s good enough to be heard one more time, especially in the middle of the work week when we’re generally in a state of flux; in no man’s land, neither here nor there, not fully acclimatized to it, but not yet desperately looking forward to Friday.
But let’s listen to this and allow it to raise our spirits and give us a boost to keep on living for Jesus, doing His bidding, and causing others to come to Him and LOVE Him as we do. There’s no official title, but I’ll call it, ‘The Promises and non Promises of God.’
‘God hath not promised skies ever blue, flower-strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain. God hath not promised smooth roads and wide, swift, easy travel needing no guide; God hath not promised we shall not bear many a burden, many a care. But God hath promised strength for the day, rest amid labour, light for the way; grace for the trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy, undying LOVE.’
Now all of that is certainly undeniable truth Friends! And I do hope it lifts our spirits and gives us strength, courage and faith to keep on keeping on, because patience, perseverance and constant plodding in the face of all adversity are the hallmarks of the pilgrim. And pilgrims we all are, on this earthly journey to our heavenly home.
And though we encounter much difficulty on the journey, there is one thing we can be absolutely sure of, as our Bit tells us. ‘For the Lord will not cast off for ever.’ And that’s truly, truly gospel my people!
As the Good Book continues: ‘But though he causes grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly (with delight), nor grieve the children of men.’ (Lam.3:32-33)
Yes Friends, our God does not go out of His way to make life hard for us, or to unfairly punish us, but disciplinary measures (smile) are sometimes necessary to bring us into line with His divine will, or keep us on the right path, the straight and narrow one that leads to heaven, though we take rebellious delight in speeding down the wide highway that leads to death and destruction and the evil company of Lucifer.
But listen to the wisdom of the psalmist on the subject. ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile). Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest (instructeth), O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest (relief) from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off (abandon) his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.’ (Ps.94:11-15)
So my fellow believers, there’s no need to fear. Our God will never leave us or forsake us, neither will He afflict us unnecessarily. And if He does decide that chastening is called for, then we can take pleasure from it, (smile) for we know that He’s only disciplining us for our own good. That’s because He LOVES us with such passion and doesn’t want us to go astray. It’s just like when we discipline our children because we LOVE them, not because we want to hurt them.
And we’ll close with some more reassuring words from the Good Book on God’s discipline: ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening (discipline) of the Lord, nor faint (be discouraged) when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord LOVETH He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? …Now no chastening (discipline) for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.’ (Heb.12:5b-7, 11)
That says it all Friends! Our God treats us like His children, and though our natural nature doesn’t like discipline, sometimes it is indeed necessary. And the sad part of it all, is that if God doesn’t discipline us occasionally, then we’re not His children. And I’m sure none of us want to hear that.
So let’s go out today nuh, walking in the power, faithfulness and trust of our omnipotent and LOVING God, knowing that he is looking over and looking out for each one of us, who’ve placed our faith in Him, His Son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. When we do that, NOTHING on this earth can touch us. Much LOVE!
…when one walks confidently with God…the powers of darkness flee in fear… from the blinding light that’s Jesus…
16 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a heart for any fate, all knees shall bow, all tongues confess, be not conformed to this world, be up and doing, become unfruitful, believers in Christ, cares of the world, choke the word, Christ's Church, Christian dedication, comfort zone, conduct, deceit, deceitfulness of riches, dramatic days, enthusiasm, faith, fatal attraction, friend of God, friend of the world, glory to Jesus, god the father, henry wadsworth longfellow, humdrum lives, hypocrisy, ignorance, Jesus christ is Lord, LOVE Revolution, lusts, make a difference, passion, precious lives, present thinking, renew your mind, resentment, righteousness., routine, sower of seed, take action, taking risks, talk the talk, things of the world, thorns, trust, unforgiveness, value systems of the world, walk the walk
Matthew 13:22. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Oh Friends, another day is blossoming in our beautiful but currently troubled and distressed world! But that’s no reason for us to just lie down and die, to meekly accept whatever comes our way. For we are believers in Jesus Christ, the ONE to whom all knees shall eventually bow, and all tongues shall readily confess that he is Lord, to the everlasting glory of God the Father! (Eph.2:10-11)
Wow! What a powerful declaration my brethren! But that means we’re supposed to be up and about doing the work of Jesus, with plenty passion, enthusiasm, trust and faith! In the words of the famous American poet and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882): ‘Let us then be up and doing, with a heart for any fate.’
Yes my people, we ought to be getting involved in actions that bring glory to Jesus and the Father. It means taking some risks, stepping out of our comfort zone, not being content to simply wallow in mundane routine. Now there’s nothing wrong with routine, our lives must contain some for them to be orderly and stable, but for it just to be the same old, same old everyday, with no passionate highs, or chilling lows, is definitely unchristian.
