04 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, a discernerof the thoughts and intents of the heart, a great family, alive and kicking, all things were created by him and for him, Alleluia, and God said, before the day was I am he, blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, Christian pilgrims, courage, creativity, curse, divine protection, easier for a camel, even there shall thy had lead me, God booted Satan out unceremoniously, help in times of trouble, I will work, if I take the wings of the morning, in the beginning, LOVE, magnificent blessings, mighty thunderings, negative word, no purpose of God can be thwarted by mortal man, not a word in my tongue, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, Satan, self-control, sharper than any twoedged sword, than for a rich man to enter heaven, the Lord created the heaven and earth, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, the marriage supper of the lamb, the One and Only Living God, the voice of a great multitude, the voice of many waters, the Word of God is quick, there is none that deliver out of my hand, thou art acquainted with all my ways, thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, Thursday Blessings, thy right hand shall hold me, to go through the eye of a needle, whither shall I flee from thy presence, who shall reverse it, with God all things are possible
Isaiah 43:13. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?
Oh friends, we’re just strangers here, Christian pilgrims on our way home to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the high heavens! So please give thanks and praise for our blessedness, because not everybody is blessed like us! And all of God’s people shouted proudly and gratefully: ‘Blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, blessed be the name of God the Father, and blessed be the name of the Holy Spirit, our triumvirate God!’
Ah mih people, there’s no God like ours! In fact, our God is the ONE and ONLY true living Deity! None other exists. That’s just the simple fact. You can’t be a God unless you’re alive and kicking, else how would you do things for your people eh? Dead gods can’t do anything for anybody.
That’s why our triune God is so wonderful; they are indeed alive and kicking! Glory be mih bredrin! That’s why they can be our help in times of trouble and keep their awesome promises…because they are alive and omnipotent! And today we’re just going to look at a few Bible verses that verify the fact that our God is omnipotent and can do anything, whatever pleases Him.
And I believe the verse that says it all is the very first one in His Word. ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.’ (Gen. 1:1) What can be more powerful than that eh friends?
Bruh Paul says it thus to the Colossians: ‘For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in (on) the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities (rulers), or powers (authorities): all things were created by him, and for him.’ (Col.1:16)
Yes friends, God, through Christ Jesus created everything by Himself, for Himself. So who the heck are we, a mere mortal creation to want to kick God out of His own universe eh? We’re boldfaced and stupid just like another creation, Lucifer, alias Satan, who wanted to overthrow Almighty God when he was a mere archangel, but God booted him out unceremoniously from heaven with all the other foolish angels who had joined with him to create the rebellion.
And the great thing about our magnificent God, is that He created it all through the spoken word, showing exactly how powerful His word is. The first chapter on creation is all about ‘And God said…’ and it happened instantaneously.
Hear how the Good Book describes the power of God’s word nuh: ‘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.’ (Heb. 4:12)
Yes people, God scrutinizes all our lives, that’s why we have to be careful how we live them. No wonder Bruh David could truly declare (yeah!) in Psalm 139 – The everlasting presence and power of God.
‘O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me, Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandeth my thought afar off. Thou compasseth (understandeth) my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether….
Whither shall (can) I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall (can) I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.’ (Ps. 139:1-4, 7-10)
Yuh see friends, we can’t get away from God no matter how hard we try, for not only is He omnipotent -all powerful, but also omniscient – all knowing, and omnipresent – everywhere!
And the prophet Amos put it this way: ‘For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind (or the spirit), and declareth unto man what is his (God’s) thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, the God of hosts, is his name.’ (Amos 4:13)
Yes my people, that’s an awesome fact. It’s the Lord our God who is the Creator and Controller of this great universe in which we dwell at His command and desire. We’re here to do His bidding, not the other way around, like so many of the foolish think.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah, in his prayer said it with surety and praise: ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard (difficult) for thee:’ (Jer. 32:17) And the last two verses of that chapter tell us: ‘Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?’ (Jer. 32:26-27)
Ah mih people, the Lord doesn’t like it when we doubt Him. And by the way, the answer to His question is a big and definite ‘NO!’ Jesus made that quite clear in His sojourn on earth. When talking about it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven, He announced to His listeners: ‘With men this is impossible; but with God, ALL things are possible.’ (Matt. 19:26)
And why shouldn’t it be eh, if He is mighty and omnipotent? Job said it in his submission. ‘I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.’ (Job 42:2) And that’s the gospel truth friends! Our God can do any and everything, and no purpose of His can be thwarted by mortal man.
So I don’t see why we keep on trying to hide ourselves and things about us from Him. As He says through Isaiah. ‘Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (reverse) it?’ (Is. 43:13) And the obvious answer my brethren is ‘NOBODY!’
And this last scripture is oh so suitable to end with. Re the marriage supper of the Lamb, John the Revelator, says: ‘And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice (roar, sound) of many waters, and as the voice (roar, sound) of mighty thunderings, saying. Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ (Rev. 19:6) And He will reign for ever and ever my fellow saints in Christ. the marriage
So let’s go home now with all of that scripture securely embedded in our hearts and minds, and we declare (yesss!) our Thursday Blessings that the Lord God Almighty has so generously bestowed on us to do His earthly work.
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 everyday! Amen!’
Now it’s time to share those magnificent blessings just as generously with those around us. Much LOVE!
…if you don’t believe that the Lord is…omnipotent, omniscient and omni-present…then what do you believe eh…
P.S. It only seems long…but it’s not really. (smile) Much LOVE!
03 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all about obedience, and through the rivers, as to the Lord, better late than never, do it heartily, do it heartily as unto the Lord, every tongue that rises against you, fear not, for I have redeemed thee, glorify your father in heaven, gotten soft flabby and weak, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, I am the Lord thy God, I have called thee by name, I will be with thee, I will give men for thee, I'm not turning back, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, my eyes are fixed straight ahead, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee, no weapon formed against you shall prosper, not unto men, obedience to god, obey in all things your masters, people for thy life, receive the reward of the inheritance, refuse to adhere to the rukes, singleness of heart, suffering economic and emotional loss, supposed Christians refusing to comply, talk the talk, thank God, the breath of life, the entitlement and easy living, the Great God Jehovah, the heritage of God's servants, the Holy One of Israel, the lockdown caused by the Corona virus, the opportune time, their righteousness is from me, they may see your good works, they shall not overflow thee, thou art mine, thou shalt condemn, thou shalt not be burned, thou wast precious in my sight, thy Saviour, to a glorious future with Jesus, walk the walk, we can handle whatever comes against us, Wednesday Wail, whatsoever ye do, when thou passest through the waters, when thou walkest through the fire, ye serve the Lord Christ
Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Welcome, welcome one and all to a bright new day in God’s great universe! In my part of the world it’s sunny but brrrr… cold. (smile) The snow is still frozen on the banks and yards and roof tops, and it doesn’t look like it intends to move for a while yet, but who cares eh?
