10 Oct 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future, a God of confusion, a summer's day, anticipate as you wait, calamity, cast thy burden upon the Lord, Christ-like, chutzpah, discern, encourages us, eternity, evil world, eyes fixed straight ahead, face conflicts, finite, full age, get stronger, Gideon, God is never late, God never breaks His promise, God sends only silence, God will never disappoint, good and evil, gospel truth, great joy, grow in knowledge, gumption, hands on the plough, he shall never suffer, he shall sustain thee, Hebrews, hemmed and hawed, hope, I asked for a sign, incurably hopeful, kept the Lord first place, make a positive difference, milk, more mature, no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky, not looking back, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, ought to be teachers, presumptuous, relctant to act on His word, sincere trust and faith, solid food, spoon feeding, stand steadfast in hope, strong meat, the breath of life, the crisis is real, the hope He implants, the Lord never changes, the oracles of God, the righteous to be moved, the wet fleece, the word of righteousness, to do His will, to hope in a promise, trust His Word, unskillful, urgent decisions, walk in lockstep with Christ, walk with god, Wednesday Wail, you can't see ahead, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Another, warm, bright and sunshiny day! Glory to God! Yes friends, yesterday was a beautiful summer’s day, with temps in the twenties, and today promises to be another of the same. How wonderful it is to have two such days in mid October eh!
And yuh know the trees have hardly shed any leaves as yet, many of them are still even as green as the months of spring. But we know that won’t last for much longer, so we’ll enjoy it as much as possible.
And saying that, I couldn’t pass up sharing this wonderful bit of encouragement with you. It’s called ‘I Asked for a Sign,’ and comes from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin.
Please pray with me. ‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous.
Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know! You don’t stand alone! All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions.
God is not a God of confusion. We can know His will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.”
He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants us to trust His Word, not the wool! When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead.
However, you can still be incorrigibly (incurably) hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never late. Remember. Not the wool but His Word!’
Ah mih people, yuh see why I had to share it. Too many of us believers need a sign to do God’s will. When God called Gideon to lead his people out to battle, he hemmed and hawed and desired a sign about the wet fleece. And even when he got it, he asked for the fleece to come up dry. And only after the Lord granted him the sign did he get the chutzpah to get up and go.
But the Lord doesn’t want to be continually spoon-feeding us with signs and wonders before we have the necessary gumption to do His will. He’s given us his Word, in which lies all the hope we need. I’m sure that if asked, we’d all say that God never breaks His promise, so why are we so reluctant to act on His Word eh, when it is filled with so many promises that will never be broken?
My brethren, we have to get stronger and more mature if we ever hope to make a positive difference in this evil world. Let’s stop looking for signs, instead, let’s be buttressed by the omnipotent Word of our omnipotent God!
The problem here though is that we don’t read, understand and accept His Word as much as we ought to. So obviously if you don’t have the Word as a strong foundation in your soul, you won’t be able to stand strong and steadfast on the wonderful hope that it contains.
You’ll always be like a baby, needing to be spoon fed, needing milk, not able to eat solid food. Like the author of Hebrews wrote to his audience. ‘For when the time (by this time) ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles (sayings) of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (solid food).
For every one that useth (partakes of) milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat (solid food) belongeth to them that are of full age (mature), even those who by reason of use (practice) have their sense exercised (trained) to discern both good and evil.’ (Heb.5:12-14)
Yes my people, only as we grow in knowledge of God’s Word and put it into practice, stand steadfast in hope in His promises, will we ever mature and become as Christ-like as possible. And remember that’s God’s overall purpose and desire for us all: to become like His Son!
And the Bible Promise for the poem above, which is also our Bit, says it in spades: ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Oh friends, that’s the gospel truth! Bruh David said it in his cry against deceitful friends, and it’s only because he kept the Lord first place in his heart that he was able to successfully undergo all the calamity that came against him in his lifetime.
And since the Lord never changes, and His promises are always faithful, He will do the same for us, but we have to put our sincere trust and faith in Him. Now let’s go home declaring (spelled it right) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our great faith and trust in Almighty God!
In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home.
My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Oh my brethren, what a great joy it is to walk in lockstep with Christ! There’s nothing else that can compare to it! So please be wise and take His safe and LOVING hand…NOW! Much LOVE!
…if walking with Christ on earth is so great…can you imagine what it will be like in eternity…NO…our minds are too finite and puny…(smile)
24 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are possible, alone, anger, Anselm, baptized, bond, bone-chilling cold, Christians, Church of Christ, cliches, cliques, come together, defeated, dissension, disunity, diversion, duties, enjoyed with others, evil, evil cohorts, fighting, find God's purpose, finish line, flooding, free, functions, Gentiles, get the good, giving up, glorious truth, God's calling, individuals, Jews, looking at the past, Lucifer, mere words, need to do now, new interpretations, no man is an island, not one member, One Body, one spirit, original gospel, philosophy, ponder, power struggles, rain, receive Christ, resentment, reward, rule the world, significant aspect, slave, snow, solidarity, spring-like break, stranglehold, success, success is empty, surrounded by winners, the believer, the body, truth, U.S. Midwest, U.S. South, unity, walk with god, without the bad, you can't go it alone
1 Corinthians 12:14. For the body is not one member, but many.
Ah friends, how nice it is to get a spring-like break amidst the bone-chilling cold of winter that’s been dogging us for some time now! And this past week has certainly been like that in my area. The temps have mainly been above freezing and it might even continue like that for the next couple of days.
But I guess you can’t get the good without the bad, for though it’s been warm, it’s been rainy and cloudy, with flooding in several areas. More rain and flooding are expected this weekend across the U.S. South and Midwest. But I’ll take the rain and whatever, over the snow any day. (smile) That’s possibly because I’m not personally experiencing any flooding. Let’s pray for those who are undergoing that kind of disaster right now my brethren.
And since today is Saturday, it’s time to look at some of the quotes our friend, Anselm, sent us this week, in his heartfelt attempt to inspire us for a better tomorrow. The first one says: ‘You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready.’ That should be obvious. Why would you be seeking an opportunity if you were not ready and able to undertake it eh? But unfortunately, a lot of us misguidedly do it.
And the second tells us: ‘Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.’ What glorious truth that is my people! You’re never really defeated until YOU decide to give up! How can you be defeated if you keep on fighting, keep coming back again and again eh?
