16 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, behind closed doors, beware ye of the leaven, bitter for sweet, comprehends it not, condemnation, darkness, farse, fellowship, Friday chant, fun, further your glorious kingdom, futile, generous help, God is light, gratitude, hidden motives, hypocrisy, in him is no darkness, in Jesus name, laid bare by God, light, light is come into the world, LOVE, men loved darkness, nosy people, nothing covered, piety, practice the truth, proclaimed upon the housetops, put darkness for light, refreshed, rejoice and be glad, relaxation, renewed, rest, shall be revealed, shineth in darkness, spoken in darkness, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the Ex. CNE grounds, the light of Christ, the Lord is my light, the ordinary workingman, the Pharisees, the sake of appearance, the straight and narrow, their deeds are evil, them that call evil good, thy word is, walk in darkness, we lie, week of work, woe
John 1:5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.
Welcome to a glorious Friday friends! And it’s all the Lord’s doing on our behalf! All praise and glory to His holy name! So please, let’s make the effort, show the necessary gratitude and rejoice and be glad in it nuh! That’s the only wise and sensible thing to do in light of His wonderful gesture. But yuh know, sometimes it seems that the unbelievers are more grateful for the good days they enjoy than we believers.
Listen to the ordinary workingman, as he sings his Friday song nuh. ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday oui! My most favourite day, because it heralds the start of the weekend, where my time is my own, to do with as I like and please. And I can tell anybody to go jump in the lake if I don’t like their suggestions for how I’m spending, or planning to spend my time!
And it sure feels good when you can tell some farse or nosy somebody to mind their own business! Too many people in this world today don’t have no business of their own, or just like to mind other people’s business! Chuh! I don’t mind theirs, so why they have to bother with mine eh? But enough about them yes! Today is Friday, and it bright and sunshiny, so me and mine going to enjoy it to the fullest.
I’m even going to take a half-day off from the slave master work – tough if he doh like it – and go home and spend it with the children. Might even take them down to the Ex; that big country fair down by the CNE grounds on the Lakeshore. They would certainly enjoy that! But let’s see how the day plays out nuh, before we make any firm commitments. We’ll just be thankful that it’s Friday and the start of the weekend! Praise God for that yes!’
Ah mih fellow saints, how many of us get so excited about another supposed ordinary day eh? Not too many of us, who are supposed to be the most joyful people in the world. But we not going to preach on the subject (smile), let’s just chant our Friday Chant, sing our weekend song.
As one, strong voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Yeh, it’s not as enthusiastic and colourful as the workingman’s offering, but it sure does keep us on the straight and narrow. And today, I want to share the scriptures I had planned to share yesterday when the Lord guided me in a different direction. It’s the same Bit: ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ And unfortunately that hasn’t changed much since John wrote that some two thousand years ago. And why is that eh?
Possibly because as Jesus explains: ‘And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved (exposed).’ (John 3:19-20) And isn’t that the awesome truth my fellow believers? We hide what we don’t want others to see in the darkness, behind closed doors.
But please remember Jesus’ warning: ‘Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets (secretly in inner rooms) shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.’ (Luke 12:1b-3)
Oh my people, all the things we hide and do in the darkness will one day be revealed publicly! And besides the Lord sees them when we do them now, so what’s the purpose of hiding eh? As they say, our true self is reflected in what we do in darkness, behind closed doors, when no one else is around. So anything else we do differently in the light is pure hypocrisy.
As the scholars explain: ‘12:1-2. Hypocrisy, piety just for the sake of appearance is futile; for even hidden motives will one day be laid bare by God.’ Please believe that my people, and let’s try our best to only deal with true and godly motives, it will pay big dividends for us in the long run. Now let’s see how many of those original scriptures on light we can get in now, because the Bit’s again gone in a slightly different direction than I had planned. (smile)
And I guess the best one to begin with is Bruh David’s proclamation in Psalm 27: ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?’ (Ps.27:1) Not a single soul my people! Then in Psalm 119, the psalmist declares: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps.119:105) So true friends, the Lord’s Word is our guidebook for earthly living!
And Isaiah declares: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.’ (Is.5:20) Yuh better believe it! And what better way to end than with John’s poignant declaration:
‘This the is the message which we have heard of him (Jesus), and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not (practice) the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ (1 John 1:5-7)
Please friends, let’s ponder on those oh significant and important words today nuh, and see if we’re truly walking in the light or just fooling ourselves, and actually walking in darkness. But whatever answer we get, please let’s also ask the Lord for His awesome help to truly walk in His Light. That’s wisdom of undeterminable proportions! Much LOVE!
…you can’t truly walk in the Light of Christ…and in the darkness of Satan…at the same time…
15 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a recharge of wsidom, accountability, Anglican Diocese of Toronto, bear anything that comes against us, believest thou this, calls men to, compassionate heart, comprehended it not, crapaud smoke yuh pipe, curse, darkness, deliverance through Christ, distractions, divine protection, doubts, eternal life, evil darkness, evil world, false choices, generously sharing blessings, gospel truth, guided, have the light of life, he that followeth me, hoarding of blessings, I am the light of the world, I am the way the truth and the life, in him was life, in judgement, Jesus' revelation of God, light, light excelleth darkness, light riseth up in darkness, living in darkness, living in light, negative word, no man cometh to the Father, not stumble, prosper, saints in Christ, salvation, see light, self-control, self-discipline, shall not walk in darkness, shineth in darkness, straight path, success, the godly, the grace, the light of men, the meek, the Preacher, the resurrection and the life, the spirit of wisdom, Thursday Blessings, uncertainties, wisdom excelleth folly
John 1:5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.
And then it was Thursday… Wow! The week almost finish already! In one way that’s good because it means that the weekend and rest from work will soon be here. But on the other hand, the quicker August finishes, the quicker summer and the holiday season will also be over, and it seems like it’s just begun!
Yes mih people, we can’t have it all our way, but through our strong and sincere faith in our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we can bear anything that comes against us; yes, we’re able to handle any circumstance that comes our way, be it storm or calm! And when I asked the Lord what He wants me to write about today, He led me to this little card on my desk from the Anglican Diocese of Toronto that has a prayer printed on either side.
