01 Mar 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a time of peace, a time of war, a time to be born, a time to dance, a time to every purpose under heaven, a time to laugh, a time to love, a time to mourn, Covid-19, defer not to pay it, falvoured salt of the earth, forgive us, God has a sovereign design, he hath no pleasure in fools, heal our land, hibernation, humble servants, I hated Esau, inherent in our privileged position, LOVE, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, praise Your Holy Name, racial strife, recognize the responsibilities, social media revolution, some kind of a normal life, the Holy Spirit of God, to every thing there is a season, too much of anything is no good, turn from our evil ways, when thou vowest a vow unto God, wise guidance and direction, Yet I loved Jacob
Ecclesiastes 3:1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
Will somebody wake me from hibernation when the pandemic’s over and we have returned to some kind of a normal life? I just don’t feel like facing another Monday morning of confusion, sickness and controversy, of false news and all sorts of conspiracy theories. As the old people would say, too much of anything is no good.
And we do have too much of all those things listed above, as well as too much information that our minds can’t properly handle and it’s too easy for us to spread that info even when we don’t know if it’s true or false. And the bad thing with our social media revolution is that once the info hits the street, it’s impossible to take it back, for it then takes on a life of its very own. So please wake me when the world adversity is over! (smile)
And would you believe that today is also the first day of March in this brand new year of 2021? But we’ve been so busy fighting the pandemic and each other that we have hardly noticed that the days are quickly going by; two months have now passed and we’re still no closer to a kind of new normal. But hopefully, we are making some progress towards it. And it’s not like this is the first time we’ve been surrounded by numerous difficult problems. It’s just a part of life.
As Cousin Sol so wisely said in Ecclesiastes: ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:’ (Eccl. 3:1) And isn’t that the gospel truth! There’s a season and a time for everything to happen in God’s world, for that’s how He planned it.
And Cousin Sol spells it out for us. ‘A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep , and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get (gain), and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend (tear apart), and a time to sew (together); a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to LOVE, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.’ (Eccl. 3:2-8)
Now doesn’t that sound rather interesting? It surely does! And hear this explanation from the scholars. ‘3:1-8. As Solomon reflects on all of life, he expresses a beautiful poem of 14 pairs of opposite events that God has a sovereign design behind all events (cf. Rom. 8:28). To gather stones (vs. 5) refers to the process of clearing land for planting or building. To hate (vs. 8) means to withdraw from intimacy and should not always be taken in an absolute sense (cf. Mal. 1:2-3).’
Yes friends, because our wonderful God has a sovereign design for life on planet earth, we can faithfully believe that He will eventually work everything out for the good of those He’s called and who respond favourably to that call. (Rom. 8:28) And I think we should take serious note of that reference to Malachi.
Listen to how the scholars explain the Lord’s words. ‘1:2-5. Yet I LOVED Jacob, and I hated Esau has caused concern to many. This expression involves the use of a Hebrew idiom. If a father had two sons and made one heir, he was said to LOVE the one he made his heir and to hate the other whom he had not made an heir. The LOVE and hate spoken of here is not related to the emotions, they are related to the will of God. The words challenge Israel to recognize the responsibilities inherent in its privileged position.’
And the same criteria stand today for us believers in Christ Jesus, which means that we are also being challenged by God right now to recognize the responsibilities inherent in our privileged position. And we can’t deny that we are privileged, for no other people but believers have the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in them and actively leading and guiding them in all sincerity and truth.
Consequently, we are called to up our game; be highly flavoured salt of the earth, and a bright shining light in the darkness of this evil world. So right now, let’s do like Israel did when they finally woke up from their foolish disobedience nuh; turn to God in sincere repentance and prayer. And the words of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn are rather appropriate for just such a time as this.
As one strong and sincere voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the many natural disasters that now seem more prevalent than ever.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now it all depends on the sincerity of our hearts and if we uphold all that we’ve just vowed to God. And Cousin Sol had solid advice on that too. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’ (Eccl. 5:4) Words of mucho wisdom, my brethren! Much LOVE!
…common sense dictates…that the created should pay obeisance to their Creator…
11 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: awesome grace and mercy, baptism joins us to Christ at salvation, baptized into Jesus Christ, buried with him, by baptism into death, by the glory of the Father, conformity with God's will, divine help, ease their suffering, freedom from sin's power, from glory to glory, great hope for the future, heal our land, humble ourselves and pray, if we have been planted together, in the likeness of his death, in the likeness of his resurrection, Jehovah Rapha, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, pandemic of Covid 19, pick up our cross and follow Christ, raised up from the dead, sincerely seek your face, sinned and come short of obedience, storing up treasures in heaven, supreme assurance, TGIM! Thank God it's Monday!, the God who heals, the sinless Son of God, turn from our evil ways, undeniable optimism, walk in newness of life, you reap what you sow
Romans 6:5. For if we have been planted together (united) in the likeness of his death, (certainly) we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
TGIM mih people! (smile) Yes, thank God it’s Monday and the breath of life is still flowing through our bodies, although times might be a bit on the rough side! We need to believe that while there is life, there is indeed hope for things to get better. And that supreme assurance, that undeniable optimism cannot be found in any other place or person than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; the sinless Son of God, who sacrificed His life for us. Ah friends, that sacrificial undertaking gives us so much encouragement for the future, especially when we take His awesome resurrection into account.