Look at Jesus nuh. Everyday He went out and got involved in something or another. Not everyday was dramatic, but there were enough dramatic days to enlighten and enliven His earthly sojourn and make a difference in the world around Him.
So if we’re supposed to be following in Jesus’ footsteps, then our lives should also provide some enlightenment and enliven the world around us and thus make a difference. It shouldn’t just run along the humdrum continuum, as so many precious lives are unfortunately wasted doing.
We each have a part to play, a job to do for Jesus, and I’m sure that none of them are classified as sit on your laurels and fannies and do nothing. They all involve action that will eventually bring others to God. But please look around Friends, how many of us, out of the billions of believers, are actually doing that eh?
I can’t tell the exact numbers, but I’m sure that it’s no way near enough, because instead of turning to and warming up to God, too many people, unbelievers, as well as supposed believers, are turning away from God, for any number of reasons. But if we, the true believers were really living the kind of life that glorifies God, others would be turning to Him in droves, rather than the other way around.
A lot of the blame for the world’s ills lies with us, because we talk a very good talk, when we feel so inclined, but don’t walk the walk half as good. How then can we bring people to Jesus eh mih people, especially when our lives are filled with so much hypocrisy, deceit, resentment and ‘unforgiveness’?
And sadly, as the individual members of Christ’s church go, so does the overall body. That means if we’re not going right as individuals, the church won’t go right as a body either, which is certainly happening right now.
But unfortunately, a lot of that has to do with our refusal to give up the fatal attraction for the things of the world. Thus in the parable of the sower, so many of us fall into the category that Jesus talks about in our Bit. ‘He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care (cares) of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.’
Yes my brethren, too many of us allow the cares of the world to restrict the Word of God in our hearts, therefore we cannot perform His work properly.
But please remember Bruh Paul’s famous admonition to the church at Rome: ‘And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ (Rom.12:2)
And according to the scholars ‘Be not conformed’ literally means to stop conforming ourselves. We ‘are to resist being poured into the mould of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14.’
And since many of you won’t check that scripture, I’ll include it here. Peter is calling the people to Christian dedication. ‘Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind (prepare your mind for action), be sober, and hope to the end for grace (put your hope fully upon the grace) that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children, not fashioning (conforming) yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (conduct).’ (1 Pet.1:13-15)
Oh Friends, it couldn’t be put any simpler or more straightforward than that! Now we all know it’s difficult to resist and turn away from the lures of the world, but it’s doable, if we seriously and sincerely want to do it, especially when we’re guided by the Holy Spirit, which was expressly sent to give us good guidance and true direction in this wicked world.
So please, let’s raise our level of righteousness nuh, by seriously inspecting our lives and making whatever changes are necessary, and also helping those who come crying out for help. It’s only as a totally supportive and uniform body, can we ever hope to truly raise LOVE for Jesus, thereby bringing others into the welcoming and protective embrace of His LOVE Revolution, which is what we’re called to do, and expected to do. Much LOVE!
…a friend of the world…is no friend of God…and vice versa…
13 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: attributes, Beelzebub, blessings, cedars of Lebanon, contrite heart, disaster-prone times, dismay, evil works, evil world, faith, faithfulness, forgiveness, give thanks, God is everlasting, grace, how have the mighty fallen, humble spirit, idolatry, jehovah god, joy, living truth, LOVE, loving kindness, Lucifer, merciy, modus operandi, Old Testament, palm trees, prince of darkness, psalm 92, shame, sing praises unto God, the righteous will flourish, triumph, trust, understanding, ungodly world, wicked shall be destroyed, works of thy hands
Psalm 92:8. But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.
Oh Friends, I don’t know how to begin today’s Bit nuh. I don’t have any bright ideas or smart-aleck stuff to impart, to preamble with. And I know that some of you are wondering if it’s possible that I don’t have anything to say. But unfortunately these things do happen occasionally even to the best and brightest of us. (smile)
And when I looked at the opening verses of Psalm 92, ‘Praises for the Lord’s goodness,’ from which our Bit is taken, something inside me said, you’re looking right there at the best intro. That no doubt was the Lord, having seen my mental state, showering me with some LOVING-kindness. And who am I to refuse such favour eh?
So here goes: ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To show forth (declare) thy LOVING-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery (lute or lyre); upon the harp with a solemn (harmonic or melodic) sound. For thou, Lord hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.’ (Ps.92:1-4)
And that’s the living truth my people! There’s nothing better than to give thanks and praise to our Creator and heavenly Father! And why is that? Because He IS the source of all our mercies, grace, blessings and forgiveness, the four main things we need to live successfully in this evil, ungodly world.