I shared one sometime ago, which began with ‘Sustain us, O Lord, with Your Holy Spirit.’ Now here’s the next one. Please pray with me: ‘O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement. And light riseth up in the darkness for the godly. Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us to do, that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!’
Yes my fellow saints in Christ, every day, with our many doubts and fears, we need a recharge of wisdom and grace to save us from making wrong choices in this dark and evil world in which we’re currently living! And it’s only through Christ, our Guiding Light that we can ever hope to counter that evil darkness with light and find the safe and straight path so that we won’t stumble and fall.
And in these days of numerous colourful and addictive distractions, that’s often a hard task. But as John so wisely and truthfully tells us: ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
Yes friends, darkness cannot comprehend or apprehend or be superior to light under any circumstance at all! For as Cousin Sol, as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes tells us, during his search for man’s purpose on earth he eventually saw the futility of it all. ‘Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.’ (Ecl.2:13) And that’s the gospel truth!
Now here’s a note from the scholars. ‘1:4-5. Life…light: See also 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6. In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
And friends I’m chuckling here because I had intended to take the rest of the Bit in an entirely different direction, but after checking out those verses that the scholars mentioned I realized that there was only one way to go, and that’s sharing those verses because they are all Jesus’ words, as pertains to Him being the LIGHT in our Darkness.
So here goes. Jesus said it out loud and clear: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) He made this immortal statement to the Pharisees who obviously doubted Him because they said He was witnessing to Himself. But Jesus knew who He was and didn’t need the approval of the Pharisees who were darkness personified, as He told them later on in the chapter.
Then hear Him as He healed a blind man: ‘I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ (John 9:4-5) And yuh know what my people? Now that Jesus no longer walks this earth as a human being, it means that WE are now the light of the world, as He said in Matt.5:14. Let’s remember that, and shine forth accordingly nuh!
Now hear the Lord to Martha after He tarried in coming to Lazarus’ sick bed and so he eventually died. ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ (John 11:25-26)
Oh friends, Jesus Christ is also asking that explosive and monumental question of us this morning? Do we believe that He’s the Giver of Life? Now that’s something we have to very seriously ask ourselves. And hopefully the answer will be a resounding YES! Because if it isn’t, then crapaud smoke yuh pipe! And the scholars tell us: ‘11:25. I am the resurrection is one of Jesus’ greatest “I am” statements, signifying His power to give eternal life.’
Now listen to this other immortal statement to Doubting Thomas, when he queried Jesus about the way to go. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6) Oh mih people, mih people, if you don’t believe that then there’s no light in you, only darkness!
That means there’s no hope of salvation! For as the scholars note: ‘14:6. Jesus does not tell them about the way, nor does He show them the way. He does not even guide them along the way. He says He is the WAY!’ And so He is my faithful brethren! Please, please believe it, because your very existence through eternity depends on it!
And now, having seen the LIGHT, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Thursday Blessings, that that very same LIGHT has so generously bestowed on us to enable us to do His earthly work. In strong voice and sincere belief: ‘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 if you were sincere, then let’s go out and share those wonderful blessings with others, as Jesus so greatly desires. Much LOVE!
…hoarding of blessings…means you’re living in darkness…generously sharing blessings…means you’re living in the LIGHT…
14 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a glorious future with Jesus, afraid, after he hath killed, awesome Helper, complacent, corruption, dictators, evil rulers, eyes fixed straight ahead, fear him, for Jesus, grace, greed, halfway home, hands on the plough, hath power, heavenly proportions, hell, holy spirit, hot air, I will forewarn you, in doing god's will, lazy, loving-kindness, make disciples, not looking back, of all the world, oust God from society, restore God, rumours of war, setting my sights on heaven, strife, the breath of life, the Father's help, the gilded positions, the Great Commission, the righteous stood up, to cast into hell, to preeminent place in society, took a serious stand, undeserving children of men, uninterested, wanna be dictators, war, Wednesday Wail, whom ye shall fear, winning the world, wisdom
Luke 12:5. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Welcome to Wednesday, friends and neighbours! Oh me oh my, another wonderful day is in the offing for us in God’s great universe, His marvellous creation called Planet Earth! Let’s give Him some thanks and praise for that awesome privilege nuh, and show sincere gratitude by going out today, with godly excitement and passion, and doing a good job in Christ’s name, because nothing pleases our heavenly Father like us being good Christ-like examples!
And all God’s children responded with a mighty shout of ‘Praise the Lord for His extreme grace and LOVING-kindness to the undeserving children of men!’ And is He ever gracious and merciful! And are we ever undeserving of those precious gifts! But such is His amazing and never-ending LOVE towards us, His most wonderful creation, that He just can’t help Himself! And thus His goodness and grace just flows unrestricted down from heaven to us here on earth!
But are we truly appreciative of those blessings, especially the breath of life that flows through us that emanates solely from Him? I don’t think so, else so many of us would not be involved in trying to oust Him from our society, especially at this crucial and critical time, when we really need Him more than ever!
Oh friends, don’t we see the disgraceful and disgusting state of our world? How it’s filled with greed, corruption, strife, war, rumours of war and so many other negative things? The evil and negative things certainly outweigh the good and positive ones. And with each passing day it seems to get worse.
Leaders cannot agree on anything that will benefit their people and are constantly fighting to accrue more and more power.I don’t remember a time in my life when there have been more dictators in the world, with all of them trying to run roughshod over their people in a vain and futile effort for more wealth and power! And the people themselves have become so timid and acquiescent that those wanna be dictators are finding it very easy to do as their evil hearts desire.
Ah mih people, it’s time the supposedly righteous stood up and took a serious stand in the affairs of our world, our nations, our cities, our neighbourhoods and our families! Let me ask you this nuh? Do like the way our world and lives are going? Most of you will say definitely not! But then, here’s the clincher: If the righteous don’t get up and do something positive and godly, how will it ever get fixed eh, or even improve some?
Let me tell you friends, it WON’T! That’s because the evil rulers now in power won’t give up their power voluntarily. We have to take it from them; remove them from the gilded positions they have built for themselves, and above all, restore God to the first and preeminent place in our society! But for that to happen, we the righteous have to get up and get a serious move on! We can’t be just talk, a set of hot air, like we currently are; afraid to challenge the powers that be.