And that philosophy applies ever so much to Christians, because in our Lord and Saviour’s vocabulary there is NO GIVING UP! Why should there be, when ALL THINGS are possible through Christ? That’s a very significant aspect of the believer’s walk with God, and his ability to grow in Christ’s image. If you don’t believe that, then you’re lost from the very start.
Now listen to this quote. ‘Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead twenty years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.’ Now I don’t know if you need to look so far ahead – possibly take it in smaller increments – but you do need to decide what you’re going to be all about later on in life, so that you can do the stuff that’s necessary to get you there.
However, with the believer, it’s a li’l different. We need to discover God’s calling for our lives, so that we can walk successfully in His will. Yuh see, what we might like to do in the world, is not always what the Lord wants us to do. And as a faithful believer and follower, it behooves us to find God’s purpose and follow it as closely as possible.
And the last quote says: ‘Success is empty if you arrive at the finish line alone. The best reward is to get there surrounded by winners.’ And that’s oh so true! You can’t really enjoy success if you’ve achieved it all by yourself. Success is meant to be enjoyed with others.
In the first place, you will very seldom achieve success if you don’t surround yourself with positive, successful thinking people. That’s why there are clichés like ‘no man is an island’ and ‘you can’t go it alone.’
And Bruh Paul took pains to point out that the church of Christ is one body, though it’s made up of individuals, hence his writing to the church at Corinth that includes our Bit. ‘For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond (slave) or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.’ (1 Cor.12:12-14)
Yeh friends, believers are all a part of ONE BODY; that of Christ; of His Church! Regardless of colour, creed or race, once you receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are baptized with His Spirit that immediately comes to dwell in you, and you become a part of that big body called Christ’s Church.
As Bruh Paul philosophizes to the church at Rome. ‘For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (function): So we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one (individually) members one of another.’ (Rom.12:4-5)
Ah mih people, in every organization the members have different functions and duties, which holds that organization together. If those members don’t perform their functions in a serious and positive manner, then the organization won’t last long. It’s the same way with Christ’s church. If we, as members, don’t play our individual parts, then the body won’t function as it should.
And that’s exactly what’s happening in Christ’s church right now. There is too much anger and resentment, too many power struggles and cliques, too much dissension and disunity, too much diversion from the original gospel, with people preaching all sorts of different things and filtering in new interpretations as dictated by the world. How can Christ’s church be successful under those conditions eh? NEVER!
That’s why Lucifer and his evil cohorts currently have the world in a stranglehold; they are united, but Christ’s people are not. Yes my fellow believers, until we stop talking and fighting against each other and come together as one, evil will rule the world. Now let’s sit down and ponder that. Is that what we truly want? Much LOVE!
…unity and solidarity should not be mere words in Christ’s church…
P.S. Sorry for the lateness of the Bit. It’s Saturday, so I slept in. (smile) Much LOVE!
14 Feb 2018
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of the devil, a fiery burst of love, a time of joy, Abel, actions, angry, Ash Wednesday, at the hands of, bacchanal, backbone, be like Jesus, beggars can't be choosers, belly, brighten up the gloom, brighter and brighter, Cain, Carnival, celebration, cleansing of our spirits, come to Christ, commercialism, conflicting allegiances, contemplation, display of love, empty our spirits, everlasting proportions, eyes fixed straight ahead, fasting, forty days of temptation, get closer to God, giving love, glory hallelujah, grow in christ-likeness, halfway home, hands on the plough, hanging with Jesus, hate-filled, in a quandary, in deed and truth, in tandem with God, in tongue, insincerity, introspection, joy, lack love, lasting, Lent, little children, looking to the future, LOVE, love not in word, LOVE one another, loveless world, Lucifer, making a mockery of Christ, meditating on god's word, not turning back, outwardly manifest, prayer, resentful society, righteous, rigours of ministry, season of Lent, seep into our hearts, sincere, studying God's Word, sunshine, temptation, Thank You Lord, the breath of life, the Lord's way, the wicked one, the wilderness, truth, tuning out the world, unconditional LOVE, Valentine's day, walk with god, Wednesday Wail, wisdom, works were evil
1 John 3:18. My little children, let us not LOVE in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Oh boy, it’s another bright, sunshiny day in the neighbourhood! Thank You Lord! If we have to put up with the snow and cold, then we should at least have some sunshine to brighten up the gloom those things produce in our spirits. (smile)
And I’m in a quandary here; don’t know what to write on; Ash Wednesday or Valentine’s Day, as both of them fall on the same day. Hn! The former begins the season of Lent for believers; a serious time of introspection, fasting and prayer.
On the other hand, the latter is a time of joy and celebration and the time of the biggest display of LOVE in our hate-filled, angry and resentful society. And even though it smacks of a lot of insincerity and commercialism, how can you write off any kind of LOVE at all eh, when we so badly need it?
I guess in one sense you can say that the bacchanal of Carnival is over now, and we begin the season of Lent with a fiery burst of LOVE! Oh how wonderful that would be if the LOVE went a li’l deeper and was more sincere and lasting! But beggars can’t be choosers, so if we get even a small amount of LOVE in this LOVELESS world we have to be grateful and say, ‘Thank You Lord!!
Meanwhile, on the Lenten side of the ledger, we need to get serious about our walk with God and delve into what it truly means to be walking in sincere tandem with Him. We need to empty our spirits, as Jesus did when He was led into the wilderness to suffer forty days of temptation at the hands of the evil Lucifer.
He spent His days in prayer and contemplation with fasting, a way of building His belly and backbone to withstand the rigours of His upcoming ministry. He knew that His ministry would not be easy, and that was the Lord’s way of strengthening Him.
And in this season of Lent we ought to try and be strengthened in like manner my faithful and believing brethren. If we want to be like Jesus, to grow in Christ-likeness, then we have to do some of the things He did, follow in His footsteps as much as possible. And tuning out more of the world than usual, in these next forty days, is something we can do, and ought to embark on.
I guess you can call it the yearly cleansing of our spirits. But however we do it, the important thing is to get closer to God, by putting aside some of the worldly things that usually occupy our time, and giving Him more of our time, studying His word more closely and meditating on it, so we can discover its true meaning for our lives.