As Bruh Paul put it to the church at Rome, when talking about freedom from sin’s power. ‘Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like (just) as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together (united) in the likeness of his death, (certainly) we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:’ (Rom. 6:3-5)
And isn’t it wonderful to know my people that once we’re baptized into Christ, become His true followers, that everything that’s happened to Him will also happen to us! We’ll die with Him, but then too we will rise again, just like He rose again, and be with Him forever. Now if that doesn’t give us great hope for the future, then I don’t know what will nuh. Yes friends, baptism joins us to Christ at salvation, through the Holy Spirit, we become one with Him, and therefore we are expected to do our best to act like Him. He’s to be our example. Consequently, we’re expected ‘to walk in newness of life.’
As the scholars explain it: ‘We should live our everyday lives manifesting resurrection life; free from sin’s control.’ Oh my people, resurrection life begins in the here and now, not after we’re dead and buried! This is where we have to start preparing for heaven. Start storing up our treasures there so when we get there we’ll have a full and healthy treasure chest. We can’t just go there empty handed and expect to reap enormous benefits. (smile) Remember the motto of heaven’s economy is you reap what you sow. So we must begin living the good and righteous life from right down here on earth.
Remember the words Jesus taught us to pray: ‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ (Matt. 6:10) That basically means we have to pray for God’s will and implement it here on earth, like it’s implemented in heaven. Or as the scholars expound: ‘Thy will be done emphasizes the idea that prayer is to bring about the conformity of the will of the believer to the will of God. Prayer is an act of spiritual expression that brings us into conformity to the very nature and purpose of God.’
Remember too friends that God’s avowed purpose is to have all of us conform to the likeness of His wonderful, obedient, well behaved Son, as He raises us from glory to glory. So we do have work to do down here, not on our own, but always with His divine help. The Lord sacrificed His Son for us, and He expects us to follow Christ’s lead and sacrifice on His behalf too.
Yes, we have salvation and resurrection and all the wonderful promises of heaven, but we have to first make the effort, the decision to come to Jesus and then live the way He desires of us. Salvation is free through grace, but the rest of the ride requires us to pick up our cross and follow Christ, fulfill the purpose and plan the Father has for our lives.
And since we’ve said above that prayer brings us into conformity with God’s will, then let us go to Him through that wonderful medium nuh. Let’s bare our hearts and souls to Him through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. As one voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And I do hope that our hearts were sincere else the Father won’t answer our prayer. Much LOVE!
…without plenty sincere prayer and repentance…earth will never even vaguely resemble heaven…
28 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abide under the shadow of the Almighty, But God commendeth his love toward us, casting all your care upon him, crapaud smoke we pipe, divide and conquer, follow His words, forgive us, God is always there for us, grace and mercy, He is my refuge, He that dwelleth in the secret place, heal our land, hear our prayer, helter-skelter and yon, humble yourselves, I will say of the Lord, in him will I trust, Jehovah Rapha, like a herd of sheep, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my fortress, my god, natural disasters, our free will, outside the safety zone, pandemic of Covid 19, plan of salvation, play right into the enemy's hands, safety in numbers, scatter in fear, standing in faith, temptations, the cares of the world, the God who heals, the Lord looks on the heart, the protection of God's covering, the secure umbrella of Almighty God, touch a tender chord, turn from our evil ways, under the mighty hand of god, walk in His light, we cn do better on our own, while we were yet sinners christ died for us, wise guidance
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ah yes, Monday it is – the last Monday in this crazy and unprecedented year of 2020! And believe me, the craziness and ‘unprecedentation’ (smile) won’t be over for a while yet, mainly because mankind is such a foolish, unpredictable animal that refuses to get together under one big, safe and secure umbrella, that of Almighty God!
And this quote from the website preachology.com explains: ‘The Umbrella of God – what is that exactly? The symbolism of the umbrella is the protection of God’s covering. When we as Christians turn our lives over to God, He in turn promises to guide and protect. As we know an umbrella shields us from the rain pouring down upon us. If we were to picture God holding a giant umbrella over his people, what would happen if one or more decided to walk outside that umbrella?
Of course, that is obvious; they would no longer have the protection of that shield (umbrella) and they would be drenched with the rains falling. God is always there for us. It is always us that walks away from him. He promises if we will follow his words, and walk in his light, we will have his protection. Often in the faith we can find ourselves walking outside this umbrella without thinking. The cares of the world and burdens of life can at times overwhelm even the most honest of Christians.
We find ourselves trying to put the problems of life upon ourselves and not giving them to God, and walking in a freedom that boggles the mind of any non-Christian. Often temptations will surround this umbrella and like any, they will attempt to lure all they can away from this protection. Outside that safety zone, they are vulnerable to any attack of the enemy. It is much like a herd of sheep and the wolf that hunts them. The wolf will attempt to frighten the sheep, creating a chaos in the herd – causing them to separate and run away from the protection of the Shepherd.
Having done this the wolf can search for the weakest one, outside that umbrella of protection, and make his kill. As long as the sheep stay near to the Shepherd, he can protect them. When the sheep begin doing their own thing, that ability to protect is lessened. Much like our Pastors – their words of guidance can only help, if we apply those words to our lives – amen.’
And therein lies our problem friends! We wander away from our Good Shepherd, in the mistaken thought that through our free will, we can do better on our own. Or like now, the big bad wolf has frightened us with all the adversity that currently surrounds us and just like the flock of sheep we scatter in fear, helter-skelter and yon. But unfortunately, that doesn’t help us, it just makes matters worse, since by that action we play right into the enemy’s hands. Yuh know the ole army tactic of divide and conquer? That only makes us more liable to capture, for remember there is always more safety in numbers.