Please remember that our God, Jehovah, is the de-facto ruler of the universe, and yes, He’s still on His throne, ruling from heaven on high. But we are the ones to whom He’s contracted the business of setting this world right. But we have to get a move on, RIGHT NOW, for time is quickly running out! And for everyday that the evil are in ascendance, it gets more difficult to remove them. And we certainly can’t do it in our own strength; we definitely need the Father’s help.
And it’s not like He hasn’t given us the most awesome Helper in the universe, His Holy Spirit that dwells within us to lead and guide and empower us in conquering the evil that’s in the world! But unfortunately, like we seem to be afraid, lazy, complacent and just downright uninterested in doing His will.
But friends, we need to remember two things here: the first being the Great Commission that Jesus gave us; to go out and make disciples of all the world, and He will be with us, ALL the time, as He is through the Holy Spirit. (Matt.28:19-20). And secondly the fact that we should not be afraid of what man can do to us. We should preach the word everywhere fearlessly, for everything will be brought to light eventually.
Matthew puts it thus: ‘And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt.10:28) Meanwhile, this is Luke’s version: ‘And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.’ (Luke 12:4-5)
That my brethren is wisdom of heavenly proportions, for the death of the body is not the end of our lives, because our spirit lives on. And even more importantly, Almighty God, is the ONLY One who can both kill the body and soul and cast into to hell, so it’s wise to fear Him above men, who can only kill the body. Let’s hope the words the Holy Spirit has guided me to share today makes a big impression on us and inspires us to get up and get a serious move on in winning the world for Jesus!
Time to go home now, declaring (yeah!) our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our sincere and secure position in Christ. As one strong voice 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 will that future ever be glorious if we keep our hands on the plough and our eyes fixed steadfastly on Jesus! Much LOVE!
…you can have hell…if you so desire…but I’m setting my sights on heaven…
13 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a true believer, a world filled with heartache, amazing love, an example, as close as possible, aspire to be, assuage, at Calvary, be perfect, beloved of God, cleaning toilets, Daily Bread Devotionals, do as I have done to you, don't hurry, down their throats, fellow siants in christ, foolish pride, friend of Jesus, give thanks and praise, gospel truth, happy if ye do them, heartfelt compassion, his sinless blood, hungry, I have given you, in god's eyes, Jesus Christ, know these things, lowly factory workers, made right with God, menial jobs, model the compassion of Jesus, naked, not greater than his lord, not what I do, not what I have, not worryy, on the cross, perfection, physical needs, physical wants, sacrificed, serving others, shove the gospel, spreading Christ's gospel, sweeping the floor, the servant, the sun's shining, trust my friend Jesus, Tuesday Mantra, wash one another's feet, washed your feet, we don't deserve it, we serve Christ, when we serve people, wonderful friendship, worthwhile example, yuh can't make love on an empty belly
John 13:15. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you.
Oh my people, it’s a perfect beginning to what seems like a perfect day! The sun’s shining ever so brightly although it’s just eight o’clock in the morning, merrily reflecting off every possible surface. I was quite surprised at how bright it looked when I went outside a short while ago. And the temperature is nice and comfortable, so let’s hope it will continue like that all day.
But the most important thing is that we’re alive to enjoy it! Yeahhh! Through God’s LOVING grace, mercy and forgiveness, we’re still around to enjoy another memorable day! Wow! Give Him much thanks and praise my fellow saints in Christ for being so wonderful to us when we don’t deserve any of it.
But most of all, we have to give Him thanks for His most wonderful Son, Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His sinless blood on the cross at Calvary so that we could be made right with the Father! Glory to God! That’s why the Daily Bread Devotionals could tell us: ‘In a world filled with heartache, we can model the compassion of Jesus.’ And furthermore: ‘We serve Christ when we serve people!’
Words of gospel truth my brethren! Jesus is the most worthwhile example of all that we should aspire to be! Yes, we can never be truly like Him, be perfect in every way, because of our inherent sinful nature and His accompanying deity, but we can certainly try to get as close as possible to perfection in our humanity. And serving others while having a heartfelt compassion for mankind are possibly the two most important ways we can model Him.
Oh, we won’t forget spreading His gospel, but people are more receptive to that good news when we first assuage their physical wants. Meaning, if someone’s hungry, before we begin preaching, we should first feed them. And likewise, if they are naked, clothe them first before trying to shove the gospel down their throats.
And unfortunately that’s a mistake we often make. We reach out to the impoverished, both in body and spirit, but we put the gospel first. But as Sparrow once said in a calypso, ‘Yuh can’t make LOVE on an empty belly!’ (smile) And that goes for almost every other situation. You’re not receptive to much of anything if you’re cold and hungry. So please, in our own li’l worlds or spheres of influence, let’s try and satisfy the physical needs of others before we begin preaching to them nuh.
And sadly, there are so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ in these supposedly prosperous times who are suffering severe and serious want, especially with all the natural disasters, like flood and famine and sickness, plus rampant greed and strife that’s occurring all over our world in these last troubled and trying days.
And I just came upon a most interesting and ever so applicable statement of Bruh Paul’s to the Philippians, when he promised to send Timothy to help them in their faith walk. ‘For all seek their own, not the things which are Christ’s.’ (Phil.2:21) Yes friends, in this age of me, mine and my own, everyone is more concerned about seeking their own needs and wants than those of Christ.
But remember He said that if we seek first His kingdom and the things that are important to Him, we would be granted all the other ancillary stuff. (Matt.6:33) Sadly though, very few of us really pay attention to those words and instead run off to do what we think is best for us. But I’m straying from the original topic; servanthood amongst the followers of Jesus.
Friends, we ought not to be too proud to do whatever job is necessary, even if it’s the most menial of jobs, like sweeping the floors or cleaning the toilets. And again in Jesus, we have the best example possible, when He washed the feet of His disciples. That was possibly one of the most menial jobs in Israel in those days, reserved for slaves, since they wore sandals and their feet were always dusty and dirty.