We know that with the great God Jehovah on our side, we can handle anything that comes against us. So be it flood, fire, earthquake, famine, disease, like the pandemic that has us all wrapped up now, we know that with God’s awesome and divine help we will be fine, and it will all pass eventually.
Why? Because He’s promised that ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of (from) me, saith the Lord.’ (Is. 54:17) Wow! What a powerful promise!
And hear this other one nuh, from Isaiah too. ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee , O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel. Fear not: for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned: neither shall the flame kindle upon (scorch) thee.
For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee (in thy place). Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable (honoured), and I have LOVED thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.’ (Is. 43:1-4)
Oh mih people, what marvellous promises from our Creator! The problem is do we believe them, and do we live like we believe them? And don’t tell me foolishness bout that is Old Testament scripture and don’t have any use today, because it’s in the New Testament that the Lord redeemed us through our Saviour Jesus Christ, His only Son, proving how much He LOVED us and wanted us to be able to spend eternity with Him. So, there are no excuses for not believing the Lord’s promises in His holy word!
But coming back to our earlier question about whether we believe the promises and live them out in our lives, I’d venture to say not as much as we ought to. Why? I guess our faith is just not strong enough, especially with the entitled, easy lives we’re accustomed to living in these hitherto prosperous times.
We’ve gotten soft and flabby and weak by the entitlement and easy living, lost what little backbone we had, and can’t handle hardship like our forefathers of even one generation ago. Just look at how so many of us are fumbling, bumbling and going under with the lockdown caused by the Corona virus.
Granted, many of us are suffering economic and emotional loss and that will surely cause concern, but plenty others are simply complaining and grumbling because they can’t go out and refuse to adhere to the few rules we have for keeping the virus in check. And it’s not like we don’t see the rebellious fools who take matters into their own hands dropping like flies.
But we so stupid and selfish that we still want to do it our way. Ah Lord eh. Even supposed Christians refusing to comply and holding physical church services as though the virus can’t harm them, when they seeing that it harming plenty others who behaving like them.
But what does the ole fella know eh friends? Apparently not a whole lot. (smile) I go out, when necessary, but I try and abide by the rules because I believe that the Lord will keep me safe if I abide by the rules. It’s all about obedience my people; obedience to God and to our earthly rulers, whom God has put in place over us. Obviously, we must put obedience to God first.
As Bruh Paul said to the Colossians: Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but with singleness of heart (sincerity), fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ (Col. 3:22-24)
Yes friends, whatever we do, we must do it as though we’re doing it unto the Lord, for as believers, in the overall scheme of things, it is the Lord that we’re serving. That means always doing our best work, not only when our bosses are watching, for the Lord is always watching, and He will eventually reward us with the promise of salvation if we are obedient to His commands.
So what am I trying to say in this message eh? Simply that if we call ourselves believers in Christ, then we must believe and show ourselves thus. We can’t just talk the talk, but even more importantly we need to walk it, to be worthy examples to the unbelievers and the naysayers. Just like Jesus was a worthy example to us, we must be worthy examples for His purpose, which we claim to represent.
Therefore, we can’t be wishy-washy and disobedient and insincere and all those other things that the unbelievers display. Oh my brethren we spout a lot of scripture, like we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, please, please let’s show that it’s for real nuh and not just idle talk nuh!
That’s what Christ expects of those who claim to be His followers. And now is the opportune time for us to show how wonderful, powerful and LOVING He is! And we promise to do exactly that! Glory be! So let’s go home now declaring (awright!) our Wednesday Wail letting all and sundry know of our wonderful and enviable position in Christ Jesus. Wow!
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 we all know, if we endure sincerely until the end, that glorious future will be even more glorious than we can ever ask or imagine! So let’s staunchly hang in there nuh mih people! Much LOVE!
…let your light so shine before men…that they may see your good works…and glorify your Father in heaven… (Matt. 5:16)
P.S. Sorry it’s a tad late, but both the computer and I had issues that ate up some valuable time. (smile) But as always, better late than never! Much LOVE!
02 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a new set of mercies and compassions, a strong breath of life, a world of iniquity, an unruly evil, average minds discuss events, blessed and favoured, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, but you can't take back your words, children of the Most High God, death and life are in the power of the tongue, do His divine bidding, encampeth round about them that fear him, false teaching, forgiven, full of deadly poison, gossip, great minds discuss ideas, have good success, have on the yoke of Christ, in god's eyes, indisputable truth, justified, let us exalt His name together, make thy way prosperous, meditate day and night, never say in anger what you don't mean, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, o magnify the Lord with me, O taste and see that the Lord is good, out of the same mouth, proceedeth blessing and cursing, reconciled, Rev. Marcia Martin, reverence the Lord God Jehovah, sanctified, set on fire of hell, shall eat the fruit thereof, share His love with the world, small minds discuss people, the angel of the Lord, the beloved of God, the tongue can no man tame, the tongues is a fire, the tongues is slall but boasts a lot of power, they that love it, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, you can say you're sorry
Proverbs 18:21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Oh friends, come join with me this cold but bright and sunny winter morning to magnify the Lord nuh, for He is ever so good to us! Yes, He woke us up this morning with a new set of mercies and compassions and a strong breath of life so we can do His divine bidding. That’s more than enough to give Him much thanks and praise.
So as the Good Book decrees: ‘O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together….The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want (lack) to them that fear him.’ (Ps. 34: 3,7-10)
Yes my people, that is the indisputable truth! Those who reverence the Lord God Jehovah are protected and want for nothing that’s necessary to live this life. But the onus is upon us to reverence Him. It just doesn’t happen on its own; energy and effort have to be put into it.
And one of the most important things for believers to do, especially in these uncertain and disastrous times is to speak God’s Word, to be positive and constantly remind ourselves that we are children of the Most High God and thus blessed and favoured, sanctified, justified, reconciled, forgiven and the host of other blessings we receive when we honour Him.
Remember the Lord spoke the world into existence. The only thing He made manually or physically was man. That means there is lots of power in our words. Remember Cousin Sol’s warning? ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov. 18:21)
Oh mih bredrin that is something we should try and remember all the time because it’s the absolute truth. Our words can either speak life or death. And these words from Rev. Marcia Martin of the Vian United Methodist Church explain the situation very well.
