15 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, even unto death, grace mercy salvation, he hath made him to be sin for us, his sweat was as great drops of blood, I am the beloved of god, if it be possible, in god's eyes, Jesus - the number One person, let this cup pass from me, LOVE, made the righteousness of God, My God my God, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, negative possibilities, not as I will but as thou wilt, o my father, only the Father can rejuvenate our spirit, overcome the weakness of the flesh, poor frame of mind, pray that ye enter not into temptation, share His love with the world, tarry ye and watch with me, the agony of spiritual death, the curse of sin, the flesh is weak, the Garden of Gethsemane, the sin-bearer for all mankind, the spirit indeed is willing, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, watch and pray, who knew no sin, why hast thou forsaken me
Matthew 26:41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And it’s a beautiful, sunshiny, though somewhat cold Tuesday morning! But that’s to be expected in the middle of winter. So once the sun is shining and we have Jesus as the number One person in our lives, then ALL’S right with the world, or at least our individual worlds. (smile) And yuh better believe that if we didn’t have the grace, mercy, salvation and all the other good benefits that following Jesus brings, I don’t know what would become of us. I refuse to even think of the sad, sorrowful and negative possibilities.
And I can testify to some of that right now, because today I’m tired and in a poor frame of mind. Yes friends, the ole fella is only human, and though most days I’m upbeat and carefree, sometimes I get down and tired, just like everybody else. (smile) And please note, that if you are also in the same tired and poor frame of mind, note that it’s not something to be ashamed of, for even our Lord and Saviour Jesus in His earthly sojourn, experienced that lowdown, tired feeling, and that’s why He so often went off by Himself to pray to His Father.
That’s because only the Father in His amazing generosity and LOVE can rejuvenate our spirit! And the best example we have of Jesus’ tired spirit is that night before His crucifixion when He went with His disciples to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew what was ahead, and that it was for that express purpose He had become flesh, but obviously as flesh, He still preferred not to experience the terrible things that were waiting in store for Him.
The Good Book tells the story thus: He left the main group of the disciples at the front of the garden, telling them: ‘Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (James and John), and began to be sorrowful (grieved) and very heavy (deeply distressed). Then said he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye (stay, wait) here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:36-39)
Now Luke’s gospel adds to the story. ‘And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.’ (Luke 22:43-44) And the scholars offer this interesting explanation on those verses.
‘22:43-44. Only Luke notes this. Jesus is borne up in His hour of greatest need, when He must intercede not only for Himself but for His followers, who are about to leave Him in the lurch. Agony appears only here in the New Testament; it points to the intensity of Jesus’ struggle. Surely Jesus wrestles, not so much with death itself, but with His own destiny to be made the sin-bearer for all mankind for all the ages. The punishment that had to be borne for our sins brings Jesus to His knees in anguish,’
And why wouldn’t it eh friends? The saving of the world from sin, would be the biggest occurrence after its creation. And it was all on Jesus’ shoulders. It would be like in Greek mythology, Atlas carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. No wonder on the cross, ‘At about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46)
And the Lord had forsaken Him. It was the first and only time they had been on separate sides. For as the scholars explain: ‘Here we have the high cost to Christ of His atonement for our sins, who was accursed of God as our sin-bearer (c.f. 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13) and suffered the agony of spiritual death for us.’
Now, this is going to make the Bit longer than I had originally planned, but since those referenced scriptures are ever so important to the understanding of Jesus’ situation, and only a few of us will check them out, I’m going to quote them here. The first one says: ‘For he hath made him (Jesus)to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’ (2 Cor. 5:21) And the next one proclaims: ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made (having become) a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.’ (Gal. 3:13) And that last part there comes from Deuteronomy 21:23.
And now that that’s all been settled (smile), we can turn to Matt. 27:50, which says: ‘Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.’ The scholars say: ‘He…cried…with a loud voice, as a shout of triumph, and yielded up His Spirit. In other words, having borne the wrath of God’s judgement against sin, He knew He had triumphed over Satan and the curse of sin.’
Yes friends, that was all for our benefit! The Lord suffered a horrible death, with unfair, unwarranted punishment just so that we could have the option of salvation and eternal life. But do we seem to appreciate it eh? Not really nuh, when so many of us have turned away from Him, even refusing to acknowledge His name and His great work on our behalf.
However, let’s go back to that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, after the first of the three times He prayed the same prayer, and came back to His favourite threesome and found them sleeping: ‘he saith unto Peter, What could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ (Matt. 26:40-41)
And that is the gospel truth my people. Our spirit is usually willing, but our flesh, which belongs to Satan is very weak and very susceptible to the wiles and deceits of the enemy. That’s why we need prayer; prayer of the serious and sincere kind, if we are to overcome the temptations of sin. Only through the power of Jesus cross and His shed blood can we successfully fight the devil and his evil cohorts, whose only intent is to keep us away from the LOVE, the mercy, grace and salvation offered by Christ.
And I’m chuckling here my fellow saints, because my spirit has been lifted…give the Lord thanks and praise! That’s because I’ve been involved in His Word and been seeing how Jesus handled the low ebb of His spirit while here on earth with us. So there’s no doubt of the truth that communication with the Lord and His Word is the best way to lift our tired and weary spirits. And for those of us who truly believe that, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know to whom we belong, lock, stock and barrel.
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!’
Now all that’s left is for us to go out and share that amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!
…it’s tough to do…but if we sincerely concentrate on Jesus…we can overcome the weakness of the flesh…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
14 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: ambassadors, baptizing them, bring glad tidings of good things, Happy Valentine's Day, how beautiful are the feet, how shall they believe, how shall they hear without a preacher, how shall we escape, I am with you always, if they have not heard, in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost, Jehovah Rapha, knowledge is essential to faith, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, of them that preach the gospel of peace, our bounden duty, repentance in our hearts, salvation, saved from the guilt and penalty of sin, sincerely seek your face, so great a salvation, spread the love of Jesus, teach all nations, the God who heals, the Great Commission, the subjective changes in people's lives, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
Romans 10:13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Come on down, all you big Monday players on this day of LOVE! It’s time to make a move, to rise and shine and get on with Christ’s work! The day is already well on its way, and we can’t let it get too far ahead of us, else we’ll miss a lot of opportunities to tell this troubled world about Christ who wants to save them and give them eternal life. And that’s our job, as ambassadors and agents, as disciples and true believers in the Son of God, who sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary to save sinners from eternal damnation.