But Jesus stripped Himself at the Last Supper, the Feast of the Passover, took a basin of water and washed every disciple’s feet. Why? Listen to His reasoning. ‘Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master (Teacher) and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Master (Teacher), have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord (master); neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.’ (John 13:12-17)
Ah friends, as always, Jesus gives us some dynomite examples to follow! And is that one about doing menial jobs ever so applicable in these days, where we all are so proud and hoighty-toighty and only want to do the jobs that the world thinks are so uplifting and convey what it calls success.
But please remember that though the C.E.O might make the most money and have the biggest say about how to do things, it’s the lowly factory workers who actually do the jobs, make whatever they sell. Without them, he wouldn’t be in His glorified position. Likewise we should never forget the poor and unfortunate around us and not be too big and proud to help them in whatever way they need it, because that’s what our Lord and Saviour, Our Leader, Jesus Christ was all about.
And if we want to truly follow His example, then we have to do what He did! And having washed away some of our foolish pride, (smile) let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Tuesday Mantra, telling the whole wide world, in no uncertain terms, who and whose we are.
All together now in strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And if we believe it, then let’s follow Jesus’ example and go out and share His amazing LOVE and wonderful friendship! Much LOVE!
…no job…should ever be too menial…for a true believer in Christ…
12 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: about Jesus' work, asking for help, aura of love, awakening, beacon of light, believe also in me, believe me, come again, confidence, doubt, empty promises, evil ungodly world, for the very works' sake, I am in the Father, I am the way the truth and the life, I go to prepare a place, In my Father's house, inroads, jobs, lies, lost it's flavour, LOVE, LOVE Revolution, many mansions, Monday Morning Battle Hymn, no man cometh unto the father, recharge our batteries, salt, saltiness of class, scarred hands, serve a useful purpose, show us the Father, sincere prayer, spend eternity with Jesus, steadfast faith, the devil's trap, the enemy's ranks, the father in me, the Holy Spirit, the supreme sacrifice, threw away the mould, to receive you, unto myself, utmost trust, wicked taunts, ye believe in me, ye belive in God
John 14:1. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Tis Monday…Monday morning my brethren! Time to be up and about our Lord and Saviour’s work! And yes, it does look somewhat cloudy outside, but that’s when we ought to let our light shine forth even more to light up the darkness that surrounds us, and let our flavourful salt flavour the earth with greater passion! (smile)
And yes, I know that sometimes after a couple of lazy days off, our batteries seem run down, and thus our lights are rather dim, but please remember that Jesus came to shed His awesome light into this terribly dark world, and is therefore our shining and radiant beacon of heavenly light. Consequently, He is able to recharge our batteries without any problems, and in no time, have us blazing forth with His purposeful light.
And when our salt has apparently lost its flavour, don’t be anxious or worried, for Jesus is the saltiest person who has ever graced this earth, and thus He is also able to renew the flavour of our salt, or simply give us new salt with which to do His work. And we obtain that renewal of saltiness and recharging of our batteries by going to Him in sincere prayer and asking for His wonderful and generous help.
So if you’re feeling undercharged and flavourless this morning, then come join with us in prayer, come declare with us our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, the sure antidote for whatever ails you on a Monday morning. All together now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together.
We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies.
But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’
Yes mih people, yuh feel that sudden awakening? I know you do, because I can feel it myself! That’s Jesus recharging our batteries and reflavouring our salt through His Holy Spirit, so that we can go out and do His bidding with bright lights and saltiness of class!
Please don’t let that renewal go to waste, let’s use it as often as necessary, and as wisely as possible so that we can enhance Jesus’ LOVE Revolution; His ardent desire to capture and take over this evil world we live in with His awesome unconditional LOVE! It is, and will be the greatest revolution ever seen on earth! Give Him plenty thanks and praise my faithful brethren for the amazing and selfless work He’s done, and is still doing on our behalf!
Oh, what an awesome person is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! There has never before been any like Him, and there certainly will NEVER be any more like Him EVER! As the old people would say: after the Lord made Him, He threw away the mould. That’s for certain sure my people! And that’s why we can also place our utmost trust and care in His scarred hands; surrender our whole lives to Him; the ONE who gave His life as the supreme sacrifice for us!
And thus we can believe without a doubt, when He encourages us: ‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.’ And the great thing about our Jesus is that He doesn’t make empty promises or leave us hanging, but He authenticates everything He says. Hear how He continues after telling the disciples our Bit.
‘In my father’s house are many mansions (dwellings): if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.’ (John 14:2-4) Glory be mih people! Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He’s coming back for us, so that we can spend eternity with Him!
And yuh know what? We can certainly trust His words! Why would He lie after voluntarily sacrificing Himself for us eh? No reason whatsoever! So please, please, lets not fall into the devil’s trap of doubt, like Thomas did when He said to Jesus: ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?’ (John 14:5) And Jesus had to set him straight: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And it’s strange how the thread of doubt still existed in the disciples, although they had been with Jesus for so long, because after Jesus said to Thomas: ‘If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth (will satisfy) us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself (on my own authority): but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.’ (John 14:7-11)
Oh my people, this Monday morning, please let’s not doubt Jesus, but believe His words in true faith. For even His miraculous works speak of His deity, His Oneness with the Father! He could not have done them without the Father’s authority and power! So let’s take them to heart nuh, so that we can go with Him when He comes back for us. Much LOVE!
…DOUBT…re Jesus and the Father’s LOVE for us…should never exist in a true believer’s heart and soul…
11 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a preening peacock, acknowledge God's sovereignty, adoration, affirmation of faith, after this manner, an act of spiritual expression, as it is in heaven, as we forgive, confess, conformity of will, deliver us from evil, effective reign of God, for ever and ever, forgive us our trespasses, fr thine is the kingdom, Give us this day, hallowed be thy name, house of the Lord, in earth, indispensable, lead us not into temptation, moral, move mountains, oppressive world, Our Daily Bread, Our Father, petition, pray ye, prayer, prove our faithfulness, provision of manna, reverence for God, sinning saints, sins, song so fpraise, spiritual debts to God, strength in numbers, tempted by our own lusts, thanksgiving, the Lord's Day, the power and the glory, through the Messiah, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, which art in heaven
Matthew 6:9. After this manner pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
‘I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.’ (Ps.122:1) Oh my fellow believers in Christ, that’s exactly the invitation I’m offering us this Sunday morning, the Lord’s Day! Yes, it is good and right that we venture into His house on His day to acknowledge His sovereignty, holiness, grace, compassion and mercy towards us, miserable sinning saints that we are. In fellowship with other believers, we are expected to lift our voices in songs of praise and thanksgiving and receive encouragement from listening to His holy Word.
