12 May 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a cry of anguish, a song of praise, another marvellous day on earth, be not far from me, between a rock and a hard place, cries for help, despised of the people, enjoy the day to the fullest, for trouble is near, foreshadowing of Christ's lament on the cross, glad to be alive, God is good, halfway home, he is governor among the nations, I cry in the day time, I was cast upon thee from the womb, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my god why hast thou forsaken me, none can keep alive his soul, not turning back, praise him all ye seed of jacob, praise our God with sincerity, salvation, sentiments of praise, shouts of praise, the breath of life, the Good News of Christ, the grace and mercy of a compassionate God, the kingdom is the Lord's, there is none to help, this is the day the Lord has made, thou didst make me hope, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, ye that fear the Lord
Psalm 22:11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
All thanks and praise be to thee my wonderful God for offering your saints another marvellous day on your glorious earth! As the psalmist so rightly said so long ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) And believe me fellow saints, if we don’t enjoy this day like it is the last one, we’re only shortchanging ourselves, for it just might be the last one.
Now that is certainly not wisdom, especially in the turbulent times we’re currently experiencing! It’s only the grace and mercy of a very compassionate God that’s keeping us from being swallowed up in the wily tentacles of the enemy’s negative circumstances. That’s why I am advising us to both enjoy the day to its fullest, but also to praise our God with as much power and sincerity as we can muster.
That brings me to these interesting verses from Psalm 22 – A cry of anguish and a song of praise. That means the two; cry for help and words of praise are not inseparable or exclusive, but can exist together in harmony. And it’s not surprising that Bruh David is the author of this psalm. Let’s read with him as he opens with the state of his agony: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning)? O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not: and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (Ps. 22:1-2)
Yes friends, Bruh David was obviously between a rock and a hard place. And please note the similarity in that first verse, a foreshadowing of Christ’s lament on the cross, as described by Matthew. ‘And at about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) Then David tells how His forefathers had cried out to the Lord for help in time of trouble and had been delivered, (Ps. 22:3-5)
However, as he further explains: ‘But I am a worm, and no man: a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip (show contempt with their mouths), they shake their head saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.’ (Ps. 22:7-8) Ah my fellow believers, that’s how many of us are treated; laughed to scorn when we talk fervently about God, then get caught up in trouble with no seeming help coming from Him.
But please let’s not lose our faith or the sight that our God is good and will not turn away from us forever. Please believe like Bruh David did: ‘But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope (cause me to trust) when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.’ (Ps. 22:9-11) And isn’t that the living truth my brethren. The Lord sees us in our mother’s womb and designates us as followers, and it’s only Him, and Him alone that can help us in times of misery and trouble!
Then, after pouring out some more of the anguish of his soul to God, (vs.12-18) Bruh David changes tack; he turns to sentiments of praise. But let’s pause here for a moment and take note of verse 18: ‘They part (divide) my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture (for my clothing).’ That’s another foreshadowing of Christ on the Cross. Matthew 27:35 reads: ‘And they crucified him, and parted (divided) his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.’ So, this psalm is incredibly significant in foreshadowing Christ’s coming.
But getting back to the praise section. Hear Bruh David: ‘I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear (LOVE) the Lord, praise him all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold Him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps. 22:22-24) Yuh see friends, how praise and worship can cause our heavenly Father to look upon our affliction with grace and mercy? He never turns away from those who sincerely praise and glorify Him when they call upon Him in their time of trouble.
As Bruh David so reverently continues. ‘My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat (prosper) upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust (death) shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul (keep himself alive).’ (Ps. 22:25-29).
Truer words were never spoken my people! The universe and all therein is the Lord’s! And He will judge it righteously. And furthermore, NONE of us can save ourselves. So what’s our best option? Turn to the Lord, like Bruh David did, with shouts of praise and thanksgiving, with the spreading of His salvation, through the good news of Christ, and calling on Him in times of trouble without fear. In other words, living a life that glorifies Him! That’s the only way to make it through this sinful world with peace, LOVE and joy in our souls, despite the trials and tribulation we all will suffer.
And for those of us who believe that, and are doing our best to live such a life, let’s go home now declaring (yeah!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. Altogether 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!’
And it is a given, that if we endure to the very end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! Glory Be! Much LOVE!
…cries for help…can only be based…on shouts of praise…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
28 Apr 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a song of exaltation and praise, all his promises are faithful, ambassadors for Christ, circumstances should not run our lives, don't give up, end of sermon, everlasting kingdom of peace, for his mercy endureth for ever, give thanks and rejoice, glad to be alive, guided by the Holy Spirit, I am halfway home, I will exalt thee, I will praise thee, I'm not turning back, if we endure to the end, let's be joyful and celebrate, magnificent magnanimity, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, O Give thanks unto the Lord, panic mode, still flowing through me, thank God, the amazing benefit of living for Jesus, the breath of life, the Great tribulation, the help of Jesus, the joy of Jesus, the nations have been brought low, the peace and love of Jesus, the song of the redeemed, the story ends in our favour, the triumph of His judgement, the year of the variants, this is the day the Lord has made, thou art my God, to a glorious future with Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, words of awesome wisdom
Psalm 118:28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Glory be, mih people! It’s another day in the life! That means our great God has something useful for us to perform this Wednesday of April 2021, the year of the variants! (smile) So let’s be joyful and celebrate that nuh, for many aren’t around to do it.
Yes friends, each and every day we’re alive, we ought to give thanks and rejoice, for as the psalmist so wisely said a long time ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24)
Words of awesome wisdom, that ought to make a significant impact in and on our lives as believers in Christ Jesus, for our circumstances are not supposed to run our lives, but the Word of God. So let’s be grateful we made the wake-up list and celebrate it and give thanks despite the negative things in our lives.
Remember the good thing about being a believer is that unlike the unbeliever, we have the awesome help of Jesus when things are not going our way; His peace, His LOVE, His joy, which is our strength. So, in these pandemic and uncertain times we need to stand up strong and show the world the amazing benefit of living for and with Jesus.
