15 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: at thy right hand, benefit, best china, broad is the way, chew slowly, cloth napkins, cynical, Daily Menu, driven us further apart, enter ye, eternal life, few that find it, forge closer ties, fresh flowers, fresh herbs, friend of Jesus share the love, frozen food, full of energy, fullness of joy, give thanks, great conversation, groggy, hard, heavenly blessings, heavenly Father, I am the way the truth and the life, in thy presence, invite someone, irony, Jesus, joy, leads to destruction, LOVE, lulled me back to sleep, modern amenities, narrow gate, nutritious food, peace, pleasures for evermore, prepare every meal with love, refreshed, savour every morsel, seductively, show me, standards, steadfast, stress free life, the beloved of God, the Christian life, the falling rain, the family, the mainstay of society, the path of life, the riddim, the strait gate, tired, too busy, Tuesday Mantra, wash your hands, what a bam bam
Psalm 16:11. Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
‘Listen to the riddim of the falling rain…pita pata, pita pata…Listen to the riddim of the falling rain…Telling me just how good life has been…’
Oh friends that’s exactly what I was doing a couple of hours ago. I had gone to bed early, by my standards, (smile) and had gotten up early, feeling refreshed and full of energy.
But then I heard the rain falling outside my open window, falling so seductively, that I decided to lie back down and listen to it. Next thing yuh know, it lulled me back to sleep.
Then I got up an hour and a half later, this time though I woke up feeling tired and groggy, with my back aching. What a bam bam eh!
But it sure feels good to lie awake in bed and listen to the heavenly blessings cleanse and water the earth. There’s nothing better than just lying there and letting the sounds of the falling rain just wash over you, not only cleansing the land, but also your soul.
Too many of us have gotten so hard and cynical, worrying over worldly things, that we no longer appreciate the peace and joy that simple act brings.
Now here is a li’l something to brighten our day and help us along the way. It’s titled, ‘Daily Menu.’ I don’t know where I got it from, but I recently found it amongst the many pieces of paper on my desk and thought it would be good to share it again.
It says: ‘Give thanks. Fill a vase with fresh flowers. Set a beautiful table. Use fresh, simple ingredients. Use your best china and silverware. Prepare every meal with LOVE. Use fresh herbs. Invite someone. Practice good manners. Wash your hands. Use cloth napkins. Chew slowly. Savour every morsel. Have great conversation. Eat desert. Wash your own dishes.’
Ah mih people, what a stress free life we’d have if we only incorporated a few of those things into our everyday life. But we’re too busy to set a beautiful table…even to set a table, so we eat in front of the tube.
And the best china…Hn! That will probably be used at our wake. And don’t talk about preparing a meal with LOVE, for the words preparing a meal these days usually means nuking some already prepared frozen food.
And what great conversation can we have when we’re totally tuned in to the foolishness on the tube eh? Wash your hands… Hn! Many of us have never heard of that directive. Use cloth napkins…No way Jose! That’ll mean having to wash them…even though there’s a clothes washer and dryer.
Chew slowly…Whoa! In this modern age, that’s something most of us have never been taught. That reminds me of the Elementary School Teacher I had, who chewed every mouthful of food 32 times.
And enjoy the food. Hn! How can you enjoy the tasteless fare served up as nutritious food these days eh?
Yeh friends, it amazes me that with so many modern amenities to help us in our daily chores, our lives have gotten busier and we seem to have less time for ourselves… and also for others. The mainstay of the society, the family unit is slowly crumbling, or rather, has crumbled.
What irony! The things that were supposed to help us forge closer ties, have driven us further apart. That’s where living the Christian life ought to help us.
This is what Bruh David declares of our God in today’s Bit. ‘Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.’
Oh my fellow believers, where else can we find such an awesome situation eh? Definitely not in this wicked and ungodly world! Only with our heavenly Father are those things truly possible.
And Jesus said it quite plainly. ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait (how narrow) is the gate and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt.7:13-14)
Yes friends, the proper life to live here on earth is a disciplined, self-controlled one based on Christian principles. It also has the added advantage of securing you eternal life with Jesus. NO OTHER kind of life has that amazing benefit!
There are only two choices my people, the broad path that leaders to destruction, or the narrow one that leads to Jesus!
The scholars offer these explanations. ‘7:13-14. Enter ye in at the strait gate (narrow) means that one must come through the narrow gate in order to reach the path that leads to eternal life.
Though many are on the broad…way, that leadeth to destruction (eternal separation from God) the gate that leads to life is so narrow that few there be that find it. Christ Himself is both the gate and the way (cf. John 14:6), and God enables men to find that gate (c.f. John 6:44).’
There you have it my brethren: the Christian life is the best, but it’s not easy, and you have to seek it diligently and stay steadfast along that narrow way that leads to Jesus and eternal life.
And since we all have already made that wise and awesome decision to seek and stay on the narrow path, we can now go home declaring our true identity in our Tuesday Mantra.
So let’s shout it out loudly, proudly, and sincerely: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
What a wonderful group of people we are my faithful brethren! (smile) Now let’s go out and share that wonderful LOVE of our friend Jesus with the world! Much LOVE!
…I am the way, the truth, and the life…no man cometh unto the Father…but by ME… (John 14:6)
08 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a physical skill, a time to every purpose under heaven, bad, blessing, book of proverbs, bounden duty, Caribana, Christian faith, discretion, equity, evil world, fairness, fals, friend of Jesus, God's will, good, grow in faith, in Jesus' name, increase learning, instruction, Jehovah, judgement, justice, know wisdom, knowledge of God, living God, LOVE, loving god, loving-kindness, merciful, moral discipline, protecting, prudence, reality, reverential awe, right behaviour, righteousness, season, serious living, share His love, skill in living, thanks and praise, the beginning of wisdom, the beloved of God, the fear of the Lord, the knowledge of the Holy One, the SON, the Sun, to everything there is a season, true, Tuesday Mantra, understanding, winning back, wisdom, wise behaviour, wise counsels
Proverbs 9:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (Holy One) is understanding.
