16 Apr 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A genuine Christian loves himself, a heavenly nature, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd, because they fainted, brilliant sunshine, But when he saw the multitudes, carry them in his bosom, Christ alone eliminates your guilt, Christ alone fills the human heart with love, Christ alone forgives, Christ alone is the answer, Christ alone save, Christ alone understands, christ jesus, comfort, compassion, cyclists, Dr. Samuel Shoemaker, enemy, enter not by the door, faith, faith in christ Jesus, fateful words, fighting, flee from a stranger, frustration, gather the lambs with his arm, gently lead those that are with young, glory hallelujah, he calleth his own sheep by name, He was moved with compassion, hot rod cars, Hour of Power Devotional, I am come that they might have life, I am the door of the sheep, Isaiah, joy, late mornings, late nights, light and joy of Jesus, like sheep gone astray, long and harsh winter, LOVE, LOVE for God, loving kindness, madness, might have it more abundantly, NHL Hockey Playoffs, oh what a joy, passion, peace, peeved, pent up winter frustration, Pharisees, prophecy, reinforce, reinvigorate, Religion can never be the answer, renew, reward, robber, runners, self-confidence, spring has finally sprung, stranger, strong hand, the sheep follow him, the sheep hear his voice, the shepherd of the sheep, the straight and narrow path, they know not the voice of strangers, they were weary, thief, to human problems, trust in the Lord, truth, understanding, upset, walkers, wisdom, wonder, work, worthiness
Matthew 9:36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Oh Friends, please be advised that the NHL Hockey Playoffs began last night, with several games on every night. And since I am a fan of the game, it means there will be several late nights, like last night, in the offing. Unfortunately, those late nights will obviously lead to late mornings, like this one.
So please don’t be too peeved and upset with me if the Bits are somewhat late in the next few weeks. (smile) It’s just a fact of life. There isn’t much I watch on the tube, but hockey is one of those things.
And a much better bit of news is that it looks like spring has finally truly sprung. Yesterday was warm, not hot, and beautiful, with loads of brilliant sunshine, and today is forecasted to be more of the same.
The temps are getting up to the mid to high teens, and that’s bringing out the pent-up winter frustration, so the hot rod cars with their loud engines and mufflers are now out on the road, the walkers, runners, cyclists and the ‘motorbikers’ are getting into gear too. So look out for the madness, especially after such a long and harsh winter.
And Friends, on this Thursday morning in mid –April, I want to remind us of some rather important facts as they pertain to our faith. It comes from Gramps Schuller’s (Robert H Schuller) Hour of Power Devotional, but they are the words of the prominent American churchman, Dr. Samuel Shoemaker.
And he reputedly said that: ‘Religion can never be the answer to human problems. All of the religions of the world are inadequate. Christ alone is the Answer. Christ alone understands. Christ alone forgives. Christ alone eliminates your guilt.
Christ alone saves and then assures you that you are God’s child and the most wonderful person possible! Christ alone fills the human heart with LOVE –joy- peace- self-confidence. No wonder a genuine Christian really LOVES himself.’
Oh my people, my people, what wonderful words of utmost truth and wisdom! There is nothing in that passage that can be disputed! So please, please, this morning let’s allow those fateful words of truth to sink into our hearts, minds and spirits, so that they can reinforce, renew and reinvigorate our passion and joy in our faith and in Christ Jesus!
We need that sort of renewal regularly, because in these last days the enemy is fighting mightily, to keep us from believing and acknowledging the wonder and worthiness of our faith.
And I like that last part of Dr. Shoemaker’s statements: ‘No wonder a genuine Christian really LOVES himself.’
Why, you ask? Because if all of the previous statements are true, which they are, we ought to have such LOVE for our God, ourselves and our neighbours, that nothing whatsoever can diminish the light and joy of Jesus in our souls and lives.
That brings us to our Bit. ‘But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were weary), and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’
Oh Friends, can you imagine the sorrow that filled Jesus’ heart when He saw His people so lost and scattered, without any proper guidance, just going astray any which way? Remember Isaiah’s prophecy, re comfort through trust in the Lord?
He said: ‘Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand (in strength), and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work (wage) before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40:10-11)
And that is exactly what Jesus came to do my people! He was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Read John 10 and you can hear Him expound on the theory of the sheep and the shepherd, as pertains to Himself.
First, He tells them a parable. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter (doorkeeper) openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.’ (John 10:1-5)
Ah my brethren, all of that is oh so true! Now listen to some useful explanations by the scholars. ‘10:1. Door is the one who stood in the opening of the (stone) fold. (the pen where the sheep were kept at night). The thieves and robbers were the Pharisees. See also verse 8.’
’10:3. Sheep know only their shepherd’s voice. In the Near East several flocks belonging to different shepherds may be in one fold (a fenced in area). But only a shepherd’s own sheep will follow him out of the fold. Cattle can be driven, but sheep must be led.’
Obviously the people listening to Jesus didn’t understand what He was talking about. ‘Then Jesus saith unto them again, verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:7-10)
And at the remembrance of that wonderful news, all God’s people gave a mighty and glorious shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise and thanks be to the awesome shepherd of our flock; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly!’
So my people, in ending, let me remind us, that if we are the sheep of Jesus’ flock, then it is of the utmost importance that we listen to His voice, and follow Him and Him alone. If not, then we’ll be marked for certain death, as all else are merely thieves and robbers, come to kill, steal and destroy.
So let’s open our ears and quite clearly hear our Master’s voice and follow Him down the straight and narrow, but safe path where He will inevitably lead us. That my brethren, is certainly wisdom and understanding of a heavenly nature! Much LOVE!