Remember Jesus’ Great Commission to His followers? ‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20)
And the simple fact is that people can’t be saved unless they know, unless they hear the gospel of Christ. As Bruh Paul explained to the church at Rome, using the words of the prophet Joel 2:32 in the first verse here ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’ (Rom. 10:13-15)
Wow! Bruh Paul was a true wordsmith; especially good at pulling words from other writers and adding them to his, like he did with that last sentence of verse 15, which comes from Nahum 1:15. And what was that all about? The scholars explain it thus: ‘10: 14-15. In presenting the universal application of the gospel, Paul presents the reasons why a universal proclamation is necessary:
First, because the call must be preceded by faith; second, because faith must be preceded by hearing. This shows that knowledge is essential to belief. Faith must have a valid content (c.f. 4:18 – which refers to Abraham being the father of many nations through faith); third, because hearing requires a preacher; fourth, because preaching requires being sent. The One who sends is God. Salvation is completely from God.’
And then we come to the big question, as declared in verse 13 above: What is this thing called salvation? And the scholars offer this explanation. ‘10:13. Salvation is the most common biblical expression used to identify the subjective changes in people’s lives, when by faith they have received the benefit of the Christ’s death and resurrection. The term implies deliverance, safety, preservation, healing, and soundness. It occurs in Scripture in three phases. First the Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Eph. 2: 5, 8).
Second, the Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin in this life (Gal. 2:19-20). Finally, when the Lord returns, the Christian will be saved from ALL the physical results of sin and of God’s curse on the world (Rom. 8:18-23). Illustration: Although Jesus used the word only once (Luke 19:9). He used many other expressions to describe salvation. The dramatic change in Zaccheus was proof of his salvation. Application: The Christian today should also demonstrate a change in his life to confirm this “so great a salvation.”
And that phrase comes from Hebrews 3:2. Which says: ‘How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.’ Now that’s another good question to ask ourselves today. And I like how the article on the topic by John Piper, found on the desiringgod.org website explains it.
The author says: ‘The point of this paragraph of God’s Word is that there will be no escape for any of us who neglects our great salvation. Verse 3: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” What’s the answer to that question? The answer is, There is no way we will escape if we neglect such a great salvation. Now this is a sobering word for the world and for the church, because most people do neglect the greatness of salvation.
How many people do you know who give serious, sustained attention to the salvation accomplished by Christ—who LOVE it, and think about it, and meditate on it, and marvel at it, and feel continual gratitude for it, and commend it to others as valuable, and weave it into all the lesser things of their lives, and set their hopes on it? Do you live this way? Is it not astonishing how neglectful even professing Christians are of their great salvation?’
Now that’s the awful truth! Not enough of us take salvation as seriously as we should. So please let this be wakeup call for us nuh, and let’s begin to take God’s awesome free and LOVING gift of salvation the way we ought to. And we can begin right now by going to Him in sincere prayer, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, asking for His divine help.
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!’
It now behooves us to keep our promises, if we want the Lord to keep His. Much LOVE!
… it’s our bounden duty…to spread the LOVE of Jesus…every day…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
13 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a li'l compromise, belong mercies and forgivenesses, enamoured of Satan, entitled whiny specimens, Gladys Knight, have committed iniquity, Heaven help us all, help the black man, help the man who gave that child a gun, help the roses if the bombs begin to fall, help the white man, I am the Lord that is my name, I set my face unto the Lord God, if he struggles one more day, if he turns his back away, ignored the first commandment, Lord hear our call, LOVE, my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images, no deity is to rival the one true God, Ray Charles, rebellion against Almighty God, Ron Miller, serious conflagration, spoiled with comparatively mild winters, Stevie Wonder, the boy who never had a home, the girl who walks the street alone, the long and short of the story, The Lord is the same yesterday today and tomorrow, the Lord our God is righteous, the Lord watched upon the evil, the middle of winter, the nature of the enemy, thou shalt have no other Gods but me, to create chaos and confusion, to the Lord our God, true believers in Jesus, turned up the heat, we have sinned against thee, we obeyed not his voice, worldwide conflict
Exodus 20:3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me…
It’s another cold, cold Sunday! But what do we expect eh? It’s the middle of winter, so it ought to be cold. (smile) The problem is that over the last few years we’ve been spoiled with comparatively mild winters, and that’s what we now expect to be the norm. But Mother Nature has other ideas, and now that she’s turned up the heat (smile) or rather turned down the cold, we can’t handle it and are complaining like the soft, entitled, whiny specimens we’ve become. But please remember friends, we are true believers in Jesus, the Saviour of the world, a li’l cold weather shouldn’t stop us from congregating on the Lord’s Day, where possible, or joining in worship by technological means where it’s not.
So, without further ado, let’s get to today’s opening song. It’s something we all know; a soulful, gospel infused song, composed by Ron Miller and first recorded by Stevie Wonder, way back in 1970. It’s appropriately titled ‘Heaven Help Us All.’ And do we ever need heaven’s help just as badly right now, as we needed it then, because our world is in a terrible mess, with serious conflagration ever so possible, as everyone’s geared up for a worldwide conflict during this time of serious pandemic. So let’s offer up our sacrifice of praise, singing the Ray Charles and Gladys Knight version; that’s a mid-tempo, soulful, sincere plea for help, with plenty sweet background vocals.
‘Heaven help the boy who never had a home Heaven help the girl who walks the street alone And Heaven help the roses if the bombs begin to fall Lord, won’t you help us all? Heaven help the black man if he struggles one more day Heaven help the white man if he turns his back away Heaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawl Heaven help us all. (Chorus: Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call) Oh, yeah Heaven help the boy who won’t reach twenty-one And Heaven help the man who gave that child a gun And Heaven help the people with their backs against the wall Lord, won’t you help us all?
(Chorus: Heaven help us all…when we call) Gladys – monologue: “I want everybody within the sound of my voice this evening to fall down on their knees and say a prayer; asking for His guidance, His grace, His mercy. You might want to say: Lord, Lord, Lord, have mercy!” Now I lay me down before I go to sleep In a troubled world, I pray the Lord, the Lord to keep Keep hatred from the mighty and the mighty from the small. Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call. We need You Jesus so won’t you hear us when we call. We can’t do without You, so please hear us when we call. Heaven help us all, Heaven help us all, help us all Heaven help us, Lord, hear our call when we call.’