Oh my people, when are going to learn eh, that in times of adversity, or any time at all really, but especially in the rough going, we don’t run from God, but to Him? As Peter so wisely advises in his first epistle: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t know what is nuh!
Just look at the season we’re celebrating right now nuh; Christmas! That’s when the Lord sent His only Son to earth as a baby boy to begin His wonderful plan of salvation for us disgusting sinners! Why yuh think He went to so much trouble to save us eh? Because He blooming well LOVED us! Why can’t we accept and believe that eh? Are our skulls so thick with egotism and pride and all the other negative stuff of the world, that we can’t believe our Creator LOVES us?
Chuh man! The Good Book says it loud and clear: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) How many of us are willing to do something good for those who wrong us before they atone in some form and fashion eh? Not too many! But God in His great LOVE for us, put Himself out by sacrificing His Son for us while we were still deep in sin. Now doesn’t that touch a tender chord in your heart? It ought to.
And hear what the psalmist had to say about all that nuh in Psalm 91 – God is a refuge and a fortress. ‘He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’ (Ps. 91:1) Now you couldn’t get any safer than that that friends! And the psalmist continues: ‘I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.’ Ps. 91:2)
And believe me people, until we come to that very serious realization that our ONLY hope is in God Almighty, the evil wolves of Beelzebub will keep threatening, making us afraid, scattering and devouring us. So let’s do what we ought to be doing all along nuh, casting our cares on the Lord, turning to Him in prayer, what we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And please remember, the Lord doesn’t just listen to our words, but looks at our hearts. So if we’re not sincere…then crapaud smoke we pipe! Much LOVE!
…only under God’s umbrella…are you truly safe…
21 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a different kind of Christmas, ask and it shall be given to you, be obedient to His word, believe in His Son, big egos, born of a virgin mother, But God commendeth his love toward us, cause for concern, Christ died for us, Christmas, Covid-19 virus, ease their suffering, eternal life, filled with pride, forgive us and heal our land, God - first and foremost, gracee and mercy, hard hearts, Humpty Dumpty, if ye love me, Jehovah Rapha, keep my commandments, knock and it shall be opened, left out in the darkness, lusts, magnanimous as our God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, pay our sin debt in full, pseudo-Christianity, refuse to bow, repentance, salvation, seek and ye shall find, serious consequences, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the God who heals, the LOVE of God, the motives of our hearts, to the name that's above every other, turn from our evil ways, while we were yet sinners, wise guidance
Romans 5:8. But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
‘Good golly Miss Molly! It’s Monday!’ Yes friends, the Monday before Christmas, four more days to the Big One! Are you ready for it? Have you done all your Christmas shopping? Hn, hn! It will certainly be a different kind of Christmas this pandemic year of 2020; not as much physical gathering, nor even eating and drinking and exchanging of gifts, as lots of people can’t afford the stuff they are accustomed buying. But that doesn’t mean the season can’t be festive, if we remember the real reason for the season in the first place -the birth of Christ.
Now that was the first step in God’s long promised, great gift of reconciling us to Himself and providing salvation and eternal life through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. But to die as a man, Christ first had to be born, born of that virgin mother, in that li’l town called Bethlehem, before He could eventually make His way to the cross in Jerusalem and pay our sin debt in full.
Wow! No other supposed deity is as magnanimous as our God! All those other supposed gods want us to sacrifice our lives to them, but the wonderful God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sacrificed His Son for us woeful sinners to show His amazing unconditional LOVE! As the Good Book says: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his (own) LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) All praise and glory to His holy name!
And all He asks of us is to believe in His Son and be obedient to His word. But because of the free will God gave us, too many of us are filled with pride and lust and big egos and hard hearts, and thus refuse to bow down to the name that’s above every other name. Now though our God is gracious and merciful and all those other wonderful things, He’s also a stickler for justice and righteousness and obedience, and the non-doing of those things usually cause serious consequences in our lives. And when plenty of us refuse to toe the line, like right now, that means there are plenty of serious consequence in our world, like right now.
Jesus also said: ‘If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments.’ (John 14:15) And though we claim to LOVE Him, we definitely aren’t keeping His commandments the way He desires, otherwise our world would not be in such a terrible mess. Even this big do we make about Christmas, a lot of it is false and/or pseudo-Christianity, because our attention is more wrapped up in the gifts and food and shopping, the commercial aspect of the situation, not truly in the birth of Christ and what it really meant, and still means for mankind.
The celebration has taken on too much of a worldly and commercial overtone these days, meaning, that like so much else in this world, the things of God have taken a step or two back, and no longer predominate in our society. And that should give us serious cause for concern my people, for when a society has lost its way, when Almighty God is not first and foremost in the equation, then that society, like Humpty Dumpty, is slated for a fall, and ofttimes a rather big fall at that, from which it never recovers its previous prosperity.
And right now, I believe we are at that stage, at the brink of the precipice, because God is no longer Number One in our society. Oh yes, we talk the talk, but remember He looks at our hearts, and currently the motives therein are not God-centred. So what’s the position eh? It’s dark and dreary…unless we come to our senses and return to the ways of God; ways that our forefathers embraced more faithfully than we have done.