‘My dad gave me a piece of advice when I was a know-it-all teenager. He said, “Never say in anger what you don’t mean, because you can say you’re sorry, but you can’t take it back.” Satan can use our tongue to cause division, putting others down, bragging, false teaching, exaggeration, complaining, or just flat out lying.
It only takes a few words to hurt someone. Wounds heal but they leave scars that never disappear…Your words can either speak life, or your words can speak death. Our tongues can build others up, or they can tear them down.
An unchecked fire doubles in size every minute. Gossip and false teaching are no different. It’s been said that great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.’
And I don’t need to tell you that it’s all gospel truth, because you already know it. And that’s one of the reasons why our world is in such a dreadful mess these days; we use words without thinking about their effect, sling hurtful words without thinking twice about what’s coming out of our mouths. And just like Cousin Sol says we’re now enjoying the negative fruit of our negative words.
Remember what James said in Chapter 3 about the dangers of the tongue. He likened it to the rudder of a ship, the small thing that guides the big ship in the direction that the pilot wants it to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small thing that boasts a lot of power.
‘Even as the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members (the tongue is so set), that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature (our existence); and it is set on fire of hell.’ (James 3:5-6)
Yes friends, as the scholars put it. ‘3:6. The tongue is a system (world) of iniquity that sets on fire the whole course of life, and is even set on fire by Satan (cf. 3:15).’ And that’s the living truth, for it’s the tongue, our words, that mainly cause wars and divisions, disunity, resentment, hate, anger and all the other negative stuff that’s so prevalent in our world today.
And not only in the world itself, but also in the church of Christ. James must have thought that he was writing to our current church which is filled with so much negative, petty stuff, like slander, gossip, false teaching, etc. etc.
James continues: ‘But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (image) of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be.’ (James 3: 8-10)
Oh my people, blessing and cursing out of the same mouth is certainly inconsistent, and should not be mentioned amongst our attributes. And how do we solve the negativity of the tongue? The Lord said it quite clearly to Joshua when He appointed him leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses.
‘This book of the law shall not depart out of (shall be constantly in) thy mouth:’ Josh. 1:8a) That’s it right there friends! We need to keep speaking God’s word; positive, proactive words, thinking before we speak. If we do that, then our tongues won’t do as much damage to our lives.
But how do we accomplish that, you ask? The Lord also spells it out for us in the same verse: ‘but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.’ (Josh, 1:8b) It’s not rocket science my people. To constantly speak God’s word, we must constantly read and study God’s word. Simple as that!
But here is the best part of the Lord’s advice: ‘for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.’ (Josh. 1:8c) Oh fellow saints of Christ, that is the panacea for ALL of our ills! Read and study the word, then speak it, and voila! Success will be ours. Yes friends, true success only comes from sincerely meditating on God’s word and then putting it into action. Nothing less will do!
So for those of us who are engaged in that wonderful course, let’s go home now declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole wide world know who and whose we are!
In 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!’
The next step is easy; we go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship! (smile) Much LOVE!
…to tame our tongues…we must have on the yoke of Christ…
01 Feb 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a future and a hope, and I will hearken unto you, awesome grace and mercy, be not overcome of evil, being obedient to His word, continuing instant in prayer, fight the good fight, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, giving thanks, God's promises, having faith, he is a rewarder, humble servants, it shall not return void, Jehovah Rapha, keep on doing what we been doing, keep praying, like there was no tomorrow, live peaceably with all men, looking forward to Christ's Second Coming, loving each other, mass confusion, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, not getting caught, of them that diligently seek him, overcome evil with good, patient in tribulation, rejoicing in hope, sincere repentance, sinned and come short of obedience, speeding by like greased lightning, stand strong, the God who heals, then shall ye call upon me, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, trusting in the Lord, with your pants below your knees, without faith it is impossible to please God, ye shall go and pray unto me
Jeremiah 29:12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you.
Aye friends, can you believe it, we in February now, January done already! Brother! How come January finish so quick eh? Didn’t we just celebrate New Year’s? But with all the recent confusion, it seems we never noticed January just speeding by like greased lightning! (smile) And if we don’t pay attention, February, and even the whole of 2021 could just speed by and leave us in the same sad and tragic situations that it began with, or even worse ones. Who knows how this world shaping up these days eh? Only our heavenly Father…and He doesn’t seem to be letting on.
So what are we supposed to do under those uncertain and ofttimes critical circumstances eh? Just keep on doing what we been doing; having faith and trusting in the Lord God Almighty and LOVING each other like there was no tomorrow! If you claim to believe in God, His promises and all that He stands for, then you have no choice but to keep praying, being obedient to His word, giving thanks, helping your fellow man, and looking forward to Christ’s Second Coming. Now that also means being fully prepared for it and not getting caught with yuh pants down below yuh knees. (smile)
Ah mih people, this world is really something else yes…but please remember that our God is also something else, and He’s bigger, brighter and better than this world. In fact, He created it and all therein, and still controls it, although some of us and the evil powers in it, think that they do. But don’t be fooled people, nothing happens in this universe unless our Lord allows it to happen. He might not cause it, but if it doesn’t suit His purpose, somewhere down the line, then it won’t get anywhere.
So we need to understand that whatever is happening in our world today is serving some useful purpose in God’s overall plan. And yes, lots of things might seem wrong, unfair and cause us pain, sometimes it’s even our wrong decisions that cause problems. But whatever the reason, it’s still our duty to stand strong and fight the good fight, knowing that in the long run, because of God’s promises, we will come out victorious.
And I know that many of us are scared of all the controversial stuff that’s happening in our lives right now, but remember that we believers are to be the beacons of light to the unbelieving world, so we have to put on a brave face, raise the level of our faith, and show them that Christ is indeed the ONE TRUE WAY for all mankind to go! His momentous and indisputably true words: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me,’ (John 14:6) ) tells the whole story.
And to boost our assurance, let’s take a gander at some reassuring scriptures. (smile) And I think this verse is fitting to be the first in our set. Through the prophet Isaiah, the promise of a free offer of mercy to all. ‘So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void (empty), but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ (Is. 55:11) Yes friends, that’s the first lesson we need to learn; that the Lord’s promises are not empty, whatever He promises He will keep, because he’s a faithful God!
Consequently, we also need to be faithful, for as Hebrews tells us: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Heb. 11:6) So we can’t get close to God unless we truly believe that He exists and does indeed reward those who diligently seek Him. Thus these promises through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). (Jer. 29:11)
And how will we reap that promise? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13) Oh my people, there’s that recurring theme that runs throughout the entire Good Book; we need to continually seek God with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds. That’s a basic part of both the Old and New Covenants He made with us. Sincerely seeking Him is paramount to all that we do.