Unfortunately though, too many of the earth’s population either don’t know about Jehovah God, or if they do know of Him, don’t believe in Him, but revel in the evil works of Lucifer, the prince of darkness. However, we, as true believers know that is utter nonsense, the height of stupidity. And as we saw yesterday, all of those wicked and foolish people will eventually be destroyed (vs. 6-7,9), but the righteous shall flourish like lush palm trees and tall cedars of Lebanon. (vs.12)
And what’s our God’s position while all of that is happening? Our Bit rightly declares: ‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.’ The quintessential truth my brethren!
And today we’ll look at some other Old Testament scriptures that corroborate that fact, starting with words from Psalm 83, ‘A prayer for the destruction of Israel’s enemies.’
Listen as the psalmist Asaph confidently declares: ‘Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled (ashamed and dismayed) for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah (Lord), art the Most High over all the earth.’ (Ps.83:16-18)
And Friends, the Lord has indeed done that down through the ages, and is still doing it right now, so that the mighty amongst men are falling in shame and disgrace everyday. We only have to read the papers or watch the news to see how the mighty have fallen. So please pay careful attention to that my people, for when we sell our souls to Beelzebub to become mighty and wealthy in his evil world, our eventual reward will be total destruction from the Most High God Jehovah. And that’s no lie!
Now hear the psalmist from Psalm 93, ‘The Lord is clothed with majesty.’ He boldly proclaims: ‘The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved (shaken). Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh (adorns) thine house, O Lord, for ever.’ (Ps.93:1-2, 4-5)
And from Psalm 113, ‘God’s mercies are many,’ come these words of universal truth. ‘The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!’ (Ps.113:4-6)
And the answer to that my people, is simply, NOBODY! Because there’s NO OTHER Being like Him in the entire universe!
And we’ll end with these potent words of the prophet Isaiah from chapter 57, where he condemns Israel’s idolatry. ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite heart and humble spirit, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is.57:15)
Yes Friends, our Lord God is an exceedingly mighty Being, who dwells on high, as well as in the hearts of those who LOVE and revere Him! He’s so mighty that He sees all and knows all, which means we can’t run nor hide from Him, though some of us naively and foolishly try to do so.
Ah mih people, until we realize how truly omnipotent is our God, we’ll never be able to fully understand and appreciate His attributes of LOVE, mercy, forgiveness, blessing and grace, which we humans so desperately need in these troubled and disaster-prone times to make a successful go of it in this dark and evil world.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that we read, study, meditate, mark and inwardly digest His Word that was given to us as a guidebook for earthly living. And while doing that, it is also necessary to fellowship with other believers, so that our understanding, our joy, our faith and trust in the ONE TRUE God, He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will remain strong and grow to maturity. That should be the modus operandi of all believers. Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him…
12 Jul 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Alpha and Omega, anointed, blessings, body soul and mind, cedar of Lebanon, chinks in our armour, christianity, courts of God, Creator of the universe, enemies, faith, fellowship, First and the Last, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorify, glorious kingdom, God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, iniquity workers, Jehovah-Jireh, Jesus, Lucifer, mercy, Most High, no accounting for taste buds, old age, only true God, palm tree, prince of darkness, psalm 92, race of life, refreshed, relaxation, religion, renewed, rest, salvation, setting our sights on heaven, smart money, surrender to Christ, sweet jesus, Thank God it's Friday, thanks and praise, the righteous shall flourish, the wicked, trust, truth, weekend, wisdom
Psalm 92:8. But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.
Well hello there Friends, neighbours and fellow believers, it’s Friday once again!
And all the people stood up, and in one accord, with hands, hearts, eyes and heads uplifted to heaven, solemnly declared: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday and our labour will soon be over for another week. Thank You Sweet Jesus! Thank You for sacrificing Your life for us and giving us the chance to be reconciled with the Father, and be able to spend eternity with Him! We LOVE You, and glorify Your Holy Name!’
Yes my people, it is meet and right to give praise and thanks to Jesus for the enormous act of selflessness and LOVE that He performed for us at Calvary. Now let’s chant our Friday Chant which will give us the right perspective on the use of the weekend.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, let’s use the weekend wisely, so that Lucifer won’t find any chinks in our armour and take advantage of them.
Time now though to turn to our Bit; a spanking, brand new one! And I can hear some shouts of ‘Yeah! A new Bit!’