…all we like sheep have gone astray…but Jesus in His LOVING-kindness…has found us and brought us safely back to His fold…oh what a joy…
28 Feb 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a brand new day, Advocate, almighty god, anathema, anxiety, appreciation, blessings, breath of life, Bruh David, Chief Preist, confidence, diligence, excellence, faith, fear, friends, from whence cometh my help, glory hallelujah, God's sustaining power, grateful heart, He that keepeth Israel, heavenly Father, heifer dust, help me, I am the the Lord, I change not, I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, In God is my salvation and my glory, Jesus Christ, keeper, mercies, my help cometh from the Lord, my refuge is in God, nor the moon by night, Oh god, pilgrim's journey, pride, provider, self-gratification, thanks and praise, the best job, the bucket bottom drops out, the Lord is thy keeper, the rock of my strength, The sun shall not smite thee by day, William Faulkner, wisdom, work, working for Jesus, worldly lusts, worry
Psalm 62:7. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Well my people, it’s a brand new day, filled with brand new blessings, brand new mercies and a lot of other good stuff from our heavenly Father, including the breath of life, which allows us to enjoy the things He bestows on us each and every day. For that we ought to say ‘Thank You Father!’ with a grateful heart, and show our appreciation by living the way He desires us to.
Unfortunately though, too many of us take the things given to us by Almighty God for granted, and just go about our worldly business without even a thought for Him. But when the heifer dust hits the fan, and the bucket bottom drops out, we’re quick to cry out: ‘Oh God, help me!’ However Friends, life doesn’t work that way. We need to acknowledge the One who created us and keeps us going in this evil and dangerous world.
So please, when we awaken every morning, let’s give Him some thanks and praise for allowing us to see another beautiful day on earth, and also ask Him to lead and guide us safely through any trials and tribulations that may come against us as we continue our pilgrim’s journey. Starting out the day with God gives us a splendid boost, renews our commitment to Him and allows us to face the world in confidence, without the fear, worry and anxiety that currently permeates it. It is the best remedy for whatever ails us.
And I got this interesting quote from my Friend Anselm a couple of days ago, which I decided to share with you, because it will give us some food for thought. (smile) The quote is attributed to William Faulkner (1897-1962) the famous American writer and Nobel Prize winner. The quote says: ‘It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.’
And if you really consider the statement, there is a lot of truth to it. Most of us have just never considered it in such terms before. Many of us even work for longer periods of time than eight hours. Now why did our Creator make us like that eh; only able to do those good things for short periods of time, but be able to perform the anathema of our society, work, for such long periods? Yes Friends, most of dislike work, abhor it even, but we can do it for longer than any other enjoyable task.
I can’t tell you why the Lord designed us like that, possible because He wants us to work more than we indulge ourselves in self-gratification and worldly lusts. But I do know that if we don’t consciously seek Him, we’ll be missing the best protection and guidance available in this crazy and cruel world. And that’s simply not wisdom at all my brethren! Why do you think Bruh David proclaimed so assuredly in our Bit? ‘In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.’
Bruh David could afford to make such a staunch and confident pronouncement because the Lord had been his keeper and provider from the days of his youth. The Lord had never let him down in his times of need, but had even given him much more than he deserved. He paid the price for his wrongdoings, a steep one too, but the Lord knew that his heart was right towards Him, and thus had mercy on Him.
And Bruh David is not the only psalmist to sing out God’s praises like that. Listen to these praiseworthy words of Psalm 121 – God’s sustaining power. ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved (slip): he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper (protector)the Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.’ (Ps.121:1-8)
Ah my people, what encouraging words! I didn’t intend to quote the whole psalm, but once I read it, I had no choice because it was so all-encompassing, so true and encouraging, beautifully and loudly singing the praises of our mighty Creator, Protector and Provider.
And just think for a moment Friends, that that same wonderful God whom the Israelites served way back then, is the same God that we serve today. So why would He stop doing those things He did for them long ago, and not do the same for us, if we sincerely serve and worship Him? No reason whatsoever my people!
He stated quite clearly to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ (Mal.3:6) And yuh know what my brethren? I think that’s the same reason why we have not been consumed – as yet. But we will be eventually if we keep on being so blatantly ungodly and evil. So we had better say thanks or two to the Lord’s ‘unchangeability!’(smile)
And we’ll end with this wonderful verse of encouragement from Isaiah. ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ (Is.49:13)
Oh Friends, it doesn’t get any better than that, especially since we have seen the fulfillment of that promise by Jesus’ coming to earth, dying to atone for our sins, being resurrected and ascending back to heaven, where He’s now our Chief Priest and Advocate before the Father! Wow!
And all God’s children gave a loud and joyful shout of ‘Glory Hallelujah! All praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Long may they reign! Amen!’
Now my fellow believers, let’s go out into the world and do our do for Jesus nuh, with the pride, diligence, excellence and faith that He expects of us, for that’s nothing but heavenly wisdom. Much Love!…without a doubt…working for Jesus…is the best job we can ever get…
23 Jan 2015
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a bed of roses, a roof over our heads, all over the world, all things work together for good, almighty god, assurance, attitudes toward work, cacophony of sound, communications technology, confident, divine perspective, ease up the pressure, equal rights, evil, faith, faithful work, fellowship, followers of Jesus christ, food on our tables, forgiveness, Friday chant, friends and neighbours, generous help, glorious kingdom, good news, good news of Jesus christ, grace, great commission, harmony, holy spirit, human perspective, in Jesus' name, Jesus Christ, justice, lasting joy, living for Friday, LOVE, loving kindness, mercy, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, passing happiness, peace, proactive outlook, purpose in life, relationship with Jesus, relaxation, rest, right this fallen world, salvation, sense of purpose, slave labour, spinning out of control, surrender, take up our cross, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the called, the characteristics of Jesus Christ, the elect, the message, the weekend, tired and hurting, to the ends of the earth, to them called according to His purpose, to them that love God, truth, turst, ungodliness, work, work keeps us going, worldly attitude
Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Well my fine Friends and neighbours, please don’t all gladly shout out at the same time, but it’s that magical day called Friday!