Friends, the only thing that can save us now is a revolution; a LOVE Revolution, for there is way more hate and negativity in our world right now than there is LOVE! And remember God is LOVE! So the less LOVE we have, the less of God we will also have. But we are people of faith, great faith, and anything we put our minds to, we can do, provided we have God involved. So if we require a LOVE Revolution to save our world, then we need to go to God to help us. As Jesus specified: ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ (Matt. 7:7)
And the way we go to God is in prayer; that’s His desire. So as one sincere voice, let’s take all our problems to Him now nuh, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control. And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now let me remind us again, that the Lord looks at the motives of our hearts before He answers our prayers, so if they weren’t right just now, and we’re not prepared to turn back to Him in true repentance, then we’ll be left out in the darkness, with no forthcoming light, a rather sad situation indeed. Much LOVE!
…to have a successful society…the LOVE of God…must predominate…
07 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good understanding, against the rich and mighty, awe-filled reverence towards God, awesome grace and mercy, divine retribution, fight for the poor and downtrodden, gives us thought for pause, god moves in mysterious ways, have all they that do his commandments, he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, I will greatly praise the Lord, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, in a quandary, in this wicked perverse world, Jehovah Rapha, keeps us on the right track, make me to understand, merciful forgiving God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my help cometh from the Lord, my well has run dry, no coherent subject to comment on, praise him among the multitude, sincere repentance, so shall I talk of thy wondrous works, teach me O Lord, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the God who heals, the Lord is thy keeper, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, the way of thy precepts, the way of thy statutes, those that condemn his soul, turn from our evil ways, which made heaven and earth
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.
Oh friends, the ole fella’s in a bit of a quandary this morning; he doesn’t know what to talk about, he has no coherent subject to comment on, like my well has run dry. (smile) These things do happen to the best of us at times. However, as I was leafing through the Good Book, the Psalms in particular, I came upon some verses that seemed to be just made for today. They’re all from different psalms, but something about them just touched me and I got the great idea to put them forward for our understanding and knowledge today. And I hope that all of them, or even just one touches our hearts this Monday morning and gives us thought for pause and ‘ponderation.’ (smile)
So here goes. The first verse comes from Psalm 109 – A prayer for the punishment of the wicked – from the pen of Bruh David. After wishing divine retribution on his enemies, he boldly declares (yeahh!): ‘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 (are judging) his soul.’ (Ps. 109:30-31)
My question is, are we praising the Lord greatly amongst the multitude of the heathen, among the numerous evildoers in our world? And do we believe that the Lord will fight for the poor and downtrodden against the rich and mighty? If our hearts are right, the answer to both questions ought to be a loud and proud: ‘YES!’
The next verse comes from Psalm 111, where the psalmist proclaims with certainty: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 111:10) Now that’s the very essence of life my people!
And to show it’s oh so true, Job made that declaration in Job 28:28, and Cousin Sol makes the same declaration, not once, but three times; in Prov. 1:7, Prov. 9:10, and Eccl. 12:13. So there must be a whole lot of truth to it. That leads to the question, do we fear the Lord? Do we possess that awe-filled reverence toward the Lord God Almighty; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Hopefully we will all shout out another loud and proud: ‘YES!’
And then we move on to that great Psalm 119, where the author desires of the Lord: ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works….Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.’ (Ps. 119:27, 33-34)
Wow mih bredrin! Those are the kinds of things we ask of the Lord when we have wisdom, when we reverence Him with our whole hearts, soul and being, because those are the things that keep us on the right track in this wicked and perverse world. And yuh know what’s next, (smile) the question of whether we desire those right-living things of the Lord? And I hear another loud and proud shout of: ‘YES, WE DO!’
Glory be mih people! That’s why we can conclude with these awesome words of the psalmist, as he talks of God’s sustaining power in Psalm 121: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.’ (Ps. 121:1-2) Yes friends, our help comes from nowhere or No One else but the Lord God Jehovah!
And as the psalmist continues: ‘He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 121:1-8) And do we believe all of that? ‘YES!’
Good! Then in awe-filled reverence and wisdom, let’s look to the Lord for the help that we desperately need today nuh. Let’s cry out to Him for succour and sustenance through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for we desperately need His assistance. So altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance, and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now please remember, the state of our hearts, if they are filled with true repentance, will decide the Lord’s answer. And who would have ‘thunked’ it eh – I didn’t have anything to say. (smile) Our God surely does move in mysterious ways. That’s why He’s such a great and wonderful God! Much LOVE!
…only when we look up…will help come from above…
23 Nov 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: chip being put in our bodies, Covid-19 records, ease their suffering, for your purposes, forgive us, God's Word, heal our land, hear our prayer, humble ourselves, if ye love me, Jehovah Rapha, keep my commandments, keep them from the evil one, leave behind a setta garbage, lose sight of the real truth, mass confusion, misinformation, misunderstanding, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, our God doesn't change, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, racial protests, red stages of pandemic, religious strife, repentance in our hearts, sanctify them, set them apart, sincerely seek your face, the truth shall set you free, through your truth, thy word is truth, turn from our evil ways, ultimate truth, unfounded theories, vaccine will change our DNA, virgin whiteness, winter wonderland, ye are my disciples, ye shall know the truth
John 17:17. Sanctify them (set them apart for your purposes) through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Welcome to the winter wonderland! Ah friends, that white stuff made its first grand entrance into my area for this pandemic year of 2020! And every time you see the vast amount of angelic and virgin whiteness covering everything, you can’t help but think how beautiful it looks! That is until mankind dirties it. (smile) Yes, you know we spoil everything we touch. Just look at the mess we left on the moon; everywhere we go we leave behind a setta garbage.
And though the snow has stopped falling, with the temperature dropping overnight and freezing up stuff, it’s going to be a rough commute this Monday morning. So if you have to be out there in those unpleasant conditions, please be very careful, especially for the crazies. However, I do believe that the traffic will be somewhat less than normal because of the red stages of pandemic lockdown in the Greater Toronto and surrounding area, where the incidence of the Covid -19 has recently been heightened, setting new records almost every day.
