17 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all else is sinking sand, anxiety and confusion, avoid any more serious setbacks., dancing in the darkness, embrace your love and compassion, eternal damnation, foment rebellion in heaven, Friday chant, God is the immovable object, God's promises are conditional, hellfire, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the Lord that is my name, I will liken him unto a wise man, In God is my salvation and my glory, Jesus - the solid rock on which I stand, Jesus is sufficient, LOVE, my glory will I not give to another, my refuge is in God, my soul waiteth for the Lord, neither my praise to graven images, omnipotent help, our sinful world, pour out your heart before God, stand strong and steadfast, steady as a rock, strife-filled world, the light of Jesus, the people is grass, the rock of my salvation, the rock of my strength, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, which built his house upon a rock, wise guidance
Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Now, the sun looks like it’s going to come out today, but it’s not expected to be as warm as the 15 degrees Celsius we experienced yesterday, and hopefully the wind won’t be a major problem today either. The strong winds just made mas with everything yesterday, blowing people and stuff all over the place. You had to hold on to yourself and anything you carried. But you know what? That situation is preferable to trudging through the sludgy white stuff called snow, slipping and sliding, not knowing what’s going to happen with your next footstep, and with nothing to hold on to but Jesus! (smile)
But the good news is that Jesus is sufficient in every situation, for He’s the strongest, the most stable, solid and unmovable being in the universe. Yes friends, our God is the immovable object that we can build our lives on, because He does not change; as they say, He’s steady as a rock. And there are several scriptures that attest to that strength and immovability of our great God. So let’s check out a few nuh.
Isaiah said it thus. ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit (breath) of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ (Is. 40:8) And that’s the indisputable truth! Like the grass and the flower, we human beings will wither away eventually, but the word of God stands forever like the rock of Gibraltar! Meanwhile the psalmist, Ethan the Ezrahite, in Psalm 89 – God’s sure promises to David, said it this way. ‘He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.’ (Ps. 89:26)
Oh my people, God is indeed our Father, our Creator and the strong tower on which we can always rely! And we need to get that fact buried deep in our hearts, so that we can automatically turn to Him, without any hesitation whatsoever, fully knowing that He cares for us and will take care of all our needs and troubles. That’s why Peter tells us: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7)
But we can’t do that unless we truly believe that the Lord is the rock of our salvation. And nobody said it as often or as powerfully as Bruh David in Psalm 62. ‘Truly my soul waiteth (waits silently) upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense (strong tower); I shall not be greatly moved (shaken).’ (Ps. 62:1-2) And if you didn’t believe him in the second verse, he reiterates it later on in verse 6, then adding: ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.’ (Ps. 62:7-8)
And that’s more indisputable truth my brethren! But unfortunately, many of us don’t seem to believe it because we don’t go to Him in times of trouble. Some even dismiss His very existence, and others want to rid our society of His presence. But that’s never going to happen! For Almighty God is the Creator and Controller of this universe and He’s not going to let any created being take it over. And He said it in so many words through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)
Satan, the ex-archangel Lucifer is a good example of that. He tried to foment rebellion in heaven and become the head honcho, but instead got kicked out on his tush, him and the other fools that tried to rebel against the Father. What will it take for the created to understand that they cannot get rid of their Creator, and whatever power they might have is derived from the one and true source of all power, Almighty God Himself? And He can shut them down, do whatever He pleases with them, and it’s only His great LOVE for us, His most wonderful creation, that stops Him from destroying us completely in His wrath over our stubborn disobedience, sinful and ungodly ways.
He even broke His own heart by sacrificing His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we could be saved from hellfire and eternal damnation. But too many of us are not paying attention, and are thus experiencing the consequences of sin; an angry, sick, disaster ridden, strife-filled world. Oh friends, too many of us are still dancing in the darkness of this ungodly world when the light of Jesus is shining so brightly all around us. Please, let’s come out of that darkness and look to Him for help nuh, because He is the ONLY ONE, who can provide any real help to us, both individually and corporately.
Our world’s not getting any better through our own actions, thus Satan is having a field day. And the only other option available to us is Jesus. Remember what He said about building our lives on solid foundations. ‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (the rock – that’s Him) (Matt. 7:24) And there’s no disputing that truth! So please, let’s go to Him for help nuh mih bredrin. It’s the wisest decision we can ever make.
As one sincerely repentant voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, let’s remember that God’s promises there are conditional on us keeping ours. Much LOVE!
…Jesus…the solid rock…on which I stand…all else is sinking sand…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Dec 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: and in-house guide, be responsible, both riches and honour come from God, bought with the blood of Jesus, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, God works all things out for our good, he that hath clean hands, in thine hand is power and might, introduce a new flock, keep on keeping on, keep our promises, LOVE, not lifted up his soul unto vanity, not reading your name in the obits, practice makes perfect, pure in heart, righteousness from the God of his salvation, stewards of God's possessions, the breath of life, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the example your faithful believers set, the heaven of the heavens is the Lord thy God's, the Holy Spirit, the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, the world and they that dwell therein, them that seek thy face, trusting faith, unexpected storm, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, with your omnipotent help
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
Another snowy morning, but it’s Friday, the last day of the work week. So that takes away some of the anxiety and fear we have about venturing out into the snow covered highways and byways. And when we add the trust and faithfulness of Jesus, then we’re filled with courage, remembering that we can accomplish any and everything when He is walking with us. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling my fellow believers? It surely is! For no other Deity offers such strong and truthful reassurance to their followers…. Only Jesus!
Yes friends…Only Jesus gives us the wherewithal, the grace, mercy and LOVE, to keep on keeping on no matter comes against us in this evil dominated world! With His Holy Spirit living within us, we have an in-house guide and director of personal affairs that no other faith has. That means we can get answers and guidance much quicker than others; almost immediate direction to our tentative and ofttimes anxious and fearful requests.
