13 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, conquering the Promised Land, endure to the end, even in the biggest storm, God keeps a man busy, great peace have they which love thy law, I am halfway home, I'm not turning back, I'm so glad to be alive, Indian summer, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, length of days long life and peace, let not your heart be troubled, let thine heart keep my commandments, let your requests be made known unto God, light always wins against darkness, LOVE, make them stumble, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are on the plough, my peace I give unto you, my son forget not my law, neither let it be afraid, not as the world giveth, nothing shall offend them, oodles of hardship, Peace i leave with you, shall they add to thee, the opening salvo, the peace of God which passeth all understading, the peace of Jesus quiets our hearts, the Prince of Peace, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, to a glorious future with Jesus, trumpet the getting of peace, Wednesday Wail, whose mind is stayed on thee
Proverbs 3:1-2. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.
Oh friends, today doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as bright and sun shiny as the last two. Wednesday has opened somewhat dark and cloudy, but let’s hope that’s just the opening salvo of the battle and the sun will win out in the end, as light always does against darkness. (smile) The temps will be up in the low twenties again though.
I guess we are experiencing what’s known as ‘Indian Summer,’ a warmer than normal period which can crop up during the fall season. However, I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to use that name, since everybody is up in arms about using Indian names.
But that’s a conversation for another day. Right now we’re concerned about these marvellous words of advice from Cousin Sol as he exhorts us to obedience. ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add to thee.’ (Prov. 3:1-2)
Yes my people, Cousin Sol says a lot in those few words. Keeping the Lord’s commandments is key to several important things in our lives; length of days, long life and peace. Now all of us crave those things, but we can only come by them when we honour the Lord with obedience to His commandments.
And you ask what’s the difference between ‘length of days and long life?” One commentator puts it thus: “Length of days” puts more emphasis on how long someone lives, not just breathing, but in a productive fashion. Each day is put to full use and their number will be many, for God keeps a man busy.’
And it’s the same thing Moses said to the Israelites so long ago: ‘All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do (be careful to observe), that ye may live, and multiply (increase in number), and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto (promised) your fathers.’ (Deut. 8:1)
Yuh see friends, Israel’s conquering of the Promised Land depended on their keeping of the Lord’s commandments which they didn’t do, and thus wandered forty long and difficult years in the wilderness for that disobedience. Likewise, our disobedience, lack of keeping God’s commands today is causing us oodles of hardship and worry, because without Him in a most privileged position in our lives, we can’t find peace in times of trouble like we’re currently experiencing.
But let’s leave length of days and long life alone for the moment and concentrate on peace, which so many of us are dying to have. Let’s look at some scriptures that trumpet the getting and having of peace through obedience to the Lord’s commands. This first once comes from Psalm 119, and it says: ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law; and nothing shall offend them (make them to stumble).’ (Ps. 119:165) That’s as plain and simple as it can get my brethren.
And if that doesn’t touch the cockles of your heart, then listen to this scripture from Isaiah’s hymn of praise, where he confidently declares: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on (sustained by) thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ (Is. 26:3)
Now, if you think because those verses come from the Old Testament they are no longer viable, then hear these from Bruh Paul in the New Testament. ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phill. 4:6-7)
So you see, if you want the peace of God, you have to stay in the good graces of God, through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, which simply means obeying His commandments as best you can. God’s peace will not be bestowed on us unless we sincerely honour Him in our walk of life.
And when yuh talking about scripture verses on peace, here is the quintessential one, the one that trumps them all, straight from the mouth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In His promise to send the Holy Spirit to comfort the disciples, He tells them: ‘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)
Now that says it all my fellow saints! The peace that Jesus gives us is nothing like what the world gives. The peace from Jesus quiets our hearts, stills our fears and anxieties even in the midst of the biggest storm, storms like what we are now going through.
So, if you can’t find any peace in your spirit right now, I would take a look at your relationship to Jesus; see how close you are to Him, if you are studying His word, if you are keeping His commandments and what are you doing to further His kingdom. I can guarantee that if you have a close enough relationship with Him, or at least are sincerely trying, He will provide peace of mind.
But again, as Isaiah says trust is an essential factor. If you don’t trust God to keep His promises and live your life as though you truly do, then whatever else you do is a complete waste of time. And I do hope that today’s message raises up our desire for peace so badly, that we sincerely turn to Jesus to seek it.
Now for those of us who are already out there seeking it, let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus! Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And as always, let us remember that if we endure until the end, that the future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So please hang in there my brethren! Much LOVE!
…if you’re seeking peace…then wisdom dictates…you seek it from…The Prince of Peace…Jesus Christ…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a couple pounds heavier, a little folding of the hands to sleep, a truth based society, and share His love with the world, as one that travelleth (a prowler), busybodies, consider her ways and be wise, deliver thyself as a roe, depend on the Good Book, dire poverty, distractions on social media, fill the world with Jesus, from the hand of the fowler, from the hand of the hunter, gathereth her food in the harvest, gave much thanks for our many blessings, give not sleep to thine eyes, go to the ant thou sluggard, having no guide leader overseer, how long wilt thou sleep O sluggard, I am the beloved of god, I don't have to hurry, I don't have to worry, idle hands are the Devil's workshop, idleness, if any would not work, in god's eyes, keep up the attitude of thanksgiving, LOVE, lowering the temptation to celebrate, neither should he eat, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, provideth her meat in the summer, rear their ugly heads, sleep is one of the enemy's traps, slothfulness, slumber to thine eyelids, so shall thy poverty come, some which walk among you disorderly, Thanksgiving Day, the food was over the top, the habitually lazy person, the skies were blue, the sun shone brightly, thy want (need) as an armed man, to fill the world with love, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, yet a little sleep
Proverbs 6:6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Well, it was indeed a beautiful Thanksgiving Day! The sun shone brightly for a change, and the skies were blue (smile) with temps in the mid to low twenties! Wow! We haven’t seen that type of day in my area for a while now. And I do hope that all of us gave much thanks for the many blessings we have in this blessed land. I know the celebrations were plentiful, what with the recent opening up of the lockdown conditions, and though my own celebration was fairly quiet, the food was over the top and unfortunately, I partook of it with a zest that I’ve not seen or experienced in recent times. (smile)
And since West Indian food, though nourishing and strengthening is also fattening, consequently I am a couple pounds heavier this morning. But what to do eh? When you celebrate and give thanks these things will happen. (smile) The problem now is to keep up the attitude of thanksgiving while lowering the temptation to the celebration aspect. Remember, we can never give too much thanks, but we can always overdo the celebration part, which can get us in serious trouble when laziness, idleness, slothfulness and their fellow companions rear their ugly heads.