As He said, we can cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us. But we have to truly believe that our lives are in God’s hands before our mountains can become like li’l molehills. So no matter what comes our way, we have life and hope and a bright future in living and working for Jesus, because He’ll never leave nor forsake us, because He sincerely promised that, and all His promises are faithful and reliable.
Oh my fellow believers, it’s of the utmost importance that as ambassadors for Christ, we stand up strong and steadfast and be good examples to the unbeliever, be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, like Jesus desires of us. For it’s only through us that others will see Him and the wonderful things He has to offer.
That’s why on this Wednesday, when everyone and everything around us seems to be in panic mode we can quite calmly and truthfully declare in the words of the psalmist: ‘Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 118:28-29)
What marvellous words of praise and thanksgiving, of encouragement and reassurance my brethren! It’s only when Christ is in our corner, that we can stand up strong to the storms and other negative things that come against us on this evil and sinful earth, and that deserves enormous praise and gratitude.
And the opening words of the song of the redeemed in Isaiah 25, puts it so wonderfully. ‘O Lord thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.’ (Is. 25:1)
And the scholars offer this marvellous explanation of this chapter, ‘25:1-12. Chapter 25 begins with a song of exaltation and praise to God for the triumph of His judgement of the world. The survivors of the Great Tribulation lift their voices in praise to God for His protection.
The cities of mankind have fallen into ruin and the nations of the earth have been brought low (i.e. humbled) before the mighty God who alone has been a refuge from the storm. The veil does not refer to the veil of the temple but to the covering of death that hangs over all nations. Yet God will swallow up death in victory (cf. 1 Cor. 15:54) and the Lord God will wipe away tears (Rev. 7:17). This act of His grace will then bring in the millennial kingdom.’
What more can we ask for eh my faithful believers? We know the end of the story: our God wins and then brings us into His everlasting kingdom of peace, LOVE, joy, and all the other good things available in His magnificent magnanimity!
So, if we know that the story ends in our favour, why the awful worries and anxieties eh? Just cast all your cares upon Him! Don’t give up! Don’t give in! In spite of how things may seem or appear, the only place we are truly safe is with God, through His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, as we are led and guided by His Holy Spirit! End of sermon mih bredrin! (smile)
And I do hope it makes some impact in all of our lives this Wednesday morning, and causes us to live a better life, be better ambassadors for Christ, than we might have been without it! But how can it not eh, when all it says is truth? (smile) So for those of us who are sincere in our desires to live for Christ, let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail, telling all and sundry about our most wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
As one strong and sincere voice 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!’
And let’s not forget that if we endure to the end, that future will be even more glorious than our puny minds can ask or imagine. So please hang in there my friends, for Jesus will never leave or forsake us if we hold tightly to Him and His awesome ways! Much LOVE!
…O give thanks unto the Lord…for his mercy endureth for ever…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
29 Dec 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double-minded man is unstable, alive and kicking, ask in faith, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, but enough, calamitous times, doubt destroys fear, driven with the wind and tossed, every cluttered chamber, every hidden pretense, for he satisfieth the longing soul, free me from every shallow substitute, God never makes the same thing twice, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he will save us, hem and haw, I am the beloved of god, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I hunger and thirst for you, I love you my Lord, I shall know, I'm not what I do, I'm not what I have, I'm not what people say about me, if any of you lack wisdom, in god's eyes, into every vacant hollow, let him ask of god, like a wave of the sea, MY Glorious Enough, no one can take that from me, nothing wavering, of my longing heart, one is enough, pour yourself lavishly dear God, put all our eggs in one basket, share His love with the world, thanks and praise, that giveth to all men liberally, the Beatitudes, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, they shall be filled, this is the day the Lord has made, Tuesday Mantra, we will rejoice and be glad in it, with deep consuming conviction, You are My Glorious Enough
Matthew 5:6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Wowee, Wowee, mih bredrin! It’s another bright and beautiful day in God’s great universe! Wow! And the astounding, the amazing, the marvellous, the astounding – oh I think I’ve said that before, but it’s so good that we can say it again, (smile) yes, the astounding thing about this day is that we’re alive and kicking in it, with a wonderful plan of God highlighted for it! Now what can be better than that eh; our great God with a good plan for us? Nothing mih people, absolutely NOTHING!
So let’s respond as best we can by giving Him a li’l thanks and praise nuh, and agreeing with His marvellous word. ‘For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.’ (Is. 33:22) And for sure, He is all of that my fellow saints in Christ! Make no doubt about it! That’s why we can consequently say with the utmost sincerity and surety: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24)
And we’d be very foolish if we didn’t, because there’ll never be another day like today. Oh yes, there’ll most likely be many other todays, but never one again like this one, because our God never makes the same thing twice. Glory be! Otherwise, can you think of there being more than one of each of us? No siree! There’d be even more confusion that we have now. But the good God in His wisdom and power, wisely said, ‘One is enough!’ And it surely is.
But here is something from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that I believe we all could use today. It’s titled ‘My Glorious Enough.’ So please pray with me. ‘Oh, how I LOVE You, my Lord But not enough. How I hunger and thirst for You But not enough. Pour Yourself lavishly, dear God Into every vacant hollow Into every cluttered chamber Of my longing heart. Free me from every shallow substitute From every hidden pretense Until I shall know With deep, consuming conviction That You are my Glorious Enough.’
And mih bredrin, our great and wonderful God is indeed gloriously enough for each and every one of us! In fact, He is more than enough for ALL of us! But the sad truth is that we don’t truly believe it; our less than believing actions show it. When we need to put our sincere trust and faith in Him, we always hem and haw, wondering if He really can help.
Too many of us doubt, deep down in our hearts. And it doesn’t have to be a big doubt nuh, even a li’l one takes away so much of His awesome power in our lives. That’s why Jesus had to admonish His followers so often for being of li’l faith. Unless our faith is strong and unwavering, we miss out on so many good things God has in store for us.
