30 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fit of jealousy, adult doubleface, am I my brother's keeper, ambassadors for Christ, amidst all the confusion, anxiety, but to do good they have no knowledge, Cain killed Abel, Christ's Church, confusion, consider your neighbour's needs, controversial weekend, Covid-19 times, embrace your love and compassion, faithful believers, for my people is foolish, Friday chant, God so loved the world, grow in love and understanding, Halloween, handle the situation properly, have everlasting life, havoc, he gave his only begotten son, interested in the welfare of those around us, life rough and tough, make a difference, my heartfelt plea, no more real truth to be had, ole fashion, omnipotent help, our sinful world, racial strife, sacrificing ourselves to help others, serious setbacks, should not perish, stand strong and steadfast, standards falling, stay in my own li'l world, sufferation, suffering from so many maladies, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, they are sottish children, they are wise to do evil, they have none understanding, they have not known me, understand godly love, wake up and smell the coffee, we are our brother's keeper, whosoever believeth in him, wise guidance
Jeremiah 4:22. For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid or silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
So we finally come down to Friday eh…the last day of the work week, and plenty people happy. That is the ones and them who don’t have to go to work again for the next two days. But what happen to those who didn’t have no work to go to this week eh…and those who have had no work to go to for a long time now eh? And it have plenty people like that about the place. Life certainly rough and tough with them.
Yeh friends, plenty people out there really undergoing ‘sufferation’ in this here Covid-19 time yes. What we doing to help them eh? Remember, we are our brother’s keeper, regardless of what Cain said to the Lord: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ after he killed his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy, and the Lord asked him of Abel’s whereabouts. (Gen. 4:1-15)
Oh my fellow believers, in Christ’s kingdom, we are our brother’s keeper. We need to spend time and resources looking after, caring for and being interested in the welfare of those around us, be they real family or not, ofttimes placing their needs before our own, in other words sacrificing ourselves to help others.
As the website http://www.ucg.org/good news explains it. ‘To be your brother’s keeper means to consider your neighbour’s needs at all times, whether he is present or not. A brother’s keeper is one who understands godly LOVE as expressed in Christ’s sacrifice (John 3:16). ‘For God so LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
Yes fellow saints, that means we need to grow in LOVE and understanding for each other and encourage each other as best we can. And remember, Christ’s church, the body to which we belong, is supposed to be helping the poor and needy, the sick and suffering, the lost and weary, being shepherds and ambassadors for Christ, so that they can come to Him and be refreshed and renewed.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that we are doing as much of that as we ought to, or as we can, but as of today, I am pleading with us to be better representatives of Christ Jesus in our immediate area. We don’t have to go far and wide, just minister to the needs of those in our vicinity, because too many people are suffering, mentally, physical, emotionally and financially. I don’t know if there’s ever been a time when so many have suffered from so many maladies at the same time.
And our job, our bounden duty as believers in Christ Jesus, as Christians, is to help as many as possible in as many ways as possible. So please let’s try and do more than we’ve been doing nuh – I know we can – so that we, Christ’s church, can make a difference. That’s my heartfelt plea today. (smile) And no, I have not forgotten the ordinary workingman’s spiel. I just had a longer and I believe more important one myself. (smile)
So hear him nuh: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! And the weekend is upon us once more. But this is going to be a crazy and disturbing and controversial weekend because is Halloween. Some people want it to go on as normal, others want to make changes, while others just want to ban it completely. Steups! Another instance of ungodly contention in we ranks! How we going to ever get through all this Covid business if we can’t agree on nothing eh? As for me, my children staying home yes!
Yuh don’t want big people outside and visiting others they not in a bubble with, but yuh want young children running around from house to house, in the dark night begging people they don’t know, for candy which yuh been telling them all the time is not good for them. Steups! What foolishness and what adult doubleface eh! Meanwhile the dentists, who themselves pan candy and sugar, going to be laughing all the way to the bank in a few months, after the children eat up all the sugar candy. Hn!
But that is the state of today’s world. Standards falling all over the place. No more real truth to be had, because everybody making up their own truth now. Chuh! That is why I stay in my own li’l world yes, and let them do their thing, because it just too much for me. Call me old fashion if yuh want, but I like it so yes!’
Ah mih people, this new world is indeed a handful to navigate, and not a whole lot of old-timers can do it successfully. But as believers, we are expected make a difference, a good difference, and as we do so, we make Jeremiah’s lament over Judah, less applicable to our society. (smile) ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish (stupid or silly) children, and they have none (no) understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.’ (Jer. 4:22)
And we can begin turning around that rather applicable statement right now, by falling on our knees before Almighty God and offering up prayer in the form of our Friday Chant. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
So let’s get to it nuh, you faithful believers, let’s handle the situation like Christ desires! Much LOVE!
…remember…we are our brother’s keeper…through Christ our Lord…
23 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith, action needs sacrifice, an attitude of prayer, anxiety, average Covid cases going up, be responsible, behold our desolations, confusion, Covid-19 virus, cry out to God for help, defeat the virus and the unrest, embrace your love and compassion, faithful believers, flashy looking society, foolish pride, Friday chant, going to God in prayer, greed, grow stronger in faith, handle the situation properly, hearken and do, heifer dust, hunger for power, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in everything give thanks, in the face of adversity, incline thine ear, Joyce Meyer, lack of godly prinicples, live life forward but understand it backward, Lord forgive, Lord her, maintian gratitude, not easy rules to follow, omnipotent help, open thine eyes, our righteousnesses, our sinful world, outbreaks in hospitals, phase 2 of the lockdown, physical distance, pray without ceasing, preponderance of sin, present our supplications, put a pig in a palace its still a pig, quench not the Spirit, racial strife, refuse to wear masks, rejoice evermore, running rampant in our society, seventy years of captivity in Babylon, stand strong and steadfast, stay home, stay safe, talk is cheap, TGIF!, Thank God for Fridays and weekends, Thank God is Friday, that is the will of God, the ordinary workingman, the prophet Daniel, the weather behaving inconsistently, thy great mercies, times of dire need, use this pandemic, wake up and smell the coffee, wash hands, when yuh don't hear yuh feel, wise guidance
1 Thessalonians 5:18. In every thing give thanks: for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Well the weather is behaving just as inconsistently as us! (smile) Yeh, yesterday it didn’t morph into any bright and sunshiny skies, just remained dark and dreary. Now today, after a foggy, drizzly night, the sun is out there trying to overcome the dark rain-filled clouds. Who knows which aspect will be victorious eh? Only the good Lord at this particular time, but we’ll find out eventually.