Sadly though, a lot of that is now floating around in our current turbulent and unhinged society. That’s why right now is a good time to consider the marvellous advice of Cousin Sol from his writings in Proverbs, where he warns against laziness and falsehood. Please listen up closely to this wise and godly advice. ‘Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe (gazelle) from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler (the bird trapper).’ (Prov. 6:4-5)
Yes friends, we must not let the seeming beauty of sleep to capture us unawares, like a hunter captures a deer, or a fowler traps a bird in his snare. Sleep is necessary to reset our tired bodies and souls, but overdone, it can lead to very disastrous situations. And yuh better believe that sleep is one of the best traps the enemy uses to ensnare us and get us away from doing the Lord’s work. That’s why Cousin Sol in his advice directs us thus: ‘Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:’ (Prov. 6:6)
And you ask, what’s he talking about eh? How can you learn wisdom from the ways of the ant? Well then, he explains it by saying that the ant: ‘Which having no guide (leader), overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat (food) in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.’ (Prov. 6:7-8) Now isn’t that a wonderful example of self-reliance and wisdom? It surely is! Then Cousin Sol goes on to ask these most pertinent questions. ‘How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?’ (Prov. 6:9)
Oh my people, those are questions that each of must seriously consider, especially in these dangerous and crazy times of sickness and dissatisfaction. And why is that you ask again? Cousin Sol also provides the answer to that question. ‘Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (a prowler), and thy want (need) as an armed man.’ (Prov. 6:10-11) Yes mih bredrin, that’s how laziness, idleness and slothfulness bring us to our knees without our realizing it. Working too hard is not good, but not working hard enough is even worse.
Now here are some explanations on the subject from the scholars. ‘6:6-11. 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 (vs.7), meaning that the ant does not have to have 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 (vs.8). Two questions about sleep are posed to the sluggard (vs.9). His answer is given in verse 10: “Just a little more sleep!” The result of such laziness is dire poverty, which will come as suddenly and as decisively as a robber (vs.11).’
And yuh better believe that our society currently seems overwhelmed with laziness, or always seeking the easy way out, or just looking at today and not tomorrow. But we must also prepare for the future, for the hereafter. And yes, not many of us want to work, but it’s wise if we do… and don’t consume everything all at once either, put aside something for the rainy day too. At least in earlier generations some of us had no choice whatsoever but to work, if we wanted to eat and a place to sleep.
That brings to mind Bruh Paul’s directive 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.’ (2 Thess. 3:10-11) And there are many like that in our current society! Meanwhile, the scholars explain: ‘3:10-12. Paul expounds his simple and straightforward ethic. If a person will not work, he should not eat! The Thessalonians’ diversion encouraged their meddlesome ways, demonstrating that ‘idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.’
And is that ever the truth! We get into trouble most often when we are not doing anything, or anything productive. And that is exactly what’s happening right now in our society. Too many people have nothing constructive to do, so they are engaging in a whole lot of negative and evil devices and schemes. And with so much government and charitable help around, it would be hard to implement a scheme of no work, no bread. On top of that, there just are not enough jobs so that everyone can be gainfully employed.
So what do we do eh? The best we can. That’s working ourselves, showing forth the benefits of living for Jesus, and encouraging others to do something constructive, whatever it might be. Something that would benefit them and the society. Time to stop paying so much attention to the foolishness, lies and distractions on social media, and return to a fact and truth based society. That means depending on the Good Book, the Lord’s Word! It’s not an easy task, but if we work in concert with Jesus, we can certainly do it, because He gives us strength to do any and everything He needs us to do! Glory be!
Now for those of us who are willing and able to work for our Saviour, let’s go home declaring (yesss!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, loudly and proudly proclaiming to the whole world, who and whose we are; in other words, to whom we belong! As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And having said that, let’s go out now and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…to fill the world with peace and LOVE…we must fill the world with Jesus…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a most dreary time, be careful for nothing, bless the LOrd o my soul, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, drink the asweet, eat the fat, Ezra, faith in Christ, forgive us and heal our land, go your way, God so loved the world, Happy Thanksgiving Canada, he gave his only begotten son, humble ourselves, in every thing, in everything give thanks, Jehovah Rapha, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, let your requests be made known unto God, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, Nehemiah, O Give thanks unto the Lord, please be careful, reverence and appreciate our Creator, send portions unto them for whom nothing has been prepared, show our gratitude, sing psalms unto him, sing unto him, take precautions, talk ye of all his wondrous works, Thanks be to God, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, the breath of life, the God who heals, the joy of the Lord is your strength, the Lord is at hand, the peace of God which passeth all understading, this is the day the Lord has made, this is the will of God, we will rejoice and be glad in it, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, wise guidance and direction
HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA!
Philippians 4:6. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Oh friends, is it ever good to awaken to another day, another Monday, another Thanksgiving Monday! And all God’s people said: ‘Thanks be to God, who keeps the breath of life flowing through our earthly bodies!’ And why does He do that? Because He has a plan and a purpose for our lives, which includes enjoyment of the day. That’s why we say: ‘This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24) Yes, my brethren, that’s the only way to go!
And on this Thanksgiving Day of 2021, where life is somewhat rough, and we can’t gather as carelessly as we’d like, we ought to be thankful that we can even gather at all. Remember last year Thanksgiving Day was a most dreary time. No set of food and family and good cheer, all because of the Pandemic situation. So, there’s oodles of thanks to be given for just being able to get together more than last year. But please, please be careful. This thing is not over yet – far from it – and we still need to take as many precautions as possible to minimize further problems.
And to show our gratitude for that improvement, let’s intone the opening verses of Psalm 105, subtitled – God’s wondrous works in behalf of Israel. ‘O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.’ (Ps. 105:1-4)
Now I am sure if we were doing that as much as we ought to, we would not be having half as many problems as we do! I am convinced that many of our problems stem from the fact that we don’t reverence and appreciate our Creator as we should. But this Thanksgiving time is the right occasion for us to turn back to Him, remembering all that He has done for us, and has promised to do.