No wonder Jesus’ brother, James, penned these wise and true words to the scattered diaspora of saints way back when. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Oh friends, I couldn’t have said it any better. And the problem today with so many of us supposed believers is our doubt, our wavering, our double-mindedness, our lack of true faith! Yes, we talk a good talk, but our real walk is woeful. If it was really good, our world would not be in such a mess, and people would be running towards Jesus rather than dying to get away from Him!
But here’s a magnificent and most suitable word for us from our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, and it’s the Bible Promise for today’s poem, and also our Bit. We all know it as one of the Beatitudes that Jesus delivered in the opening of His Sermon on the Mount. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6) More gospel truth my people!
And the scholars offer this most interesting explanation of the verse. ‘5:6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed rightful heirs, and even now they hunger and thirst after righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is a proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled (Gr. chortazo) refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: “He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Ps. 107:9).’
And that’s the awesome, indisputable truth my brethren! Our God fills those of us who are sincerely hungry for Him and what He has to offer and sincerely seek Him for it. And believe me, those of us who are currently alive have never needed Him and what He has to offer more than we do right now in these disastrous and calamitous times.
So let’s wake up and turn to Him for the wisdom and spiritual righteousness that we so badly need nuh. And above all, let’s do it without any doubting or wavering nuh, for we have tried everything that we can do in our own strength and it hasn’t worked. So let’s now put all our eggs in one basket, that of the Lord’s, for He is capable of hatching them without breaking or spoiling any of them. (smile)
And for those of us who are sincerely seeking His righteousness, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole world who and whose we are! Altogether now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
So what we waiting for eh? Let’s go out right now and share that awesome LOVE and friendship of our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…only do not doubt…for doubt destroys faith… and we need faith to live successfully…
25 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a boomerang, are not wise, aspires to inspire, be yourself, charles stanley, compare ourselves with, comparisons among men, cracked pots, do it right the first time, don't be afraid of your flaws, don't have time to do it right, every saint has a past, every sinner has a future, everyone else is already taken, flaws, for a better tomorrow, give, good measure, imperfections, in God's great economy, in our weakness we find God's strength, it shall be given unto you, make ourselves of the number, measuring themselves by themselves, nothing goes to waste, our friend Anselm, pressed down, reeks of the devil's influence, running over, shaken together, shall be measured to you again, shaming each other, social media, some that commend themselves, suicide, the adventure of life...to learn, the beauty of life...to give, the challenge of life...to overcome, the essence of life...to care, The nature of life...to change, the opportunity of life...to serve, the purpose of life...to grow, the same measure that ye mete, the secret of life...to dare, the spice of life...to befriend, this is the day the Lord has made, time to do it over, to reach our destiny, to turn off the faucet, too busy mopping the floor, trying to tax my brain, we dare not, we will rejoice and be glad in it, what we sow...we reap
2 Corinthians 10:12. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.
Welcome friends, neighbours and Scrip-Bit family to a glorious Saturday, one filled with so many promises that we couldn’t enjoy or accept them all, even if we tried! Wow! But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to accept and enjoy as many as we can, because that’s why our great and wonderful God showered us with them on this glorious summer morn! So let’s make a special effort to do it nuh, especially on a lazy Saturday like this one, let’s action our wonderful acclamation: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL be glad and rejoice in it!’
And the first order of business is to check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. Oh brother, we have a full slate of some interesting quotes and I don’t know how to arrange them so we can get the best benefit. Like Anselm trying to tax mih ole brain. Oh chuh! Let’s fly the seat of our pants. (smile)
We going to start with this one: ‘If you don’t have time to do it right you must have time to do it over.’ Ah mih people, I don’t know how many times my mother directly told me or intimated that it was in my best interest to do it right the first time, because I’d only have to do it over again, and you often don’t have the time to do it over again. And our quote suggests that when we don’t do it right the first time it’s because we have time to do it over again. But I think that’s just a tongue in cheek statement, (smile) because it’s ever so important to try and do it right the first time.
Let’s pay serious attention to our doings nuh, else we’ll end up like this next quote describes: ‘We are too busy mopping the floor to turn off the faucet.’ Yeh, so often we try to fix the result of the problem, rather than the problem itself. That’s not wisdom, and it’s happening more and more everyday in our confused and busy world. Too many of us don’t take the time to think through stuff before we rush out to fix it.
But here’s this wonderful quote that explains it all. ‘The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.’
Oh, isn’t that beautiful and ever so wise my brethren! And that last sentence is key. As Jesus proclaimed: ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (pocket). For with the same measure that ye mete withal (use) it shall be measured to you again.’ (Luke 6:38) Yeh friends, however we give, generously or grudgingly, it shall be given back to us, like a boomerang. In other words, like Uncle Charles (Charles Stanley) says: ‘whatever we sow, we shall reap, more than we sow, and later than we sow.’ Just had to throw that in there. (smile)
And that brings us to this interesting quote that we all know: ‘Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.’ And that’s for certain sure, because the Lord seems to like using sinners, broken people to accomplish His biggest deeds. Just look at people like Bruh David, Moses and Bruh Paul and the father of nations, Abraham. All of them had speckles on their lily-white skin. That’s just for comparison purposes, to heighten it. (smile) But they all did great things for the Lord, and I guess that’s a point He LOVES to make: use broken people to do big deeds in His name.
Like the story of the two pots a woman used to carry water every day; one was perfect, the other cracked and thus leaked out half the water by the time they got home. Two years into situation, the cracked one complained about its failure to do its job properly, but the lady pointed to the beautiful flowers on the side of the road of the cracked pot. She knew of the pot’s flaw and had planted flower seeds on his side which he watered as they went along.
And as the Bible.org website so wisely reasons: ‘Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s table. In God’s great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to tasks He has appointed for you, don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that “In Him every one of God’s promises is a Yes.”