But we need not be fearful or anxious because Jesus has promised to be always with us, even to the end of the world, and He keeps all of His promises. For like in everything else we do, as the old saying goes; practice makes perfect. And it’s not until you go to Him several times and see good results that you will feel comfortable. But we first need to step out into unknown territory to experience the grace that comes from knowing and trusting Christ. And every time we need to step out, we must remember what He’s already done, so it becomes easier and raises the level of our trust.
And if, like the world does, you want to ask Jesus what He’s done for you lately…then just think who allowed you to open your eyes this morning, and who’s breath of life is flowing through you right now? In other words, it’s because of His LOVE and purpose for your life that you are not reading your name in the obits today. And furthermore, whom do you think enabled you to get a job, and a good paying one too, plus the new car that you drive to that good paying job, from that nice house in which you and your family live?
It’s Jesus my brethren, because everything in this world belongs to Him, and we are only stewards, aka managers of His possessions. And the Good Book tells and reminds us of that most important fact, which many of us might find trivial and nonsensical. Very early in their journey out of bondage in Egypt, Moses let it be known to the people of Israel, when he declared: ‘Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.’ (Deut. 10:14) There is no hesitation or doubt whatsoever in Moses’ declaration.
And Bruh David, in offering thanksgiving and prayer, before he anointed Cousin Sol king of Israel in his place, said the same thing in Chronicles. ‘Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.’ (1 Chr.29:11-12)
Now if that doesn’t convince us of our God’s omnipotence and awesome power, I don’t know what will! For, remember Bruh David rose from a humble shepherd boy to a mighty warrior and king, the greatest of Israel’s many kings, not through his power, but through the grace and anointing of God! And he never forgot that despite all the human mistakes he made. Neither should we forget it, despite the mistakes we make, because the Lord is able to change and work out all things for our good, if we stand strong and faithful in His fold.
And I believe that Bruh David, in his role as a wordsmith, the magnificent wordsmith that he was, says it best in Psalm 24, where he expounds on The king of glory. Listen and take heart. ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and is pure in heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity (to an idol), nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.’ (Ps. 24:1-7)
Now that all sounds wonderful, but unfortunately this is not the generation that’s seeking the Lord’s face! Rather we are trying to hide from Him, and or remove Him from our society, two notions which are both foolish and impossible. But thankfully, it’s never too late to seek the Lord’s face, and do we ever desperately need to seek it in these disastrous times, because He is the ONLY One who can do anything positive for us. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, seeking His awesome help through our Friday Chant.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please remember all that we asked for, and what we promised to do, because it’s only if we keep our promises, that the Lord will answer our prayers. Much LOVE!
..the created owns nothing…the world is the Lord’s, He created it…and we’ve been bought with the blood of Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
15 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a light unto my path, as a means of restoring faith in you, bring backsliders back to your fold, calamity adversity tribulation, Covid 19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, faithful behaviour, faithful believers, festoon me with your finest sayings, forgiveness, Friday chant, guide along the pathway of righteousness, have good success, I don't swerve an inch from your course, I inherited your book on living, I've committed myself, introduce a new flock, keep meditating on God's word, living in total sin, LOVE, meditate therein day and night, obedience to Christ is a must, omnipotent help, our much deserved lot, our sinful world, rid our society of God, right motives of our hearts, shall not depart out of thy mouth, sincere repentance, stand strong and steadfast, tempted by the wicked, the anxiety confusion and havoc, the devil's lie, the error of their ways, the light and love of Jesus, the perilous pathways of this evil world, the wicked try to throw me off track, then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, this book of the law, throw a beam of light on my dark path, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, to forego and forget God's word, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, wake up from our evil ways, wise gudance, you reap what you sow
Psalm 119:105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Well it’s certainly not as beautiful out there today, as it was yesterday. It’s cloudy and miserable with rain forecasted during the day, but as I always say, what a good thing we have Jesus to otherwise brighten up our day! For even when the skies are cloudy and gray, and the storms are pounding down on us, the light and LOVE of Jesus is always present within His followers to lead and guide them along the pathway of righteousness. No wonder the psalmist confidently and gratefully declared: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
Yes friends, obedience to Christ’s dictates is a must if we want to sincerely live for Him. But how do we know His dictates? By reading His Word which gives us wisdom and knowledge. That means His Word is a lamp to guide us through the perilous pathways of this evil and ungodly world. And I like how the bible.com website illustrates the message on verses 105 -112 of the Psalm. It says: ‘By your words I can see where I am going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word. Festoon me with your finest sayings, GOD; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don’t forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don’t swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever – what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say – I always have and always will.’
Now that could be an everyday prayer, because every day we are tempted by the wicked to forego and forget God’s word and the rules for righteous living found therein. But when we keep meditating on His word, it will guide our path like a light. Remember how the Lord had the cloud by day and fire by night when He brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light’ to go by day and night.’ (Ex. 13:21)
Oh saints of Christ, you can see from the beginning of time that the Lord has safely guided His people. He always does it. Back then He did it with the Israelites through a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, because they were just learning about the Lord and had no written material to turn to, but we now have his holy word in print, in a physical form that we can always turn to for good and wise guidance. And we ought to be continually in it if we want to stay true to God’s dictates, for that is its stated purpose.
Remember God’s admonition to Joshua? ‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Brother! The Lord’s point is so clear, as it always is! Meditate on my law and keep it, and you will be prosperous! What’s so hard to understand about that eh?