Ah mih people, I don’t know why some of us always want something new everyday, especially when there’s more left to be said on the subject. But as they say, there’s no accounting for taste buds.
Anyway, our new Bit is quite simple, straightforward and the ultimate in truth. ‘But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.’
And that my brethren is gospel, eternal, everlasting, undeniable, irrevocable and all the other kinds of truth put together! (smile)
That’s because our God is the ONE TRUE God, the ONLY God there is in this universe! He is the FIRST and the LAST, the ALPHA and OMEGA, (Rev.1:8) Creator of the universe and all therein! The ONE who watches over mankind and provides for them; Jehovah Jireh! He sees all, knows all, and is all-powerful! In other words, He IS the most potent force in the universe!
But yet so many foolish men refuse to bow to Him and accept His gracious mercy, blessings, and forgiveness for their abominable sins. How sad eh people, that we allow the con-man Lucifer and his evil con-artists to con us into believing that the flimsy, destructible crap that the world has to offer, is what we should be about, instead of setting our sights on the wonderful, indestructible, everlasting things of heaven.
But Friends, please listen to the verses that surround our Bit. ‘O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish (senseless) man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring (up, sprout) as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever.
But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn (strength) shalt thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn (wild ox): I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.’ (Ps.92:5-11)
Yes my people, those who don’t believe that the Most High God Jehovah is the ONE and ONLY TRUE God in existence, will be destroyed in His good time.
But those who believe in Him; ‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat (plump) and flourishing (green); To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.’ (Ps.92:12-15)
Oh Friends, what more can I say eh? Not much. Except to reiterate that we should not put our trust in mankind or things of the world, but in the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent Spirit of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because that’s where our salvation truly lies.
Remember that Jesus has already conquered death, the grave and Lucifer, (Rev.1:18) so putting trust in the fallen angel, the prince of darkness is totally foolish, since he’s already been rendered powerless for some two thousand years now. He has no real power over us, and can only hurt us if we allow him to.
So my brethren, this Friday morning, in mid-July 2013, let’s all promise ourselves to sincerely surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, put our absolute trust and faith in Him, and live a life that’s worthy of Him. That’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…the smart money is on Jesus…He’s the overwhelming favourite to win the race of life…and He won’t let us down…you can count on that…
21 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: baubles and bangles, boasting, christianity, clean hearts, destiny of the wicked, divine perspective, elixir, envious, everlasting truth, extravagance, fellow believers in Christ, fellowship, forgiveness, Friday chant, fun, generous help, glorious kingdom, God is good, God's sanctuary, grin and bear it, having the last word, heart-filled faith, hungry hope, jealousy, levity, lustful eyes, mansions, merciful, peals of laughter, pride, psalm 73, refeshed in body, relaxation, renewed, rest, reverence, righteousness., sour countenances, spirituality, straight and narrow, stumbled, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the last word, the weekend, trust, wait for the Lord, wickedness
Psalm 73:1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.
‘Oh Friends, is it really Friday already?’ I foolishly ask.
And my Friends shout back, ‘Yes it’s really Friday already! Praise the Lord!’
‘But how come it come around so quickly this week eh?’ I continued, somewhat perplexed. ‘But wasn’t it just Monday?’
‘Look nuh,’ my wonderful Friends replied, getting a tad disgruntled, ‘we don’t care how quickly it seems to come around to you nuh! We’re just glad that it come around, and we could shout and sing, ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday, and the weekend’s here!’
All I could do at being told in no uncertain terms of their one desire was laugh and say, ‘Okay pardners, whatever you say.’
But they insisted on having the last word. ‘Yes, mih brother, whatever we say goes! Remember that eh.’
And we all burst out into big peals of laughter at our foolishness. But my people, laughter is indeed good for the soul. It’s a wonderful elixir that’s not only free, but also available all the time, any time at all. And some, or rather plenty of our Christian brothers and sisters should try using it more often, and leave their sour, very unChristian-like countenances behind.
And now that we’ve gotten some levity in our spirits, let’s chant our Friday Chant with much sincerity nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Now that ought to keep us somewhat on the straight and narrow this weekend. (smile) And we’d better not stray, because as our Bit so wisely advises us: ‘Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean (pure) heart.’
Yes Friends, our God is indeed good to those whose hearts are clean and pure, that are set on Him and His righteousness, not on the wickedness of the world. And we have a classic example of that particular problem as the psalmist Asaph declares in his psalm, re the mystery of prosperous wickedness.