Oh Mama Mia! What words of divine wisdom! And that’s why we badly need to adhere to this last quote: ‘Be yourself: everyone else is already taken.’ Oh so true! But in this follow fashion world, too many of us are trying to be like other people, who themselves don’t even know who they are. Just look at the nonsense that social media is causing, re shaming each other because of our size, supposed, beauty, race, colour, creed, whatever have you. People are even committing suicide because of the foolishness.
But friends, God made us to be who we are. He knows all of our weaknesses, flaws and imperfections because that’s how He made us, and that’s what needed for the special plan and purpose He has for our individual lives. So we don’t need to be anybody else but ourselves. Remember Bruh Paul’s warning to the church at Corinth when he spoke of his spiritual authority? ‘For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise.’ (2 Cor. 10:12)
Oh friends, it is good to follow seemingly godly, good and righteous folks, but we should not let their behaviour affect us to the detriment of the plan that God has for us. In the long run, we need to be whom He has made us to be, regardless of our flaws, if we truly desire to reach our destiny! Much LOVE!
…comparisons among men…reeks of the devil’s influence…
17 Jul 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: are destroyed, avoid serious setbacks, be responsible, blind leaders of the blind, calamity, cause them to err, confusion, Covid-19 virus, cured by repentance, delivered from, disaster, do God's will, everyday lives, face the music, faithful believers, fall into the ditch, falling by the wayside, Friday chant, from our schools, greatest tool, havoc, joy, joyfully, let them alone, lightheartedness, loss of life, mano a mano, new every morning, onipotent help, pandemic, prayer, praying without ceasing, public places, racial protests, rebellion, reminds others of Jesus, removed God, restoring faith, revolving work cycle, sinful world, slave master, spend a penny, spout a spiel, stand up, stay safe, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the blind lead the blind, the leaders of this people, the Lord's good ness and mercy, the ravages of sin, they that are led of them, this is the day the Lord has made, to see the world go round, to the best of our ability, trusting faith, unexpected storm, wake up and smell the coffee, we will rejoice and be glad in it, wise guidance
Isaiah 9:16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.
Morning has broken friends; bright and sunshiny on this Friday in mid-July! Wow! And it’s just rolling along joyfully like we, the saints of Christ ought to. That’s why Bruh David joyfully proclaimed so long ago: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps. 118:24) Please note that that wasn’t a hope or a wish, but a direct directive! (smile) Christ’s saints were delivered from the ravages of sin, sanctified and made whole, set free and apart, so that they could enjoy the Lord’s goodness and mercy, which are brand new every single morning of our lives!
And that’s despite whatever disaster or calamity that’s happening in the world. So let’s take today seriously and do God’s will to the best of our ability, but with a lightheartedness and joy that reminds others of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; His easy going ways, His compassionate heart and His everlasting, unconditional LOVE! End of sermon! (smile) And the ordinary workingman is anxiously waiting in the wings to spout us his spiel. What a way everybody has a spiel to spout these days eh! (smile)
And he begins in his usual manner: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! Thank God that the weekend is finally here, and hopefully it won’t be as hot as the last one. And this week wasn’t too bad in terms of temperature either. Definitely not as hot as the last couple. And thankfully, some rain did fall too. And the slave master finally bowed to our demands and bought some big, good fans for the sweat shop that he snobbishly calls a machining factory!
Can’t believe that a man who has enough money to live comfortably, lives like a bloody scrooge! He won’t spend an unnecessary penny, not even on himself, much less to see the world go round. His clothes look like he’s had them since forever. But I guess that’s how you behave when you have money. Hn, hn, hn! I wouldn’t know because I’ve never had any. And in spite of any negative things, like this pandemic and racial protests, which still going on, we thankful for the weekend, so we could get a li’l rest and some family time, and go back out fresh and start the whole blooming revolving work cycle again, come Monday! Thanks for the weekend yes Lord!’
Ah friends, I do wish we could learn to accept the inevitability of the work cycle and just take it in stride like the ordinary workingman. We look forward too much to the weekend, and not enough to the beginning of the work week! For our benefit, we need to get ourselves in some sort of balance, so that we’re not as happy to see Friday, and rather perturbed and unhappy to greet Monday. So let’s think on those things nuh, but right now we need to consider something much more important.
This morning when I opened the Good Book, these words of Isaiah jumped out at me. ‘For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.’ And that’s oh so true my people! Many of our leaders have let us down terribly, in ways that we would never have imagined possible. In the first place they have allowed God to be removed from our schools, public places and our everyday lives without putting up much of a fight. And then in these times of pandemic sickness and worldwide racial protests too many of them are not leading like they should.
Too many are shirking their leadership responsibilities for whatever reasons, not responding positively and timely to our current problems and that is only prolonging the pandemic and the protests. And it’s strange that it’s some of the lesser leaders who are showing the way, while the big ones are conspicuously falling by the wayside. We won’t call names, but we all know of whom we speak. (smile) That reminds me of these telling words of Jesus. ‘Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’ (Matt. 15:14) And unfortunately, that’s exactly where we are right now…in the bloody ditch!
Anyway friends, most of us can’t do anything on the big stage, but we can on our small, individual ones, and hopefully we’re doing positive stuff there. But we all have the glorious opportunity to use the greatest tool in our world – prayer, both individually and corporately. So let’s use it corporately right now nuh, through our Friday Chant. Let’s call on the Creator of the universe and all therein for His timely and divine help. All together now in sincere, contrite, but confident hearts and voices.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have racial riots and protests to put up with. Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help.
Yes, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Ah mih people, we need to keep on praying, praying without ceasing, and being true and faithful believers, because our world doesn’t seem to be getting better; we’re caught in a seemingly unbreakable cycle. But we know that with sincere prayer and true repentance our great God will come through for us. This too shall pass. But we need to first stand up and face the music – mano a mano! Much LOVE!