Yeh friends, that’s the way we live a lot of our life, not sure what’s happening in our present or future, and only understanding it when it becomes our past. As Cousin Joyce (Joyce Meyer) likes to say; ‘you live life forward, but understand it backward.’ And that’s certainly the truth…if you understand it at all. (smile) Anyhow, enough of me, let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say this cloudy Friday morning, as we run through the month of a very calamitous October.
And as usual, he opines: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and work soon done for a couple days! It’s good to see another weekend, although there still isn’t much to do in it, but stay home and stay safe, for the Covid-19 numbers not coming down appreciably even though some of us still in phase 2 of the lockdown. In fact, the average cases actually going up, and some four major hospitals have outbreaks of the virus now. Ah Lord, what is happening eh? An’ people still refuse to wear masks, wash dem hands and stay away from crowds, the only things we currently have to somewhat control the virus So what yuh expect eh? Steups!
But as my old mother always use to tell me: ‘Son, when yuh don’t hear, yuh does feel.’ And believe me, plenty times when I didn’t hear her, I certainly felt her! (smile) And is the same thing that’s happening to us as a society now. We not listening to the medical advice, what little we have, so people still living in fear of the tiny li’l virus that yuh can’t even see with the naked eye. What a knowledgeable and revolutionary society we’ve built eh… Hn!
The trouble is that though we society so advanced and so flashy looking, we still only full of heifer dust! And as they say, if yuh put a pig in a palace, it still going to be a pig, and still going to behave like one! But with a small man like me, all I can do is try to keep my family safe yes, and say thank God for Fridays and weekends oui!’
Ah mih bredrin, when you have a preponderance of sin, foolish pride, greed, hunger for power, and a lack of godly principles in a society, there will never be peace nor stability. And those are the things which are currently running rampant in our society, so it’s no surprise that we are in such a distasteful and disastrous situation. And how do we solve our calamitous situation eh? I just came upon a couple verses of rather appropriate scripture, some prayerful words ascribed to the prophet Daniel, when Israel was suffering the consequences of one of their disobedient spells; seventy years of captivity in Babylon.
Daniel prayed: ‘O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city (Jerusalem) which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do (listen and act); defer (delay) not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.’ (Dan. 9:18-19)
Yeh friends, it seems that it’s only in our dark and dreary times that we remember the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And so it is in these times, many who had turned away from God, for whatever reason, are now crying out to him for help and succour as they go through unprecedented and very unfavourable times. And those of us who have remained faithful and steadfast during the exodus from God’s fold, we too need to get very prayerful. As Bruh Paul said to the Thessalonians: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-19)
Ah mih people, those are not easy rules to follow, but if we want to be successful in this life, we ought to follow them as best we can, obviously with the Lord’s help. Hear these explanations from the scholars. ‘5:17. Pray without ceasing… the believer ought to remain in an attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’ That means praying at intervals throughout the day. ‘5:18. In every event or circumstance (thing) the Christian is to give thanks to God for the good He can bring out of the event, even should the event be unpleasant. The constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.’
Yeh friends, it’s not a matter of giving thanks for the adversity, although that will help us grow stronger in faith, but more for the fact that God can bring good from all our adversity. Remember the famous scripture that promises it. ‘And we all know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) So we need to be prisoners of hope and hang in there. And as per quenching God’s Spirit, we must ‘not stifle, suppress or hinder the Spirit’s workings by stopping Him from leading us to rejoice (vs. 16), to pray (vs. 17), to give thanks in adversity (vs. 18).’
Oh my fellow saints in Christ, it’s in those times of dire need that we need to listen to the Spirit’s leading and guiding more than ever. So let’s put some of that into action right now nuh, by going to God in prayer and supplication, making our needs, wants, fears and anxieties humbly known to Him through our Friday Chant.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help. Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets.
So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
Now if we were really sincere in that prayer, then we need to go out and behave like faithful believers, handle the situation the way Christ desires, so that others can take example from us and come to Him. Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but action needs sacrifice…let’s see some works with our faith…
16 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lazy rainy day, a short work week, all the turkey and stuffing, an abundance of sunshine, avoid serious setbacks, bare our hearts and souls to God, be responsible, be ye doers of the word, bring backsliders back to your fold, carest thou not that we perish, Christ's ability to handle all our problems, Christ's bride, clear blue skies, collapse of our society, common sense, consistently read the Good Book, Covid-19 virus, deceiving your own selves, faithful believers, feared exceedingly, Friday chant, give the Covid-19 more steam, godliness, handle the situation properly, how is it that ye have no faith, I must be getting old yes, inmates ruling the asylum, keep taking their toll, LOVE, monkey see monkey do, not hearers only, omnipotent help, on a smaller scale, peace be still, pray always, racial strife, rebuked the wind, restoring faith in you, scared and confused, stand strong, stay safe, stormy times, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, Thanksgiving holiday, the church is divided, the negative problems, the ordinary workingman, the weekend's here, unprecedented times, vim and vigour, why are ye so fearful, widespread suffering, wise guidance, wishful thinking
Mark 4:40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is that ye have no faith?