‘But as for me, my feet were almost gone (I almost stumbled); my steps had well-nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish (boastful), when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands (pangs or pain) in their death: but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain (serves as a necklace); violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness (bulge with abundance): they have more than heart could wish.’ (Ps.73:2-7)
Oh my people, that’s a very true picture of how the wicked look and how they operate! And yuh know what? When we see them driving their fancy, expensive cars, living in their big mansions, while eating and drinking of the best of everything, wearing designer duds, and showing off about it too, we often feel envious, especially if we’re have a hard time simply making two ends meet.
That’s what happened to Asaph. He was on the verge of falling, of losing his faith, when luckily he woke up to the reality of the situation. And how did he do that? ‘Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.’ (Ps.73:17)
As the scholars put it: ‘Not until the psalmist entered God’s sanctuary and received a divine perspective on the wicked’s prosperity did he find his answer to the problem (vv. 17-28) He saw the destiny of the wicked (vv. 17-20); therefore he repented of his foolishness (vv.21-22) and found his happiness solely in a warm and growing relationship with God (vv. 23-28)
The point of the psalm is driven home even more dramatically when remembering that Asaph, the author, was a spiritual man who grew up with deeply religious training. (1 Chr.15:16-19; 16:4-7; 2 Chr.5:12; 29-30)’
Oh Friends, I know it’s hard to just grin and bear the blatant extravagance and boasting of the wicked. Yuh see even the deeply religious and spiritual man Asaph had a hard time not falling into Lucifer’s sinful trap. But please note how he got out of it; by going to the Lord’s sanctuary and immersing himself in the Word and finally realizing the destructive end of the wicked.
‘For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee (who are unfaithful to thee).’ (Ps.73:27)
And that’s the gospel truth Friends! So please stand strong and not let envy and jealousy of the evildoers cause you to stumble and fall, for our wonderful God has promised so much more to those who wait on Him.
Listen to how the palmist puts it in Psalm 130, superscripted, My soul waiteth for the Lord. ‘If thou Lord, shouldest mark (take note of) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (reverenced with awe).
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say more than they that watch for the morning.’ (Ps.130:3-6)
Now that’s how we should behave my brethren! Watch and wait for the Lord with hungry hope and heart-filled faith! Let the wicked enjoy their earthly benefits, which will perish with them. Let’s say like Bruh David in Psalm 86, titled, ‘Teach me thy way, O Lord.’
He solemnly declares: ‘Rejoice (make glad) the soul of thy servant: for unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.’ (Ps.86:4-5)
That’s definitely, undeniable, irrevocable, everlasting truth my people!
So please, let’s not allow the flimsy and flashy baubles and bangles of the world to excite our sinful flesh and tear us away from what is true and full of substance; the Lord God Jehovah and His Word. If we stand strong, in due time we’ll be even better rewarded than the wicked, and with everlasting rewards too.
Now let’s go out with the wisest words that Asaph wrote in Psalm 73: ‘But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.’ (Ps.73:28)
And all God’s people gave a joyous shout of ‘Praise the Lord! Amen!’ Much LOVE my fellow believers in Christ!
…when Lucifer tries to control out lustful eyes…that’s the time to give Jesus full control of our faith filled hearts…
15 Jun 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: Adam and Eve, anonymous poem, Ark of the Covenant, awesome truth, blessing, christianity, confident stand, curse, Day of Pentecost, dream dreams, everlasting truth, faith, God keeps His promises, God's good, God's honour, God's in control, gone astray, holy spirit, maturity in Jesus, mighty wind, Paradise, power from on high, promises, promises of God, prophesy, serious problems, speak in tongues, standing on the promises, surrendering our will, tongues of fire, trust
Luke 24:49: And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
‘Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God! Yes, we’re standing, standing, standing on the promises of God!’
Oh Friends, those are such mightily important words in the lives of believers, for they play a role like nothing else does. That’s because in taking such a confident stand, we’re placing our faith and utmost trust in the promises of our God and Creator to control each and every aspect of our lives, surrendering our will to His holy and infinitely wiser one. And that says a whole lot about our level of faith and maturity in Jesus.
And I’ll certainly grab hold of this opportune opportunity, (smile) to remind us of some of God’s promises in the anonymous poem I shared not too long ago. I believe we need to hear it again, and thus reawaken and/ or rejuvenate our spirits.
Titled ‘God’s Promise’ the poem declares: ‘I will not fear – God is always with me. I will not doubt – God is always in control. I will not despair – God is always good. I will not falter – God is always watching. I will not fail – God is always victorious!’
And that’s all awesome truth Friends! And it all began when Adam and Eve had that glorious chance to live in paradise, but blew it because they figured God wouldn’t stand on His promise to kick them out if they disobeyed Him and ate of the tree of good and evil. But He did, and yet still, to this very day, we still don’t take Him seriously when He promises us stuff.