And since there is strength in numbers, it means when we gather together, we are a powerful group, able to move mountains with our faith, but we also spread the joy of the Lord amongst each other, encouraging each other as needed. So please don’t refuse this invitation today, because you never know what wondrous blessings or opportunities the Lord has in store for you in His sanctuary today.
And even if there is nothing special, you leave there like a preening peacock, (smile) full of confidence and joy in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! And believe me nothing is better than that in this cruel and oppressive world! Glory to the Most High God Jehovah! Ah mih people, like the ole fella getting excited…And why not eh, since Christ is the greatest thing to ever happen to mankind. And if I have to tell you that, then something wrong with yuh faith yes! (smile)
Anyway, putting all of that aside, let’s begin the proceedings with praise and worship. And since we sang the second most popular Bible scripture last week; the Lord is My shepherd, I figured it’s only right to sing the most popular one today, The Lord’s Prayer. So let’s get to it nuh, in strong, sweet, sincere and solemn harmony, so that the Father has no choice but to look down on us with favour.
‘Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever…for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen!’
Yeh friends, short but sweet! And we all know it as the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. Luke describes the scene thus: ‘And it came to pass, that as he (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ (Luke 11:1) And the scholars offer this footnote: ‘11:1. Religious communities of the time customarily had their own distinctive prayers. Perhaps the disciples wanted theirs.’
And we know what Jesus told them: ‘After this manner pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.’ And He went on to tell them the awesome, far-reaching words that we just sang. It’s amazing how it seems to cover all that our earthly life calls for. But if it comes from Jesus, what else would we expect eh?
Now the scholars offer some interesting explanations on the prayer, and I’m going to share them. Let’s hope we have enough space. (smile) ‘6:9. The beginning phrase, Our Father, is completely uncommon to the prayers of the Old Testament. The two major elements of the prayer are adoration and petition. Hallowed be thy name addresses the attention of the prayer toward God and reverence for His name and His person. Hallowed (Gr. hagiazo) means to be held in reverence and holy awe.’
‘6:10. The phrase Thy kingdom come refers to the eschatological (study of end times) nature of this prayer. Notice that the kingdom is to be prayed for, implying that it has not yet arrived. The kingdom represents the full and effective reign of God through the mediatorial office of the Messiah. The recognition of Thy will be done emphasizes the idea that prayer is to bring about the conformity of the will of the believer to the will of God. Prayer is an act of spiritual expression that brings us into conformity to the very nature and purpose of God.’
‘6:11. The section of petitions begins with the request to give us this day our daily bread. Bread (Gr. artos) may be applied to the provision of food in general. The term ‘daily’ (Gr. epiousios) denotes “indispensable.” The concept of daily provision of bread fits perfectly with the Old Testament example of the daily provision of manna to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness. (Ex.16:14-15).’
‘6:12. Forgive us our trespasses refers to sins, which are our moral and spiritual debts to God’s righteousness. The request for forgiveness of sin is made here by the believer. In order to be saved one need not necessarily name all his sins, but he must confess that he is a sinner.’ ‘6:13-15. Lead us not into temptation is a plea for the providential help of God in our daily confrontation with the temptation of sin. God does not tempt us to do evil, but we are tempted by our own lusts (James 1:13-14).
However, God does test us in order to give us the opportunity to prove our faithfulness to Him. He never desires to lead us into evil itself. Therefore if we resist the Devil, we are promised that he will flee from us. The prayer closes with a doxology of praise (expression of praise to God): For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen, which is a liturgical (pattern for worship) ending similar to 1 Chronicles 29:11) Though omitted in some manuscripts, these words constitute a fitting and climactic affirmation of faith.’
And so it does my fellow believers! I also hope that those explanations give you a better understanding of what our most beloved prayer is all about. I certainly learned a lot from them. And neither did it take up as much space as I expected. (smile) So let’s get ourselves to church sometime today nuh and enjoy fellowship with other believers in the holy presence of Almighty God! That’s my prayer and wish for all of us today! Much LOVE!
…in humble prayer…praise ought always…to come before petition…
10 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a man's life, a patriot, Adam and Eve, against greed, against his government, an abundance of possessions, Anselm, aspires to inspire, be merry, be on guard, beware of covetousness, ceded power to Satan, citizens have forfeited ownership, complacent, consiteth not, corruption, drin, earthly things are temporary, eat, endanger the morals, fight back, fight tooth and nail, for a better tomorrow, free for all fight, get fighting mad, godly, greedy lawyers, heavenly things are forever, in the abundance of things, lay not up for yourselves, lay up treasures in heaven, LOVE, moth and rust doth corrupt, of an individual, politicians are our employees, prostitution, rampant, ready to defend his country, rest on his laurels, righteous citizens, selfish interests, steal, take heed, the entire country, the good life, the parable of the rich fool, there will your heart be also, thieves break through, to politicians, treasures on earth, we own this country, where your treasure is
Luke 12:15. Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.
Welcome to another sunny summer’s day friends! Yes, I know it’s been going on for a little while now, but if a body can’t sleep in some on the last day of the week, what’s the purpose of being alive eh? (smile)
But nonetheless, let’s give our wonderful God much thanks and praise for allowing, for enabling us to see it nuh! Because it’s only because His breath of life is still flowing through our bodies that we can see and enjoy it. He hasn’t pulled the plug on us, at least not yet, and for that we need to be eternally grateful!
Anyway, it’s Saturday, so let’s see what words of wisdom our friend Anselm imparted to us this past week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And our friend waxed somewhat political and patriotic this week. Listen up to this first one: ‘I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen. Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we – we own this country. We – we own it. It is not you owning it, and not politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.’
Mama Yo! And he’s perfectly right. The citizens of a country own it. However, just like Adam and Eve ceded power to the devil when they listened to his deceitful words and ate of the forbidden fruit, likewise we citizens have forfeited ownership of our countries by allowing the politicians to bamboozle us with their sweet talk that’s only full of lies and deceit. We’ve allowed the crazy inmates to take over the madhouse. And once you’ve ceded power, it’s awfully hard to get it back.