And after yesterday’s constant drizzle and cold dreary weather, who wouldn’t be glad to see a dry morning with plenty of bright sunshine amidst clear blue skies eh? Yeh friends, it was just one of those days that shouted out: ‘Today is a rainy day, just right for lazing around. So stay inside; don’t go out unless it’s absolutely necessary!’ And that’s exactly what I did: I stayed inside and had a lazy, rainy day at home. Although the duchess might beg to differ, because that’s the kind of day she feels I usually have anyway. (smile)
But it’s Friday, amidst an abundance of sunshine in a short work week, so let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say today nuh. And as always, he declares (awright!) with some vim and vigour: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui and the weekend is here! But brother, I must be getting old yes, because I’m never usually so tired, especially after a short work week like this one. It’s possibly all the turkey and stuffing and hops that I had over the Thanksgiving holiday last weekend.
Yeh, it was a quiet Thanksgiving with only the immediate family because of the ban on big and unprotected gatherings that just give the Covid-19 more steam. And although the lockdown was tightened in some places, the virus numbers still haven’t dropped appreciably, because people still not taking the bloody thing seriously. And to make matters worse, yuh know whatever goes on in the U.S. we always copy some up here. So with all the foolishness that going on down there, is obvious some of it happening up here too.
Yuh know the ole saying, ‘monkey see, monkey do.’ Well that is we up here in Canada. We like to say how we so different from the States, but it’s not as true as we claim nuh, because whatever they espouse down there, we seem to espouse up here too, just on a smaller scale. And things heating up down there with this election business, so expect it to heat up, up here too.
Ah Lord eh? What is the world coming to eh? Why li’l common sense and godliness can’t prevail eh? Everybody just seem to gone crazy all at once! And yuh know what happens when the inmates ruling the asylum… Steups! All I could hope for is that me and mine stay safe in we li’l corner yes, and keep on thanking God for Fridays and weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, these are indeed unprecedented times, and we are all searching for answers, but are we searching in the right places? Now that’s a contentious question, if there ever was one. (smile) Why you ask? Because there are too many differing opinions on our problems, people are too divided over the whys and the wherefores, and therefore no real improvement is possible. One side says this; the other says that; and the middle ground add their two cents worth. Meanwhile the negative problems keep steadily taking their toll.
Even in the church, the bride of Christ, there is no unity on the subject, so some ignore the dire warnings and continue as normal, while others take a middle ground, and the rest shut down completely. I guess unity in the church is just wishful thinking on my part, since even in the best of times, Christ’s bride is divided and disjoined just like the outside world. But what’s supposed to set us apart from the world eh? Basic faith in Christ and His ability to handle all our problems.
And that brings to mind the occasion when He and the disciples were crossing the sea of Galilee and a great storm arose that threatened their lives. So all the disciples were scared out of their wits. But where was Jesus eh? Comfortably asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat. And the disciples in great fear ran and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:38-41)
Oh my brethren, we are going through terribly stormy times right now, and unfortunately, too many of us are behaving just like the disciples behaved back then. We’re scared and confused, our faith and trust in Almighty God has sunk to a rather low level because of the widespread suffering and collapse of our society. But God has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us, so we need to have faith, to stand strong against whatever storms of life come against us. That means we have to consistently read the Good Book and pray always, for we can only stand strong when the Lord’s Word is planted in our hearts and we are continually communicating with Him.
So let’s do that right now nuh, through our Friday Chant; let’s bare our hearts and souls to Him. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
Saying the prayer is all well and good my people, but now we have to action it and actually behave like the faithful believers we claim to be. Otherwise, our prayers are useless. Much LOVE!
…but be ye doers of the word…not hearers only…deceiving your own selves… (James 1:23)
02 Oct 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a little lower than the angels, a means of restoring faith, and understandeth not, another weekend, anxiety, bar hopping, behave like leggo-beasts, bring backsliders back to your fold, can't handle it on our own, confusion, Covid-19, denigrating the virus, dictator in waiting, divine help, Donald Trump, embrace your love and compassion, faithful believers, falling down drunk, Friday chant, gallivanting, God offers forgiveness and mercy, handle the situation properly, happy hour, have dominion over the beasts, heavenly Father, hungry for dictatorship power, in the name of Jesus, introduce a whole new flock, is like the beasts that perish, judgement after death, LOVE, make a real and sincere difference, man that is in honour, no respecter of persons, not knowing what happening, omnipotent help, our sinful world, pandemic, pay serious attention to God's Word, physically distance, racial strife, spreading the virus willy nilly, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, thank the Lord for Fridays and weekends, the dust return to the earth, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the ordinary workingman, the spirit return to God, those involved in the forefront, time for Christians to stand up strong, unrest in the streets, wake up and smell the coffee, want to party, wash hands, wear a mask, wise guidance, with God all things are possible
Psalm 49:20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
And yes, at long last is Friday; the day that ends our work week! So we’re joyful and happy and ready to behave like leggo-beasts! But please remember we still can’t go bar hopping and gallivanting on a Friday evening after work like we used to! Forget about the happy hour an’ them and just go straight home and be safe. That’s my li’l chat for today! (smile)
Now let’s see what the ordinary workingman has to say on this first Friday in chilly, leaf turning colour and falling October. ‘Yeah! TGIF! Thank God is Friday and another weekend is here to rest mih tired and somewhat bored bones. Yes, staying home so all the time, especially since the Covid-19 numbers going up again in my li’l corner of the world, is getting somewhat tiresome. Ah not a big go-outer, but when I want to go out, I want to be able to go without having to put on mask and look all around me, and stay away from people, to make sure I don’t catch anything to bring back to mih family.
And the people an’ them, especially the younger ones, just won’t learn to physically distance and wear deh mask and wash deh hands and be careful. No, they want to party… and the sad thing is that they can’t party nuh, they don’t really know how to have a good time. For them that is drinking and falling down stupid and not knowing what happening. Steups!