Awright mih breddren, the big Caribana party done now! Is time to get back to some serious living, and concentrate on winning back this evil world for Jesus!
As Cousin Sol so wisely and rightly says: ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl.3:1) Glory be, my people!
And is it ever a glorious morning out there; both the Sun and the SON are shining in all their brilliant splendour! Wow!
And when that happens you know for a fact that our great God, Jehovah, is still on His heavenly throne and still in control of the universe He created! Give Him some thanks and praise my people!
And all God’s children responded with a loud and grateful: ‘O heavenly Father, on this beautiful Tuesday morning we give you everlasting thanks and praise for all Your LOVING-kindness to us.
We bless Your Holy Name, we exalt and glorify You and pray that You will continue blessing and protecting us even if we don’t deserve it. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!’
Yeh friends, we do serve and worship an incredibly merciful and LOVING God! And there’s NONE OTHER like Him; the ONE and ONLY true LIVING GOD!
Let’s never forget that and keep living in His will and giving Him thanks and praise on a continual basis, for that’s why He created us.
Now here is our Bit, the same as yesterday. ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy (Holy One) is understanding.’
Oh friends, that is such an important aspect of our faith that we can’t just deal with it in one day. In fact it’s the very basis of our Christian faith! Without the reverential awe of God, we simply cannot gain an understanding of what He is all about.
That’s why Cousin Sol says the getting of true wisdom, that which comes from God, and not from man, is so important for all believers. For then and only then can we grow in the faith and worship of our heavenly Father.
If you don’t know what He’s about, then you obviously can’t do Him and His word proper justice. And that’s why Cousin Sol wrote the Book of Proverbs: ‘To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive (understand or discern) the words of understanding: To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgement, and equity: To give subtilty (prudence) to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.’ (Prov.1:2-4)
And what does all of that mean? Let’s hear the scholar’s explanations. ‘1:2: Wisdom is the key word of the book and basically means “skill in living.” It is used in the Old Testament to refer to a physical skill such as tailoring (Ex.28:3), metalwork and woodwork (Ex.31:3-6), spinning (Ex.35:26); engraving and designing (Ex.35:35), and warfare (Is.10:13).
Used metaphorically, as in Proverbs, it refers to the skill to live life successfully. Instruction refers to moral discipline of one’s life, not to classroom instruction. Understanding means the capability to distinguish between true and false, good and bad, what matters most and what does not matter at all.’
So yuh see friends, wisdom is simply how to live a successful life, and the best way to acquire that knowledge is from the One who created us.
And the scholars continue: ‘1:3: Wisdom, a different Hebrew word from that used in verse 2, means “wise behaviour,” “wise dealing,” “good sense.” Justice is the same words as righteousness and refers to conformity to God’s law. Judgement is a legal term used of a judge’s verdict and refers to right behaviour. Equity is fairness in one’s dealings with others.’
‘1:4:The simple are naïve young people open to any influence, among the chief addressees in the book. Knowledge means the apprehension of reality, including an experiential knowledge of God. Discretion refers to the power of formulating and carrying out the right measures.’
Ah mih people, it all tells us that living a successful life is not easy, even with the wisdom of God. However, one cannot live a successful life WITHOUT the wisdom of God!
And you can only acquire that wisdom when you spend serious time with Him, read His word, and live life the way He wants. Remember He is the Creator, the BOSS, and we are mere servants. A lot of us seem to forget that crucial distinction.
And what happens when we sincerely seek to acquire wisdom. Cousin Sol says: ‘A wise man will hear, and will increase learning: and a man of understanding shall attain unto (acquire) wise counsels:’ (Prov.1:5) In other words, both the ‘wise as well as the untaught can learn from this book (Proverbs).’
And we need to remember friends, that Cousin Sol was talking here not from mere hearsay, but he actually lived that life, even to showing how to be foolish at the end, by moving away from the God who had blessed him so much.
So please, let’s be wise and sow those seeds deep in our hearts, bodies, souls and minds, that we can live successful lives. Now, as we always do on a Tuesday, let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra, telling the evil and ungodly world just who and whose we are.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Action stations my people! Much LOVE!
…sharing the LOVE of God…is a Christian’s bounden duty…
01 Aug 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a quiet stream, abundant provision, all the days of my life, anoints my head with oil, assured, be broken, before mine enemies, beloved of God, celebration, Creator of the universe, deity, dwell in the house of the Lord, foundational truth, friend of Jesus, frightening shadow, glory to God, God's goodness, goodness, guest, hear our cries, heartwarming words, heatwave, honoured position, host, hottest day, I shall not want, indisputable fact, integrity, lack for anything, lie down in green pastures, LOVE, loving-kindness, mea culpa, mercy, metaphor, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, One Year Book of Bible promises, Our Father, prepares a table, Protector, provider, question, rest, restores my soul, Ruth Harms Calkin, safe, shade tree, share His love, sheep., shepherd, still waters, the affirmative, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the living God, the Lord God Jehovah, The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord's prayer, the One and Only True God, the paths of righteousness, the promise, the shadow of death, the wilderness, tough times, true to your word, trust, Tuesday Mantra, vindication, with the Lord's help, words of assurance
Psalm 23:1. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa! Yeh friends, it was just one of those days, after running around in the hot sun yesterday afternoon, the old body just cried out for rest and simply refused to get up this morning before it felt sufficiently rested. (smile)
And yesterday was probably the hottest day yet for this summer. Old July went out with a heat wave, and August seems to want to come in the same way, because it’s also supposed to be fairly hot today.
And I have to go out and do some more stuff out there today too. But I have no doubt that with the Lord’s invaluable help, it will all turn out fine.
Now here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that ought to lift us all up this morning, give us comfort and assurance to face the day’s problems. It’s titled ‘The Promise.’
Let’s pray together: ‘O dear God, I continue to believe Your personal promise still stands Though every quivering question within Shouts that it will be broken. I am claiming Your help through the wilderness Despite every frightening shadow and vale. Often You do the most When you seem to do the least.