…rebellion against God…can only be cured by sincere repentance…
09 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: above and not beneath, according to his riches in glory, action our words, as for me and my house, called me to his eternal glory, continue the work He's begun in me, death and life, dwelt amongst us, full of grace and truth, God will supply all of my needs, he that promised is faithful, hold fast the profession of our faith, I am more than a conqueror, I am the beloved of god, I can do all things, I can trust my friend Jesus, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, I will not tolerate strife, in god's eyes, in the power of the tongue, make me firm strong and steadfast, merciful and gracious God, not what I do, not what I have, promised never to leave nor forsake me, restore me, shall eat the fruit thereof, share His love with the world, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, the God of all grace, the only begotten of the Father, the word was made flesh, the worlds were framed by the word of god, there's power in the word, they that love it, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ Jesus, through Christ who strengthens me, through faith, troubling time all over our world, Tuesday Mantra, until the return of Jesus, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, without wavering
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
It’s Tuesday morning, bright and sunshiny in my area, but a rather troubling time all over the world. So let’s get together and acclaim our faith nuh, for there’s nothing better than speaking what God and His Word says about us and our circumstances and situations. Remember, there’s POWER in the Word, spoken or otherwise, so let’s wisely declare some of it over our lives right now nuh. So altogether, in loud and sincere voice: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ Wow! What a mighty proclamation!
And furthermore; ‘God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!’ Therefore; ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord!’ Now on that subject, there’s absolutely no doubt as to who will be the Guide and Leader in my Yard: Jehovah God Himself! Consequently, ‘I will be enabled to do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me, who is my strength and my impregnable high tower and fortress!’
And because of all the above, I can say with the utmost certainty, that ‘The God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast.’ Oh glory to the Most High God my people, who has promised never to leave nor forsake us, and who will continue the work He’s begun in me, making me more mature and Christlike, until I die, or his Son comes back! He’ll never stop working in and on me! What an awesome promise!
That’s why I can shout to the hills: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh?’ NOBODY! Not a single soul, because He has promised in His awesome Word that NO weapon formed against me will prosper, and that the enemy who comes against me one way will inevitably flee seven ways, and that though a thousand shall fall at my left hand and ten thousand at my right, no harm whatsoever will come to me, and I will lay me down and sleep in peace and safety because HE watches over me! Mama Yo!
And because of all that I can proudly say, ‘I will not tolerate strife in my life. And I am an overcomer through Christ Jesus! I am also above and not beneath. The head and not the tail. I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me!’ Wow mih bredrin…Wow! How mighty and faithful are those promises of our omnipotent and magnanimous and merciful and gracious God eh! As the Good Book says: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.’ (Heb. 10:23)
That’s why I can also declare with awesome certainty that ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! And Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’ Oh how magnificent is the Word of our God when we declare it aloud my people! It certainly works to raise our spirits, strengthen our faith and get us moving in the right direction, along the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus and His wonderful kingdom! Oh friends, I do hope those acclamations stirred you all up as much as they did me. (smile)
Yuh know how the ole fella is, once he gets fired up, it’s hard to stop him, and I was fired up there just now. But I also want to encourage us to make acclamations a daily part of our lives; to say some out loud when we get up or before we get to doing our daily chores. As for me, I say some every morning I come down to the office to start writing the Bit, and you’ll be surprised how they set the mood for me, encourage me to get it into the Word and see what God has in store for that day. And you don’t have to say what we’ve said above, but whatever is bothering you, or weighing on your mind you can acclaim it away with words of your own making.
Remember that God created everything in the world but humans by speaking them into existence, as Hebrews declares: ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed (prepared) by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear (are visible).’ (Heb. 11:3)
Then Cousin Sol wisely reminds us: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ That means our words will play a great part in the way our lives unfold. If we continually speak evil, then evil will be the foundation of our lives. And if we purpose to speak good, then good will be the foundation of our lives. Remember too, that we will each give an account of our words and actions come the day of judgement. And I don’t think that Christ will be accepting any excuses, especially if we knew the truth but never followed it.
So please, let’s endeavour, starting right now, to only speak words that will uplift and motivate those with whom we come into contact, and thus we’ll be less worried about Jesus questions on that fateful day. (smile) Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling all and sundry, who and whose we are.
In strong voice with sincere hearts. ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ And having spoken it, the onus is now on us to go out and action our words. Much LOVE!
…and the Word was made flesh…and dwelt among us…and we beheld His glory…as of the only begotten of the Father…full of grace and truth… (John 1:14)
24 Apr 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a no-brainer, acclamations, according to his riches in glory, alive and kicking, another day in the life, as for me and my house, bondage in Egypt, Book of the Law, bring backsliders back to your fold, but by every word, by bread alone, by the Word, chosen people, compassion, confusion, Covid-19, day and night, defeat this virus, delve into God's Word, doing good and not evil, faith, faithful believers, Friday chant, God will supply all of my needs, have good success, havoc, hope, I can do all things, Israelites, it is written, like we all in jail, loss of life, LOVE, make thy way prsoperous, man shall not live, meditate therein, Moese, no end in sight, not accustomed, onipotent help, ordinary workingman, out of the mouth of God, overtime, pandemic, panic, praying, pretty rough, reading, saints in Christ, smell the coffee, social distancing, stand strong and steadfast, telling on us, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the body dies, the Lord has made, the spirit lives, this is the day, this too shall pass, through Christ, through Christ Jesus, to get me over the top, trials and tribulations, unexpected storm, wait expectantly, wake up, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, who strengthens me, wise guidance, without bread
Matthew 4:4. It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Aye mih people, it’s another day in the life; another uncomfortable and unpredictable day in the sojourn, the pandemic and panic of Covid-19, with no end really in sight as yet, just more confusion, so let’s do the wise and smart thing and begin our day with some age old encouragement nuh, some acclamations that have been tried and tested and found rather useful down through the ages of time! And if that isn’t a Bruh Paulian sentence, I don’t know what is! (smile)
So please declare out loud with me: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) And on top of that: ‘God will supply ALL of my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil. 4:19) Mama Yo! What could be more encouraging than that eh? Well this: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) And yuh feel that divine and supernatural strength just flowing through your veins now mih people? I know you do! Because we just know that ‘If God is for us, who the hell can be against us eh? (Rom. 8:31) Not a single, bloody soul my faithful brethren!