And we know from their history that when the Israelites did as God said, they prospered, and when they turned from Him, they fell on hard times, adversity swallowed them up. And the same thing is happening to us right now! We have turned away from the word of God and living in total sin, not reading or following His word. So what do we expect happen eh? Wine roses and song? Absolutely not! Calamity, adversity and tribulation is our much deserved lot, and that’s exactly what we are getting.
All through the Good Book we are warned about disobedience, and see example after example where disobedient societies fall prey to adversity and calamity. So why do we think that because we have supposedly reached a higher level of civilization that we are exempt from God’s everlasting law eh? We aren’t! In fact, much more is expected of us because we know and understand more than those who have gone before us. But we choose to continue in our disobedience and evil doings, even trying to completely rid our society of God, and yet expect to prosper for a long time.
That’s the devil’s lie, his favourite deception, for the word of God doesn’t change, and if He said way back when, obey me and you will be prosperous, then that command still stands today, and if we were smart, we would choose to do it wholeheartedly. And as always, Cousin Sol had his wise two cents worth to throw in, during his warning against adultery. He says: ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov. 6:23) And if anybody should know about the law and its effects, it’s Cousin Sol, who went from being God’s shining star, in his early life, to the doghouse in his later days.
But the wonderful thing about our God is that when we wake up from our evil ways, we can always come back to Him through sincere prayer and true repentance. So please, let’s go to Him right now nuh, through our Friday Chant, spilling out our problems in sincere repentance, asking for forgiveness and His wise help. Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And please don’t forget that the Lord’s response to our entreaties will depend on our faithful behaviour and the right motives of our hearts. Much LOVE!
…you reap what you sow…so you can’t sow sin and expect to reap righteousness…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
01 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a careful degree of meticulousness, a greatly divided world, annihilation of mankind, be responsible and stay safe, beautiful colours of autumn, bring backsliders back, climate change, embrace your love and compassion, entrenched attitudes, established it upon the floods, faithful believers, free choice, Friday chant, God's passion and love for the earth, he hath founded it upon the seas, homelessness, I am the Lord that is my name, LOVE, made man in His own image, mired in hatred strife and anger, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images, obedience to God's word, out of the dust of the earth, political disagreement, poverty, prone to sin, racial inequlities, sinful world, some semblance of peace and love, the chilly days, the earth is God's masterpiece, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the lake of fire, the Lord spoke it into existence, the pandemic, the world and they that dwell therein, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee
Psalm 24:1. The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.
Can you believe it’s already October my friends? That means the beautiful colours of autumn will soon be upon us…including the chilly days that come with it. (smile) And what’s amazing is that with all the problems we’ve encountered, the year has still gone rushing by without a care for our serious worldwide predicament. It seems to be saying to us that it can’t wait around for us to fix our problems, it has to be about the Father’s business. If we want to stay mired in hatred, strife and anger, then that’s our misfortune, it has nothing to do with the moving forward of the days and the seasons.
And it’s quite right. The Lord has set the times of the seasons, which means nothing whatsoever will stop them from doing His bidding. I certainly wish the same could be said of His greatest creation, mankind. But no, with the free choice the Lord gave us, instead of being obedient to His word and desires, we have become proud, arrogant, ungodly, stubborn, prone to sin and disunity. And yet we wonder why we have so many problems.
Ah mih people, who knows how, when, or even if the numerous problems that are now facing us will ever be healed, or brought to some kind of resolution? Every day seems to bring with it a new disaster, be it natural or man-made, and the contentious questions concerning things like the pandemic, climate change, racial inequalities, political disagreement, homelessness and poverty are no closer to being solved. In fact, the temperature is heating up, with more entrenched attitudes and disagreeable words being spouted in a harsher and more strident manner with each passing day.
It’s a blessing that we have the Lord God Almighty, our Creator and Controller of the universe still on His heavenly throne keeping an eye on things yes. For without His steadying hand on the tiller, we would most likely have already sadistically devoured each other. Thankfully, His plans for the world don’t seem to call for a complete annihilation of mankind, although we are drawing closer to such a possibility everyday with the warlike words and attitudes we continually display.
It would be good though for all of us to take a moment and read these marvellous and truthful words of Bruh David as he outlines them in Psalm 24 – The king of glory. He confidently proclaims: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2)
Now those are facts we cannot dispute my fellow believers. The Lord brought the world and everything within it into existence from nothing, through His magnificent power and planning. Thus, everything belongs to Him, despite what we foolish humans seem to think. And He will not allow anyone or anything else to take it away or control it. Remember what He said through the prophet Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is, 42:8)
Yes friends, our God is very protective of what is His, and no one or nothing will take the glory and praise that He is entitled to for the creation and maintenance of this world. And I like how this commentary on the subject from the Christianity.com website reads. ‘God founding and establishing the Earth through such a careful degree of meticulousness is so inspiring and comforting. It reveals more about God’s passion and love for the Earth. The Earth is His masterpiece and like an artist, He crafts it and maintains what is His.’
Oh my people, even the unbeliever, if he sits quietly and contemplates the universe and all therein, will realize that despite its complexities and idiosyncrasies, and without any apparent overseer, it runs ever so smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. That ought to bring some serious appreciation for the power and majesty of its Creator. We believers already have that great appreciation, that’s why we praise and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, its Creator. For the world did not just appear from nowhere, but careful thought and much planning went into it, before the Lord spoke it into existence, and before He made man in His own image, out of the dust of the earth.
So yes, man has messed up the universe, but our heavenly Father still keeps an eye over it, because it’s His, and He doesn’t want us to completely destroy it, because He has a plan to restore and renew it some fine day. In the meanwhile though, we believers must try and bring some semblance of peace and LOVE to a greatly divided world; that’s the Lord’s desire.