That brings us to these last few practical steps from Bruh Paul to the church at Rome that show the awesome LOVE of Christ through the believer’s actions. ‘Rejoicing in hope; patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer…Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not…Recompense (repay) to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest (have regard for good things) in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth (depends on) you, live peacefully with all men.’ (Rom. 12:12,15,17-18)
No, living for Christ is not easy, especially in these controversial and turbulent times, but when we remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, then we know that it’s all possible in Jesus’ name! Now, let’s participate in that recurring theme above nuh; seeking God sincerely, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, letting Him know all our hopes and fears and desires.
As one voice now: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You that this Monday morning we’re alive and standing in faith despite the mass confusion that’s currently prevailing in our world. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems; the pandemic of Covid -19, the racial, political, and religious strife that’s ignited worldwide, plus the natural disasters like storms, famine, drought, plagues, climate change, wildfires, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes that suddenly seem to be blossoming more and more as time goes by.
Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously come short in obedience and compliance to Your Word, but we know that You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, and You have faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us, ordinary folks, as well as our leaders, employers and medical personnel, wise guidance, and direction to bring our problems under control.
And for those who are currently suffering from the many negative situations, we pray that You will ease their suffering and heal them. Father, please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again we say: Amen!’
And as God considers the state and motives of our hearts, we must move along and do our part, keep our promises in the partnership. Much LOVE!
…be not overcome of evil…but overcome evil with good… (Rom. 12:21)
31 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: all the day long, are not worthy, blessed assurance, born of his spirit, celebrate the Sabbath, cleanses us from all sin, except a man be born of water and Spirit, Fanny Crosby, filled with his goodness, heir of salvation, heirs of God, I reckon the sufferings of this present time, if we suffer with him, in his own blood, Jesus is mine, joint-heirs with Christ, looking above, lost in his love, LOVE, perfect submission, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, praising my saviour, purchase of God, raise our voices in sacrificial praise, that which is born of the spirit, the blood of Jesus Christ, thinks good thoughts towards us, this is my song, this is my story, to be compared with the glory, washed in his blood, washed us from our sins, watching and waiting, we are children of God, we may also be glorified with Him, what a foretaste of glory divine, which shall be revealed in us
Romans 8:18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
One more time to celebrate the Lord’s Sabbath friends; one more time! Oh we’re going to do it thousands of times before this life is over, and we’re going to enjoy it every time, because we know it’s the Lord’s desire for us to celebrate it and be happy as we do it to praise and bless His awesome name! So, let’s begin, as always, with raising up our voices in sacrificial praise to our wonderful Creator.
And the song we’re going to sing today is one of our all time favourites, written by popular 19thcentury blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby, with her friend Phoebe Palmer Knapp adding the music. The year was 1873, and the hymn was ‘Blessed Assurance!’ Oh yeh friends, that’s certainly going to make for a rocking good time. Why?
Because as one web site says: ‘Each and every day we sing praises to His name. We are thankful forall of the blessings that He bestows upon us. The lyrics of the classic hymn ‘Blessed Assurance’ is the perfect way to worship. And when you hear the story behind the hymn, you will be even more in awe of His amazing grace. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for our sins!’
We don’t have time to relate Fanny’s entire story, so a synopsis will have to do. (smile) Born in 1820 of Puritan ancestry in New York, she had an eye infection as a baby, and after a quack doctor placed hot poultices on her inflamed eyelids, she became blind. Then her father became ill and died a few months later, so her mother Mercy went to work as a maid, leaving her grandmother Eunice to raise her. And it was Eunice’s faith and direction and teaching that brought Fanny to her destiny.
Apparently the grandmother went so far as to vividly describe the physical world to Fanny. Then at 12 she entered the New York School for the Blind, and the rest is History; she ended up teaching there for 23 years, writing numerous poems and hymns. It’s reputed that one evening Phoebe was visiting Fanny, and after playing a melody, she asked Fanny what it sounded like, and Fanny responded, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.” And they went on to write the song. So who says our magnificent and magnanimous God doesn’t work in mysterious ways eh, going to great lengths to get us to worship and praise Him!
Now let’s worship Him with sincere hearts, strong voices, and plenty emotion, meaning each word we speak – sorry, we joyfully sing. On four: one, two, three, four. ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.)
Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels, descending, bring from above Echoes of mercy, whispers of love. (Chorus…) Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. (Chorus: This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long…. Praising my Savior all the day long )’
Oh friends, how can we not praise our wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ all day long after all that He’s done for us eh? It would be a most criminal and unforgiveable act on our part. It’s a good thing that He’s so forgiving though, and still LOVES us and thinks good thoughts towards us even when we are not obedient. And He does give us a blessed assurance of the divine glory to come with Him in eternity. Now we don’t have time nor space to go through all the neat Bible references in the hymn, so we’ll just check out a few.
When it talks about ‘heir of salvation,’ listen to this most reassuring scripture. The words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.’ (Rom. 8:16-18)
Yes friends, what a glorious day that will be when we are reunited with Christ as joint-heirs of the Father! Mama Yo! Will there ever be rejoicing in heaven…and we should be doing the same on earth right now too, because Jesus told us to be of good cheer down here despite our troubles, since He had conquered the world through His selfless sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection and ascension. (John 16:33)
And re ‘born of the Spirit,’ listen to Jesus’ words to Nicodemus. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) And glory be, we are born of the Spirit by association with Christ my people!
And we’ll end with this most important point, ‘Washed in His blood.’ Ah mih people, that’s perhaps the most important aspect of it all, being washed in the blood of Christ. Why, you ask? First off, Hebrews 9:22 tells us: ‘And almost all things are by the law purged (cleansed) with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.’ That’s for sure my brethren, only through the shedding of blood can sins be forgiven. That’s why Christ had to go to the cross and shed His blood in our stead.
Then 1 John 1:7, tells us: ‘the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ Oh my fellow believers, Christ was the ONLY sinless soul around, the ONLY lamb without blemish, that’s why the Lord had no choice but to sacrifice Him if He wanted to set us free from sin. Only the best was good enough for us! Wow!
And we’ll close with these wonderful words from Revelation. ‘And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten (born) of the dead, and the prince of (ruler over) the kings of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ (Rev. 1:5-6)
Yes friends, to Christ be the glory for His great sacrifice on our behalf…and also to the Father who engineered it, even to the point of breaking His own heart. If that doesn’t tell us how much He LOVES us, then I don’t know what will nuh. Much LOVE!