Because He is the most powerful being in the universe, and if He’s got our back, then we’re safe like nobody or nothing else can make us! Therefore, with ALL of that wonderful stuff going for us from and through our omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Creator, we can truly and faithfully declare these marvellous words that Joshua declared so long ago: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord!’ (Josh. 24:15) Yes, precious people, as long as we draw breath on this earth, regardless of whatever trials and tribulations may come against us, let us not stray from that tried and true path that leads through Jesus Christ, right to the throne room of Almighty God in the high heavens! Amen!
And I don’t know about you all, but that has certainly energized me! (smile) So, since it’s Friday, let’s hear what the ordinary, most likely out of work, workingman has to say nuh. And as always, he opens with: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ (but not with his usual enthusiasm and expectant tone.) ‘Chuh! But that sounds so hollow though, since there’s nothing to look forward to. Friday’s become just like any other day, not the prelude to the weekend, like it was when I was working. Doh even remember when last I worked. This Covid-19 nonsense been going on for so long now.
Thankfully though, I’m now getting a few dollars from the government that helps to pay the mortgage and put some food on the table…but it’s definitely not enough to do everything. I can’t even work a li’l overtime to get me over the top. Ah Lord eh! When it all going to end eh? Like we all in jail yes! Can’t even go outside and talk to nobody…got to keep this social distancing foolishness…oh I know it’s necessary, but it’s still seems foolish…staying six feet from people when yuh see them, even though yuh ent see nobody in a long time! Steups! But ah guess we still have to give God thanks that we still alive and kicking some, and as they say, this too shall pass…just hope it don’t take too much longer to pass nuh…’
Yes my fellow saints in Christ Jesus, that’s how this lonely, anxious and unpredictable time is affecting a lot of us, believers included. That’s why it’s ever so necessary for us to delve into God’s Word and find encouragement to keep us going strong in faith and courage. Remember Jesus’ rebuke to Satan when he tempted Him in the first time in the wilderness about making bread from stone. Now that would have been a piece of cake for Jesus to accomplish, but then He would have been bowing to Satan’s request, which as the Son of God, He could not do; therefore He replied: ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.’
He was referring there to Moses earlier warning to the Israelites way back when they came out of bondage from Egypt and the Lord was teaching them how He wanted them to live as His Chosen People. (Deut. 8:3) And that provision still stands today my people. In the Word of God is where we find ALL that we need to successfully live this life! It’s our Guidebook for earthly living! And the Lord specifically said it to Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8) Oh my people, my fellow saints in Christ, what more has the Lord God Almighty has to say to us to make us listen and get into His most marvellous Word eh? He’s stated it as clearly as possible: when you read it consistently and study it, then put it into practice, then you’ll be successful and prosperous! That’s a no-brainer!
But we’ve become so blooming full of ourselves and figure the li’l knowledge we have is so great, that we refuse to follow the simple, but tried and trusted way set out in the Lord’s guidebook. That’s foolish friends, especially in these disturbing and scary times. So let’s get wise and return to the Good Book nuh, where we can find enormous encouragement, assurance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life! It’s the ONLY answer to ALL our problems! Now let’s go home doing what we’ve also been encouraged to do, communicate with Holy God through prayer; our rejigged Friday Chant.
As one sincere voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…though not from work, but from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid -19 virus causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. But with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat this virus. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, and also introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
And then we do what the Good Book says: wait expectantly, displaying hope and faith; keep on reading and praying, and doing good and not evil. Much LOVE!
…without bread…the body dies…but the spirit lives by…the Word…
26 Feb 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to his riches in glory, acknowledge him, as for me and my house, christ jesus, did God's bidding, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, faithfulness, fear the Lord, foolish enemy Satan, get angry with God, hand on the plough, he shall direct thy paths, heroes of faith, honour the Lord with thy first fruits, I will maintain mine own ways, it is impossible to please God, jehovah god, Job, lean not unto thine own understanding, not looking back, renounce God, sense of trust, the breath of life, the error of his ways, the father of patience, the greater our success, the Lord will provide all our needs, the stronger our faith, this is the day the Lord has made, Though he slay me, thy barns be filled with plenty, to a glorious future with Jesus, trials, tribulations, trust in the Lord, unquenchable faith, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, Wednesday Wail, with all thine heart, without faith, yet will I trust him
Job 13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him.
Hi yah Wednesday! How yuh doing eh? Hope yuh doing good. But yuh know what? Even if you not doing good, we going to do good, because we believe in Jehovah God, the most mighty and excellent One, and He has promised to provide all our needs according to His riches in glory through His most wonderful Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior! Glory be!
That same Son who died on the cross at Calvary so our sins could be forgiven and cast away as far as the east is from the west and we could once again come to the Father in good relationship like our forefathers Adam and Eve did! Wow! What good news…the best news ever! And thus, with all of that in mind, we can therefore say, ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.’
And furthermore, because of all that has gone before, I can confidently proclaim that as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord God Jehovah all of our days! Now that’s telling the foolish enemy Satan! Yes, despite all of his best shots we not going to renege on our promises to our heavenly Father, just like we know He’s not going to renege on His to us.
That’s what yuh call faithfulness friends! And faithfulness can only be built on trust. And trust can only be built when people and God spend serious time in each other’s company. And there are no words in the Good Book that portray a more magnificent sense of trust, of acceptance, than those of Job, rightfully called the father of patience.
In all his sorrow and suffering and rejection by his friends and family and knowing that he had not committed any heinous sin that could have brought all that tribulation upon him, he still made this awesome promise: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him.’
Oh friends, how many of us under the same situation would have been able to make such a confident statement eh? Not many. Just look at the comparatively small challenges we go through nowadays and yet so many of us are quick to get angry with God and renounce Him. But to be true believers, a faith and trust resembling Job’s is what we need to have.