He sent His Son Jesus to save us because He didn’t want to lose us to sin and Satan. But that doesn’t mean He will not judge the wicked harshly, those who refuse to believe in His Son, and consequently in Him. Please think about the final judgement and eternal separation from God, that entails being thrown into the lake of fire with Satan and his evil cronies. (Rev. 20:14-15)
Unfortunately, many of us think of that as a joke, but friends, God doesn’t make jokes in His word. It is the awesome truth! Whatever it says has happened, is happening and will happen! So please get serious about your eternal future. There are only two options: heaven and hell. And I am sure you don’t want to go the latter. That means we must begin right now, talking to God and making our way straight with Him through prayer and obedience to His word.
Therefore, as one voice, let’s go to Him through our Friday Chant and ask for His help. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and live the words ‘trusting faith,’ and ‘faithful believers,’ if we want our prayers to be positively answered. Much LOVE!
…the Lord doesn’t want to lose any of His creation…but He won’t rescind our free choice…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
24 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, a lot of other lemmings, a sound from heaven, as a means of restoring faith in you, as of a rushing mighty wind, back to your fold, band yuh belly, be responsible and stay safe, began to speak with other tongues, bring a lot of backsliders, Covid 19 virus, embrace your love and compassion, fighting for what you have, filled with the Holy Ghost, Friday chant, guide you through the storms of life, He shall give you another Comforter, I will come to you, I will not leave you comfortless, I will pray the Father, if ye love me keep my commandments, in Jerusalem in all Judea and Samaria, introduce a whole new flock, John truly baptized with water, keep our promises, like as of fire, live the easy life, LOVE, miserable humans, more responsibility to face, mortals are so impatient and lazy, omnipotent help, our sinful world, Pentecost day, serious and unexpected storm, show them the error of their ways, that he may abide with you for ever, the anxiety confusion and havoc, the higher you rise, the Holy Spirit of God, the more complicated and difficult life becomes, the sincerity of our motives, the Spirit of truth, there appeared unto them cloven tongues, trusting faith, unfaithful too, unto the uttermost parts of the earth, use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance and direction, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, ye shall be witnesses unto me
John 14:16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
Friday, oh Friday, why have you taken so long to come eh? Didn’t you see us struggling to get through this wretched week? But Friday was having none of it. Uncharacteristically, he lashed out. ‘What do you miserable humans expect of me eh? I am only a day yuh know, just like the other six. I can’t speed up or slow down or do anything at all, except go at the pace that my Creator set for me. So please stop this foolishness of praying for me to go faster and get here quicker! And don’t you realize, that if I got here any sooner, it also means that Monday, which you hate, will also get here quicker too?
Chuh! You mortals are so impatient and lazy! You would do anything to get out of a li’l bit of work! Not only that, but all yuh also blooming unfaithful too, because all yuh have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in all yuh, the same Holy Spirit who promised to lead and guide you through all the storms and tough times of life. But all yuh can’t wait for Him to do that. In fact, all yuh don’t want to go through no storms or tough times at all, yuh just want the easy life like a bed of roses. But that’s never going to happen nuh, so you all better band yuh belly and prepare yourselves, because it have plenty rough and tough times coming up ahead!
And sadly, all that Friday says is true. We feel that because our society has reached a certain level of development, life should keep getting easier and easier. But that’s not the reality of the situation, for the higher you rise, in all walks of life, the more complicated and difficult life actually becomes, You have more stuff to look after and more responsibility to face. Please note that the leaders of any organization or society always have more responsibility than the lower members. It’s their responsibility to keep the society or organization running smoothly and progressing along the stated pathway. And that’s definitely not an easy task!
So this idea we have of rising higher, so that we can live the easy life, is not truly borne out by life at all, since the higher you rise, the harder you have to work to stay at that height, because a whole lot of other lemmings are fighting for your position and what you have. But as Friday so wisely says, we believers in Christ Jesus have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us to lead and guide and comfort us throughout our earthly journey. But we must listen to Him and take His advice if we are to prosper and enjoy our days down here. Why do you think Jesus placed such emphasis on the Holy Spirit while He was on earth eh? Because He knew its importance.
While Jesus himself could only be in one place at one time, the Holy Spirit could be all about, all the time, dwelling and working simultaneously in each believer’s heart. As He told the disciples: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless (as orphans): I will come to you.’ (John 14:15-18) What a wonderful promise my fellow believers!
And before Jesus ascended back to heaven He met with the disciples and ‘commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John (the Baptist) truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence… But ye shall receive power after that (when) the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.’ (Acts 1:4-5, 8)
And so said, so done! We all know the Holy Ghost came upon the believers on that fateful Pentecost day, as they sat in the upper room. The Good Book tells it thus: ‘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 2:2-4)
Yes friends, our mighty God doesn’t do things in a puny way! (smile) And since that day of Pentecost, ALL believers have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit of Christ, enabling them to do and see things that unbelievers cannot do or see. And that’s why our lives can be better and more joyful than the heathen… But we must make the Holy Spirit a major part of our daily living for that to happen, because it does so many useful and wonderful things for us.
In a nutshell, it comforts us when we are lonely, and helps us to comfort others in their rough times, it leads and guides us when we don’t know where to turn or go, intercedes for us, or reads our hearts when we can’t find words to communicate with our heavenly Father. It’s exactly what it’s called, Our Helper! But we must allow it to help us and not ignore all its warnings and directions like so many of us do.
And now it’s time to ask the Holy Spirit to help us sincerely come to the Lord in prayer, through our Friday Chant. So as one voice, with the Spirit’s awesome intercession, let’s pray. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now let’s not forget, that the answers to our prayers will depend on the sincerity of our motives, and the way we keep our promises. Much LOVE!