And yuh know what friends? As we spend more time in serious reflection, we will understand God better, and His most wonderful attribute, that of LOVE, will seep into our hearts and souls even more. Wow! How amazing that would be if we could get the majority of the world to reflect on God’s Word and discover His awesome and unconditional LOVE!
And on this Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day, I believe the most appropriate Bit for today, is the same one we had yesterday. ‘My little children, let us not LOVE in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.’
Yeh mih people, please, please, I implore us to bring out true LOVE in our daily lives, show it to our fellow man in living colour, in sincere actions, because that’s the only way we will truly make this world a better place. Not to mention that it’s only true, sincere actions of LOVE, that anyone will truly want to come to Christ. If we keep preaching that Christ is LOVE, and don’t show true LOVE, then we’re making a mockery of Christ and all that He stands for.
As John says earlier on: ‘For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should LOVE one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew (murdered) his brother (Abel). And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.’ (1 John 3:11-12)
Now listen to the scholars’ explanation of that last verse. ‘3:12. See Genesis 4:8. Of that wicked one refers to a child of the Devil (v.10). Cain killed Abel because their conflicting allegiances (Cain’s to Satan, Abel’s to God) were plain to see by their respective actions.
John seems to be saying: “If even wicked Cain could see that a man’s character is revealed ultimately, not in what he says he believes, but in what he does, should not Christians be able to see this as well?”
Of course we should my brethren! As we said yesterday, LOVE is an action word, and only through our actions can we outwardly manifest it. But sadly, so many of us lack LOVE in our souls, that we obviously can’t show it. We can’t give what we don’t have.
However, if we’re serious about giving LOVE, then all we have to do is go to God and sincerely ask Him to fill us with it. But then that means spending time with Him, something that so many of us unfortunately shy away from.
Anyway friends, this Ash Wednesday/Valentine’s Day is the right time for us to come to the trough and drink of God’s grace, mercy, LOVE and forgiveness. Remember, it did not just happen by chance, but God programmed it that way, to accomplish His purpose.
Now let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know our blessed position in Christ. All together now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday!
I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
Now that’s truth and wisdom of everlasting proportions! Much LOVE!
…if one is consistently hanging with Jesus…then one’s future can only get brighter and brighter…
20 Oct 2017
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a believer's spirit, a safe journey, a strong wind, afflictions, as a roaring lion, back-breaking labour, believers, billowing, boundaries, chink, christ jesus, close to God, confirm, cut offs, devour, dominion, draw near to God, each step I take, establish, eternal glory, eternal life, evil henchmen, faith walk, fellowship, flee from you, footholds, for ever and ever, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering your glorious kingdom, generous help, glory to God, go overboard, gospel truth, grace, greed, Guide, have so little, heavenly breath, hold tight to Jesus, hope, in Christ's name, in Jesus' name, in the world, insight, invade, James, Jesus Christ, Jesus' philosophy, keeping the enemy at bay, laze about, lies, life's waterways, limits, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, Lucifer, make you perfect, mates, of no use, party, phenomenal speed, pilot, reinventing itself, relaxation, resist in the faith, resist the devil, respecter of persons, respite, rest, sails, salvation, seeking whom he may devour, sensible prayer, settle, share bounty, slave work, sleep, sober, spiritual armour, strengthen, submit to God, suffered, temptation, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the devil, the God of all grace, the poor getting poorer, the rich getting richer, the straight and narrow path, toeholds, vigilant, walk with god, walks about, week of work, weekend, wiles, workingman, your adversary
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Ahoy there mates! How are your sails holding up today eh? I do hope that they are full and billowing with a strong wind so that you can be pushed smoothly along life’s wide and plentiful waterways.
And if Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour is breathing His powerful heavenly breath upon your sails, then you can be assured of a safe journey. It won’t always be smooth sailing, for life is never completely calm, but you will reach your destination safely. With Jesus as your guide and pilot, I can guarantee you that!
And as most of us know, (smile) it’s Friday, so it’s no surprise to hear the workingman singing his song. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Massa slave work soon done, then my time is all mine! Glory to God! Ah going to party and sleep and laze about … then party and sleep and laze about some more…all weekend! Thank God for Fridays and weekends, for the short respite from back-breaking labour for li’l pay!’
Ah mih people, the ordinary man’s life is getting harder though our society is prosperously reinventing itself at phenomenal speed. Why is that eh? In an age of so much, so many have so little…
And it doesn’t seem to be getting better though millions of voices are crying out for help. In fact it seems to be getting worse, for the rich are indeed getting richer and greedier, while the poor are getting poorer and falling further behind, if that is at all possible.
Ah Lord eh! When will mankind ever learn to share his bounty with others eh? I guess not until Jesus comes to set up His eternal kingdom and greed and such negative things are removed from His world.
Anyway, for believers, we do have HOPE… lot’s of it, and we just need to hold tight to Jesus and we’ll be okay. Now let’s refute the workingman’s song with our own Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
And that’s a more sensible prayer, one in keeping with Jesus’ philosophy. It doesn’t allow us to go overboard in any area of our lives, but does it’s best to keep us on the straight and narrow, where we can have rest, enjoyment and fellowship, while being rejuvenated in body and soul, so we can start out strong next week.
Wise, faithful believers will tend towards that guideline, while the unwise will want to overdo the partying and lazing around aspect, then come Monday morning and time to go back to work, they are of no use to themselves or anybody else.
Boundaries, friends, boundaries, limits, cut offs, are very necessary in a believer’s life, for if we go too far, we’ll simply allow the enemy to gain footholds, toeholds, etc, in our lives, a situation that is totally unacceptable.
Hence our Bit for today: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.’ (1 Pet.5:8-9)
And that is the gospel truth my brethren! Lucifer and his evil henchmen are constantly on the lookout for ways to invade a believer’s spirit and thus get him or her off of Jesus’ program of salvation and eternal life. Even the teeny, ‘weeniest’ chink in our spiritual armour will have them salivating.
And remember that Lucifer and his bandits are no respecter of persons, they attack everybody, especially believers. So please don’t think that you are alone in facing and experiencing temptation. It’s a worldwide game.