…if believers in Christ…are not reassured by His message…then something’s seriously wrong with their faith…
30 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: be nor proud, be ye also ready, blasphemy, blessed, blessed is he that watcheth, children of the Most High God, coming like a thief in the night, corona pandemic, cursing, darkness of national catastrophe, divine warning, dropped off the face of the earth, for in such an hour as ye think not, for the Lord hath spoken, found sadly wanting, free choice, Give glory to the Lord your God, God's top exhibition, he turn it into the shadow of death, hear ye and give ear, if ye will not hear, in the last days, lest he walk naked, like a mighty child of God, LOVE, mankind, mine eye shall weep sore, moaning and begroaning our circumstances, my soul shall weep in secret places, our friend Anselm, plenty to be thankful for, precious gifts, revelling in disobedience, rulers of the universe, run down with tears, the fateful words of god, the Son of man cometh, they see his shame, this too will pass, to test our true love for Him, too proud to ask for help, ungodliness, waste this day, watch ye and pray, while ye look for light, wisdom at its zenith, without God we're nothing, your feet stumble upon the dark mountains
Jeremiah 13:15. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud for the Lord hath spoken.
Oh mih people, it’s Saturday! Wow! Already? And if you’re reading this, then it means that you have opened two of the most precious gifts man can ever receive; we talking about your eyes. (smile)
Oh friends, what a beautiful universe our great God has created, with mankind as its top exhibition! And if yuh believe that, then shout a loud, proud and grateful ‘Amen!’ Yes my brethren, let’s give thanks and praise to Almighty God for all the wonderful things He’s done, is doing and has promised to do for us nuh, for without Him we’re nothing!
And as they say, if you’re alive, you have plenty to be thankful for. And if you have food, clothing and shelter, then you’re more blessed than most of the world. And if you also have a LOVING family and good friends, then you’re blessed like a mighty child of God! Glory be!
So let’s not waste any time this day moaning and begroaning whatever unfortunate circumstance(s) that might have come our way nuh, for if we’re children of the Most High God then we know that they have not come to stay, that they too will eventually pass away and leave us stronger in body, soul, spirit and mind, for that’s the way our heavenly Father has set it up. Give Him a much deserved round of applause nuh mih bredrin!
And I guess, by now you have deduced that there are still no quotes from our friend Anselm. Sorry to say it, but that’s the truth. Don’t know what’s happened to him, like he just dropped off the face of the earth. Hope that he’s all right though. Please say a word of prayer for him, just in case he’s in trouble.
And while we’re doing that, let’s also remember these fateful words of the Lord to His people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah, when they were revelling in disobedience and ungodliness, just like our society is doing right now.
‘Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’ (Jer. 13:15-16)
Oh friends, that warning is so apropos for us in these trying and troubled times that we need to pay instant heed to it. For many of us are already stumbling in the darkness of sin, disobedience and doubt, and many are going through the valley of the shadow of death because of it. The corona pandemic isn’t helping us any either, just adding to our concerns.
So why aren’t we listening to the voice, the divine warning of our heavenly Father eh? Is it because we’re too proud to ask for help, or because we think we are the rulers of the universe and we know what we’re doing and nobody must tell us anything? Hn! What foolishness!
Why would we think such a stupid thing eh? Can any of us define our times or do anything to stop them? No! So why do we still insist on thinking of ourselves more highly than we truly are eh?
Now hear how Jeremiah continues with the Lord’s words. ‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ (Jer. 13:17)
Yes, the Lord will weep and be sorrowful for our demise, but being a God of justice and righteousness, He must band His belly and punish sin, like He had to do when Jesus died for us. And oh my people, are we ever proud and haughty in these days of the modern technological revolution!
We think we’re the cat’s pajamas! But in fact we’re not. We’re still God’s creation, and still beholden to Him for everything we have, receive or do! So listen to this explanation from the scholars on those verses above.
‘13:15-17. A third illustration (in the series of God’s warnings to Judah) concerns a weary traveller in danger of being overtaken by the falling darkness of night. Such was Judah. It must renounce all pride and give God His rightful glory before the final darkness of national catastrophe engulfs it.’
Oh my people, my people, what’s wrong with our minds eh? We claim to be the wisest civilization ever, but still, we turn away from our Creator with blasphemy, vehemence and downright cursing, and we yet expect to prosper forever? Hn! What fools we are my friends!
The Lord LOVES us like a real Father, but also, like a real father He’s not going to let us get away with sin and willful disobedience forever. Remember, He’s given us free choice for a reason, to test our true LOVE for Him. And believe me, we have been tested and found sadly wanting.
Now a lot of people are claiming that we’re in the last days, the days before Jesus’ return, and they just might be, because many of the signs He spoke about that would herald His Second coming are currently playing out. But who knows just when that will be? Only the Father Himself! (Matt. 24:36)
But be assured that the last days are much closer than they have ever been. (smile) Remember too, Jesus’ warning about Him coming like a thief in the night. (Matt. 24:43) And in Revelation: ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.’ (Rev. 16:15)
Yes friends, Jesus’ Second Coming will be an unexpected affair, therefore we must take His warning very seriously. ‘Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ (Matt. 24:44)
Oh my fellow believers, I think those are very fitting words to leave us with this Saturday morning in this troubled year of 2021. Please, let’s ponder them seriously and make the appropriate decisions nuh. That’s wisdom at its zenith! Much LOVE!
…watch ye…watch ye and pray…watch ye and pray…
29 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: afraid of the corona virus, are afflicted, because of their transgression, bound in affliction and iron, bring backsliders back to your fold, bring us back to God, broke their chains, contemned the counsel of the Most High, Covid-19 virus, declare His works with rejoicing, despised God's word, fools, for he satisfieth the longing soul, for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men, Friday chant, he filleth the hungry soul with goodness, he saveth them out of their distresses, in a bleak and challenging way, in the shadow of death, issuing from our hearts and mouths, kick Him out, life goes on, Lucifer, negative consequences, no denying of God's Word, obvious place of refuge, oh that men would praise the Lord, old fashioned and obsolete, on which side their bread was buttered, our godless society, racial strife, rebelled against God, run God out of town, sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, such as sit in darkness, thanks and praise, the joy of the Lord in our souls, the process of elimination, their iniquities, they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, they rebelled against the words of God, wake up and smell the coffee, wise guidance
Psalm 107:15. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Well it’s Friday, and life goes on in a somewhat bleak and challenging way. Nonetheless, there is the joy of the Lord in our souls and thanks and praise issuing from our hearts and mouths for God’s wonderful goodness to the children of men.