Yes friends, our world is once again at the edge of the precipice like it was back when the song was written some fifty years ago. We survived then, but who knows if we will right now, because the problems are so many and people are so angry and divided and willing to do almost anything to project their cause…anything but serious talk and a li’l compromise. And the only thing I can compare it to, is one of the two great prayer situations in the Good Book, when Nehemiah and Daniel prayed for their people Israel when they were held captive in Babylon, for their safety and the reconstruction of Jerusalem that was in shambles.
It’s only sincere prayer and repentance of that magnitude that will keep us from going over the edge of the yawning precipice. Today we’ll look at Daniel’s prayer, where he wrote. ‘And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed unto the Lord God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful (awesome) God, keeping the covenant and mercy (LOVING-kindness) to them that LOVE him, and to them that keep the commandments.
We have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgements. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land…O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face (shame), to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.’ (Dan. 9:3-6, 8-9)
Oh my fellow believers, it’s the same things that have brought us to this untenable situation in which our world is currently mired; rebellion against Almighty God and a stubborn refusal to keep His commandments, despite the prodding of His prophets and even His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. It seems like we have forgotten, or simply ignored the first commandment the Lord gave to Israel, and consequently to all the earth. ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me… For I the Lord thy God is a jealous God, visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. (Ex. 20:3, 5b)
Now what is difficult to understand in those clear and precise statements eh? And as the scholars so simply and plainly explain. ‘Thus the first commandment teaches that no deity, real or imagined, is to rival the one true God, who is the only One who matters. It demands an exclusive covenant relationship with Yahweh (cf. Ps. 81:9-10).’ And we know friends, that neither our God or His word changes, He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Furthermore, we’ve seen plenty evidence down through the years of the Lord punishing people for disobedience and rebellion, while rewarding them for steadfastness in His name.
However, even after the Lord sent His Son Jesus Christ to be sacrificed on the cross at Calvary for our abominable sins, we still continue to rebel, be disobedient, worship other gods, even to the extent of trying to remove Jehovah from our society. What utter foolishness and stupidity! That’s NEVER going to happen!
But we’ve become so enamoured of Satan and his disgusting lies and deceptions that we keep doing his evil bidding, even to our detriment. And yet we wonder why our world is in such a chaotic state. But that’s the nature of the enemy; to create chaos and confusion. And unfortunately, though so many of us claim to sincerely believe in Jesus, we can’t seem to fathom that and move away from Satan’s evil work.
And I like this later verse in Daniel’s prayer, because he tells it like it is. ‘Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil (kept the disaster in store) and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous, in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.’ (Dan. 9:14) That says it all my people! And it’s not like we haven’t heard it a million times, but for some unknown, ungodly reason, many of us still choose not to believe it. And now we are paying the price.
Now, the Lord might not be actively causing our problems, but He’s certainly not intervening to help us with them. Like we want, He’s allowing us to handle our lives on our own. And it’s oh so obvious that we cannot do it properly, therefore we are now suffering the consequences. And until we sincerely and wholeheartedly return to God’s fold, our problems will always be more than we can handle. That’s the long and short of the story! Much LOVE!
…I am the Lord…that is my name…and my glory…will I not give to another…neither my praise to graven images… (Is. 42:8)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
12 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fall on ice, a God-thing, a leopard can't change its spots, a morning skate, after their own lusts, an abomination to the Lord, an integrity kick, Anselm, aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow, be kind, better is a poor man who walks in his integrity, can't handle the truth, cast blame, cesspool, Christian values, dog-eat-dog lifestyle, don't assume ask, even when it stares us in the face, for our children's sake, good moral principles, have integrity, having itching ears, He is bigger than any of our problems or fears, heap to themselves teachers, keep Jesus near, life in the devil's playground, LOVE, lying lips, seek false compliments, stood my bounce, take responsibility for our actions, tell people how you feel, tell the truth, than a rich man whi is crooked in his ways, the time will come, the upper echelons of age, they that deal truly are his delight, turn away their ears from the truth, turned into fables, who lies for you will lie against you, will not endure sound doctrine, with Christ on our side we can do anything
Proverbs 12:22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly (truthfully) are his delight.
Anyone for a morning skate? Yes, my immediate neighbourhood looks like a skating rink because it’s covered in a layer of ice. Not snow, but ice. And that’s the worst and most dangerous part of the winter situation, for the ice is a real killer. You have to be very, very careful when you are dealing with it. Driving can be hazardous, but walking is even more critical because one false step or move and the results can be unimaginable. So many people have had their lives totally changed by experiencing a fall on ice, since broken bones don’t always heal when and how we desire, especially when we are in the upper echelons of age. (smile)
And although earlier on I saw a man out jogging, wisdom dictates that if you don’t have to go out then please don’t. And to make matters worse, I just heard that a winter warning has been issued for the Greater Toronto Area, meaning that temperatures can drop even lower than they currently are. But we won’t fear, just be careful and keep Jesus near as always, for He is bigger than any problems or fears we might have.
Now, let’s turn to our usual Saturday experience, that of checking out the quotes our friend Anselm sent us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And the first one says: ‘Who lies for you will lie against you.’ And is that the awful truth, or is it? It certainly is! You cannot trust someone who lies, even if it’s in your favour, because as time goes by, you will have doubts as to whether any of their words are true. For, as they say, a leopard can’t change its spots.
And though we might think that li’l white lies don’t really matter, the truth is that they all add up in the end. So, Cousin Sol tells it like it is in Proverbs: ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly (truthfully) are his delight.’ (Prov. 12:22) Thus, it’s always better not to have someone lie for you, since that also gives them power over you, puts more ammunition in their arsenal that they can later use against you.
And like Anselm is on an integrity kick this new year because all the remaining quotes deal with it. Hear this one: ‘Don’t assume, ask. Be kind. Tell the truth. Don’t say anything you can’t stand behind fully. Have integrity. Tell people how you feel.’ Now that certainly contains all the Christian values, although in this day and age, telling people how we truly feel is not always the wisest thing to do, since we have become so thin-skinned, that the slightest negative assertion causes us to rear up in anger.