Sometimes secretly Sometimes quietly Often slowly But always most certainly You are true to Your word. And so, my Lord Though I am weak, weary, and worn help me not to despair. You see me, You hear me. You know I am depending utterly Upon Your unblemished integrity Surely You will keep Your word.’
And that’s an indisputable fact my fellow believers in Christ! The Lord God Jehovah, creator of the universe and all therein WILL keep His Word for He is a Deity of the utmost integrity! And that’s exactly why we can place our utmost trust in Him and feel safe and assured! Glory to God my brethren!
Yeh friends, that’s the whole purpose of having a God; someone to look up to, especially in tough times, someone who CAN, and also WILL hear our cries for help and answer them in the affirmative.
And the awesome, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the ONLY One of the many gods being worshipped today, who is actually capable of doing that! For He is the ONLY LIVING GOD!
All others are merely dead and lifeless idols, creations of man’s mind, or the creation of the One and Only True God Jehovah. So how can you worship something that is dead, or was created by someone else and has absolutely no power to do anything under its own will or power eh? It just doesn’t make sense. Hope what I’m saying makes sense though? (smile)
And the Bible Verse that substantiates that Promise is none other than one of our most famous Bible Verses; the true and wonderful words of Bruh David: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack anything).’
What marvellous words of assurance eh mih people! No other faith can proclaim such a statement and have it be the truth…but we can! All power and glory to our great God!
And Bruh David lays it out, all nice and simple and straightforward. ‘He maketh me to lie down in green pastures (pastures of tender green grass): he leadeth me beside the still waters (waters of rest): He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.’ (Ps.23:2-3)
Oh my faithful brethren, doesn’t that just resonate powerfully and peacefully through your hearts, bodies and souls? It certainly does through mine, and has me longing for the green pastures and peaceful waters of sweet Tobago, which I haven’t experienced for almost two years.
And can’t you just imagine Bruh David penning those heartwarming words as he sat below some shade tree, on a beautiful summer’s day, beside a quiet stream, watching his sheep graze on the lush and plentiful green grass around him?
It was just the perfect metaphor to describe his God; the eternal and merciful One who found healthy forage for his sheep and protected him from the wild animals and natural disasters that constantly came against them.
That’s why they have become such a standard, such foundational truth in our faith! The only prayer possibly known better than that is the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ or ‘Our Father.’
And Bruh David didn’t stop there, he went on to elaborate even further on the rich and blessed assurances of his awesome God. ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy (LOVING-kindness) shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’ (Ps.23:4-6)
And all God’s people shouted ‘Amen and Amen!’ Yeh friends, it couldn’t get any better than that!
As the scholars explain: ‘Psalm 23: The psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with due reason: it expresses as simply and clearly as any the role of God as our protector and provider in life.
The charm of the psalm rests on two figures of speech: the Lord is compared to a shepherd and the believer to his sheep (vs.1-4); then the Lord is likened to a host with the believer as the guest (vs.5-6).’
So my people, with all of that bubbling and reverberating in our hearts, spirits and souls, let’s go home now sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Now, the next move is for us to put it all into action! Much LOVE!
…with God as our shepherd comes…’an honoured position…abundant provision…vindication before one’s enemies…eternal celebration of God’s goodness…’
P.S. Yes, I know it’s long and late, but it’s still beautiful, even if I say so myself. (smile)
25 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool, a man of understanding, A Quiet Tongue, a revealing fact, a snap of His fingers, aches and pains, angry, awesome God, be swift to hear, being alive, beloved of God, Bible Study, bits of wisdom, break into conversations, calm spirit, circled them with red ink, communication, considered wise, conversations, discipline costs, don't become angry, enlightened insight, expounding, glory to God, grateful, guilty heart, happy to be alive, heal me completely, holdeth his peace, inspiring experiences, keeps silent, knowledge, listen, listen much, listening is a discipline, my beloved brethren, pay a price, planet earth, predicament, rejuvenating java, restrains his lips, rocket science, Ruth Harms Calkin, share the Love of Jesus, sin, sincerity, slow to speak, slow to wrath, social media, solve the predicament, spares words, speak little, spouting off at the mouth, talk more than listen, thanks and praise, the multitude of words, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, trust my friend Jesus, truth, Tuesday Mantra, two cents worth, words of warning, wrath
James 1:19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
Aye friends, the aches and pains really taking a toll on the ole body this morning yes! Imagine waking up more pained than when you went to bed nuh.
But yuh know what? I’m still everlastingly grateful for being alive on this cloudy Tuesday morning, despite all the aches and pains! Glory to God my fellow believers!
And I did give Him plenty thanks and praise for causing me to see another day, in spite of it being somewhat difficult to navigate my territory. (smile) And why is that you ask?
Because I’m simply happy to be alive, plus I know that after I move around a bit, have my cup of rejuvenating java, I’ll feel much better.
And even better than that, I also know that He is such a great and powerful Deity, that if and when He so chooses, He can heal me completely with a mere snap of His fingers! What an awesome God we serve my brethren!
I sincerely hope that you also gave Him much thanks and praise as you awakened to another day, because that is the only wise and sensible way to begin a new day on this crazy and convoluted planet Earth!
Now here is an interesting excerpt from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, that many of us need to come to terms with. It’s called ‘A Quiet Tongue.’
Please pray with me. ‘Lord, a revealing fact Began to surface today: I talk more than I listen. I seem to be thoroughly convinced That my ideas My inspiring experiences My bits of wisdom Are exactly what all my friends need.
Too often I break into conversations Confident that my enlightened insight will solve the predicament – Whatever it is. Obviously I feel more comfortable When I’m expounding.
But this morning at a Bible Study I cringed when I read Your command In the first chapter of James: “Don’t ever forget That it is best to listen much Speak little, and not become angry.”
At first I wanted to run. But as the words kept battering away At my guilty heart I finally circled them with red ink. Now, Lord, please help me to obey them. Remind me daily, hourly That listening is a discipline And a discipline always costs.