Psalm 107 says it. ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:8-9) And there can be no denying of God’s Word.
I also like how the psalmist describes the situation. ‘Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron (prisoners);’ (Ps. 107:10) And it is fair to say that many of us today are sitting in darkness, prisoners of the world and all its evil spells; afraid of the corona virus and all that it’s doing to our godless society.
But why is that eh? Hear the words of the psalmist. ‘Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned (despised) the counsel of the Most High:’ (Ps. 107: 11)
Oh my people, we cannot deny that charge of rebellion, since we have indeed despised God’s word, even to the point of desperately trying to kick Him out of our modern, technological society, because we think He’s old fashioned and obsolete!
But we obviously have not learned from the history of mankind, where many other nations rebelled and tried to get rid of Jehovah God, with no success whatsoever, because the universe is His; He created it and still controls it, and will not let mere mortals, His creation, push Him around.
Remember how Lucifer, the then archangel rebelled in heaven? And where is he now eh? Walking around the earth as the evil Satan. Kicked out unsolicitously from heaven for his foolish pride and insolence, wanting to overthrow his Maker. Israel is also a very good example of that rebellion.
Remember, we’re supposed to learn from History. But we obviously are not, for there are inevitable negative consequences when you despise God’s word and try to run Him out of town. The psalmist puts it thus: ‘Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.’ (Ps. 107:12)
Yuh notice how we falling like flies these days, and we don’t seem to have any help? But that’s not quite true; there’s always help available, if we look in the right places. And the Israelites were famous for finding help when the consequences of their rebellion stung them to the core.
Hear the psalmist again nuh. ‘Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of the darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder (broke their chains in pieces.’ (Ps. 107:13-14)
Oh my people, my people, the Lord God Jehovah is our obvious place of refuge, our sure solution in these times of abject darkness and sorrow and despair! It’s the only place where we can find succour and true refuge from all that afflicts our society. It doesn’t even require much wisdom, but mere common sense, since nothing else we’re trying is working.
Just the process of elimination alone, should bring us back solemnly, respectfully and repentantly to Almighty God! No wonder the psalmist thought that this verse was so nice he had to include it twice: ‘Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness (LOVING-kindness), and for his wonderful works to the children of men!’ (Ps. 107:15)
I don’t know why we’re not doing that on a much larger scale nuh friends, ‘For he (God) hath broken the gates of brass (bronze) and cut the bars of iron in sunder (asunder). (However) Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.’ (Ps. 107:17-18)
That’s us, our current society the psalmist is talking about friends. When are we going to wake up and realize that Almighty God is our ONLY solution to EVERY problem we face eh? That’s why I admire the Israelites to a certain extent. Although they were foolish to turn away from God in prosperous moments, in the consequential tough times, they always remembered that it was with Him that their bread was truly buttered and turned back to Him.
As the psalmist records: ‘Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.’ (Ps. 107: 19-20)
Oh my brethren, the Lord did send His Word, Jesus Christ to heal us and save us from our self-destruction, but we’re not paying sufficient attention to Him, and that’s the major reason why we’re currently suffering our current ‘sufferation.’
Disobedience to God WILL ALWAYS bring negative consequences! That’s a given! But repentance and subsequent obedience is rewarded with God’s goodness to the children of men. So let’s be wise and turn to God for help nuh, through our Friday Chant. We have absolutely nothing to lose, and so very much to gain.
Altogether now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. Yuh know it’s been rough… what with all the anxiety, the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus and the racial strife causing. We not accustomed to that kind of life Lord, and it really telling on us. And we know we can’t handle it on our own, that we desperately need your help.
Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible.
And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks. And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways.
It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now friends, if we’re truly sincere in that prayer, then we need to do as the psalmist advises: ‘And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing (joyful singing).’ (Ps. 107:22) Much LOVE!
…the smart money…in whatever situation…is ALWAYS on God…
28 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lifelong resistance to Christ, a refusal to confess Christ, according to his riches in glory, adulterous and sinful generation, brand new mercies and compassions, compassion, confess me, curse, faith, favour, fellow saints in Christ, from the hand of the enemy, God will supply all my needs, good health, he cometh in the glory of His Father, hemming and hawing, his mercy endureth for ever, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, LOVE, magnificent and magnanimous God, need to stand strong, negative word, one hand washes the other, one moment of denial, prosper, rich and fulfilling lives, succeed, thanks and praise to Almighty God, The Lord is good, the Son of man, Thursday Blessings, whom he hath redeemed, whosoever shall be ashamed of me
Psalm 107:2. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Oh my people, let us give thanks unto the Lord this cold but bright and sunshiny Thursday morning nuh, for He is good: for His mercy, His LOVING-kindness endures forever! (Ps. 107:1) What a wonderful and obedient and wise way to begin our days.
Yes friends, every day that we draw breath in the Lord’s great universe, the first words that issue out of our mouths should be thanks and praise to Almighty God for allowing us to see another day and for having all the good things He has in store for us, like brand new mercies and compassions. For we can get that kind of wonderful treatment nowhere else, from no other deity but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
That’s why the opening verse of Psalm 107 is so important in the believer’s life. And until we realize the utmost importance of giving thanks, our lives will never be as rich and fulfilling as they ought to be. Remember Jesus said that He came so we could have life, and have it in abundance. (John 10:10) And one of the ways of having an abundant life is by constantly giving thanks.
Now the second verse of Psalm 107 is equally as important as the first. ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;’ (Ps. 107:2) Yes my fellow saints in Christ, if Christ has redeemed us from the evil enemy, which He has done, we ought to be bold and courageous and say so, not hem and haw like too many of us are wont to do when people ask us if we are Christians.
Remember, if you are ashamed to acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He will refuse to acknowledge you before His Father as a follower and worthy entrant into the halls and corridors of salvation. And is not me who saying so nuh, but Jesus. ‘Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.’ (Mark 8:38)
And yuh better believe this is indeed a sinful and adulterous generation, possibly the worse that’s ever been! So you see friends, Jesus is making a close connection between Himself and His words. And Jesus reiterates it when He speaks about the worth of mankind versus the worth of sparrows.
‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 10:32-33) It’s all very plain and straightforward my brethren, as Jesus is wont to be. Deny Him, be ashamed of Him, and He will do the same to you before His heavenly father.
It’s just like He says, if you don’t forgive others their trespasses, the Father won’t forgive you yours. It’s a situation of one hand washes the other my people. You sow what you reap, that’s the basic premise of God’s economy.