In the marvellous words of Bruh David: ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with LOVING-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ (Ps. 103:2-5) And are we ever so glad that this Thanksgiving we have sufficient food to eat. But having said that, let’s not forget there are many of our fellow brethren out there who don’t have enough, possible nothing at all to eat, and it’s our bounden duty to provide for them as best we can.
That recalls the glorious day when many of the children of Israel heard the word of the Lord for the first time as it was read to them, by Ezra and his associates. Then Nehemiah, the Governor, said unto them: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 1:8)
And is it ever my fellow saints! That’s why the enemy does his best to steal our joy. He knows when he gets us sad and downcast, it’s much easier to have us do his evil bidding. But not today mih bredrin, for today is a day of exceeding joy, and a time to remember our biggest blessing, our greatest gift and benefit. Like Bruh David said: ‘who redeemeth thy life from destruction.’ And yes friends, God’s greatest gift, His biggest benefit is that of freedom from the bondage of sin, of salvation through His free gift of grace, earned through the finished work of Christ.
As Jesus puts it: ‘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.’ (John 3:16) Glory be my fellow believers! If we are not thankful for anything else, we should be exceedingly thankful for that, because it’s nothing that we earned, or could ever earn, but though God’s infinite grace and mercy, it was bestowed upon us. And all we have to do is to believe in His Son! But so many of us stubbornly refuse to do it because of foolish pride and belief in the world’s evil systems. But there will be consequences for that stubbornness.
And let’s not think that just because we call today Thanksgiving Day, that this is the only day we should give thanks. Absolutely not! Bruh Paul reminds us of that in his epistle to the church at Philippi, when he says: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:4-7)
Oh my fellow believers, we wonder why we don’t have peace? Well, the answer is right there. We don’t take our requests to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And there’s no better time than right now, for us to get wise and do just that. So, in sincere prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let’s make our requests known to Almighty God through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn.
As one now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
Now, let’s go and keep the promises we just made, if we want to see positive answers to our prayers and supplications with thanksgiving. Much LOVE!
..in everything give thanks…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus…concerning you… (1 Thess. 5:17)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be reading and waiting for Christ's return, burning till the break of day, Canadian Thanksgiving, eternal separation from Christ, faith is given by God, get our act together right now, give me joy in my heart I pray, give me love in my heart, give me oil in my lamp, God's wonderful kindness, Jerry L. Ggles, keep me burning, keep me sharing, keep me singing, light for our path, lit with the fire of faith, love unshared dies in the vessel, nothing can separate us from the Love of God, nothing replenishes itself like love, sing Hosanna to the King of Kings, the Holy Spirit, the light of Christ, the Lord's Day, the parable of the ten virgins, the Sun of righteousness, to the children of men, watch therefore, wherein the Son of man cometh, winds of doubt, ye know neither the day nor the hour
Matthew 25:13. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
One more time friends, one more time, to celebrate the Lord’s day with praise and worship! It doesn’t matter how or where, because prayer and praise are spiritually lifted up to our heavenly Father. So our physical positions are not all that important, be it in the sanctuary together, or home alone, joined by technology. The most important thing then, is that we agree on our purpose for coming together; that is to give the Lord thanks and praise for His wonderful kindness to the children of men.
And as always, we begin our proceedings with a song of praise. Today’s song is a favourite old Christian ditty that has provided yeoman’s service to believers down through the years, and has been a useful tool for teaching children about Christ. It’s titled ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp.’ I don’t know who wrote it, but it sure gets my spirit going, makes me want to offer up sacrificial praise. So let’s sing it from the heart nuh, in a bright, up-tempo riddim, because it’s a song of joy and reassurance.
‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Keep me burning till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!) Give me love in my heart, keep me sharing. Give me love in my heart, I pray. Give me love in my heart, keep me sharing. Keep me sharing till the break of day. (Refrain)
Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Give me joy in my heart, I pray. Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing. Keep me singing till the break of day. (Refrain) Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Give me faith in my heart, I pray. Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying. Keep me praying till the break of day. (Refrain: Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the King!).’
Awright friends, that was awesome! You could feel it coming straight from our hearts! And it had to be good, when all of heaven joined in the singing and dancing with us. (smile) They say it’s based on, or alludes to the parable of the ten virgins going to the bridal feast that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25:1-13. Five were wise and five were foolish. The first ones took extra oil, just in case the bridegroom was late, but the latter five took none.
So, as is often the case, the bridegroom was late and the lamps of the last five ran out of oil, and obviously the wise five refused to share theirs. That meant the foolish five had to go and get oil for their lamps, but by the time they returned, the bridegroom had come and the doors were closed and they were refused entry. And the corollary to all that were these simple words from Jesus. ‘Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 25:13)
Yes my people, it’s a serious warning that we are to be on constant watch for the bridegroom of the church – Jesus Christ, for He can come at any time. And if He doesn’t find us ready and waiting to come to the bridal feast, then we’ll be left out of all the festivities, headed for eternal separation from the bridegroom, the Saviour. And I can’t emphasize strongly enough how sad such a fate will be. It therefore behooves us to get our act together, right now, to get extra oil for our lamps, that we can wait in the light and not in darkness, and be there ready and waiting, full of joy when our Saviour returns, as He has faithfully promised to do.
And I like how Jerry L. Ogles, the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Orthodox Church Worldwide Communion, breaks down the verses in an article on their website. For instance, re the first verse, ‘Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning…’ he says: ‘Certainly, we must ask for the right fuel to light our lamps. Lamps filled with water will avail nothing – it must be the kind of oil that BURNS.
That oil, to the Christian, is the Holy Spirit. He, the Holy Spirit, is like that oil of the widow woman in 1 Kings 17 whose oil and meal never ran out. We need light for our path, and we have no light if we have no Spirit to guide our feet. Our Lamps must not only contain oil for fuel, but be lit with the fire of faith. The break of day comes with the Sun of Righteousness rising for our final victory in the Lord.’ Glory be my fellow saints! I could not put it any better.
And per the second verse, ‘Give me LOVE in my heart, keep me sharing…’ he comments thus: ‘The legs by which the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts are those of LOVE. LOVE is the most invincible force known on earth. In fact, Paul tells us that there is one thing that survives death complete, and that is LOVE. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)
There is only one kind of truly pure LOVE, and that is of God. LOVE unshared dies in the vessel – we must give it out and see how wonderfully it replenishes itself.’ Mama, oh Mama! Isn’t that the gospel truth! There is nothing that replenishes itself like LOVE!