Our society has become so entitled, aggressive and testy that we no longer are able to handle the truth, even when it stares us in the face. We tend to seek false compliments and what we want to hear rather than the truth about our situations. Bruh Paul’s words to Timothy from way back when, have definitely come true today in these perilous times. ‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables.’ (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
And that’s exactly what’s happening today. People are turning away from the truth of the gospel because they feel it incapacitates their God-given freedom, and are turning to stuff that’s not true, but which seems to give them the freedom they want to do whatever they want. And the sad part is that there are preachers who have come down to that level and are teaching what people want to hear, not what they need to hear. No wonder our world is in so much confusion with so many different truths on the same subject.
But moving on, we come to this most interesting quote: ‘Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.’ And there ought to be no controversy or dissension over that, because it comes straight from the Good Book. Another one of Cousin Sol’s wise sayings. ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse (non-conformist, deviant) in his lips, and is a fool.’ (Prov. 19:1) Yes friends, Cousin Sol doesn’t mince words there at all!
And furthermore, he repeats it in a slightly different manner in a later chapter. This time, he says: ‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness (integrity), than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.’ (Prov. 28:6) That’s why integrity is ever so important in a believer’s life, although it’s at a rather low ebb in our world these days. Many people can’t even tell you what it means, much less abide or live by it. And all integrity means is basically being honest and having good and decent moral principles to live by.
And I definitely like this last quote: ‘Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.’ Now that is an earth-shattering quote. And it’s something we should all take a moment to ask ourselves and truthfully consider if we are living a life of integrity and fairness, so that when our children hear or think of those words, we are the first persons to flit into their minds.
Ah mih people, unfortunately, a lot of us won’t flash into the heads of our children when they hear those words, because so many of us are so intent on living the dog-eat-dog style of living that our current world encourages. And that certainly doesn’t include fairness or integrity, but it’s more a get whatever you can, by whatever means you can lifestyle, which is certainly not consistent with true Christian beliefs.
In answer to that last quote, I don’t know if I will flash up into my children’s mind, although I hope so. (smile) But this I do know, that whenever I’ve done wrong, I’ve always stood my bounce, in other words stood whatever consequences came my way. And that’s also a lesson our world needs to badly learn today, because we like to cast blame, and not take responsibility for our actions and then face the resultant consequences.
But my fellow saints, until we learn to live with integrity and take responsibility for our actions, our world will continue to be the cesspool that it currently is, and will only get worse. So please, let’s try and do better than we’re doing nuh…for our children’s sake. Much LOVE!
…living a Christian life in the devil’s playground is not always easy…but remember…with Christ on our side…we can do anything…
P.S. Just noticed that on February 12, 22, we are teaching on Proverbs 12:22. Is that a God-thing or what? (smile) Much LOVE!
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
11 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a fool's wisdom, a means of restoring faith in you, a society only grows through work, an injection of godly wisdom, avoid any more serious setbacks, be obedient, bring backsliders back to your fold, cause those that love me to inherit substance, driven with the wind and tossed, durable riches and righteousness, embrace your love and compassion, Friday chant, giveth to all men liberally, he that wavereth is like a wave, I lead in the way of righteousness, I love them that love me, if any of you lack wisdom, in the midst of the paths of judgement, introduce a new flock, keep the commandments, let him ask in faith, let him ask of god, LOVE, my fruit is better than gold, my revenue than choice silver, not doubting, nothing wavering, omnipotent help, our sinful world can wake up, riches and honour, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, show them the error of their ways, smell the coffee, TGIF! Thank God it's Friday!, the anxiety confusion and havoc, those that seek me early will find me, time to party, true obedience, trusting faith, wise guidance
Proverbs 8:17. I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.
Then it was Friday, that long awaited day. And everybody shouted ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And the weekend is here! Time to party!’ Yes, it’s surprising at how eagerly and addictively we look forward to the end of the work week, as though work is such an enigma, such a problem, that we just want to be rid of it. But friends, the only way we progress, get ahead, succeed, is through work. And we do need a break from it every so often, but the disgust and hate that our current society shows towards work is very disheartening.
So many of us tend to think that work is below us, we shouldn’t have to work, and we are entitled to just pay, play and party. But unfortunately, that’s a fool’s wisdom. A society only grows by the amount of work its members put into it. No work equals no growth. Little work equals little growth. Plenty work equals plenty growth. That’s just the facts of life. And that’s why our society is slowly going down the drain. Not enough of us are working to keep the standards high. And when the standards of a society fall, so does the society itself.
And how do we turn around that situation eh? I believe it’s through an injection of wisdom into our society, that’s godly wisdom, not the wisdom of the world. And I just rediscovered a li’l gem from Proverbs 8, where Cousin Sol is talking about wisdom is everlasting. Now that gem says: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17) And that’s the gospel truth my brethren. Those of us who seek godly wisdom diligently will indeed find it.
And James, Jesus’ brother, said it thus. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach), and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Now it couldn’t be put any clearer than that! So friends, strong, unwavering faith is also necessary to acquiring godly wisdom. We can’t be wishy washy about it; one day up, the next day down, but need to walk a steadfast path. And if yuh think is joke we joking here, (smile) just listen to the things that godly wisdom does for its benefactors nuh.
‘Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable (enduring) riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead (walk) in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgement (justice): That I may cause those that LOVE me to inherit substance (wealth); and I will fill up their treasures.’ (Prov. 8:18-21)
Oh my people, you see how godly wisdom gives you everything; riches and honour as well as righteousness and justice! And most important of all, those things are enduring. They don’t blow up unexpectedly in your face when some unfortunate situation occurs, like the stuff that comes from the world’s wisdom, because they come from God and are everlasting! Like Jesus said, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Ah my fellow saints, we only have two options, two ways of living this earthly life: either under the rule of Jehovah God, our Creator and Controller, or under the ham-fisted rule of Satan, the foolish usurper. And the truth is, that whatever Satan can give you, Jehovah God can give you the same, and more too. And what He gives you will be enduring and long lasting, not fragile and fanciful like Satan’s offering, without any real truth, substance, peace and joy to it. That’s because Satan’s storefront is only a pretty façade. When you go behind its fanciful front, all you’ll find is chaos, confusion, hellfire and eternal damnation.