And do you think they listened to my plea? Steups! No way! For immediately a cacophony of sound erupted in my ears.
‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday yes! The week’s been a li’l rough, and we need a break from the slave labour right about now! Thank the Good Lord it’s finally Friday oui, and the weekend soon here to ease up the pressure!’
Ah mih people, I know that some of us are tired and hurting, and just dying for the weekend to come. And nothing’s really wrong with that, because we all deserve a couple days off after several days of labouring.
But we shouldn’t just have this worldly attitude of living for Friday and the weekend to come around. We ought to have a higher and deeper purpose in life.
The message we’ve been enjoined to share as followers of Jesus Christ is one LOVE, peace, harmony, justice, equal rights, truth, trust, surrender to and faith in Almighty God through His most wonderful son, Jesus Christ!
That’s the message we need to share with, reveal to the world, not just a bout of passing happiness on a Friday, because we’ve gotten a break from work. As true believers, we have to rise to a higher level than that.
Work should not be our enemy, but our friend, because it’s what keeps us going, gives us the broad and varied interaction with others that we need to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. And it also keeps food on our tables, as well as a roof over our heads.
So work should play an important part in our lives. We have to look at it not as the same old, same old, mundane way of life, that’s just a revolving circle with no end. Instead, we have to develop a bigger, brighter and better sense of purpose; one that will bring us the lasting joy that we so desperately need and desire, every day, rather than just on the weekends.
Now let’s chant our Friday Chant, which helps us to have a better perspective on the use of the weekend. As one now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Yes Friends, it’s short, but to the point! Let’s hope that it will cause us to look at our individual attitudes towards work and the weekend, and encourage us to come up a bit higher in the overall scheme of things.
And talking about purpose Friends, there’s no better scripture to call to mind on the topic than our Bit. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’
And there’s no disputing that statement my people, because that’s exactly what our omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present God does! He works out everything for good to those whom He has called, and who have responded with a deep and sincere LOVE for Him.
And I can personally testify to that, because since He’s called me to do His work, some eight years ago, my life has improved in numerous ways. Now it’s not a bed of roses, for I still have my human and earthly ups and downs.
But with His assurance and faithful work in my life, I now go about with a more confident and proactive outlook. And He can do the same for you, if you’ll only look to Him with sincere trust and faith.
Now let’s get some explanations on our Bit from the scholars. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what. (cf. Job 13:15) To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
Yes my brethren, we are indeed “the called, the elect” who are supposed to bring a brighter and better perspective to the world, one that reflects the characteristics of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But are we doing that? To some extent, I suppose. But certainly not enough, for the world’s spinning further and further out of control, getting deeper and deeper into evil and ungodliness. And we, the followers of Jesus Christ, are the only people capable of stopping and righting it.
And that’s our basic purpose Friends; to right this fallen world of ours. That’s what Jesus died for. He gave His sinless life as a sacrifice to bring us into His fold, so that we can have fellowship together and a wonderful relationship with Him.
But once we’ve found that grace, mercy and forgiveness that He pours into our hearts, we’re also supposed to tell others about it, so that they too can find the joy, the peace and LOVING-kindness that comes with being a believer. Remember Jesus’ last words to the disciples were to go and spread the good news of His salvation all over the earth. (Matt.28:19-20)
Now my people, that Great Commission has been passed down to us. This is our time to spread the Word. And more than any other generation before us, we have the tools to do so with the recent explosion in communications technology.
So please, let’s get ourselves together nuh, in peace and harmony, as Jesus desires, and live up to our purpose as “the called, the elect” of God. That’s the wisdom of heaven! Much LOVE!
…it’s time to take up our cross and follow Jesus…wherever he may lead…even to the ends of the earth…
P. S. It’s late because I had a bit of a struggle this morning, both physically and mentally. And just as I was about ready to send it out, the finicky computer froze on me. Ah Lord eh! But as you can see, the Lord eventually worked all things out for good as He promised. (smile) Much LOVE!
04 Apr 2014
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: almighty god, anger, anxiety, assuring, begging bread, calamity, cast down, comforting, confusion, crime, depart from evil, distribution of wealth, do good, early retirement, eternal truth, evil, evil doers, fallible, fellowship, focused, Friday chant, fun, furthering God's glorious kingdom, generous help, God's largesse, godly men, godly wisdom, happy manner, healthy, hope, immortal, indisputable fact, inequality, infallible, jehovah god, Jesus, leisure, LOVE, mortal, necessities of life, peace, pensions, pipe dreams, poor getting poorer, poor stewards, poverty, relaxation, remove Jehovah God, resentment, rich getting richer, righteous forsaken, sacrifice, sad demise, several jobs, shall not stumble, shortcomings of our society, sickness, sincerity, sins, still can't make ends meet, stressed out, strife, survive in this rat race world, technological revolution, Thank God it's Friday, the weekend, ungodliness, walk safely, wealth, wealthy times, wisdom, work, working harder
Proverbs 3:23. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
Oh Friends, it’s Friday, it’s Friday! The weekend’s come, and labour’s done! Thank God it’s Friday!
Yeh mih people, it is indeed Friday, but it never fails to amaze me at how much our society looks forward to those two days off. This was once supposed to be the generation of leisure, of take it easy, of so much wealth etc. that we didn’t need to work our sorry tails off any longer.