And the scholars share an interesting explanation of the above verses. ‘10:32-37. Confess me means “Acknowledge that you belong to Me.” In reality, secret discipleship is a practical impossibility. Jesus constantly called for an open confession of Himself by His followers. That our confession is to be before men clearly indicates that a public confession of true Christian faith is a virtual necessity.
The warning whosoever shall deny me is a comprehensive historical aorist tense, (hn!) referring not to one moment of denial (such as Peter’s), but to an entire lifelong resistance to Christ. Therefore a single act of denial does not make one unworthy of being a disciple, but a refusal to confess Christ at all eliminates one from being a true follower of Jesus Christ.’
But why should there even be one instance of denying Christ as our Lord and Saviour eh? It’s not like anybody is going to imprison or kill us in this society, But still, every day, hundreds of supposed Christians deny Christ, either by an outright lie, or the hemming and hawing that we like to do when asked about our religious beliefs in public.
Ah mih bredrin, it doesn’t say much about us, our faith, and strength and courage if we deny Jesus, especially in these troubled times, when we Christians are needed more than ever to show our true mettle, be the bright lights and flavourful salt that Christ expects of us. This is indeed a time when believers ought to be shouting Christ from the rooftops of their houses since they can’t go out and do it because of the Corona virus. (smile)
Oh friends, we believers do need to stand strong, despite all the stuff that’s coming against us, and as believers in Christ, we do have the wherewithal to do so. Remember these two scriptures we LOVE to quote. ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ (Phil. 4:13) And this one: ‘God will supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:19)
Whatever happened to their efficacy in our current tough times eh? This is when we ought to be living them. And our God’s so magnificent and magnanimous that He’s shone out by giving us a whole lot of blessings that we can do His earthly work. So, as we go home now, let us boldly and courageously declare (yeh!) those numerous attributes that we call our Thursday Blessings.
As one strong and assured 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 everyday! Amen!’
And with all of that divine blessing upon us, it’s obvious that we must now share it as generously with others as God has shared it with us. Remember friends, these are the times, and those are the blessings for which we were specifically made. So let’s confess Christ in the biggest way possible nuh! Much LOVE!
…to accept Christ is one thing…but to deny Him after that…hn…that’s really foolish…
27 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a child of God, a double-minded man is unstable, a total lie, anger, ask of God, be strong fear not, be the salt and light of the world, born to manifest the Glory of God, children of the Most High God Jehovah, confirm the feeble knees, Corona and its cousins, doubt, endure to the end, even God with a recompense, expected to show strength, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith comes by hearing, faith conquers fear, fear, feel inadequate, halfway home, hands fixed securely on the plough, he will come and save you, hiding in fear and compromise, if any of you lack wisdom, in it for the long haul, intimidated by the virus, jump willy-nilly into the fire, let our own light shine, liberated from our fear, light conquers darkness, making light of the situation, making of naught all the promises of God, negative emotions, not turning back, nothing enlightened about shrinking, of no use, Our Deepest Fear, our presence liberates others, playing small doesn't serve the world, powerful beyond measure, refusing to adhere to the rules, say to them that are of a fearful heart, so glad to be alive, strengthen ye the weak hands, supposed bravado, thank God, that giveth to all men liberally, the breath of life, the hump day, the undefeatable tools of the believer, to a glorious future with Jesus, to show what Christ and Christianity are about, uncertainty, Wednesday Wail, wisdom conquers stupidity, without reproach, your God will come with vengeance
Isaiah 35:3. Strengthen ye the weak (sinking) hands, and confirm (make firm) the feeble knees.
And then Wednesday arrived, the much awaited hump day! Yeh, once we get over hump day we know we’re in the clear, off and running towards Friday and the weekend.
At least that’s how it used to be. But since Corona and its cousins took over there is no more really looking forward to Friday and the weekend, because for too many of us, everyday seems like Friday; no work, nowhere to go, etc. etc.
Therefore, there currently exists a lot of fear, doubt, anger, uncertainty and a whole lot of negative emotions in our society, making too many of us feel inadequate, unnecessary and of no use.
But friends that’s a total lie! We are the children of the Most High God Jehovah, so how can we be ever inadequate and unnecessary eh? No way!
And I just saw this poem on the wall of my young daughter’s old room, which admirably handles the situation. There is no title or author, but the expressive words say it all. Don’t remember if I have ever shared it before, but if so, it’s definitely worth another go round. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
And my people, I don’t think that there’s ever been a period in this generation that the children of God need to be more liberated than now! We are the ones who are supposed to show the way, to be the salt and light of the world! Believers in Christ are expected to lead the way when fear, anxiety, doubt and all those other negative emotions show up in abundance.
Remember what the poem says: ‘We are born to make manifest the Glory of God.’ And that’s the gospel truth! As ambassadors of Christ in this evil and fearful world, we are expected to show strength, to show others what Christ, what true Christianity is all about.
We’re not supposed to be hiding in fear and compromise, but standing strong so that the unbeliever can also gain strength from our resistance and composure. That’s what Christ expects of His followers!
But unfortunately, in these troubled times, I don’t think we have been doing enough of that. We have also been too intimidated by the virus and all that comes with it. Oh, we do need to take it seriously and do what we’re required to do to slow it down, but we don’t have to be fearful and exhibit that fear because then we’re making of naught all the promises of God.
What don’t we remember about, I will never leave nor forsake you? Do not fear, for I am with you wherever you go. What about: ‘Strengthen ye the weak (sinking) hands, and confirm (make firm) the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense, he will come and save you.’ (Is. 35:3-4)
That’s exactly what we believers ought to be doing in these troubled and dangerous times my brethren. But I don’t believe we’re doing it at a sufficiently high level, otherwise there wouldn’t be so much doubt and fear in our society. And sadly, there is also too much supposed bravado and foolishness from those who disregard the virus out of hand and keep doing what they ought not to do.
When you sit and think about it, mankind is indeed a different breed yes. Some of us are so afraid that we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, while a handful are being respectful and careful, and a whole bunch is making light of the situation and causing even more damage than necessary.
Even some believers are taking the situation to foolish lengths believing that since we’re God’s children nothing can harm us, and thus behaving like spoilt children, refusing to adhere to the rules, despite the sickness and death of many of their colleagues. Steups!
Oh friends, it’s wonderful to have faith, great faith, but that faith must be tempered with wisdom, great wisdom, else we become even more foolish than the unbelievers.
Why do you think James told us: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and unpbraideth 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 he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:5-8)
Oh my people, just like faith comes by hearing and all of that, wisdom also comes by seeking it from the Lord…and being sensible about it. Not because He says He will protect us from the fire and storm means that we ‘re going to jump willy-nilly into the fire or the stormy sea.