Now here is some invaluable insight from James into keeping the enemy at bay. ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw nigh (near) to you…’ (James 4:7-8a)
Yeh friends, keeping the enemy at bay involves two basic actions; vigorously and continuously resisting him, while drawing ever closer to God. They are not always easy actions to perform, but if we’re serious about our walk with God, and sincerely ask for His help, we can do it.
And why are we sure of that? Peter explains. ‘But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:10-11)
Oh friends, I know we’ve heard this message over and over again, but it’s one we need to repeatedly hear so that we can stay on the right path, to remember that the enemy is always lurking, trying to bring us down to his unholy level.
So today, I implore us to pay serious attention to our faith walk, stay close to God, and not give the enemy any chance whatsoever to devalue it. I pray this in Christ’s name. Amen! Much LOVE my brethren!
…be on the lookout…always…for the enemy’s wiles and lies…
12 Aug 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: a broken heart, a life of joy and peace, a long time ago, all ye that fear God, almighty god, Amazing grace, as far as the east, as long as life endures, but now I see, but now I'm found, charles stanley, come and hear, contrite, contrite spirit, Creator of the universe, dangers, dissolve like snow, don't give up, exalted, extolled, falter, First Baptist Church, flesh and heart shall fail, forbear to shine, forgiveness, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, grace, gracious God, how sweet the sound, humble repentance, humble spirit, I once was lost, in Jesus' name, In Touch, iniquity, John Newton, joy, merciful, mercy, mighty wings, mortal life, my fears relieved, my hope secures, my shield and portion be, peace, perished, perspective, praise and worship, praised, promise, protective umbrella, revive the heart, revive the spirit, saved a wretch like me, sing God's praise, slave trader, snares, taught my heart to fear, tempestuous times, ten thousand years, testimony, TGIF! Thank God is Friday, the hour I first believed, the party soon start, the voice of my prayer, the weekend, toils, transforming grace, two stepping, walk with god, was blind, week of work, what He hath done for my soul, will lead me home, with my tongue, within the veil
Psalm 66:16. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Aye friends, I know that it’s Friday and all that; that you all are shouting out very loudly and enthusiastically: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday yes! The weekend done come… and the party soon start…and going all weekend long too! Thank God for Fridays and the weekend!’
Well mih people, I want us to begin the party right here by singing a wonderful old song that we all know and LOVE. Last night I heard a most stirring rendition of it from Uncle Charles’ (Charles Stanley’s) programme, In Touch, featuring a youngster whose name I believe was William Kemp, leading the First Baptist Church of Atlanta’s choir and congregation. The music was beautiful too…
Oh friends it sounded so good to me that I knew the Father had to be tapping, two stepping in the aisles of heaven. (smile) He definitely couldn’t sit still with such wonderful praise and worship reaching His heavenly home. And I knew that we just had to begin this morning’s proceedings with a wonderful rendition of it also.
So please sing with me: ‘Amazing grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,And grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But God, who called me here below, Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun. Amazing grace…how sweet the sound…that saved a wretch like me… I once was lost…but now I’m found…was blind…but now I see…’
Oh my believing brethren, what beautiful words and sentiments from the old slave trader, John Newton! Yuh see what can happen when Almighty God touches our hearts! So though you may falter in your walk with God, please DON’T GIVE UP, because with just one miraculous thought He can change your whole life!
That brings us to our Bit, from Psalm 66 – The great works of God. ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.’ And precious people of God, we couldn’t ask for a better testimony of God’s grace and mercy than the words of John Newton that we just sang!
And the psalmist continues after our Bit with a short testimony of his own. ‘I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled (praised, exalted) with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.’ (Ps.66:17-20)
Yes my brethren, our merciful and gracious God will not turn away His ear from our prayer if our hearts are contrite and humble. Oh friends, why would He ever do such a thing eh, when He has specifically promised to bless those who come to him in humble repentance eh?
Listen to the psalmist from Psalm 34 – The Lord hears the righteous. ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (crushed in spirit).’ (Ps.34:18)
And Isaiah confidently declares: ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’ (Is.57:15)
Oh what a beautiful promise my brethren! That’s why a man like John Newton, with such terrible deeds on his conscience, could come to Jehovah God and receive mercy, forgiveness and grace to ease his aching soul. The same options are still open today for each and every human being on planet earth my people.
We just have to be brave and come to God with whatever is bothering us. He will dispose of our sins as far as the east is from the west, and give us grace and mercy to begin a new life under the protective umbrella of His mighty wings.
And believe me friends, there is no better place to be in these trying and tempestuous times as under the protection of God, the Creator of the universe and all therein! Now, being cognizant of our short span minds, (smile) we’ll stop here for today, and continue the same trend tomorrow, God willing of course.
Now let’s go home chanting our Friday Chant, so that we can get a better perspective on how to use the weekend. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Please put those words into action my people, because they will certainly benefit us when Monday comes along. Much LOVE!
…without God’s transforming grace and mercy…mankind would certainly have perished a long, long time ago…
05 Feb 2016
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living
Tags: afflictions, arthritic bones, Ash Wednesday, bacchanal, backbreaking labour, be sober, be vigilant, blessings, Carnival Friday, doing wrong, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, evil, faith, fanciful, fellowship, Friday chant, friends, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, glamourous, glory hallelujah, glory to God, Granny's advice, Hallelujah, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, joy, jump and prance., leggo beasts, Lent, Lenten season, LOVE, Lucifer, make you perfect, mas, merriment, modicum of circumspection, New Orleans, penchant, pleasure, Praise the Lord, rejuvenation, relaxation, resist, rest, Rio, satisfy my soul, Scarborough, seeking whom he may devour, settle, spirit of Carnival, stablish, steadfast in faith, strengthen, suffered, sunburn, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the God of all grace, the Lord in favour, the weekend, time of feasting, trust, truth, ungodly world, walk with god, week of work, wiles, wisdom, words of encouragement, your adversary the devil
1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Oh friends, on this Carnival Friday, a wet and windy one, I come to you from my little cottage by the sea in Tobago with these words of encouragement and LOVE! Glory to God!
Yes my brethren, it’s the start of the weekend, and I know that many of you around the world are going to, or have already shouted ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday, and the weekend’s here at last! No more backbreaking labour for a few days! Thank God it’s Friday yes!’
And so it should be my people; constant work deserves a spell of rest and rejuvenation. But the first thing I want to remind us about is how we spend our weekend, not in debauchery and lustfulness, but in thanks and praise and general well-being.