But here’s how it can be won back: ‘A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.’ Yes friends, once the inmates are in control of the institution, the only way to dislodge them is to fight, fight tooth and nail against them, because they will not give up their power voluntarily.
The unfortunate problem nowadays though is that not too many of us are not willing to fight tooth and nail to recover anything, much less the running of our countries. We’ve become so enthralled and complacent by the good life we’re living, that we just can’t bear to give it up, and fighting for anything has the distinct possibility of losing stuff that we cherish. The whole point here is what do we cherish most, and what are willing to fight for?
And this next quote continues the political discourse: ‘ Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country.’ So true my people! But again, unfortunately, that’s the vibe that’s running the world now. Corruption is so rampant and deep in so many countries of the world that it’s easier to list which ones aren’t corrupt, if any, than to list those that are corrupt.
And there too, corruption will only cease when the godly, righteous and decent citizens of a country get fighting mad and decide to actually fight back against it, remove the numerous corrupt people in power and replace them with godly, righteous and trustworthy ones.
But sadly we will need to replace almost all the people in power to do that, because corruption has become another name for politician, and most of our citizens don’t want to disturb their lives, especially when many of them are also recipients of corrupt favours and money. And that’s the end of the political quotes! (smile)
But this one is just as important: ‘What can’t you live without? Why? Is it something that lasts forever, or just for a moment?’ Good question that my people! Remember Jesus’ advice: ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt (ruin, destroy), and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ (Matt.6:19-21) That advice goes for anything we want or hunger for friends! Technically our wants should have a godly basis, but that’s not very easy to accomplish in this world full of ungodly distractions.
That brings us to the last quote: ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And Jesus spelled that out in spades in the parable of the rich fool. When a man in a crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied: ‘Man, who made me a judge or a divider (an arbitrator) over you?’ (Luke 12:13-14)
And the scholars declare: ‘12:14. Jesus will not be a part of furthering someone’s selfish interests. He calls for people to serve the Lord and others, not themselves.’ So true! Then Jesus spoke these immortal words of wisdom: ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.’
Oh friends, there again, our world today, under the evil, ungodly and corrupt rule of Satan and his demonic followers, is so filled with greed and covetousness that it’s truly difficult not to get caught up in the foolishness. But Jesus warned us about the man who had so much that he had nowhere to store it, and foolishly decided to tear down everything and build bigger and better and then rest on his laurels thereafter.
‘And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’ (Luke 12:19-21)
And we see that happening a lot in our current world, where people who were seeking the earth’s riches suddenly die and there estates become a free-for –all fight between their descendants, with the greedy lawyers oftimes getting the most substantial portion for their efforts to divide it.
Please, I implore us not to seek the world’s wealth above the work we need to do for God, because that’s just a fool’s wisdom. And the Lord has promised to provide all we need when we put His kingdom first. (Matt.6:33) So let’s take Him up on that nuh, since He never breaks His promises! Much LOVE!
…earthly things are only temporary…but the things of heaven…of God…are forever…
09 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a good soldier of Christ, a party animal, all ye that labour, arguments, Casting down imaginations, closer to home, come unto me, comfessesth, easy pickings, entangles himself, every high thing, exalteth itself, false arguments, false prophets, fill your mind, Friday chant, furthering God's kingdom, generous help, go overboard, God's Word, godly wisdom, heavy laden, I will give you rest, in Jesus name, is come in the flesh, Jesus Christ, lined up with, LOVE, mighty through God, monkey do, monkey see, not carnal, of the flesh, our mind is the battlefield, powers of darkness and evil, pulling down of strongholds, refreshed in soul body and mind, set boundaries, slave driver, spiritual world powers, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, the affairs of this life, the knowledge of god, the Lord will meet all our needs, the spirit of the antichrist, the things of Christ, the truth of Jesus, the workingman's song, through His riches in glory, try the spirits, we do not war after the flesh, we walk in the flesh, weapons of our warfare, work is good, zest for life
2 Corinthians 10:3. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh.
And then it was Friday…the one after the Caribana long weekend…and mucho prayers are being sent up to heaven giving thanks for making it through this rough and tiring though short workweek! So what else is new eh? Heaven is always bombarded with more prayers when things are rough with mankind. And I guess that’s how it was meant to be since Jesus invited us to: ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt.11:28)
I don’t know if He meant tired from too much partying too, (smile) but I’m sure that whenever we call on Him, for whatever reason, He will NEVER turn us down, once our prayers are sincere. So please keep crying out to Him in sincerity, whatever your needs are, because Bruh Paul also promised that the Lord will meet all our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ. (Phil.4:19)
So now that we’ve straightened that out, (smile) let’s hear what the ordinary workingman has to say for himself today. As always, he’s really enthused about the weekend. ‘TGIF! Thank God for Friday yes mih breddren because it’s the start of the weekend! Yeah! My time to do whatever, whenever and however I like! No slave driver in mih life for at least two big days! Wow! Thank the Lord for that yes! Work is good, but like too much of everything else, too much of it is no good!
Well…possibly except for partying…Oh yes, I am a party animal, but I try not to overdo it, try to set a half decent example for the children, because yuh know they quick to do what they see you do, rather than what you tell them. As the old saying goes, monkey see, monkey do. Anyway, enough philosophizing…is Friday…and we starting the party right here and now…regardless of what the slave master think or say! Lift them high friends…and thank God for Fridays and weekends!’
Ah mih people, you have to enjoy the workingman’s zest for life though he tends to go somewhat overboard. He’s not a bad philosopher either. (smile) But his limits are just too far out for those of us who sincerely believe in Jesus. We set boundaries a li’l closer to home than he does. So let’s hear what our weekend song, our Friday Chant sounds like nuh, as we proclaim it to all and sundry in full voice and sincere hearts.
‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’
Ah friends, as followers of, and true believers in Christ, we have to be somewhat more cognizant of the world around us and how the enemy is operating because we are in a big battle with the spiritual world powers of darkness and evil, so we can’t afford to be footloose and fancy free like the ordinary workingman. And that’s the gospel truth as Bruh Paul so wisely informs us:
‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after (according to) the flesh. (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (of the flesh), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having a readiness to revenge (punish) all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.’ (2. Cor.10:3-6)
Yes my fellow saints, I know that’s a mouthful and might be somewhat obscure and incomprehensible to some of us, (smile) but here’s what the scholars have to say about it, hope it will help you to better understand Bruh Paul’s teaching. ’10:3-5. Though we walk (live) in the flesh (in a body), we do not war (fight) after (according to) the flesh (human standards): The first phrase of verse 5 looks back to verse 3 and expresses the manner in which believers conduct spiritual warfare. It is by casting down (destroying) imaginations (false arguments), such as Paul’s opponents have raised.’
And believe you me, in these troubled and insecure times, there are so many false arguments, theories and doctrines floating about from so many false teachers, that if you’re not careful, and are not solidly grounded in the Word you can easily fall for any and all of them. That’s why it’s so important for believers to read, know, meditate and understand God’s word, because it’s the truth, and nothing but the truth! Anything that varies from it is of the enemy!
As John says in his epistle: ‘Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.’ (1 John 4:1-3)
Oh friends, the spirit of the antichrist is surely with us today. And though John gives us a rough benchmark to test the theories that come against us, whether they acknowledge that Jesus actually came to earth in the flesh or not, we still have to be very careful of what we let into out thinking, because the enemy is so deceitful and treacherous, he uses all and any method to deceive.
And remember too that it all begins in our minds, our thinking. He tries to disrupt our thoughts because our mind is the battlefield, and what sticks there, shows up in our behaviour and values. That’s why Bruh Paul emphasized ‘bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.’ Our thoughts have to be lined up with the truth of Jesus, else we’ll be easy pickings for the enemy.
That’s why Bruh Paul also encouraged Timothy thus: ‘Thou therefore endure harness (hardship), as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.’ (2 Tim.2:3-4)
Likewise friends, we can’t afford to get entangled in the affairs of the flesh and this ungodly, evil world, we need to concentrate on the things of Christ, and suffer whatever is necessary for His sake, so we can be good soldiers in His LOVE Revolution! Much LOVE!
…fill your mind with God’s Word…then there won’t be any space for the enemy…what godly wisdom… (smile)
08 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a lamb without blemish, a satisfying future, abide with God, Adam sold us to Satan, aimless conduct, alive and kicking, be holy and righteous, be not ye servants of men, before the foundation of the world, bought with a price, compassionate heart, constant communication with God, curse, feed the chuch of God, foreordained, glorify God in your body, God being first in our lives, gold, Golgotha's hill, in your spirit, Jesus bought us back, motivation, negative word, overseers, precious blood of Christ, prioritize your life, profound significance, prosper, purchased by, self-control, self-discipline, sense of purpose, serve Christ unselfishly, silver, spoon feed, stay away from sin, steadfast purpose, succeed, success, the believer's purpose, the blood of God's only son, the hoy sinless blood of Christ, the temple of the Holy Ghost, Thursday's Blessings, vain conversation, which are God's, with corruptible things, ye were not redeemed
1 Corinthians 6:20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Aye mih people, as you can see, we have been blessed with another golden opportunity to spend another day alive and kicking on God’s great earth! Bless His holy name! But please note we’ve not been supremely blessed just to sit on our fannies and have a lazy ole time, but our Creator has a definite plan of action for each and every one of our lives.
Therefore we are compelled to be up and about His business and not just sashaying along the road of the good life, but making proper use of the short time He has granted us on this earth. So, since the Lord has a plan and a purpose for each life he creates, that means we have to be people with a strong sense of purpose. And what’s that you ask?
Here is a brief definition: ‘Sense of Purpose (or meaning) is the motivation that drives you toward a satisfying future. It also helps you to get the most from the things you do and achieve – large and small – right now. Sense of Purpose helps you to prioritize your life.’
Yes friends, that’s what ALL believers need to have; motivation in and through Christ Jesus so that we can fulfill His awesome plan for our lives, thus giving us a satisfying future right here on earth then in heaven above! Nothing this evil, ungodly world has to offer is better than that friends!
So we have to get up each and every day with that steadfast purpose of God having first place in our lives. Remember we don’t belong to ourselves any longer, cause we’ve been bought, purchased by the holy, sinless blood of Jesus, a rather expensive purchase too.
As Bruh Paul proclaims to the church at Corinth: ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.’ (1 Cor.6:19-20)
Yes my people, just like Adam sold us to Satan and sin became our nature, in like fashion Jesus bought us back with His precious blood spilled on the cross of Calvary, therefore we now belong to Him and ought to act accordingly. When we were Satan’s, we sinned. But now that we are Christ’s we ought to stay away from sin, be holy and righteous through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit placed there to lead and guide us along the straight and narrow path.
And the scholars offer these explanations on those two verses. ‘6:19. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost: Not only is the local church a temple of the Holy Spirit (cf.3:16), but the individual believer’s body itself also is a temple of the Holy Spirit.’
‘6:20. Bought with a price: The blessed fact that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit has two sides: one, that He is ours; the other, that we are His. (Glory be!) The believer was purchased on Golgotha’s hill. The price paid was the blood of God’s only Son (Acts 20:28). This has profound significance for the believer (cf.1 Tim.4:10; 1 Pet.2:9).’
And since I’m such a sweet and caring soul (smile) I’ll spoon-feed us with a couple of those scriptures the scholars mentioned because I know very few of us will look them up for ourselves. The first is: ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (destroys) the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.’ (1 Cor.3:16-17)
Here Bruh Paul is talking about the local church, not the individual believer, and possibly the destroyers are false believers, who will pay a fearful price for their destruction. And the next scripture is Bruh Paul’s warning to the Ephesian elders. ‘Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed (shepherd) the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.’ (Acts 20:28).
Now let’s see what Peter has to say on the subject. ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed (purchased) with corruptible (perishable) things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (aimless conduct) received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest (revealed) in these last times for you. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.’ (1 Pet.:18-21)
Yes friends, to satisfy God’s holiness and justice, Jesus paid the price for our sins with His precious blood. Therefore, let’s never forget that we now belong to Him and are required to do His bidding. As Bruh Paul reminds us one more time: ‘Ye are bought with a price; be not ye servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.’ (1 Cor.7:23-24) To have long lasting peace and joy, one needs to stay in constant communication with Almighty God!