The beauty of it all though is that God also keeps His promises of good things and thoughts towards us. Listen to Cousin Sol confirm this on the day the Ark of the Covenant was taken into the spanking new temple he’d built in God’s honour.
‘Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest (peace) unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.’ (1 Kin.8:56)
Yes my people, not a single one of God’s promises to Moses and the children of Israel failed to come through, whether they were for good or bad! And since our God or His Word doesn’t change, all those promises, both for good and bad, are still in effect up to this very day.
And I can assure us that we’re feeling the effects of some of the bad ones, because we have gone astray from God, just like Israel did so many times and paid a significant price every time.
Oh Friends, we have to realize that the Word of God is the awesome, indelible, undeniable, everlasting truth! He doesn’t talk just because He can, or likes to, as so many of us do. And furthermore, He means exactly what He says; if you follow my will, I’ll bless you. But if you don’t, then I’ll cause you to be cursed.
It’s simple and straight to the point. One line of action will bring providential results, while the opposite will cause serious problems. And isn’t that the same way we raise our children? So since we’re the Father’s children, all His dictates and directives are appropriate.
But enough tongue lashing, (smile) today I want to focus on one particular promise, and a major one too, which stems from our Bit. ‘And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’ That was Jesus again promising to send the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, just prior to His ascension.
Now the Father had also made that fact known long before Jesus ever came to earth. Hear God’s promise through Isaiah that His Spirit would come upon Israel: ”Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.’ (Is.44:2-4)
The prophet Joel also had some foresight re the eventual universal outpouring of God’s Spirit, when he declared: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the (men) servants and upon the handmaids (maid servants) in those days will I pour out my spirit.’ (Joel 2:28-29)
So my brethren, Jesus ‘ promise to send the Spirit after His ascension was not something that He had just planned, but it was the Father’s intention from the very beginning. And we see it being refreshed and renewed in every age, until it finally comes to pass on the Day of Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus ascended.
Listen, as it’s so beautifully and emotionally described in the Good Book. ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord (purpose, mind) in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’ (Acts 2:1-4)
And that finally fulfilled the promises that were made way back when, enabling each new believer to have God’s Holy Spirit dwell in them, leading and guiding them as Jesus desires.
Oh Friends, all of you know about the Day of Pentecost and its unusual happenings, but I’m trying here to get us to focus on the idea of promises coming through; like that awesome one at Pentecost, but even more so on the promises of our heavenly Father that are still coming true.
It’s very important that we notice the fulfilment of His promises in our lives, because that’s where, when and how we truly build faith and trust in Him. So today I’m simply asking us to believe in the promises of God and actively seek them out in our lives. They’re happening all around us every day, but we’re either too busy, blind or foolish to notice them.
Please, let’s turn that attitude around nuh, because it’s all to our benefit, not God’s. And it does show a high level of wisdom and trust when we can stand boldly, confidently and faithfully on His promises. Much LOVE!
…if we can trust in the fickle promises of fickle man…why not the faithful ones of Almighty God…creator of the world and all therein…
23 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fools is known by plenty words, a man's word, broken promises destroy trust, christ jesus, credibility, don't be rash with your mouth, don't make promises, don't neglect to pay promises, don't speak hastily, don't speak without thinking, faithful God, fellow believers, God has no pleasure in fools, God is faithful, gospel truth, heat of the moment, honour, litigation, make a promise to God, meaningfulness in worship, not today nuh, obeisance, promises, promises made to be broken, renege on a promise, restitution, sincereity, suffer fools gladly, sweet sleep, trust, vows
Ecclesiastes 5:4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
Well a blessed morning to all you Friends and fellow believers in Christ Jesus! Some of you are still sleeping while I’m here toiling, (smile) but I’ll let you into a li’l secret. This was one morning where the ole fella really didn’t feel like getting up nuh. I went to bed later than planned, doing constructive stuff this time though, and as we like to say, the sleep was sweeeetttt…
When the Lord touched me and whispered, ‘Time to get up son,’ I almost told Him, ‘Forget it yes Lord, not today nuh,’ and roll back over. Hn, Hn!
But one of the worse mistakes we can ever make my brethren, is to promise the Lord to do something for Him, then renege on the promise for some flimsy reason as wanting to sleep. (smile)
So here I am writing my life away, my eyes still full of sleep, since the caffeine hasn’t yet kicked in. Hopefully it’s something sensible and informative. But I’m not worried, because as I prove day after day, our God is wonderfully faithful, and doesn’t give us a task and not help us do it.