Hn! But what’s happened eh? In the midst of all the technological revolution, we’re now working harder than ever, often at several jobs, and still can’t make ends meet!
We’re the most stressed out and anxiety wired generation ever, in times of supposed peace. There’s also more poverty, homelessness, sickness, crime – both white and blue collar – plus oodles of resentment, anger and strife, accompanied by unforeseen ungodliness and evil, in what’s been amongst the wealthiest of times.
Oh my brethren, how did we ever get this way eh? Whatever happened to the dreams of a four and three day work-week, and early retirement with pensions we could afford to live on? Steups!
Unfortunately, those are not even pipe dreams nowadays, but more like impossible ones! Ah Lord eh! We certainly have been very poor stewards of God’s largesse.
I guess there are many reasons for our sad demise, but one of the biggest is the distribution of wealth. The rich have indeed been getting richer and the poor poorer! And once that great inequality in wealth exists, society cannot function in a healthy, much less happy manner.
When so many don’t even have the wherewithal to purchase the basic necessities of life, there must be confusion and calamity – especially when you also remove Jehovah God from the equation!
Anyway Friends, this wasn’t meant to be a treatise on the shortcomings of our society, just a brief edification. (smile) So let’s get to the matter at hand and chant our Friday Chant with much sincerity and hope, to keep us strong and thoroughly focused on what we need to do to survive in this rat-race world.
So let’s chant up a storm this Friday morning nuh! ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through.
Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’
Awright mih people, that ought to give us enough of the right perspective in how to handle the weekend! So let’s move on to our Bit, one of God’s great promises. ‘Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.’
Yes Friends, when we give Jehovah God sovereignty over our lives, we WILL indeed walk in the safety and security of His everlasting LOVE and omnipotence!
What can be more assuring and comforting than that eh? Nothing my brethren! Nothing at all!
If we can’t trust the Creator and Controller of this great and wonderful universe, whom then can we really trust? Certainly not mortal and fallible man!
Now let’s check out some scripture that corroborates our Bit, from two of the most godly and God endowed men that ever lived.
First up is Cousin Sol with a proverb of eternal truth. ‘He that walketh uprightly walketh surely (securely, safely): but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.’ (Prov.10:9)
And that’s an indisputable fact Friends, as we’re seeing every day, as more and more evil doers are being brought to light.
Now hear Bruh David; a man after God’s own heart. ‘The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again (does not repay): but the righteous showeth mercy, and giveth. For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth (land); and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off (destroyed). The steps of a good man are ordered (established) by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed (descendants) begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed (descendants) is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.’ (Ps.37: 21-27)
Oh mih people, my fellow believers, what words of grace and godly assurance! And Bruh David lived them! It wasn’t any hearsay, but a true testimonial of his life. Though he occasionally stumbled and fell, the Lord never entirely cast him adrift. Of course he paid a price for some of his more heinous sins, but his name still reverberates throughout the Good Book as a man of God.
All I can say Friends, is that if you deal sincerely and truthfully with Almighty God, He will do the same with you. But you have to put your trust in Him first. He has already done His part by sacrificing Jesus to pay for our sins. It’s up to us now to receive His awesome grace, mercy, LOVE and forgiveness. And if we’re truly endowed with godly wisdom, then we’ll do just that! Much LOVE!
…if you can believe you’re in good hands with All State…a company run by fallible men…why can’t you believe you’ll be in even better…the best hands…with infallible, immortal…Almighty God…
03 Sep 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a dry and thirsty land, a longing for God, appear before God, back to work, christianity, commandments, common sense, control of the universe, deer pants for the brooks, depressing news, dr robert h schuller, ever-LOVING God, extol, four seasons, freedom, frivolity, fun, get aquainted with God, God alone can satisfy our thirst, God satisfies the thirsty soul, Hour of Power, improve our standing, intense longing for God, Jesus Christ, joy, Lord God Jehovah, LOVE, man's fault, meditate on God's words, my flesh longs for God, my soul pants for God, my soul's thirsty for God, northern climes, partition in our souls, partition reserved for God, peace, permeate our being, planet earth, polluting the atmosphere, ponder God's work, positive stuff, power, Prayer for Success, pressure, religion, running from enemies, sad state of our world, school, schools reopen, scriptures, shedding of leaves, sojourn in the wilderness, spirituality, spring summer autumn, summer, the living God, thou art my God, trees turning brown, true peace, truly find God, undeniable fact, vacation, wealth, what I am, what I do, wisdom, work, work of God, zenith
Psalm 42:2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Well mih Friends, all the summer frivolity is now ended in the north country! That’s so sad! (smile) Schools will reopen today, and many adults who have been on vacation will also go back to work, having closed up the cottages for another year.
And though the summer wasn’t as hot and sunny as it usually is, it’s way, way better than what we’re about to receive. Would you believe that it’s only the third day of September and trees are already turning brown and shedding their leaves?
Ah Lord eh! But that’s what we bargained for when we decided to live in the northern climes. The Lord promised us four general seasons, spring, summer, autumn and fall, but He didn’t say exactly how long they’d be, or what temps we’d have on what days.
All that we have are man’s approximation. So if the leaves begin falling at the start of September rather than at the end, around the 22nd, when we audaciously declare that autumn begins, then that’s our problem.
The Lord God Jehovah is still in control of His universe, although I believe that the divergence between what should be and what actually happens is basically man’s fault, due to his polluting the atmosphere and thus setting the finely tuned work of God awry.
And having given us that somewhat depressing news (smile), here is some positive, uplifting stuff. It’s a Prayer for Success from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s certainly worth sharing again.
So let’s pray together for success this Tuesday morning, when our lives will get busier and change from much fun and freedom to much school and work.