An’ by the way, yuh see who finally catch the Covid business? The one and only Donald Trump, the august President of the United States, dictator in waiting; a man who been denigrating the virus since it begin, and saying is just stupidness and it soon pass and yuh doh need no mask when it causing so much unnecessary deaths in the U.S.
Well the same way the Lord does move in mysterious ways and is no respecter of people, is the same way Covid does move, so now it finally prove to him the foolishness of his ways…at least ah hope so. But Trump is such an ignorant, arrogant, greedy, hungry for dictatorship power, know it all, that one never know with him nuh.
And ah hope the people living under him finally wake up and see him for what he really is; a blooming … put in yuh own description. (smile) But as for me and my house, we going to try and stay safe and keep thanking the Lord for Fridays and the weekends yes!’
Ah mih people, the ordinary workingman is sure worked up today. And so he should be when people not behaving how they should and just spreading the blooming virus willy nilly! All over the world the Covid numbers climbing again, mostly because people stop paying attention to the safety procedures. So what we expect eh, when those are the only things we have to slow down the spread of the virus? Until we get a good vaccine – and people take it – masks and hand washing and physical distancing are the only useful things we have.
But what does the ole fella know eh? He ain’t no scientist. But hear these magnificent and oh so true words from the Good Book nuh, taken from Psalm 49 – Trust in God, not in wealth – by the sons of Korah. ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’ (Ps. 49:20)
Yeh friends, we are supposed to be a little lower than the angels, but higher than the beasts, have dominion over them, but when we don’t pay serious attention to God’s Word, then we become just like the beasts. And hear how Cousin Sol puts it in Ecclesiastes, where he’s writing as the Preacher. ‘For that which befalleth (happens to) the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence (advantage) above a beast: for all is vanity (futility).’ (Eccl. 3:19)
Yes, it would seem that man and beasts share the same common fate, but later on though, in 12:7, Cousin Sol does affirm that man’s spirt returns to God after death. ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ (Eccl. 12:7) So friends, in that most important fact, we are not like the beasts, because our spirits return to God for judgement after death. But when we behave foolishly and ignore God and His Word and Will, then we truly behave like beasts. And unfortunately, in these most disturbing and dangerous times, when we should all have our wits about us, too many of us are behaving like the beasts!
But thankfully, with our great and wonderful God, all things are possible, and He offers forgiveness and mercy without restraint, to all those who call upon Him in sincerity. So let’s do that now nuh, through our Friday Chant, let’s call on Him for divine help. All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
So the corollary to all that now is for us to go out and behave like faithful and trusting believers – like we claim above – and handle the situation the way the Lord desires us to handle it! Much LOVE!
…it’s time for Christians…to stand up strong…and make a real and sincere difference…
25 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are yours, be not wise in thine own eyes, be responsible, beautiful colours, berate myself, bring backsliders back, Christ is God's, Covid-19, depart from evil, embrace your love and compassion, encouraging others, faithful believers, fall is the best, fear the Lord, feel terribly guilty, flu season, foolishness with God, Friday chant, fulfilling our purpose, God alone gives the increase, gospel truth, grow in wisdom knowledge obedience, handle the situation, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness, health to thy navel, if any man among you, introduce a whole new flock, let him become a fool, let no man deceive himself, let no man glory in men, marrow to thy bones, mind-boggling year of 2020, no respecter of persons, restrict gatherings, seemeth wise in this world, show them the error of their ways, sinful world, something to perk us up, stand strong and steadfast, stay connected with God, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that he may be wise, the council of the froward, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, the ordinary workingman, the trees starting to turn colour, the wisdom of this world, they are vain, turbulent times, unprecedented times, wake up and smell the coffee, winter is coming, wise guidance, ye are Christ's
1 Corinthians 3:18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
Well can you believe it’s Friday! I can’t. As usual, the whole week has passed by and I haven’t done any of the things I claim I want to do. But what to do eh? (smile) I’m not going to berate myself unnecessarily, or feel terribly guilty – there will be a touch of guilt though – (smile) for in these unprecedented times, who knows what unprecedented and abnormal things will happen in our lives. The important thing is to stay connected with God, and to grow in wisdom and knowledge and obedience to His will and holy word and encouraging others as best we can.
If we’re doing that, then I believe we’re fulfilling our purpose for this time when we can’t, or are not supposed to go out and about like we are, or rather were used to doing. And now that I’ve had my say, (smile) let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to share this Friday morning in the last week of September of this crazy and mind-boggling year of 2020.
As usual, he opens with an enthusiastic: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday…and the weekend is here at last! Wow! It’s been a good week, nice warm September weather, with temps even in the mid 20’s. But it’s coming…yes people, winter is coming. The trees already bearing out that indisputable and unchangeable fact; they starting to turn colour. And are they beautiful colours; gold, brown, yellow, red… fall is the best, or rather most colourful season of the year. Like the Lord made it beautiful because He knew that winter was coming when everything would be cold as ice and look dead and dreary, so He wanted to give us something to perk us up before that happen.
But that lead me to wonder what going to happen with this Covid-19 business, if it going to get worse with the cold weather and flu season? And the numbers now going back up again because people not observing the safety precautions. Steups! Like is only when we catch it, we going to learn. Yuh see the virus is no respecter of people, even the leader of the Federal opposition and his wife have it, as well as the leader of the French party. So what it going to take eh? Another lockdown. They done restrict gatherings in Toronto and Peel and Ottawa… Ah Lord eh! Thank God that me an’ mine doing we best to stay safe yes!’
Yes my people, that’s why I have serious concerns about the belief that mankind is the wisest animal on the planet. (smile) He certainly doesn’t show that in his everyday actions. That brings me to this interesting, and I believe appropriate bit of scripture from Bruh Paul’s first missive to the church at Corinth, when they were debating and divided over whom to follow, Bruh Paul or Apollos. ‘Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world (age), let him become a fool, that he may be wise.’ (1 Cor. 3:18)
That’s good advice, for as Cousin Sol adds in his two cents worth: ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear (reverence) the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel (body), and marrow (strength) to thy bones.’ (Prov. 3:7-8) And that’s the gospel truth friends! And if you’re wondering why, then listen to Bruh Paul’s explanation. ‘For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. for it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (futile).’ (1 Cor.3:19-20) And there Bruh Paul is quoting Job and the psalmist.