How do you think I could be writing this Bit everyday now, into the seventh year? It’s undoubtedly with the plentiful help of our wonderful and faithful God! So here’s to a good, moving, wise and wonderful Bit. I just have to go and find a scripture to base it on now. (smile)
And have I ever found a most appropriate one my people! ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’
Now that’s the gospel truth Friends! God definitely dislikes people to make promises and not keep them. And this is not something new, for way back when, He spoke thus to Moses concerning vows and promises.
‘If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond (binding himself by some agreement); he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.’ (Num.30:2)
And just before our Bit, Cousin Sol offers up another choice morsel of wisdom. ‘Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business (effort or activity); and a fools voice is known by multitude of words.’ (Eccl.5:2-3)
Oh Friends, what wisdom!
The scholars explain that, “The emphasis on the passage is on the folly of an empty religious profession before a sovereign God. God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: God expects sincerity and meaningfulness in worship. He is not impressed with foolish vows.”
And since neither our God or His Word changes, that means all those words should still be ruling our lives today. But unfortunately in today’s society that wisdom has fallen by the wayside. A man’s word is no longer honourable, for promises are only made to be later broken.
And that’s why there’s so little, if any trust in our society, why fraud and fraudulent acts are so prevalent and widespread. People can no longer be trusted to act in a decent, upstanding manner. Our courts are filled with so much litigation concerning contracts we’ve signed in good faith, then refuse to honour.
So what’s the purpose of making a promise or a vow that has no true credibility to it, or that we won’t be held accountable for eh? None whatsoever!
Followers of Jesus are expected to be faithful to their vows and promises…hn! But from some of the stuff that Christians do, you certainly wouldn’t believe that.
But Friends, be warned, that though you can make a promise to your fellow man and break it without suffering any kind of penalty, you CANNOT do that with God. He always delivers on His promises and fully expects us to deliver on ours, unless there are truly extenuating circumstances.
As our Bit says: ‘for he hath no pleasure in fools.’ Yes my brethren, our God doesn’t suffer fools gladly, just like some of us don’t. And if we, mere mortals can have that strong attitude against foolishness and foolish behaviour, you can just imagine how strong God’s resentment of it is.
As our Bit also advises: ‘pay that which thou hast vowed.’ And not only to God, but also to our fellow man.
And if we don’t want to keep promises, then the smartest thing is simply not to make them. ‘Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl.5:5)
Words of absolute truth and wisdom my fellow believers!
In this day and age we’re quick to make promises, both to God and man, especially when we’re in trouble. But after either or both have lifted us out of the mire, we completely forget the promises we made in the heat of the moment.
That’s not right, or wise, my Friends! Instead, if we do make commitments in desperate times, then we should always do our best to honour them afterwards.
We should sincerely endeavour to do like the psalmist says: ‘Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy (an abundant) place. I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows (promised deeds), which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.’ (Ps.66:12-14)
Now that’s how a true and faithful Christian ought to behave!
Just like how I couldn’t roll over and go back to sleep this morning, though the body and soul were crying out for it. Because I’ve promised the Lord to write a Bit based on His Word everyday and send it out a reasonable hour, I had to get up regardless of how I felt, and keep my promise.
Therefore Friends, I beseech each and every one of us, today, let’s all take the time to ponder our individual situations, re our vows and promises, both to God and our fellow man, and see where we’re falling down in their proper observance.
And having done that, then let’s turn to both God and man and ask for forgiveness, while making obeisance, restitution and/or whatever is necessary to pay our vows. That’s wisdom and true faith at their height. Much LOVE!
…trust takes a long time to build…but a broken promise quickly destroys that trust…
01 May 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome truth, benefits, cheap thing no good, cheapness mentality, downsizing, emulate jesus, equal rights, evildoers, exploited, faithfulness, food banks, food kitchens, good thing no cheap, healthy profits, human-rights, justice, Labour Movement, loving kindness, May Day, Maypole, mercy, my deliverer, my fortress, my shield, my strength, obedience, oppressed, outsourcing, poor getting poorer, rich getting richer, surrender, sweatshops, The Lord is my rock, trust, truth, tyranny, wages
Psalm 18:2. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).