So let’s chant our Friday Chant which helps us to truly understand what the weekend is all about. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes friends, that’s the general scene we ought to hold to on a weekend, especially this Carnival one, where in places like T&T, Rio and New Orleans, where the god of pleasure and debauchery, Bacchanal himself will be ruling the roost and so many of us will be behaving like true leggo beasts.
I don’t know about the other festivals, but here in T&T many people won’t be working from today until Ash Wednesday, so that’s a five-day weekend. And you know what can happen in such a long layoff from work, especially when pleasure is the subject of the day.
At no other time is Granny’s advice more necessary than now my people. So let me spell it out right away. ‘Sonny boy…and young girl too…please, please, ah beg all yuh…this is Carnival time, so drunk or sober, please mind yuh business! For as Shadow says in his kaiso; ‘on Carnival night…when them men get tight…they doh care who they bite…’
And that’s the gospel truth my people! At Carnival time even the most peaceful and ‘geekish’ body seems to develop a penchant for doing wrong, whether it’s through drugs and alcohol, or simply the enervating spirit of Carnival.
Oh I know this is the time before the Lenten Season when we are supposed to release all our pent up energy and frustrations before settling down to a more holy and godly time. But there is a way to do that, and also a way not to do it.
And our Bit today from 1 Peter gives us admirable, wonderful advice, advice truly akin to Granny’s. ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
And the sad part is that at this particular time of feasting and merriment, the ole crook and scoundrel Lucifer doesn’t have to look far or wide, or even search hard for people to devour, because we open wide the doorway for him to come in and take up residence within our souls, with the kind of behaviour we put down during Carnival.
Now nobody’s saying we shouldn’t celebrate or party, but we ought to do it with a modicum of circumspection, as Jeeves would say. We can’t afford to give the evil one, even an inch, because you know he’ll end up taking a nail. (smile)
As for me, my days for the leggo beast kind of partying seem to be over. Hn! I can’t even walk properly, much less to jump and prance! The last couple days my left knee began acting up on me, and I’ve been limping around, just doing whatever I need to do, plus the duchess had a bout of the flu, so we’ve just been sitting around mostly, trying to get ourselves together.
I have been going to my waterhole every afternoon though. Got to get the ole arthritic bones soaking in that therapeutic sea water as much as possible. I don’t need to worry about the sunshine, because it’s been very hot the last few days, I might even have gotten sunburn. (smile)
This morning though I want to go up into the big city of Scarborough and try to get some proper channels on the t.v. Hn! Now that I have satellite t.v, the channels don’t appeal to me. Not even a good sports station, or a Christian one to boost my spirituality! Chuh! It might cost me more money, but what’s a few dollars for one’s comfort and satisfaction eh!
I’ll be in quiet Tobago for the weekend, hopefully watching some of the mas on the tube. And if my knee feels better, I might even go down to Scarborough on Tuesday afternoon to take in some Tobago mas. Oh it’s not as big and fanciful and glamorous as that in Trinidad, but it will satisfy my soul.
And besides, the overall mas scene has gone downhill as far as I am concerned; the good costumes are few and far between, with just a bikini top and bottom with a few feathers being more the norm, but still costing a lot of money.
Anyway friends, let’s end up here with the continuation of Peter’s warning after our Bit. ‘Whom (the devil) resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in (experienced by) your brethren that are in the world.
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish (confirm), strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (1 Pet.5:9-11)
And all God’s children said a loud and proud and grateful: ‘Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!’
So my fellow believers in Christ, until tomorrow, the Lord in favour, please let’s walk safely and securely under His comforting umbrella, successfully thwarting the evil wiles of the enemy. Much LOVE!
…to successfully thwart Lucifer…one MUST walk with God…
08 Oct 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxieties, anxiety, be not envious of the workers of iniquity, brethren in christ, burdens, buttress, cares, cast thy burden upon the Lord, cease from anger, Commit thy way to the Lord, conflicts, confusion, crisis, delight thyself in the Lord, do good, evil doers shall be cut off, faith, faithful help of Jehovah God, fear, fears, fleece, forsake wrath, Fret not thyself over evildoers, Gideon, God is never late, God is not a God of confusion, God will never disappoint our hope, God's promises, God's timing, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved, he shall sustain thee, hope in God's promise, hopeful, idle promises, live in true faith, LOVE, omnipotent god, One Year Book of Bible promises, props, Rest in the Lord, righteousness., Ruth Harms Calkin, seek first the face of God, signs, silence., the kingdom of God, the measure of faith, the new man in Christ, the righteousness of God, the things of the world, the Word of god, those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the earth, Thursday, trust, trust God's Word, trust in the Lord, urgent decisions, violent times, wait patiently for the Lord, walk with god, wisdom, workweek, you don't stand alone
Psalm 55:22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).
Aye mih fellow breddren in Christ, the workweek is moving along as it’s been planned! Would you believe it’s already Thursday, the penultimate day? Yes it is, so please, let’s hang in there, keep giving of our best, and with the faithful help of Jehovah God we WILL make it through, possibly tired, but unscathed. For that’s the promise of our great God, and He never makes idle promises.
And I just could not ignore this most appropriate passage from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. This one’s called ‘I asked for a sign.’ Listen up carefully people.
‘Even as I answer your letter, you are perhaps still waiting while God sends only silence. There is no sudden hailstorm, no writing in the sky. The crisis is real, and you don’t want to be presumptuous. Like Gideon in Judges 6, you want to feel the wet fleece. Or the dry fleece – you don’t care which one. You just want to know! You don’t stand alone!
All of us who walk with God face conflicts that involve urgent decisions. God is not a God of confusion. We can know his will. When our faith is very new, He may send a sign to fortify us. However, I am convinced that God’s highest intention is to free us from unnecessary “props.” He wants to buttress us, not baby us. Above all, He wants us to trust His Word, not the wool.
When He encourages us to hope in a promise, that hope may be our only evidence. At this moment you can’t see ahead. However, you can still be incorrigibly hopeful! You can anticipate as you wait, knowing that God will never disappoint the hope He Himself implants. He is never too late. Remember: Not the wool but His Word!’