As one voice now: ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. LOVE sanctifies success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
And again my true believers in Christ, we say a loud and lusty, ‘Amen!’
Now all of that just fits nicely with our Bit: ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
Now that’s certainly a good question my people! And it’s certainly how we ought to feel! A longing for God, just dying to get acquainted with Him and His ways should permeate our very being.
Please note how the psalmist begins the psalm. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.’ (Ps.42:1)
Oh Friends, do we pant after God, do we have that intense longing for our Creator as Psalm 42 is superscripted? And do we say, as the author of Psalm 119 says: ‘I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:131)
I surely do hope so, although from the physical evidence reflected by the sad state of our world, it’s obvious that enough of us feel that way, otherwise planet earth would be in much better shape.
But let’s look now at some scriptures that also extol the longing for God, starting with Psalm 63, God satisfies the thirsty soul, penned by Bruh David during his sojourn in the wilderness of Judah, while running from his enemies.
‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps.63:1)
Yes Friends, whenever we find ourselves in a dry and thirsty situation, be it physical, spiritual or emotional, the correct place and first person to run to is our ever-LOVING God, for He ALONE can satisfy our thirst!
Meanwhile, Psalm 84, a psalm of the sons of Korah, confidently proclaims: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.’ (Ps.84:1-2)
Oh Friends, I couldn’t put it any better or simpler! To be a longing for God is just how and why we were created!
That’s why none of us are ever fully satisfied with the mere wealth and things of the world, regardless of how much we have, but can be satisfied with little or nothing, if we truly find God.
We never find true peace, wealth and joy until that little space, that small partition in our souls that God reserved for Himself, has been filled with a sincere longing for the Almighty.
And that’s an undeniable fact my people! Check out all the rich and famous and powerful, and you’ll find very few are truly happy, unless that part of their souls reserved for God is filled with Him.
And we’ll end with some true and stellar words of Bruh David, when he was again beset by enemies. ‘I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse (ponder) on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.’ (Ps.143:5-6)
Yes my brethren, let’s muse, let’s ponder on that today nuh! Let’s see how we personally shape up on the matter of longing for, of panting after God. Then let’s make and take the necessary actions to improve our standing in so important a matter. For that’s undeniably wisdom and common sense at their zeniths! Much LOVE!
…if there’s NO longing in our souls for God…then there’s NO God in our souls…
05 Aug 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: abominable sins, Achilles heel, actions, adoration of God, aura of love, battle hymn, bombarded, buffeted, Calvary, Caribana, condolences, conquerors, Creator of the universe, enemy's ranks, enemy's wicked taunts, enthusiasm, eternal death, eternal life, evil, further God's glorious kingdom, god, God's righteousness endures forever, godless times, grace, grief, Hallelujah, holy blood, humble servants, invincible, Jesus Christ, jobs, jump up, lies, loving kindness, lustily singing along, Monday, Monday Morning, praise and thanks, Praise the Lord, raised to heaven, reconciliation, redeemed, rejuvenation of spirit, religion, renewed vitality, righteousness., sally forth with confidence, salvation, sanctification, spiritual armour, spiritual emotion, steadfast faith, the Holy Spirit, the stripes of jesus, theology, truth, unconditional LOVE, undeserving children, ungodly world, useful purpose, wiles, wisdom, words, work, worthwhile inroads
Psalm 109:30. I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday, and the party continues in good ole Canada, where it’s a holiday in most, if not all of the provinces! The Caribana weekend will wind down with all sorts of events across the G.T.A today, and with all the cottagers returning home from their extended stay in cottage country, the traffic won’t be much different than a normal Monday evening.
There’s one bit of sad news to pass on though. Apparently a young man was fatally run over by one of the trucks along the Parade route late Saturday evening. We offer our sincere condolences to his friends and family, and pray for their comfort in this their time of grief.
Ah Lord eh! And yuh know that is one of things that turned me off of the parade; the young people don’t know how to jump in the streets. They just rush and push and cause havoc. Neither do they respect the space needed for the big trucks and them to operate. They just seem to want to get involved without any thought for their safety or that of the other revellers.
Anyway, some people, both here and around the world do have to go out and labour today, so let’s encourage them by lustily singing along to the delightful strains of our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
Wow! I spelled Monday right! Mama Mia! Just like I had problems spelling Friends right some time aback, Monday seems to be my new Achilles heel.
And though some of us are not going to work, we all still need the strength and blessings of our Heavenly Father to make it through the day in this hellish and ungodly world. So let’s all sing with hearts, eyes, heads and hands raised up to heaven.
‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle.
Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
And with that surge of spiritual emotion, let’s turn to our Bit, which appropriately continues the adoration of Almighty God. ‘I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude.’
Yes Friends, that is what ALL believers are expected to do! Why? Because our God is a great and majestic God! He made the universe and all therein, and still controls it! He’s also omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, which means He’s all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere! So He’s alive and kicking, therefore you can’t run nor hide from Him. Plus He’s merciful, forgiving, blessed, and full of LOVING-kindness to the sinful and undeserving children of men!
What more do we want or need to therefore praise Him eh? There’s plenty more though. We can also add His undying and unconditional LOVE for us, His mortal creation. And His sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to die, to be a human sacrifice to repay our disgusting and abominable sins undoubtedly showcased that!
Now those sins rightfully called for eternal death, but my people, because of Jehovah God’s everlasting LOVING-kindness, instead of reaping death and destruction, instead we’re reaping reconciliation, sanctification, righteousness, salvation and eternal life through the free gift of grace, offered to all who believe in His Son Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord and Saviour!