I know I must pay a price. The price for me Is a listening ear And a quiet tongue.’
Ah fellow Christians, those words are so true of so many of us that it’s not funny! I know that I’m a major culprit. But I’m better than I was. I remember a couple years ago going to Holy Thursday night vigil at church and getting the zeppo in the empty church loud and clear: ‘LISTEN!’ And did I? Well to some extent yes. But certainly not enough.
And I know that a lot of us have the same problem; we always feel that our two cents worth will clarify the problems, and if we don’t get them in there as soon as possible, cutting off everybody else, everything will just get muddled and go to the dogs. But the truth is friends, that that is only true occasionally.
And the point of the matter is that we can’t give a sincere and sensible response to anything unless we listen to what others have to say. Our time will come to expound, but we can’t expound wisely until we know what we’re expounding about.
And quite appropriately, our Bit for today is the verse the Bible Promise highlights, the awesome words of James. ‘Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.’
Now the sad part is that in this modern age of almost instant communication, we need to obey that command more than ever, because everybody is simply spouting off at the mouth, or at the fingers (smile) because we can, without giving the necessary thought to our communication.
Just look at the large amount of people who are getting themselves foolishly into trouble with all the social media nonsense! It’s simply causing more strife, bitterness and anger since we use social media like a free for all.
And unfortunately, as easy and cheap communication spreads further and wider, instead of it getting better, it seems to be getting worse. Ah my fellow believers, that might be okay for the great unwashed, but it has no part in our lives.
Just listen to these wise words of warning from Cousin Sol nuh. ‘In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth (restrains) his lips is wise.’ (Prov.10:19)
That’s plain and straightforward friends. No rocket science to it. The less you talk, the less sin you’ll commit. But just in case you didn’t get it (smile), then listen to Cousin Sol again.
‘He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of excellent (calm) spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace (keeps silent), is counted (considered) wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.’ (Prov.17:27-28)
What more can I say eh mih people? It is of the utmost importance that believers become good listeners and only talk when it’s absolutely necessary. Any other behaviour is liable to drive potential believers away from Jesus. And we definitely don’t want to do that.
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra in all sincerity and truth, and hopefully it will help us with our mouth problems (smile).
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yeh friends, we need to share Jesus’ LOVE, but to do so, we don’t have to kill them with talk! Much LOVE!
…it’s best to keep your mouth shut…and let people think you are wise…instead of opening it…and letting them know you are foolish…
18 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Family Pledge, a foolish man, action, believers, built his house on a rock, built his house on the sand, catalyst, celebration of gratitude, Christian families, climb the mountain together, compete, conflicts, controversial, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, defeats, defenses, delight, demand, far-reaching, focus, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, generosity, get, give, God's amazing love, grace, great was the fall of it, growth, hearing, highlights, judgement, laughter, lessons, lift our hearts, liken him to a wise man, love of Christ, magnanimity, magnanimous heavenly Father, mercies, mixed emotions, naysayers, negative actions, not doing, One Year Book of Bible promises, patience, perfection, permit God, pressure, quiet growth, reign forever more, ridicule, Ruth Harms Calkin, saints of Jesus, seek to please, Sermon on the Mount, share His love, share the humdrums, society, support each other, tears, thanks and praise, the bedrock, the beloved of God, the image of God, the roack of this world, true foundation, Tuesday Mantra, victories, whosoever heareth these sayings
Matthew 7:24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock.
Greetings to all you faithful saints of Jesus! Just want to remind us that it’s a new day, a beautiful one in my area, and that it’s filled with new mercies, grace and forgiveness, all courtesy of our magnificent and magnanimous heavenly Father!
Mama Mia! What generosity, what magnanimity! So, if we’re wise and truly believe, then we’ll enjoy it all and give thanks and praise to the One who created us in His own holy image.
And all God’s people said a loud and thankful: ‘All praise and honour and glory be to our great God! May He continue to bless us even though we don’t deserve it, and may He reign forever more! Amen!’
Don’t worry friends, our wonderful God will do all those things because He is indeed the most powerful and generous force in the universe which He created.
Now here is one of the many ways we can serve Him faithfully; it’s through something called ‘A Family Pledge,’ and it’s taken from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it before, but when I noticed it recently, it just cried out for sharing.
Please make this prayerful family pledge with me. ‘We will permit God to use our conflicts and mixed emotions as lessons in quiet growth. With LOVING patience, without ridicule or judgement, we will support each other in the gradual untangling of built in defenses. We will focus on each other as persons made in the image of God.
We will seek to please rather than to pressure, to delight rather than to demand, to give rather than to get. We will share the humdrums as well as the highlights, the tears as well as the laughter, the defeats as well as the victories. We will not insist on perfection – rather we will anticipate growth.
We will not compete for the mountaintop, rather we will climb the mountain together. We will wait for each other if one of us gets behind. We will lift our hearts in a celebration of gratitude for God’s amazing LOVE, which makes our family LOVE possible. We will LOVE each other as we do these things.’
Oh friends what a beautiful pledge! Can you imagine if even a small proportion of the numerous supposed Christian families in our world, makes such a pledge and keep it!
What a marvellous impression it would have on both believers and naysayers! Then the critics would surely have to agree that there was much more to the LOVE of Jesus Christ and His Movement than they had hitherto believed.
So please, I implore us this Tuesday morning to try and bring our families together through some such pledge nuh, some such beneficial agreement. But also, please contemplate what we can implement in that pledge as individuals, because there are many things we can put into effect on our own.
It’s got to start somewhere, so please let it begin with us nuh. We can be the catalyst for such productive and progressive action. It would certainly bring more families closer together, than the current negative actions that seem to proliferate in family affairs, and which are driving us apart, killing the bedrock, the true foundation of our society.
Yeh friends, please remember that when families wither and die in a society, that means the society is also withering and dying. That brings us to our Bit, which is also the Bible verse that our pledge was based on: Jesus famous last words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the most explosive, controversial and far-reaching sermon ever preached!
‘Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a (the) rock.’