And sadly, there is so much misunderstanding, misinformation and unfounded theories on the virus that our society is terribly conflicted about it. That means, even when we do get a vaccine that will ease the pressure, many people will refuse to take it for any number of reasons, including these two that are currently making the rounds; a chip is being put in our bodies to control us, or whatever is in the vaccine will change our DNA, and thus our lives.
Hn! How strange it is, that the more advanced our society becomes, the more we seem to question, disbelieve and come up with all kinds of ridiculous theories and truths, and eventually lose sight of the real truth: God’s Word. Like if there can be more than one truth eh? The truth is always the truth, it doesn’t change.
And how do we know that God’s Word is the ultimate truth eh? In the first place, Jesus, amongst other things said that He was the truth. ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) Then in that same chapter, when Jesus talks about the promise of the Holy Spirit, He tells 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.’ (John 14:15-17)
Yes friends, the Holy Spirit, another part of our Godhead, the Holy Trinity is also truth, and He dwells in ALL believers. And later on, when Jesus prays for the disciples, He says: ‘I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (one). They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them (set them apart for your purposes) through thy truth: thy word is truth.’ (John 17:15-17) So you see, however you take it, truth stems from our Godhead!
And furthermore, as Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him. ‘If ye continue (abide) in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ (John 8:31-32) What more can I say eh mih people…to know truth you have to know Jesus, abide in Him and He in you, and then that glorious, that everlasting truth, the truth which changes not, like our God doesn’t change, will set you free, and bring peace, joy and eternal life to your spirit which is made in the magnificent image of our mighty God!
Wow! Isn’t that wonderful? It surely is! So now, let’s come to that same Godhead in sincere prayer, just like He desires us to, and through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, place all our wants, desires and needs, cast all of our cares upon Him, because He cares for us.
Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
So what’s the next move now eh? To stand by our vow of repentance and abide in His word and truth, that He can heal us and our land! Much LOVE!
…only when one knows God…can one know truth…
12 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lot to be thankful for, a new revelation, be filled with the Spirit, be not drunk with wine, Bruh Paul's admonitions, complaining, control our thoughts attitudes and actions, counting our blessings not our losses, despite our problems, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, everlastingly grateful, for all things, giving thanks always, God's will, gospel truth, Granny's warning, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, heal our land, humble servants, in God's time, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, in the fear of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, it corrupts our lives, Jehovah Rapha, let your moderation be known, living in godly unity and thankfulness, makes us useless to God, making melody in your heart to god, masks, mass confusion, moderation in all things, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, once there is life, our christian faith teaches us, pandemic of Covid 19, physical distancing, prayer and thanksgiving are essential, promote unity and love, Rejoice in the Lord always, ruins the flavour of Christianity, sin is like dirt in salt, sincere repentance, sincerely seek your face, sinned and come short of obedience, somebody else going to mind it for you, sonny boy, speaking to yourselves, submitting yourselves one to another, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the truth of the matter, there is hope, this too shall pass, turn from our evil ways, unto god and the Father, we're living much better than most
Ephesians 5:20. Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY CANADA!
And do we ever have a lot to be thankful for in this blessed and bountiful land of Canada! Oh I know that some of you are complaining plenty about the problems we’re currently encountering on a rather large scale, and I admit they can be rather daunting, especially since we’ve never encountered anything like them before. But the truth of the matter is that even with those problems confusing and confuffling our lives, we’re still living much better in this country than most of the others around the world…and for that we should be everlastingly grateful!
The abnormal situation we are undergoing right now is the norm for some countries. And as our Christian faith teaches us, once there is life, there is hope, and this too shall pass in God’s time. So we can’t give up, especially since giving up doesn’t exist in God’s vocabulary. Consequently, it’s time for us to have a new revelation; counting our blessings rather than our losses. And yuh know what? We’ll discover we have much more of the former than the latter, which ought to put us in a better and more thankful frame of mind. (smile)
And to help us do that, let’s invoke a couple of Bruh Paul’s admonitions to the churches at Ephesus and Philippi re living in godly unity and thankfulness. To the Ephesians, he said: ‘And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess (dissipation); but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks ALWAYS for ALL things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ (Eph. 5:18-21)
Yeh friends, as believers in Christ, we must allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with God’s character and virtues, and thus control our thoughts, attitudes and actions. And we do that through encouraging and exhorting each other with psalms and hymns etc., as well as being joyful in our own hearts and giving thanks to God for everything that comes into our lives, since we know that it will eventually be used for our good by God. And last but not least, deferring to the wishes of others, if we know it’s God’s will.
And to the church at Philippi, Bruh Paul advised: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation (graciousness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand (His return is near, and He will judge us according to our treatment of others). Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my people, I know those things are hard to accomplish in this evil world, but who ever said that following Christ was easy eh? (smile) But it’s those things that promote unity and LOVE amongst believers, enriching our own lives, as well as showing the unbeliever what is possible if He accepts Christ as His Lord and Saviour. Yeh friends, we must ever be prayerful and thankful, regardless of our circumstances. So even if we’re going through some really rough times now, prayer and thanksgiving are essential if we want to find that peace of God which passes all understanding.
So what better time to start than right now eh, on this Thanksgiving Day? And we’ll do it through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, which I believe captures all our fears, doubts, needs and wants. So as one strong voice, in true penitence, let’s go to God in sincere prayer nuh.