Then for the third verse, ‘Give me joy in my heart, keep me singing…’ he declares (steups!): ‘One characteristic that distinguishes the Christian from the common of humanity is JOY expressed under every hardship and trial. This mystifies the world, and they cannot comprehend it. Joy comes through LOVE and prayer. One language of joy is that of song. In my most sorrowful moments, I may sing an old hymn of the Church and suddenly, even without realizing it, find myself as happy as can be in a personal revival of the soul. I never see tears in the eye of the singer of hymns unless they are formed in joy.’ That’s ever so true!
And for the fourth verse, ‘Give me faith in my heart, keep me praying…’ he explains: ‘Though a child’s song, there is strong doctrinal perspective expressed. Faith is a gift of grace from God. It is the engendering nurture of the Holy Spirit that draws us ever closer to our Lord and inspires our Godly actions and thoughts. Faith is given by God. He sustains our physical being as well as our spiritual souls. We do not dictate the rate our hearts beat any more than we, through our own good intentions, cause our faith to build.
The Light of Christ is a shared Light from Him. If our lamps are extinguished by winds of doubt, we may share a light from another; however, the original fire comes from God. It is good that our young children are taught the beginning principles of the Gospel through song; and we as adults also benefit in the same way from the singing of the biblical and classical hymns of the Church.’
More gospel truth friends. And I do hope that as we enjoy our Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, we will indeed spend some time pondering on the Lord’s Word and His awesome goodness to our undeserving souls, and give real and sincere thanks for all the wonderful things we enjoy in this good land of Canada! Much LOVE!
…a heart filled with God…is one filled with joy and thanksgiving…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a burning desire to do things, a Christ-like difference, accept the things I cannot change, all great changes are preceded by chaos, bored with life, bring others to the knowledge of Christ, burning with passion, chaos, Christians step up and take control, climate change, divisive and strife filled, economic misfortune, elbow grease, evil and ungodly times, get understanding, get wisdom, getting out of hand, God sent not His Son to condemn the world, grant me the serenity, heavenly blessings, Jesus turned the world right side up, led by the Holy Spirit, LOVE, lust for dictatorial power, out of your comfort zone, poverty, racial differences, see a light at the end of the tunnel, see possibilities before they become obvious, sleeping in, step up to the plate, the church of Christ, the courage to change the things I can, the greed of the rich, the Serenity Prayer, the wisdom to know the difference, the world through him might be saved, when the dust settles, wisdom and understanding, wisdom is the principal thing, without hungering and thirsting after anything
John 3:17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Oh, what a perfect Saturday morning for sleeping in, at least in my area! We are talking about dark skies on a fairly warm morning for this time of year, and a lulling, drizzle of heavenly blessings. But here I am up early, working. Chuh! That’s because I went to bed early this morning, that’s early by my standards. (smile)
Anyway, it’s no use griping about it now, because I’m already up and at ‘em. So, like we do every Saturday, let’s check out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week. I pray the Lord will give me the wisdom and understanding to do a good job on them, because it’s all for His glory.
This first one says: ‘All great changes are preceded by chaos.’ Now I don’t know if it’s absolutely true, but there is a fair amount of truth to it. Just look at all the great changes forced upon the world by the numerous wars and strife that’s happened down through the ages.
Look at what’s happening right now. Chaos is in our midst, with serious differences over the cause and effect of the Covid 19 pandemic, the strife that’s been injected over the vaccine, the lust for dictatorial power that’s currently running rampant, the greed of the rich, who are getting insanely richer while the world is beset by numerous natural and man-made disasters, poverty and economic misfortune, climate change, racial differences etc. etc. There’s no doubt that when the dust settles, our society will be significantly changed… but who knows how.
And let’s not forget the chaos and great changes made by the coming of our Lord and Saviour two thousand years ago. Jesus turned His then Jewish society upside down and the world right side up! Remember what He said: ‘For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.’ (John 3:17) And the world has never been the same since He came…neither will it be, after He comes again! (smile)
The second quote tells us that: ‘If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things—you don’t have enough goals.’ I don’t know about not having enough goals nuh, but rather of having the wrong goals. For if you even have one goal of sufficient interest and importance to you, then that will have you getting up every morning burning with passion to fulfill it. What’s the point of having goals that aren’t actively cultivating your interest? None whatsoever!
The problem with today’s society, why we are so easily bored, is that life’s just too easy for too many of us. There are so many amenities now that we can easily get by without hungering and thirsting after anything, so serious goal setting is not as important as it used to be back when things were harder.
A real goal is something that calls for elbow grease, for getting out of your comfort zone, that causes you to see a light at the far end of the tunnel and drives you towards it. But since so many of us are averse to working hard, or working at all, who wants to do that eh? Consequently, when we do set goals, they are often of the easy, lacklustre kind and obviously don’t fire us up.
And that’s where this next quote comes in: ‘Dreams are extremely important. You can’t do it unless you can imagine it.’ Yes friends, our dreams, the things we would like to acquire or do, are extremely important, and they are the things that should usually become our goals, because they will inspire us to get up and get a move on. And the second part of the quote does have some truth to it.
Generally speaking, you must be able to imagine something before you can do it. You don’t always need to see the finished product, but there must be ideas about whatever you want to accomplish continually buzzing about in your head. Otherwise, you won’t have the necessary incentive to keep working on it.
That’s why the following quote is important. ‘The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.’ No doubt about that friends. You just have to look around at all the amazing inventions in our current world to see it. They were created by those who were thinking ahead. They had an idea, a dream, a goal, to make something better, or do something differently, and they kept working at it, despite numerous failures, until they succeeded. A good example of that is the vast and tentacle-like network of social media we have nowadays. Some people saw the possibilities and took advantage of their opportunities. That’s what it takes to be successful in this world.
And the same thing goes for believers in Christ Jesus. We also need to be forward thinking; seriously gauging possibilities and seeking opportunities to bring others to the knowledge of Christ. That’s our job as His earthly messengers and ambassadors. So don’t think for one moment that Christians don’t also need dreams, goals and successful operations in Jesus’ name. We just have to do them within His framework; that of His holy word.
His church is His big organization here on earth. But how is that working eh? Not as good as it ought to. It cannot, with all the divisions, disunity, strife, anger and evil that’s currently going on in it. And one would think that in these terrible times, the church of Christ would take the obvious opportunity to be a calming, settling and uniting force, working to bring peace, LOVE and the Spirit of Jesus to the situation. But unfortunately, it is just as divisive and strife filled as the rest of the world.