Oh friends, please note that Jesus was saying that hearing all the stuff that He’d spoken about was fine, but it mattered not unless you put it into practice, into action. And unfortunately that’s what a lot of supposed Christians are doing in these end times; we hearing, but we’re not doing.
Obviously the crowds did not understand Jesus’ words, so He ended by explaining: ‘And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a (the) rock.
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.’ (Matt.7:25-27)
Ah mih people, sadly, in this supposed enlightened day and age, a lot of people still don’t understand what Jesus was trying to say. And, as always, it was fairly simple: I am the rock of this world! Believe in me and do what I say, then you will be considered wise and your house will stand strong and tall!
Otherwise…. crapaud smoke yuh pipe! Two simple choices friends; believe in Jesus and live, or don’t believe and die.
Now, for all of us wise ones (smile) who have chosen to live for Jesus, let’s go home proudly and loudly declaring our Tuesday Mantra nuh.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Awright mih Christian breddren, let’s go out now and behave as God’s beloved nuh, and share the LOVE OF Jesus with those who don’t know Him. That’s all He asks of us. Much LOVE!
…as for me and mine…we will most definitely follow the Lord…
11 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, a doorkeeper, a sun and shield, abundant life, appear before God, be glad, blessed is the man, blessings, broken world, Christ-filled life, Christ-like desires, come unto me, Comforter, enjoy the day, faints, fill me to capacity, forgiveness, friend of Jesus, friendship with God, give ear, go from strength to strength, God of Jacob, God's house, grace, grace and glory, Helper, holy spirit, hunger and thirst for God, hurry, Jerusalem, joyful, living water, lord of hosts, Maker, may He reign forever, mercies, my heart longs for you, my soul's thirsty for God, no good thing, not sufficient, One Year Book of Bible promises, out of his belly, overflow, overflowing, pilgrimage, Praise be to god, praising thee, prosperous, provider, quenched, refreshment, release, relief, righteous, Rivers, Roses and Rivers, Ruth Harms Calkin, seeking Jesus, Selah, share it with the world, the beloved of God, the courts of the Lord, the living God, the sparrow, the straight and narrow, the swallow, the tents of wickedness, them that walk uprightly, thine anointed, thirst, trusteth in thee, Tuesday Mantra, vocation, worry
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Oh friends, welcome to a brand new day with brand new blessings, mercies, and forgiveness! And it was all made especially for us, therefore it is essential that we be glad and enjoy this day that our wonderful God has given us!
And all God’s people said a loud, proud and grateful: ‘Praise be to God, our Maker, our Helper, our Comforter and our strong Provider! May He reign forever!’
And don’t doubt it friends, He will reign forever and ever and ever, because that’s just how strong and powerful and infinite He is!
Now let’s continue that joyful and grateful tone with which we began by checking out this amazing poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, simply titled ‘Roses and Rivers.’
Please accompany me, as we pray: ‘O my Father My heart longs for You! Fill me to capacity with Your Spirit…No, Father, I’m sorry – That’s not sufficient. Fill me to overflowing with Your Spirit And then increase my capacity That there might still be more overflow.
Out of my life May there flow rivers And rivers And still more rivers of Living Water Bringing relief, release And exhilarating refreshment To a bruised and broken world Where thirst can never be quenched Apart from You.’
Mama Mia! Isn’t that just beautiful my people! It surely is! And not just for how it sounds, but also for the sentiments it invokes; truly Christ-like desires that ought to come from the hearts of all believers.
Please, let’s allow those sentiments to be spoken from our hearts today, as we walk in friendship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for if we do, they will certainly keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to God the Father.
And the Bible Promise for that poem is one that we all know and have written in our hearts. ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:37-38)
Yeh mih bredden, yeh! It’s promises like those that we must fill our hearts and minds with, so that we can live the prosperous, righteous and abundant life that our Lord has promised to all who believe in Him!
Wow! With Promises like those, I don’t see how some believers, or rather any believer, cannot live a joyful, Christ-filled life!
And the only reason I can see why believers are not sincerely joyful most of the time is because deep down, they don’t truly seek or wish for the Lord. They don’t have the hunger and thirst for Him as depicted in our Bit. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
Yes friends, when we truly hunger and thirst for God, sincerely seek His righteousness, then our souls overflow with his goodness and mercy. Listen to the sons of Korah as they sing from Psalm 84 – Blessed are they that dwell in thy house.
‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (how lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee. Selah.’ (Ps.84:1-4)
That’s how the pilgrim feels when he has completed his long and difficult pilgrimage to God’s house in Jerusalem.
Then he continues: ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) make it a well (spring); the rain also filleth the pools (covers them with blessings).
They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God (appears before God in Zion). O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed (commissioned one). For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper (stand in the threshold) in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:5-12)
Oh friends, what more can I say eh? The pilgrim says it all: Blessed are those who dwell in the Lord’s temple, blessed are those who come to it, and blessed are those who trust in the Lord. If that doesn’t speak mightily to our hearts, then I don’t know what will.
That brings us to our Tuesday Mantra. Let’s declare it now as though we truly know and believe it. In unison and strong voice: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if it’s truly true (smile), then let’s go out and share that magnificent friendship with Jesus and His extraordinary LOVE with others nuh. He’s depending on us to raise His Name throughout the earth. Much LOVE!
…truly seeking Jesus…and sincerely living for Him…oh…it’s the most beautiful and fulfilling vocation in the world…
04 Jul 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: 4th of July, a time of celebration, addressing problems, better shape, boast, caught up, Christians, coming together, common grind, daily task, destinies, dictatorial attitude, disciples, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, eternal life, everyday life, family gatherings, give to God a ransom, God's goodly purposes, godly people, gospel truth, Granny's warning, individual selves, live righteously, LOVE, multitude of riches, none can redeem his brother, patriotic displays, petty, political parties, ransom, redeem, redemption of their soul, resurrected, seeking worldly wealth, sit and ponder, small-minded, the beloved of God, the friend of Jesus, the good of the country, the ungodly drive for riches, True wealth is what you are, trust in God, trust in wealth, Tuesday Mantra, U.S Independence Day, universal application
Psalm 49:6-7. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY U.S.A!