Yes Friends, in our times of crisis and confusion, we all look for a sure and certain sign from God, and sometimes He does send them. But at other times He doesn’t, because as the above passage declares, He wants to buttress, shore us up, not baby us.
He wants us to be strong and sure in the power of His promises, and that will never happen if we keep crying out every minute, and He sends signs all the time. As the passage also says, it’s not about the fleece that Gideon got a sign on, but about the Word of God, which we need to have enough faith to stand on, without receiving a sign.
Now signs are all very well and good, but please remember it’s all about building our faith, about maturing in the Word of Almighty God. And the promise for that passage is our Bit for today. ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer (permit) the righteous to be moved (shaken).’
Now that is what our wonderful, ever-loving, ever-caring, and ever-faithful God wants us to do! Just cast all our cares and burdens upon Him without any fear or anxiety, because He has promised to sustain us and never let those who walk in His will be shaken.
Jesus specifically made that promise in Matthew 6 when He spoke about trusting one master, and seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all that we need would be given to us by our heavenly Father. (Matt.6:24-34)
So Friends, it’s ever so important that we seek first the face of God, before we begin seeking the things of the world. I know that in these turbulent and violent times that’s not always easy, but if we truly have the faith of His promises in His Word, then we will be able to do it.
That’s why the building of our faith in God’s Word is so important in the life of every believer. For without it, we’re just lost and adrift on a rough and lonely sea. And in Psalm 37 – The true state of the wicked – we have the encouraging, uplifting and edifying words of Bruh David to help foster and boost our faith.
‘Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 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; 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. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement (justice) as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices (schemes) to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise (way) to do evil (it only causes harm). For evildoers shall be cut off (destroyed): but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.’ (Ps.37:1-9)
Oh Friends, I don’t think it can be put any clearer or simpler than that nuh! Once we put on the ‘new man in Christ,’ we need to build up our faith, and that only comes through experience in daily living. We need to read the Word, study it, meditate on it, then put it into practice in our lives, which often means waiting patiently with no signs, for that’s the measure of faith.
So today, please let’s show our wisdom and trust in God’s promises found in His Word, and live in true faith by casting all our cares, all our burdens, all our fears and anxieties upon our omnipotent God, for that’s what He desires of us, and He is well able to carry them on our behalf. Much LOVE!
…have faith…trust sincerely in God…for His timing is perfect…sometimes He might leave it to the last minute…but He is NEVER late…
31 May 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dry and thirsty land, a God-pleasing life, believe in Jesus, but after the Spirit, calamity, christ jesus, Christians, climate change, condemnation, contention, curse, desires, disunity, divide and conquer, earthly pilgrimage, enemy of God, enmity with God, evil, evildoers, fellow believers, flooding, forgiveness, free from the law of sin, friend of the world, friendship with the world, Galatians, glorified, glory to God, godless world, grace, holy spirit, Jesus Christ, joy, largesse, live life in the Spirit, lusts, mercy, new creatures in Christ, no man can serve two masters, obedient to God's will, parched, praise and worship God, responsibility, showers of blessing, sin, sinful flesh, sinful lusts, sinful nature, sitting on the fence, Spirit of Christ, spiritual confrontation, strength, strength in numbers, Sunday, the dictates of God, the law of the Spirit, the Lord's Day, the things of the Spirit, the wages of sin is death, there is therefore now no condemnation, Thor's hammer, to them which are in Christ Jesus, truth, unified, walk not after the flesh, walk with god, walking in the Spirit, wicked, words of wisdom, Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Romans:8:1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
At last Friends, at last we’ve been blessed with the long-promised showers of blessing from heaven! It began in mid-afternoon yesterday, and has been falling on and off since then. There was some of Thor’s hammer pounding away on his drum and some strong winds which earlier blew away the small rain clouds like a man’s hand. Hn!
But when the big, dark, ominous clouds finally loomed, the wind was helpless to blow them away, and those clouds emptied their watery blessings on the parched and thirsty land. Glory to God!
Let’s hope now that the blessing of rain doesn’t continue for too long and become a curse, a calamity with the opposite effect, that of flooding, for in these days of climate change there’s no telling when one aspect of the weather will change, or how long it might last.
But please remember that today is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and whether it’s raining or not, we have a responsibility to go to church, to praise and worship Almighty God with other fellow believers, so that He might be glorified here on earth, and we might receive His largesse of mercy, grace, forgiveness and strength to keep being obedient to His will, regardless of what comes against us.
As we all know, there’s strength in numbers, and when plenty Christians get together to praise and worship God, the evildoers of the earth tremble in fear, because they know the power that we wield when we’re unified. That’s why they use the age-old technique of divide and conquer to keep us mired in contention and disunity.
But if we are truly believers in Jesus Christ, then we will recognize the ploys of the enemy, whose middle name is sin and evil, and will use the indwelling Spirit of Christ to fight against and destroy it. And our Bit certainly accentuates the benefits of walking in the Spirit of Christ. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.’
Oh Friends, what a joy it is to believe in Jesus, and thus live life in the Spirit and not in the sinful nature of our flesh! For as our Bit truthfully declares, then we are no longer condemned, and consequently no longer burdened by the fact that ‘the wages of sin is death.’ (Rom.6:23) We’ve been set free from the bondage of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus and our acceptance of Him as the new ruler in our lives.
As Bruh Paul continues: ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for (on account of) sin, condemned sin in the flesh. That the righteousness (righteous requirement) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind (set their minds on) the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.’ (Rom.8:2-5)
Yes my people, once we become new creatures in Christ, we need to put away our sinful lusts, and let the Holy Spirit lead and guide us in all truth, according to the dictates of God. Unfortunately though, in this wicked and godless world, too many of us supposed believers are sitting on the fence; we want to walk with God, but the lusts of our flesh and our eyes still have too much sway over us.
Remember what Jesus said: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold (be loyal) to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches, wealth, material possessions.)’ (Matt.6:24) And that’s the unadulterated truth Friends! We cannot serve God and worship the things of the world at the same time.
For as James so candidly and wisely declares: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of (with) the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be (wants to be) a friend of the world, is the enemy (makes himself an enemy) of God.’ (James 4:4)
No Friends, we can’t be both a LOVER of God and a LOVER of the world! That’s just an impossible situation! So what are we to do then, you ask? Listen to Bruh Paul explain it to the Galatians.