What can we as individuals do eh? Not a whole lot, except sincerely show Christ to those around us and pray. And what we call our Serenity Prayer is the last of our quotes for today. So, let’s pray it nuh. ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’
Yes my fellow saints, that’s why Cousin Sol advises us through the Good Book that: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,’ (Prov. 4:7) It’s absolutely imperative that in in these dangerous, evil and ungodly times that the children of God seek His wisdom and learn what we need to do, by studying His word, talking to Him, and being led by His Holy Spirit.
This is an opportunity for all true believers to step up to the plate and make a real good and Christ-like difference in the lives of others and in our scarred and scared world. That’s what Jesus is expecting of us. So please, let’s not disappoint Him nuh. Much LOVE!
…when things are getting out of hand…that’s when Christians step up and take control…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a means of restoring faith in you, and grieve not the holy Spirit of God. ye are sealed unto the day of redemption, backsliders, be responsible and stay safe, Christ's promise of salvation, Covid-19 virus, faithful believers, filled with joy and galdness, foul language, Friday chant, guarantees our salvation, motives of our hearts, our sinful world, seals us as a child of God, stand strong and steadfast, the down payment of Christ's commitment, the earnest of our inheritance, the error of their ways, the everlasting light of life, the gospel of your salvation, the harbinger of good news, the joy of the Lord is our strength, the redemption of the purchased possession, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, the weekend, unexpected storm, unto the day of redemption, wake up and smell the coffee, whereby ye are sealed
Ephesians 4:30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Oh Friday, are we ever glad to see you, because you are the harbinger of good news – the weekend! And this past week in my area has been so rainy, and if not rainy, then cloudy and grey, like the sun has lost its energy or will to shine. But it’s a good thing that we have the best light ever – Jesus – who shines His marvellous light on our souls, thus we can handle the lack of light on our bodies. So that even when our outsides are clothed in darkness, our insides are filled with joy, and gladness, the everlasting light of life that is Jesus!
That’s why we shout: ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength!’ And no one can take that from us, though the enemy keeps on trying. Yes friends, once we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and effectively seals us as a child of God, a seal that no man can break.
Hear Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which is the earnest (down payment or deposit) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.’ (Eph. 1:13-14) And yes friends, that sounds like it’s very complicated, but it’s not. It simply means that we Gentiles who believed on Christ received the Holy Spirit when we believed, not afterwards.
The scholars tell us: ‘The sealer is Jesus; the seal is the Holy Spirit. The sealing of the Holy Spirit guarantees the benefits of our salvation, as a person might seal an envelope to guarantee its enclosures. The Holy Spirit as the seal to the believer is also the earnest of our inheritance, that’s a down payment of Christ’s commitment to someday give the believer all other things God has promised. With that seal of the Holy Spirit, God therefore assures the Christian that the realization of the rest of his salvation is forthcoming.’
So, once we believe, there’s no need to worry about all the other promises of salvation, because we have the deposit, the down payment of salvation dwelling with us, within us, and by our side! Glory Hallelujah! Now why would I refuse to accept such a wonderful invitation to come into Christ’s marvellous body, His church eh? No reason whatsoever!
And there are a couple of other verses that talk about the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Bruh Paul also mentions it in that beautiful fourth chapter of Ephesians where he discusses the new life in Christ that believers ought to adopt. Things like putting on the new man, being renewed in the spirit of our minds, not lying, not being angry, and not letting the sun go down upon our anger. Not using foul language, but words that are edifying to our listeners. Then He says: ‘And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.’ (Eph. 4:30).
Yes mih bredrin, we do grieve the Holy Spirit when we abuse our fellow men with foul language. It’s like James said of the tongue: ‘Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (likeness or image) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.’ (James 3:9-12)
Oh my people, that’s ever so true! We bless God and curse those made in His likeness with the same tongue. It ought not to be that way, because then we grieve the Holy Spirit. And the last scripture about sealed by the Holy Spirit, comes from the second epistle of Bruh Paul to the church at Corinth, where he reassures them of the promises of God and his confidence in them. ‘Now he which stablisheth (established) us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God. Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest (down payment) of the Spirit in our hearts.’ (2 Cor. 1:21-22) What reassurance for the believer!
And the scholars explain that ‘The sealing of the Holy Spirit has a threefold significance in the New Testament. (1) to indicate ownership; (2) to indicate genuineness; (3) to preserve and keep safe (cf. Eph. 4:40; 2 Tim. 2:19; Rev. 7:2-3) This last idea is amplified with the earnest of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself is the down payment or pledge, of redemption. The indwelling Spirit is the surety and the “security” of all that is to follow in the final salvation of the believer (cf. Rom. 8:9-11, 23; 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:14).’
Oh saints in Christ, what more or better assurance can we have, or do we need to put all our trust in Christ Jesus eh? None whatsoever! Christ not only died for us, He also pledged the Holy Spirit, the best deposit or down payment we can ever have as a promise of our salvation!
Now being thus reassured of Christ’s promise, let’s do what we are advised to do nuh; go boldly to the throne of grace with our problems, to seek help in this time of great need. So as one strong, confident, but humble voice, let’s declare our Friday Chant. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and our many other problems are causing. We can’t seem to fix it on our own Lord, that means 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 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, and avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. 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 I should not have to remind us, but I will, (smile) that all of what we asked for, depends on our repentant behaviour and the true motives of our hearts. Much LOVE!
…the best guarantee ever…the Holy Spirit…on Christ’s promise of salvation…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, a neat package of ethics, as a burning fire, burns within me, clear direction for my life, crooked places become straight, curse, darkness becomes light, free choice, good friends, gung-ho, hanging in there, He giveth power to the faint, his word was in mine heart, I could not endure it, I was weary with forbearing, indisputable truth, invigorates me, lack of strength, like a martyr, my heart was hot within me, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, our guidebook for earthly living, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, poor sleep patterns, prosper, Ruth Harms Calkin, sharper than any twoedged sword, shut up in my bones, succeed, the Book of All Books, the Good Book, the Lord's word is alive and kicking, the One who makes all things new, the Word of God is quick and powerful, Thursday Blessings, to them that no might he increaseth strength, while I was musing the fire burned
Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is quick (alive, living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…
And then it was Thursday…a rather trying and tiring morning, because of my poor sleep patterns. Hn! Hn! What else can one expect when one doesn’t adhere to good sleep patterns eh? I’m like the sun out there, too weak to shine with any brilliance and strength. (smile) But with the ever-present and amazing help of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, I am hanging in there like a martyr, as gung-ho as possible to do His marvellous work.