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
So let’s turn from our evil ways nuh people; it’s as simple as that, because it’s basically sin that’s muddying our waters. That reminds me of a quote from Uncle Charles (Dr. Charles Stanley) on sin. He says: ‘Sin is like dirt in salt. It corrupts our lives, ruins the flavour of Christianity for all who know us, and makes us useless to God.’ More truthful words were never spoken my brethren! But it’s all up to us. If we want the Lord to heal us and our land, we need to turn from our evil ways.
Oh, and let it not be said that I was amiss in my duty on this Thanksgiving Day, this day of celebration. (smile) Friends, I plead with us to remember Granny’s warning: ‘Sonny Boy, drunk or sober, ah beg yuh, please mind yuh business, else somebody else going to mind it for you.’ And that’s the gospel truth people, so please let’s be careful with food and drink, don’t overdo it, remember moderation in all things, and don’t get into no crowds, remember physical distancing and masks too. That’s the recipe for a successful and enjoyable Thanksgiving Day! Much LOVE!
…for the joy of the Lord is our strength…don’t let the devil steal it…
05 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: aura of disbelief, be not overcome of evil, Christ will always defeat Satan, come short in obedience, Covid virus, divine help, evil for evil, feed him, forgiveness, give him drink, good will always overcome evil, grace, half-truths, heap coals of fire, humble servants, I will repay, if thine enemy hunger, if thine enemy thirst, innuendoes, Jehovah Rapha, lies, LOVE, mercy, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, natural disasters, overcome evil with good, pandemic of Covid 19, recompense to no man, repentance, shame and remorse, sincerely seek your face, something the Lord allows, strife, the Christian thing to do, the God who heals, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the poor getting poorer, the rich getting richer, took it for a joke, turn from our evil ways, vengeance is mine saith the Lord, we have all sinned
Romans 12:21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
So what shall we say this Monday Morning in the early autumn days of this unprecedented year of 2020 eh? One thing comes to mind – that the Lord does indeed move in mysterious ways His miracles to perform. Yuh realize how many of the world leaders who never believe in the Covid virus and made fun of it, eventually got it? The leaders of the U.K., Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, Belarus, and some others whom I don’t remember all contracted the Covid-19 disease because they took it for a joke.
Hn! How can you ever take something the Lord allows, and as widespread and dangerous as it is, especially with its unknown qualities and behaviour, as a joke eh? And friends, I just realized that I left out the most famous (in his own mind) and powerful leader and mocker of them all…the one and only President of the U.S. of A! How could I have done that eh when all yuh hearing on the news these days are uncertainties, lies, innuendoes, and half-truths concerning his supposed illness.
He’s acquired such an aura of disbelief that many people don’t believe that he’s sick, it’s just another ploy in his vast arsenal of tricks and dirty deeds to win the upcoming election. His presidency has been fraught with so much distaste that many normally good-natured folks are praying for him to die from the Covid-19. And it would be a fitting death too, as he has so badly mismanaged the crisis. But all in all, I don’t think that is the Christian thing to do. The Lord will repay him in His own time and way for his wrongdoing.
So let us remember the words of the Good Book and heed its warning. ‘To me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them with haste.’ (Deut. 32:35) Those were Moses words to the Israelites in the early days. And the psalmist, in his writings – How long shall the wicked triumph – cried out in the same manner that many of us are crying out today as the wicked seem to be prospering ever so much, while the righteous are suffering.
‘O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself ( shine forth). Lift up thyself (rise up), thou judge of the earth: render a reward ( repay with punishment) to the proud. Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?’ (Ps. 94:1-3) Notice, in his anguish, how he repeats himself for emphasis. And that’s a very relevant question in these difficult and dangerous times friends, for the wicked and the wealthy are prospering even in these lean days.
It’s a proven fact that during this Covid-19 season the rich has gotten immensely richer, while the poor has gotten immensely poorer! No wonder a lot of people are crying out for justice, for vengeance! But then we are led by Bruh Paul to keep our faith, to trust our God, who never fails to keep His promises, just in His own time and manner. Hear him in his missive to the church at Rome.
‘Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men (Have regard for good things). If it be possible, as much as lieth in (depends on) you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath (don’t take angry action): for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire (shame and remorse) on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom. 12:17-21)
What more can I say eh friends? That’s Bruh Paul’s teaching; his revelation from God, so we need to acknowledge and live by it. Let’s wait for our God to take His vengeance upon our enemies nuh, that’s His portfolio. Ours is to live good. And yes, I know that’s difficult to do when we’re surrounded by so much evil and wickedness, but with God’s grace and mercy uplifting us, we can certainly overcome evil with good. Now, let’s go to God in prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn and release all our anger, frustration, anxieties, fear, needs, wants, desires, and whatever’s troubling us to His listening ear, because that’s His will.
All together now, humbly, but confidently: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And since we’ve just vowed repentance and pleaded for forgiveness, mercy and grace, let’s keep our vow and receive the Lord’s blessings nuh, for that’s what He requires of us. Much LOVE!