Job says of the Lord. ‘To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety. He disappointeth (frustrates) the desires of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprises (plans). He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward (of the wily) is carried headlong (comes quickly on themselves).’ (Job 5:11-13) And the writer of psalm 94 admitted: ‘The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity (futile).’ (Ps.94:11) So it wasn’t anything new that Bruh Paul was preaching.
And he concludes: ‘Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. And ye are Christ’s: and Christ is God’s.’ (1 Cor. 3:21-23) Immortal words of wisdom and truth friends!
As the scholars explain: ‘3:21-22. For all things are yours: The one who belongs to Christ is a child of God, and his Father will do anything for him. The absurdity of their division over allegiances to any of these men is that God gave them “all” to the Corinthians.’ The same goes for us today; whoever is teaching us, they were ALL given to us by God, for His glory, not for us to be foolishly attached to them.
Now let’s go home chanting our Friday Chant, asking God for His divine help in these turbulent times. With all sincerity now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
Now it’s time for us to go out and handle the situation like the faithful believers we consider ourselves. Much LOVE!
…anyone can plant…but it’s God ALONE…who gives the increase…
07 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: children of the King, climate change, Covid-19, delay not to pay it, divine help, Drunk or sober mind yuh business, fellow saints in Christ, grace, Granny's warning, he hath no pleasure in fools, if two of you shall agree, in God's good time, in my name, Jehovah Rapha, keep your promise, Labour Day, mercy, negative situations, pandemic, safety practices, street party in Brooklyn, the Creator rules, the end of summer, the Most High God jehovah, there am I in the midst of them, thou that hearest prayer, turn from our evil ways, unto thee shall all flesh come, vowest a vow unto God, we have all sinned, where two or three are gathered, wise guidance, wonderful words of wisdom
Psalm 65:2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
Well it’s Labour Day Monday again, which, to all intents and purposes means the end of the summer. But what a summer eh! Lockdown for most of it, unable to enjoy our usual summer pursuits…but thankfully we have health and life because of our safety practices. And I don’t know if there will be any, or as many Labour Day marches as we’re used to. I don’t even know if the big Labour Day street party in Brooklyn, New York will be taking place, but I doubt it. And that will be the first time in many a year, just like our Caribana here in T.O was cancelled this year.
Oh what a blow this Covid-19 has dealt us this year eh! But there’s no need to worry because we are children of the King, the Most High God Jehovah, and that means we have lots of staying power, plenty endurance and the ability to persevere despite anything the enemy throws at us! So in God’s good time we will conquer the Covid virus and forget about our lost summer and all the other negatives and instead wisely look to the positive side of the ledger; count our blessings and the plenty that we still have.
But to do that we first have to come alongside each other, work together in harmony and turn to God with repentant hearts and sincerely invite Him back into our individual lives and our society as a whole, from which we’ve hitherto been trying to oust Him. Remember the marvelous promise of Jesus: ‘Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt. 18:19-20)
Wow mih bredrin! What a powerful promise. And therefore, it’s only logical to conclude that Jesus is currently in our midst, since right now more than two or three of us agree that we need divine help to solve our problems. So the next action we need to take is communicating our heartfelt desires to Him, that means going to Him in prayer. For as Bruh David says in Psalm 65 – God is powerful in nature – ‘O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.’ (Ps. 65:2) So let’s fulfil his words and do that now nuh, through what we call our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
All together now. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
Ah my people, our God is a great God, but His truth and justice cry out for obedience and right heart motives, so if our hearts were right and our words true, then we know that He heard our prayer, and in His own time and manner, if we keep our promise, He will respond positively to our heartfelt desires. And that part about keeping our promise is oh so important, for according to Cousin Sol, writing as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer (delay) not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.’ (Eccl. 5:4-5)
What wonderful words of wisdom my brethren! And that doesn’t apply to God only, but also to our interactions between each other. If more of us kept our promises, life would surely not be as distrustful, deceitful and strife filled as it is. So since we’ve gone to the Lord with supposedly repentant hearts, earnestly seeking His face, let’s now keep that promise and obey His Word and do His divine will nuh… that is if we want Him to keep His bargain and heal our land and our people. It’s as simple as that.
Remember it takes two to tango, and one hand can’t wash itself, it needs another to help it, and that we’re in a partnership with God, but we need to do our part first. Now it’s time for us to get in some Labour Day celebrations, but with ever watchful eyes and plenty caution, not forgetting that the Covid-19 virus is still out there, and as dangerous as ever, and also remembering Granny’s message: ‘Sonny boy, drunk or sober, please mind yuh business.’ (smile) Please have a blessed and joyful day, my fellow saints in Christ! Much LOVE!
…when will man learn eh…that it’s the Creator who rules…and not the created…
04 Sep 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: action requires sacrifice, an insignificant irritant, church, confusion, constitutional rights, Covid-19 virus, desperately need your help, embrace your love, faithful believers, free choice, give I unto you, go out on a limb, godly mandate, hanging over our heads, havoc, in the name of Jesus, introduce a whole new flock, let not your heart be troubled, my peace I give unto you, neither let it be afraid, no-work weekend, not as the world giveth, parties galore, Peace i leave with you, put words into action, racial strife, serious setbacks, sinful world, talk is cheap, the ordinary workingman, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
John 14:27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Friday, Friday, Friday, Friday, Fridayyyy! The people’s day! The day that evokes wonderful images of a no-work weekend and parties galore! Yes friends, in these modern times, the weekend is all about partying, getting out and about, church is merely an insignificant irritant, especially if you’re young and energetic. And it’s so ingrained in us that we still doing it although it’s somewhat like a death sentence hanging over our heads in this Covid-19 pandemic time. I guess we taking our godly mandate and constitutional rights of free choice and free speech rather seriously, although it could mean our sure demise.