As the scholars explain: ‘13:15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him expresses the unquenchable faith of one who lives by faith, not by sight. Even when it appears that God Himself has turned against Job, he will still trust in God.’ Yes my people, I know that kind of unquenchable faith is not easy to come by and only through serious trials and tribulations will we ever come to it, but it is the height of faith to which we ought to aspire.
And it is only through strong and expectant hope and faith that we will be able to handle the many trials and tribulations of this evil and ungodly world. And if we look at the chapter in the Good Book, Hebrews 11, called the ‘Heroes of Faith,’ we’ll see that all of those heroes lived by faith rather than by sight, they conquered their fears and their worlds through certain trust in the Lord their God.
The chapter mentions heroes like, Noah, Enoch, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the harlot Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, not to mention Bruh Joseph, Bruh David and Bruh Paul who all stood strong and did God’s bidding through enormous faith. Yes, I know Bruh Paul wasn’t mentioned there, that’s possibly because he wrote the Book of Hebrews. (smile) But no one had as much faith and zeal for the Lord after the Lord made him see the error of his ways on his journey to Damascus.
And please remember this oh so important verse of scripture my faithful brethren: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God); for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (He exists, is alive and kicking), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently see him.’ (Heb.11:6) And under the prevailing tenets of our faith, that is just basic logic and common sense, but it still needs to be taught. (smile)
And that’s why Cousin Sol wrote these wise, outstanding and immortal words to which we ought to pay great heed if we want to live successful lives. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (make straight or smooth thy way).
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance (possessions), and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses (vats) shall burst out with new wine.’ (Prov. 3:5-10)
Oh my people, my people, that is Christianity 101 right there! Technically speaking, that is all we need to know and do to live a successful Christian life, since it possesses all the elements of our wonderful faith. So please, let’s take a serious look at our lives today nuh, and see if we’re truly living the faith we claim to believe in as per those directives above. And since we can all do better, (smile) let’s ask the Lord for help to do so.
But in the meanwhile, let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our enviable position in Christ Jesus. All together 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!’
Yes my brethren! Let’s keep looking forward to that wonderful future nuh, with strong hope, faith and trust, because it will be even more wonderful than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…the stronger our faith…the greater our success…
15 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a lender and not a borrower, a mighty conqueror, a young man cleanse his way, above and not beneath, acclamations, according to his riches in glory, as much as in riches, authority of the commander, Beth, blessed art thou O Lord, Christian character, commandments, conform to heavenly standard, declared the judgement of thy mouth, delight myself in thy statutes, earthly behaviour, God will provide all my needs, God's decisions as a judge, God's revelation, going to happen through me, going to happen to me, halfway home, have I sought thee, have respect unto thy ways, hid in mine heart, if God be for us, ith my lips, judgements, knwoledge of God, look forward to, meditate in thy precepts, might not sin against thee, multi-faceted character, necessity of obeying, not forget thy word, not turning back, obedience, of thy testimonies, ordinances, positive scripture, rejoiced in the way, something good, statutes, take pleasure in God, taking heed to thy word, teach me thystatutes, testimonies, the breath of life, the flaming darts of the enemy, the head and not the tail, the hump day, The Lord's protective umbrella, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ Jesus, thy word, unchangeable regulations, wander from thy commandments, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail, who can be against us, with my whole heart
And then it was Wednesday – the hump day of the week – but even more importantly, another new day under the Lord’s safe and protective umbrella! Glory Hallelujah! Yeh friends, we’ve been granted another day of life on earth, for which we all ought to be thankful. So let’s do the acclamation thing nuh!
All together now: ‘This is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it! As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! That’s for sure! If God be for us, who can be against us eh? Not a single soul! God will provide all my needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus! I will be a lender and not a borrower! I’m the head and not the tail; above and not beneath; a mighty conqueror through Christ Jesus our awesome Lord and Saviour!’ And finally: ‘Something good is going to happen to me today! Yeah! Something good is also going to happen through me today!’
Mama Mia! What a whole lot of positive scripture to reinforce our faith my brethren! With all of that flourishing in our souls how can the evil one ever turn us away from Almighty God eh? No way Jose! Ah mih people, we need to know the Word, so when the enemy comes calling we can turn Him away with what our omnipotent and ever-faithful God says about us. That’s why this second section of Psalm 119 – BETH – with the superscription; ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart’ is so important to a true believer.
Please read these miraculous, marvelous and momentous words of the psalmist with me. ‘Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto (contemplate) thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.’ (Ps. 119:9-16)
Ah mih people, if only more supposed Christians would read those words and take them to heart eh! Chuh! What a wonderful place our world would be! The psalmist lets us know the right way, right up front: by following God’s Word. And what is God’s Word? According to the scholars: ‘Word (dabar) is an all-embracing term for God’s revelation in any form.’ And we have to be serious about seeking God and His Word. It can’t be just a wishy-washy, sometime, half-hearted thing like so many supposed believers engage in. The psalmist said, ‘with my whole heart.’ And that’s the way we need to come to God – with serious intentions!
And then he pleads that he be assisted in not straying from the Lord’s commandments. Oh friends, all of us need to plead with God for help on that matter! And what are his commandments? Per the scholars: ‘Commandments (mitswot) is a word assuming the authority of the commander and the inherent necessity of obeying the content of the charge.’ That means in simple terms, the commander is the boss, and we must obey his orders. And in this case, God is our commander and His word is the command we must obey.
And friends, our Bit says it all: ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.’ That’s the whole purpose of the exercise; not to sin against our heavenly Father! But we can only do that when we have His Word safely ensconced in our hearts, and more importantly, use it to thwart the flaming darts of the enemy that he sends against us. Then the psalmist asks to be taught the Lord’s statutes. And what are statutes? The scholars explain them thus: ‘Statutes (huqim) is related to a verb meaning “to engrave” and thus implies permanent and unchangeable regulations.’