‘May day, May Day, May Day, May Day…!’ That was the shout my Friends, from an announcer in the city of Buffalo, some years back when the winning goal in a hockey game was scored by a player named Brad May. It’s one of the celebrated calls in hockey and serves as a fitting opening for today’s Bit on this first of May. Some of us old fogeys might also remember the opening days of May when we’d dance the Maypole at the annual May fairs. But I guess all those simple, enjoyable things in life have now gone the way of the dodo. Please remember too my people that May 1st is also an important day in the annals of the Labour Movement, when marches and other celebrations took place to celebrate the awakening and upliftment of the working class from the tyranny of those who owned the means of production. Unfortunately, like many things having to do with Labour, those May 1st celebrations have been relegated to the minor leagues now, but as a group, we have to be very careful because the greedy owners of industry are trying to push us back to the bad old days when Labour was woefully exploited and oppressed. And if we give them the chance, they will do just that, because they have no social conscience, and will make even healthier profits by cutting the benefits and wages of the ordinary working man … that is those who have a job, or can get one. The owners of industry don’t give a hoot about the poor, ordinary people who slave for them in their sweatshops. Just witness the disaster last week in Bangladesh, where a structurally unsound building that housed several garment factories collapsed with thousands of poorly paid, exploited workers inside. And it’s not like the owners didn’t know that the building was unsound, they just didn’t care enough to stop the operations, and therefore their enormous profits to try and fix it. And that’s the prevailing attitude these days, not only in the more impoverished countries, but also in the supposed first world nations. Why do you think all this work has been outsourced in the first place? To bolster the bottom line. The cheapness mentality that has recently invaded our society is partly to blame for the sweatshops and other disturbing actions. No longer do we expect to pay a decent price for a decently produced product. Now we expect a good product for next to nothing. That doesn’t ever happen Friends! We seem to have forgotten the old adage, attributed to Confucius: ‘Good thing no cheap, and cheap thing no good.’ Undeniable truth my people! Nowadays even some of the expensive things are no good, so what do we expect from the cheap ones eh? Have you noticed that all the rage these days in downsizing is to either cut the working man’s wage and give him more to do, or lay him off, though his wages are a pittance compared to that of the high and mighty C.E.O, whose remuneration keeps escalating, though the companies they run, keep losing enormous sums of money? The truth is, if they’d fire some of the useless, bloated, top echelon, they’d have enough money to pay the poor man a decent wage, one that he can live on, for now, even those who work several jobs, still have to use food banks and kitchens to make ends meet. What a crying shame Friends! It just speaks of the cruel inequality of resources that are becoming more unequal every day. The rich are getting richer, and the poor, poorer every day! But unfortunately, the social aspect doesn’t ever enter the equation, just the bottom line and the top echelon salary structure are all that matters. Fortunately though, the poor man has a powerful advocate, someone who truly cares about him and will consistently and continually fight on his behalf. Here’s how Bruh David describes Him in our Bit, taken from a Psalm of Thanksgiving for deliverance, when he was delivered from the hands of his enemies. ‘The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold).’ And that’s the God awesome truth, my brethren! The Lord God Jehovah is the ONLY ONE who will fight for us tooth and nail, the ONLY ONE who will never leave nor forsake us, the ONLY ONE to whom we can take all out troubles to and be assured that we’ll get a fair hearing, and some action on our oppressed behalf. Oh Friends, are we seeing the Lord in the same manner, the same light that Bruh David saw Him? I surely hope so, because if we’re not, then things will surely turn sour and disastrous for us. And we can see it happening throughout the world now, with God either absent from the hearts of a majority of the population, or He’s being made a mockery of by the surging and prevalent evildoers. Oh my brethren, we can’t allow this ungodly trend to continue, else Christ’s church will eventually be destroyed. It’s already been held in low esteem by many, the next step will be total extinction, if we don’t fight back with all the tools and weapons available to us. And where do we find the wherewithal to fight back? From our great God obviously! Bruh David spells it out again for us in Psalm 28 – A prayer for God’s help. ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.’ (Ps.28:7) Oh my people, he believed that and based his whole life on it, and though it wasn’t an easy life, it turned out to be a rather successful one. We’re still talking about him and reading his words thousands of years later. The same way, my brethren, if we base our lives on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, we too can be successful in this earthly life. As I keep saying, it won’t be easy, but it will always be interesting. Remember, Jesus never took an easy step in this world, so if we’re going to emulate His character and lifestyle, then most likely our journey won’t be a bed of roses either. But yuh see how the Father lifted Him up for His obedience and faithfulness to His purpose, so that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He’s the mighty One, the Lord of all! Well Friends, it’s the same way the Father will lift us up and reward us for our persistence, faith, trust and surrender to Him. And eventually, we’ll al be able to say, like Bruh David: ‘But I have trusted in thy mercy (LOVING-kindness); my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.’ (Ps.13:5-6) Yes my fellow believers, that’s the wise and sensible attitude we need to adopt today, if we want to be successful in this our pilgrim’s journey down here on planet earth! Much LOVE!…only in Christ Jesus…can man be assured of…truth…equal rights…and justice…
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