But that’s the human animal for you; likes to go out on a limb, the farthest reaches thereof, to test his human ability against that of nature and other men. So what will be, will be. Yeh: ‘Que sera, sera!’ The only problem there though, is when we so adamant about doing our own thing and the negative consequences boomerang back on us, we quick to complain and blame other people, quite conveniently forgetting our adamant decision to pursue the unwise actions that brought them on.
But tis Friday, so let’s check out what the ordinary workingman has to say in these early September days. And he proclaims: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and weekend’s here! It’s oh so good to get away from the slave master work for a couple days. And yuh know he still behaving rather ornery, despite the pandemic business. It didn’t mellow him down at all. I guess he vex about the money he lost for the couple months that the factory was shut down.
Ah Lord eh! For some people life not more important than money nuh. As for me, although I didn’t have much money and no work to bring in some, I was happy to be alive and not gone in the blink of an eye like some people I knew. When we going to ever realize that life, as frail and fickle as it already is, is the best thing we have in this world eh?
Steups! But we still running behind all the material things of the world, although we don’t have time to enjoy them, because we have to kill we self to pay for them. Is a good thing I learn from young, through hard experience, that everything that glitters is not gold, and the more yuh have is the more responsibility yuh have and too much responsibility not good for the body nor the soul. That’s why I’m content to take life easy, take it as it comes, one day at a time, and don’t get too upset over anything, thanking God for work and weekends. Is the only way to live yes!’
Well friends, who says that the ordinary working man can’t philosophize with the best of them eh? He certainly can! As I keep saying, he might not have a whole lot of book education, but he certainly has plenty common sense and life experience, and those two will beat book learning any day! And all over the world people are rebelling against the safety procedures put in place for the pandemic, the only thing that so far has been able to control its flow. And all over the world people are still contracting the virus and dying because of their resistance to the safety procedures.
The new thing from some supposed leaders is what’s called ‘the herd immunity.’ Let as many people as possible catch the virus which will make us immune to it. Pure heifer dust! Nobody knows if that will even work in theory, much less in practice. And that’s the thing that annoys me most about these troubled times; there are no positive answers, and too many different opinions – from one end of the spectrum to the other – are proliferating around the place, so people can’t get a good handle on the situation, which only leads to uncertainty, fear and panic.
Oh my people, the ONLY PLACE you can find true peace and be free from the worry and anxiety found in this life, especially in these calamitous times is at the foot of Jesus’ cross, where His sacrificial blood flowed down to bring us forgiveness of sins and a new way of life. Remember His immortal name: ‘The PRINCE OF PEACE!’ (Is. 9:6) That’s no lie, no joke! Hear Him offer His peace nuh. ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (John 14:27)
Please note friends, Jesus didn’t give us peace like the world gives; the flimsy, uncertain facade, the here today, gone tomorrow stuff that the world calls peace. But His peace is special; one that allows the heart and soul to be quiet and not fearful or anxious despite disastrous circumstances. Now that’s TRUE PEACE! And if you seriously desire it, then you will have to seriously turn to Jesus to get it. No other way! So let’s turn to Him now nuh, as we seek peace, wisdom and understanding through our Friday Chant for help to handle the troubles of our world.
All together now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the 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!’
Now, it’s time for those faithful believers to go out and put those words into action; handle the situation with the LOVE and compassion of Jesus! Much LOVE!
…talk is cheap…but action requires sacrifice…let’s stop talking…and start sacrificing nuh…
31 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon of hope and light, an enduring nation, bet yuh bottom dollar, casting all your care upon him, complain, disobedience, ease the anxiety in our souls, forgiving and gracious God, grace and mercy, Happy Independence Day T&T, he may exalt you in due time, hear and asnwer our prayers, humble yourselves, Jehovah Rapha, leave all the consequences to Him, LOVE, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, negative situations, obey God, only true and living God, pandemic situation, patient and long suffering, strife, subvert a man, take it to the Lord in prayer, the God who heals, the punishment of his sins, this year of calamity, turn from our evil ways, under the mighty hand of god, wisdom for the ages, wise guidance
1 Peter 5:6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Happy Independence Day T&T! Congratulations on 58 years of sterling nationhood! (1962-2020) And in that time you have certainly made important contributions to all aspects of human life – been a beacon of hope and light in the Caribbean! We wish you many long years of success as an innovative, refreshing and enduring nation.
Wonder how the celebrations going to go on today with the pandemic situation and the resultant lockdown? Oh not to worry, T&T is the best partying nation in the world. Nobody LOVES a party like we, and we going to find some innovative way to celebrate Independence Day. It surely won’t pass without some kind of celebration, regardless of what the law says. (smile) You can bet yuh bottom dollar on that!
However, it’s Monday, the last day of August, and most of us are not concerned about celebrations, but rather about the start of a new work week, and possibly anxious about what this week in this year of calamity will bring. But as the Good Book tells us, when worries beset us, take them all to the Good Lord in prayer and He will ease the anxiety in our souls.
Peter puts it thus: ‘Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:6-7) And since that’s gospel truth, let’s do it now nuh through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. So in confident, but humble voice, let’s come before God’s throne and empty our hearts of all the confusion and uncertainty residing there.
All together now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And yes friends, we have certainly sinned against our great God, fallen into wilful disobedience, and are now experiencing the consequences of that disobedience. As Jeremiah says in his lamentation over Israel’s adversity. ‘Wherefore doth (how can) a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try (examine) our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted (pursued) us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.’ (Lam. 3:30-44)
Oh my people, if the Lord could punish His chosen people for their wilful disobedience, why wouldn’t He do the same thing to us eh? Yes, He is indeed patient and long suffering, but even the Lord’s patience will run out at some time if His prize creation keeps going headlong down the path of evil and disobedience. But here’s why He is indeed a great God, the ONLY TRUE and LIVING GOD!