So as one North American party winds down, another one ramps up: Canada’s 150th Birthday is now history. We have reluctantly gone back to the daily task and common grind of everyday life.
And I plead with each of us Canadians, please let’s try and live righteously together nuh, so that on our birthday next year, we can look at each other and truly declare that our great country is in better shape that it was a year earlier. And it’s only by coming together and seriously addressing our problems will that ever happen.
In the meanwhile the U.S is celebrating their 4th of July Independence in 1776 from their British colonial masters. It’s one of their biggest days, possibly matched only by Thanksgiving.
It’s a time of great celebration in the nation with lots of patriotic displays and family gatherings, and I don’t think it will be any less so this year, although the country is seriously divided due to the petty, small-minded, dictatorial attitude of its President.
So let’s hope that they too will be able to work through their many serious problems and will also be at a better position this time next year. But then again, that will only come about if they all work together for the good of the country rather than for that of their individual selves or political parties.
And we wish them a day of joyful celebration, with no untoward or negative events. And please remember Granny’s warning today, my U.S brethren: ‘Drunk or sober, mind yuh business.’ It will surely be of great help in this time of intense celebration.
And as we move along, here is a li’l mind enhancing something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE You,’ Poster. It tells us in no uncertain terms: ‘True wealth is what you are, not what you have.’
And I think it will do many of us a lot of good if we sit and ponder that truthful statement for a while, since too many of us are still caught up in the seeking of physical, worldly wealth and possessions, believing that things will make us truly wealthy and/or happy. But that’s just a fantasy my people.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is nice and very convenient to have worldly wealth, but that should not define us, it should not make a statement of who we are. When others look at us, the first thing they ought to say is not that we are rich, or wealthy, but that we are godly people, despite our wealth.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.’
And that’s gospel truth my brethren! No amount of wealth or riches can redeem any of us! The scholars tell us that back in the time when the psalm was written, many evil people were boasting about their riches, just like is happening today.
Thus the psalm is a means of enabling ‘God’s people to rise above the ungodly drive for riches. There is first an invitation to listen (vs.1-4): the poet calls on all men because the psalm has a universal application. Second, he demonstrates how woefully inadequate riches are (vs.5-12): on the day of one’s death they cannot redeem (vs.6-7).
Finally, the divergent destinies of the wicked and the righteous are vividly stated (vs.13-20): the wicked man has no hope beyond this life (v.14), but the righteous man will be resurrected to eternal life.’ And so it ought to be!
Now listen to how the psalmist puts it after our Bit, as he encourages us to trust in God and not worldly wealth. ‘(For the redemption of their soul is precious (costly), and it ceaseth for ever:) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption (the pit, hell).
For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish (senseless) person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not (does not endure): he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly (the way of those who are foolish): yet their (and of their) posterity approve their sayings. Selah.’ (Ps.49:13)
Oh friends, please let’s not be like the rich and wicked and foolish who believe that their way is the right one, because it very clearly isn’t! Man’s wealth might be able to make this life on earth comfortable, but it can do nothing for us in heaven unless we use it for God’s goodly purposes!
And we are not supposed to be known by what we have but who and whose we are. And that is clearly spelt out in our Tuesday Mantra. So please let’s joyfully declare that as we go home with plenty enthusiasm and true sincerity.
As one now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
Yes friends, that’s our definition as Christians; the beloved of God and the friend of Jesus! Now let’s go out and show that to the wicked world that surrounds us! Much LOVE!
…when others see the LOVE of Jesus in us…then are we truly His disciples…
27 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a miserable sinner, a saint, a wave of the sea, all or nothing at all, all thine heart soul and might, area of obedience, beloved of God, carnal, christianity, Christians, compromise, devotion, disturbed, Divided Heart, double minded, easy row to hoe, far country, fleshly universe, half-motivated, half-satisfied, holy spirit, hurry, invade our space, jump rope, lack of clear direction, lead and guide us, love God first and foremost, love not the world, Love the Lord thy God, Lucifer, mix weeds with seeds, Moses, personal loyalty, reminiscent of the weather, rock her doll, Ruth Harms Calkin, share His love, side trips, spiritual world, strobe lights, surrendered to christ, the love of the Father, the One Year Book of Bible Promises, the rains, the things of the world, Thor's hammer, thunderstorm, tormented, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, vagaries of the climate, walk a straight path, wavereth, wet mentality, worry
1 John 2:15. LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.
And it’s a cool, wet Tuesday morning in my area. Summer seems to have come in with a cool, wet mentality, for we haven’t had any real hot days as yet, and the rain’s been fairly plentiful.
Oh we had a doozy of a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon, with all the glorious effects of Thor’s hammer and the beautiful strobe lights of his fellow god. (smile)
But would you believe that thereafter, it turned into a wonderful day of sunshine and warm weather. And then around four o’clock this morning the rains came cascading down again.
Oh the vagaries of the climate these days eh! Let’s hope that this doesn’t morph into a rather hot and dry summer as time goes by. But here is something that’s reminiscent of the weather, and also of too many of us supposed Christians.
When I read it I chuckled because a lot of us behave this way. It comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin and is simply titled ‘Divided Heart.’
Please pray with me. ‘Lord I am so often tormented By my lack of clear direction – So often disturbed By my divided heart. I am like a little child Who wants to rock her doll And jump rope at the same time. I want to obey You in part If I can choose the area of obedience.
I want to be real except at those moments When compromise is more appealing. I want to be half-motivated And half-satisfied with things as they are. I want to walk a straight path If now and then I can enjoy A few side trips into the far country.
I don’t want to be a miserable sinner But neither do I feel excited About being a saint. I want to be partly Yours And partly my own. But in the secret chamber Of my divided heart I am so often disquieted By the pointed question: “Why do you so foolishly Mix weeds with seeds?”