‘This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.’ (Gal.5:16-18) Sure words of wisdom Friends!
Now let’s hear some explanations from the scholars. ‘5:16. Walk in the Spirit (i.e. “live by the Spirit”). Christians are to live with the Spirit’s help. How does one “live by the Spirit”? (1) The Christian must believe that the Spirit is with him, having been sent by God into his heart (4:6) (2) In every spiritual confrontation the believer must yield to the Spirit, that is, submit his own desires to those of the Spirit.
(3) One must depend on the Spirit for help, enabling him to live a God-pleasing life (v.5) (4) The believer should anticipate the effects of the Spirit’s help in his daily life. The believer who “lives by the Spirit” will not fulfill (accomplish, carry out) the lust (strong desires) of the flesh (sinful nature).’
Oh my people, there’s a lot of information in the Bit to consider, so we’ll conclude with those helpful hints from the scholars. Please, let’s ponder on all that we’ve read, and try to bring our personal lives into line with God’s dictates, with the Spirit’s help of course, so that it can truly be said that we’re walking in the Spirit. Now that’s wisdom everlasting! Much LOVE!
…to sincerely walk with Christ…means letting His Holy Spirit…continously lead and guide us on our earthly pilgrimage…
12 May 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a no-brainer, aching heads, appreciation, aura of love, be thankful for small mercies, bleary eyes, confidence, Creator of the universe, crucified, feted, foolish attitude, further God's glorious kingdom, Galilee, God anointed Jesus with the Holy spirit, God be with him, godliness, great gusto, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, heathen, Holy Ghost, holy spirit, honoured, humble servants, I do nothing of myself, improvements, invincible, Jesus Christ, Jesus went about doing good, Jesus' time, jobs, keeping lives and families together, lead and guide, lies, lifted up, meet the enemy in battle, miracles, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, mother's coat tails, Mothers, ne'er do wells, Nicodemus, Oh Lord God Almighty, Pharisees, praise Your Holy Name, rejuvenation of spirit, renewed vitality and enthusiasm, responsible, saviour, serve a useful purpose, spiritual armour, steadfast faith, surrender our all to you, taunts, teaching in their synagogues, the light of the world, the LOVE of Jesus, the party over, the Sanhedrin, the Son of man, things that please God, time to rise and shine, unchurched, ungodly world, unsettled stomachs, walk with god, warning, wiles, wisdom, worthwhile inroads
Acts 10:38. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Okay Mothers, is Monday morning, the party over, time to rise and shine and get back to the daily task and common grind – getting children and food prepared for school, and yourself ready for work, to go out and spread some of that godliness that lies deep within you to the heathen and unchurched!
Sorry Mothers, but you had your day in the glistening sunshine yesterday. Today it’s Jesus’ time once again. And this warning is also for you ne’er do wells, who hung on to your mother’s coat tails yesterday and partied as though it was in your honour. I know that Mother will get up and get going because if nothing else, she is that responsible, and it’s also what she’s been doing for most of her life. But it’s the remnant that will cause the problem. (smile)
Anyway, to stop all the confusion, let’s belt out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with great gusto… or rather, with as much as our aching heads, bleary eyes and unsettled, up-chucking stomachs will allow. (smile)
All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Aye mih people, that wasn’t bad at all nuh, considering our physical states! Jesus even graced our rendition with a knowing smile, appreciating the effort, despite the fact that we’re not our usual stellar selves.
And I do hope that all you mothers out there had a wonderful time yesterday, that you were feted and honoured as you all so fittingly deserve. I know you all should be shown appreciation each and every day, but unfortunately that’s not the way our modern world operates, and sometimes we just have to be thankful for small mercies. One day a year might not be good enough, but it is certainly better than none.
Now let’s turn back to our Bit that was broken up by Mother’s Day. ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’
The last time we were dissecting the Bit and had completed the first part – How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Today we’ll continue with the dissection, turning to the second part – who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.
And as I said in that last Bit, I just LOVE that phrase, went about doing good, because it encompasses so many things, so many opportunities – complex as well as simple – for us to show the LOVE of Jesus.
Now here is a scripture that corroborates it all. ‘And Jesus went about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of (every) sickness, and all manner of (every) disease among the people.’ (Matt.4:23) And Matthew must have thought that scripture to be very nice, because he wrote it twice. (smile) See Matt.9:35. It’s almost word for word.
Now let’s look at the last part of our Bit – for God was with him. Ah Friends, that’s the most important part of the Bit, for without the Father being with Jesus, He would not have been able to accomplish the tasks set out for Him. And what do the scriptures have to say about that eh?
Listen to this interesting reasoning. ‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles (signs) that thou doest, except God be with him.’ (John 3:1-2)
And that’s no lie Friends! Nicodemus, though a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish Council, he was wise enough to realize that the miracles Jesus did could only be accomplished by someone with the true Spirit of God within them.
And we’ll close the way I LOVE; with the words of Jesus Himself. Jesus was here wrapping up His teaching about being the light of the world. ‘Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up (crucified) the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:28-29)
Oh my people, my fellow believers, the exact same thing applies to us! If we would only do as it pleases out heavenly Father, He will always be with us. That’s a no-brainer! So why are we in the messy situation that we’re in eh? There’s only one answer – we’re not doing the things that please God!
So please, let’s smarten up and change that foolish attitude today nuh mih breddren. It will not only please the Father and confirm that we are indeed wise, but also bring about drastic improvements in our lives. And who doesn’t want that eh… Much LOVE!