…there’s no better helper or assistant than…the Holy Spirit of God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a day to rejoice in the Lord, accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, be responsible and stay safe, because he is at my right hand, bring backsliders back to your fold, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, defeat the virus and the unrest, embrace your love and compassion, eternal death and damnation, every day with breath, Friday chant, from him that spoileth him, he hath delivered the soul of the poor, he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, I have set the Lord always before me, I shall not be moved, introduce a whole new flock, it shall rejoice in his salvation, life might be rough and tough, LOVE, my flesh shall rest in hope, my heart is glad, my soul shall be joyful in the Lord, no seeing without believing, omnipotent help, Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord, stand strong and steadfast, suffer the Holy One to see corruption, the example your faithful believers set, the hand of evildoers, the poor and needy, this is the day the Lord has made, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, through hell and high water, to save him from those that condemn his soul, trusting faith, we can do all things with Christ's help, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wise guidance
Jeremiah 20:13. Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul (life) of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
Oh friends, it’s such a beautiful day in God’s universe, and a Friday to boot, meaning that the work week is ending and the weekend is upon us! So let’s have a wonderful day nuh! Life might be somewhat rough and tough, but once we have Jesus planted deep in our hearts and souls, it’s still possible to enjoy ourselves in this evil world. Then let’s declare it nuh: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And let’s not forget either that through Christ we can do anything He desires of us, because He is the very one that strengthens us, that enables us to do His mighty work down here on earth! Glory be my people!
And that’s why, this morning, we are going to do as Jeremiah did when He was sincerely trying to do the Lord’s work, and his enemies were constantly causing him problems, but he placed both enemies and problems in the mighty hands of the Lord and confidently declared: ‘Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord: for he hath delivered the soul (life) of the poor from the hand of evildoers.’ (Jer. 20:13) Now that’s exactly what the Lord does my brethren, when we place our trust and faith in Him. Yes, there’s no way He will turn away from us, when we call out to Him for help!
And if you don’t believe Jeremiah, then check out these faithful and trusting words of Bruh David from Psalm 109 – titled, ‘A prayer for punishment of the wicked.’ To end the psalm, he confidently cries out: ‘I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.’ (Ps. 109:30-31) And Bruh David had enough dealings with the Lord to know what he was talking about.
That’s why he could also say in Psalm 35 – A prayer for recue from enemies. ‘And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: for it shall rejoice in his salvation. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and needy from him that spoileth (plunders) him.’ (Ps. 35:9-10)
Oh my people, my people, it’s the Lord faithful promise that if we turn to Him in all sincerity and truth that He will never leave nor forsake us. But the only way we can ever find out if He’s faithful is by first putting our faith and trust, surrendering our lives to Him. There’s no seeing without believing in His economy, and we just have to go by the faithful testimony of those who have gone before us and discovered that the Lord is indeed faithful to keep ALL of His promises. We just have to go on faith friends.
And if we can’t find anything better, nothing else to help solve our problems, then it’s simple common sense to give Jesus a try. And I don’t think we can get a better testimony than from Bruh David, who in complete innocence went through hell and high water in the Lord’s service, and even with his own serious mistakes, still enjoyed a blessed life, because he never turned away from the God of his forefathers. And if yuh want to hear real heartfelt testimony, listen to how he ends Psalm 16, as he seeks preservation and blessing.
‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest (dwell securely) in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (the abode of the dead): neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’ (Ps. 16:8-11) Oh friends, you couldn’t get any more confident than that in the Lord’s faithfulness, but it’s all based on Christ Jesus blazing the trail for us.
As Bruh David confidently declared: ‘neither wilt thou suffer (allow) thine Holy One, (that’s Christ), to see corruption.’ Even way back then, though he didn’t see it in reality, in his prophetic nature, he believed in the promise of the Messiah, the coming of Christ to save all those who trusted and believed in Him. But now that we have seen it, the coming of Christ, what are we waiting for eh?
It just shows that God’s promises are faithful and true, and if you don’t take Him up on them, then eventually crapaud going to smoke yuh pipe, you will be eternally separated from Him, suffering eternal death and damnation. And it won’t be a nice time…so I beg us, plead with us, let’s accept Christ as Lord and Saviour nuh, because it’s the only real and true answer to all our problems and worries.
Therefore, let’s go to Him right now in prayer, doing as He advises, casting all our cares upon him, for He cares for us. So, in all sincerity, let’s raise up our Friday Chant to heaven nuh. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set.
Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And don’t forget that positive answers will only come, if we faithfully keep the promises that we make. Have a good day on such a beautiful day! Much LOVE!
…every day with breath in our souls…is a day to rejoice in the Lord…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all will be right with your world, be responsible and stay safe, bring backsliders back to your fold, Christ's all-embracing yoke, come unto me all ye that labour, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, faintest not, Friday chant, Friday the 13th, God is the Boss, God runs things His way, He giveth power to the faint, horse of a different colour, I will give thee rest, imagine my crosses nuh, in accordance with His will, Jesus Christ, King of Kings, look me in mih eye, LOVE, mount up with wings as eagles, neither is weary, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, omnipotent help, our sinful world, salvation, shall renew their strength, show them the error of their ways, stand strong and steadfast, stronghold, tell me point blank, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the example your faithful believers set, the heavens are the work of thy hands, the Immutability of God, the Lord and Saviour, the One and Only Living God, the Prince of Peace, the same yesterday today and forever, the unchanging character of God, the work scene killing me, there is no searching of His understanding, they shall perish but thou shalt endure, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, they that wait upon the Lord, this lost sinful and evil world, to them that no might he increaseth strength, trusting faith, wake up and smell the coffee, wax old like a garment, wise guidance, wreaking havoc on mih nerves
Hebrews 13:8. ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’
Friday, oh Friday! Is about time yuh reach here yes! Even if you are the supposed bad mind, evil, Friday the thirteenth, ah still glad yuh finally reach, because ah tired. This work scene killing me! Is over a year now I didn’t have to come down in this ugly city five days a week to do this frustrating work. But then a couple weeks ago, mih boss call and said is time to come back down here. Oh mih child, you wouldn’t know how that long drive, twice a day in jam up traffic, wreaking havoc on mih nerves and mih life in general nuh.