What does the Good Book say about lack of strength? ‘He giveth power to the faint (weak); and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.’ (Is. 40:29) Glory be mih people! That’s exactly what I am seeking and praying for this morning. And I know that our God will grant me it because He is a faithful God, and I only want that strength so I can do His work with diligence and excellence.
And what I did just say…that our God is a great God and will show the way…? And has He ever. He’s guided me to this oh so appropriate poem from our One Year Book of Bible Verses with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin that’s titled ‘Book of All Books!’ Wow! I guess He’s sending the message that His Word, His Book, has all the answers. When you’re looking for anything, like I was looking for strength, you can open His Word and find an answer.
So please pray with me: ‘Lord, I am overwhelmed As I read Your living Word. What power, what pungency I find within its pages. It stirs me, burns within me It challenges me, invigorates me And often disturbs me. When I obey its commands The results are what you claim. Darkness becomes light Crooked places become straight The more I seek, the more I find. Within its pages, God I see beyond a neat package of ethics. I crash head-on with a living Person The One who makes all things new. No other book can claim as much.’
And that’s the indisputable truth my brethren! No other Book can claim what the Bible, the Word of the Living God does, because all others are written by frail, finite and dispensable man! And I like how our poem declares that the Good Book ‘stirs me, burns within me, challenges me, invigorates and often disturbs me.’ And it’s all true. A very good example of that is me a li’l while ago. I got up tired, miserable, not knowing what to write, but then I put my mind in the Word and…Voilà! It stirred me up, invigorated me, and I found strength to do what I needed to do.
So friends, you can’t ever go wrong turning to the Word of the Lord when you are lost, indecisive, weak, weary or whatever the situation. It will always give you a wise and sensible way to handle your condition. And that part of the poem that says ‘it burns within me’ recalls the verse in poor Jeremiah’s story, where he is a reluctant prophet of the Lord, suffering all kinds of violence and reproach on the Lord’s behalf. Finally, he gives up. ‘Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing (of holding it back), and I could not stay (endure it).’ (Jer. 20:9)
Oh my people, that’s the way it is with the Lord’s Word! Once it gets into you, it’s like a burning fire that just consumes you and you can’t hold it in, you have to release it, to speak and action it, if you are to find any peace in your soul and spirit. As Bruh David concurs in Psalm 39 – A prayer for self-understanding. ‘My heart was hot within me; while I was musing (meditating) the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.’ (Ps. 39:3)
Yes, my fellow saints, the fire was so hot within Bruh David that he had to speak and let it out, otherwise it would have consumed him. And I know it’s so with a lot of us, but we insist on holding it in, only to our own detriment. And why does the Word of God have such a magnetic and moving effect on us eh?.
Because as the Bible verse that backs up our poem says: ‘For the word of God is quick (alive, living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in (hidden from) his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account to).’ (Heb. 4:12-13)
That says it all! The Lord’s Word is alive and kicking, just like Him! It’s sharp and dangerous, can cut apart joints and marrow, soul and spirit, so please be careful in dealing with it. And in any case, we can’t hide from our Maker, who sees all, knows all and is all omnipotent in power! Yet we still try to hide from Him and dodge the words of His book. But that’s oh so foolish my brethren, for the simple truth is that we can neither run from nor hide from Almighty God, Creator and Controller of the universe!
And right now, in this time of pandemic and many other problems, it would be ever so wise for us to turn back to Him with repentant hearts and souls because He is the ONLY One who can truly help us solve those problems. But our hearts, being full of foolish pride and arrogance insists on using our free choice to ignore and stay away from Him…only to our own sorrow friends.
But our God is so wonderful, LOVES us so much, that despite our disconnection, He still showers down numerous blessings on those of us who are willing to hear and work on His behalf. We call them our Thursday Blessings, and when we declare them out loud, they give us the strength and wisdom we need to do the Father’s bidding.
So, as one strong and sincere voice, let’s shout them out loud nuh: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment!
I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And since we’ve taken those blessings to heart, it is now our bounden duty to go out and share them with others, just as generously as Christ shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…the Word of God…the Bible…it is our guidebook for earthly living…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things are open and naked before God, believers remind sinners of their sin, cometh the wrath of God, consumed by the evil enemy, darkness keeps one trapped in sin, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, endure to the end, everyone that doeth evil hateth light, glad to be alive, halfway home, have no fellowship, have seen a great light, heralded the coming of Jesus, Jesus chases the evil darkness away, light brings truth and happiness, light exposes the darkness of sin, LOVE, men loved darkness rather than light, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, my hands are fixed securely on the plough, not indulge in the sins of the unsaved, not turning back, not wanting to know the truth, now ye are light in the Lord, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, rebels in our hearts, running to hide from God, scatter like roaches exposed to daylight, separated from God by sin, the breath of life, the light is come into the world, the light of the world, the people that walked in darkness, the Prince of Peace, the unfruitful works of darkness, their deeds were evil, this is the condemnation, to a glorious future with Jesus, upon the children of disobedience, upon them hath a light shined, walk as children of light, Wednesday Wail, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
No more rain…And the sun is finally peeking out…Glory! Oh, the dark clouds are not all gone, but there is a great possibility of light, (smile) much more than we’ve had for the past few days. And that’s exactly how our Jesus comes and shines through our personal darkness. When we think that there is no hope, that the darkness will overwhelm us, He shows up unexpectedly with the bright light of His presence and chases the evil darkness away! Give Him some thanks and praise my faithful brethren for He is indeed a Saviour to those whose lives are consumed by the evil enemy.
As the prophet Isiah so prophetically declared long ago, re the Prince of Peace: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath a light shined.’ (Is. 9:2) And that’s one of the most potent and prophetic prophecies ever prophesied! (smile) It heralded the coming of Jesus…the light of the world!
But the sad news is that, as Jesus said: ‘And this is the condemnation that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (exposed).’ (John 3:19-20)
And that’s the gospel truth my people! Those of us with evil deeds in our repertoire hate the light and will refuse to accept Jesus because we are afraid that those evil deeds will be exposed, for that’s what light does; it exposes the darkness, the sin, the evil in our souls! And we are not talking about physical light, but spiritual light, ‘light that shines on our hearts.’