…to have the Father walk with us…we need to first walk with Him…
18 Mar 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise, abominable sins, almighty god, anxiety, apathy, arsenal of God, atonement of sins, Beelzebub's hold, calypso, celebration, Christ's Church, christianity, coming together, correlation, corruption, day of judgement, decline in moral standards, deliver the godly from temptation, deliver us from evil, demonizing, demoralizing, disatrous times, divide and conquer, dominating the world, economic decline, evil powers, expansion of god's kingdom, eyes of faith, faith, far-reaching, fear, fight against the enemy, furthering God's kingdom, God's people, God's truth, godliness, godly principles, godly wisdom, grateful, guaranteed solution, holy spirit, into all truth, invasive, irreverent, Jesus Christ, joy, joyous, keep them from evil, lackadaisical attitude towards God, leading and guiding, Lent, libation, light a bonfire under our rear ends, live a godly life, look to heaven and jesus, LOVE, majesty, man-made solutions, moaning and groaning, move heaven and earth, necessary tools, norms, not of the world, on the radio in Lent, oppression, petty selfish purposes, poverty, power and glory, powers of evil, problems, purpose, rejuvenate, removal of god, renew, return to worshipping Jehovah God, revitalize, selfless sacrifice, sense, sense of unity and purpose, serious action, sickness, social values, spread the news of Christ's gospel, St. Paddy's Day, standing idly by, stirred up, strife, strong foundation that's jesus, stupidity, take them out of the world, temptation, tentacles, the cross at Calvary, the Good Book, the naked eye, the Rock, thine is the kingdom, things of heaven, things of the world, troubles of this wicked and ungodly world, ungodly regime, walk with god, war, Western society, wicked, wisdom, wisdom and power, worship
Matthew 6:13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s tired this Tuesday morning… And it’s not because of too much libation celebrating St. Paddy’s Day, as a good Irishman ought to! (smile) It’s just from not enough rest.
Yuh know, it’s interesting that when I was growing up in T&T, you didn’t hear a Calypso on the radio during Lent, except on St. Patrick’s Day. I guess they were considered an inferior art or music form, too irreverent and not worthy to be played during the supposedly holy and serious season of Lent.
And some of them were indeed irreverent, but nowhere near the amount of irreverent junk that’s being played on the radio these days, both in and out of Lent.
It’s strange how the norms and social values of a society change as time goes by, and particularly as the godliness in that society declines, as has happened in Western society over the last thirty or so years.
There is a definite correlation between the decline in moral standards and the removal of God from a society. How very sad my people… When we need God the most, as in the disastrous times we’re now experiencing, that’s when we’re seeing Him the least. What a pity!
And it’s rather unfortunate and despairing that we’ve tried so many man-made solutions to try and solve our many problems of war, strife, corruption, oppression, suppression, economic decline, poverty, sickness etc. etc, but the one solution guaranteed to bring out us of our troubles, a return to seriously worshipping Jehovah God, we steadfastly refuse to try. Steups!
Instead we’re still foolishly trying to further remove Him from the already small, minimal and lowly position He now holds in our constantly faltering and steadfastly failing Western society.
Ah mih people, I don’t know what to say. The powers of evil have us so wrapped up in their wicked, far-reaching, invasive tentacles that it seems impossible to get out from under their ungodly regime.
But that’s only to the naked eye my brethren! To the eyes of faith, the ones of the soul, which look to heaven and Jesus, Beelzebub’s hold CAN, AND WILL BE BROKEN!
But to do that, we need a much greater sense of unity and purpose amongst believers. Instead of fighting amongst and against each other, demoralizing and demonizing each other, we ought to be coming together in some form and fashion to fight against the enemy and the evil powers that are currently dominating the world.
And unfortunately, until we get enough faith, sense and wisdom to do that, those evil world powers will continue to divide, conquer and dominate the troubled world we live in.
And if you’ll notice, my fellow believers, the evil powers, though not in concert on everything, are surely so in their great desire to rid our society of the power and the glory of Almighty God!
Likewise, believers in Jesus Christ don’t need to be in agreement on everything, except the renewal, as well as the expansion of God’s power and glory, majesty and worship down here on earth, just as it exists in heaven above.
That’s what Jesus prayed for when He taught the disciples, and consequently us, how to pray. In the immortal words of our Bit: ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.’
And that’s exactly what we ought to be doing my brethren; increasing, furthering God’s most worthy and everlasting kingdom down here on planet earth, rather than standing idly by, moaning and groaning, more concerned about acquiring the destructible and destructive things of the world, than the indestructible, everlasting things of heaven.
And it’s not like Jesus left us stranded, completely open to the whims and deeds of the evil one. He particularly prayed for us before He returned to heaven.
‘And now come I to thee (Father); and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray NOT that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil (the evil one). (John 17:13-15)
And Peter admirably follows that up with these words of absolute truth. ‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished.’ (2 Pet.2:9)
Oh my people, we have all the tools necessary to renew, revitalize and rejuvenate the purpose and kingdom of Almighty God here on earth, so why aren’t we doing it eh? God alone knows for sure!
And there’s no greater tool in the arsenal of God that we possess than that of His Holy Spirit which indwells every believer! And it was given to us for the definite and stated purpose of leading and guiding us unto all truth, to give us wisdom and power to live a godly life amidst the troubles of this wicked and ungodly world.
So I ask again, why aren’t we using it eh mih people? Why are we simply hanging around in fear, anxiety and apathy, complaining about how the evil rulers are taking away our godly rights and justice?
Oh Friends, they are not taking them away, we are allowing them to water down our faith, through lack of unity and a general lackadaisical attitude towards God and our faith!
Please note how all the other religions, despite their fallacy, are more serious and zealous in proclaiming their faith than we are about ours: Christianity; the ONE TRUE ONE, based and built on the ROCK, the strong foundation that’s Jesus Christ, His holy and selfless sacrifice on the cross at Calvary, to pay for our abominable sins.
Oh Friends, doesn’t that mean a whole lot to us, in fact everything? Well it ought to! We should be so joyous, so stirred up, so grateful for Jesus’ atonement, that we would gladly move heaven and earth to spread the glorious news of His gospel and wonderful kingdom!
Please my brethren, I’m pleading with us today, to start doing that RIGHT NOW! It’s high time we lit a huge bonfire under our rear ends to get up and get a true fight going for Jesus and His godly principles! Oh my fellow believers, that’s the only thing that makes any sense in this foolish and senseless world.
When we walk with God, He walks with us. But it has to be a heartfelt, continual walk; not a sometimes on, sometimes off thing, where we only cry out to Him for our own petty, selfish purposes, and then forget about Him afterwards. That’s stupidity at it’s zenith my people! And God’s people ought always to be seeking godly wisdom.
The Good Book claims that a word to the wise is sufficient. Please, please, let’s prove today, without a shadow of doubt, that God’s people are indeed wise. Much LOVE!
…unless God’s truth is refined…and turned into serious action…not merely talk…Christ’s church will not dominate the earth as it ought to…
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