…good will always overcome evil…for Christ will always defeat Satan…
14 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a false witness, a forgiving God, a heart that devises wicked schemes, a high look, a lying tongue, a proud heart, adversity, calamities, can't run away and hide, come short in obedience, compliance to your word, defer not to pay it, divine guidance, end of story, failed miserably, faithful confidence, feet that be swift in running to mischief, foolish pride, forgive us, God ought to be our first resort, hallmarks of our modern society, hands that shed blood, he hath no pleasure in fools, heal our land, hear our prayer, heartache and calamity, humble hearts, it is better to trust in the Lord, Jehovah Rapha, lack of faith, LOVE, lucifer tried, mano-a-mano, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, not taken for granted, pain and sorrow, power to solve our problems, put confidence in princes, step up to the plate, than to put confidence in man, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, the only one, trials and tribulations, turn from our evil ways, turn to God in prayer, vow a vow unto God, we have all sinned, wisdom, wish them away
Psalm 118:8. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
So here we are on a Monday morning in mid-September of this historic year 2020, amidst numerous calamities, many trials and much tribulation, overwhelming adversity like most of us have never seen before – and are not liable to see ever again. But the sad fact is that they are here with us, we can’t run away and hide from them, or simply wish then away, that means we have to step up to the plate and deal with them mano-a-mano.
And the first step in dealing with any problem is one we all know, but don’t invoke as often as we should. I’m referring to turning to Almighty God in prayer; taking our problems to Him and asking for His divine guidance and wisdom in handling them. The sad fact is that too many of us first try to solve our problems ourselves, or turn to other humans, and when that doesn’t work, then, and only then, will we probably turn to God as a last resort. But friends that’s the ultimate in stupidity!
Remember what the psalmist advises: ‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to put confidence in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Ps. 118:8-9) So, regardless of the earthly status of a human being, our trust and confidence in them ought to be very carefully considered and not taken for granted. That in turn means, our great and sovereign God ought to be our avenue of FIRST resort, rather than the LAST! That kind of action shows up our foolish pride and our lack of faith in Him.
And you know one thing our God dislikes with a passion is foolish pride that shows up in our not trusting or needing Him. Hear how Bruh David puts it on the Lord’s behalf: ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (endure).’ (Ps. 101:5) And Cousin Sol further reminds us that amongst the seven deadly sins that the Lord hates is ‘A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.’ (Prov. 6:17)
But unwisely, those are the very things that we have chosen to pursue in our society. We trust man more than God, so much so that we’ve been trying to get God completely out of society, having already removed Him from our schools, our homes and public places. Sadly too, even a lot of what we preach in the church nowadays is not His truth. And don’t talk about lying tongues and the shedding of innocent blood… Brother! Those are some of the hallmarks of our modern, technological society!
And we can also add a few more things that are abominations to our God, but which rank very high in our society. ‘A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (devises wicked plans), feet that be swift in running to mischief (evil). A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Prov. 6:18-19) Yes my people, all those things which the Lord finds abominable, despicable and distasteful, unfortunately are mainstays of our current society. So what else can we expect if we do all that God dislikes eh? Nothing but pain and sorrow, heartache and calamity!
But the wonderful thing about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is that He is a most forgiving God, and if mankind repents and turns from his evil ways, the Lord is willing to forgive Him. In fact, He’s rather ecstatic when that happens, it warms the cockles of His heart. And I don’t know how many times I have to say it before we believe it: the Lord might not have brought all our worldwide problems upon us, but He has certainly allowed them because He’s tired of our evil ways and our trying to get rid of Him. That’s it in a nutshell.
And until we realize the error of our ways and turn back to Him in repentance, our problems will keep on driving us crazy. Therefore, in true wisdom, let’s take our problems to God in sincere prayer this morning nuh, so that He can alleviate, or show us how to alleviate them. So in faithful confidence, with humble, sincere hearts, let’s present our petitions heavenward, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now, our next move my brethren is to reduce the sin and evil in our hearts and in our land. For remember the Lord doesn’t just listen to our words, but more importantly He checks to see if the motives of our hearts are right. And remember too that we’ve just made a vow to repent and turn back to the Lord, so these words of Cousin Sol writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes are of the utmost importance. ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’ (Eccl. 5:4) End of story! Much LOVE!
…the created cannot overthrow the Creator…Lucifer tried…and failed miserably… (smile)
07 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: children of the King, climate change, Covid-19, delay not to pay it, divine help, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, fellow saints in Christ, grace, Granny's warning, he hath no pleasure in fools, if two of you shall agree, in God's good time, in my name, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise, Labour Day, mercy, negative situations, pandemic, safety practices, street party in Brooklyn, the Creator rules, the end of summer, the Most High God jehovah, there am I in the midst of them, thou that hearest prayer, turn from our evil ways, unto thee shall all flesh come, vowest a vow unto God, we have all sinned, where two or three are gathered, wise guidance, wonderful words of wisdom
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Well it’s Labour Day Monday again, which, to all intents and purposes means the end of the summer. But what a summer eh! Lockdown for most of it, unable to enjoy our usual summer pursuits…but thankfully we have health and life because of our safety practices. And I don’t know if there will be any, or as many Labour Day marches as we’re used to. I don’t even know if the big Labour Day street party in Brooklyn, New York will be taking place, but I doubt it. And that will be the first time in many a year, just like our Caribana here in T.O was cancelled this year.
Oh what a blow this Covid-19 has dealt us this year eh! But there’s no need to worry because we are children of the King, the Most High God Jehovah, and that means we have lots of staying power, plenty endurance and the ability to persevere despite anything the enemy throws at us! So in God’s good time we will conquer the Covid virus and forget about our lost summer and all the other negatives and instead wisely look to the positive side of the ledger; count our blessings and the plenty that we still have.