Now tell me if that isn’t more than sufficient reason to give much praise and thanks to the wonderful Being, the great Deity, known by such Names as Yahweh, I AM THAT I AM, Jehovah Nisi, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord of Hosts, the Most High God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, etc. etc. with each name specifically relating to one of His many attributes?
It sure is my people! And He truly deserves even more thanks and praise then we’re even capable of giving in our paltry mortal state.
Bruh David recognized this obligation, one that turns into a great desire when we sincerely put out trust in the Lord. As he says in Psalm 35, a prayer for rescue from his enemies: ‘I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much (a mighty) people.’ (Ps.35:18)
Yes mih breddren, giving plenty, plenty praise and thanks to the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD is what we believers need to do more than anything else in these evil, godless, turbulent and disastrous times! For it is by His LOVE, the stripes of his Son Jesus, the holy blood that poured from those stripes at Calvary, that we are healed and redeemed!
And we’ll end with some appropriate verses from Psalm 111, aptly superscripted, Praise the Lord for His care. Say with me: ‘Praise ye the Lord (Sing Hallelujah). I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out (studied by) all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.’ Amen. (Ps.111:1-3)
Now Friends, that’s gospel truth and eternal wisdom! So as true believers, let’s go out and put it all into practice nuh. Much LOVE!
…words must be spoken…but actions ALWAYS speak louder than words…
04 Mar 2013
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: assurance, aura of love, authority, battle, battle hymn, Christians, Creator of the universe, dangerous, difficult, enemy, extreme positions, faith, fellow believers, flowers fade, God's Word, grass withers, grumpy mood, humble servants, infallibility of God's Word, jobs, Monday, party scene, plausibility, spirituality, steadfast faith, surrender, testy frame of mind, thoughts, uesful purpose, unfair, ways, work, worthwhile inroads
Isaiah 40:8. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Oh Friends, it’s Monday! And I’m suddenly inundated by a whole setta ‘Steups’! and ‘Chuhs!’ and ‘Go away nuh! Yuh can’t see that people tired and want to sleep?’ ‘But it’s Monday,’ I insist. ‘Time to get up and go to work.’ Finally I receive a gruff, unenthusiastic, ‘Awright, Awright. Steups! This work thing cutting into mih party scene yes! Chuh man!’ And believe me Friends, some of us really feel that way, though it should be the other way around; work first -especially Jesus’ work – then partying a distant second. Ah mih people, whatever happened to the great progress we appeared to be making in being enthusiastic about Monday mornings and work eh? Was it only a pipe dream on my part? Because it surely seems like we’ve regressed right back to square one. But don’t think that I’m giving up on us. Not by a long shot! I’m making it my life’s work to see that we’re enthusiastic about getting up and rearing to go out to battle for Jesus on a Monday Morning. (smile) Anyway, since we seem to be in an unusually grumpy mood and testy frame of mind this morning, I’m not going to push my luck. I don’t want to be physically attacked, because I hear violence lurking in the background. Hn, hn! So let’s just sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn with as much gusto as we can muster. As one, in harmony now. ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Ah mih breddren, that wasn’t as good as it usually is nuh, but hopefully it got our motors going and with the Spirit of Jesus diligently working in us, we’ll soon get up to speed, and hopefully recognize the great significance of our Bit: ‘The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.’ Now that my fellow believers is one of the most absolute truths that exist in this universe! In fact Friends, it’s what our entire belief system is based upon; the infallibility of the Word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! If there’s no assurance, no surety or security to that, then all we think and believe as Christians is inaccurate, immaterial and serves no useful purpose whatsoever. If there’s no truth to the Creation Story: ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth… and God said, Let there be light: and there was light… And God said, Let us make man in our own image…’ (Gen1:1,3,26) And also no truth to this most provocative statement: ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty,’ (Rev.1:8) then there’s no real authority, or even plausibility to our Christian boasts. But fortunately my brethren, there are facts, figures and scripture to back up those supposedly extreme positions we Christians hold as truth. And they ought to be extreme, otherwise there’s no need for a God. Who wants a God that’s just like us eh? To be a genuine God, One must be way out, way above the heads of mere mortals in all aspects. And this, our immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God made extremely clear from early times, through His prophet Isaiah: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Is.55:8-9) That says it all my people! And I like what the scholars say about that verse. ‘God’s sovereignty and omniscience are extolled by the statement that His thoughts (i.e., purposes or intentions) and ways (derakim, or “directions“) are higher than ours. While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes.’ And that’s the way it should be fellow believers! Now let’s look at some scripture that corroborates the contention of our Bit, that the Lord’s Word will last forever. And what better way to begin than with Isaiah’s famous prophecy. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ (Is.9:6-7) What powerful words my people! And the great thing about them is that we know the prophecy was partly fulfilled by the first coming of Jesus, the remainder will be fulfilled when He comes again, as He’s so faithfully promised. Anyway Friends, that’s enough for today. We’ll continue this Bit tomorrow, the Lord in favour. Till then, let’s stand steadfast and strong in faith, relying completely on the absolute infallibility and gospel truth of the Lord’s Word, for there’s nothing else in this fallen world to compare to it. Much LOVE!…if the Word of God isn’t true…then man’s earthly journey is pointless…his suffering meaningless…and his fullness of joy a bitter lie…
26 Nov 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: battle hymn, children of darkness, children of light, darkness, healing, humble servants, light, LOVE, Monday Morning, moral purity, new creations, peace, renewed vitality, right direction, spiritual armour, strength, sure conqueror, Togetherness, work
Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