And we do have to be ever so careful about where we will end up come the ending of this mortal life. That’s why it’s ever so important for us to choose to live by godly standards and wisdom rather than by that of the world. And yuh better believe that right now we desperately need God’s wisdom with all the problems that are engulfing our world and turning it into bloody battlefield, both literally and figuratively. So please, let’s go to Him in prayer, through our Friday Chant, not wavering, but with steadfast faith, asking for His omnipotent help and wisdom to handle the massive storm that’s currently overwhelming us.
As one strong, but faithful and humble voice: ‘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 we need to remember that to get a positive answer, we must keep the vows we’ve just made, be obedient and keep the Lord’s commandments. That’s wisdom to the nth degree! Much LOVE!
…true obedience to anything…only shows…when we keep the rules…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
10 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: accounted as sheep for the slaughter, be not forgetful to entertain strangers, consumed by the love of Christ, curse, divine protection, faith, favour, good health, I am above and not beneath, I am more than a conqueror, Joyce Meyer, let brotherly love continue, LOVE, make the most of the present, negative word, our God moves in mysterious ways, promotion, prosper and succeed, sincerely come from their heart, some have entertained angels unawares, something good is going to happen through me, something good is going to happen to me, stray from the straight and narrow path, surrender to Christ, the blessings of obedience, the future is promised to no one, the good actions, the head and not the tail, the mark of a true believer, through Christ who loves me, Thursday Blessings, time never comes back, time waits on no one, to go after other gods to serve them, who shall separate us from the Love of Christ
Hebrews 13:1-2. Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Now can you believe it’s already Thursday, and only a few days ago we were wondering if and how we were going to handle Monday. (smile) But these days, though they be turbulent, evil, ungodly and anxiety filled, they certainly are not making joke to move along at top speed. But as they say, time waits on no one, and time is also one thing that never comes back, we can never recoup or recapture it, so we have to make the most of it right when it comes along. Yes friends, we must make the most of the present, because that’s all we have; the past is gone, and the future is promised to no one.
So, on this damp, cloudy, Thursday morning, let’s look at the last few acclamations that I want to share. And the first one is familiar to us all. ‘I am above and not beneath. The head and not the tail.’ Now that’s exactly where believers are supposed to be; at the head and not the foot. But do we know where that comes from? It comes from a very significant scripture where Moses was informing the people of Israel on the blessings of obedience.
‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto (heed, listen to) the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them). And thou shalt not go aside (turn) from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.’ (Deut. 28:13-14)
Now please note that we only become the head and not the tail through obedience to God’s commandments, if we don’t stray from the straight and narrow path. So why do so many of us end up being the tail or the foot and not the head eh? It’s obvious: we don’t keep God’s commandments and allow the gods of this world, material stuff and other things to make us turn to the right and the left, and forsake the straight and narrow path for the wide and deadly one.
And that really goes for every acclamation that we can make; if we don’t believe and live by God’s rules, they won’t any difference in our lives. The basis for acclamations to work is our basic faith and steadfastness in Jesus, doing our best to live the way He desires, otherwise we are just wasting our time. And if we live for Jesus, then this next acclamation will be mighty indeed! ‘I am more than a conqueror, through Christ who LOVES me!’ Now that’s the living truth! As Bruh Paul tells us from that magnificent and oh so encouraging and reassuring chapter 8 of Romans.
‘Who shall separate us from the LOVE of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that LOVED us. 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.’ (Rom. 8:35-39)
Oh my people, that’s what it means to be all wrapped up and consumed by the LOVE of Christ! Nothing can separate us from it! That awesome LOVE causes us to become conquerors over anything that comes against us! That’s the kind of power we wield when we surrender to Christ and put all our trust and faith in His omnipotent hands and Being!
Now this last acclamation has its basis in many scriptures, in fact we can say the entire Good Book, since it encourages us to do good from Genesis to Revelation. (smile) However, the acclamation itself is a compilation of sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer). She likes to acclaim: ‘Something good is going to happen TO me today! Something good is going to happen THROUGH me today!’
That certainly seems like something we all could declare over our lives every day that we draw breath. I like it because it’s a generous and unselfish prayer. We are looking for good things for ourselves, but like Jesus desires of us, we are also looking to share our good fortune with others. And it reminds me of that awesome scripture in Hebrews 13, which admonishes us thus: ‘Let brotherly LOVE continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’ (Heb. 13:1-2)
And that’s no lie my faithful brethren! We never know who will come into our lives at some time and make a substantial difference. That’s why we need to be good to strangers, for who knows, we might be entertaining angels and we don’t know it. (smile) Remember our God likes to move in mysterious ways, and ofttimes our blessings come from the most unlikely source.
Anyway, since it’s Thursday, we must declare what we call our Thursday Blessings, if we want them to take root in our lives, because a blessing is not a blessing until it’s declared. So as one strong voice: ‘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!’
Oh friends, with all of those godly blessings, we now need to go out and use them for the benefit of others, share them just as generously with our fellow man as Jesus shared them with us. That was His awesome purpose behind all that generosity! Much LOVE!