But to do that we first have to come alongside each other, work together in harmony and turn to God with repentant hearts and sincerely invite Him back into our individual lives and our society as a whole, from which we’ve hitherto been trying to oust Him. Remember the marvelous promise of Jesus: ‘Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt. 18:19-20)
Wow mih bredrin! What a powerful promise. And therefore, it’s only logical to conclude that Jesus is currently in our midst, since right now more than two or three of us agree that we need divine help to solve our problems. So the next action we need to take is communicating our heartfelt desires to Him, that means going to Him in prayer. For as Bruh David says in Psalm 65 – God is powerful in nature – ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps. 65:2) So let’s fulfil his words and do that now nuh, through what we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
All together now. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Ah my people, our God is a great God, but His truth and justice cry out for obedience and right heart motives, so if our hearts were right and our words true, then we know that He heard our prayer, and in His own time and manner, if we keep our promise, He will respond positively to our heartfelt desires. And that part about keeping our promise is oh so important, for according to Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
What wonderful words of wisdom my brethren! And that doesn’t apply to God only, but also to our interactions between each other. If more of us kept our promises, life would surely not be as distrustful, deceitful and strife filled as it is. So since we’ve gone to the Lord with supposedly repentant hearts, earnestly seeking His face, let’s now keep that promise and obey His Word and do His divine will nuh… that is if we want Him to keep His bargain and heal our land and our people. It’s as simple as that.
Remember it takes two to tango, and one hand can’t wash itself, it needs another to help it, and that we’re in a partnership with God, but we need to do our part first. Now it’s time for us to get in some Labour Day celebrations, but with ever watchful eyes and plenty caution, not forgetting that the Covid-19 virus is still out there, and as dangerous as ever, and also remembering Granny’s message: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ (smile) Please have a blessed and joyful day, my fellow saints in Christ! Much LOVE!
…when will man learn eh…that it’s the Creator who rules…and not the created…
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SCRIP-BITS 
Today’s Scrip-Bit 7 December 2020 Psalm 121:2.
07 Dec 2020 Leave a comment
by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a good understanding, against the rich and mighty, awe-filled reverence towards God, awesome grace and mercy, divine retribution, fight for the poor and downtrodden, gives us thought for pause, god moves in mysterious ways, have all they that do his commandments, he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, I will greatly praise the Lord, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, in a quandary, in this wicked perverse world, Jehovah Rapha, keeps us on the right track, make me to understand, merciful forgiving God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my help cometh from the Lord, my well has run dry, no coherent subject to comment on, praise him among the multitude, sincere repentance, so shall I talk of thy wondrous works, teach me O Lord, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the God who heals, the Lord is thy keeper, the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in, the way of thy precepts, the way of thy statutes, those that condemn his soul, turn from our evil ways, which made heaven and earth
Psalm 121:2. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.
Oh friends, the ole fella’s in a bit of a quandary this morning; he doesn’t know what to talk about, he has no coherent subject to comment on, like my well has run dry. (smile) These things do happen to the best of us at times. However, as I was leafing through the Good Book, the Psalms in particular, I came upon some verses that seemed to be just made for today. They’re all from different psalms, but something about them just touched me and I got the great idea to put them forward for our understanding and knowledge today. And I hope that all of them, or even just one touches our hearts this Monday morning and gives us thought for pause and ‘ponderation.’ (smile)
So here goes. The first verse comes from Psalm 109 – A prayer for the punishment of the wicked – from the pen of Bruh David. After wishing divine retribution on his enemies, he boldly declares (yeahh!): ‘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 (are judging) his soul.’ (Ps. 109:30-31)
My question is, are we praising the Lord greatly amongst the multitude of the heathen, among the numerous evildoers in our world? And do we believe that the Lord will fight for the poor and downtrodden against the rich and mighty? If our hearts are right, the answer to both questions ought to be a loud and proud: ‘YES!’
The next verse comes from Psalm 111, where the psalmist proclaims with certainty: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 111:10) Now that’s the very essence of life my people!
And to show it’s oh so true, Job made that declaration in Job 28:28, and Cousin Sol makes the same declaration, not once, but three times; in Prov. 1:7, Prov. 9:10, and Eccl. 12:13. So there must be a whole lot of truth to it. That leads to the question, do we fear the Lord? Do we possess that awe-filled reverence toward the Lord God Almighty; He of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Hopefully we will all shout out another loud and proud: ‘YES!’
And then we move on to that great Psalm 119, where the author desires of the Lord: ‘Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works….Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.’ (Ps. 119:27, 33-34)
Wow mih bredrin! Those are the kinds of things we ask of the Lord when we have wisdom, when we reverence Him with our whole hearts, soul and being, because those are the things that keep us on the right track in this wicked and perverse world. And yuh know what’s next, (smile) the question of whether we desire those right-living things of the Lord? And I hear another loud and proud shout of: ‘YES, WE DO!’
Glory be mih people! That’s why we can conclude with these awesome words of the psalmist, as he talks of God’s sustaining power in Psalm 121: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.’ (Ps. 121:1-2) Yes friends, our help comes from nowhere or No One else but the Lord God Jehovah!
And as the psalmist continues: ‘He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper (protector): the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve (keep) thee from all evil. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps. 121:1-8) And do we believe all of that? ‘YES!’
Good! Then in awe-filled reverence and wisdom, let’s look to the Lord for the help that we desperately need today nuh. Let’s cry out to Him for succour and sustenance through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, for we desperately need His assistance. So altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance, and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Now please remember, the state of our hearts, if they are filled with true repentance, will decide the Lord’s answer. And who would have ‘thunked’ it eh – I didn’t have anything to say. (smile) Our God surely does move in mysterious ways. That’s why He’s such a great and wonderful God! Much LOVE!
…only when we look up…will help come from above…