I like how this article on thebereancall.org website with a conversation between Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon describes the situation. T. A. McMahon says: ‘And men loved darkness rather than light. Dave, is this in the statistical manual it talked about earlier? (Referring there to a manual on the power of DNA to operate without words or a language).
Dave Hunt replies: ‘Yeah, they don’t want to know the truth. I would say that whole statistical manual is a witness to this fact; men loved darkness rather than light. Instead of accepting the truth that we are separated from God by sin, that we are rebels in our hearts, that we need to be reconciled to God, we need to recognize that Jesus Christ is God who became a man to die for our sins, paid the penalty for our sins, died for our sins, rose from the dead and we open our hearts to Him and we allow Him to come in and He changes us completely.
We are born again of the Word of God, Peter says. This Word that brings understanding, the truth that is the light that Jesus brought. Now, it says they hated me without a cause because the light of Jesus Christ shows up the darkness, the darkness being what? Well, rebellion against God, running to hide from God, not wanting to know the truth and so forth.’
Now this passage from an article on the subject on the mtvchurchofchrist.org, further enlightens us. ‘The reason for the world’s LOVE affair with darkness is that it hides sin, or so it is believed. As long as it is dark, as long as there is no light of truth, those in sin can perpetuate their evil. But let one beam of truth pierce the darkness of sin and error, let one ray of goodness break through, and those in darkness scatter like so many roaches exposed to daylight. But the feeling of having hidden sin is only an illusion, for all things are open and naked before God (Heb. 4:13).’
And I’ll just insert that verse here. ‘Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight (hidden from his sight): but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (must give account).’ (Heb. 4:13) So, as we well know, there is absolutely no hiding from God, but many of us still foolishly try to retain the illusion.
The article then continues with this interesting slant. It says: ‘One of the reasons, if not the main reason, those in the world often feel uncomfortable around faithful Christians is that the faithful child of God reminds sinners of their sins. The faithful child of God might well feel uncomfortable around the sinner, as well (Eph. 5:11).’ Oh friends, I surely hope we do feel uncomfortable around evil doers, but nonetheless show them the light of Christ shining through our words and actions.
And to substantiate all that we’ve said, let’s listen to the words of Bruh Paul to the church at Ephesus on the ways of the believer. ‘Let no man deceive you with vain (empty) words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not partakers with them. For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now ye are light in the Lord: walk as children of light. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. 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. 5:6-12)
Yes my brethren, once upon a time we too walked in darkness, but then we saw the light of Christ, and our lives were transformed. And the scholars explain it all thus: ‘5:8. Our knowledge of the truth is attended by moral purity and happiness. 5:10. 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.
5:11. 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. 5:12. For tells why the Christian must expose the sins of the lost. If it is shameful even to discuss their iniquities in decent company how much the worse is the committing of these sins. Hence the need to bring them to light.’
Ah my fellow saints, I do hope that all the above has now elucidated and enlightened us about walking in darkness and light, (smile) so that we are now capable of making good decisions on it. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to walk in the light, let’s go home declaring (oh yes!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ Jesus.
Altogether now: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’
And believe me, if we endure until the very end, then that future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. So please, let’s hang in there my faithful brethren! Much LOVE!
…if light brings truth and happiness…why fool with darkness…which only keeps one trapped in sin and rebellion towards God…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
05 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all things work together for good, be of good cheer, being confident of this very thing, casting all your care upon him, cleanse your hands ye sinners, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, draw nigh to God, eternal freedom, even unto the end of the world, for he is faithful that promised, he may exalt you in due time, he that cometh to God, he which hath begun a good work, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, I am the beloved of god, i have overcome the world, I'm not what people say about me, if god be for us who can be against us, in god's eyes, in me ye might have peace, in the world ye shall have tribulation, let us hold fast the profession of our faith, lo I am always with you, LOVE, must believe he exists, never to leave nor forsake us, no one can take that from me, no sign of the sun, not what I do, not what I have, purify your hearts ye doubleminded, relief from this sinful world, resist the devil, share His love with the world, Stay with God, submit yourselves to God, the Christian's eternal security, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, will perform it until the day of Jesus, without faith it is impossible to please God
Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).
Well, after two days of almost steady rain, it’s finally eased up. But everything is still wet, and the skies are still dark, no sign of the sun, so who knows what’s going to happen next. The good thing though is that despite what we see or feel, or what may come our way, the wise thing to do is to stay with God! He controls everything and has promised to not allow more than we can bear to come upon us. He will give us the strength to overcome. A strength that we never knew we had. That’s why Bruh Paul says: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13)
And don’t forget this most marvellous promise either from Peter: ‘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.’ (2 Pet. 5:6-7) Yes friends, when things get rough, or we just don’t know what do, wisdom dictates that we lose our inherent pride and arrogance, and humble ourselves before our heavenly Father, because He cares for us, even more than our earthly parents. We have life in Him, there’s hope, a bright future, and the awesome promise never to leave nor forsake us!
Oh my people, Jesus promised it in so many words: ‘and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20) So we have no reason to fear or feel lost in the turmoil of this current world. That is, if we put our lives in God’s hands, let Him lead and guide us through His Holy Spirit that indwells us. He is always there for us, but we have to go to Him, and stay with Him, fully believing that He can and will do all that He has promised. Remember, walking with God calls for faith, for trust and surrender.
As Hebrews so clearly puts it: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is (that He exists), and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) And then you ask, what then is this faith you talk about? It’s just believing for things that you don’t see, things that God’s promised, and waiting expectantly for them. For as Hebrews wisely advises: ‘Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith (hope) without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).’ (Heb. 10:23)
Yes, my fellow believers, we very much need to stand strong in our faith, because life is never easy, therefore, we need someone more powerful than us to help us walk through it successfully. And who is more powerful than Jesus eh? NOBODY! He conquered hell, death and the grave through His triumphant resurrection on the Easter morning so long ago. That’s why He could make this amazing statement: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)
Oh my brethren, who else could make such a truthful statement eh? No one but Jesus, because He did exactly what He said! That means no matter what happens we can rest assured that God is working in our lives for our good. Bruh Paul told us that in his epistle to the church at Rome. ‘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.’ (Rom. 8:28) Yes my fellow saints, if we LOVE God, put our lives in His awesome hands and try our best to walk in faith with Him, then He will eventually work everything out for our good.