…the mark of a true believer… the good actions…which sincerely come from their heart…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
09 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a word to the wise is sufficient, acclamations of faith, be of good cheer I have overcome the world, by thy words thou shalt be condemned, by thy words thou shalt be justified, called me to his eternal glory in Christ, during the rough times, easy to be a friend in good times, endure to the end, Euripides, every idle word that men speak, fair-weather friends, friends show their love in times of trouble, friends show their true mettle, glory hallelujah, gospel truth, halfway home, hands on the plough, he shall direct thy paths, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, I am an overcomer through Christ, I will be debt free in God's time, in all thy ways acknowledge him, in the day of judgement, Karen Del Tatto, keep the door of my lips, lean not unto thine own understanding, LOVE, more glorious than we can ask or imagine, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, night-owl activities, not turning back, restore me and make me strong, separate the sheep from the goats, set a watch O Lord before my mouth, sleeping all night experiment, social media platforms, the borrower is servant to the lender, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the God of all grace, they shall give an account of, time for Christians to stand up and be counted, to a glorious future with Jesus, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, who is he that overcometh the world, without fear of retribution
1 John 5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’
Well, I don’t think I’m going to try that sleeping all night experiment again for a long while nuh, because my back hurt all yesterday – and still hurts today, despite pain medication! Yes, I’ll stick with my few hours of sleep here and there and continue with my night-owl activities since I believe I can handle the lack of sleep problem better than the back pain one. End of story! (smile)
So today we’ll continue with a few more acclamations, to enlarge our repertoire of sayings that can quickly raise the level of our spirits and keep our faith strong. And this first one is accredited to the famous Greek tragedian dramatist Euripides. It says: ‘Friends show their LOVE in times of trouble, not in happiness.’ Now isn’t that saying something? It surely is! And what is it saying you ask? (smile)
That true friends come to our help in time of need, of disaster, when we are desperate and can’t see up from down. Yes, it’s easy to be a so-called friend in the good times, but it’s during the rough times that real friends show their true mettle, show that they are not merely fair-weather friends. And that’s the type of friends we all need to encourage in our lives, especially in these sad and desperate times which we are currently experiencing. It’s now that we can truly separate the sheep from the goats, like Jesus will do when he comes back. (Matt. 25:31-46)
Now listen to this great Bible acclamation from the pen of Peter. ‘And the God of all grace, who has called me to His eternal glory in Christ, after I have suffered a little while, will Himself restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. Glory to God!’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Oh yes my people, that is the gospel truth! Our great God will indeed bring us out of any trouble when He’s good and ready, when He’s satisfied that we’ve learned something valuable from the situation. And yes, it’s somewhat long, but it’s worth learning if it can lift our spirits.
Then there is this one: ‘I will be debt free in God’s time! Glory Hallelujah!’ Now that is an acclamation that many of us need to declare, believe and do our part in working towards it, because it won’t come through if we keep running up unnecessary debt which is so easy to get nowadays. And for that we have to thank Cousin Sol as he tells us in Proverbs: ‘The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.’ (Prov. 22:7) And that’s more gospel truth my faithful brethren, for the lender indeed has the borrower over a barrel and can use them as puppets, pulling their strings whenever they choose.
Now this next acclamation is also one that most of us need to pray every day, the profound words of Bruh David from Psalm 141 – A Prayer for help in trouble – where he petitions the Lord to: ‘Set a watch (guard), O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door (keep watch over the door) of my lips.’ (Ps. 141:3)
And yuh better believe that the Lord will be busy all day if we ask him for that protection, because these days our mouths run like never before. Even when we don’t what we’re talking about, we all have opinions and desire greatly to express them. And the social media platforms don’t help at all. In fact, they exacerbate the problem, because we can say all kinds of things on them without fear of retribution, since they can also keep us anonymous. But unfortunately, right now talk is very cheap and plentiful and lots of people are using it for their own evil and perverted purposes.
However, please, let’s remember these very important statements of Jesus about talking. ‘But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.’ (Matt. 12:36-37) So, as they say, a word to the wise is sufficient. (smile)
Now here is an interesting acclamation based on so many Bible verses. ‘I am an overcomer through Christ!’ Oh yeah! We ought to be friends, because Christ told us in no uncertain terms that He has already overcome the world, so we don’t need to worry about it. And we all know this scripture: ‘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) Now it’s up to us to sincerely believe it and put it to work.
And John corroborates Christ’s words in his first epistle, where he declares: ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?’ (1 John 5:3-5) He could not put it any clearer friends. Those who are born again, who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, are the ones enabled to overcome this evil and ungodly world.
And this article on the subject by Karen Del Tatto on the growingtogetheringraceandknowledge.blog.com website tells us that the best way to be overcomers in Christ is by following these verses from Proverbs that we already know, but don’t seem to put them into practice like we ought to. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ (Prov. 3:5-6)
Yes my fellow saints those are two verses that if we sincerely live our lives by them, that’s confidently trust in the Lord and carry all our problems to Him, He will guide us so that we can become overcomers. Let’s remember that and put it into action nuh, especially in these turbulent and uncertain times. Now is the time for Christians to stand up and be counted, for this is the time and occasion that we were born for.
And having said all of that let’s go home declaring (awright!!!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful and definitely enviable 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 end, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!
…why do we talk about trust in Jesus…but don’t show it in the way we live our lives…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
08 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: acclamations, as for me and my house, cut down on our Christian witness, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, for where envying and strife is, for ye are yet carnal, God will supply all of my needs, I am the beloved of god, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I will get sufficient rest every day, I will live a balanced life, I will not tolerate strife in my life, in god's eyes, let me count the ways, living according to man not God, night owl activities, no one can take that from me, no sacrifice to live for Jesus, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, omni-present, omnipotent, omniscient, our souls washed white as snow, share His love with the world, sleep thou sweet elixir, spend eternity in God's loving fold, that's for sure, the selfless sacrifices He made for us, the straight and narrow path, there is among you envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work, this is the day the Lord has made, through Christ our Lord and Saviour, through His riches in glory, to those that love God, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, unaccustomed sojourn in bed, walk as men, we know that all things work together for good, we will rejoice and be glad in it, we will serve the Lord, who are called according to His purpose, you never get something for nothing
Joshua 24:15d. As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!
Oh sleep, thou sweet elixir! How much do I LOVE thee eh? Let me count the ways! ( smile) Ah friends, last night the ole fella got his first all-night rest in a long while! I stayed in bed all night long from about eleven-thirty p.m. until seven a.m. Wow! That’s a record! I did awaken a couple of times and got up once to go the bathroom, but did not engage in any of my usual night owl activities. And the body does feel somewhat rejuvenated, but my ole aching back is paying for that long, unaccustomed sojourn in bed. (smile) But as they say, you never get something for nothing!
And on this damp, cloudy Tuesday morning in early February of this crazy and troubled year of 2022, I believe we should turn to, pay some much needed attention to what we call acclamations; Bible verses and other li’l sayings that we can use to refresh and renew our spirits when the enemy tries to beat us down, as he so dearly likes to do. So, let’s begin with this one that we all know and hopefully repeat every day. ‘This is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!’ (Ps. 118:24)
And what about this one that so gratefully releases our faith? ‘God will supply ALL of my needs through His riches in glory through Christ our Lord and Saviour!’ (Phil. 4:19) Mama oh Mama! What a powerful scripture that is my people! It enables us to go about our Christ-centred business, each and every day, without worrying about how, why, where and when our personal needs will be met. Please give our great God some thanks and praise for that most awesome and faithful promise!