It took me ten years to get accustomed to driving downtown in the traffic every single day. But then it only took me a li’l more than a year to unlearn it. And you can imagine how bad it going to be when we come out of all the covid restrictions, and the traffic really start to hit it the road? It going to be real awful.
And to make matters worse, when I tell mih boss about how the downtown drive nerve wracking, yuh know what this boldfaced man look me in mih eye and tell me point blank. ‘I’m sorry my dear, if you can’t do the drive, then get a house closer to your work. And have no fear, if you don’t want the job, I have plenty others who are willing to take it for less pay!’ But imagine my crosses nuh! After I done slave for this imbecile man for so long, he have the nerve and bad manners to tell me such a thing!’
Yes friends, that’s life! As the old people would say, if life doesn’t get you one way, it will get you another. And that’s the gospel truth! This woman apparently didn’t get sick and had it fairly easy during the big covid lockdown, possibly working from home, so she got quite used to the situation. But then, when life struck, as it takes pleasure in doing, and she had to go back out to work, it was a horse of a different colour. Life does us that all the time friends: set you up one way, only to drag you down in another.
And it is our responsibility, ofttimes a difficult one, to not allow it to take us to the cleaners. It means we need to find a constant in our lives; something or someone that that doesn’t play terrible games like life does. And believe me people, the ONE and ONLY constant, unchangeable force in this world is the Lord God Almighty; He of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac! Yes friends, wisdom dictates that we tie ourselves, bind ourselves securely to the ONE and ONLY Living God, through His mighty Son, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Lord and Saviour of this lost, sinful and evil world!
And why is that you ask? Simple! Because He is the ONLY thing or person in this universe that does not change, and He is also trustworthy, therefore He can be depended on to look after our affairs in accordance with His will. And I know you don’t like that last part about accordance with His will, but we need to remember that Jehovah God is the Creator and Ruler of this universe; in other words, He is the BOSS, and like in the story above, what the Boss says, goes. (smile)
So, now that we have established that most important fact, that God runs things His way, (smile) let’s look at the immutability, the unchanging character of God, and see how it can greatly benefit us. Here are some scriptures from the Good Book, the Lord’s Holy Word, which let us know in no uncertain terms of His forever constant nature. The writer of Hebrews puts it very simply and clearly when He talks of ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb. 13:8)
But if that’s too simple for you, because mankind tends to think that only complicated things are worthwhile, then let’s consider the more complicated terms of Psalm 102. The psalmist confidently declares: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure (continue): yes, all of them shall wax (grow) old like a garment; as a vesture (cloak) shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps. 102:25-27)
Now does that impact you more forcefully? I certainly hope so, because if you do not engage the Lord God Jehovah, through Jesus Christ, as your stronghold and salvation, then you are in for a very rough ride in this life and then eternal separation from the Creator at the end time. But here are some marvellous verses of scripture that you ought to seriously consider. It comes from the prophet Isaiah.
‘Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.’ (Is. 40:28-31)
Now that ought to capture you attention! (smile) But seriously friends, not only does the Lord not change, but He also gives power and strength to the weak and weary. And if you’re still not sure, then listen to this wonderful invitation from Jesus nuh. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28) Now which other supposed god or idol offers that kind of invitation eh? None whatsoever. And even if they did, they could not fulfill it, because it’s only the Living God who has the power to do it!
And there are many other scriptures we can quote about God’s unchangeability, strength and magnanimous character, but time and space prevent us. So, we hope that what we’ve said will hit home to you, and help you to draw closer to Christ, because that’s where your bread is truly buttered. Now, let’s take our problems to God in prayer, another wonderful facet of being under His everlasting yoke of comfort, safety and rest.
As one strong and sincere voice, let’s declare our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, please my brethren, let’s remember, that God’s answer totally depends on the example we set…that is of faithful believers. Much LOVE!
…if you are living under Christ’s all-embracing yoke…you don’t have to worry about a thing…just do as He says…and all will be right with your world…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Aug 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a world suddenly gone mad, bring backsliders back to your fold, corporate worship, Covid-19 virus, defeat the virus and the unrest, depends solely on our behaviour, embrace your love and compassion, enlivens our spirit, face time with God, faithful believers, Friday chant, fun and frolic, glorious summer weekend, he hath counsel and understanding, keeps us going in the right direction, like putty in the hands of the Creator, LOVE, lying in the sun, omnipotent help, private prayer, sinful and disobedient ways, tete a tete, the error of their ways, the giver of live, the grace of God, the source of all you are, time with our heavenly Father, To God be the glory, trusting faith, unconditional LOVE, unrest in the streets, wake up and smeel the coffee, with Him (God) is wisdom and strength
Job 12:13. With him (God) is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.
Come on friends, it’s the big day of Friday, the start of this glorious summer weekend! So what’s your plans for it eh? Fun and frolic, wine and song, or just taking it easy and lying in the sun, enjoying its warming rays? Well, a li’l bit of those are all good, but what about some time with our heavenly Father eh? No plans to get together with Him for even a li’l tete a tete? That’s not wise now, for He is the source of all you are, all you have and all you will ever be.
So please, let’s be wise and make some time to spend with our wonderful God over the next few days nuh, in private prayer, as well as corporate worship. For that’s what truly makes us come alive, enlivens our spirits, strengthens our faith and keeps us going in the right direction.