So, though the rains pour down, the skies stay dark and life seems forsaken, do not believe that all is lost, for when Christ is in your life, nothing is ever lost! It might be misplaced for a while, but NEVER lost, because Jesus has faithfully promised that it won’t be. And He never makes idle promises. Why would Father God send His only Son to die on the cross that we might be forgiven, then leave us in the lurch after that eh?
No way! Bruh Paul made that abundantly clear to the Roman church when he wrote: ‘What shall we then say to these things (that God has done for us through Jesus, like justification, sanctification and reconciliation)? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:31-32)
That’s only common-sense friends. Why would God put Himself out for us, then just leave us to fend for ourselves afterwards eh? No reason whatsoever, since that’s not the kind of God He is. And Bruh Paul emphasizes that in his epistle to the Philippians: ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (complete) it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 1:6) Oh, how wonderful that is my fellow believers; that the Lord will continue working in us, offering us His grace, LOVE and all that we need until Christ returns!
And as the scholars explain: ‘This speaks of the Christian’s eternal security. For God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in the Philippians, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized.’ Glory be, mih people! The Lord’s plans for us will not be thwarted! You can’t beat that news! But that means we must also play our part in the partnership. As James advises: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh (near) to God, and he will draw night (near) to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.’ (James 4:7-8)
So friends, our role is basically to stay close to God, and if we do, He will work everything out for our good. Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to stay attached to God, let’s go home declaring (ah Lord eh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we belong. As one strong, confident and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And the upshot of that declaration (yeah!!!) is that we must now go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him! Much LOVE!
…in Christ Jesus…there is relief from this sinful world…and eternal freedom in the next…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
04 Oct 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a merciful forgiving gracious God, according to his riches in glory, all these things will be added unto you, ambassadors of Christ, confident Christians, erred from the faith, for His name's sake, glorify your father in heaven, hate the one and love the other, hear and answer our prayers, hope not to die without Christ, humble servants, humility, in a splendid manner, Jehovah Rapha, just to do His bidding, Let your light so shine before men, living for Christ, LOVE, material possessions, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my God shall supply all your needs, no man can serve two masters, ours is not to reason or wonder why, pierced themselves through with many sorrows, sacrifices and hardships we endure, see your good works, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, sincere repentance, store treasure in heaven, take the bull by the horns, the attirude of enslavement toward wealth, the ever-watchful eye, the God who heals, the grace and peace of Christ Jesus, the love of money is the root of all evil, time of need, we have all sinned, wet and windy Monday morning, Ye are the light of the world, ye are the salt of the earth, Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Matthew 6:24b. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).
The grace and peace of Christ Jesus be unto you, my fellow believers, on this wet and windy Monday morning in early October of this confusing and crazy year of 2021! And the universe is moving along as it should, under the ever-watchful eye of its magnificent and majestic Creator, Almighty God! We know that nothing happens in the universe unless He sets it in motion, or allows it, for whatever reason He sees fit.
So, ours is not to reason or wonder why, but just to do His bidding and hope not to die without receiving Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. That says it all friends: our earthly responsibility is to believe in Christ and live a life that is worthy of Him. When we do that, when we make it our first priority, then everything else falls into place. Like Jesus said: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
That’s a faithful promise. Anytime you concentrate on living for Christ, the Lord will take care of all your needs. Bruh Paul emphasized that in his letter to the Philippians. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19) Yes, my faithful brethren, when we are faithful to God, He is also faithful to us. He sees the sacrifices and hardships we endure for His name’s sake and will meet our need according to His riches.
The scholars tell us: ‘that is, in proportion to His unlimited resources. He will meet our needs in glory, that’s ‘gloriously, in a splendid manner, by Christ Jesus.’ What more can we ask for eh? Not a whole lot! However, with that scripture, we must remember that the Good Book is speaking primarily of needs, of the necessities for living, not our fleshly and lustful wants or desires.
There can be a big difference between needs and wants, especially in this ever so materialistic and ungodly world. And that’s why Jesus also made it clear that ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (riches).’ (Matt. 6:24) And that’s just a simple fact of nature, of logic, my brethren. You cannot run after two things with the same intensity at the same time, one of them will inevitably suffer.
Now hear the scholars explain that verse. ‘6:24. This kind of spiritual double vision causes one to believe that he can serve two masters. Total loyalty to God cannot be divided between Him and loyalty to one’s own material possessions. A master is a lord or an owner. That God claims total lordship over His own is obvious in this passage. Therefore, Jesus rightly proclaimed, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. The term ‘mammon’ is derived from the Aramaic term for possessions or wealth. Jesus is not condemning money or possessions in and of themselves, but the improper attitude of enslavement toward wealth.’
And sadly, our world today, is maximizing the promotion of total enslavement to wealth and possessions, causing us to strive after money as the goal of life. That’s why these times are so ungodly. No wonder Bruh Paul cautioned Timothy. ‘For the LOVE of money is the root of all (kinds) of evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (for which some in their greediness have strayed from the faith), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (caused themselves to be ruined).’ (2 Tim. 6:10)
Remember, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. So, if we are serving mammon to such a great extent, it’s obvious that God will be left far behind, in the lurch, in the dust. And where does that leave us eh friends? In a tough situation. But, as strong and confident Christians, ambassadors of Christ, we will not give up, but keep fighting to get others to come to Jesus, by living godly and righteous lives, and letting His awesome light shine through us, as we cover the earth with His salt. (smile)
For isn’t that how He referred to us? ‘Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:13a, 14a, 16) And that takes us right back to what we said at the beginning; ours is just to receive Christ and do the Father’s bidding. But unfortunately, we are not doing that as much as we ought to, and that’s why the enemy is in ascendance right now in the world; why the LOVE for money, power and material possessions is so great, and the desire for the things of God way down on the totem pole.
However, today is as good a day as any other to take the bull by the horns and begin to turn things around. And prayer is where we begin; it’s always the place to start. So, let’s go confidently to the throne of grace for help, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, in this our desperate time of need. Altogether now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world.
We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has 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 wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems.
And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And please remember my fellow saints, that the answers to our prayer all hinge on our sincerity, humility, repentance and truly seeking God’s face. Much LOVE!
…it’s much wiser to store treasure in heaven…where it cannot rot or be stolen…than down here on earth…where it rots and is continually stolen…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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