All God’s promises need to be addressed with godly wisdom and common sense, two things that seem to be very sparse in our society right now. But we of this now generation have the ability, and are expected to build it up. It’s for this particular time that we were made, so let’s buckle down and do what the Lord expects of us nuh. We have all the parts to do it.
And so, with all that good inspiration under us, (smile) let’s go home declaring (yes!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus and inviting them to join us.
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 I guess I need to remind us that we’re in it for the long haul, and if we endure to the end, the future will be even more glorious than we ask or imagine. And that’s the indisputable truth! Much LOVE!
…faith conquers fear…light conquers darkness…and wisdom conquers stupidity…the undefeatable tools of the believer…
26 Jan 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: according to His purpose, all things work together for good, assurance, declared righteous, don't have to hurry, don't have to worry, early morning chores, eating meat and spuds, effectual communication of the gospel, from glory to glory, glorified, God's promised to work things out for our good, he also did predestinate, he shall also be my salvation, he that spared not his own Son, hear diligently my speech, I am the beloved of god, if God is for us who can be against us, in all his adversity, in god's eyes, inhibit the doing of the Lord's work, Job, judicial standing before God, justified, keep on loving trusting being faithful and obedient, late risings, make every Christian more like Christ, my declaration with your ears, no one can take that from me, not what I do, not what I have, not what people say about me, our spiritual journey, plan of salvation, predestinated, pretemporal, right to the very end, share His love with the world, surrender our all, temporal, the believer's glorification, the called, the divine perspective, the elect, the human perspective, the spirit of the Lord, they love Him no matter what, Though he slay me, to be conformed to the image of his Son, to know Jesus is to love Him, to them that love God, to them who are called, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, what shall we then say to these things, whom he did foreknow, yet will I trust him
Romans 8:31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Oh chuh friends! Late risings and early morning chores certainly inhibit the doing of the Lord’s work yes! (smile) But what to do eh, better late than never on this snowy Tuesday morning.
We can’t complain because we have not seen any real precipitation of any kind for a while now, so the white that’s beginning to cover the ground is a nice change from the dark, damp days we’ve recently been having, except for the few cold and sunny ones last week.
Hope you can figure that one out. (smile) And thank the Lord I don’t have to go out in it! But whatever we have, nice or not, we still give our wonderful God much thanks because we know He’s promised to work everything out, both good and bad for our benefit if we keep LOVING, trusting and being faithful and obedient to Him! Glory to His precious name my brethren!
And if you don’t believe me, then listen to this mighty piece of scripture that details it all. ‘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)
And according to the scholars’ explanation. ‘8:28. To them that LOVE God is the human perspective. God is working all things together for good, but those who LOVE God are best able to appreciate that fact because they LOVE Him no matter what (cf. Job 13:15). To them who are the called is the divine perspective. Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect.”
But we just got started with the whole contextual thing: ‘For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.’ (Rom. 8:29) Yes friends, this foreknowing is a strong sense of knowing and being known, not merely an acquaintance kind of knowing! (smile)
And the scholars tell us: ‘8:29. Foreknowledge is God’s determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself (see also 11:2). Predestinate: See Ephesians 1:5. (To mark off or choose before. God chooses those He knows will participate in His plan of salvation and extends it to all who respond in faith).
To be conformed to the image of his Son: The goal of predestination is not to send some to hell and some to heaven, but is the believer’s glorification, to make every Christian increasingly more like His Son.’
Glory be mih people! As Bruh Paul said to the Corinthians: ‘But we all, with open (unveiled) face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed (being transformed) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’
Oh fellow saints of God, unlike Moses’ who had to put a veil over his face when the Lord’s glory shone through Him (2 Cor. 3:13) but which glory eventually faded, ‘under the New Covenant the believer is changed into the same image. This transformation takes place by the abiding presence of the Spirit of God.’ That means it’s a gradual process, so we have to keep on trusting and being faithful right to the very end.
But getting back to our original topic, Bruh Paul declares (yeah!) ‘Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.’ (Rom. 8:30)Wow! What wonderful news! ‘Predestinated, called, justified, glorified!’ Brother only our wonderful God can make those things happen!
As the scholars explain: ‘8:30. Called: The calling of 8:28 is pretemporal; it occurred before the creation of the world (Eph. 1:4). The calling here is temporal and refers to the effectual communication of the gospel, resulting in salvation. Justified: See 3:24. (And that says being justified means being declared righteous, signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God).
Glorified: Glorification is God’s doing. While God’s foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, and while God’s calling and justification are realized in history, God’s glorifying is yet future. It is as certain, however, as the previous works. Hence glorified is in the past tense. From God’s point of view it is already accomplished.’
Oh Mama, Mama! How great is our God eh? What assurance we have, that although something, our glorifying, is not done yet, He talks of it in past tense, as though it has already been done! So how can we not LOVE and obey and trust and surrender our ALL to Him eh? I just can’t understand it.
Consequently, as Bruh Paul continues: ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Rom. 8:31) And the loud and clear answer to that my precious people of God is ‘NOBODY! NOT A SINGLE SOUL!’ And you ask a doubting why?
Bruh Paul also gives us the answer. ‘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. 8:32) Yes people, that makes mucho sense! If God gave up His sinless Son to save sinners, why would He then refuse to help us in time of need eh? No reason whatsoever!
No wonder, Job in all his adversity could calmly and stoically proclaim: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust him: but I will maintain (defend) mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for a hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.’ (Job 13:15-17)
Powerful words of faith friends! But are we able to proclaim such words ourselves? Now that’s the ultimate question. But if we consider ourselves true and faithful believers, we should be able to declare (yesss!) them without a pause or doubt in our minds and speech.
So let’s consider all that we’ve said today nuh…I know it’s plenty, but at this stage of our spiritual journey we should be eating meat and spuds, not still drinking milk, (smile) and thus be able to digest more scriptural technicalities and meanings than when we first came to Christ.
Anyway, it’s all in the reading and learning and doing and persevering that we mature, and are raised from glory to glory; a lifelong process. So if you don’t get it all now, just keep on keeping on and eventually you will get it. That’s the Lord’s promise!
And for those of us who are sincerely trying to keep on keeping on, let’s go home now declaring (oh yes! – three times I got it right today, on the first try) (big grin) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the world know WHO and WHOSE we are.
In strong voice, as one now: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And it follows that our task is to now go out and share Christ’s LOVE and friendship with others, as He so greatly desires! Much LOVE!
…to know, know, know Him…is to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Him….no doubt about it…
P.S. Yes, it’s long and late…but sweet! (smile) Much LOVE!
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