Yes friends, without some face time with our God, we become listless and lost, unsure of how to proceed in this rather complicated and unpredictable process we call life, especially when the enemy is getting more active and daring every day, because he thinks he is winning the fight. But we need to show him that he’s oh so wrong. And we can only do that with the grace of our great God flowing from our souls and spirits. And we can only get that ever-powerful grace of God when we sincerely bond and engage with Him.
For as Job so rightly said when attacked by his supposed friends: ‘With him (God) is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.’ (Job 12:13) Oh my brethren, truer words were never spoken! And did Job ever learn a thing or two about God during his innocent ‘sufferation.’ Earlier on he remarked: ‘He (God) is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?’ (Job 9:4) And the obvious answer to that question is ‘NOBODY!’
Even the mightiest of His creations, the archangel Lucifer, foolishly tried to overthrow Him but was unsuccessful and ingloriously kicked out from the power and glory he enjoyed in heaven. So, it’s ever so foolish for us lesser mortals to think that we could best God in any respect whatsoever. But we do try, when, like Lucifer, the pride of our looks and doings overwhelm our puny minds.
It never ceases to amaze me that the created, could ever think that they are more powerful and can thus overthrow or bring down their Creator. It just doesn’t compute friends. The created is like putty in the hands of the Creator, made into whatever image the Creator desires, and the Creator is no fool to imbue the created with so much might and power that the latter could overthrow Him.
That means all our efforts to rid our society of God is just pure foolishness. And the only thing that’s stopping God from getting rid of us completely is His awesome, though not understandable, unconditional LOVE for us! Remember, He once erased the whole world through a flood when He got tired of humanity’s sin and disobedience. Unfortunately, that new start didn’t work too well either, for we were soon back to our old sinful and disobedient ways.
And though God promised never to use a flood again, there’s nothing that says He can’t use other means, like fire and brimstone, or sickness and other natural disasters. And who knows what’s really happening in our world right now eh? Look at the serious strife, sickness, fires and upheaval that’s taking place all over the globe! How do we know that’s not the hand of God trying to wake us up, to tell us something eh? We don’t, and apparently many of us don’t care.
But for the comparative few of us who do care and are concerned about all the ‘sufferation’ in our current world, please, let’s make it our number one desire to spend time with our Maker, our God, our Provider, our Comforter. For it’s only through sincere interaction with Him that our problems will ever be solved, or even lessened. And there’s no better time than right now, to go to Him in prayer, asking for His help to bring back some sense of sanity to our world, for it surely seems to have suddenly gone mad.
So as one sincere voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, let’s remember our promise to be faithful believers, for if we aren’t, our prayers will not be answered. That means, it now depends solely on our behaviour; it’s our choice, to be righteous, or unrighteous! Much LOVE!
…to God…the giver of life…be all the glory…for ever and ever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
16 Jul 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of intercession, a tornado tore through Barrie, anxiety, back to your fold, bring a lot of backsliders, burnt offerings and sacrifices, but safety is of the Lord, confusion and havoc of Covid 19, consequences to all choices, desperately need your help, embrace your love and compassion, Fiday Chant, free will, God's unfailing love and grace, grant thee according to thine own heart, He is a just and righteous God, I know the Lord saveth his anointed, in the name of our God, introduce a new flock, looks like a war zone, LOVE, omnipotent help, pray for the health and safety of those involved, revere the Lord God Jehovah, some trust in chariots and some in horses, the betterment of our world, the example your faithful believers set, the horse is prepared against the day of battle, the Lord fulfill all thy petitions, the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble, the name of the god Jacob defend thee, the righteousness of God, trusting faith, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, we are risen and stand upright, we will rejoice in thy salvation, we will remember the name of the Lord, we will set up our banners, wind tunnels
Psalm 20:7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
And it’s Friday, the weekend is upon us! Wow! But the weather’s been so contrary in the last couple weeks that one’s not sure of what to expect. It’s not been summer hot, but cloudy and rainy much of the time. Oh, and unfortunately, yesterday afternoon, a tornado tore through the city of Barrie, just to the north of Toronto, leaving a whole lot of damage behind it, but as far as I know, no loss of life.
It’s amazing the amount of damage these immense wind tunnels can do in a short space of time. It only takes a few minutes, then the place looks like a war zone afterwards. Please, let’s pray for the health and safety of those who unfortunately suffered through it, and help in any way we can. For we never know when it will be our turn to undergo some such unfortunate incident. That brings me to these interesting verses of Psalm 20, superscripted – They trust in chariots – written by Bruh David as a song of intercession by the people on behalf of the king before battle, but very appropriate for us in these very divisive and angry times.
It states: ‘The Lord hear thee (may the Lord answer thee) in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee (set thee on high). Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion: Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart (thine heart’s desire), and fulfill all of thy counsel (purpose). We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfill all thy petitions.’ (Ps. 20:1-5)
Yes my friends, if we live according to the righteousness of God, in our time of trouble we can pray to him and know that He will answer us and not only that, but also give us the desires of our heart, because He is a just and righteous God. Now, we don’t have to do like the people under the Old Covenant and offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, but we do have to live right, by the New Covenant that Jesus Christ initiated if we want to see blessings and mercy, grace and salvation flood our souls and societies.
No wonder the world is in such a mess. Comparably few of us are living the way the Lord wants us to live. Too many of us are living the way the world dictates, avidly going down the broad and sinful path that leads to death and destruction, totally ignoring, even blaspheming, the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation and eternal life. But yet we expect to see God’s favour in our lives and societies. That’s just wishful and foolish thinking my brethren. We can’t expect to enjoy God’s goodness unless we at least attempt to live the way He desires of us.