Jeremiah himself said it earlier on: ‘For the Lord will not cast off forever. But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly (with delight), nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of man (justice due) before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.’ (Lam. 3:31-36)
Yes my brethren, our God is a merciful God, but He is also a holy and just Deity and to be true to His Word, He must cause justice to be done in the affairs of man. So if we have sinned and come short of His Word, then it’s expected that at some time we will suffer the negative consequences. But as He promised, if we repent and turn back to Him, He will indeed forgive us and heal our land. And without a doubt, right now our land is in dire need of healing, and the Lord God Jehovah is the ONLY ONE who can do it.
So let’s wise up nuh, let’s show ourselves to be the wise and wonderful creation He wonderfully made and repent and joyfully receive Him back into our society, so that our children, and our children’s children will have a decent future to look forward to. That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…the wise way to do life…is to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him… (Dr. Charles Stanley)
10 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a pronouncement of victory, affections and lusts, against such there is no law, all have sinned, ambassadors, antidote, authority, baptizing them, before men, benot desirous of vain glory, characteristics of Jesus, christianity, come short in obedience, conceited, courtesy, crucified the flesh, dependability, direction, disappointed me, disciples, envying one another, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, glorify your father in heaven, go ye therefore, goodness, honour, humble ourselves, in the name of the Father, joy, kindness, let your light so shine, lockdown, long-suffering, LOVE, make disciples, martyred leader, mass confusion, meekness, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, need your help, of the Holy Ghost, of the Son, passions, patience, peace, peaceful consensus, power, promised to answer our prayer, protests, provoking one another, reverential devotion, saints of Christ, self-control, sincere repentance, strife, teach all nations, temperance, the fruit of the spirit, the Great Commission, they may see your good works, they that are Christ's, victory over the evil one, virus, walk in the Spirit, wise guidance
Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness, dependability), Meekness (courtesy, consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.
Awright, up and at ‘em fellow saints of Christ! Time to get up, go out if necessary and live the gospel; the good news of our Lord and Saviour! Remember some of the last words He spoke to the disciples, and consequently to us, who haven’t seen Him in person, but nonetheless believe?
‘All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in the earth. Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28: 18-20) Wow! What a marvellous command; one thoroughly laced with divine assurance! We call it the ‘Great Commission!’
And I like how the scholars describe it: ‘28:18-20. Christianity is not represented here as the mere reverential devotion of disappointed men who honour their martyred leader. Here is a far different scene. The triumphant, living Lord sends forth His ambassadors to proclaim His gospel throughout all the world. The Great Commission is not just an order but a pronouncement of victory (mundus regium Christi) by the risen Saviour through His disciples.’
Yes friends on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection, His victory over the evil one, He was given power and authority over both heaven and earth, and it’s on that same power and authority that we, His ambassadors, His disciples, are able to carry our His Great Commission to all the world through His body, the church. Glory be, mih bredrin!
So our major purpose this Monday morning is to display the wonderful characteristics of Jesus, what we term the fruit of the Spirit, seeds of those awesome characteristics that have been planted within us, and are prosperously growing therein, as we continually water and nurture them.
And what better time and place to remember those precious characteristics called the fruit of the Spirit than right now. ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness (generosity), faith (faithfulness, dependability), Meekness (courtesy, consideration), temperance (self-control): against such there is no law.’ (Gal. 5:22-23) No my people, against that marvellous fruit, there can be no law!
However, as Bruh Paul continues to the Galatians: ‘And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections (its passions) and lusts.’ (Gal. 5:24). That means when we receive Christ, and the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, we become new creatures, giving up our sinful past and evil passions. Which further means: ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ (Gal. 5:25) That should be understood. If the Spirit gave us new life when we received Christ, then we ought to continue following His leading and guidance for the rest of our lives if we want the spiritual seeds within us to grow and produce much good fruit, and thus we move from glory to glory in Christ Jesus.
And we have one last, but oh so important warning from Bruh Paul to the church at Galatia. ‘Let us not be desirous of vain glory (be conceited), provoking one another, envying one another.’ (Gal. 5:26) Now that also applies to us, but unfortunately, both in the church and society at large that is not being practiced. In fact those very emotions of conceitedness, provocation and envy are running rampant throughout our entire society. No wonder the fruit of the Spirit is not as abundant as it ought to be. That’s why as ambassadors and disciples of Jesus we have to get out there and spread the message, make a difference, so that His gospel can reach the entire world as He desires and commissioned us to do.
And the first thing we ought to do each and every day is pray. So let’s do that nuh, by declaring (awright!) our Monday Morning Battle Hymn. In strong and confident voice, but with humble and contrite hearts. ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive, and hopefully haven’t contracted the virus that’s causing havoc around our world. And our anxieties have been recently deepened because several restrictions have been lifted in the lockdown, so more of us are going out to work now without any guarantees of safety.
Then to complicate matters Father, suddenly, and unexpectedly, just like the virus, worldwide strife and protests have also struck us in this sad time of pandemic, and we don’t have a clue how to handle either situation properly. Mass confusion is currently prevailing in our world, and we desperately need your help to solve both problems, as You are the ONLY One with the power and insight to successfully handle them.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance and direction.
Please show us how to successfully handle these scourges that are currently plaguing Your beautiful earth. Please help our leaders to wisely quell the strife and protests, thus bringing unity, peaceful consensus and real improvement in the areas that are now sadly lacking. Please help the scientists to also find a positive solution, a sure antidote to the virus as quickly as possible. And for those who have already contracted the virus, or been injured in the strife, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them.
Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And while we wait for God’s help, let’s walk in the Spirit nuh, so that we can produce much good fruit! Much LOVE!