Then there’s this most amazing and edifying scripture: ‘I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!’ (Phil. 4:13) Yes, friends, there’s nothing we can’t do through Christ who is our awesome strength! He created the universe and all therein, and still controls it from His heavenly throne. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present; meaning He is all-powerful, sees and knows all, and His almighty presence is all over the globe at the same time. And He LOVES us unconditionally, showing that majestic LOVE by sending His Only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary to atone for our abominable sins…and that while we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5:8)
Imagine that nuh mih people, before we ever thought about God, He thought the most wonderful things about us; reconciling us to Himself, justifying us through the blood of Jesus, sanctifying us, setting us apart for His own…etc. etc. just giving us every chance possible to come back to Him, to have our sins paid for and thrown away as far as the east is from the west, our souls washed white as snow, and thus able to spend eternity in His LOVING fold! What an awesome God we serve my faithful brethren!
Now here is an acclamation I don’t think you’ll find written as such in scripture, but it is certainly alluded to all the time. It says: ‘I will not tolerate strife in my life!’ And that’s certainly something we should always be aware of, because strife can crop up at anytime and anywhere and it’s oh so detrimental to our health, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Bruh Paul had this to say about strife. ‘For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions (dissensions), are ye not carnal (fleshly), and walk as men (living according to man and not God)?’ (1 Cor. 3:3)
Meanwhile, Jesus’ brother, James, puts it thus: ‘For where envying and strife is (where self-serving exists), there is confusion and every evil work.’ (James 3:16) Yes my people, wherever and whenever jealousy, selfish ambition, foolish pride and those negative things exist, strife and confusion will be there with them. And that does nothing but distract from and cut down on our Christian witness.
Now hear this marvellous acclamation that I make sure and say every day, because it’s possibly the most important. In the profound words of Joshua: ‘As for me and my house, we WILL serve (follow) the Lord; that’s for sure!’ (Josh. 24:15) Yeh friends, every day I ask the Lord to make that a fact, make it come true, because I can only do so much to bring it to pass, but He has the power to lead my family along the right path, the straight and narrow one. So that sort of encompasses everything.
And here’s this last acclamation for today: ‘If God be for me, who can be against me eh? (Rom. 8:31) And the immediate and confident answer is NOBODY! Ah friends, if the Creator and Controller of the universe is on your side, who the dickens can be against you eh? Not a single soul! For the One who looks out for you is the mightiest of the mighty, and can turn any situation into a good one, as He’s so faithfully promised to do in this magnificent and overwhelming scripture: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those that LOVE God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28)
Glory be! What a wonderful affirmation the believer in Christ Jesus has for his eventual future! And yes, I know I said that the acclamation before that one would be the last, but you have to go with where the Holy Spirit leads you. (smile) And it has finally led me to this one, to be the last. And though again, you can’t find it romanticized in the scriptures, it is embedded very deeply therein. And it declares: ‘I WILL live a balanced life, and I WILL get sufficient rest each and every day!’
Now, that’s what I am attempting to do, because I can see and feel how not living a balanced life and not getting sufficient rest is taking a negative toll on me, in all aspects of my life. And here is the truly last acclamation (smile), it’s called our Tuesday Mantra. So, let’s declare it in full 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!’
Now, with all that ‘acclamating’ (smile) let’s hope that we have a wonderful day, as we go out and share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Jesus with others, so that they too can come to LOVE and serve Him as faithfully as we do. Much LOVE!
…it’s no sacrifice to live for Jesus…not after all the selfless sacrifices He made for us…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
07 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a deep desire for personal righteousness, a privilege and a gift, according to the riches of his glory, all the fullness of God, be strengthened with might, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, by the Holy spirit, faithful believers, God grant you, God satisfies the thirsty soul, humble ourselves, hungry and thirsty, in a dry and thirsty land, in the inner man, indisputable truth, Jehovah Rapha, know the love of christ, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, my flesh longeth for thee, my soul thirsteth for god, negative situations, physical food, read the obits, rooted and grounded in love, sincere repentance, spiritual nourishment, strong faith in Christ, successfully live the Christian life, the God who heals, the living God, they shall be filled, thou art my God, time to rise and shine, turn from our evil ways, we have all sinned, When shall I come and appear before God, where no water is
Psalm 42:2a. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.
Well, a good Monday morning my Scrip-Bit friends and family! It’s time to rise and shine and begin another new day in God’s great universe. But first thing we need to do every day is to give thanks for being alive, for being able to have the awesome breath of Jehovah God still coursing through our human bodies. That’s a great privilege and gift, because if you read the obits, you’ll see many who didn’t receive that privilege and gift this morning. And since we are alive, it means that the Lord still has important work for us to do down here on planet earth.
But the only way to find out His plan for each of us, is by sincerely seeking Him out and asking what He has in mind. However, we can’t just go to God in any wishy-washy manner, but we must be primed, hungry and thirsty to know His will. And one of the best opening prayers in the Good Book is that from Psalm 63 – God satisfies the thirsting soul, where Bruh David solemnly declares: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.’ (Ps. 63:1)
Yes my brethren, that’s how we ought to long for communion with our God; like a thirsty man in a desert, as though we will die from thirst if we don’t contact Him to get the living water that His Son Jesus, our Lord and Saviour has offered to those who sincerely believe in Him. And it’s not only Bruh David who wrote that way, but also the sons of Korah. Listen to them from Psalm 42 – An intense longing for God. ‘As the hart (deer) panteth after (longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2)
Oh my people, do we have that insatiable hunger and thirst for God and the things of God? We ought to, if we are true believers. For, like Jesus says in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Matt. 5:6)
As the scholars explain. ‘Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, experience a deep desire for personal righteousness, which in itself is proof of their spiritual rebirth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual poverty recognize the depth of their need, and they hunger and thirst for that which only God can give them. They shall be filled refers to a complete satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Ps. 107:9).’
And we all know that’s the indisputable truth my fellow saints! When we come to the Lord seeking Him and His amazing gifts, He fills us up with His Spirit, and all the other good things that we need to do His will. Consequently, Bruh Paul did not pray for believers to be rid of problems, or not experience any, but for them to experience inner growth that would enable them to handle the problems in a Christian manner.