Oh Friends, another Monday has dawned sunny and bright on God’s Little Acre! Praise the Lord! And as He would have it, I’m sitting here on the porch of my cottage in Store Bay, enjoying the cool breeze that’s blowing across the compound, writing encouraging words of LOVE, Peace and Togetherness to you. Oh, I can feel your pain (smile) as you get up to go and labour this Monday morning after a hectic weekend – Thanksgiving in the U. S. and the Grey Cup in Canada. And I can imagine the mess that Toronto must be in seeing that the hometown Argonauts won the 100th edition of our famous game! But don’t worry about anything Friends, for our great God has everything under control, and He has the ‘rightest’ remedy for whatever ails you; just turn to Him, asking in all sincerity for healing, strength and courage to do His will today. And we’ll help and encourage each other by singing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, harmoniously and with as much energy as we can muster. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Yes mih people, that should get us going in the right direction, with more energy than we previously had! And please remember that going out to earn an honest living, is one of the many ways in which we can please and glorify our wonderful God and further His righteous kingdom. That’s why in leading up to our Bit, Bruh Paul expounds to the Ephesians on what a believer ought not to do. (Eph.5:1-7) Then in our Bit, he reminds them of what they had become: ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.’ That’s the absolute truth my brethren! If we’ve been converted from children of darkness to children of light by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, then we have to give up the things of darkness and concentrate on the things of light. As the song by Germaine Cowan so rightly says, since I’ve rearranged my life to suit Christ; ‘The things I used to do, I do them no more. The places I used to go, I go there no more.’ And that’s exactly as it ought to be Friends! For all old things have passed away, and we’ve become brand new creations in Christ. Now here are some scholarly observations on the subject. ‘Darkness indicates that the readers used to be spiritually unenlightened, and accompanying this ignorance was immorality with its resultant guilt and misery. Light denotes that the recipients are now to be religiously informed. Their knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness.’ And after our Bit, Bruh Paul continues: ‘(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.’ (Eph.5:9-10) And the scholars here direct that; ‘Because of constant temptations and solicitations to evil, believers must always be proving or discerning what is and what is not acceptable unto the Lord.’ Yes Friends, it’s a constant battle we wage against the powerful forces of darkness, so we have to be constantly on the lookout to do God’s acceptable will, and not that of Beelzebub. Then Bruh Paul continues his warning: ‘And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.’ (Eph.5:11-12) And here’s what the scholars have to say about those two verses. ‘Reprove is better translated “expose.” The believer’s duty is expressed here in two ways. Negatively, he is not to have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, that is, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved. Positively, he is to “expose” (reprove) these sins, that is, bring them to light and show them for what they really are, so that the unbeliever may see their hideous nature and their terrible consequences.’ Then on verse 12, they explain: ‘For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company (cf. v.3), how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence, the need to bring them to light.’ Ah my people, there are indeed some real atrocious deeds been perpetrated by the evildoers in these wicked and troubled times. ‘But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph.5:13-14) Yes fellow believers, we need to diligently root out sin from our lives and the lives of those around us where possible. And as the ole people would say, ‘whatever is done in darkness will eventually come to light.’ And that’s the gospel truth! And even better, the gospel of Christ will bring us out of the darkness into the light, for that’s its basic purpose. So mih breddren, let’s seriously ponder our deeds today nuh, and see where we’re falling behind, giving into the things of darkness, then uproot them with the light of Christ’s gospel, so that we stay true to our faith and calling. It’s not easy, but with God’s generous help, we can surely do it. Much LOVE!…only by storing the truth and light of the gospel in our hearts…can we reject and expose the darkness and evil of Lucifer…
19 Nov 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: aura of love, further God's kingdom, God's Word, great confidence, happiness, holy spirit, humble servants, lies, Monday Battle Hymn, Monday Morning, right perspective, sure conquerors, tested and true, wiles, work
Psalm 18:30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
‘Mornin’ neighbuh!’ A bright and breezy tone. ‘Mornin’…’ Sour and surly. ‘Is a nice morning eh…’ ‘Steups! What so nice about it eh? Is Monday morning, that means I have to get up and go to the stupid government work!’ ‘So?” ‘Ah Lord eh! Ah don’t know what wrong with you nuh woman. You always so bright and bubbly on a Monday.’ ”That’s because the Holy Spirit of Jesus is living in me, and He makes me happy EVERY morning!’ ‘Well good for you and Jesus yes! I wish all yuh the best of luck in all yuh happiness.’ ‘Thank you neighbuh. Jesus and me wish you the best of luck too.’ ‘Steups! Jesus, Jesus…that is all she could talk about yes, especially on a Monday morning, when a body have to get up out of bed so early to go and labour for a pittance. Steups!’ Ah Friends, I hope you all see the difference in attitudes caused by the difference in perspectives. Followers of Jesus should always have the bright positive approach, regardless of what day it is, because we know that with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, EVERY day is a GOOD day. Trouble is, not all of us believers actually feel that way, and some days, particularly on Mondays, we fall into a blue funk, and need a spark, a boost to get up and get a move on. So with one voice, let’s sing our Monday Morning Battle Hymn to get the adrenalin flowing nuh. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ Yes Friends, now that our engine is purring smoothly, in perfect sync with that of the Holy Spirit that’s guiding us, let’s go out into the ungodly world with plenty vim and vigour and wage serious battle against Beelzebub and his evil cohorts nuh. And to help us stay in that Jesus groove, let’s use our Bit as a catalyst, a ‘strengthener’ to help us remember our earthly purpose – to help bring lost souls to the Saviour. ‘As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ Awesome words of wisdom and truth my people! Now yesterday we looked at some scripture that verified the first half of our Bit, today we’ll look at some that verify the second half. ‘…the word of the Lord is tried (proven): he is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in him.’ And we don’t have very far to go to find corroboration of those facts, for in Psalm 12, Bruh David proudly proclaims: ‘The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.’ (Ps.12:6) Ah mih breddren, how many things of the earth can we purify in fire seven times and have them remain, unbroken, unvarnished, vibrant and ever-resilient eh? Not many. But the Lord’s Word can certainly stand that rigorous test. Then in Psalm 17, a prayer for protection against oppressors, Bruh David invokes the Lord to ‘Show thy marvellous LOVING-kindness, O thou that savest (delivers) by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.’ (Ps.17:6) Meanwhile, in Proverbs 30, Agur also declares with great confidence: ‘Every word of God is pure (tried and found pure): he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.’ (Prov.30:5-6) Oh my brethren, please note that last verse very carefully. We’re not to add our two cents worth to God’s Word, as has become very prevalent nowadays, where we slant the Word to suit our own selfish purposes. And going back to the Psalms, we have the psalmist declaring in 119:140: ‘Thy word is very pure (refined or tried): therefore thy servant LOVETH it.’ How can we not LOVE the Word if it’s so pure, true and wise eh Friends? Now let’s close with some more encouraging words of truth and wisdom. ‘For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.’ (Ps.84:11-12) And all God’s people exulted with a loud ‘Praise the Lord! Amen! And it really couldn’t be put any better than that Friends, so let’s grab hold of it all and diligently run the earthly race of glory laid out for us. It will be most worthwhile in the end. Much LOVE!…everything hinges on the WORD…it created the universe…controls it…and will eventually destroy it…in God’s perfect time…
10 Apr 2012
by randyobrien50
in Inspirational Living
Tags: circles, deprivation, diligence, holding hands, hunger, laziness, olive branch, poisoned dart, poverty, reality, sharing, slotfulness, want, work
Proverbs 19:15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
Oh Friends, we’re going to begin this Easter Tuesday with a situation that ought to be a reality, but unfortunately is not. However, that’s what dreams, hope, faith and Jesus are there for; to convert unreal situations, bring them to light, life and reality. I’m referring to a very poignant quote from my ‘P.S. I LOVE YOU’ Poster, which declares in all sincerity: ‘The people on our planet are not standing in a line in single file. Look closely. Everyone is really standing in a circle holding hands. Whatever you give to the person standing next to you, it eventually comes back to you.’ Ah mih people, that’s the way it ought to be, but right now we’re surely not standing in a circle, and definitely not holding hands. How sad! This selfish generation is all about gathering for itself, forgetting others. In fact the very thought of sharing is absent from too many minds in our world. And all some of us are interested in holding out is a poisoned dart rather than an olive branch. Consequently, we have a rather messed up and troubled planet which is divided into roughly three work groups: those who work all the time – the supposed ‘A’ nature; those who seek a balance between work and play; and those who do very little or nothing. And with the poor economic times we’re currently experiencing, the last group is just getting bigger, not always through their own fault, but often through their inability to find work. Even the most diligent human, after a long, unsuccessful search for work loses that diligence and is primed for laziness and indifference. Our Bit today addresses those of the latter group. ‘Slothfulness (Laziness) casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.’ And isn’t that the awful truth! Laziness leads to all kinds of bad situations. Listen to Cousin Sol expound on that, in his warning against idleness and falsehood. ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep (lie down), O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov.6:6-11) Now here’s the scholars’ explanation of that: ‘The sluggard is the habitually lazy person. He is admonished to learn two important lessons from the ant: (1) the ant has no guide, overseer, or ruler (v.7) meaning that the ant does not need a taskmaster standing over it to make it work; it is a self-starter. (2) The ant is wise enough to prepare for predictable circumstances (v.8). Two questions about sleep are posed to the sluggard (v.9). His answer is given in verse 10: ‘Just a little bit more sleep!’ The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and decisively as a robber (v.11).’ Cousin Sol hit the nail right on the head there Friends, for slothfulness, laziness and their derivatives are definitely too prevalent in our society, especially amongst the younger generation, whom we spoiled by raising them in a pampered environment. Now they believe the world owes them a living, and a very good one at that. Poor children, suffering for their parents misguided thinking; that they shouldn’t have to work hard or suffer much want and need. But Friends, it’s those very things; hard work, want and need, that drive the human animal to get up and do productive stuff. When you lack or need nothing, there’s no incentive or need for you to do anything. And as our Bit says: ‘an idle soul shall suffer hunger.’ Now therein lies an absolute truth! Hear Cousin Sol on the contrast between the wise and the foolish: ‘He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack (negligent) hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.’ (Prov.10:4) A lazy person will never rise to great heights in any profession, even that of laziness, because to be really lazy takes hard work. (smile) But it’s true. Try it, and you’ll see. Some days I just want to laze around, and because I’m somewhat diligent, I have to force myself, work seriously at being lazy. Listen to another of Cousin Sol’s sayings on the topic: ‘The soul of the sluggard (lazy) desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (rich).’ (Prov.13:4) And here’s the same thing put a different way: ‘The thoughts (plans) of the diligent tend (lead) only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want (surely to poverty).’ (Prov.21:5) Oh my brethren, the prevalence of laziness, sloppiness and overall deteriorating standards are helping to downgrade our society. I know that plenty can’t find work, but there’s also a core group that delights in doing nothing, just living off whatever and whomever is available. That’s the group we need to target if we hope to turn things around. And we’ll end with some wise advice from Bruh Paul to the Thessalonians: ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.’ (2 Thess.3:10-12) Though it might be a bit harsh for those who truly seek but can’t find work, for the constant slacker it should be a rule of law, it’s the only way to get them up and doing something constructive. Much LOVE!…let’s make the dream a reality…everybody standing in a circle…holding hands…sharing peace, LOVE, harmony…and Jesus…
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