And that’s a question many of us need to ask ourselves my believing brethren, since we apparently haven’t really and truly surrendered our souls to Christ. We want to have one foot in the spiritual world and when it suits us, one in the carnal, fleshly universe.
But that’s not wise my people, and our God won’t put up with it. He wants ALL of us, or nothing at all. We can’t run to Him when we choose, and then run to Lucifer when it’s convenient for us.
In effect we still have too much of this evil world in us, as the Bible Promise associated with that poem and our Bit for today declares. ‘LOVE not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE the world, the LOVE of the Father is not in him.’
Yes, I know friends, that true Christianity is not an easy row to hoe, but if we truly surrender our all to Christ, He will, as He has promised, give us the wherewithal to hoe it.
Why do you think He put the third Member of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit to dwell in us eh? As we saw yesterday, it’s to lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path that leads to the Father.
But as we also saw yesterday, the Holy Spirit won’t invade our space unilaterally, He waits to be invited to sincerely lead and guide us. And right within our Bit, lies the crux of our problem: We still LOVE the fleshly, carnal things of the world too much.
And as the scholars explain: ‘2:15. LOVE not the world is a command implying that action now in progress must cease: “Stop LOVING the world!” There is, of course, one sense in which Christians should LOVE the world, since God Himself did and does (John 3:16).
But in the sense of pledging personal loyalty and devotion of one’s whole being and means, Christians are to “LOVE” God first and foremost (Deut. 6:5; Mark 12:30).’
And just to further bring home the point to us, we’ll quote the immortal words of Moses to the Israelites way back when. ‘’Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ (Deut.6:5)
Now that hasn’t changed at any time down through the ages my people. And when Jesus’ detractors facetiously asked Him what was the greatest commandment, He reiterated the awe inspiring words of Moses, as you can read in Mark 12:29-30.
So I don’t see how we expect the Lord to approve our fence-sitting, for that is being double-minded, and James warns us that ‘He that wavereth (is doubting) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:6-8)
Good Christians, we need to forsake the things of the world and cling to the things of God, if we truly want to see the abundant blessings of God in our lives. That’s all there is to it!
So let’s go home in truth and in spirit declaring our Tuesday Mantra. With one sincere voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if that’s truly whom we are, then let’s go out and let the world know it nuh my brethren, as Jesus so dearly desires of us. Much LOVE!
…one simply cannot LOVE God and Lucifer…at the same time…that’s a true impossibility…
20 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a blessed joy, a corn cob, able to stand, anger, be able to withstand, Christians, cock-a-doodle-do, communicating with God, demons, denonic onslaughts, fallen angels, fear, formidable foe, furrowed brows, give a stranger one of your smiles, God's armour, hand to hand combat, hatred, hear yourself think, humanity, in high places, Jesus Christ, keep away from me, Love of Jesus, Lucifer, ministry, negativity, our Lord and Saviour, powers, principalities, put on the whole armour of God, Satanic assaults, share His love, sipping a ting, spiritual warfare, spiritual wickedness, stand, stressful day, strife, sunshine, the beloved of God, the evil day, the good news of Jesus, the only sunshine he sees all day, the rulers of darkness, the wiles of the devil, the work of the enemy, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, upper echelons of power, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, wicked spiritual beings, witness
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.
Aye mih people, what a blessed joy it is to be able to sit down on my porch at minutes to four in the morning, without much clothes on, munching a corn on the cob and sipping a ting!
Hn! And I see the furrowed brows on some of you, wondering, ‘what’s a ting, how can you sip a ting? Well friends, a ting is just the name of a carbonated, grapefruit based drink from T&T.
Oh, I know some of you have the joy of doing that sort of thing all year round, but we in the north country don’t, so when we do have the opportunity, to us it’s a big deal. And the morning was nice and quiet and cool; just right for silently communicating with God and nature.
That, to me, is the best time of the day; when most of the world is sleeping, and you can even hear yourself think. We’re talking about those quiet moments before the macho cock stridently crows ‘cock-a doodle-do, cock-a-doodle-do,’ and awakens the universe to another loud and stressful day.
And believe you me, the days are getting louder and more stressful, as the strife and hatred and anger proliferate around our world. But here’s a li’l something from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU Poster that will help us defeat some of the negativity on our planet.
It says: ‘Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.’ And surprisingly, my faithful brethren, there is a whole lot more truth in that statement than some of us are willing to believe.
That’s because we’ve become such sour and negative people, and refuse to share even a simple pleasantry with another human being, and not only because of their race, creed, colour or class, but simply because of the stern, serious, keep away from me look that so many of us present to the world today, a lot of it simply rooted in fear.
And all of that is simply the work of the enemy. That’s why, today, I believe it’s ever so necessary for us to consider the words of our Bit. ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’
Yeh mih people, as we read yesterday, without God’s strength and His protective armour, we are unable to resist the enemy’s negative fear-mongering schemes. Now it’s time we have a refresher course in what God’s armour consists of, and how to use it successfully.
Firstly, let’s remember that as Christians, we are engaged in serious warfare, warfare of the spiritual kind. As Bruh Paul informed the Ephesians. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness (spiritual hosts of wickedness) in high places.’ (Eph.6:12)
Yes friends, you’d be amazed to know the amount of spiritual wickedness that resides in the upper echelons of power in this world. And the scholars offer this explanation on that verse.
‘6:12. Wrestle, used of hand-to-hand combat, emphasizes the personal and individual nature of spiritual warfare waged against each local church and Christian. Flesh and blood refers to humanity. Such is not the church’s adversary.
Instead she opposes principalities (rulers), powers (authorities), rulers (world rulers), spiritual wickedness (wicked spiritual beings), that is, fallen angels, demons, and Lucifer himself.’
So you see, precious people of God, it’s a mighty force of evil that is lined up against us, and it will take an even mightier force to defeat them. And that mightier force is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Glory to God!
But friends, just like it would be foolish to go into flesh and blood warfare without some protective clothing or amour, likewise, we need protection in this spiritual war in which we’re currently engaged.