Now let’s go home declaring (yehhh!) our Thursday Blessings which Jesus in His wonderful generosity has granted us. All together now: ‘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 I’d certainly be amiss and negligent in my duty, if I don’t remind us that those blessings weren’t granted for us to selfishly hoard but to generously share with others. (smile) So let’s go out and do that nuh, so we can truly warm the cockles of Jesus’ aching heart. Mucho Amor!
…the believer’s purpose…to serve Christ unselfishly…in any area in which he’s called…
07 Aug 2019
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compelling attractiveness, a glorious future, ability to lead, all these things will be added unto you, an easy row to hoe, and His righteousness, charisma, charm, crapaud smoke we pipe, desire to follow me, felt compassion, give to the poor, go thy way, God will provide all your needs, halfway home, have it more abundantly, have treasure in heaven, hell-bound with Lucifer, if any man, inspire devotion in others, Jesus, leader extraordinaire, leading is bleeding, let him deny himself, looking forward to, need to be resilient, not turning back, one thing thou lackest, popular lowyalty, Sam chand, seek ye first, sell whatsoever thou hast, shouldering our crosses, take up his cross daily, the breath of life, the kingdom of God, they might have life, through His riches in glory, tolerance for pain, true lack of devotion to god, Wednesday Wail, will come after me
Luke 9:23. If any man will come after (desire to follow) me; let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Well hello, hello, you beautiful fellow saints in Christ! Blessings and mercy and peace and forgiveness and all the other good things that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has made available and possible to us! And they are plentiful and wonderful! That’s why Bruh Paul reassured the church at Philippi after they sacrificed their own wants to send him a gift. ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Phil.4:19)
And He has, and will continue to do so my faithful believers, even for those of you who are still tired and bedraggled from the Caribana partying. (smile) And note it’s Wednesday; the hump day, so only a couple more to go till Friday. You can handle it perfectly if you just keep hanging with Jesus, our Leader extraordinaire.
And talking about Leaders, here is a quote on the subject, reputedly from one Sam Chand, a supposed leadership guru. It says: ‘Your ability to lead is equal to your tolerance for pain. Leading is bleeding – You need to be resilient.’ No lie about any of that my brethren! That’s why Jesus was and still is such a wonderful leader.
His tolerance for pain, both figuratively and physically are off the charts. I doubt that any of us could have withstood the pain and suffering He did with little or no complaining. And He certainly bled – literally- on our behalf to boot! And He was certainly resilient too as His awesome resurrection on Easter morning showed! Satan could not keep Him down in Hades for long! So even by man’s standards Christ was an awesome leader! Glory to God!
And something else that a good leader also has is what we term ‘charisma.’ And there are several definitions of it. Here are a few: ‘a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others; a divinely conferred power or talent; a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader); personal magnetism or charm; a type of leadership seen as extraordinary. The term “charisma” is used to describe a particular type of leader who uses “values-based, symbolic, and emotion-laden leader signaling” Whatever that means! (smile)
But we know that Jesus had charisma in spades, everybody wanted to follow Him, until they discovered that following Him was not exactly an easy row to hoe. And Jesus set out His terms of discipleship quite clearly and up front, as He always did. ‘If any man will come after (desire to follow) me; let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ No mincing of words there friends.
And I like how Luke puts it; we must take up our crosses ‘DAILY’ not just when we feel like it! And that’s a major problem with many a supposed believer because they think that taking up their crosses daily is a bit too much and too hard. It’s like the young rich ruler who came to Jesus asking what He must do to be saved. Oh, he gallantly answered that he did all the easy parts found in the Ten Commandments.
‘Then Jesus beholding him LOVED him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast; and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.’ (Mark 10:21) And we all know that he walked away sadly because he could not fathom the thought of selling all of his possessions.
But you’ll note too that the Good Book says that ‘Jesus LOVED him;’ that is felt compassion because He knew that following Him would never be an easy task, especially for one who had much worldly wealth. But as the scholars say: ‘10:21. Jesus identifies the one area that revealed the man’s true lack of devotion to God. A clear-cut issue must be decided.’
Oh friends, the same thing applies to us today. We have to truly decide whether the material things and ways of the world are more important to us than doing the will of God through the leadership of Christ! Now, just ponder on this nugget for a moment nuh: Supposing Jesus had thought the same way like the rich, young ruler and so many of us today, and reacted in like fashion, refusing to give up His wealth and health and good life in heaven, what would be our state right now eh?
Crapaud smoke we pipe for sure! We’d be hell-bound with Lucifer forever! And remember too that the Father didn’t force Jesus to take up His cross nuh. He asked Him nicely, and because Jesus LOVED the Father everlasting and didn’t want to disobey Him, He took up His cross and daily carried it while here on earth.
And what we have to realize friends and supposed believers is that taking up one’s cross doesn’t mean giving up everything we have, and/or not desiring the good things of life, but just denying ourselves when our desires cut across or conflict with the will of God. Remember Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you.’ (Matt.6:33) So if we put God’s business first place in our lives, then He will provide the necessities of life for us. Just like Bruh Paul said at the beginning of our Bit to the Philippians.
And remember too Jesus’ words: ‘The thief cometh not, but for (except) to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ (John 10:10) Now that surely doesn’t mean that His followers should live broken down, poor and bedraggled. In fact He expects us to be the exact opposite, the most joyful and fun-filled people on the earth, the salt and light of the world, because of all the good things His sacrificed life and blood has provided for us!
So let’s smarten up nuh mih people, let’s pick up that cross daily and step out strong with it, because Jesus will also give us the strength and wherewithal to bear it gallantly and joyfully. Bless His Holy Name! Now let’s go home declaring (right ho!) our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know our wonderful position in Christ. In strong voice with a sincere sense of purpose:
‘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 if we keep shouldering our crosses daily, oh boy, oh boy, will that future with Christ ever be glorious! Much LOVE!
…there’s no leader like Jesus…He’s already done ALL that He now asks us to do…and He helps us to do it too…Glory be…!
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