That therefore means God’s regulations are permanent and don’t change, like we tend to say and believe rather conveniently in these supposed modern times of the 21st century. Then the psalmist talks about declaring (yeah!) the Lord’s judgements. The scholars describe then thus: ‘Judgments (mispatim) or ordinances refers to decisions God has made as a judge in order to make earthly behaviour conform to His heavenly standard.’ And we all know that above all, our God is a God of justice and sin has no part in His character whatsoever; but much to our benefit, He is a righteous judge!
And I like the psalmist’s next statement about rejoicing in God’s testimonies as much as in the wealth of the world. Wish many more of us would treasure the Lord’s testimonies that much and not pay so much attention to earthly riches. And the scholars characterize ‘Testimonies (‘edot) emphasizes the content of the Word as that which God has testified of Himself and His will.’ And should we ever rejoice in the Lord’s testimonies my people, because it tells us of the greatness of our God!
Then the psalmist promises to meditate, ponder on God’s precepts and contemplate His ways. Now that friends, is the only manner in which God’s Word can be written in our hearts; through meditation, contemplation and ‘ponderation.’ (smile) And according to the scholars ‘Precepts (piqudim) refers to instructions from a superior regarding the duties of those under him, in this case, from God to man.’ Again, we can only know our duties by learning them and continually thinking about them as we make every effort to put them into action.
But yuh know friends, we will never get it right until we learn to take true pleasure in our God and all that He’s said and done, all on our behalf! We all know that we comprehend and understand stuff quicker and more deeply when we enjoy it. And that’s why so many supposed believers have problems understanding and adhering to God’s Word; they don’t take pleasure in it. But if we want to have a clean heart and a right spirit, then we must learn to enjoy God and all that He is! And He’s such a multi-faceted character that unless we spend real time with Him and His Word, we’ll never truly come to appreciate and LOVE and obey Him like we ought to. End of sermon! (smile)
Now let’s go home declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and ecstatic position in our great God. In full voice and strong sense of purpose 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!’
And when the joy of Jesus is securely planted in our hearts, then we’re assured that our future with Him will indeed be glorious…Mama Yo…more than we can ever ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…our Christian character will show out…in direct proportion to our knowledge of…and obedience to God’s Word…
16 Oct 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, a lamp unto my feet, a light, acclamations, bind them, boost our spirits, Chinese food, christ jesus, empty, enlightening the eyes, eyes fixed straight ahead, fear, glad to be alive, God will supply all my needs, hands on the plough, his riches in glory, judgments of the Lord, keep our faith strong, keep thee, lack of fuel, me and my house, middle frame, more desirable than gold, not looking back, perfect, rejoices the heart, rejoicing the heart, restoring the soul, reverential awe, reward, running low, saints in Christ, stalling, sweeter than honey, tak with thee, Thanksgiving celebrations, the breath of life, the hump, the law of the Lord, this the day the Lord has made, thy word, unto my path, warned, we will follow the Lord, we will rejoice and be glad in it, Wednesday Wail
Psalm 119:105: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
So it’s the middle frame of the week, or what you call the hump – and I’m still in J.A, enjoying some warmth and sunshine. (smile) I didn’t do much yesterday, mostly rest. A couple of friends dropped by, then we went out in the evening and had some Chinese food. But I know that some of you in chilly Canada are still recovering from all of the hectic Thanksgiving celebrations, and are just dying for Friday to come. But hang in there, it will be here much sooner than you know.
In the meantime, keep giving thanks and acknowledging the Lord’s goodness in acclamations, like: ‘This is the day the Lord has made, we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ ‘God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.’ ‘As for me and my house, we WILL follow the Lord.’ ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today. Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’
Yes friends, acclamations of scripture keep our faith strong, keep us going, especially when we don’t have time to get into serious prayer. Those li’l reminders of God’s everlasting goodness and mercy boost our spirits when our spiritual fuel is running low, and keep us from getting down to empty and stalling for lack of fuel. How wonderful is the Lord’s Word! The psalmist said it best: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’
How marvellous! The Lord’s Word shines a light on the path we ought to tread and guides our feet therein! Give Him some thanks and praise my people, for being such a wonderful God and Father to us rebellious children of men! How could we believe anything else but that He LOVES us eh? It’s only LOVE that causes Him to care for and consider our frail bodies and souls the way He does.
And re the Lord’s Word, I like how Cousin Sol talks about it in his warning against adultery. ‘My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Bind them continually upon thine heart (mind), and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.’ (Prov.6:20-23)
Oh my precious saints in Christ, isn’t that just wonderful? The Word of God is all powerful! It leads you on your life journey, keeps you when you’re asleep, and talks with you when you awaken! Mama Yo! It’s so full of everything that we need to do life in a righteous and godly manner; like a lamp giving light to show the way, as well as the instructions and consequences of staying on the path on which it leads us.
And if that doesn’t convince you, then listen to Bruh David from Psalm 19 – The creation and covenants of God. ‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting (restoring) the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear (reverential awe) of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and (the drippings of) the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.’ (Ps.19:7-11)
Ah friends, I ask again, how wonderful is the Lord’s Word eh? It is perfect, restores the soul, makes the simple wise, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, it’s clean and endures forever. But yuh know what? It’s also more desirable than gold, and even sweeter than honey! Brother! Then it warns you and gets you rewards for keeping it! How then can there be anything better in the universe than the Word of the Law then eh mih breddren? Impossible! Because the Lord’s Word is a one-stop shop; there you can get EVERYTHING you need for living this earthly life in a righteous and godly manner. So please, let’s go shop there nuh, for that’s wisdom of the highest order!
And for those of us who already favour that establishment, let’s go home now declaring (steups!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our steadfast position in Christ Jesus. As one now, in all sincerity: ‘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!’
So let’s keep that up nuh, for if we do, the future will be even more glorious than we can ever imagine! Much LOVE!
…the Lord’s Word…all we ever need in this life…
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