Listen to his prayer for the church at Ephesus. ‘That he (God) would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye be rooted and grounded in LOVE, May be able to comprehend (understand) with all saints what is the breadth (width), and length, and depth and height; And to know the LOVE of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’ (Eph: 3:16-19)
Wow! What a rich and marvellous prayer! And if it all seems a bit much for our understanding, let’s allow the scholars to explain. ‘3:16-19. In these verses, Paul makes three prayer requests for the addressees: (1) That they would be strengthened with might by his Spirit (v.16), that is, that they be divinely enabled to successfully live the Christian life. (2) That the readers be able to comprehend…the LOVE of Christ, that is, to better understand the enormous LOVE Christ has for them. And (3) that they might be filled with all the fullness of God, that is, that the life, character, and virtues of God Himself may be fully developed in them.’
Now that is the kind of prayer we ought to be making for our fellow believers, not to simply bless them, although that’s better than nothing. (smile) And having awakened both our bodies and spirits with a hunger and thirst for both spiritual and physical food, let’s go to our omnipotent God for help and guidance, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, as we step out today to do His kingdom work.
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!’
Now,, let’s remember if we want those prayers to come through, we have to change our evil ways and become faithful believers. Much LOVE!
…just like our bodies can’t survive without physical food…our souls and spirits can’t survive without spiritual nourishment…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
06 Feb 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all for sin could not atone, ascribe ye greatness to our God, Christ's redemptive wotk on the cross, find shelter, from the deluge of sin's guilt and power, from thy wounded side, give thanks and praise, he is the rock, his work is perfect, I will love thee O Lord, let me hide myself in thee, let the water and the blood, LOVE, my deliverer, my god, naked come to thee for dress, only a fool will say there is no God, receive inspiration and reassurance, Rev. Augustus Toplady, Rock of ages cleft for me, run to God for refuge, see thee on thy judgement throne, shed for us at Calvary, simply to the cross I cling, the Lord is mu rock and fortress, the sacrificial blood ofHIs Son Jesus, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, trust ye in the Lord for ever, when I soar to worlds unknown, when there is so much evidence to the contrary, whose mind is stayed on thee
Psalm 18:1 I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength.
It’s the first day of the week friends – Sunday, the Lord’s Day! That means it’s time to gather round to give thanks and praise, to hear God’s Word and receive inspiration and reassurance for the upcoming week. Now, some of our churches are still closed because of the Covid virus, but others are open, but with the many technological advances at our beck and call, none of us ought to miss attending worship in some form and fashion today.
And we are going to open today’s worship session with a golden oldie titled ‘Rock of Ages Cleft For Me.’ Yeh, it’s a favourite we’ve been singing for over two hundred years, and it still retains the flavour and delivers the message that we all need to hear, especially in these turbulent times.
The hymn was written by the English minister, Rev. Augustus Toplady around 1763, and the hymnary.org website tells us: ‘There is a legend that Augustus Toplady was inspired to write this hymn after finding shelter from a thunderstorm in a cleft (space, opening) in a rock at Burrington Combe in Somerset, England. While evidence to support that story is lacking, it does provide a vivid image through which to understand the hymn. Christ and His redemptive work on the cross are like that cleft (space, opening) in the rock, where we can find shelter from the deluge of sin’s guilt and power.’
And isn’t that the awesome truth! So with that in mind let’s offer a rich, soulful and sincere sacrifice of praise to our wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ, as we sing: ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Saviour, or I die. Wash me, Saviour or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…Let me hide myself in thee…let me hide myself in thee….’
Yes friends, only the blood of Jesus shed on the cross of Calvary has the power to atone for our sins, and only through accepting Him as Lord and Saviour can we ever come to salvation. And once He comes into our lives, He’s always there with us, through His Holy Spirit, never leaving nor forsaking us.
And I like this excerpt from an article on the website Godtube, which states: ‘Even when we may feel like we are all alone, remember that God is always by our side and will never abandon us. He is truly our light in the dark and our rock that we can stand upon always. What an amazing feeling to be loved by such a kind Father and to give praise to His name with the beautiful hymn ‘Rock Of Ages.’ Hearing the story behind the hymn made this classic song even more powerful. What a way to worship!’
Ah mih people, our God is indeed a refuge from the storms of life; the solid rock that has a cleft or space under or in which we can always hide. And it’s a figure of speech, a metaphor that’s used throughout the Good Book to describe our marvellous Creator. So let’s check out a few of those scriptures nuh. Listen first to Moses as he sang his song of praise to Almighty God:…Because I will publish (proclaim) the name of the Lord; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.’ (Deut. 32:3-4) Yes my brethren, those words describe our God to a T!
Meanwhile, the prophet Isaiah, in his hymn of praise, said it thus: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (or Rock of Ages).’ (Is. 26:3-4) Ah friends, more gospel truth about the attributes and excellence of our wonderful God.
But hear the definitive proclamation on the mighty power of our Jehovah, which comes from Psalm 18, from the pen of Bruh David, who knew the awesome majesty and power and faithfulness of the God of his forefathers. And though it took some twenty years after his anointing for him to become king of Israel, most of which he spent running for his life from the jealous king Saul, the Lord kept him safe. Even when Saul threw a javelin at him at close quarters, he missed twice. (1 Sam. 18:10-11)
Bruh David solemnly declares: ‘I will LOVE thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength (lit. rock), in whom I will trust; my buckler (shield), and the horn (strength) of my salvation, and my high tower (stronghold). I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.’ (Ps. 18:1-3)
And Bruh David did call upon the Lord, and he was saved from his enemies. We know his story, so what better or other testimony do we need eh my fellow saints to run to God for refuge when the troubles of this world threaten to overwhelm us? It’s a no-brainer! God created us and has saved us from the eternal damnation to which our sin originally relegated us, by the sacrificial blood of His Son Jesus shed on the cross at Calvary.
In His great LOVE for us, He reconciled us to Himself, what more do want eh? All He’s asking is that you believe in His Son, and come to Him for help in time of need. The choice is yours. But please note there are serious negative consequences for refusing His offer. So the wise man will gladly accept it. Much LOVE!
…only a fool will say there is no God…when there is so much evidence to the contrary…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
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