But today we are totally disregarding His law, vehemently flouting His dictates, even crying out that there is no God! How foolish can we be eh? Instead, we should be totally declaring like Bruh David’s words instruct: ‘Now I know that the Lord saveth his anointed (Messiah, commissioned one); he will hear (answer) him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright.’ (Ps. 20:6-8)
Ah…what wonderful truth! Those of us who sincerely revere the Lord God Jehovah, will not trust in the folly and foolish things of this world, but we will remember His mighty and holy name. Therefore we will rise up and stand strong because of His unfailing LOVE and grace to those who sincerely believe in Him. Oh my people, the enemy, the foolish Satan, is fighting against the will of God for our lives. He wants us to make our bed in hell with him, but why go to that hellhole (smile) when there is heaven to go to eh? It’s totally senseless.
But to get to heaven we do need to believe in Christ Jesus, accept him as our Lord and Saviour, and then try to live the kind of life He desires, which is the exact opposite of the one Satan is touting. But it’s all up to our individual will. God has granted us freedom of choice, but please remember that there are consequences for each and every choice we make, some good, some bad. And it’s totally up to us to decide. Now, for those of us who are sincerely interested in the betterment of our world, let’s do what God requires, and expects of us nuh; go to Him in prayer, laying all our problems and desires at His feet.
So as one strong and sincere, but humble voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, we have to behave like true believers, and set a good example, if we want our prayers to be positively answered. It’s the ONLY way! Much LOVE!
…the horse is prepared against the day of battle…but safety (deliverance) is of the Lord… (Prov. 21:31)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
25 Jun 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abound to the glory of God, and lo I am with you always, be of good cheer, bring backsliders back to your fold, Covid-19 virus, death on the corss, earth is only our temporary home, embrace your love and compassion, even to the end of the world, for which cause we faint not, Friday chant, God dwells in believer's hearts, heaven is for eternity, i have overcome the world, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, introduce a whole new flock, LOVE, men of clay, mental and emotional health, omnipotent help, promised never to leave nor forsake me, put out trust in Jesus Christ, racial strife, restoring faith in you, resurrection from the dead, saints of Christ, serious setbacks, the error of their ways, the example we set, the excellency of the power may be of God, the inward man is renewed day by day, the New Covenant, though our outward man persih, trusting faith, wise guidance and direction
Matthew 28:20b. …and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Well hello there, you beautiful saints of Christ! It’s Friday, the day that so many of us look forward to, or rather used to look forward to, when life was normal and the world was not pandemic entangled. But now, things are somewhat different; many of us are finding it even more difficult than before to make ends meet, money is in short supply for numerous reasons, and our mental and emotional health is not as good, not as relaxed and contented as it once was. But I’m here to remind us that if we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, we should not despair or be afraid.
Why is that, you ask? It’s simple; because He will look after us, for He has promised never to leave nor forsake us, (Heb. 13:5) and He is noted for keeping His promises…all of them. But we must keep believing them, and stand strong on them, let our faith rise to new levels, by recalling scriptures like: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Yes, it is difficult to raise our level of faith when we are undergoing serious stress and strain, but the truth is that’s the very time we need to raise it, when we need to stand strong in Jesus, because without His saving grace and faith, we will indeed crumble under the enemy’s onslaught. Remember Jesus last words to the disciples, and consequently to us, when He gave them the Great Commission to go out and evangelize the world? ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) Now that is another vital scripture to keep uppermost in our hearts and souls, to help in time of need.
Oh my people, in these trying times, times that echo the last days, we need to be greatly encouraged in our faith, in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And if we are finding things difficult right now, it might take a while before they improve, but we need to believe that they will. And even if they don’t, because not all things fall under the mantra, ‘this too shall pass,’ we need to be strong enough to understand that we are being prepared for a better place, heaven, and that in due time, the Lord will work it all out for our good. (Rom. 8:28) It’s a matter of trust and faith in God’s promises friends.
As Bruh Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’ (2 Cor. 4:7) What that means is that we are brittle earthen vessels that have the power of God, of the gospel filling us. The scholars explain it thus: ‘It depicts humanity in its weakness. The gospel is not a product of human genius or clever intellect (humanity in its strength). Yet it resides in men of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.’
Ah my fellow saints, under the New Covenant, God dwells in believer’s hearts, and it’s the source of power that enables us to keep keeping on, despite less than comfortable or favourable circumstances. It’s borne out in Bruh Paul’s words. ‘We are troubled (hard pressed) on every side, yet not distressed (crushed); we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast (struck) down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.’ (2 Cor. 4:8-10)
Yes friends, the life and death of Christ must empower us to hold on to our Christian beliefs. We need to remember what He suffered on our behalf – death on the cross, as well as what He also accomplished – resurrection from the dead, giving us the promise of salvation and eternal life. And that better life with Him in the future, is something we ought to think about a little more down here on earth, especially when times are rough.
As Bruh Paul says: ‘Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound (abound) to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not (do not lose heart), but though our outward man perish (is perishing), yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.’ (2 Cor. 4:14-18)
Oh my brethren, I know it’s not easy to ignore the things going on in our earthly lives and think about those that will occur in the future in heaven, but it’s one of the tools we need to use to help us get through the trying times. And we can do it, if we harness the amazing power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, through the awesome grace that our heavenly Father provides for us to do His work. Now that doesn’t mean we don’t ask for divine help in our earthly troubles. So let’s take the many we currently have, to the Father right now nuh, through our Friday Chant.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, and avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
And also introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And, as we supposed faithful believers truly behave like faithful believers, so will our current troubles be remedied. Much LOVE!
…earth is only our temporary home…heaven is where we will spend eternity with Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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