Consequently, Bruh Paul has wisely advised us: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph.6:13)
And what does all of that mean? Listen to the scholars. ‘6:13. Wherefore means “because of this,” that is, because we face such a formidable foe, we must avail ourselves of God’s provision lest the enemy destroy our Christian witness and ministry.
The evil day refers to the periodic demonic onslaughts and Satanic assaults. Having done all includes both dressing oneself in God’s armour and resisting Satan. Having done all these, be ready, for the Devil will attack again and again.’
Of that we can be sure my brethren! Lucifer will keep attacking us until Jesus returns and completely obliterates him. In the meanwhile though, we definitely need to be prepared; clothed in God’s protective armour and filled with His fighting strength so that we can STAND!
And having decided to do just that, let’s go home now with joyful hearts and spirits, joyfully and sincerely declaring our Tuesday Mantra.
‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we truly meant it, then let’s go out and share the beautiful, awesome, soul inspiring LOVE of Jesus with others, as He expects of us. Much LOVE!
…sharing the good news of Jesus’ LOVE…is what the Christian is all about…
13 Jun 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a follower of Jesus, a miracle is happening, a wasted life, be fed, be thou envious, bring it to pass, Christians, come into my life, commit thy ways to the Lord, common sense, cut down like the grass, David, delight thyself in the Lord, divine destiny, do good, dr robert h schuller, dwell in the land, encouraging scripture, evil doers, faithful children, fret not thyself, frined of jesus, glory, glory to God, God controls everything, God's ways are higher than ours, great god, have faith, hectic riddim, I want to improve, iniquity, insignificant, Israel's greatest king, lost passion for God, LOVE, loving-kindness, miracles, obedient, obey, our heavenly Father, passion, praise, problems, serve, Something Beautiful, something good is happening, strong belief, thankful, thanks, the beloved of God, the desires of thine heart, the Good Book, the Holy Spirit, the storms of life, the true state of the wicked, the workers of iniquity, trust, trust in the Lord, Tuesday Mantra, unified voice, wisdom, wither as the green herb, worship, zest for life
Psalm 37:1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Well friends, yesterday I finally had to turn on my a/c for the first time this year. It was the first of many truly hot days I believe we’ll have this summer. But what amazes me is that though it was hot, the wind was also blowing at a brisk pace, the poor trees were dancing all day to its hectic riddim.
But then this morning, around 3.a.m, I was outside on my porch, and though it was somewhat cooler than during the day, there was not a breeze to be had.
I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but in the last year or so, I’ve noticed that regardless of the season or time of day, in my area, the winds have been much stronger and more persistent than before.
Who knows what our great God is doing eh? He controls everything, and His ways are so much higher than ours, that even if He explained it to us, we would not be able to comprehend it. So we just have to have faith, and trust and obey.
And to help us do that, here is a li’l something from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional titled ‘I want to Improve.’
Please pray with me. ‘O God, how thankful I am that you have come into my life through the Holy Spirit. I’m willing to say: “I’m not perfect, Lord! I want to improve. Show me where I can.” So, Father, I sense that a miracle is happening in my life right now. You are doing something beautiful in my heart this very moment. I thank and praise you! Amen.’
Yeh friends, if we sincerely and faithfully prayed that prayer, then I’m sure something good is happening in our hearts right now.Wow! What a great God we serve and worship!
Now it might not be a huge miracle, or manifest itself right away, but I’m sure that sometime down the line you’ll suddenly realize what’s changed, what’s improved, and then you’ll want to give even more praise, thanks and glory to our heavenly Father for His extraordinary LOVING-kindness to His undeserving but oh so faithful children! Glory to God my brethren!
One of the problems we Christians suffer these days is that we’ve lost our passion for God, lost our zest for life, lost our faith in miracles. Chuh!
Even worse, we expect miracles to be always big and uproarious! But the truth is that the Lord doesn’t do that many big and uproarious miracles, but He does plenty small and seemingly insignificant ones, which we either don’t notice at all or simply ignore.
Ah friends, please remember that once we truly surrender our lives to Christ, He works continuously in them, and not everything is big and monumental.
So please, let’s start regaining our passion for Christ nuh, which brings with an increased zest for life in general, and let’s also begin looking for and appreciating the small but still important ways He works in our lives. We are missing out on a whole lot of wonderful stuff by only looking for big, eye-catching things. End of sermon! (smile)
Now don’t blame me, if we don’t have much space and time for our Bit, because that’s where the Lord led me. And being obedient, I had no choice. (smile)
And is it ever an encouraging and reassuring Bit. ‘Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.’
Yes friends, that’s the amazing opening advice from Bruh David from that amazing Psalm 37- The true state of the wicked.
And Bruh David certainly knew what he was talking about because he stuck with the Lord through thick and thin, and likewise, the Lord stuck with him. His life wasn’t easy, a lot of it because of his mistakes, but he never lost his passion for the Lord God of his fathers.
Now, as I’ve said above, lost passion for God is one of our major problems today, that’s why we’re so tossed and upset by the storms of life, by how the wicked seem to be increasing and the righteous decreasing.
Bruh David ran from his enemies, Saul and his son Absalom for many years, but the Lord always kept him safe and secure, then finally brought him to his divine destiny; the greatest king that Israel ever knew. That’s why he could confidently open the psalm with our Bit, and then continue with that same confidence.
‘For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed (feed on his faithfulness). Delight thyself also in the Lord in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’ (Ps.37:2-5)
Oh friends, there’s no more encouraging scripture than those few words in the Good Book, and that from a man who truly lived them and thus knew exactly what he was talking about.
Today I implore us to take his words to heart and put them into practice, so that we too can be led to our divine destiny. Common sense and wisdom dictate it!
Now let’s go home declaring our Tuesday Mantra with the passion and strong belief that it ought to engender in us. In one, strong and unified voice now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the best way to show that passion is to go out now and share the LOVE of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…a life lived without passion…is a wasted life…especially if you’re a follower of Jesus…
P.S. Yes, it’s late, but it’s very worthwhile. (smile)
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