…let your light so shine before men…that they may see your good works…and glorify your Father in heaven… (Matt. 5:16)
07 Aug 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: an invitation to listen, anxiety of lockdown, at the foot of Christ's cross, atrocious happenings, be glad and rejoice in this day, be responsible, book learning, bring backsliders back, calls on all men, Christ is the answer, common sense, compassion, costly, Covid-19, defeat the virus and the unrest, embrace your love, enjoy god's generosity, faithful believers, fear mongering, fight against God's will, Friday chant, frustration, give to God a ransom, God's awesome wisdom, I am the way the truth and the life, in the name of Jesus, Jesus paid the price for our redemption, leave their wealth to others, like the beasts that perish, loss of life, man that is in honour, material wealth, no man can redeem our souls, no man comes to the Father, none can redeem his brother, not see corruption, omnipotent help, our Lord and Saviour, our sinful world, painful consequences, pandemic, prosperity of the wicked, restoring faith in you, riches are woefully inadequate, rise above the ungodly drive for riches, serious setbacks, slave labour, stage 3, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, street wisdom, superior technolofy, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the error of their ways, the fruits of our labour, the ordinary workingman, the pit, the power of free will, the redemption of their soul, the weekend, understands not, universal application, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
Psalm 49:20. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Prologue! I didn’t mean or expect it to be so long, but I needed to get in all that info, to be able to truly make the point that Christ and not material wealth is the answer. I’m naturally long-winded. (smile) So please ignore the length, just read quietly and let it seep into your souls and release your innate wisdom. Much LOVE!
Embrace it friends, embrace it! Embrace the beautiful day that God has made, be glad and rejoice in it! That’s why He made us and has us here on earth at this appointed time; to enjoy His generosity and the fruits of our labour, as we joyfully do His will! Glory be! I don’t know why we fight against God’s will nuh, since it’s so much easier and much more productive to give into it. But they say to each his own… and I guess that’s why in His awesome wisdom He gave us the power of free will, so we can do as we like.
But friends, that’s a rather important and possibly dangerous undertaking, (smile) for if we don’t use that free will right, very serious and painful consequences will eventually befall us. Anyway, it’s Friday, the much looked forward to end of the work week, so let’s not get into fear mongering nuh. (smile) Instead, let’s hear the wisdom of the ordinary workingman, as he goes about his ordinary working life. And he is indeed very appreciative of this being Friday, for he joyfully declares: (yeahhh!)
‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui and the blooming slave labour done for another couple of days! Wow! And is it ever good to have a holiday to start the work week, so that the aging body can rest a li’l more, since it doesn’t handle the physical labour as good, or as effortlessly as it used to. And even more thankfully, I haven’t heard of any atrocious happenings as we finally got into stage 3 of this Covid-19 reopening! Thank the Lord for that yes!
Hn! Because if we ever have to go back into serious lockdown again, a lotta people going to lose their minds…and even their lives this time, just from the awful frustration and anxiety it brings. So let’s hope people truly wake up and realize the enormity and seriousness of the situation and behave themselves responsibly. Else we could really be in for a rough, rough time. But in the meanwhile, we going to thank God for the weekend and enjoy it as best and as safely as we can!’
And who says the ordinary workingman doesn’t have wisdom eh? It might not be book wisdom, but he does have street wisdom, what we call common sense, something that unfortunately is not so prevalent in these modern times of superior technology and far-reaching book knowledge. And ah laughing mih heart out here mih people, because I just glanced at the open Bible next to me and what do you think I espied? This most appropriate and telling bit of scripture, from Psalm 49 – Trust in God, not wealth. The sons of Korah end the psalm thus: ‘Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.’ (Ps. 49:20)
Oh my people those few simple words are chocked full of awesome truth! If we don’t have the understanding that God exists and that He is sovereign and supreme and act accordingly, we’re just like the wild beasts who have no understanding whatsoever. As the psalm says earlier on: ‘They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.’ (Ps. 49:6-7)
Yes friends, unfortunately, no man can redeem our souls! (‘For the redemption of their soul is precious (costly), and it ceaseth for ever;) That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption (the pit). For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish (senseless) person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not (does not endure): he is like the beasts that perish. This their way (the way of those who are foolish) is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.’ (Ps. 49:8-13)
It’s all truth friends, gospel truth, which we should heed if we’re wise. Hear these explanations from the scholars nuh. ‘Psalm 49. This psalm reads almost like a passage from the Book of Proverbs, (it certainly does) with its bold contrast between the destinies of wicked and righteous. It addresses an age-old question: the prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist lived in a day when many evil men were boasting of their wealth (vs. 5-6). The psalm was therefore written to enable God’s people to rise above the ungodly drive (desire) for riches.
There is first an invitation to listen (vs. 1-4): the poet calls on all men because the psalm has a universal application. Second, he demonstrates how woefully inadequate riches are (vs. 5-12): in the day of one’s death they cannot redeem (vs. 6-7). Finally, the divergent destinies of the wicked and the righteous are vividly stated (vs. 13-20): the wicked man has no hope beyond this life (vs. 14), but the righteous man will be resurrected to eternal life (vs.15).’
Now that is more awesome truth, but the problem is that we need to use our free will wisely if we want to be righteous and live eternally. And that means ONE thing; accepting Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, because He is the ONLY ONE, who can pay the costly price for our redemption! In fact, He has already done that by the sacrificial shedding of His precious, holy and sinless blood on the cross of Calvary!
And thus receiving Him into our hearts and souls and living for Him, is the ONLY way a man can see eternal life. As He so truthfully declares (steups!) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6) And I’m definitely not going to take the chance and doubt Him. For then we’re just like the beasts, who have no wisdom, and thus we will perish in the pit.
And no, I have not forgotten our Friday Chant (smile). So let’s declare (awright!) it now nuh in all sincerity. ‘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!’
And it now behooves us to go out and behave like faithful believers of Christ Jesus! Much LOVE!
…redemption begins and ends…at the foot of Christ’s cross…
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